Chapter 409 - 399: Leaving
Chapter 409: Chapter 399: Leaving
About a month passed, and it seemed like everything in the world was finally getting back on track.
Mutant beasts had all but vanished from the city. The sight of streets and alleys teeming with them, of humans forced into the darkest corners, now seemed like a memory from a world that had never existed.
Now, if even a single mutant beast were to appear, it would become an object of contention for everyone.
After all, aside from receiving rations from the Yang Family Base, there were no other particularly good sources of food.
The base, for its part, had completely figured out how to farm these mutant beasts. All the creatures currently being raised were ones whose minds Tang Mo had shattered, ensuring that even if their offspring were to get out, they wouldn’t pose any danger.
Since the mutant beasts matured quickly and had short growth periods, they were the best source of food. Thus, the base accelerated its program, constantly breeding the creatures to accumulate a stockpile.
The base also continuously recruited people, having ordinary citizens help build fortifications and even work on repairing the city. The reward for their labor was meatballs.
As for the other cities far away, Yang Jie and his people had long-term plans. For a while now, they had been stockpiling massive amounts of food, and most people had some reserves on hand.
Next, they planned to send people out to establish gathering points—small-scale bases—in every other city. At these locations, they would raise some of the modified, live mutant beasts, thereby creating a steady source of food.
In other words, the Yang Family Base would continuously expand from its center here, with the ultimate goal of saving all of humanity.
Of course, saving all of humanity was probably an exaggeration, but bringing the hope of survival to all humankind was absolutely true.
Moreover, not long after the mutant beasts had almost completely disappeared from the city, the researchers discovered even better news.
For reasons unknown—perhaps due to the disappearance of the strange beasts—the soil of the earth was slowly improving.
Although the change was not very obvious, repeated experiments confirmed that it was only a matter of time before the land could be farmed again.
Everyone was overjoyed, and they all went about their business in an orderly manner.
Qi Jiaming’s mother and Qiao Jin’s mother helped out with the military, doing whatever they could. Slowly, they found a sense of belonging there. They even became fast friends with many women in the neighboring family apartments. It was said they even formed a women’s association or some other organization. They were so busy every day that they no longer spent all their time cooped up in their rooms chatting.
Meanwhile, Qiao Jin’s father and Qi Jiaming had long ago joined the large force dedicated to clearing out mutant beasts.
Both of them were superpower users. And while life was currently without worry in this post-apocalyptic world, one could never lose their sense of vigilance. They took on missions with the army every day, constantly improving their own strength.
Although Qi Jiaming’s father was not a Superpower Attribute User, he was, after all, a strong and able-bodied man. Seeing his good friend and his son doing meaningful work, he naturally couldn’t stay idle and went to join in the bustle.
Since Aunt Hua, Qiao Jin’s mother, and Qi Jiaming’s mother were always together, Yang Ming took very good care of the men. He brought them along with him, and they slowly accumulated some prestige in the army. Later, the men simply enlisted together.
Tang Mo found herself with more and more free time. It seemed as though everyone in the entire base knew what they needed to do; only Tang Mo had nothing to do.
When she found she had nothing to do, she understood that her time to leave was drawing near.
Although the door had yet to appear, she could already sense it in her heart. ’All that’s missing is the right trigger.’
And that trigger was farewell.
"If I’m gone, you’ll help me take good care of my parents, right?"
The first person Tang Mo said her goodbyes to was Qi Jiaming.
Although Mr. Qiao, as a superpower user, now had more than enough strength to protect Mrs. Qiao...
...and Mrs. Qiao had recovered her health, Tang Mo still wanted to leave Qi Jiaming with them. ’After I’m gone,’ she thought, ’at least the two of them won’t be so lonely. They’ll have someone to look out for them if anything happens.’
"What are you talking about? They’re my godfather and godmother."
Qi Jiaming tapped his own arm. The recent period of intensive training had increased his strength significantly, but it had also made him suffer quite a bit.
He owed Tang Mo a debt he could never fully repay.
And he had grown genuinely fond of Qiao Jin’s parents. After all, the three of them had spent a period of time relying on and supporting one another just to survive.
No matter the reason, he would look after Qiao Jin’s parents as if they were his own.
"Good. Remember those words. Now give me your hand."
"Why are you acting so strangely today?" Qi Jiaming thought Qiao Jin was being a little odd, but he obediently extended his hand anyway.
Tang Mo took Qi Jiaming’s hand and channeled a stream of spiritual power into his body, letting it flow once through his meridians.
As a superpower user, Qi Jiaming could feel the changes in his body, and his eyes grew wider and wider.
"You can actually enhance someone’s body! What in the world are you?! Are you even human?"
That was right. Tang Mo had just performed a physical enhancement on Qi Jiaming. Although the mutant beasts were gone, strength would always be the most important thing.
’Qi Jiaming has to protect Qiao Jin’s parents in my stead. How could he possibly do that if he was too weak?’
Tang Mo was certain that with Qi Jiaming’s Talent and perseverance, it was only a matter of time before he became an outstanding and powerful superpower user.
She didn’t tell Qi Jiaming that she was leaving.
But Qiao Jin’s parents wouldn’t be so easy to fool.
"Do you really have to go?" Mrs. Qiao asked, holding Tang Mo’s hand.
George, meanwhile, remained silent off to the side.
During this time, the couple had seen with their own eyes how much their daughter had changed. If it weren’t for her, never mind just them—the entire city, the entire country, would still be unable to escape their miserable lives.
"Dad, Mom. When I accepted this immense power, I promised Heaven that I would dedicate my life to saving humanity. Now that this place is at peace and no longer needs me, I must go to other places to complete my mission."
Tang Mo held Mrs. Qiao’s hand, her gaze earnest and firm.
In order to get Mr. and Mrs. Qiao to accept her departure, she made up a story: that she had received a mysterious and powerful ability shortly after the apocalypse began, but that this power came at a price—she had to devote her entire life to completing her own great mission.
This reason was a fabrication, but as Tang Mo thought about it, wasn’t every single word of it also the truth?
"This is already very good."
George said after standing by the window for a long while.
"Your mother has recovered her health. Dad has the strength to protect our whole family. And Xiao Jin is the most amazing of all, making life better for everyone. This is already the best possible outcome. We should be content."