The Absolute Favorite in the Apocalyptic Rebirth

After Lou Zhan and the others left, Lou Ling and Lin Baobao suggested taking the two children out for a stroll. They couldn't bear to keep them cooped up inside all day, either sitting idly with the adults or locked in the room. It made them feel sorry for the children. Although they couldn't be too demanding after the apocalypse, they still wanted to give them as much childhood joy as possible.

Since Lou Ling was going out, Lou Dian naturally had to accompany her. So the five of them got dressed and went out.

As they went out, they saw the eight Awakened from Room 303 next door who were also about to go out.

"Brother Sun, are you guys going on a mission?" Lin Baobao greeted them familiarly.

Sun Ping nodded and said, "Yes, in this day and age, people can't afford to be idle. Otherwise, we won't even be able to pay the rent."

His words were true. The rent was paid in food and crystal nuclei. Food was scarce after the apocalypse, and they were consuming what was left from before. Sooner or later, it would run out, and everyone valued food greatly. Moreover, after the zombies evolved and gained abilities, it became increasingly difficult to deal with them. A team of Awakened could only obtain a limited number of crystal nuclei in a day, which were also needed for cultivation and enhancing their abilities. In the end, there was very little left to spare.

Yi Zheng squeezed over, puffed out her chest proudly, and winked at Lou Dian. "Little sisters, do you want to join our Awakened team? Brother Sun is a great guy. If you join, you'll eat and drink well~~"

Hearing her intention to recruit them, Sun Ping scratched his head and smiled. Two female Awakened glanced at Lou Ling and Lin Baobao with a hint of disdain. They felt that their silly teammate was making a fool of herself again, embarrassing them. However, when they noticed that she was frequently winking at the handsome and gentle-looking man behind them, they quickly understood that she was aiming for him.

After a brief conversation, Sun Ping led his team away.

"Sister Yi, have a safe trip~~"

"Sister Yi, come back safe~~"

Lou Ling and Lin Baobao both waved their hands enthusiastically.

Yi Zheng, who was walking in front of Sun Ping, twisting her waist and swaying her hips, also raised her arm and waved back.

"When did Sister Yi become so close to the people next door? Look at those two little girls, so fair and clean. They probably have the ability to eat and live well. They might not even look down on our team." A short-haired female Awakened said sourly.

Another one chimed in, "Sister Yi, you shouldn't just invite anyone and everyone in. If you're not careful and someone with bad character or evil intentions joins, it could harm the entire team. You have to remember what kind of world we're living in now. It's different from before. We're all risking our lives out there. We might not die from zombies, but we could be killed by treacherous people!"

"That's right, you can't judge a book by its cover. Sister Yi, you should be more cautious."

Yi Zheng was taken aback by their words, then patted her chest and said, "Don't be ridiculous. Those two little girls are so pure and innocent, always smiling. How could they be as bad as you say?"

"You can't be sure about that. Who knows what they're really like… They're obviously being so friendly to you because they think you're easy to fool. Brother Sun, am I right?"

Sun Ping, who had been silently listening to the three women bickering, was put on the spot. He felt awkward and couldn't help but look at his other teammates. The men clearly had an expression that said they wanted nothing to do with this. When women were talking, it was best for men not to interrupt, or else the consequences could be unpleasant.

"Alright, that's enough." Sun Ping tried to smooth things over. "We're about to leave the base. Conserve your energy."

Yi Zheng looked surprised. "It doesn't take any effort to talk. Brother Sun, you see them often too. Those two little girls are quite likable. How could they be bad people?"

"…"

Not knowing what to say, Sun Ping could only keep his head down and walk forward. The other male Awakened followed suit, leaving the two women to argue with Yi Zheng about the dangers of trusting people. As usual, Yi Zheng, who was always oblivious, quickly angered them to the point where they didn't want to talk to her anymore.

Unaware of the drama unfolding behind them, Lou Ling and Lin Baobao walked down the street, each holding a child's hand. They weren't there to buy anything, but simply to show the children what life was like for other survivors. As they walked, not only the adults but even the two children fell silent, their small faces tense as they clutched Lou Ling and Lin Baobao's hands tightly.

Lou Ling glanced at the little girl who was gripping her hand tightly, her face pale. She patted her head gently.

The world had changed. Survival was difficult, and human life had become cheap. Even innocent children had to learn how to obtain food and water, even if it meant resorting to stealing or deception.

They didn't venture deep into the residential areas but headed towards the market. Seeing someone selling children's books along the way, Lin Baobao picked up a colorful book of Chinese myths and asked the two children, "Sister will buy you some books to read, okay?"

Both children shook their heads simultaneously. As Lin Baobao stared at them in surprise, Mo Yingying whispered, "Sister Bao, there's no need to waste crystal nuclei. I've read all these stories before. I can tell them to Luo Luo."

In the end, Lin Baobao still took out a first-order crystal nucleus and bought several fairy tale books, putting them all in the little girl's backpack. Then, she continued to stroll with the two children.

However, they had barely taken a few steps when a woman in dirty and messy clothes suddenly rushed out. Just as she was about to pounce on Lin Baobao, Lin Baobao swiftly dodged, causing the woman to stumble and fall to the ground with a thud. She cried out in pain and then simply sat on the ground, wailing and howling.

"Old Lin, come quickly and look at your daughter… I knew she had crystal nuclei to buy useless things for strangers but wouldn't give a single one to her own father. How can a daughter be like this? Her own father is starving to death, but after becoming an Awakened, she's living the high life, never even bothering to visit her old man…"

The woman's voice was extremely loud, and her cries immediately attracted the attention of many people on the street. However, such incidents were common after the apocalypse. It was not uncommon for children to abandon their elderly parents or for heartless parents to sell their children to brothels in exchange for food. Everyone was used to it. Looking at Lin Baobao's clean appearance and the woman's filthy state, they couldn't tell what the situation was.

Lin Baobao looked at her coldly. Before the apocalypse, this woman was a glamorous and wealthy lady, always chauffeured around in luxury cars, adorned in designer brands, and treating everyone with an air of arrogance and superiority. Every time this woman saw her, she had a look of disdain, as if she were a homewrecker trying to steal her husband. She never stopped to think that this woman's husband was her own father!

Ha, who was the real homewrecker? If it weren't for this woman taking a liking to her father and then using her family's company to pressure her father's company, forcing her parents to turn against each other, would a once loving couple have ended up divorced? And finally, this woman was able to marry into the family. The mistress had the audacity to call the original wife's daughter a homewrecker. Was she out of her mind? What was even more absurd was that she actually managed to convince her father that she was a shameless daughter born to his ex-wife, not worth acknowledging. He simply sent her a fixed amount of living expenses every month and that was it.

Well, after the apocalypse, all the money had turned into useless paper, and the wealthy lady had been reduced to a shrew fighting for scraps of bread. Who was the truly pathetic one now? She couldn't understand how such a woman could exist. In the past, she had been wary and guarded against her, but now she couldn't wait to tie her down and use her status as an Awakened's family member to live a better life, making her, an unrelated person, work like a slave to find food for them. Sorry, but she had no such obligation.

Lin Baobao turned to Lou Dian and the others and said, "You guys go back first. I have something to take care of, and I'll be back later. Be good, Luo Luo. Go back with your brother and sister."

"Do you need help?" Lou Ling asked worriedly.

A bright smile spread across Lin Baobao's adorable doll-like face. She punched Lou Ling's shoulder playfully and said, "Don't you trust me? I'm such a gentle and kind person. Of course, I'll reason with her nicely. Alright, Dian, take them away."

Lou Dian glanced at her indifferently. The more adorable her smile, the darker her thoughts and the more ruthless her methods. She was no saint either. He couldn't help but click his tongue, noticing that a certain naive girl seemed to be worried that Lin Baobao wouldn't be able to handle it and wanted to stay and help. He reached out, held her waist, and led the two children away.

After they left, Lin Baobao looked at the woman who was still complaining to the surrounding people about her unfilial daughter. She walked over, took out a tissue, covered the woman's mouth with it, and said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Mrs. Lin, how can you say that? When you made my parents divorce, didn't you make my father disown me, his disobedient child? That's why I haven't dared to see him all these years, and you wouldn't let me call you 'Mom,' only 'Mrs. Lin.' Mrs. Lin, there are some things you can't say, or else the zombies will bite you…" At the last sentence, she suddenly lowered her voice and looked at the woman with a menacing expression.

Mrs. Lin abruptly stopped talking and looked at her with fear.

Lin Baobao gently helped her up with a tender expression. "Alright, Mrs. Lin, let's go see Dad together. I wonder how he's doing now. I have a few packs of biscuits here. Let's bring them to him."

The onlookers who had heard their conversation seemed to understand and lost interest in meddling in their family affairs. They dispersed.

Mrs. Lin's scalp tingled. Recalling the last time she met her stepdaughter, her heart raced with anxiety. If she hadn't seen Lin Baobao dressed so neatly and even spending crystal nuclei to buy books for a child, which had infuriated her, she wouldn't have acted so impulsively. Her wrist was tightly gripped, and she had no choice but to follow Lin Baobao towards the residential area. She wanted to scream for help, but a sharp pain shot through her wrist, making her face turn pale and rendering her speechless.

How could an ordinary person withstand the strength of an Awakened, especially since Lin Baobao wasn't just a water-type Awakened? She often wielded knives, and her grip was incredibly strong. Mrs. Lin could only watch in horror as her stepdaughter dragged her towards a deserted area, her fear growing with each step. She had no idea what Lin Baobao was planning to do this time.

Back at the apartment, the two children sat on the sofa, engrossed in the books Lin Baobao had bought for them. Lou Dian stood by the balcony, gazing out at the distant base.

Lou Ling noticed something was amiss with his mood. As she placed a pot of newly bought cactus on the balcony to bask in the sun, she glanced at him and asked, "What are you so engrossed in?"

Lou Dian turned his gaze back and saw her fiddling with the cactus, occasionally trying to infuse it with her ability. He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "There should be many mutated cacti in the desert. Some are even the size of small hills, becoming one of the most ferocious mutated plants in the desert. Even mutated beasts don't dare to approach them."

Lou Ling's eyes lit up. "Let's go there and see when my ability improves~~"

His eyes softened with amusement as he gazed at her. He looked like the most gentle prince who had stepped out of a shojo manga, with the elegance and refinement of a classical gentleman, a jade-like young master. His gaze made her blush slightly, and she quickly lowered her head to continue communicating with the cactus using her ability.

"Xiao Ling, my brother and the others are going on a mission the day after tomorrow. I'll go with them." Lou Dian said suddenly.

Lou Ling raised her head to look at him. "Is it dangerous? What kind of mission?"

"We're going to a research institute base in Northeast to collect supplies. It's highly dangerous."

"Then I'm going too!" She blurted out.

Lou Dian looked down at her, seeming to hesitate whether to let her go. Before he could respond, Lou Ling had already jumped up and grabbed his arm. "Don't worry, I can protect myself. All the training I've done these days wasn't for nothing. Plus, I have my mutated vines to help me. You don't have to worry about me."

He wrapped his arm around her waist, watching as she leaned against him obediently. Finally, he nodded with a smile.

In truth, he had never intended to leave her behind at the base, out of his sight. From the moment he woke up in this life and laid eyes on her, he had made up his mind. No matter what happened, he would never allow her to leave his side. Even if it meant death, he would rather she died in front of him, where he could see her.

Ever since they arrived in the capital, because of Bai Jin, people from the research institute had been keeping an eye on them. Moreover, if Qin Ling returned to the base today, she would definitely send someone to investigate them. If she discovered Lou Ling's significance to him, who knew what that self-righteous woman would do. He couldn't take the risk in this lifetime. It was better to keep Lou Ling by his side. With his current strength, protecting her wouldn't be a problem.

Looking at her happy smile, thinking that he had finally relented due to her persistence and assurance, he smiled along. He didn't tell her the truth. It was better to let her misunderstand.

An hour after they returned, Lin Baobao came back as well.

"Are you okay?" Lou Ling pulled her over and looked her up and down, paying particular attention to her mood. She was worried that Lin Baobao would be upset after seeing her biological father because of his favoritism.

Lin Baobao smiled nonchalantly. "What could possibly happen to me? You still don't trust me?"

Lou Ling's eyes darted around mischievously. "Okay, I asked the wrong question. I should ask, is that Mrs. Lin okay?"

"…"

Lin Baobao turned away with a frustrated expression, deciding to ignore her.

As dusk fell, Lou Ling and Lou Dian arrived hand in hand at the Lou family residence.

Lou Zhan, who opened the door, had a stiff expression. In contrast to his rigid and helpless look, Lou Dian and Lou Ling, the two siblings whom Lou Zhan considered rebellious, were all smiles. This only gave Lou Zhan a bigger headache, thinking that both of them were up to no good.

His obedient little sister suddenly becoming rebellious was too much of a test for his caring heart.

Once they were in the study, Lou Dian got straight to the point. "The day after tomorrow, Xiao Ling and I will be joining you on the mission to the Northeast research institute base. We'll join as Awakened members of the Lou family. Remember to reserve two spots for us. I believe Big Brother can handle it."

His words effectively shut down Lou Zhan's prepared speech about the mission being full and them needing to stay at the base.

Just as Lou Zhan frowned, about to dissuade them, Yan Ge suddenly asked, "If I may ask, what's Little Brother Lou's current ability level?"

Lou Dian smiled gently, his expression harmless. With a flick of his finger, an invisible spatial blade sliced through the steel door, leaving a deep, clean cut. Then, his voice rang out, "I only used ten percent of my strength."

"…"

Yan Ge patted Lou Zhan's shoulder and said, "Boss Lou, your younger brother is quite capable. Let him go."

Lou Zhan's expression turned serious. Although Lou Dian hadn't explicitly stated it, his display of power had shocked them. Finally, he agreed to let them join.

Once Lou Zhan gave his consent, Yan Ge immediately retrieved a document from the safe in the study and informed Lou Dian of the details of the mission assigned by their superiors.

Author's Note: Today's Goals:

Lou Ling's Goal: Woohoo! The Northeast research institute base!

Lou Dian's Goal: Prevent Lou Zhan's death and the downfall of the Lou family!

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