Recruiting a New Member

Li Yuanyuan laughed. "Extraordinary powers really do live up to their names. Yours deserves the name [Immortal Master]. I used to think my [Master] title was impressive, but today I've learned there's always someone better... Oh, no, I should say there's always an immortal beyond."

Chen Fan smiled too.

Li Yuanyuan spoke with easy grace and carried herself confidently, making her compliments pleasant to hear.

Chen Fan didn't beat around the bush and extended an invitation.

"I'm the leader of this convoy, but as you saw, we were practically wiped out crossing the fog.

I'd say we're in the same boat, and fate brought us together. Would you consider joining my convoy?

Once we build the team back up, you'll be one of the veterans."

Li Yuanyuan smiled, two dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth on her gentle face. It was clear she was a girl who loved to smile.

"I have to say, Captain Chen, you're very good at painting a rosy picture. Your offer is tempting, and I happen to have nowhere to go right now. So... please take care of me from now on, Captain."

With that, Li Yuanyuan held out a fair hand to Chen Fan.

In the apocalypse, extraordinary powers came in all sorts of forms. No one knew whether some might require physical contact to activate.

That was why neither Chen Fan nor Li Yuanyuan had shown any intention of shaking hands when they introduced themselves earlier.

Doing so could easily make the other person suspect an ulterior motive.

But now that she was joining them, it was time to show some sincerity.

Chen Fan didn't hesitate either. He readily reached out and shook her hand.

"Welcome aboard. But I wasn't painting a rosy picture. I've always been fair in my dealings. You'll see that for yourself.

"Let me give you a quick introduction to our convoy.

"This is Yan Kuan. I call him Old Yan. He's my assistant.

"Sun Hong, our driver. He's been driving buses for over a decade, and his skills are beyond question.

"Finally, let me introduce the heavyweight of our team-Qian Lei. He's our convoy's guide. His extraordinary power is [Super Delivery Rider], and he has an amazing intuition.

"I don't need to tell you how important a guide is. He's absolutely the soul of a convoy."

Embarrassed by Chen Fan's praise, Qian Lei scratched his head and grinned sheepishly.

Li Yuanyuan nodded and smiled at each of them in greeting.

"All right."

Chen Fan clapped his hands. "Congratulations to us, our convoy has gained another capable fighter. But this isn't the time to celebrate yet. We've only just escaped the wolf's den, after all."

"Sun Hong, keep driving. Get us away from that damned fog behind us. And keep an eye out for a suitable vehicle along the way. This wreck is no good anymore. We need a replacement."

All the windows on their vehicle were broken, and the bugs had torn up the bodywork. Worse still, glowing blue bug blood was everywhere. It was disgusting.

"Understood, Captain."

Then Chen Fan looked at Qian Lei.

"I'll have to ask you to put in a little more work. Go up front and keep guiding us. It'd be best if you could find somewhere we can stop and rest as soon as possible. That way, everyone can recuperate without worrying."

Qian Lei looked a little uncomfortable. "Captain, I've been waiting for that feeling that I can 'stop taking orders' too. It's just..."

When Qian Lei got the feeling that he could "stop taking orders," it meant his extraordinary power was telling him the place was safe and they could stop and rest.

It was like going offline and heading home after a day's work when he'd been a delivery rider.

"Just what?"

"It's just that I lost my little electric scooter. My extraordinary power works best with a delivery vehicle. Without one, it might be affected to some extent..."

Chen Fan was speechless, but he didn't say anything. He just patted him.

"I believe you can do it. Go sit up front and work with Sun Hong."

Qian Lei nodded, hurried to the passenger seat, and sat down, a stiff smile pulling at his lips.

The extraordinary power [Super Delivery Rider] activated.

The cost: [Smile Action].

For some reason, Sun Hong got goosebumps in the driver's seat and kept glancing over at Qian Lei.

Qian Lei was holding that stiff smile the whole time, looking like a living man who was slightly dead.

Sun Hong felt creeped out all over.

"Old Yan, tidy up the bus a little. It doesn't have to be spotless, just give us somewhere to sit. We're replacing it anyway. Also, organize the supplies so we can move them straight over when we switch vehicles."

Old Yan silently got to work.

Chen Fan turned to Li Yuanyuan. "Sorry you had to see this. You've only just joined the convoy, and we don't even have a place for you to sit."

Li Yuanyuan shook her head with a smile. "It's nothing. We're lucky just to have made it out alive. Let's do it together. I've got nothing else to do anyway."

With that, Li Yuanyuan waved a hand, sending out an invisible current of air.

Broken glass and assorted debris were promptly swept into a pile to one side.

Chen Fan asked curiously, "Is that... qigong? Inner force?"

Li Yuanyuan smiled and nodded. "Something like that. I come from a martial arts family and have practiced since I was little, drawing on the strengths of many schools. By the time I grew up, I'd mastered most of the traditional martial arts styles in the country.

"But when I reached the end of that path, I only grew more lost. I realized the human body has its limits, and so do martial arts in reality.

"When I was little, I loved reading wuxia novels in my spare time after finishing my lessons. I imagined that when I grew up and mastered martial arts, I'd be able to soar through the clouds with lightness skills and reach the heavens with my inner force, just like the experts in those novels.

"Unfortunately, the older I got, the more I understood that none of that existed in reality.

"But I never expected that after the apocalypse came and I awakened my extraordinary power, I'd be able to cultivate martial arts that only existed in wuxia novels.

"I don't know whether I should hate the apocalypse or thank it."

A trace of bitterness touched Li Yuanyuan's lips.

Chen Fan didn't ask further.

Who didn't have a story to tell in the apocalypse?

"As far as I know, doesn't everyone have a cost after awakening an extraordinary power?"

Chen Fan changed the subject and began probing.

"A cost?" Li Yuanyuan looked slightly puzzled. "I haven't noticed one. Oh, right..."

A fighting spirit suddenly lit up Li Yuanyuan's eyes as she looked at the long sword tucked at Chen Fan's waist.

"I see you practice swordsmanship too. How about a spar? Don't worry, we'll stop before anyone gets hurt."

The corner of Chen Fan's mouth twitched. Why did she suddenly want to spar?

"We just finished fighting for our lives, and we're exhausted. How about we forget it?"

Li Yuanyuan nodded and said seriously, "That makes sense. Then let me know when you've rested, and we'll fight!"

Who said I'd fight you?

Looking at the unnatural fighting spirit shining in Li Yuanyuan's eyes,

Chen Fan suddenly realized.

Could this be her cost...?

After seeing Li Yuanyuan off, the group gave the interior a quick cleanup.

Chen Fan ignored the giant bugs' blood staining the seats and lay down on them to rest.

Li Yuanyuan found a place to sit.

Old Yan, meanwhile, organized the supplies.

Before long, they came to a stretch of road with many abandoned vehicles by the roadside.

Among them, they found a large Huolala cargo van that still started.

Although the cargo compartment had no seats and wasn't as comfortable as the bus, it was spacious enough to hold plenty of supplies.

They could always spread bedding in the back and lie down.

There was also a sporty scooter of the kind flashy young men rode by the roadside, just right for Qian Lei.

The scooter's battery was long dead, but thanks to Qian Lei's extraordinary power, any two-wheeler he rode needed no energy.

Qian Lei perked right up as soon as he got on the scooter.

Then something magical happened.

A delivery box automatically appeared on the luggage rack at the back.

"Whoever came up with this thing? It's so comfortable to ride."

Qian Lei had to admit that after riding a two-wheeler for so long, he wasn't used to sitting in a four-wheeler.

Once the vehicles were ready, Chen Fan's convoy set off again in its two new vehicles.

After more than two hours on the road, the sky grew dim. With night about to fall, Qian Lei finally found an area where he could "stop taking orders."

Chen Fan and the others stopped their vehicles in the wilderness by the road, ready to cook, eat, and rest.

After the apocalypse, the bizarre monsters were more active at night, so survivors avoided traveling after dark unless necessary.

Not long after Chen Fan and the others stopped, the roar of vehicles suddenly came from the other direction along the road.

Chen Fan and the others stopped what they were doing, their expressions growing a little uneasy.

They had encountered another convoy.

In the apocalypse, that wasn't necessarily a good thing...