007
"Yes," Han Yanyan said. "He mentioned that the search team is recruiting."
Zhao Yuxuan was silent for a moment before saying, "The people recruited by the search team gather at the city gate the day after tomorrow, get one meal, and then they’re taken away immediately. Those who live in this base are all part of the squad."
After finishing, she paused for a moment, almost as if trying to make amends, and offered, "Do you need help with the bedding?" It was clear she had heard something from Sun Lijun, leaving a hint of bitterness and fear in her tone.
Han Yanyan pretended not to notice Zhao Yuxuan's shift in attitude and mood, asking, "Is there any water? I need to wash the food container."
"No," Zhao Yuxuan replied listlessly. "The water's out."
Nanling City originally had six water plants, but now only one in the Old City District still functioned. Water and power shortages were commonplace. Han Yanyan acknowledged with a simple "oh," and then she conjured water to wash her container.
Surprised but unfazed, Zhao Yuxuan asked, "You're an ability user?"
After observing Han Yanyan's ability for a while, she remarked, "So is Qi Tongtong from Room 321. She has wood powers, also quite weak."
"What does she do in the team?" Han Yanyan inquired.
Zhao Yuxuan sneered, "What else can she do but accompany men to bed? Everyone on this floor does."
Silence followed from Han Yanyan.
Unconcerned, Zhao Yuxuan expressed a hint of envy, "Heard Ding Yao took a liking to you? You should serve him well. Follow him, and you won't have to worry about food and shelter. If you can manage to keep just him happy, then you'll truly have nothing to fret over."
Han Yanyan stubbornly declared, "I came to join the search team."
Zhao Yuxuan's expression turned cold as she looked at the unlaid bedding, boxes of feminine clothing, and various odds and ends. She sneered again. In the pre-apocalypse days, these tattered things would have been dismissed as worthless. Now, they were precious supplies. No one in their right mind would give them away to the search team.
To Zhao Yuxuan, Han Yanyan acted both aloof and moralizing, while looking down on them, which made her stomach churn.
Suddenly, Han Yanyan's eyes misted over, as she lowered her head and said, "My companion… died before we reached the city. He just died…" Her voice choked with sobs.
So that's how it is, Zhao Yuxuan's disdain faded. She sighed and comforted, "Alright, don't be too upset. You'll get used to these things. For the living, no matter what, we have to keep going. Don't dwell on past relationships, focus on what's in front of you. If you meet someone like Ding Yao, don't let him slip away. Look to the present and hold on to him."
She sat on the bed, slightly dazed, finally murmuring, "...this is how we all get by."
One of her feet rested on a cardboard box, an unladylike position she didn’t care about. Her refined appearance contrasted starkly with her feeling of apathy; it was enough just to survive, which was a common state for ordinary people in the apocalypse.
Suddenly, the phone by the bed rang. With little interest, Zhao Yuxuan answered it, then after getting the room number, she got up and said, "I have to work. You sort yourself out."
Han Yanyan watched Zhao Yuxuan leave for her "job." She put away the food container and took the keys to unlock room 315.
The electricity was still functional, as Nanling City had a hydropower plant that kept running. When she flicked on the light, she saw that Room 315 was a large suite, clearly uninhabited for a while. It was void and quite dusty, with just a mattress on the bed and no sheets. Trash littered the floor, including some torn, fabric-like scraps.
In the bathroom, she looked into the mirror. It was her first encounter with her appearance in this world.
The electronic voice is so stingy! It won't give her stunning looks or explosive power! Han Yanyan mentally cursed its ancestors.
It even made the Han Yanyan in this post-apocalyptic world look like the one in the previous world. That face was of a delicate and pure kind. Last time, due to character restrictions, "Han Yanyan" leaned towards being pure and fragile, looking pathetically pitiful.
This world allowed more freedom in character, and Han Yanyan could express her true self.
She leaned closer to the mirror, scrutinizing her skin, which was perfect, almost blemish-free. Turning her head from left to right, she figured this "Han Yanyan" was about nineteen or twenty, appearing younger than the last world's "Han Yanyan," who was already a university graduate working professionally. However, though this girl's eyes lacked the frail demeanor, they carried a cool and clear aura.
Even if she wasn't a stunning beauty, here in this bleak world, a solid air of cleanliness was more advantageous. Too many beautiful women like Zhao Yuxuan were withering and worn down.
Han Yanyan turned the faucet, but the pipe only hissed, spitting out a few rusty drops. She closed the faucet and stopped the sink, attempting to gather more water with her ability.
Having conjured water several times throughout the night, she was now more adept than earlier when she was still on the streets. Before long, she managed to fill the basin, although she felt drained, like after physical exertion. Her ability was akin to strength; it wore out but could be replenished through rest.
Heading to Room 317, she grabbed a broom and dustpan, began tearing the rags into cleaning cloths, and in the time Zhao Yuxuan was away "working," cleaned up Room 315. She laid out the bedding and returned to move the boxes just as Zhao Yuxuan returned.
She was exhausted, a blend of sweat and a foul bodily odor clinging to her. Without access to water, bathing was out of the question, making the sweltering summer even more unbearable.
Seeing Han Yanyan carrying things around, Zhao Yuxuan was too spent to inquire, merely commenting, "All sorted today?"
When Han Yanyan returned the broom and dustpan, she lingered in Zhao Yuxuan's bathroom briefly before leaving, collapsing into bed when she returned to her room. Half an hour later, Zhao Yuxuan knocked on her door, handing her a half-empty packet of biscuits, with only four or five pieces left.
"Thank you," Han Yanyan said.
She looked much fresher now, without that unpleasant odor. While returning the broom, Han Yanyan had left a bathtub of water for her.
Accepting the biscuits, Han Yanyan felt she had rightfully earned them through labor.
Zhao Yuxuan lingered, hesitating before saying, "Sun Lijun wanted me to let you know the search team doesn’t provide meals. Tomorrow… there's no food."
Han Yanyan paused as she received the biscuits. Silence enveloped the two.
"Don't do anything rash," Zhao Yuxuan added.
Han Yanyan replied, "It's not a dead end yet," lifting the biscuits in her hand.
With a faint smile, Zhao Yuxuan shook her head.
A beautiful girl approached, holding three tin cans, and greeted warmly, "Xuan Xuan."
Zhao Yuxuan eyed her haul. "Canned meat?"
The girl, bursting with energy, beamed, "Just came down from the top floor." Her body reeked heavily of sweat and other unpleasant odors. Looking excitedly at Zhao Yuxuan, she asked, "Have you bathed? Isn't there a water shortage?"
Before Zhao Yuxuan could respond, Han Yanyan interjected, "Do you need a bath? I sell water, I'm a water ability user."
Only then did the girl notice Han Yanyan standing in the doorway. "Who’s this?"
"Newbie, Han Yanyan," Zhao Yuxuan introduced her, then turning to Han Yanyan, added, "This is Qi Tongtong."
"Oh," Qi Tongtong acknowledged, "Then give me some water."
Han Yanyan followed her to Room 321. Qi Tongtong’s place was well-stocked but neater than Zhao Yuxuan's. Zhao Yuxuan hoarded anything she could, creating clutter, while Qi Tongtong seemed to collect only necessary items. She even had more food stored, and of higher quality than Zhao Yuxuan's. For instance, the canned meat she just retrieved, Zhao Yuxuan didn't have.
Curious, Han Yanyan inquired, learning the cans were actually produced in Nanling's own community.
"You're new to Nanling, right?" Qi Tongtong deduced, "The committee brought back a production line last year from outside. Otherwise, the meat would spoil, wasted otherwise."
Wasted… meanwhile, countless people were starving. Women sold themselves for half a bun.
Han Yanyan filled a bathtub for Qi Tongtong. After the effort with Zhao Yuxuan, she was initially exhausted, but after some rest, she felt invigorated for another round. With Qi Tongtong, it was even easier.
Graciously, Qi Tongtong handed Han Yanyan a pack of instant noodles, a full pack.
While rummaging for the noodles, Qi Tongtong kept complaining about the heat. Indeed, it was stifling; this kind of hotel window barely cracked open, making ventilation poor.
Han Yanyan asked, "Can the air conditioner be turned on?"
Limiting electricity," Qi Tongtong explained. "Wall sockets are dead, controlled by a main switch. Only the top floor has power. It's quite comfortable."
"Do you need ice?" Han Yanyan queried, quickly correcting herself, "Want to buy ice?"
Qi Tongtong tilted her head, surprised, "You're dual-ability?"
"Yes, water and ice."
"That's pretty great," Qi Tongtong remarked. "How come you're stuck with us, then?"
"Theirs is powerful. Mine... not so much," Han Yanyan said. "Do you want it or not?"
"And you have a greedy heart too," Qi Tongtong teased.
Two pretty girls negotiated, finally reaching a deal. Qi Tongtong gave Han Yanyan a can, and Han Yanyan filled all Qi Tongtong's containers full of water, then froze it. It took over an hour of work, leaving Han Yanyan nearly collapsing on the carpet from exhaustion.
"So weak," Qi Tongtong sighed, understanding why Han Yanyan ended up on their floor despite her dual powers.
"I heard…" Han Yanyan panted, "you're wood type?"
"Yes," Qi Tongtong answered listlessly. "Pretty weak like yours."
Glancing at the row of potted plants on the windowsill, Han Yanyan asked, "Did you grow these?" They were miniature fruit trees, stunted like scaled-down versions of fully-grown trees.
Seeing her effort laid bare, Qi Tongtong lamented, "So much work, and this is all they grow."
She sighed, "Look at the wheat and rice in the yard. Those were grown by the top wood ability users. So impressive! I dream of being that powerful. But, alas, reality's too harsh."
Han Yanyan suggested, "Aren't powers trainable?"
"That's nonsense! Who doesn't know? But how many can actually do it? Those who manage it are already showing off! It's like losing weight before, everyone knew exercise worked, but how many actually lost weight?"
Han Yanyan couldn’t argue. Catching her breath, she hauled the can back to her room.
"Hey, newbie!" Qi Tongtong called out, "The can’s got a long shelf life, save it if you can, eat others first."
Han Yanyan nodded in thanks.
Back in 315, she still felt unsteady, mainly due to a sharp pain in her head, as if needles were piercing her brain. Symptoms of power overuse.
Abilities could be improved through training, pushing limits, then recovering for a better result. Easier said than done. Just like Han Yanyan now, feeling weak and weary, her head throbbing like being stabbed with needles, yet still far from her limit.
However, with even her life being in the hands of the electronic voice, whether she could survive hinged entirely on completing tasks in this world.
With aching limbs, she filled a bathtub, drained it, then filled it again, repeating the process, each time feeling like a thousand steel needles jabbed her mind. Eventually, with the bathtub finally brimming over, Han Yanyan collapsed on the bathroom floor.
Zombies, apocalypse, abilities.
A girl in a white dress.
Long black hair, a pale face.
Before she completely blacked out, Han Yanyan mused, "The name 'Han Yanyan' truly lives up to its meaning this time."