Chapter 209: Tianqing Academy
Zhang Yi headed down the road towards the river. Fatty Xu, bundled up tightly, stood with his hands in his pockets, stomping his feet to stay warm. Upon seeing Zhang Yi, he waved enthusiastically. "Brother Zhang, I’m here!"
Zhang Yi approached, saying, "I told you to meet at nine in the morning. What time is it now?"
Fatty Xu scratched his head and chuckled. "I was worried I’d be late and delay your plans, Brother Zhang."
Zhang Yi sighed. He took the snowmobile out from his spatial space, opened the door, and said, "Get in. It’s too cold outside!"
Fatty Xu happily climbed into the passenger seat, and Zhang Yi turned on the car heater. Despite the high fuel consumption due to the cold weather, Zhang Yi wasn’t concerned since Fatty Xu’s abilities made fuel acquisition easier.
With the heater on, Fatty Xu relaxed significantly, thinking gratefully, "Brother Zhang is so considerate, worried I might freeze."
"Brother Zhang, where are we going today?" Fatty Xu asked.
"We’re going to a school to rescue someone," Zhang Yi replied.
Zhang Yi smirked slightly. "Important? You could say that." Yang Xinxin’s computer skills were indeed critical to him now.
After a brief moment of gratitude, Fatty Xu’s chatty nature resurfaced. He chattered endlessly about his life, making Zhang Yi wish he could use his smart speaker to fend him off. Without earplugs, he could only let Fatty Xu’s words in one ear and out the other.
"Our village’s Xu Lili, she’s totally into me! Every time she looks at me, it’s different from how she looks at others. She even came over to thank me! Girls these days are just shy. If she likes me, she should just say so!"
Zhang Yi’s forehead was full of black lines. If not for the upcoming mission, he would have kicked Fatty Xu out of the car.
"By the way, what’s the village’s current attitude towards me?" Zhang Yi asked.
Fatty Xu’s babbling ceased abruptly, and his expression turned awkward. "Uh… well…"
Did it even need to be said? Zhang Yi had killed or maimed half the village’s men. They would never be grateful. If not for fear of Zhang Yi’s power, they would seek revenge. But Fatty Xu couldn’t say this out loud. At least Zhang Yi enjoyed a moment of silence.
As they waited, a black snowmobile approached from the distance.
"He’s here," Zhang Yi said.
Fatty Xu looked curiously towards the approaching vehicle. Soon, Uncle You parked his snowmobile nearby.
"Zhang Yi, long time no see!" Uncle You greeted cheerfully.
Zhang Yi’s eyes lit up with admiration. Uncle You’s ability was a physical enhancement, increasing his bodily strength and cell activity, making him a perfect tank. Despite the heavy clothing, his robust physique was evident.
"Long time no see, Uncle You. You’re looking great!"
Uncle You proudly flexed his arm. "I feel ten years younger, like a man in his thirties. My stamina and strength are at their peak!"
Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Especially your stamina, right?"
Uncle You chuckled. "All of it."
After some friendly banter, Zhang Yi introduced Fatty Xu to Uncle You.
"This is Fatty Xu—Xu Chunlei, an ice-based superhuman who can manipulate ice and snow."
"And this is Uncle You, You Jiguang, a physical enhancement superhuman and a respectable veteran."
Fatty Xu and Uncle You greeted each other, though both were puzzled by the gathering of three superhumans. In the early days of the apocalypse, superhumans were rare. The odds of three of them coming together were slim.
Uncle You, unable to hide his curiosity, asked, "Zhang Yi, what mission needs the three of us?"
Fatty Xu was also curious.
"Three superhumans for this task means the enemy must be formidable," he said.
Zhang Yi waved his hand dismissively. "It’s not that complicated. We’re just going to a school to rescue a girl."
"A girl?" Uncle You and Fatty Xu’s eyes lit up.
"What grade in college?"
"What grade in elementary school?"
Zhang Yi glared at Fatty Xu. "Keep your otaku tendencies in check!"
Fatty Xu innocently covered his mouth.
Zhang Yi explained, "She’s my girlfriend’s sister. We just found her in a school about 20 kilometers away. There seem to be some anomalies there, possibly mutated creatures. For safety, I called you both."
Uncle You nodded. Fatty Xu noticed something odd in Zhang Yi’s wording.
"Mutated creatures? Not superhumans?"
Zhang Yi sneered. "Who said only humans can mutate? Any cellular organism can mutate. It could be a pet or seafood from the market. Who knows what’s mutated?"
"It could be human, but if so, they’ve gone insane," Zhang Yi added, recalling the eerie sound that couldn’t come from a normal human.
Uncle You laughed heartily. "No matter what it is, with the three of us, we can handle it."
Zhang Yi nodded. "Exactly. With the three of us, nothing can threaten us."
Uncle You agreed. "So, let’s get going!"
"Alright, let’s move out!" Zhang Yi and Fatty Xu got on the snowmobile, and Uncle You rode the motorcycle Zhang Yi had given him.
Zhang Yi used his smartphone’s GPS to navigate to Tianqing Academy. Despite the satellite issues, positioning still worked fairly accurately.
Once positioned, Zhang Yi drove towards Tianqing Academy, with Uncle You riding alongside on his motorcycle.