The Post-Apocalyptic Rival Who Crashed My Wedding with a Baby - Chapter 12

Watching Jiang Weiqing return from her “walk,” An Songyu consulted the map with a furrowed brow. “Captain, which base should we head to next?”

Jiang Weiqing looked a bit surprised. “Aren’t we going back to Dragon City?” She suddenly remembered the canceled engagement and rubbed her nose awkwardly. “We’ll just wear disguises to get in and lie low until the drama blows over.”

Gossip was a universal human instinct; even the apocalypse couldn’t suppress it. To avoid being gawked at like a giant panda in a zoo, Jiang Weiqing had decided on a low-profile approach.

Hearing her plan, Lin Yunxia gave a bitter laugh. “Captain, you think you can still get into Dragon City?”

Catching Jiang Weiqing’s confused look, the rest of the Longyu Squad chimed in at once.

“Captain, it’s all over the place. They’re saying you ditched the wedding for love and abandoned Lin Qitong. Lin Yue is absolutely livid—he almost put a bounty on your head on the mission board,” An Songyu explained with a helpless shrug.

Lin Yue was the Commander of Dragon City and doted on his youngest daughter; plenty of people would be willing to curry favor by hunting her down.

“Captain, that old geezer has officially blacklisted you from Dragon City. You can’t even sneak past the front gate,” Miao Jialing added, rolling her eyes. “He’s really abusing his authority.”

After three years of the apocalypse, entry into any base required strict screening. Newcomers underwent infrared scans to ensure they weren’t carriers of the zombie virus, while residents had their faces mapped and linked to the network. Facial recognition served as the ultimate pass.

With Jiang Weiqing on the blacklist, it was effectively a total ban. The moment she approached the gate, the system would alert the guards. Furthermore, her mission points were now frozen and couldn’t be spent within the city, and all her real estate assets were locked.

Jiang Weiqing never expected Lin Yue to go this far. Her lip twitched. “That’s a low blow.” Barring her from the city meant uprooting the entire foundation she had built over three years.

Xu Bairan scratched his head, puzzled. “Does the Commander really need to be that angry?” It seemed like a massive overreaction, showing a total lack of magnanimity.

Lu Yan, the little black cat, let out a few meows and licked her fur before speaking in human tongue. “You’re just a kid; you don’t see the politics behind it.”

On the surface, Lin Yue was acting out of fatherly spite. In reality, it was all about interests. If Lu Yan remembered correctly, the position of Minister of Security was up for reelection soon, and the Captain was the most popular candidate among the people. According to the selection mechanism, her chances of winning were incredibly high.

In contrast, while Lin Yue’s son, Lin Wenguang, was an Esper, he paled in comparison to Jiang Weiqing in both strength and courage. His support was lukewarm. Placing the Captain on the blacklist was a convenient way to use her “jilted bride” scandal as a pretext to clear the path for his own family. Besides, the Lins had always looked down on the Captain, thinking she wasn’t good enough for Qitong, and they extended that disdain to the rest of the squad.

An Songyu, well-versed in Dragon City’s inner workings, nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly it.”

Miao Jialing let out a derisive snort and tossed her head back. “Hilarious. Dragon City needs us more than we need them.”

They were the legendary Longyu Squad, one of the few S-Rank teams in existence. The criteria for such a rating were notoriously harsh; there were only four such teams in the entire world.

“If this place won’t keep me, someone else will!” Jialing waved her hand, the silver bells on her wrist jingling with a clear, sharp sound. While she sounded arrogant, it was the truth of the wasteland: powerful experts were never short on offers from other bases.

Lin Yunxia rubbed her chin, looking troubled. “But which base should we choose?”

Dragon City was known as the City of Technology, boasting the most advanced research equipment. Their thirty-two-story White Tower was dedicated to the Research Institute, with each floor representing a solved technological hurdle. They were currently working on the thirty-third.

“What about Changchun Base?” Miao Jialing suggested. She had just returned from a mission there and had a good impression. “The infrastructure and comms are dated, but the weather is nice, the temp is moderate, and they have some unique fruits and veggies.”

An Songyu countered, “Yuanfeng Base is good too. Cost of living is low, and the ratio of Normies, Espers, and Shifters is balanced. The vibe is very harmonious.” Yuanfeng was surrounded by interconnected mountain villages, making it more inclusive and trade-oriented.

Hearing this, Lu Yan and Little Black immediately claimed An Songyu’s shoulders—one on each side—clearly favoring the trade-heavy option.

Jiang Weiqing nodded. “Anywhere is fine, as long as it’s not Chonghai Base.”

Xu Bairan raised his hand tentatively. “Is it because Chonghai has a bad reputation?”

Chonghai was one of the Big Four, but its coastal location meant it was frequently battered by tsunamis and typhoons. The people there were fanatical worshippers of the Sea God and were known for their barbaric, violent nature. Their reputation was indeed terrible.

Jiang Weiqing shook her head. “It’s personal.” For some reason, she felt a deep-seated resistance toward Chonghai. It felt as though setting foot there would trigger some inevitable vortex of fate. Even her System seemed to have subtly discouraged her from going there in the past.

Shen Qingyu, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. “I’m going to Chonghai.” Her gaze was steady and her tone resolute; she had clearly made up her mind.

Lin Yunxia grew anxious and looked at Jiang Weiqing. “Captain, maybe we should go to Chonghai too. I’ve… I’ve never seen the ocean.”

Yunxia’s logic was simple: if Shen Qingyu went to Chonghai, they would be separated from the baby. Despite having known the girl for less than a day, she couldn’t bear to let her go.

The others quickly joined in.

“I heard Chonghai has amazing seafood. Scallops and abalone every day!”

“We haven’t been there anyway. Might as well see it.”

“Captain, I want to go to Chonghai too.”

Jiang Weiqing frowned, staring deeply at Shen Qingyu. “Is it absolutely necessary?”

Shen Qingyu looked up from the child’s frail face and nodded solemnly. “Absolutely.”

Those two words carried the weight of her entire resolve. As Jiang Weiqing sat weighing her options, a series of urgent “beeps” erupted from their communicators. Every person’s device flashed with a red alert.

Simultaneously, a line of bold, crimson text flared across Jiang Weiqing’s vision:

[S-Rank Mission—Chonghai Base Emergency: Level 6 Water-type Zombie King Impending!]

Jiang Weiqing’s face turned pale in an instant.

Support