Growth period

When Bai Shu, Chen Xiaofei, and Wang Weihu returned, they found Qin Luo's ears were still bright red. All three kept shooting him curious glances.

Before they could ask anything, however,

Qin Luo warned them that they had better not ask. If they did, he would kill them to keep them quiet!

Chen Xiaofei immediately nodded, obediently assuring him he wouldn't ask. Then he turned and whispered to Bai Shu, "What's up with Qin? Is there something wrong with his head?"

Bai Shu adjusted his glasses, looking like a wise man with plenty of experience. "Oh, men in love are all idiots. There's no reasoning with them."

That made Chen Xiaofei duck his head and laugh, snorting as he tried to hold it in.

Qin Luo's face still felt hot, but he put on a serious expression and summoned his authority as captain, telling them to finish breakfast quickly so they could set off.

The others had clearly noticed what was happening on their side too, with things appearing and disappearing out of thin air.

The ordinary survivors looked stunned, while the other ability users wore expressions of envy.

They knew how valuable Storage Space Cards were, yet every single member of the 3A Team had one!!

Good heavens.

When Mu Enya passed them, she couldn't help saying, "You're making us so jealous. You really have a Storage Space Card each? Only our captain has one, and it's just fifty cubic meters."

These things were only issued with approval from Headquarters. The resources you received depended on your capabilities.

Mu Enya was only making conversation. She had heard how hard the 3A Team worked and how many survivors they had rescued. They deserved their generous benefits.

After all, there were dangers they didn't dare brave, but the 3A Team always charged onto the front lines.

After saying that, she swallowed hard. "And your food is way too good! You even have congee. Did you buy it at the base, or buy the ingredients and cook it yourselves? How do you even have the energy? When I get back to the base after a mission, all I want to do is lie down."

Mu Enya sighed as she spoke.

Chen Xiaofei looked up and mumbled through a mouthful, "Mm, our Little Class Monitor made it. Amazing, right?"

The moment he finished speaking, Bai Shu snatched the egg from his bowl, making Chen Xiaofei bristle with outrage!

All four men had their heads down, fighting over the food and wolfing it down. Only Wang Weihu could spare a moment to give her a proper reply. "Want me to give you half my congee?"

Mu Enya really wanted to say yes. She was craving it so badly. How long had it been since she'd eaten normal food? All she could taste was dry rations and cloyingly sweet nutrient solution. The craving went right down to her bones.

Then, a moment later, a bright red insulated cup appeared in front of her.

Mu Enya looked down. The little zombie had shoved it toward her, her face expressionless but her eyes bright. Mu Enya blurted out in shock, "Th-this is for me?"

She had only stopped to chat because she couldn't resist the craving.

She hadn't actually intended to beg for food.

Mu Enya struggled with herself for a moment. "Ingredients aren't cheap these days, right? Who knows how many points rice costs at the base now? And this congee has meat, shiitake mushrooms, and greens..."

She kept swallowing as she spoke.

Qin Luo told her, "Take it. She wants you to have it."

The way Mu Enya described the ingredients so precisely made it obvious she was genuinely craving the congee.

They all felt a little like laughing.

Bai Shu also took the spicy pickled radish out of his Storage Space Card. "Here, take this too. You can eat it with your dry rations. At least it'll add some flavor. Thanks for last night. With your team keeping watch, all of us got a good night's sleep."

In the end, Mu Enya couldn't refuse. She hurriedly thanked the little zombie as she accepted the food. "It's nothing, really. We're heading back to the base, while you're going to the front lines to rescue people. You need to be well rested more than we do. Our trip back will be quick."

That was true.

Combat squads had cleared plenty of routes by now, leaving barely any zombies on the roads.

Even where there were some, they were only scattered stragglers.

As long as they watched out for unusual Mutation Monsters and mutant animals, the return trip would be much faster.

Hearing what Mu Enya said, Xu Duoduo looked back at her teammates. Seven people. After a moment's thought, she took out a bag of large steamed buns for Mu Enya to bring along.

Mu Enya was so touched she nearly cried. "Oh my god, I've almost forgotten what steamed buns taste like!"

She knew how precious this food was too, so she quickly thanked them. Hugging everything to her chest, she said quietly, "Words can't express my gratitude. Let's get together properly once we're back at the base!"

With her arms full, she had no free hand to salute. Then she saw the little zombie crouching obediently nearby, looking so adorable that Mu Enya couldn't resist kissing Xu Duoduo on the cheek. "Thanks, sweetie! You're the best little zombie in the whole world! Come back safe, and let's become sworn sisters at the base!"

Her cooking was just too good!

Having a friend like her would be pure bliss!

Mu Enya finally understood why Squad 3A treated this little zombie so well!

The little zombie deserved it!

Mu Enya happily carried the food back to her team, leaving Xu Duoduo frozen in place and Chen Xiaofei, Bai Shu, and Wang Weihu staring in shock!

Was this how girls thanked each other? Just kissing someone's cheek without warning?

Qin Luo bristled and blurted out, "Hey, how can she just go around kissing people?"

The little zombie, on the other hand, was only stunned for a second before she became quite happy. She swayed back and forth as she crouched on the ground. Mu Enya had reminded her of her close friends.

Being treated like a person felt wonderful. The little zombie was delighted.

Qin Luo kept grumbling. It hurt as though someone had plucked at a little flower he had lovingly raised. That was far too forward. How could she just kiss someone like that?

And Xu Duoduo was actually happy!

So happy that she took out a teething stick and started gnawing away. The grinding, squeaking noises were unnerving.

Bai Shu and the other two were enjoying the rare spectacle of Qin Luo getting jealous-something they might see once in ten thousand years. But the sound of grinding teeth immediately gave them goosebumps. It was like fingernails scraping a chalkboard.

Chen Xiaofei sucked in a breath. "Yikes. Is it okay for the Little Class Monitor to grind her teeth like that?"

Wang Weihu shook his head too. "Maybe it feels better that way? She reminds me of my little niece. She was like this when her teeth first came in."

Bai Shu had already finished breakfast and was swiping away on his tablet again. "That reminds me of a post I saw before, Wang. I think it said some people show signs of regression after overusing their abilities."

After some thought, he offered a new hypothesis. "Do you think this evolution might be a new growth period for mutated people? If I'm right, has the Little Class Monitor entered the oral stage?"

In an animal, the simple term for it would be the Teething Period.

If this really was evolution rather than regression, things would get interesting.

What would a mutated person become once their evolution was complete?

Would they still be human?

Chen Xiaofei briskly rubbed his arms. "Can you stop coming up with terrifying theories like that?!"

Bai Shu calmly adjusted his glasses. "Curiosity is the source of human progress."

Wang Weihu also remembered the scene of Xu Duoduo killing the Mutant Snake-Man. The four of them had spent who knew how long whittling away just a third of his health bar, yet Xu Duoduo had finished him off in a single move.

That gap...

If things really were as Bai Shu theorized, didn't that mean ability users were weaker than mutated people?

Seeing their somber expressions, Qin Luo spoke up too. "All right, why overthink it? We'll find out eventually."

What they needed to do was train, improve their strength, and gather supplies.