Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 83

Pei An wrapped his injured palm tightly with a bandage and finally tore it open with his teeth, tying a knot.

 

This mission didn’t go well. The zombies had once again evolved without their notice, becoming increasingly difficult to handle. Pei An had led a team to gather supplies, but the team got scattered by the zombies.

 

Pei An took a large swig from his water bottle, drinking almost half, and then casually wiped the water off his chin with his already stained sleeve.

 

He drove the vehicle to a high vantage point and used binoculars to observe the city’s condition.

 

Initially, the base aimed to collect supplies from districts and counties before venturing into large cities. Large cities had too high a population density. When the zombie virus first broke out, it was the large cities that fell first. What were once bustling metropolises had turned into dense zombie havens, where zombies thrived.

 

But they had already scoured all the districts and counties they could, and collected everything they could carry back to the base. Even a certain brand of pickled vegetable-flavored instant noodles wasn’t left out, and warehouses had been thoroughly searched.

 

It wasn’t enough—far from it. The base had too many people to feed.

 

There weren’t many people available to gather supplies; even counting retired soldiers, there were only a few. Many armed police and special forces had died during the zombie outbreak, as they were too close to the zombies. The elderly, the sick, and the pregnant needed care, putting immense pressure on the base.

 

With so few people who could be of use and food so scarce that rations had to be implemented, it was inevitable to search for supplies in large cities.

 

Since awakening his special abilities, Pei An had been juggling between the research institute and field work. Before heading out, he had upgraded the base’s defense system with his colleagues. After improving the defense level, the base sent people to the large city to search for supplies.

 

He led a seven-person team, fully equipped, but their luck was bad. As soon as they entered the city, they were surrounded by zombies. The evolved zombies had become smarter, exhibiting hunting behavior, with humans as their prey.

 

Pei An’s team was hunted by zombies, and the four vehicles were scattered. In the emergency, they could not regroup and had to head in different directions. Pei An issued a command within the short-range communication range for his team members to prioritize finding supplies, then accelerated out of the zombie encirclement.

 

He found a relatively hidden location but had a close encounter with a particularly formidable zombie. During the fight, his left palm scraped a broken piece of glass, causing a lot of bleeding. Since zombies were attracted to the smell of blood, Pei An quickly dealt with the zombie and bandaged the wound.

 

“If things keep going this badly, I’ll definitely visit a religious site the next time I pass by,” Pei An muttered with a self-deprecating smile as he looked through the binoculars.

 

Pei An used the binoculars to survey the area, planning to find a way to the supermarket.

 

People in this country had a peculiar enthusiasm for shopping at supermarkets, and few could resist the lure of a supermarket sale. Before the zombie outbreak, it was the festival season, and supermarkets were packed with people—humans pressing against zombies.

 

Thinking about the number of zombies he’d have to deal with alone to collect supplies, Pei An felt a pang of anxiety.

 

As Pei An finished his observation and was about to get back in the car, a fighter jet suddenly appeared in the sky.

 

Pei An jumped out of the vehicle, pulled out a signal flare, and tried to attract the pilot’s attention.

 

A fighter jet still flying in the apocalypse meant that the military’s forces were still operational and had settled in, possibly organizing rescue efforts.

 

The orange smoke from Pei An’s signal flare quickly caught the pilot’s attention. The jet headed towards Pei An’s location.

 

However, Pei An was shocked. Was the pilot planning to land in such a desolate place?!

 

How desperate must one be to do that?

 

Contrary to Pei An’s expectations of a difficult landing, the fighter jet landed smoothly without any taxiing.

 

Pei An: “??? Am I dreaming? When did our country develop such an advanced fighter jet?”

 

The jet landed, and a tall man in a green military shirt stepped out. Frowning, he looked at the disheveled Pei An and asked, “Where is this place?”

 

Xie Yu was confused. He had an exam today, and the exam involved piloting a fighter jet. However, after taking off, he lost contact with the command center. The scene he saw made it clear that this was not near the military academy.

 

If it were near the academy, it would mean that enemies had overthrown the entire Lite Empire.

 

Was that possible? Naturally, it wasn’t.

 

Pei An looked at the impeccably clean fighter pilot and then at himself: “…”

 

This guy didn’t look like someone from the apocalypse at all.

 

“This is City Y. Where are you from? Which military district do you belong to?” Pei An asked.

 

Xie Yu was bewildered: “City Y?”

 

Pei An realized something was wrong. City Y was once a world-famous metropolis, an international city. How could anyone not know about City Y? Moreover… a fighter jet that didn’t need to taxi simply didn’t exist.

 

“I think you might have… traveled through time,” Pei An concluded with a shocking answer.

 

Xie Yu was stunned: “My luck is extraordinary. I actually encountered a wormhole.”

 

Pei An: “… Aren’t you focusing on the wrong thing?”

 

Xie Yu removed himself from the context of interstellar travel dramas and introduced himself seriously: “I’m Xie Yu, a military academy student.”

 

Pei An extended his rough, dirty, and scarred right hand: “I’m Pei An.”

 

After introducing themselves, Xie Yu began to inquire about the current situation: “Is this the planet you live on? What happened to this planet?”

 

Pei An sniffed and tried to stay calm: “A biological virus outbreak occurred. The entire world fell. Those infected by the virus become zombies, so the planet looks quite grim.”

 

Xie Yu showed sympathy. Seeing the city’s layout, the population must have been dense. It was heartbreaking to think that so many people had become zombies.

 

“So what are you doing now? Zombies are so dangerous. Aren’t you hiding?” Xie Yu asked.

 

The young man didn’t look like a soldier but rather had a technical expert’s aura. He was likely a technician.

 

Pei An shrugged: “The base’s food supply is running low, so we’re here to collect food and bring it back.”

 

In fact, it wasn’t just food. The sun was gradually moving south of the equator, and many places in the northern hemisphere were about to experience cooling. No one would bring seasonal clothing while escaping. This meant they also needed to figure out how to transport winter clothing, blankets, and other supplies back to the base.

 

“Then let me help you,” Xie Yu said, patting his fighter jet. “This jet is fully loaded with weapons and can clear out many zombies.”

 

Pei An’s gaze grew increasingly eager.

 

Xie Yu was right. With Xie Yu’s help, not only could he clear a batch of zombies quickly, but it would also ensure safety and efficiency.

 

Pei An smiled at Xie Yu. “Thank you, time-traveling benefactor.”

 

He parked the car and took the seat beside Xie Yu in the fighter jet, fastening his seatbelt.

 

In front of him was the control panel, and Pei An was immediately fascinated. The internal structure of this fighter jet was very different from those in his world, and as a professional, he couldn’t help but study it.

 

Xie Yu noticed Pei An’s eyes shining with curiosity as he observed the control panel but said nothing, just piloting the jet downward.

 

Many large supermarkets were located in the lower levels of shopping malls. To access the supplies, clearing out the zombies was essential. However, they could set up an ambush by luring the zombies out, gathering them together, and then using the jet to clear them out.

 

Zombies were extremely sensitive to the smell of living humans, especially fresh blood.

 

“I’ve injured my left hand, so might as well make use of it.” Pei An unwrapped the makeshift bandage to reveal the bloodied and muddied wound.

 

For some reason, seeing Pei An’s injury made Xie Yu feel a pang of discomfort.

 

A subtle pain.

 

“Wait a moment.” Xie Yu rummaged through his supplies and handed Pei An a tube of healing gel. “Apply this to your wound after you’ve drawn the zombies out. I guarantee it will heal quickly.”

 

Unfortunately, the first aid kit on the jet only had this type of healing gel. If only there were VC+ healing gel; it worked the best.

 

Pei An took the small tube of healing gel and nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

 

Without further delay, Pei An disembarked to lure the zombies. His psychic abilities couldn’t directly attack zombies but had many auxiliary uses. He used his abilities to deepen his way into the mall while planning a retreat route.

 

Before getting off the jet, Xie Yu armed himself with advanced weaponry, preparing for any emergencies.

 

The mall’s first floor was women’s clothing. It was clear that girls spent the most money. As soon as he entered, Pei An saw some girls shopping in dresses.

 

Yes, they were very pretty girls.

 

The mall’s entire power system was down, and zombies were clustered around the escalators. Pei An avoided the escalators and headed straight for the safety passage.

 

Normally, no one would use the stairs hidden behind heavy doors, so taking the stairs was a safer choice.

 

Pei An took a moment to memorize the mall’s floor map, then descended to the basement and headed to the supermarket.

 

True to the festive promotional season, there were indeed a lot of zombies in the supermarket. Pei An could see many of them wandering around.

 

The supermarket couldn’t be destroyed, but it wasn’t feasible to guide the vast number of zombies to the ground level. So, Pei An chose to lure the zombies to the other side of the mall, away from the supermarket, and then let Xie Yu handle the bombing. Pei An and Xie Yu had discussed the effectiveness of their ammunition. As long as the bombing was within the calculated range, it would trap the zombies on the other side of the mall.

 

After closing his eyes to recall the mall’s map, Pei An opened his eyes and deftly used a knife to cut open his left palm, reopening his previous wound.

 

Zombies were extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. As soon as they detected the scent, they began to make noise and gather, calling more zombies towards the source of the smell.

 

Pei An started running quickly, blood flowing from his wound, attracting the hordes of zombies behind him.

 

As he ran towards the other side of the mall, Pei An was relieved that he didn’t have a fear of crowds; otherwise, the sight of so many zombies chasing him might have made him faint on the spot.

 

The number of zombies following the scent grew larger, and they didn’t show any courtesy; they all jostled to be first.

 

Pei An ran desperately until he reached the other end of the mall, ensuring that the supermarket was out of Xie Yu’s bombing range.

 

He opened the healing gel Xie Yu gave him and applied it to his left palm. Miraculously, the bleeding stopped visibly, and the wound began to heal.

 

“Impressive!” Pei An grabbed the escalator handrail and ascended to the second floor. The zombies, having lost the scent, gathered in the open space, still making noises. Pei An guessed they were cursing him.

 

“Goodbye, everyone. I won’t be staying!” Pei An didn’t hesitate, quickly retreating from the mall.

 

He ran through the decaying-smelling mall towards Xie Yu’s location.

 

Seeing Pei An emerge, Xie Yu pressed the button as planned.

 

A missile flew from the side, accurately targeting the gathered zombies and exploding with a loud bang.

 

Pei An looked back as the wind tousled his hair, disheveled and free.

 

The missile exploded, and the mall instantly collapsed halfway, with dust filling the air. It was uncertain how many zombies were crushed underneath.

 

Xie Yu, armed with all available weapons, jumped down from the jet and joined Pei An.

 

“Let’s go, check the supermarket,” Xie Yu said, glancing at Pei An’s hand, which was already healing.

 

Pei An and Xie Yu proceeded to the supermarket. Having already been there once, Pei An led Xie Yu with ease.

 

Although most of the zombies had been lured away and bombed, a few still wandered around. Xie Yu shot them with precise aim.

 

Pei An checked the supermarket’s remaining edible supplies. There were fewer ready-to-eat items, likely taken by survivors at the start of the outbreak.

 

His target was not these items but staples like rice and flour. Pei An found that the rice, flour, and other dry goods were still good, although the packaging was a bit dirty. They just needed to be cleaned before being taken back.

 

“Captain, can you hear me?” The lost team members contacted Pei An via shortwave.

 

Pei An replied, “I can hear you. Where are you now?”

 

“We’re near the mall. We just saw the explosion; it collapsed halfway!”

 

Pei An said, “I’m in the supermarket of this mall. Since you’ve arrived, come over and help gather supplies.”

 

There was a brief silence, followed by a shaky exclamation, “Captain, was that explosion caused by you?”

 

Pei An was silent for a moment. “… Sort of.”

 

None of that was important; what mattered was quickly moving the supplies.

 

Xie Yu rolled up his sleeves to help with the loading. His physical strength was much better than Pei An’s, and he could carry several bags of rice at once.

 

Pei An’s team arrived soon after. Seeing that Pei An was fine, they first let out a cheer and then were immediately directed by Pei An to help with the supplies.

 

To transport the supplies, they used large off-road vehicles with spacious interiors. After removing the back seats, the cargo space was enormous.

 

“Captain, where did you find this helper? He seems like he’s from a formal military academy; some of his habits are quite noticeable,” a team member quietly asked Pei An while Xie Yu was loading the supplies.

 

Pei An couldn’t answer. He couldn’t just tell his team that Xie Yu had traveled through time and space in a fighter jet.

 

“Hurry up and finish loading the supplies. We’ll return to the base once we’re done,” Pei An urged.

 

The team member obediently fell silent and continued with the work.

 

They loaded everything they could onto the vehicle, including seaweed. They squeezed every nook and cranny until the vehicle was packed to the brim.

 

“You guys take the supplies back first. My car isn’t here, so we’ll regroup after we leave the city,” Pei An decided not to use Xie Yu’s fighter jet to provoke his team and preferred not to stay in the city, which felt unsettling.

 

The team knew their captain’s abilities and had no objections. They departed with the supplies, heading back to the base.

 

Once they left, Pei An returned to the fighter jet with Xie Yu, who then piloted the jet to drop Pei An off at his parking spot.

 

“I need to find a way back to my own world,” Xie Yu said. He had been out of contact with the command center for several hours, and his father would likely come looking for him if he didn’t return soon.

 

Pei An was keen to get to know Xie Yu better, but since they were from different timelines, they were only fleeting acquaintances. It was already great that Xie Yu was willing to help; he couldn’t ask him to stay.

 

“Safe travels,” Pei An said to Xie Yu.

 

After parting ways with Xie Yu, Pei An got into his car and drove out of the city. Xie Yu watched Pei An’s car move farther away, feeling a sense of reluctance. He then boarded the fighter jet, tracked Pei An’s movements, and activated stealth mode to follow him.

 

Pei An had a sudden feeling as he was driving and looked up at the sky but saw nothing.

 

Yet, he had a strong sense that Xie Yu was escorting him.

 

As expected, whenever he encountered zombies ahead, they were dealt with beforehand. No zombie disrupted Pei An’s actions, and he moved through the devastated city as if it were unoccupied.

 

Xie Yu continued escorting Pei An out of the city until Pei An was safely with his team. Only then did Xie Yu pull the control stick and change direction.

 

Pei An looked up, using his psychic abilities to sense Xie Yu’s departure.

 

Goodbye, benevolent stranger from a single meeting.

 

“Captain, what are you looking at? Where’s the handsome guy who was with you?” a team member asked in confusion.

 

Pei An patted the team member’s shoulder. “He left. Let’s go back to the base.”

 

If one day the apocalypse were to end, perhaps he could switch his research direction and, who knows, have a chance to meet Xie Yu again.

 

Xie Yu soared through the sky for a while before his fighter jet reconnected with the command center.

 

“Cadet Xie Yu, report your status,” the command center inquired immediately.

 

Xie Yu touched his fingers and recalled the feel of Pei An’s handshake—though not delicate, it was something he would remember for a lifetime.

 

“Report to the command center: Cadet Xie Yu, the situation is very good.”