Chapter 100: The “Chance Encounter” with Number Three

Chapter 100

Although the energy vehicle was stable, its energy consumption was significant. Two fist-sized energy stones could only keep it running for two hours. This was just for driving; if the vehicle's defensive array were activated, the energy would drain even faster.

Along the way, Mei had to replenish the car's energy periodically. Every time she operated the vehicle, Ye Jingxuan would watch intently from the side, so she simply began teaching him how to drive it.

"This character is for starting, this one is for parking, and this activates the field of vision. If you press this, this, and this in sequence, you can activate the vehicle’s early warning system. Once any moving object enters a fifty-kilometer radius, it will sound an alarm in advance, and there will be a prompt on the map, much like radar. Over here is the directional control area; you channel your spiritual energy into this sphere, and then you can control the car’s steering with your thoughts. And this is the defense zone; you can activate the defensive system, but you must remember the sequence of the characters clearly..."

Mei taught Ye Jingxuan how to operate the energy vehicle bit by bit, then let him try it himself, answering his questions whenever they arose. Only when he could control the car freely did she return to the sofa, snacking while watching him drive.

He drove for several hours straight, only leaving the driver's seat when it was time for lunch.

"It seems Ah Ye really likes Moonlight!" Mei remarked, noticing the lingering excitement in his eyes.

"Yes!" Ye Jingxuan did not deny it.

Although the vehicle was a bit complex to operate, it was a joy to drive once mastered. Moreover, the way it felt like an extension of one’s own body made accelerating to maximum speed incredibly thrilling.

"Then I'll give it to you! This is the key; inject your spiritual energy to claim ownership. You can store the vehicle inside when you're not using it. There are still some energy stones in there to get you started; come to me when you run out." Seeing how much he truly liked it, she decided to give the car to him, even though it was the only one she had.

She took out the key—a palm-sized token—wiped her own spiritual imprint from it, and handed it to him to claim as his own.

"Mei'er, if you give the car to me, what will you use?" Ye Jingxuan asked, holding the key.

"You can drive me around! I only like its comfort; I don't really enjoy driving, so it’s more useful in your hands than mine," Mei said dismissively.

Ye Jingxuan didn't say anything more. He claimed ownership of the key and carefully tucked it into his own space.

"From now on, no matter where you want to go, I will go with you!" Ye Jingxuan promised solemnly as he stood before Mei.

This was the main reason he accepted the car; with it, he had even more reasons to stay by her side.

Mei just smiled at his words and changed the subject: "When you have time, you can redecorate the car to your preferred color and style."

"No need! It’s perfect as it is," Ye Jingxuan shook his head.

He didn't intend to carry anyone else in this car except her. As for the interior, it should reflect her preferences, and he had no intention of changing a thing.

Mei said nothing more when he put it that way.

Throughout the day, although they stopped frequently to clear out zombies, they still covered twice the distance they usually would.

They did not intend to travel at night, so Mei activated the vehicle's camouflage function, and the two of them slept soundly inside.

With Moonlight, their arduous long-distance journey became remarkably comfortable and leisurely. The trip that would have taken ten days to reach the next small base took them only a little over five days. This was even with them switching to their original vehicle as they approached the base, as Ye Jingxuan didn't want the unique car to be seen by others. If not for that, they would have arrived even sooner.

The small base was named "Dawn," and it was originally a prison.

After the apocalypse, many people in the prison turned into zombies, and without support, guards and inmates were forced to unite to fight them off. Later, when they realized the outside world was filled with zombies, and both sides developed supernatural abilities, the prison was split into two, with guards and inmates managing their respective sections.

Although Dawn Base accepted survivors, half of its leaders were people who had been imprisoned precisely for their disregard for morality and the law. Consequently, those with ability were mostly forced to collude with them, while those without were like sheep wandering into a wolf's den, left to be bullied.

Upon learning that the place was formerly a prison, Ye Jingxuan decided not to bring Mei inside. The two drove past Dawn and stopped outside an abandoned small town.

The zombies in the town had long been cleared, and naturally, all supplies had been looted as well. Those living there now were people who were unwilling to go to Dawn but were too weak to travel to other bases.

The town had no defensive facilities, making it highly vulnerable to attacks from zombies or mutated animals.

As Mei and Ye Jingxuan entered, they were met with desolation and ruin. Ragged survivors with numb expressions hid in the shadows, casting only indifferent glances as they passed.

Through broken doors and windows, one could see that most of the residents were elderly or children, skeletal from starvation, their faces so covered in grime that their original features were unrecognizable.

Yet, in this very place, a man wearing glasses and a pristine white lab coat walked toward their car.

Looking at the man who seemed so out of place in these surroundings, Mei found him strangely familiar. After a moment of thought, she recalled his identity.

"Number Three, why are you here?" Mei stepped out of the car, looking at the man with genuine surprise.

Judging by his attire and complexion, he certainly didn't live here. But if he were just passing through, their meeting seemed far too coincidental. Moreover, from his expression, it looked as if he had been waiting specifically for them.

"Number Nine, you look well!" Number Three examined Mei carefully before offering a satisfied smile.

When Mei spoke the code name "Number Three," Ye Jingxuan immediately thought of the test subject skilled in genetics that Mo Chen had mentioned. Before he could even feel happy about finally finding him, he heard how the man addressed Mei, and his heart stung, his expression darkening.

Since the man was waiting for them, it meant he had a purpose. Perhaps he had been happy too soon.

"You look quite well yourself. Is there something you need?" Mei felt no need for pleasantries with a stranger, so she asked directly.

"Let's go somewhere else to talk. It's a bit inconvenient here."

Number Three gestured for Mei to follow him. She hesitated for a moment before agreeing. She was, after all, curious about why he was looking for her.

Ye Jingxuan immediately followed close behind Mei. Number Three glanced at him but ignored him entirely.

Number Three led them into a relatively well-preserved small cabin. It was clean inside, clearly tidied up specifically for this meeting. In the center sat a table with a white tablecloth and two chairs, while an automatic coffee machine stood in a corner.

Number Three went to the machine, poured two cups of coffee, and placed them on the table. Only then did he say coolly to Ye Jingxuan, "My apologies, I didn't know Number Nine had company, so I didn't prepare a cup for you."

Ye Jingxuan simply looked at him without a word. He gestured for Mei to sit while he stood behind her, keeping a wary eye on Number Three.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I prepared this. This kind of coffee is hard to come by these days; do have a taste," Number Three said, picking up his own cup and sipping it leisurely.

Mei’s original world also had coffee, though it was called something else, but she didn't particularly care for the taste. She didn't touch it, merely watching him and patiently waiting for him to finish.

Number Three drank half the cup, saw Mei merely watching him, and set the cup down.

"It seems you don't care for it. Then, how was the gift I sent you last time? Are you satisfied?"

His words stunned Mei. She racked her brain but couldn't recall ever receiving a gift from him.

"What? Have you forgotten? Let me remind you: Subject 362. Do you remember? Or perhaps, that blood-tester at the base?" Number Three offered kindly, seeing her confusion.

Before Mei could respond, Ye Jingxuan’s eyes turned icy. A faint, murderous aura coiled around him as he stared at Number Three. "You were the one who sent that man?"

"I said it was a gift for Number Nine. What, you didn't like it?" The first part was addressed to Ye Jingxuan, the second to Mei.

"You deliberately sent him to get close to me? You knew he had tried to kill me, so you sent him for me to take my revenge?" Mei realized the meaning behind the "gift."

"Precisely," Number Three nodded, confirming her theory.

"How did you know? Why would he obey your orders? Was the first order your doing as well?" Seeing him nod, Mei fired off a series of questions.

"The first order wasn't mine, though I know who gave it. But I'm afraid you won't be able to take your revenge on him," Number Three said, calmly glancing at Ye Jingxuan, who was poised to strike, and sidestepped the first two questions.

"Why?"

"Because he's already dead. You didn't think you were the only one who had a grudge against him, did you?"

Mei was stunned again. After a long while, she spoke. "You went back to that place?"

"Yes, I went back. If I didn't go back, how could I have taken my revenge with my own hands?" Number Three’s expression remained flat, devoid of the typical agitation of someone who had just achieved vengeance, his tone instead carrying a profound, lingering weight.