Chapter 134.1 – Fire Seed (3)
◎ Welcome to V587 ◎
“Shall we start the meeting?” Song Ke asked for everyone’s opinion.
Everyone found their seats, and V587’s “First Annual Work Summary and Commendation Conference” officially began.
Xu Xing fetched himself a small stool, fetched one for Song Ke, and after some thought, also fetched one for Fang Zhixu.
Fang Zhixu was taken aback by the favor, staring at the stool for a while, afraid it might suddenly spring out some strange prank, like freezing springs or the like.
Feeling a bit nervous hosting the meeting for the first time, Song Ke sipped on orange juice she squeezed herself.
After the apocalypse, crops underwent some changes due to radiation, resulting in oranges that were incredibly sour, far from the enjoyable functionality of the energy drinks provided by Yin Xiao. Nonetheless, they were fresh, so she grimaced but finished drinking them.
Song Ke cleared her throat. “Firstly, congratulations to Sister Lin Xiu for coming back.”
Applause.
“Sister? I feel like I’ve gained a younger sister or no, maybe an ancestor,” Lin Youyou complained, but her joy was evident in her eyes.
Her statement wasn’t an exaggeration. Lin Xiu’s mental age was only twenty-three years old. Although she lost her body and became an AI, she adapted well, exceedingly curious about new things. Besides, with the workplace blown up and no need to go to work, she had plenty of time to squander.
Lin Youyou was content to reunite with her loved one, separated by life and death. There were no regrets, yet the reminiscence of the past still brought a tinge of sadness and humor. “At first, I was way too fanciful, collecting crystals everywhere and even wanting Old Fang to try reversing the zombification.”
“Impossible,” Fang Zhixu honestly intervened. “You were putting me in a difficult position.”
“I was in a panic back then, my mind was all over the place,” Lin Youyou laughed. “Even if it worked, Lin Xiu wouldn’t have agreed.”
Just yesterday, Lin Xiu had pinched her nose and complained, “Sister, you’re my only sister. Please, I beg you, hurry up and burn my body.”
Turning to Lu Xiaoyu, Lin Youyou said, “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have thought of turning Lin Xiu into an artificial intelligence. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Lu Xiaoyu graciously replied.
“In short, I and Lin Xiu have reached this satisfactory ending today. Thank you all for giving me the chance to make a wish.”
Lin Youyou didn’t overplay the emotions, standing up and slightly bowing to everyone. Su Cha behind her silently nodded.
Song Ke took a sip of sour orange juice and continued conducting the work.
“Secondly, congratulations to Xiao Xing for the breakthrough, reaching A-level!”
Applause erupted.
Xu Xing stood in the center, proudly displaying his new awakener certificate to everyone.
He had already completed the testing at the Ferrara’s awakener center, updated his information, and now was a bona fide A-level Ice-type awakener.
Finally, he wasn’t just a drag or a 666-calling salted fish anymore. Xu Xing’s eyes curved into crescent moons as he smiled.
“So, does that mean we’re an all-A team?” Fang Zhixu wondered aloud.
Lin Youyou, Su Cha, and Fang Zhixu were all A-level. Song Ke’s visible level was also A-level. As for Zhuang Qingyan and Lu Xiaoyu, these two individuals weren’t registered, being unlicensed persons and not counted in the statistics.
“Is an all-A team very powerful?” Xu Xing asked curiously.
“Is it?” Fang Zhixu wasn’t entirely sure either.
“Tustan’s team is all-A as well. In the latest round of rankings for awakener teams in the Northern Base, they rank seventh,” Lin Youyou casually mentioned.
“Wow, then we’re really awesome!” Xu Xing exclaimed, stars in his eyes.
“How do you know that?” Su Cha’s voice was somewhat dry.
“Jennifer told me,” Lin Youyou replied.
She opened the terminal’s chat box for everyone to see, and the screen was filled with blinding heart emojis.
This Jennifer… has quite the enthusiastic personality.
“Ahem,” Song Ke redirected the attention of her teammates. “Next up, let’s split the money!”
The championship reward from the Throne Race Competition and the S-level mission reward for killing the zombie king amounted to 7 million Alliance coins in Song Ke’s hands. This was the result of everyone’s joint efforts. As a fair team captain, she proposed dividing the money into seven equal shares, but everyone refused.
“I don’t need money,” Xu Xing said confidently.
“No way,” Lin Youyou insisted. “I’ve made my wish. How can I still take money? Song Ke, at least give a share to Su Cha. His savings were wiped out in the Death Prison, and he’s still carrying debts.”
During the time in the Sin City, everyone was quite poor. Song Ke’s purse was cleaner than her face, and Su Cha, the only one who faced massive financial pressure, paid the first fine out of his own pocket and paid it in full.
Su Cha quickly declined, “No need…”
Song Ke didn’t hesitate and transferred 1 million to him, saying assertively, “Take it.”
Lu Xiaoyu was even more direct, saying, “Captain, convert mine into materials, this is my updated list.”
After Song Ke took it, his eyes started to sparkle again. Why was this list getting longer and longer?
Fang Zhixu declined too, “I still have some savings, and besides, you giving me money won’t have a place to spend it.”
Song Ke helplessly looked at Zhuang Qingyan; he was the only one left.
Zhuang Qingyan shook his head slightly and said three words, “You’re in charge.”
“Okay, I’ll hold onto yours for now,” Song Ke patted the terminal, reassuring everyone.
Amidst the banter, Song Ke took a deep breath and slowly began, “One last thing, I intend to go to District B.”
Except for Zhuang Qingyan, the rest were somewhat surprised. Although they had joked before about leaving Ferrara after the competition to visit District B, Song Ke’s serious announcement implied that this plan was now in motion.
The reasons were rather complex and hard to explain briefly. Song Ke sought help by looking at Zhuang Qingyan.
“I’ll explain,” Zhuang Qingyan naturally took over. He had changed his hairstyle, brushing all the bangs to the front, wore narrow-framed glasses on his nose, and had a refined, scholarly look on his side profile, exuding a mysterious and reserved aura. His new appearance diluted the academic feel he had before. Although his face remained the same, his demeanor was vastly different. It seemed as if overnight, he transformed from a research genius into a sophisticated gentleman. Now, even Gao Xiangyang and Lin Xiu might hesitate for a while before uttering “Vincent.”
Zhuang Qingyan continued, “Due to personal reasons, I need to make a trip to District B. Song Ke will accompany me, and while the others are theoretically free to choose…”
Song Ke tugged at his sleeve.
Zhuang Qingyan held her hand, gesturing for her to wait. “…But the captain hopes that everyone will join us.”
“Wherever sister goes, I go!” Xu Xing was the first to express his stance.
Song Ke happily ruffled his hair.
“I’ll go too. You guys get into fights and get injured every day; I can’t rest easy if I’m not with you,” Fang Zhixu said with a smile.
Despite the earnest efforts of the 119th Hospital to retain him, Fang Zhixu chose to resign. Bound by so-called obligations and responsibilities in the first half of his life, always busy, now with the apocalypse upon them, he wanted to live as Ayao suggested – following his heart.
Zhuang Qingyan looked to Lu Xiaoyu, “You’re going back sooner or later, join us?”
Lu Xiaoyu shrugged, “I don’t mind.”
Finally, Zhuang Qingyan turned to Lin Youyou and Su Cha, “Our cooperation has ended.”
Lin Youyou was stunned.
“Before heading to Sin City, Song Ke made a deal with you both. You temporarily joined V587 and acted with everyone until the Throne Race ended,” Zhuang Qingyan explained slowly. “For certain reasons, the initial team formation process wasn’t pleasant, but fortunately, the outcome was satisfactory. So, you’re free now.”
Was this a breakup?
“Yeah, it’s over…” Lin Youyou’s mind was in disarray as she responded dryly.
Zhuang Qingyan’s eyes behind his glasses were incredibly serene. “Song Ke said that from now on, you can do what you want. Even if we can’t be teammates, at least we’ll be friends. There will be a chance for us to come back to Ferrara and watch your performances.”
“Yeah, I’ll sing your hit song,” Song Ke chuckled.
“Oh, come on, Song Ke, you sing off-key and don’t even realize it,” Lin Youyou smiled brightly, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Hey, couldn’t you try to convince me to stay? Or invite me to join you?”
“We’re treading on dangerous ground with every step,” Song Ke gently shook her head. Whether it was rescuing Lu Xiaoyu from the Death Prison, aiding Fang Zhixu’s assassination of Nai Kang, or killing the Zombie King, every action was perilous. Hence, they had all suffered injuries to varying degrees.
“But you’re different,” Song Ke gazed at Lin Youyou. “You have a home.”
Zhuang Qingyan, Lu Xiaoyu, Fang Zhixu, and Xu Xing, along with herself, were people without attachments. They could easily pack their bags and go wherever they pleased. But Lin Youyou was different; she had a home in Ferrara, a sizable studio, irreplaceable loved ones, and a stable and respectable job. Within V587, she was the one who needed the most determination because she always had an exit strategy.
Lin Youyou’s vision blurred as she stared blankly, realizing that Song Ke… and even Su Cha and the rest were in a similar position. Only she was different.
