Chapter 175 – Psychic Storm

On the way back, with the addition of the two newcomers, the journey had become a bit more lively.

Yu-Jie, whose real name is Yu Lan, is an accountant at the shopping mall, while the half-bald man, nicknamed the Bald Guy, is an ordinary warehouse clerk.

Both of them might prove useful. Once they have settled down at the Food Production Base, Yu Lan can help with inventory accounting and planning daily life. The Bald Guy, with his brute strength and experience in warehouse management, could also be beneficial to the base.

However, the teenager, apart from being eerily calm, seemed of uncertain utility…

“Don’t look at me like that. At the very least, I won’t be a burden, you can rest assured.”

The teenager waved dismissively, as if he could see right through them.

Meng Jiayu, who had been scrutinizing him, awkwardly cleared her throat and asked, “Since that’s the case, why don’t you tell us what you’re good at? Otherwise, how can we find a place for you?”

“He’s actually quite impressive. He wasn’t one of the mall’s staff; he only appeared here a few days after the disaster broke out. You might not get it, but he’s a superhuman.”

The Bald Guy said this with some pride.

These words indeed left Guo Chao and the others shocked. Even Ling Mo couldn’t help but give the teenager another look.

This seemingly mentally unstable young man is a superhuman? But when he was fighting zombies, he didn’t display any special abilities…

“What is your power?” Ling Mo asked curiously.

The teenager glanced at Ling Mo with some surprise, then revealed a knowing smile. “If you’re asking, that means you’re a superhuman too? What’s your power? Ah, my power is unreliable, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, which is frustrating. What about yours? Also, are all the girls with you superhumans too? Since we’re both superhumans, why don’t we be friends? Could you lend me that knife to play with? Is your gun real or a toy?”

“Could you shut up?”

Having unexpectedly gained a superhuman as an ally, the gloom on Guo Chao’s face instantly lightened a bit. Even if this superhuman was rather annoying…

The military Armored Jeep was indeed effective, bulldozing its way through. Watching those zombies get knocked away, Old Wang couldn’t help but exclaim in excitement.

Ye Lian and the other two girls also found it thrilling; they seemed intrigued by the gory scenes of flesh and bones flying.

Ling Mo pondered that, in the eyes of senior zombies, the regular ones might just be prey. However, he wondered if their perception would evolve further once they leveled up. The zombie race was indeed merciless in its internal elimination and hierarchical structure…

As soon as the Jeep stopped in front of the villa, a few people immediately came out to greet them. Ling Mo looked up and saw that, as expected, there were several people standing in the second-floor windows, keeping watch.

“Ling Mo!”

Ouyang Lian pushed away the survivor standing next to her and eagerly ran towards him.

Just as Ling Mo squatted down, she planted a firm kiss on his cheek.

“You finally made it back!” Ouyang Lian glanced at Ling Mo with a smile and then looked around, “Hey, where are Yang Jia and the others?”

At her question, a look of grief immediately spread across everyone’s faces.

Ouyang Lian, who wasn’t clueless, also seemed at a loss, her face falling.

The people coming up behind them gathered around Guo Chao, and after listening to his brief account, they couldn’t help but look somber.

Gathering supplies outside was always like this; you never knew what you would encounter.

“If it weren’t for Ling Mo, the losses would have been even more severe…”

“They probably couldn’t bring back weapons…”

“Come on, to stay alive, people are bound to die.”

Amid the low discussions, Ouyang Lian hugged Ling Mo’s neck tightly and asked softly, “Ling Mo, was it very painful for Yang Jia and the others when they left?”

Ling Mo immediately recalled the gruesome scene inside that room. Painful?

“No, they didn’t feel any pain. It was like they just fell asleep.” Ling Mo thought for a moment and said.

“Mm.” Ouyang Lian nodded, though it was hard to tell how much she actually understood.

Seeing that the atmosphere had become a bit stiff, Guo Chao began directing people to unload the supplies from the vehicle while introducing the three newcomers: “Everyone, let me introduce our new companions. This is Yu Lan, this is the Bald Guy, and this is 2. He’s a superhuman…”

There was a subtle change in Guo Chao’s tone when he mentioned 2, prompting Ling Mo to glance at him. He mused that Guo Chao likely harbored suspicions about superhumans.

However, 2 hadn’t shown any overly aggressive behavior, and considering the recent heavy losses in manpower, Guo Chao had no choice but to accept him. But the primary reason was probably to balance Ling Mo’s influence.

Ling Mo didn’t mind; as someone with a bureaucratic background, such scheming to protect one’s position was quite typical.

2 seemed uninterested in the other survivors and instead focused his gaze on Ouyang Lian.

At that moment, Ouyang Lian was also curiously observing him. 2’s hands-in-pockets stance appeared overly relaxed…

“Can you stop staring at me? Even if you were a cute young girl, I wouldn’t be interested. My true love is for mature women, ideally twenty-five or older, with a touch of elegance…”

“Oh, come on! Don’t talk about your preferences in front of kids!”

2’s rapid speech gave off the impression of a psychic disorder. Ling Mo quickly held Ouyang Lian and stood up, leading Ye Lian and the three girls into the house.

The other survivors continued unloading the supplies. The Bald Guy also joined in on the heavy lifting without being prompted, while Yu Lan stood next to Meng Jiayu, likely inquiring about the situation of the group.

2, meanwhile, watched Ling Mo’s retreating figure with unfinished intent, his hands still nervously rubbing together.

With weapons and supplies in hand, Guo Chao took the opportunity to outline the upcoming plan as they sat eating dinner in the living room that evening.

“We need to pass through the Gaoxin Zone and exit the city, heading to the food production base in the outskirts. Then, we’ll try to make contact with the nearby Military District, provided they still exist. Additionally, we need to investigate the Biological Research Institute to hopefully find survivors who can explain what this Virus is. If we’re lucky, there might be a vaccine, which would make zombies less of a threat to us. But don’t get your hopes up; it’s a long shot.”

While Guo Chao’s realistic perspective dampened the mood a bit, it quickly reignited as the survivors began to discuss the possibilities animatedly.

Ling Mo sat quietly in a dark corner, sipping on the porridge Meng Jiayu had specifically made for him that day. He held Ye Lian close, lost in thought.

He scoffed at the idea of finding a vaccine, but understanding the nature of the terrifying zombie virus and its properties was crucial for Ling Mo. This was his primary reason for teaming up with these people.

Just then, Ling Mo felt a sharp pang in his mind, as if something had pricked it. Seated beside him, Xia Na suddenly sat up straight.

“What’s wrong?” Ling Mo asked, furrowing his brow.

Xia Na’s slightly reddened eyes fixated on the group of survivors. She whispered, “It felt like someone just tried to get into my mind, but they vanished just as quickly.”

It must have been bounced back by their psychic link… Could it be a psychic type superhuman?

Ling Mo’s gaze immediately locked onto 2. To his surprise, 2 was already looking at him. Their eyes met, and 2 waved, saying, “Hello…”

Could this person be a psychic type superhuman with some sort of probing ability?

Ling Mo’s expression turned cold. Regardless of 2’s intentions, he needed to find an opportunity to teach him a lesson.

Under the same roof, it didn’t take long for the opportunity to arise.

2 got up and headed toward the back door, and Ling Mo followed discreetly.

It seemed like 2 was going out to urinate. Just as he was about to unbuckle his belt, a shadow swiftly lunged at him from behind.

At the instant Ling Mo reached for 2’s neck, he abruptly felt a sharp pain in his mind, causing his vision to blur momentarily.

Even though he quickly deployed his Psychic Tentacle, he was still affected. By the time he recovered, 2 was already five meters away from him.

“Wow, that was close. Looks like it actually worked this time,” 2 said, patting his chest with a grin while looking at Ling Mo. “What are you doing out here, spying on me?”

“You…” Ling Mo was encountering such a bizarre superhuman ability for the first time. His Puppet Control Ability seemed to have been countered.

However, relying on his powerful Psychic Power, Ling Mo eventually gained the upper hand. Despite his cheerful expression, 2’s face was incredibly pale, clearly showing signs of psychic backlash.

“You’re certainly formidable. My ability is usually foolproof as long as it takes effect. Didn’t expect it to be ineffective against you, and it even gave me a headache,” 2 said, rubbing his temples as he staggered slightly.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Mo, with his enhanced physical abilities, lunged forward and grabbed 2 by the neck. “Tell me, what did you just do to Xia Na?”

Struggling to breathe, 2 wheezed, “Cough… don’t get worked up… I was just… curious about you guys, no harm intended. Can you let me go?”

“What’s your superpower?” Ling Mo pressed harder, his grip tightening.

“Psychic… Psychic Storm…”

No wonder. That psychic impact must have been the Psychic Storm. But since 2’s Psychic Power wasn’t strong enough, its effect was significantly reduced. Otherwise, it would be a highly destructive ability.

For a moment, Ling Mo considered killing this superhuman who posed a threat to him. But at that very moment, he noticed something peculiar about 2’s Psychic Light Cluster—it was extraordinarily strange…