It wasn't that she couldn't find a way to eliminate Lin Tingxue—maybe someday a powerful weapon would appear in the dimensional mall. But she had no idea what Lin Tingxue's trump card was, nor did she understand why Lin Tingxue had been reborn. If she rashly killed Lin Tingxue, what if she just revived again? Cutting weeds without removing the roots would surely lead to disaster. As long as there was a choice, she didn't want to act without thorough preparation.
Moreover, Lin Tingxue's healing ability had never been used on them, so Jiang Yuntan didn't know its full extent. She didn't want to beat Lin Tingxue to a pulp only for her to heal herself—that would be a wasted effort. So, without a foolproof plan, she preferred to lie low, earn dimensional coins, accumulate points to level up, and hope for an opportunity to first gain her own ability or find something to counter Lin Tingxue.
With this in mind, Jiang Yuntan started browsing the ten dimensional merchants' items available for the day. But soon, voices outside the window caught her attention.
A woman with a pure face, looking pitiful even in the apocalypse, stepped forward and stood before Shen Hegui. "My name is Yu Sheng. I have an ability. Can you take me with you?" Lin Xuan, who was about to get into the car, paused at her words.
Yu Ke found the woman familiar. "Weren't you a celebrity? The singer and dancer, Yu Sheng," he said in surprise.
Inside the car, Jiang Yuntan's curiosity was piqued. She looked at Yu Sheng. The original owner's memory had some recollection of her—she had a pure appearance and a sweet, refreshing smile, nicknamed "Domestic Little Pear Blossom" by netizens. How had they not noticed her among the group?
Just as she was thinking, Jiang Yuntan felt Shen Hegui's gaze on her, as if questioning or probing. Puzzled, she tilted her head and mouthed, "What's wrong?"
Shen Hegui didn't respond. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Yu Sheng. "What ability do you have?"
"Water ability. I just awakened it. I was afraid Zhang Qiang and his men might want to taste ability-user flesh, so I kept it hidden," Yu Sheng said, biting her lip. Seeing Shen Hegui's lack of reaction, she continued, "I came out with my agent to collect supplies. We live nearby. We ran out of gas and came to refuel, but they trapped us here. My agent was sliced and boiled in hotpot a few days ago..." Her voice choked.
Shen Hegui listened to her pitiful tone without any change in expression. Seeing that no one in the group spoke up to let her stay, he understood their stance—not opposition, but indifference. Having one more person like Yu Sheng didn't matter to them. So he said gently, "Sorry, we already have a water ability user."
Yu Sheng's face stiffened. She had revealed her trump card, but it meant nothing special to them. Flustered, she urged, "Even if you have one, you could have one more. A level-zero water ability user doesn't produce much water. With me, you'd have more, right?"
Shen Hegui shook his head. "You can try other teams. You're an ability user now, and a necessary water type—I'm sure many would welcome you."
Yu Sheng's face paled. She didn't know what to do. At that moment, Lin Xuan approached with a smile. "We need a water ability user in our group. Would you like to join us?"
Yu Sheng looked at Lin Xuan but couldn't recall any exceptional deeds from him. She didn't dare ask about his ability outright, but now, following them was still better than nothing. Just as she was about to agree, a convoy of military vehicles appeared in the distance, heading toward them. She paused, asking, "Where are you heading?"
"Jing City," Lin Xuan replied reluctantly. He had just invited her, and she hadn't immediately agreed—now she dared to haggle?
Yu Sheng murmured, "Oh, so far? Sorry, I'm from Hai City. I'd prefer to stay here." She had chosen Shen Hegui because he seemed protective of the women in his team. Especially when she asked to join, he had clearly sought the opinion of the woman in the car, though she didn't seem to understand. But Lin Xuan... no thanks. If the military hadn't arrived, she might have joined Lin Xuan's group to stick with Shen Hegui. Now, as an ability user, joining the military was the obvious choice.
Lin Xuan barely kept his composure. He'd hoped to add an ability user, but now that hope was gone. Watching Yu Ke leech off others irked him, yet he wouldn't mind being in that position.
Shen Hegui, seeing the military convoy approaching, knew they'd handle things. But staying might mean more explanations. So he urged everyone to get in the car.
No one else clamored to join Shen Hegui's group now that the military was here. Soldiers felt safer and more reliable. Before leaving, Jiang Yuntan glanced back. They were probably here for the gasoline—there were still two tanker trucks. Good thing they left quickly; she worried someone might learn about the two hundred and fifty barrels of gasoline in the warehouse.
As the car sped through the streets, Jiang Yuntan resumed browsing the dimensional showcase. It was a pity she could only see ten items a day—it almost felt like shopping online. She was taking it easy, but Lin Tingxue was anxious to the point of blisters. Her eyes were full of frustration: she had searched the entire gas station, but there was no trace of Qiao Chengming. Where could he be?