C22 Chapter 22

Zeng Qiang rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting restlessly over Jiang Ruan. He chuckled and said, "Here's the thing. Currently, our team has only three mutants. If we run into zombies, we're no match for them. But imagine if everyone had superpowers. We'd stand a much better chance against the zombies, wouldn't we?"

Jiang Ruan saw right through him. "How can you guarantee everyone will become a superpowered individual? You've been through that agony yourself."

Her words struck a chord with Zeng Qiang. The immense pain of becoming a mutant was something he had barely endured himself.

"You never know until you try, right? Maybe everyone has the resilience needed," Zeng Qiang replied, his gaze burning with hope and avarice as he fixed his eyes on her.

Zeng Qiang's visit was likely backed by the others. They were all too greedy, yet unwilling to face the dangers of zombie combat. With a scoff, Jiang Ruan pulled out all the crystal nuclei from her tracksuit pocket.

"Here are the crystal nuclei from the zombies I've taken down. Take them." Jiang Ruan wasn't concerned about a handful of crystal nuclei, but Zeng Qiang's greed made her stomach turn.

Just as Zeng Qiang reached out to take them, she swiftly withdrew her hand. "But remember, if you can't handle the pain, I can't predict what will become of that person."

"Don't worry, Miss Jiang. You're the team's greatest asset. Whatever happens, you won't be held responsible," Zeng Qiang assured her, eyeing the few yellow crystal nuclei that were identical to the ones he had previously absorbed.

Clutching them tightly, he left Jiang Ruan's room and slipped the crystal nuclei into his pocket. He then resumed his haughty demeanor and made his way to the others.

Zhu Zhengyan approached, oozing sycophancy, and said, "Brother Zeng, did Miss Jiang hand over the crystal nuclei? We've all been eagerly waiting."

"What's the rush? Miss Jiang risked her neck for these. If you want them, you'll have to meet one of my conditions," Zeng Qiang declared, standing tall and confident before the group, his mind whirring with schemes.

They exchanged glances. Zeng Qiang simply wanted them to submit to his will. But once they acquired their superpowers, who knew who would come out on top? For now, bending the knee for a mere pittance seemed inconsequential.

"Rest assured, Brother Zeng, we're forever at your command. You say east, we won't even consider west." They lavished Zeng Qiang with praise, each outdoing the other in flattery, though it was clear Zeng Qiang was getting caught up in the adulation.

Having received their items, they each wanted to stash them away carefully, not yet understanding what each color of the crystal nucleus signified, so they chose at random.

Zeng Qiang collected the remaining crystal nuclei, keeping them for future use. The others silently branded him a sly fox but were powerless to object.

Despite being their leader, Zeng Qiang maintained his authoritative demeanor. "Using these crystal nuclei will bring immense pain," he warned. "Consider it carefully, or who knows what you might become."

His warning left them exchanging uneasy glances, each weighing their options. A flicker of cunning passed through Lu Ming's eyes, swiftly concealed.

As soon as Zeng Qiang departed, they were eager to assimilate the crystal nuclei. To avoid complications, they each retreated to separate rooms.

Jiang Ruan, hearing the commotion, offered a resigned smile. Whatever happened after she surrendered the crystal nucleus was out of her hands, but it didn't make for a restful night.

In the dead of night, the building echoed with a succession of howls. Jiang Ruan's eyes snapped open. With such a racket, it was near impossible for anyone else to remain asleep. Groggy and bleary-eyed, they emerged from their rooms.