From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 131 - 122: She’s Back

On the plane, Gu Xi sat by the window, peering through the clouds at the distant city encircled by high black walls.

In her memory, it had only been a little over a year since she’d left the Central Base. In the real world, however, thirty long years had passed.

The majestic city below the clouds was filled with row upon row of towering buildings. It no longer resembled the gray, cramped place she remembered...

Everything felt like it was from another lifetime.

Gu Xi gazed at the Central Base below the clouds, her heart filled with a swirl of complicated emotions.

Across from her, Zhang Cheng was also observing her, his expression unreadable.

However, he couldn’t detect the slightest flicker of emotion on the young girl’s face.

Soon, the plane landed smoothly.

Gu Xi took a deep breath. She was back. ’I wonder if my old acquaintances are ready for me?’

Before they parted ways, Zhang Cheng thoughtfully asked if he should arrange accommodations for them, but Qi Xiang declined with a smile. "Mr. Zhang, have you forgotten about me?"

It wasn’t just Qi Xiang; even Wei Heng and Shen Yue had houses in the Central Base.

Zhang Cheng slapped his forehead and let out a hearty laugh. "Look at my memory. Alright, then. You all have fun. If you need anything at all, feel free to contact me anytime."

With that, Zhang Cheng looked up at Gu Xi and said meaningfully, "No matter what, you are all from my South City Base. Don’t you dare be strangers with me, your base commander."

Gu Xi thanked him politely.

After Zhang Cheng left in his car, the group slowly made their way out of the airport.

Qin Yi tilted her head back, gazing at the rows of skyscrapers in the distance. "The Central Base really is something else. It looks so different."

So grand.

Even the spirit and energy of the pedestrians on the surrounding streets seemed different.

"Of course," Wei Heng said from the front of the group, his expression complex. "This is the nation’s capital, after all, with thousands of years of history and culture behind it. Just look at these streets, and all these shops..."

"And this is just the beginning," Qi Xiang added, not to be outdone, explaining to the group, "Wait until nightfall. With countless lights scattered like stars, you’ll only just begin to see how prosperous the Central Base truly is..."

These words drew gasps of amazement from the sweet, wide-eyed girl who had never been to the Central Base before.

But soon, she noticed something was off.

"Gu Xi, you don’t seem surprised at all," Qin Yi said, turning to look at Gu Xi.

"You think everyone is as loud and boisterous as you?" Qin Shi tugged on her sister’s sleeve, subtly giving her a look. "You’re acting like a child."

Qin Yi blinked and muttered something under her breath.

Shen Yue glanced at Gu Xi, then suddenly spoke up. "I already called for a car. Let’s go to my place to rest first. Tonight, we can..."

Qi Xiang, who was playfully holding Gu Xi’s arm, mumbled, "No, I have to go home first." ’Otherwise, it’ll be hard to explain things to my adoptive father.’

When the group exited the airport, a car from the Qi Family was, indeed, already waiting by the curb.

Qi Xiang reluctantly let go of Gu Xi. After bidding everyone farewell, she got into the car, still unwilling to leave.

The SUV that Shen Yue had arranged for also arrived.

The Qin sisters were already in the car, but judging by Gu Xi’s expression...

"Gu Xi?" Shen Yue raised an eyebrow slightly.

Gu Xi snapped back to reality. After a moment of thought, she remained where she was and said, "You guys go on ahead. I want to walk around by myself for a bit."

Wei Heng, who had already opened the car door, frowned at her words. He turned and walked back, saying worriedly, "You’re all alone in a place you don’t know. Why don’t I go with you?"

Gu Xi shook her head. "No need. I’m sure the security in the Central Base is reliable enough."

Wei Heng frowned slightly and was about to say more, but Shen Yue stopped him with a look.

"Alright, then. Contact us if you need anything," Shen Yue said, tapping his personal terminal before pushing the still-worried Wei Heng into the car.

After the others had left, Gu Xi slowly walked forward, following the flow of the crowd.

Everything before her was both strange and familiar.

The city’s layout was familiar, not seeming too different from thirty years ago. What was strange were the skyscrapers all around, the bustling crowds, and the indescribable emotion stirring in her heart.

Following the route from her memory, Gu Xi walked for about half an hour before finding a familiar sign in front of a small shop on the roadside.

She didn’t step inside. Instead, she looked around the vicinity and, just as she expected, found a temporary bus stop.

Only three bus routes passed through here.

After studying the place names on the bus stop sign, Gu Xi had a plan.

She stood under the bus stop sign for a long time before the bus she wanted to take finally arrived.

Perhaps because the route was so remote, there were only a handful of people on the bus, leaving many empty seats.

Gu Xi casually found a window seat and sat down, silently observing her surroundings.

Three stops had passed since she boarded, but no new passengers had gotten on along the way. In all likelihood, she wasn’t being followed.

Still, Gu Xi cautiously got off at the next stop.

Just like many outsiders visiting the Central Base for the first time, she wandered around the city, curious and aimless.

It wasn’t until dusk that she boarded another bus.

It was rush hour, and the bus was a bit crowded.

Gu Xi couldn’t find an empty seat. She held onto a hand ring, standing quietly at the back of the bus.

The bus cabin was somewhat silent.

Life in the apocalypse was not easy. Under the shadow of the food crisis, few people had the energy for spirited conversation.

Silence spread wordlessly through the cabin.

It seemed to be accompanied by some other emotion, perhaps?

Gu Xi couldn’t quite identify it.

The bus started and stopped. Standing silently in her corner, she watched the sallow-faced, gaunt people before her, her mind drifting slightly.

’If she had listened to Yun Ye back then and chosen a different path—one where humans and High-level Zombies coexisted peacefully to usher in a new era—would everything be different now?’

But alas, there are no ’what ifs’ in this world.

At the thought of Yun Ye, Gu Xi subconsciously pressed a hand to her chest.

’Good. No flutter.’

It seemed time really could heal all wounds.

But over the years, Li Ming and the others must have come to hate Yun Ye immensely. They hated him so much that they couldn’t even bear to mention his name.

’But thinking about it carefully, what Yun Ye said back then actually made some sense.’

’For example, there are some things that humans, with their physical limitations, could never do, but High-level Zombies, who feel no pain, could. Moreover, they would only need to control a single Zombie Emperor to perfectly solve the issue and gain an endless supply of free labor.’

But Li Ming and the others all believed that those not of their kind were bound to have different intentions. Who knew what those High-level Zombies would eventually evolve into?

It was better to cut the weeds and pull out the roots.

In truth, Gu Xi had hesitated back then. If it weren’t for what Yun Ye did later...

Just then, the bus’s broadcast suddenly crackled to life:

[Now arriving at Station XXX, Zone 8. Passengers for this stop, please exit in an orderly fashion.]

Gu Xi snapped back to her senses. The bus braked to a halt, and she stepped out the back door. As she looked up, she was greeted by a sky full of the sunset’s glow.

Distant mountains and nearby water—the scenery was nice, but... the immediate surroundings were a bit of a mess.

Gu Xi ignored the trash strewn everywhere and walked calmly toward the alley ahead.

The last rays of the setting sun cast a small trail behind her.

The moment complete darkness enveloped the alley, Gu Xi instantly sensed several malicious gazes from the shadows fall upon her.

The next moment, Little Green Sprout swelled against the wind, instantly sealing off the entire alley.

Past experience had taught her that in a place like this, teeming with all sorts of shady characters, there was no need to hide one’s strength.

Because in a place like this, strength reigns supreme, and the weak are prey for the strong. That was the only rule.

And the "Blood-colored" in Blood-colored Asura had never been just an adjective.

A few minutes later, Gu Xi walked out of the alley, her expression unchanged. Behind her, a wind rose from the ground, kicking up clouds of trash tinged with the faint smell of blood.

Soon, it was all swallowed by the darkness.

Gu Xi arrived in front of a dilapidated small courtyard.

At the same time, an obscure, indistinct aura from the darkness silently coiled around her.

Gu Xi pretended not to notice. She raised her hand and calmly knocked on the dark courtyard gate before her.