Chapter 40: The Little White Cat

Several women continuously expressed their gratitude to Gong Wanru, leaving her feeling quite helpless.

Ye Nan asked, "Is there any food in the house?"

One of the women replied, "Yes, there is. Wang Nu kept it stored inside a room and locked the door. Every mealtime, he would personally unlock it to distribute food to us, but it's just a pitifully small piece of bread or half a packet of instant noodles. It's nowhere near enough to fill our stomachs."

"That dog-hearted beast Wang Nu had so much food yet wouldn't let us eat our fill. Good thing he got what was coming to him."

"Exactly! Even the heavens couldn't stand it anymore and sent Sister Gong to finish him off."

Listening to the women's indignant remarks, Gong Wanru felt a deep sense of emotion. Before she awakened her supernatural powers, she was just an ordinary person like them. Yet Ye Nan had treated her exceptionally well, ensuring she not only ate her fill but enjoyed luxurious meals of abalone and lobster—so much so that she felt like she was getting chubby.

Gong Wanru felt profoundly fortunate that she had met Ye Nan instead of a scoundrel like Wang Nu. Otherwise, she shuddered to think what kind of miserable life she would be leading.

Ye Nan kicked the door open to reveal a room packed floor-to-ceiling with food: bread, instant noodles, braised chicken drumsticks, ham sausages, biscuits, and several cases of mineral water.

While impressive, it fell far short of the lavish seafood feasts stored inside Ye Nan's Thunder Pagoda.

Still, for ordinary people, these supplies were immensely precious.

With the women watching closely, Ye Nan naturally couldn't open the pagoda's gate. In truth, he had little personal interest in this food, so leaving half of it for them would be a good deed.

"We'll split the food in half. You keep half, and we'll take the other half," Ye Nan said.

The women were stunned. This was the apocalypse, after all, and food served as a hard currency of incalculable value. They never expected this man to willingly share half of it with them. Was he a saint?

One of the women asked in disbelief, "Really... you're really leaving half for us?"

Ye Nan nodded. "Yes, you heard correctly."

The woman protested, "How can we accept this? You saved our lives, and we are already deeply grateful. We couldn't possibly take your food as well."

Ye Nan replied, "If I'm giving it to you, just take it. I'm not short on food anyway. Looking at how starved and skin-and-bones you all are, you need a good meal to recover."

The women thanked him profusely, "Thank you, thank you so much."

At the sight of the towering pile of provisions, saliva pooled in their mouths. They had suffered through such severe hunger lately that they had forgotten what it felt like to be full.

"Stop standing around, go ahead and eat," Ye Nan urged.

Without standing on ceremony, the women grabbed bread, ham sausages, and other items, devouring them ravenously like starving ghosts reincarnated.

After finishing their meal, the women finally regained some strength, and smiles returned to their faces. The sensation of a full stomach felt utterly blissful.

Suddenly remembering something, one of the women spoke up, "Oh, by the way, every time Wang Nu came back from outside, he would bring back some things that looked like transparent stones. He kept them in the drawer of the cabinet in his room. I don't know if they're any use to you."

Ye Nan asked eagerly, "Where?"

The woman opened the cabinet and pulled out the drawer, saying, "Right here."

Ye Nan looked closely. Good heavens, they were all crystal cores.

Wang Nu must have absorbed some crystal cores previously, but for reasons unknown, he had saved a stash—probably terrified that absorbing too many would turn him into a zombie or a monster.

Ye Nan, on the other hand, carried no such reservations. Becoming stronger came first.

Upon closer inspection, these were all Level 1 crystal cores with no Level 2 ones. For someone of his current strength, the benefits of Level 1 cores were extremely limited, making them better suited for Gong Wanru.

"Sister Gong, these crystal cores are yours. Absorb them all before we head back, just in case any complications arise," Ye Nan said seriously.

"Alright, I'll do as you say," Gong Wanru readily agreed, picking up the cores and absorbing them one by one.

After spending a considerable amount of time, Gong Wanru finally finished absorbing all of them.

Ye Nan asked, "How do you feel?"

Gong Wanru replied, "My strength has improved significantly. If I were to fight Wang Nu again, I could take his life within ten moves."

"Progress is good. Come on, I'll take you out for a spin to kill more zombies, gain combat experience, and collect more crystal cores to further increase our strength," Ye Nan suggested.

"Alright, let's go," Gong Wanru agreed.

Ye Nan found a bag, casually packed some food into it, and left with Gong Wanru. As for the women, he couldn't manage everything; rescuing them from a living hell and giving them food was already an immense act of benevolence.

Outdoors, Ye Nan found a deserted spot, tossed the bag of food straight into the Thunder Pagoda, and then drove off with Gong Wanru in the Hummer, putting distance between themselves and the residential area.

Gong Wanru asked, "Where are we heading?"

Ye Nan replied, "I remember there's a mineral water company on Rainbow Street. Let's check it out and take all their bottled water. Water resources are vital, after all."

Gong Wanru smiled. "Alright, lead the way."

***

Ye Nan teased, "Haven't you noticed? You're starting to have that obedient 'a wife follows her husband's lead' vibe."

Gong Wanru retorted, "Really? Why didn't I notice?"

"You didn't notice, huh? Looks like I need to teach you a lesson so you remember," Ye Nan said, pulling the Hummer into a secluded corner and looking at her with a mischievous grin.

"What are you trying to do?" Gong Wanru asked, on guard.

"We've never tried it in the car before. How about we... give it a shot?" Ye Nan suggested.

"Get out of here! You only know how to bully me. No way," Gong Wanru refused.

Ye Nan kissed her cheek, his tone growing suggestive. "Don't you think doing it out here adds a bit of excitement?"

Gong Wanru thought about it. It was indeed a bit thrilling, but she still couldn't bring herself to agree. "Absolutely not. I won't let you mess around like this."

Ye Nan pulled her into his arms, his warm breath brushing against her face as he smiled slyly, "Whether you're willing or not, you're going to find out. Hehehe."

Gong Wanru pouted playfully, "Hate you."

Though she had put up a front of resistance, once things truly began, she offered no pushback, willingly letting Ye Nan have his way.

Consequently, the interior of the Hummer bloomed with the warmth of spring.

An hour later, everything finally came to a halt.

After resting for a moment, Ye Nan and Gong Wanru started the engine and headed toward the mineral water company.

Arriving outside, they didn't see a single zombie, which felt rather strange.

Growing more vigilant, Ye Nan reminded Gong Wanru, "Stay alert. I have a bad feeling about this."

Gong Wanru murmured, "I feel it too."

Ye Nan muttered, "Where did all the zombies go? Could someone have cleared them out?"

"Judging by the situation, it's very likely someone is inside the company, and they might even be an Esper," Gong Wanru analyzed.

"You're right. We need to keep our guard up so we don't capsize in a drainage ditch." Ye Nan summoned his Thunder Sword and activated his supernatural energy to defend against any sudden danger.

Gong Wanru summoned her Flame Blade as well, and together, they stepped inside.

Once inside, there were still no zombies in sight. Instead, rows upon rows of pristine mineral water bottles stood neatly arranged, completely untouched.

This only deepened Ye Nan's suspicions.

"Is anyone here?" Ye Nan called out, but received no response.

Gong Wanru said, "I'll keep watch. You collect all the mineral water first."

"Alright, be careful." Nodding, Ye Nan opened the pagoda's gateway and frantically swept all the bottled water inside the company into storage.

When every single bottle had been collected and nothing untoward had happened, both Ye Nan and Gong Wanru wondered if they were just being overly paranoid.

"Since it's safe, let's go," Ye Nan motioned to Gong Wanru.

As the two walked toward the exit, Ye Nan suddenly spotted a lovely little white cat nearby. Its fur was snowy white, its eyes remarkably alert, and judging by its appearance, it was female.

Gong Wanru smiled, "What an adorable little white cat."

"It looks injured," Ye Nan noted, squinting. There was a deep, bleeding gash on the small cat's body. Without prompt medical attention, infection would be a major hazard.

"Here, kitty kitty, let big sis hold you," Gong Wanru said, walking toward the cat with outstretched hands.

Meow!

The little cat let out a sharp cry, a surge of energy erupting from its body as it lashed out with razor-sharp claws toward Gong Wanru.

To their utter astonishment, this little white cat had awakened supernatural abilities and was a physical-type Esper. No wonder there were no zombies in the company; it must have wiped them all out.

Startled, Gong Wanru reacted swiftly, swinging her Flame Blade defensively in front of her.

Clang!

The cat's claws struck the Flame Blade with a crisp ring. The immense impact forced Gong Wanru back several steps.

Not only Gong Wanru, but even Ye Nan was shocked. He hadn't expected the cat's strength to be so formidable; it must have absorbed crystal cores before.

Furthermore, it was currently wounded, which meant its combat effectiveness had plummeted. At peak condition, it would have been terrifying—certainly beyond what Gong Wanru could handle right now.

An opportunistic thought flickered in Ye Nan's mind. Such an insanely cool little white cat would make an amazing pet.

Later on, he could have the cat put on a cute, harmless act to trick people, boasting an exceptionally high success rate.

"Sister Gong, be careful. This cat isn't easy to deal with," Ye Nan warned. "Let's capture it alive. You know what I mean?"

"Understood." Gong Wanru certainly understood, as she shared the exact same desire to tame the feline.

Looking thoroughly annoyed, the little white cat used its claws to scrawl words in the dust on the floor: "Humble four-legged reptiles, daring to step into this cat's territory—you are courting death."

The handwriting was clumsy and crooked, requiring careful inspection to decipher.

Even so, it was more than enough to astound Ye Nan and Gong Wanru. They never imagined the cat possessed sentience and could write to communicate. Truly incredible!

The desire to domesticate the beast grew even stronger within Ye Nan. Softening his voice, he coaxed, "Kitty, how about you follow me from now on? I guarantee you'll get to eat fish and meat every day."

The cat scratched out a response: "Humble human, you are unworthy to be this cat's master."

"Oh? Quite arrogant, aren't you?" Ye Nan chuckled. "Looks like I'll just have to beat you into submission."

The moment Ye Nan finished speaking, the cat lunged forward. Its target, however, wasn't Ye Nan, but Gong Wanru. Perhaps it perceived her as slightly weaker than Ye Nan; eliminating her first would make dealing with him much easier.

As a physical-type Esper with exceptional physical fitness, the cat closed the distance to Gong Wanru in the blink of an eye, unleashing a terrifying set of claws straight at her face.

Bang!

Standing her ground, Gong Wanru swung her Flame Blade to block the strike. A violent wave of energy burst outward, shattering the surrounding shelves into fine dust.

Gong Wanru staggered, her hand gripping the Flame Blade trembling slightly. The blade itself had grown noticeably dim; a few more clashes like that might shatter it completely.

Both Ye Nan's Thunder Sword and Gong Wanru's Flame Blade were formed by condensed supernatural energy. While shattering them wouldn't cause physical injury—they could simply be re-summoned—the process consumed considerable energy. It was always best to preserve weapon integrity, as a tiny fraction of energy often decided the outcome of a duel.

"Kitty, you're not allowed to hurt my companion in front of me, or I'll spank you," Ye Nan said, dismissing his Thunder Sword and striding forward. With his fist wreathed in crackling arcs of lightning, he threw a ferocious punch.

Boom!

Despite the cat's desperate attempt to block, it was useless. It was only a Level 1 Esper and already injured; naturally, it was no match for Ye Nan. The blow sent it flying through the air to crash onto the ground in the distance.

Meow!

The little cat let out a piercing screech of agony, struggling weakly on the ground without the strength to stand back up.

And that was only because Ye Nan had held back. Had he used his full power, the cat would have already met its maker.

Staring down at the feline, Ye Nan asked, "Kitty, do you submit?"

Glowering furiously at him, the cat angrily scrawled: "I do not! Humble human, you're only winning because I'm heavily injured. At my peak, I'd have shredded you in a single swipe."

Ye Nan scoffed, "Stop bragging. A mere Level 1 Esper daring to talk big in front of me is laughable."

Gong Wanru added, "Kitty, I have healing medicine. Follow us, and I'll treat your wounds. What do you say?"

Pondering for a moment, the cat wrote: "Give it to me first."

Turning his back to the cat, Ye Nan retrieved gauze, disinfectant, alcohol, and other medical supplies from the Thunder Pagoda, then walked over and handed them down.

Gong Wanru said, "See? We weren't lying to you."

The cat shook its head and wrote: "No, I still don't trust you."

"Then what will it take for you to come with us?" Ye Nan asked.

The cat wrote: "Human and feline are different. It's impossible."

Ye Nan sighed, "What a pity. I was planning to reward you with a few crystal cores, but I suppose I'll just have to absorb them myself."

Turning around, Ye Nan retrieved several crystal cores from the Thunder Pagoda, tossed half of them to Gong Wanru, and said, "Let's not waste time. Let's absorb these."

"Alright," Gong Wanru nodded.

These cores had been collected after casually dispatching some Level 1 zombies on the way here. They hadn't had time to absorb them yet, making them the perfect bait for the cat.

Sure enough, seeing the two of them begin absorbing the cores, the cat lost its composure.

Possessing formidable strength, it had absorbed cores before and harbored a fatal attraction to them.

Yet now, it could only watch with wide, yearning eyes, completely empty-handed.