Chapter 398: Reverse Discouragement
Chapter 398: Chapter 398: Reverse Discouragement
"Alright. Do one thing for me, and I won’t kill you."
Nina Jacobs said.
Silas Crowley hesitated. He pulled her aside and said,
"Edmund Lawson and his people can’t be trusted. It would be too easy for them to go back on their word."
"I know what I’m doing."
Nina Jacobs knew that after being tricked once, Silas Crowley would never trust these people again. But some things just needed to be done.
"I want you to spread the word for me—that people shouldn’t be so quick to go to Tomorrow Base."
Nina Jacobs looked at the twelve people before her.
She couldn’t even name them, but she didn’t need to.
"Tomorrow Base? What’s that? Where is it?"
Edmund Lawson had honestly never heard of the place.
"You don’t need to worry about that. Just do as I say and spread the message.
If you do a good job, not only will I not kill you, but you can also stay here."
Nina Jacobs said.
"That’s not hard, not hard at all. We can all do that."
Watching the three of them leave, Edmund Lawson and the others, still kneeling on the ground, all breathed a sigh of relief.
’It seems those three must have some grudge against this Tomorrow Base.’
"But where on earth is this Tomorrow Base?"
Edmund Lawson muttered as he watched their retreating figures.
Walking through the base, Silas Crowley was also completely bewildered.
’Weren’t we here to promote the base? Why is Nina actively discouraging people from going?’
Hearing Silas Crowley’s confusion, Nina Jacobs smiled.
"Isn’t there a saying from your old entertainment circle? ’Bad press is still press’?
If I had them promote the base, it would confirm we’re from Tomorrow Base. That would inevitably attract the attention of certain people.
So it’s better to muddy the waters first, just to let everyone know Tomorrow Base exists."
Once they knew about it, their curiosity would inevitably be piqued.
"I get it now."
The corner of Silas Crowley’s mouth twitched.
’It’s a good thing Nina wasn’t an agent back in the day. He used to think agents who loved reverse-marketing stunts were devious.’
But seeing Nina do it, he suddenly understood. No wonder those people ended up becoming top-tier agents.
Nina Jacobs had wanted to investigate Lornwood Base a bit more, but when the three of them reached the dormitory building, they found it in chaos.
"...Heard they ran into zombie lizards. They’re lucky to have made it back alive."
"What’s the use of coming back? The Healers won’t treat people like us. At best, they’re just waiting to die."
"..."
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Nina Jacobs noticed several people lying on the ground up ahead, covered in blood.
This was the communal dormitory building of Lornwood Base. Although the onlookers showed sympathy, they were powerless to help.
They couldn’t even offer them a simple sip of water.
"Is that you, Killian Hayes?"
Cordelia and Reginald Sutton had spotted Nina Jacobs’s group returning from the railing upstairs. They hadn’t expected to come down and find that the people on the ground looked slightly familiar.
As a Space Superpower User, Cordelia had often helped people transport or temporarily store supplies in exchange for a small reward.
Thanks to her good reputation, she had always been well-liked.
Killian Hayes used to take her along when going out to kill zombies and scavenge for supplies.
Although they were just partners, Cordelia had always enjoyed going out with Killian Hayes’s team because they were a rare group that showed genuine warmth.
"You know them?" Nina asked.
Cordelia nodded and sadly explained their connection.
"Fatty’s not going to make it either."
Like Cordelia, Reginald Sutton also recognized these people.
Just then, another commotion erupted in the distance.
A battered sedan pulled up, and a man with a fierce expression jumped out, dragging a woman with him.
The woman seemed frightened but still said angrily,
"You just wait, Lynch! If you dare touch me today, I’ll..."
The man walked up to the injured people and stopped. "I’m not going to touch you. Heal them."
The onlookers were surprised but then looked at the man with pity.
"That’s one of the base’s Healers. Isn’t private treatment forbidden by the base?"
"Looks like he kidnapped her. This Cassian Lynch is a dead man."
Cassian Lynch looked at his dying companions on the ground and suddenly crouched down, on the verge of breaking down.
"Heal them! Hurry up and heal them!"
His voice was choked with sobs, as if he were begging.
"They’re so heavily injured. Treating them would just be a waste of my Superpower."
the woman replied coldly.
"Are you going to heal them or not!"
Cassian Lynch snapped, standing up and pressing a knife to the woman’s throat.
Only then did the woman agree, her voice trembling. "I’ll heal them, I’ll heal them! Just let me go."
After being released, the female Healer squatted down and began treating one of the people on the ground.
But her eyes were filled with unease and disgust.
"Heal... heal them first... don’t... worry about me."
the man being treated said.
"I’m treating you first because your injuries are lighter. Don’t be ungrateful."
the woman said.
But after just a few minutes, the woman stopped.
"I can’t. I’m out of Superpower."
Her face was pale, a clear sign that she had over-exhausted her Superpower.
"Cassian Lynch, let her go. It... can’t be helped.
I’m already much better now. Let’s get everyone back inside first."
The one called Killian Hayes struggled to her feet, propping herself up with one arm. Even if they were going to die, they couldn’t die out here.
Seeing her chance, the female Healer slowly backed away before quickly fleeing the scene.
The onlookers shook their heads and helplessly dispersed.
Prolonged lack of food and water had left them not only without strength but also without the resolve to help others.
"Killian Hayes... how did you all end up like this?"
Cordelia stepped forward to help.
She remembered that Killian Hayes, Cassian Lynch, and their team were all very strong. In her memory, they had never been in such a pathetic state.
"Cordelia? You’re back."
A hint of surprise appeared on Killian Hayes’s blood- and grime-covered face.
"Yeah. These are my friends, Nina Jacobs and Wayne Warner.
They’re the ones who saved me out there."
Cordelia said.
"Hello. Thank you for saving Cordelia."
Killian Hayes walked up to Nina Jacobs, the smell of blood assaulting her nostrils. Nina noticed that a dark patch had seeped through the fabric over her abdomen.
Nina Jacobs gave a slight nod.
"We... just had bad luck this time, I guess. We accidentally passed through an area full of zombies and zombie lizards.
Making it back alive was... a miracle."
Killian Hayes said to Cordelia through gritted teeth.
"I’ll help you upstairs."
Cordelia had also noticed her wound. Nearby, Reginald Sutton had already hoisted one person onto his back and was heading upstairs.
’An area full of zombies and zombie lizards?’
Nina Jacobs looked at the people on the ground who couldn’t move, then gestured for Wayne Warner to go help.
Silas Crowley also picked someone up and carried them upstairs.
Nina Jacobs observed that most of their injuries were stab wounds, compounded by excessive blood loss.
They were brought to a room where a wall had been knocked down to connect two spaces.
Cassian Lynch held Killian Hayes, endlessly cursing himself for being useless.
"I have some Hemostatic Medicine here."
Nina Jacobs said suddenly.
"Hemostatic Medicine..."
Cassian Lynch looked up at Nina Jacobs. They had never seen her in the base before.
"That’s right. You just have to pay for it."
Nina Jacobs took out several small bottles of "Healing Potion."
"How much? I’ll buy it."
Seeing the wariness and distrust in Cassian Lynch’s eyes fade slightly, Nina Jacobs finally stated her price.
"Five hundred Crystal Cores per bottle."
She wasn’t being exorbitant; she was certain this group had some real strength.
As expected, Cassian Lynch agreed without a moment’s hesitation.