Apocalyptic Gratitude Duck - Chapter 11

The motorcycle roared to the gas station. Qiao Yanyu removed her helmet and dismounted with Kexin. The area around the station was surprisingly quiet, devoid even of zombie groans. Everything was eerily still.

Just as the woman and duck grew wary, a dark-skinned man in gas station work clothes emerged. He glanced at the motorcycle beside them, skillfully slipped on his gloves, and asked in a cold, practiced tone, “Need gas?”

His familiar demeanor made Qiao Yanyu momentarily feel as if the apocalypse hadn’t arrived, as if everything were still normal. But this was clearly just an illusion.

She nodded. “Yes. How much gas do you have?”

The man stopped and pointed to a sign on the right. “One 200-liter drum left. We’re not taking money right now. Whatever amount of gas you want, you have to trade goods of equal value.”

Qiao Yanyu glanced at the sign. Ten liters of gas could be exchanged for two bottles of mineral water or five packs of instant noodles. The prices seemed reasonable.

“The prices are a bit high. I can’t afford that much. I’ll take half a drum. If you can lower the price, I’d be willing to buy a full drum,” Qiao Yanyu said with a faint smile, beginning to bargain.

The man paused before asking, “How much can you offer?”

“One 10kg bag of rice, a case of instant noodles, and a pack of sausages. That’s all I have.”

“Wait here. I’ll go inside and discuss it.”

Kexin watched the man walk away, then discreetly nipped Qiao Yanyu’s fingertip, letting out a muted warning cry.

This man is an Ability User. Master, don’t let him deceive you.

Qiao Yanyu patted Kexin’s wings and whispered, “It’s alright. I already know he’s not a regular gas station employee. Our only goal is to buy gasoline and achieve our objective. We’ll ignore everything else for now. If he tries anything rash, we’ll take action.”

Having lived in this town for years, she knew that gas station workers never wore gloves or neatly buttoned-up uniforms. They always wore their work clothes casually, never with such meticulous precision.

Sometimes, the more someone tries to appear flawless, the more obvious their flaws become.

Hearing her Master’s warning, Kexin nodded, her small body tensing. She bared her sharp claws, eyes fixed unwaveringly on the situation inside the gas station.

Kexin’s gaze pierced through the glass wall, spotting two figures moving inside the window. She gently pecked her master’s wrist twice with her duck-like beak, signaling her observation.

“Two people?” Qiao Yanyu murmured.

How clever of my master!

Two people weren’t a significant threat. Even in a direct confrontation, she and Kexin were confident of victory. A straightforward robbery wasn’t out of the question. However, without knowing the opponents’ Ability attributes, they couldn’t risk it. If one of them possessed a fire-type Ability, they might resort to a desperate, mutually destructive tactic like igniting the fuel drums, potentially injuring both Qiao Yanyu and Kexin. If they could acquire what they needed through a small trade, there was no need to risk injury through violence.

After a moment, a man strode out from inside. In a deep voice, he said, “I’ll give you a full drum of gasoline, but we need two extra bottles of mineral water.”

Qiao Yanyu considered briefly before replying, “Deal. First, divide the gasoline into ten-liter drums. I’ll go get the trade goods and be back.”

When Qiao Yanyu returned with the trade items, the man had already lined up the gasoline drums. He twisted open the lids one by one to confirm they were filled with gasoline before exchanging the goods—a straightforward transaction.

The exchange went smoothly. Qiao Yanyu grabbed the drums, twisted open the throttle, and sped away, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.

The man, having swallowed a mouthful of car exhaust, spat twice onto the ground. But seeing the free loot, he happily hugged his prizes and went back.

When the car reached the corner, Qiao Yanyu had Kexin store the fuel in her Space. To avoid being tracked, they took a detour toward home. Along the way, most shops were in chaos. Jewelry stores had been looted, liquor shops emptied, while pharmacies appeared strangely untouched, their glass doors untouched.

Qiao Yanyu grabbed a sturdy fire axe from a hardware store and broke the pharmacy’s glass door. A scream came from beneath the counter.

“Ah! Don’t come closer!”

The pharmacy clerk cowered on the floor, clutching her head, trembling violently.

Qiao Yanyu frowned but ignored her, stepping over the broken glass. The pharmacy was surprisingly neat, with many undamaged medicines still on the shelves.

She opened her prepared storage bag and began sweeping medicines off the shelves. Some were tossed in without even glancing at their names.

Seeing her Master busy, Kexin flew down from Qiao Yanyu’s arms and wandered around. She strolled over to the pharmacy clerk, tilting her head curiously as she peered at her.

By the late stages of the apocalypse, timid humans had become a rare species.

When the shop assistant sensed a fluffy animal approaching, she trembled violently, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed to the floor.

Before the apocalypse, she would have been tempted to stroke the soft feathers of a cute little animal. But after witnessing a mutated creature tear a person apart right outside the shop, she never dared to get close again.

Hugging her knees, she instinctively shrank back. Hearing movement from the shelves above, she looked up and saw Qiao Yanyu’s profile as she held some medicine.

She’s a gentle and beautiful woman.

Struggling to stand, the assistant asked weakly, “Are you here to buy medicine?”

Qiao Yanyu’s fingers paused mid-motion as she rubbed the frostbite cream. Turning to meet the shop assistant’s anxious gaze, she smiled warmly. “No.”

“I’m here to loot. Do you have any stock besides what’s on the shelves?”

Her tone was calm and ordinary, as if discussing the weather.

The shop assistant’s face paled. She suddenly realized that Qiao Yanyu was no different from the looters roaming the streets.

If the items in the store were stolen, she would lose her only job, and the boss would severely reprimand her. The employee tried to walk over and stop Qiao Yanyu, but her unsteady steps, weakened by long-term hunger, caused her to stumble and nearly fall to the ground.

Leaning against the cash register, the employee weakly said, “Ma’am, you can’t just take things from the pharmacy.”

Qiao Yanyu casually tucked the frostbite ointment into her storage pouch and gave the employee a polite smile. “My apologies, I was just joking earlier. I need to purchase a large quantity of medical supplies. Cash or online banking is fine.”

Money in the apocalypse was practically worthless. She still had substantial cash savings at home. If the employee persisted, she wouldn’t mind showing her final respect.

Qiao Yanyu took two bottles of glucose and placed them in front of the employee. “Your body needs nourishment. Drink these two bottles of glucose and charge it to my account.”

The employee’s expression was dazed. She murmured a quiet thank you, and after drinking the glucose, her complexion improved significantly.

She glanced at Qiao Yanyu again and asked hesitantly, “Why do you need to purchase so many medical supplies?”

Qiao Yanyu replied calmly, “Because it’s the apocalypse now. Can you take us to the storage area?”

The shop assistant was still bewildered. How did the apocalypse suddenly arrive? she wondered. Why isn’t the government or police doing anything?

By the time she realized it, she was already leading Qiao Yanyu to the area where medical supplies were stored. She opened the medicine cabinet, helped Qiao Yanyu pack the stock into her storage pouch, and finally reminded her, “These items have expiration dates. Buying too much at once and letting them expire would be a waste.”

Even expired medicine, even if it’s ineffective, is better than having none at all, Qiao Yanyu thought. If we had medicine back then, Kexin’s wound wouldn’t have kept reopening, leaving her crippled, unable to walk with those duck-like feet.

The shop assistant picked up the calculator, totaled the amount, and pressed the power button on the computer several times, but there was no response. She hurriedly told Qiao Yanyu, “If you’re paying with Alipay, you’ll have to wait a moment. There’s a problem with my computer.”

Qiao Yanyu was about to tell her that the power was out city-wide when a sudden flurry of footsteps came from outside.

“Doctor! My Second Brother’s injured! Hurry and bandage his wounds!” A group of rough-looking thugs burst in, carrying a comrade on a stretcher. Their eyes bloodshot, they roared at the shop assistant behind the counter.

Seeing the staff member cowering behind the checkout counter, Scarface pulled a machete from behind his back and slammed it down on the counter, threatening, “Get out here! What are you standing there for?!”

Terrified, the staff member stammered, “I… I’m not a doctor, I’m just a clerk.”

“Pah!” Scarface ignored her explanation, grabbing her arm and yanking her out. “If you’re not a doctor, why are you wearing a white coat? Hurry up and bandage Second Brother! Or do you want me to chop your hand off?”

“I don’t want to!” The staff member sobbed, her snot running as she backed away.

Scarface effortlessly dragged her out like a chick, tossing her beside the stretcher on the floor. He growled, “Hurry up! Do you want to keep your hands? Mess up and you’ll lose an arm!”

Tears streamed silently down her face, her trembling hands frozen in panic.

The thugs snickered at the sight of the staff member’s red, tear-streaked face.

Scarface’s gaze shifted. Noticing the empty shelves, he froze. Then he spotted a beautiful woman standing nearby, cradling a plump duck and surrounded by neatly packed bags.

He grinned lecherously. “Well, well, a beauty as pretty as you. How about it, sweetheart? Wanna hang with your brother? I’ll treat you to all the good stuff. And that duck you’re holding? Not bad either. We haven’t had meat in days. Perfect for plucking and stewing.”

He reached out a filthy hand to grope Qiao Yanyu’s face.

Qiao Yanyu’s gaze turned icy, as if she were looking at a corpse. Kexin was her only vulnerability. Anyone who dared touch her would not live to see another day.

The axe in her hand swung out, severing Scarface’s arm. He let out a pig-like scream, collapsing to the ground and writhing in agony.

Kexin roared furiously, shifting into her combat form. Her eagle-like claws pierced Scarface’s chest, shattering the sternum. With a violent tug, she tore out his heart, ripping it from his chest.

“Grab that duck!” The thugs reacted, raising their weapons and charging at Kexin.

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