Apocalypse: I'm the Landlady of the Refuge

Qi Hao’s Grandma moved her stiff and sore body before returning to her room to take a bath and rest.

After a good night’s sleep, Ji Wanwan took out the walkie-talkie and summoned the core members for a meeting, the theme of which was base expansion.

Ever since she returned from Jiang City, she had had some ideas in her mind but didn’t have the chance to act on them. Now that the base had entered a stable period, it was time to consider expansion.

She had just finished sending the notifications when the familiar task alert sounded.

[Beep——]

[New Task: Expand the Base Area (Liancheng Base)]

[Task Completion Time: 30 days]

[Task Completion Reward: Restore Liancheng City System (city area exists independently, unaffected by other cities, capable of defending against 5th stage and below evolved zombies); may choose one person to awaken an ordinary superpower; the host may choose to increase any four physical abilities by 80 points]

[Task Countdown: 29 days 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds] 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The System’s task was exactly what she had in mind.

Now, with zombies in Liancheng cleared except in remote areas, it was completely feasible to rebuild the city.

Though Liancheng was not a first-tier city, it still had a quite comprehensive city system and large land area. Once the entire city was developed into a survivor refuge, it could accommodate more than half of the survivors in Hua Country.

Soon, all the core members of the base had assembled.

Ji Wanwan briefly explained her thoughts to everyone.

The attendees had mixed reactions. Some thought Ji Wanwan was being too aggressive and that it was enough to maintain the current base; others believed her ideas were bold and worth trying; and there were those who were indifferent, ready to follow Ji Wanwan’s orders, fighting wherever she pointed.

After a heated discussion, they finally reached a compromise.

The base’s forces would be divided into three groups: one to safeguard the current base, one to perform a carpet sweep of Liancheng to ensure not a single zombie was missed—each cleared area would be marked, and the last group would handle the rebuilding.

Since the base was backed by natural mountainous barriers and located on the edge of Liancheng, the sweeping and rebuilding tasks would start from the base and extend to the other end of the city.

At the junction between the two cities, rebuilding teams would erect high-density fences and electrify them with high voltage, ensuring instant death for any zombie that touched them.

And so, the expansion tasks of the base began in full swing.

Every day the inhabitants of the base were busy and lively, especially those who had originally lived in Liancheng, putting in every effort to rebuild their home.

During these days, Ji Wanwan was also busy: she often spent time with Qi Hao’s Grandma; she tried to awaken Qi Hao every day; she massaged Xia Li’s limbs before sleep to prevent muscle necrosis; she periodically inspected the base; occasionally, she would lead a team to the neighboring city to kill a wave of zombies and scavenge supplies; every so often, she would oversee the base expansion; and regularly, she would maintain personal relationships with the core members, and so on...

One day, Ji Wanwan left the base to inspect the rebuilding efforts in Liancheng.

Upon reaching the designated area, she saw a familiar figure.

Wang Youde?!

Ji Wanwan was stunned, with old memories flooding her mind.

Goodness, before she went to Jiang City, she had promised Wang Youde that he should come find her, but she had forgotten about it!!

This kid, why hadn’t he made a peep since she had been back for so long?!

Shame rose within Ji Wanwan.

About to call out to Wang Youde, someone beat her to it.

"Hey you! Come over here and spray some fire! Help me weld these two together!" a middle-aged man wearing a safety helmet commanded Wang Youde with an arrogant tone.

The man being ordered lowered his head, his emotions unreadable.

He dragged his feet forward, lifted his hand slightly, and started spraying fire in the direction the middle-aged man pointed to.

After not seeing him for a long time, this kid had actually awakened the Fire Superpower! He really was a promising seed!

A trace of relief crossed Ji Wanwan’s eyes.

Yet, looking at Wang Youde’s demeanor, why did it seem so submissive?

Initially intending to call out, Ji Wanwan’s eyes shifted, and without making a sound, she silently stood not far away, quietly observing Wang Youde.

Just as the welding was completed, a man wearing a safety helmet pushed Wang Youde, "Go, get me some water."

Ji Wanwan narrowed her eyes slightly.

If the earlier task could be considered official business and its tone barely understandable, then what was this errand of fetching water?

Such poor attitude would surely provoke resistance from anyone with a shred of dignity, right? Especially since he was a superpower awakener!

Yet in reality, Wang Youde showed no intention of resisting; instead, he hung his head and walked silently toward the area where supplies were kept.

Even Ji Wanwan, who could be quite slow on the uptake, could see that there was something off about Wang Youde now.

What happened to this child?

What had happened to him during the time she was not at the base?

At the construction site of the ruins, after handing the man the water, Wang Youde prepared to turn around and get back to his tasks when he heard a sneer from behind: "Pretty boy, even with your superpower you’re still a spineless wimp..."

Wang Youde’s hands, which hung by his sides, clenched suddenly, and the veins on his forehead bulged visibly.

He was angry.

Just when Ji Wanwan thought he was about to strike, he suddenly released his fist and walked away with his head down.

The man in the safety helmet laughed with even more disdain.

The piercing laughter was so uncomfortable that even Ji Wanwan felt a twinge; how much more so for Wang Youde?

Watching Wang Youde sit down by himself in a corner, Ji Wanwan, unable to hold back any longer, walked towards him.

A shadow fell before him, and Wang Youde, who was eating a compressed biscuit, was momentarily startled and frowned irritably before finally looking up.

Seeing Ji Wanwan standing before him, fury in her expression, he choked up and even forgot to chew the biscuit in his mouth.

"My lord?"

How long had it been since he last saw his lord after that last encounter?

It felt like a very long time... He thought she had forgotten about him, and yet there she was, suddenly appearing before him.

Wang Youde, with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, tucked the uneaten biscuit into his pocket and stood up from the ground: "My lord, what are your orders for me this time?"

Ji Wanwan sensed a hint of complaint and grievance in his voice.

In an instant, she seemed to understand something.

Slightly pursing her lips, she spoke softly, "I had to go to Jiang City for an urgent mission. After I returned, I was so busy dealing with the half-infected hurting people that I didn’t have time to take care of anything else. And then, the urgent need to expand the base..."

"So, you just forgot about me..." Wang Youde scoffed softly, interrupting her, "Right?"

Ji Wanwan’s throat tightened, and she instantly fell silent.

She dreaded the sudden quiet, and the defiant look in the man’s eyes made Ji Wanwan feel numb, as if she had let down a little wife.

"Ah, this... this this this..." Ji Wanwan stammered, an unusual occurrence for her.

Under the man’s expectant gaze, she bit her lip, "Yes, I forgot about you!"