Afternoon came quickly, and Red Hair hurried over to where Chen Wan and the others were staying.
The moment Chen Wan saw him, she stood up at once. Jiang Yanxin followed right behind her.
"Well? Did you find them?" Chen Wan asked, urgency evident in her voice.
"Sis… we found them," Red Hair said carefully. "But Jiang Wanning has caught the attention of a thug in District D. The situation… isn't good."
Jiang Yanxin swayed at his words, her face paling.
Chen Wan immediately steadied her, her gaze turning cold as she looked at Red Hair. "Where is she? And what do you mean by 'not good'? Be clear."
"She's near Tent 982 in District D," Red Hair replied, lowering his voice. "There's a thug named Kaizi who's taken a liking to her. He's been harassing her and her family. But… I heard she's been having severe allergic reactions these past couple of months—her body's covered in hives. Kaizi finds it unattractive, so he hasn't touched her yet. Still… he doesn't leave them alone."
Hearing this, Chen Wan let out a faint breath of relief before asking sharply, "How many people does Kaizi have? How strong are they?"
"Seven or eight men," Red Hair answered quickly. "They're not the strongest in the base, but Kaizi has backing. Someone from District A supports him, so he acts without fear. Any woman he targets… usually can't escape. Sis, you need to be careful. Kaizi himself isn't the real problem—the people behind him are."
"I understand," Chen Wan said coldly. "Take us there. After that, this has nothing to do with you."
She turned to the others. "Pack up. We're going."
"Got it," Qin Ke and Yi Yi responded, quickly gathering their things. Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin slung their backpacks as well.
Red Hair quietly exhaled in relief. He had no intention of getting involved with District A's people. Life in the safe zone was already good enough—he didn't want to lose it.
Familiar with District D, he led them swiftly through rows of tents. Within five or six minutes, they arrived.
"Sis, this is Tent 982," he said. "What do you think?"
Before Chen Wan could respond, Jiang Yanxin had already rushed inside. Qin Ke and Yi Yi hurried after her, worried she might run into trouble.
Chen Wan glanced at Red Hair. "You can go."
"Thank you, sis, thank you," Red Hair said quickly, about to leave—
"Wait."
His legs nearly gave out. Forcing a stiff smile, he turned back. "Sis… anything else?"
Chen Wan snorted softly at his expression. "Look at you, scared out of your wits."
She pulled a backpack forward—the spoils from earlier—and took out an unopened bottle of white liquor, tossing it to him.
Red Hair caught it instinctively, blinking in confusion. "Sis… this is?"
"For helping us find her," Chen Wan said impatiently. "Take it and go."
Realization dawned on him, followed by surprise. A bottle like this could fetch twenty points in the base—no small amount.
"Thank you, sis! Thank you!" he said eagerly. "I'll thank you on behalf of my brothers, too. I'll get going now!"
Chen Wan waved him off. Red Hair didn't linger a second longer.
Inside the tent, Chen Wan frowned slightly.
The stench was even worse than outside—thick, sour, and tinged with rot.
Jiang Yanxin stood in the middle, scanning the dim interior. A few people lay scattered on the ground, resting, their faces obscured.
Her eyes reddened.
"Wanning? Wanning, are you here? It's your sister…"
Her voice trembled with urgency.
In a corner of the tent, a figure lay curled up, facing the wall.
Jiang Wanning's body was covered in hives, her skin burning with itch and fever. She endured it silently, not daring to move too much.
This… was something she had done to herself.
She was severely allergic to beef. Even a small amount would trigger violent reactions. The last piece of beef jerky her father had saved became her shield.
Every time the symptoms faded, she would eat a little more—forcing the allergic reaction to return.
It made her weaker. Feverish. On the verge of collapse.
But it also kept certain people away.
The jerky was almost gone.
She didn't know how much longer she could last.
Leaving the base had crossed her mind—but what then? Outside were zombies, starvation, and certain death. At least here, her parents could survive a little longer.
If someone had to be sacrificed… better her than them.
In her haze, she thought she heard her sister's voice.
But that was impossible.
Her sister was far away, in another city. In times like these, survival alone was already a miracle—how could she come all this way?
And even if she did… Jiang Wanning didn't want to drag her into this mess.
"Wanning? Jiang Wanning!"
The voice came again—clearer this time.
An elderly woman nearby slowly sat up, looking at Jiang Yanxin. After a moment's hesitation, she pointed toward the corner.
"Who are you… to Xiao Jiang?"
"I'm her sister," Jiang Yanxin replied immediately, crouching down.
The old woman sighed. "That child… she's suffered a lot. Over there—that's her."
Jiang Yanxin didn't wait another second.
She rushed to the corner.
The figure there was curled tightly, face buried in clothing, barely recognizable.
Her hands trembled as she reached out, gently pushing her.
"Wanning… is that you? It's me. Your sister…"
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
She had told herself she would stay strong no matter what.
But now… she was afraid.
Afraid of what she might see.
Jiang Wanning stirred faintly.
The voice came again. Warm. Familiar.
She forced her eyes open slightly.
In her blurred vision, she thought she saw her sister… Chen Wan… little Yang Yang… and two unfamiliar women.
She froze.
Then weakly lifted a hand to her forehead.
Burning.
Another fever.
A faint, bitter smile touched her lips.
So this… was just a dream.
Before the apocalypse, her sister had said she would divorce Chen Wan. How could they be together now? And Yang Yang was so young—how could they risk bringing a child this far?
No… this had to be a dying hallucination.
A moment of clarity before the end.
At least… she got to see them one last time.
Her only regret… was leaving her parents behind.
Jiang Yanxin pulled her into an embrace, her voice breaking.
"Wanning… how did you get like this? You're so thin… and your skin—why is it like this? You're burning up…"
Jiang Wanning leaned weakly against her, eyes reddening, but a faint smile still on her lips.
"Sis… I'm okay," she whispered. "I didn't think… I'd dream of you. Maybe… I really am dying."
Her voice trembled.
"It's good to see you again… but Mom and Dad will be sad. They've already suffered so much because of me. If I'm gone… maybe life will be easier for them."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Jiang Yanxin cut in immediately, choking back sobs. "I'm here now. How could I let anything happen to you?"
Jiang Wanning's composure finally broke.
"Sis… I've wanted to cry for so long… but I didn't dare. I didn't want them to worry…"
Her voice cracked.
"You remember, right? I'm allergic to beef… To avoid those people… I secretly ate beef jerky. Every time the reaction faded, I'd eat more… just to keep it going."
Tears slipped down her temples.
"It's almost gone… I don't know what I'll do after that. I'd rather die like this… than…"
Her words dissolved into sobs.
Jiang Yanxin held her tightly, heart aching.
"I'm here now," she said softly but firmly. "Nothing will happen to you. Not to you, not to Mom and Dad. Where are they?"
"They're working…" Jiang Wanning murmured. "Hard labor. They don't say it, but I know… They have to earn points for food. I can't go out like this… so they go instead…"
Her voice grew weaker, filled with guilt.
"If I hadn't gotten involved with those people… things wouldn't be this hard…"