Apocalyptic Gratitude Duck - Chapter 25.2

Qiao Yanyu held down Kexin’s restless body, turned her around, and gently patted her wings, soothing her with soft words: “Alright, don’t be angry. Next time I’ll take you to catch another Mutated Beast.”

The other group had more people, and after such a fierce battle, they were exhausted. It would be very difficult to reclaim the prize.

Kexin was upset; it was clearly her rightful catch!

Kexin’s little duck feet paddled against Qiao Yanyu’s clothes in a defiant display of displeasure, utterly refusing to accept her master’s decision.

Stubborn ducks and unruly children are practically indistinguishable, Qiao Yanyu thought.

Unable to calm Kexin’s tantrum, Qiao Yanyu finally gave her little duck-bottom a playful swat, deliberately adopting a stern tone: “If you keep acting like this, you won’t be my favorite little duckling anymore.”

Kexin froze instantly.

Looking down, Qiao Yanyu saw a misty layer of tears welling up in Kexin’s eyes. Her small duck beak was tightly pressed shut as pearl-like tears rolled down her cheeks and splattered onto the ground.

Kexin was the most pitiful duck in the world, she thought. Her master didn’t like her anymore. Soon she’d be discarded, left as a stray duck, unwanted and unloved.

Qiao Yanyu hadn’t realized how deeply her words had hurt Kexin, and she felt guilty. She tightened her grip around Kexin’s fingers and apologized, “Kexin, I’m sorry. Just a little longer, and I’ll help you get your Crystal back.”

Kexin stopped crying, tears still glistening in her clear eyes as she stared unblinkingly at Qiao Yanyu. “Quack~”

A duck’s tears are like sun showers—quick to come and quick to go.

Is Kexin still your favorite little duck?

Of course! You little crybaby duck, you’re just too spoiled by all the affection.

Qiao Yanyu took out a tissue and wiped the tears from Kexin’s fluffy feathers. “There, there. You’re still my favorite little duck. I was just upset earlier and didn’t mean to be mean. Don’t cry like that again. You’re turning into a spotted duck!”

Kexin didn’t understand what “upset” meant, but in her eyes, her master’s harsh tone meant she didn’t like the duck anymore. And her master was a liar,the duck’s feathers were still golden, no other colors had appeared.

Still, Kexin happily wiggled her little duck feet. Her master always kept her promises.

Qiao Yanyu finally finished grooming Kexin and led her team to Xu Feng. “Battalion Commander Xu, can we join you back to Songyuan City?”

Xu Feng, still wary from the fleeting sharp gaze he’d noticed earlier, stood at attention as Qiao Yanyu approached with her team. Clearing his throat, he replied, “Yes, but our convoy will be clearing the streets on the way back. You’ll need to temporarily join our Cleanup Squad. The military will provide you with two meals, or you can each contribute five days’ worth of rations, and we’ll take you along.”

“We’re willing to join the Cleanup Squad.”

Five days’ worth of rations was excessive, but the cleanup work wasn’t difficult. They’d already cleared numerous zombies along the way, becoming seasoned zombie cleaners.

After joining the squad, each member received a set of camouflage uniform and a field shovel. This almost made them wonder if the mission wasn’t about capturing a python at all, but specifically about recruiting people to clear the roads.

Three military trucks drove into the central plaza of a large shopping mall, and Qiao Yanyu realized that this unit wasn’t just recruiting them; they had also gathered many ordinary civilians. The entire mall was in disarray, filled with the clamor of voices.

The distribution of camouflage uniforms was purely because so few people were willing to go out and clear the roads. Most preferred to ration their rations and hand over their food rations rather than risk zombie attacks. Consequently, the Cleanup Squad consisted of a small core of original unit members, a majority of newly recruited Ability Users, and a tiny number of ordinary civilians.

With so many people, it was difficult to tell them apart just by looking at their clothes. To simplify management, they were simply issued camouflage uniforms.

Qiao Yanyu remembered that when she joined the army later, neither camouflage uniforms nor entrenching shovels were provided. It seemed that the early army supplies were still abundant, and they were relatively generous to newly recruited members; a fortunate thing.

At night, the Cleanup Squad’s quarters were separated from those of the ordinary civilians, and they were relatively spacious. Each person received a bowl of snake soup and two large steamed buns.

For Qiao Yanyu’s Cleanup Squad, the journey had been so comfortable that the snake soup was utterly unappetizing. This was especially true for Li Youming and Zhang Ping, who had just been rescued from a snake’s belly that day; eating snake soup was practically unbearable.

Li Youming pinched his nose and took a sip, his face contorting in disgust. He nearly gagged, only recovering after shoving down two large steamed buns.

Chen Chuyue covered her mouth with a laugh. “Li Youming, how’s the snake soup?”

Li Youming grimaced. “Fishy and way too salty. Nearly killed me! I barely held back from puking. Meng Nuo’s cooking is way better. Who could stand this?”

He only dared speak so openly among his own group. If outsiders heard him, they’d think he was ungrateful, complaining about food when there was food at all.

Meanwhile, the Ability Users further away were eating the snake soup with large steamed buns, savoring it as if it were a delicacy.

Then there were the ordinary people who couldn’t even get a taste of the snake soup. Some were gaunt with hunger, glaring enviously at the Ability Users. Others were rich beyond measure, devouring chicken legs and bread with relish, looking more content than the Ability Users themselves.

Not long after the apocalypse, a vast gap had already emerged between ordinary people and Ability Users.

In the end, it all boiled down to the old saying: the bold feast while the timid starve. Even ordinary people who dared to risk their lives and fight alongside Ability Users were still able to eat meat and drink soup. If even cowards got a share of the meat soup, that would be truly unfair.

But the members of Qiao Yanyu’s Cleanup Squad were all stumped by the snake soup. They genuinely couldn’t eat it.

Li Youming looked pained. “What do we do?”

Qiao Yanyu remained calm, staring silently at the bowl of snake soup before her.

Kexin, busy pecking at the corn sausage Master was feeding her, showed no interest in the world around her.

Zhang Ping, however, was remarkably bold. Frowning slightly, he gulped down the entire bowl of snake soup in a few noisy slurps, followed by two big bites of steamed bun. His flushed face gradually returned to normal.

Meng Nuo stood frozen, dumbfounded.

Li Youming swallowed hard and gave Zhang Ping a thumbs-up. “Brother Ping, you’re the man!”

Zhang Ping exhaled heavily. “That’s what real men do!”

“You’re a real man!” Chen Chuyue exclaimed, enthusiastically praising him.

Li Youming glanced at Chen Chuyue, then raised the bowl in his hand to cover his flushed face. “Xiao Yue, I’m a real man too,” he said, downing the remaining snake soup in one gulp without even touching the steamed bun. His face turned green, and he rolled his eyes back in his head.

Qiao Yanyu looked at him in astonishment. To think a middle school boy would go to such lengths to impress a girl.

Chen Chuyue stared at him with a look that said, Are you out of your mind? “Li Youming, are you okay?”

Li Youming’s eyes rolled back in his head as his hands flailed wildly, his lips stretching into a goofy grin. “I’m fine, Xiao Yue! I can handle this!”

“Just say the word if you can’t, and I’ll punch it out for you,” Chen Chuyue said casually, showing no intention of helping him up. She picked up the bowl of snake soup and walked away.

The crowd finally burst into laughter.

By the time Li Youming recovered, he remained blissfully unaware, still lost in his fantasy of Chen Chuyue’s kindness.

Chen Chuyue returned shortly, a bag of rice in hand. She whispered to the group, “I just traded the snake soup. Want to trade yours too?”

Qiao Yanyu raised an eyebrow. “Where did you trade it?”

One had to admit, Chen Chuyue was quite resourceful. To think she managed to trade that unappetizing snake soup for a whole bag of rice.

“Ah, with so many people around, some are bound to want to try something new. It’s not just me selling it—others are doing the same,” Chen Chuyue said, blushing slightly under Qiao Yanyu’s gaze.

She gestured vaguely, and they saw several Ability Users in the corner trading snake soup with ordinary people.

“Don’t they find it disgusting?” Meng Nuo asked curiously.

Chen Chuyue grinned mischievously, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “It’s meat and soup. Sprinkle some chili powder on it, and it’s perfect for warming you up. People who’ve never tried Mutated Beast Meat before are desperate for it.”

Zhang Ping and Li Youming exchanged glances, both regretting their earlier frustration so much they felt like pounding their fists against the wall.

Chen Chuyue asked enthusiastically, “What do you want to trade for? Should I help you find something?”

Meng Nuo whispered, “I’d like some rice too, Sister Xiao Yue. Thank you.”

“Of course.” Chen Chuyue patted Meng Nuo’s head and turned to Qiao Yanyu. “Big Boss, what about you? What do you want to trade for?”

“Food is fine,” Qiao Yanyu replied. After a pause, she remembered the green leaf in her palm. “If there are vegetable or tree seeds available, I’d like to trade for some of those too.”

Without further questions, Chen Chuyue snapped her fingers and carried two bowls of snake soup out to make the trades.

Meng Nuo watched Chen Chuyue’s retreating figure, her voice tinged with admiration as she murmured to herself, “If only I could be as amazing as Sister Xiao Yue… I’m just so clumsy, always getting in everyone’s way.”

Hearing her sigh, Qiao Yanyu said softly, “You have your own strengths too.”

*****

Under the pale moonlight, Qiao Yanyu’s features softened into gentleness, her lips curving into a faint smile as she looked back at Meng Nuo, her eyes brimming with warm encouragement.

Meng Nuo’s breath caught, her heart pounding. She’s truly captivating.

By the time Meng Nuo regained her composure and glanced back, Qiao Yanyu had lowered her head, her slender, pale fingers gently stroking Kexin’s back as she seemed to whisper softly to the duck.

Sigh, the Big Boss is perfect in every way, except for her obsession with ducks.

“Quack~” Kexin finished her corn sausage, spread her webbed feet, and closed her eyes contentedly on Qiao Yanyu’s lap, exposing her belly.

Rub my tummy, please~

Her soft, lazy voice betrayed a creature accustomed to being pampered.

Qiao Yanyu leaned forward slightly, one hand stroking Kexin’s belly. The soft, feathery texture felt pleasantly warm and slightly warm.

After a moment, Kexin fell asleep on her lap, her breathing becoming steady.

When Qiao Yanyu shifted her hand slightly, Kexin’s wings immediately wrapped around it.

Helplessly, Qiao Yanyu untangled the wings and set them aside, explaining softly, “I need to eat something.”

Kexin finally withdrew her wings. Qiao Yanyu had brought along the spicy strips Meng Nuo had given her last time, but worried that Kexin might wake up if she smelled them. Instead, she simply ate a steamed bun stuffed with a hard-boiled egg and sausage.

Meng Nuo noticed that Qiao Yanyu had only eaten a small amount of steamed bun with no side dishes. She offered her a spoonful of sweet and spicy watermelon sauce. The tangy, sweet sauce spread evenly over the bun, instantly enhancing its plain appearance. The soft texture of the bun combined with the unique flavor of the sauce, complemented by the savory aroma of the braised egg and sausage, created a delightful surprise with each bite.

Qiao Yanyu, finding the flavor pleasing, offered Meng Nuo a braised egg in return.

Meng Nuo was about to decline when she spotted Chen Chuyue, who had finished trading, approaching. She exclaimed with delight, “Sister Xiao Yue!”

Chen Chuyue carried a bag of rice in her left hand and a packet of seeds along with several packs of Wanyang crispy biscuits in her right. Her face beamed with joy, even brighter than if she had received the items herself.

“I met a wealthy client who traded me plenty of goods. The seeds were free. It’s his gift and he said he wants priority access to any Mutated Beast Meat we get next time,” Chen Chuyue said with a smile as she distributed the items among Meng Nuo and Qiao Yanyu.

Qiao Yanyu examined the seeds in the packet with various sizes and colors, all plump and full. The leaf in her palm felt slightly warm, and her perception sharpened. These seeds were definitely capable of achieving a 70% germination rate.

It turned out that the leaf was genuinely connected to plants, and gaining an enhanced perception was a good thing.

A delighted smile blossomed on Qiao Yanyu’s face as she offered Chen Chuyue a pack of Wanyang Crispy Biscuits.

Chen Chuyue initially hesitated before accepting with a thick face. Noticing Qiao Yanyu’s obvious satisfaction with the seeds, she couldn’t resist adding a few more details: “The man said he got these seeds when he passed through a village. People traded them for food—vegetables, fruits, all mixed together. He thought it was too much trouble to separate them, so he just mixed them all together.”

“That’s great.” This pack of seeds would allow her to experiment for a long time.

“He’s really brave, showing off so much stuff. Aren’t you afraid someone will steal it?” Meng Nuo, having been thoroughly educated by the team about the dangers of flaunting wealth, finally understood the principle of not advertising one’s riches.

“The military is watching this area. No one would dare to openly rob anyone.” Chen Chuyue waved dismissively, speaking as if sharing gossip. “Besides, I heard that eating too much Mutated Beast Meat can enhance your physical abilities. If you’re lucky, you might even become an Ability User.”

Meng Nuo’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Chen Chuyue shrugged. “Who knows if it’s true? I just heard it somewhere.”

Qiao Yanyu fell into deep thought. After the second Mutation Period, many plants and animals would become significantly stronger. Ordinary people also had a certain chance of transforming into Mutated Beast Hybrids. Some even evolved by consuming Mutated Beast Meat. Unlike innate Ability Users, these hybrids often possessed physical abilities similar to animals or animal-like limbs. They were also generally more violent and bloodthirsty.

For late-stage Ability Users, dealing with these powerful creatures would become increasingly difficult. Each battle would exhaust vast amounts of energy, while Mutated Beast Meat, rich in energy, could provide crucial replenishment.

As mutated animals became increasingly difficult to hunt, only a select few could supplement their resources with Mutated Beast Meat. Most weaker Ability Users, whose abilities hadn’t fully developed, could only rely on ordinary food for sustenance. Ordinary people had no hope of gaining abilities through Mutated Beast Meat.

But this was only the first Mutation Period. How could anyone know that Mutated Beast Meat could enhance one’s physical abilities? This information wasn’t even discovered until the late stages of the second Mutation Period. Could there truly be someone so clever?

If they’re so smart, why sell this information instead of building their own power?

Qiao Yanyu decided to get to the bottom of it. She had Chen Chuyue lead her to the person trading goods, had Kexin store the seeds in her Space, and retrieved the piece of Mutated Hedgehog Meat they’d saved earlier. She cut off a small piece to use for the trade.

Kexin’s Space had excellent preservation capabilities. Even after about ten days, the Mutated Hedgehog meat hadn’t rotted, though the skin had become slightly taut and dried out.

Qiao Yanyu carried the Mutated Hedgehog meat in one hand and the still-sleeping Kexin in the other, cradling her like a soft “Quack!” duck pillow. No one questioned whether the object in Qiao Yanyu’s hand was a real duck, especially since both Qiao Yanyu and Chen Chuyue were wearing camouflage uniforms, which deterred anyone from approaching them.

******

When they reached the damaged gacha machine in the mall, they found a middle-aged man squatting nearby, smoking as he bought snake soup. A circle of snake soup bowls surrounded him, and several boxes of snacks for trading were piled beside him.

Chen Chuyue approached and spoke to the man. A flicker of surprise and delight appeared in his eyes as he glanced toward Qiao Yanyu.

He spoke first, “Do you have any other mutated beast meat? Is it fresh?”

“Mutated hedgehog meat, freshly killed,” Qiao Yanyu said, holding the meat up to the middle-aged man. “What can I trade it for?”

The man leaned in to sniff the meat. Satisfied that it didn’t smell foul, he asked, “What do you want?”

“Water?”

The man froze, his eyes darting around as he realized he hadn’t brought any water.

“Wait here. I’ll get someone to bring some water over.” He stubbed out his cigarette, dusted off his hands, and stood up.

Qiao Yanyu gave Chen Chuyue a meaningful look, and Chen Chuyue quietly followed him.

Before long, the man returned with a case of mineral water. Qiao Yanyu traded the mutated hedgehog meat for the case of water. Before leaving, she asked, “Will you take any amount of mutated beast meat?”

The man grinned guilelessly, his tone bold. “All of it, as long as you can get it to us.”

“Will you be staying here indefinitely?”

“That’s uncertain. It depends on Chu… Hey, why are you so concerned? As long as the troops are here, we won’t leave.”

The middle-aged man, unwilling to reveal more, gave Qiao Yanyu a dismissive response. Seeing no one else coming to trade, he began packing up his stall.

Qiao Yanyu, cradling Kexin in her arms, was walking back when Chen Chuyue suddenly emerged from the shadows and pulled down her black cap.

Parting her red lips, Qiao Yanyu asked casually, “What did you find out?”

Chen Chuyue leaned closer, lowering her voice. “There are at least a dozen people upstairs. Some in uniform, some were not. They’re surrounding a man named Wang Ze. But by the sound of it, there’s also a soft, feminine voice in the room.”

“Did you hear what they were saying?” Qiao Yanyu asked.

“Only fragments like ‘crystals,’ ‘ice element,’ ‘unit’, nothing clear. But I saw they have a lot of supplies such as guns and ammunition. I don’t know what they’re planning.”

Qiao Yanyu’s eyes turned cold, her fists clenching.

Truly, enemies always meet on narrow paths.

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