The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me. - Chapter 42

The vast expanse of the sea was shrouded in a thin mist, with the vague outline of a safe zone taking shape in the center. Below, piles of sand and stones accumulated, and a few vertical wooden poles formed a hollow framework. Mutants continuously transported soil from the other end of the coast, gradually building a new post-apocalyptic shelter.

There were few zombies along the shore, as ordinary zombies would sink when they encountered water, providing a natural protective barrier. This gave enough time to respond in the event of a zombie horde attack.

“Boss, there’s news from the safe zone. Zombies have developed a 50% resistance to the abilities of level two mutants, and only level three mutants can inflict real damage during cleanup missions,” reported a sunburnt earth-type mutant to Song Xinqi. “They want you to go back and clear out some zombies.”

Song Xinqi had felt the same thing over the past few days, and since they were running low on crystal cores, it was a good time to head back and fetch some supplies.

“You guys keep working here; I’ll make a trip back.” He took a bag of crystal cores, instructed someone briefly, and then set off for the safe zone in a vehicle.

This road was frequently traveled by them, with few zombies along the way. After dealing with the wandering zombies nearby, he picked out two crystal cores from the bag to absorb.

With zombies developing a 50% resistance to level two abilities, it meant that even level three mutants needed to expend more energy to deal the same amount of damage.

He wondered to what extent the zombies would evolve in the future; perhaps even he would find them troublesome. They needed to expedite the construction of the new safe zone to eliminate any future problems.

In the safe zone, mutants with sensing abilities received daily surprises from using their powers. However, with an increase in cleanup missions, the number of zombies around seemed not to diminish. It had even reached a point where no one was willing to take up task boards.

After all, most of the base’s inhabitants were level two mutants, and with the zombies’ increased resistance, these mutants had lost most of their combat effectiveness.

But today, the sensing ability users detected a small horde of zombies in a certain direction suddenly disappearing, prompting them to exclaim, “Is the boss back?”

Song Xinqi’s first action upon returning to the safe zone was to clear out the large waves of zombies visible on the mental network around the safe zone. What previously took a few hours now required most of the day.

After using up two large bags of crystal cores, he pressed his temples, feeling the onset of a mental disturbance—a state he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Retrieving a large bag of crystal cores from inside the building, his second in command came out with him, asking, “Boss, are you leaving so soon?”

“Yes, but I’ll come back periodically to clear out the zombies. With the sudden evolution of the zombies, we need to accelerate the construction of the new safe zone,” he replied, noticing the lieutenant still following him after walking a distance. “Are you very free?”

The lieutenant shivered, “No, no. Take care, boss. I’ll go back to work.”

He walked alone on the bustling street, occasionally drawing glances from others who quickly looked away, more preoccupied with their own survival.

Unknowingly, he found himself standing in front of Yu Qing’s residence. Yu Xiaoxue immediately ran over like a gust of wind, staring at him through the railing.

He thought of using mental positioning but remembered he had hidden the mental link and decided against it, as using it would expose him.

After watching for a while, he lightly kicked the railing, asking, “Where’s your master?”

Yu Xiaoxue squatted at the door, wagging her tail.

“Stupid cat.” He muttered, turning to leave.

As he walked toward the gate of the safe zone, he disappeared quickly around the corner.

Fan Yibin, who had been following, hurriedly caught up but found no sign of him around the bend.

Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine, seeing an unfamiliar shadow beneath his feet.

Before he could turn around, Song Xinqi, who had somehow appeared behind him, coldly asked, “Are you following me?”

Fan Yibin wanted to turn but found his body immobile. He screamed in pain as his mind felt like it was about to explode.

“I was just passing by,” he stammered, his face drenched in cold sweat.

Song Xinqi had encountered too many people who made excuses when caught stalking him. He had no patience for such people.

Before Fan Yibin could explain himself, he wiped his mind, leaving his body lifeless on the ground.

However, five minutes after he left, the supposedly dead body began to move.

Fan Yibin slowly stood up, his face contorted with a sinister smile.

He had waited so long for Song Xinqi to return, only to lose his only life-saving ability before he could do anything. Song Xinqi was indeed the most vigilant mutant he had ever targeted.

This safe zone was definitely the right place to be; a level three psychic mutant was incredibly powerful against both humans and zombies.

As he shakily stood up and brushed off the dust from his clothes, a greedy look flashed in his eyes. He was determined to acquire that ability.

But Song Xinqi had seen his face, which would make future actions difficult. He realized he couldn’t just kill him and take his ability directly; he needed to come up with another plan.

To his surprise, he learned the next day that Song Xinqi had already left the safe zone.

In a secluded corner, he furiously stabbed the ground with a twig, as if he were stabbing someone’s body.

Having waited so long for his return, he didn’t know when he would be back again. He couldn’t afford to be so passive. His eyes flashed with cunning as he decided to target the people around Song Xinqi instead.

However, Song Xinqi was quite mysterious within the safe zone, with few people knowing much about him.

He stood up from the wall, discarding the twig. He knew that there was someone named Yu Qing in the safe zone who had some sort of grudge against Song Xinqi.

Yu Qing, having had his fill at the research building, was saying goodbye to his assistant, who reluctantly returned Yu Xiaoxue to him. He smiled, saying, “I’ll come back again, and you can play with her then.”

Ever since the zombies developed resistance, he had mostly stopped participating in zombie cleanup missions, instead focusing on gathering crystal cores from isolated zombies on the outskirts of the safe zone, trading them for resources and using zombie blood as payment for meals at the research building.

Although the outside world was becoming increasingly dangerous, life inside the safe zone was enjoyable and fulfilling.

He had almost forgotten about Song Xinqi.

One day, as he and Peng Shu were waiting in line for food and eating nearby, surrounded by many others, the two of them were conspicuously isolated.

In others’ eyes, he was seen as someone who had not changed his ways and was once again getting involved with different men while Song Xinqi was away. Peng Shu was viewed as the fearless second “green hat” (a reference to infidelity or cuckolding).

While he wasn’t afraid, others were, and they kept their distance.

Rumors can be damaging.

Feeling the stares and whispers from all directions, Peng Shu, upon hearing someone nearby make a snide comment about Yu Qing’s face being good enough to attract so many men, put down his meat leg and punched the person in the face.

“How dare you, say that again!”

Yu Qing was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted by pulling him away, “Peng Shu, forget it.”

The other person, not one to back down, rolled up their sleeves and shouted, “So what if I said it? Let me tell you…”

Before the altercation could escalate, a shout of alarm erupted from the crowd nearby.

Everyone turned toward the source of the commotion, seeing a group of people looking up at the sky, where a large bird was circling overhead.

Peng Shu, with a serious expression, looked up, “What’s that, a mutant bird?”

At that moment, the bird suddenly folded its wings and dived toward the safe zone. The crowd scattered in panic.

“Run!” Peng Shu pulled Yu Qing along as they ran. The bird’s shadow loomed over the ground, and a scream rang out as the person Peng Shu had confronted was snatched up by the bird.

As the bird neared, the crowd heard the telltale growl of a zombie.

Yu Qing looked back, seeing a half-bodied zombie growing from the bird’s neck. As the bird swooped down, the zombie bit the face of the nearest person.

“Ahhh!!”

“It’s a fusion bird!” someone shouted. Peng Shu released an electric current from his arm, wrapping around the bird that had flown up.

The bird screeched, releasing its grip and dropping the person it had grabbed onto the concrete below, causing a splash of blood.

“He was bitten!”

Someone pointed out that the mutant who had just had their face bitten was immediately attacked by others. A huge boulder, summoned by another mutant, rose into the air and crushed the bitten mutant, who was kneeling on the ground, clutching his face in agony.

The air was thick with the scent of blood.

The safe zone was, after all, a gathering place for mutants. Many people quickly reacted, working together to kill the unexpected fusion bird.

Peng Shu tightly held Yu Qing, preparing to attack the bird. But in a brief moment, he realized the bird wasn’t looking at them. Instead, its half-dead eyes were locked onto a figure in the distance.

Yu Qing saw a person standing in the shadows, head lowered, wearing a tattered shirt and pants.

“Peng Shu!” Yu Qing recognized the person and shouted in warning.

The bird lunged at the man. However, when the bird’s shadow enveloped the man, its bloodshot eyes seemed to reveal a human expression of unwillingness. Then, in an instant, the bird’s body tore apart, releasing a piercing screech. The half-body zombie above let out a dying cry before its bones broke apart, its soul sent to the underworld.

Everyone was stunned by the scene before them.

Yu Qing, shielding himself with his arms, lowered them to see the torn bird and zombie on the ground, with the ground charred and blackened.

The man in the shadows was nowhere to be seen.

“Yu Qing, Yu Qing, are you okay?” Peng Shu called out in concern.

Yu Qing patted his shoulder, his heart racing, “I know who he is!”

“Who?” Peng Shu quickly asked.

Yu Qing, regaining his composure, turned to him, “He’s Fan Yibin, the person who helped me bring Yu Xiaoxue back when she ran away before.”

Peng Shu’s expression turned serious, “Fan Yibin?”

“Yes, he…” Yu Qing’s voice trailed off as he turned to look at the pile of flesh and blood on the ground, “I don’t think he’s dead.”

Peng Shu frowned, “Not dead? What do you mean?”

“That zombie just now… it seemed strange. The zombies don’t normally bite people without reason, especially not in the middle of the day,” he explained.

The events of the day left everyone in the safe zone anxious and tense.

Fan Yibin, who had been lurking in the shadows, watched from afar. He looked at his own hands, now empty.

He had lost the ability to turn zombies into fusion creatures. This was his third time stealing a mutant’s power, but it was the first time he had met someone like Song Xinqi.

It seemed Song Xinqi’s power had a suppressive effect on him, and with his mind-reading ability gone, he had no idea when hei would return.

He needed to act faster and figure out his next move. He couldn’t let the situation develop any further; he needed to finish what he started and get rid of Yu Qing as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Yu Qing and Peng Shu quickly organized a team of people to find Fan Yibin. The entire safe zone was searched, but he was nowhere to be found.

Back in his room, Yu Qing couldn’t sleep. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the past few days and how everything seemed so surreal. He had so many questions but no answers.

He couldn’t believe that someone like Fan Yibin, whom he had known for so long, could do something like this. It was like he was a completely different person.

As the night wore on, he eventually fell into a fitful sleep, haunted by dreams of the fusion bird and the lifeless eyes of the zombie.

The next morning, he woke up with a start. He sat up in bed, panting, his heart pounding in his chest. He felt like something was terribly wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Just as he was about to get out of bed, there was a knock on the door.

He quickly got dressed and opened the door, only to find Peng Shu standing there, looking worried.

“Yu Qing, we need to talk,” Peng Shu said, his voice urgent.

Yu Qing nodded, letting him in. As they sat down, Peng Shu explained that they had received word of a group of zombies approaching the safe zone from the north.

“They’re not like the usual zombies,” he said, his voice low. “They’re faster, stronger, and more organized. We think they might be connected to Fan Yibin.”

Yu Qing felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that if he was involved, things were about to get much worse.

“We need to prepare,” Peng Shu continued. “We can’t let them breach the safe zone. We need to find him and stop him before it’s too late.”

Yu Qing nodded, his mind racing. He knew that time was running out, and they had to act quickly.

As they gathered their weapons and prepared for the impending attack, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. He knew that they were up against something far more dangerous than they had ever faced before.

And he knew that they couldn’t afford to fail.
The air was thick with the scent of blood.

The safe zone, being a gathering place for ability users, quickly reacted. Many people worked together to kill the sudden appearance of the fusion bird.

Soon, patrol members isolated the area, and any ability users with injuries were taken away for quarantine.

Water-type mutants arrived to clean the scene, and after a brief period of chaos, the safe zone returned to normal.

Recently, zombies had been entering the safe zone in unexpected ways. The outer walls, which had been built higher and higher, were now thirty meters tall, but the safe zone would often see new zombie infiltrations within days.

Fortunately, these incidents were always handled promptly, preventing large-scale casualties.

Song Xinqi continued to visit every few weeks to clear out zombies, but everyone knew that this safe zone probably wouldn’t last much longer.

All the safe zones had fallen one step at a time.

Another small wave of mutated zombies breached the safe zone late at night, resulting in the most severe casualties the zone had ever experienced.

Three level-three ability users and over ten level-two mutants were infected and had to be killed by the survivors themselves.

If Song Xinqi hadn’t arrived in time, the casualties would have been even higher.

The mutated zombies appeared in district C.
In the dim light of the night, Song Xinqi, from a distance, could make out a figure standing on the edge of the crowd. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in months, he could immediately recognize the little troublemaker’s position.

After confirming Yu Qing’s safety, he looked away.

The night in the safe zone was far from peaceful, and the next moment, the sensory ability users announced another dreadful piece of news: “Two large waves of zombies are heading toward us from the north and west.”
“We’re already struggling now, and now there are two zombie hordes coming, and they’re both large.”

Even in the most favorable times for humans, there had never been two zombie hordes coming simultaneously.

Some were optimistic, saying, “But the boss is back, isn’t he? He can handle it, right?”

All eyes turned to Song Xinqi.

He used his mental abilities to sense the two hordes from the northwest and confirmed their massive size.

Given the current state of zombie evolution, after clearing out a horde, he would experience a mental disturbance for a few days before recovering, let alone facing two large hordes now.

“No,” he coldly shattered everyone’s last hope.

Based on the hordes’ current speed, they would arrive in about a week.

The new safe zone wasn’t fully constructed yet, but in a pinch, it could accommodate people.

With this in mind, Song Xinqi said, “Everyone has one night to pack their things. We’ll evacuate in four batches to the southeast.”

He had mostly been away from the safe zone these past months, and while this wasn’t kept secret, many people gradually learned that another safe zone was under construction.

“Is the new safe zone ready?”

Song Xinqi replied, “Not yet, but it’s almost done.”

Those who had been in despair were suddenly uplifted, cheering and quickly preparing their belongings.

Due to the limited transportation available in the safe zone, the majority of it was needed for transporting public resources.

Most people would have to travel on foot, and a large group would attract the zombie hordes. Thus, they needed to leave in batches to ensure safety.

The safe zone organized the evacuation quickly, and at dawn, the first batch was ready to depart.

The people from the research building were in the first batch. Song Xinqi patrolled the area, watching coldly as Yu Qing helped with the bustling activities at the research building.

After moving the last batch of materials, Chu Yuan noticed Yu Qing standing at the door and asked, “Which batch are you leaving with?”

“The third batch. Most of the support and combat personnel are in the third batch,” he replied.

Chu Yuan frowned, “That’s quite late. Why don’t you come with me?”

“No exceptions,” Song Xinqi, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, walked over, “Everyone must follow the rules, or there will be no order.”

Seeing the tension rise between the two, Yu Qing quickly intervened, “I’ll wait for the third batch.”

Song Xinqi snorted and addressed him for the first time in months, “When you leave, go find Wei Zheng and ride with him.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and went to check on the others.

“Which batch are you in? Why are you sneaking around here?” someone called out.

Yu Qing looked toward the voice and saw a tall, thin figure waving off the patrol, saying, “I’m in the fourth batch, just checking things out.”

“The fourth batch is on the fifth day. Go away; things are chaotic enough without more trouble,” the patrol replied.

The person nodded and, turning in his direction, flashed a pair of bloodshot eyes.

The day after the first batch left, the second batch was preparing to depart, including Peng Shu.

Yu Qing came to see him off.

“Why are you leaving so late? I thought you were in my batch,” Peng Shu said, surprised to learn Yu Qing was in the third batch.

He shrugged, “Bad luck, I guess. But the third batch will have cars, so we might even arrive before you.”

“True, it’s safer with cars,” Peng Shu agreed, feeling reassured.

The second batch was leaving on foot. Yu Qing waved at him in the crowd, watching as they left the gate.

Turning back to leave, he saw Song Xinqi standing not far away, staring at him with a blank expression.

As soon as he made eye contact with him, he quickly looked away, holding Yu Xiaoxue and running off.

Song Xinqi frowned, wondering why the little troublemaker felt the need to see off every batch.

After the second batch left, the safe zone felt half-empty. The once-bustling streets now had a desolate feel.

Yu Qing sat in a dug-out garden, munching on meat. Uncle Wang had secretly left him a lettuce before leaving, which he used to wrap his meat.

After finishing his meal, he dusted off his hands and was about to leave when he turned to see Song Xinqi approaching. He sat back down, turning his back to the street.

He had seen too much of him these past few days. Since their argument, they hadn’t spoken properly, leaving him unsure how to face him.

Not knowing what to do, he decided to play turtle.

He waited and waited, thinking Song Xinqi must have passed by even at a slow pace.

Cautiously looking back, he was startled to find Song Xinqi standing right behind him.

“You, why are you still here?” He stammered in fright.

“Why should it matter to you if I’ve left or not? This isn’t your safe zone,” Song Xinqi replied.

With no one else around, Yu Qing’s heart raced, unsure of his intentions.

If he wanted to kill him here, he wouldn’t even have a chance to scream for help.

But Song Xinqi did nothing, leaving without another word, leaving him puzzled about his purpose.

The third batch prepared to leave as the cars from the first batch returned.

By now, a few fast-moving zombies were visible outside the safe zone. Song Xinqi cleared them out and instructed, “Third batch, hurry up.”

Finally, it was Yu Qing’s turn to leave. His pockets were stuffed with his belongings, and his massive snow leopard followed him, blending in with the crowd.

As the people ahead walked out of the safe zone, he felt an unprecedented sense of relief. Though the process had been difficult, he knew that once he stepped out of the safe zone’s gates, he would be free from his original fate of death.

“Yu Qing.”

Hearing his name, he turned to see Wei Zheng approaching.

He spoke softly, “The boss instructed me to ensure your safety. Please come with me.”

Song Xinqi had indeed told him to find Wei Zheng earlier, so he blinked and left the crowd to follow him.

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