Apocalypse Survival Guide for a Beta [GB] - Chapter 8

By the pickup truck, Lou Tiannan frowned and asked Lin Bai, “What’s going on between you and Peter?”

“Haven’t you already seen it, Captain Lou?” Lin Bai actually enjoyed talking to Lou Tiannan, especially now when he was clearly in a bad mood. The temperature around him was several degrees warmer than in the garage and the heat made her feel very comfortable. She could even feel the energy she had lost slowly returning.

“Don’t forget. You’re military-affiliated!” Lou Tiannan’s irritation flared at her indifferent attitude.

Lin Bai let out a short laugh and replied casually, “So what if I’m military-affiliated, Captain Lou? I still need a partner, but more importantly, I need to survive.”

Seeing his anger deepen, she looked at him with feigned confusion. “Why do you act like some old fossil from eight hundred years ago, back when differentiation didn’t even exist? As long as I’m alive, isn’t that the best news for my partner?”

Lou Tiannan stared at her, memories flashing through his mind of teammates who had died on missions and their military spouses receiving the devastating news.

Yes, staying alive was the best news.

His anger eased slightly. “I’ll send you back to Military Defense Department’s District One and ensure your safety. You don’t have to worry about anything else.”

Leaning against the truck, Lin Bai shook her head. “Captain Lou, you’re not just an old fossil. You’re also the perfect spokesperson for Alpha Supremacy.”

Alpha Supremacy. A belief in the absolute superiority and dominance of the Alpha gender.

Lou Tiannan’s gaze sharpened instantly. His features were already sharp and deep-set and his slightly lighter eyes carried an inherent intensity. When he stared at someone without expression, he naturally exuded a commanding presence. But now, with emotions involved, the atmosphere between them grew tense.

Lin Bai, unfazed, smiled faintly. “What was that Alpha’s offense just now mean to you? A harmless joke? You probably even think it wasn’t a big deal, just some casual words that didn’t really mean anything. Because you, like him, are also an Alpha.”

She deliberately made her disgust toward Lou Tiannan, as an Alpha, unmistakably clear. She wanted to provoke him and draw out more heat, so she could absorb more energy.

“You say you’ll ensure my safety, but all that means is keeping me alive. But I want more than just survival… If you won’t do what needs to be done,” Lin Bai said slowly, “someone else will.”

Just then, a commotion erupted in the garage. Someone rushed over, looking flustered. “Captain Lou! Peter and Li Meng are fighting!”

Lou Tiannan’s head snapped toward Lin Bai, only to see her flash him an innocent, almost playful smile.

By the time he returned to the garage, the fight had already been broken up.

Li Meng was slumped against the wall, bruised and swollen, his bloodshot eyes glaring furiously at Peter.

Peter, held down by Zhu Liang, looked slightly better off, just a bit disheveled, with only one bruise on his face.

Seeing Lou Tiannan, Song Yan quickly summarized, “Right after you left, Peter and Li Meng started fighting. Even Xi Ya got involved. That little girl has the fire-type ability. It took some effort to separate them.”

Fire-type ability?

Lou Tiannan finally noticed the burn marks on Li Meng’s clothes. Scanning the crowd, he found Xi Ya sitting quietly, still hugging her doll. The people around her were subtly keeping their distance.

Song Yan lowered his voice and added, “Li Meng said some nasty things to Xiaxia too.”

Lin Bai arrived slightly after Lou Tiannan. Seeing Li Meng’s state, she was rather satisfied. Peter was still useful, after all.

When Xi Ya saw Lin Bai, she clutched her doll and moved to stand by her side, looking a little excited. She had realized that her abilities seemed to have grown stronger.

Lou Tiannan looked around at the gathered survivors and spoke in a low, firm voice, “Lin Bai, Peter, and Li Meng, none of you will be given food tomorrow. If another fight breaks out before we reach the safe zone, all supplies will be cut off.”

In the apocalypse, losing supplies meant death.

Li Meng’s face darkened further, but he didn’t dare argue.

Peter and Lin Bai accepted the punishment without complaint. The matter seemed settled.

That night, heavy rain fell outside the garage, mixed with ice pellets that pelted the ground. The temperature plummeted.

To avoid attracting zombies, the fires in the garage were quickly extinguished. As the night deepened, the survivors curled up in blankets, sleeping on the floor. The sounds of rain, snores, and murmured dreams blended into a unique lullaby.

Xi Ya snuggled up to Lin Bai’s arm and whispered, “Are you going to make Peter my dad?”

“No.”

Hearing that answer, Xi Ya relaxed, rubbed against Lin Bai’s shoulder, and closed her eyes.

In the darkness, unseen by anyone, Lin Bai turned the diamond crystal over and over in her palm, grinding it against the rough handle of her knife.

At dawn, the sky was still dark.

Lou Tiannan arrived for his shift and immediately noticed Lin Bai was missing from the garage. His brows furrowed. Seeing Peter still sound asleep, his frown eased slightly.

“Where’s Lin Bai?” he asked Lu Jia, who was on guard duty.

Lu Jia pointed toward the pickup truck. Someone was sitting in the back, facing away from them. “She’s putting on makeup.”

Lou Tiannan: “…”

Noticing his confusion, Lu Jia quietly added, “I asked her why she was doing it. She said she wants to be ready to meet her partner at any time.”

Lou Tiannan could already imagine Lin Bai’s tone. It must be lazy and half-amused.

As long as she stayed out of trouble, that was enough.

That morning, the group’s rations finally changed. They no longer received potatoes. Instead, they received biscuits and bread.

Lin Bai, Peter, and Li Meng were only given a small bag of water.

Li Meng finished his water in one gulp, clutching the empty bag with an angry expression. But he didn’t dare confront Lou Tiannan, couldn’t beat Peter in a fight, and didn’t even dare provoke Lin Bai again. No one around him wanted to acknowledge him either. His gaze landed on Xi Ya, who was standing in line for supplies.

Before he could look for more than two seconds, Xi Ya stuck out her tongue at him and even raised a fist.

He hadn’t forgotten how the little girl had burned him with the fire that emerged from her palm last night. He quickly averted his gaze and muttered a silent curse.

“Xi Ya, this is for you.” Wen Xiaxia gently placed a piece of bread and a bag of water into Xi Ya’s hands.

The bread felt heavier than expected. Seeing Wen Xiaxia wink at her, Xi Ya thanked her, then carried the bread and water back to Lin Bai’s side.

The bread had a filling, but unlike everyone else’s thin, almost translucent layer of jam, hers contained a compressed biscuit.

“Mom, can Little Flower’s leg be fixed?” Xi Ya used the opportunity of handing over her doll to secretly pass Lin Bai the biscuit.

Lin Bai took the doll and immediately noticed the biscuit hidden inside its belly.

Xi Ya whispered, “Sister Xiaxia gave it to me.”

Lin Bai took out the biscuit but didn’t return the doll to Xi Ya. She examined the doll, moving its broken leg back and forth, then scanned the crowd before heading toward Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu was chatting with Zhu Liang when he noticed Lin Bai approaching. He looked a bit surprised.

“You owe me a grenade,” Lin Bai said.

Zhou Yu: “…”

He had no idea how that debt had somehow been pinned on him.

Since it was mealtime, Zhou Yu assumed Lin Bai was just hungry and looking for food. Without much thought, he pulled a pack of biscuits from his pocket and offered it to her. “Will this do?”

Lin Bai shook her head. “Give me two pieces of metal with high density and good malleability.”

“Metal?” Zhou Yu hadn’t expected her to ask for that. But for him, it wasn’t difficult. He focused briefly and a piece of metal formed in his palm.

Lin Bai weighed it in her hand, then tossed it back with a look of disdain. “This won’t work.”

“Fine, let’s try again.” Zhou Yu conjured another piece.

It was rejected again.

After three failed attempts, Zhou Yu was baffled. “What’s wrong with this one?”

Lin Bai reached out and placed her hand directly on his chest. The sudden cool touch almost made Zhou Yu jump. He yelped, “What are you doing?!”

Even Zhu Liang was momentarily stunned by her action.

“Use the energy from here and try again.”

Lin Bai’s hand was cold, but it helped Zhou Yu locate the right energy source. When he followed her guidance and activated his ability again, the metal that formed in his palm this time was unexpectedly bright and refined.

Lou Tiannan turned his head just in time to see Lin Bai’s hand pressed against Zhou Yu’s chest. His brows furrowed again.

This Beta really couldn’t stay out of trouble.

Before Zhou Yu could properly inspect the metal, Lin Bai had already taken it. She withdrew her hand and said, “One more.”

Zhou Yu recalled the sensation from before and conjured another piece.

Lin Bai placed the two pieces together, gave him a quick glance, and walked away.

That glance was complicated, or at least Zhou Yu thought so. He turned to Zhu Liang suspiciously. “Brother Liang, was that look just now… her insulting me?”

Yes. She was calling you an idiot.

Zhu Liang coughed lightly to cover his amusement and changed the subject. “That last metal you created seemed different…”

Zhou Yu was easily distracted. His eyes lit up with excitement. “Right?! It felt completely different from before! I could tell!”

Zhu Liang watched as Zhou Yu enthusiastically rambled about how his ability seemed to have improved. Looking down at his own empty palm, a fleeting sense of loss passed through his heart.

The weather had been bad since last night. Even at eight in the morning, the sky remained dark, with layers of thick black clouds obscuring the sun.

Lou Tiannan waited for a long time, but the gloomy weather and drizzle persisted.

With the morning nearly over, he couldn’t afford to delay any longer. He ordered everyone to get into the vehicles and set off again.

Inside the truck bed, the temperature was low and everyone curled up for warmth.

Xi Ya sat next to Lin Bai, feeling a little uncomfortable without her doll. She fidgeted with the compressed biscuit Lin Bai had given back to her.

“Eat it,” Lin Bai’s voice came from beside her.

“Aren’t you eating it?”

“No.”

After some hesitation, Xi Ya followed Lin Bai’s instructions and ate the biscuit. Since awakening her ability, she became hungry more easily, especially after using her power last night.

Meanwhile, Lin Bai focused on sharpening the metal she had taken from Zhou Yu.

Her short blade was incredibly sharp, slicing through metal as if it were mud.

The others in the truck bed instinctively kept a bit of distance from her, afraid that they might accidentally become the next piece of metal in her hands.

Xi Ya watched in amazement as Lin Bai slowly shaped the metal into the form of a leg.

She hadn’t expected Lin Bai to actually fix her doll.

The doll had been with her since she lost her family, something she had found in a trash heap and kept by her side ever since. It held a special meaning for her.

During their escape, the doll’s leg had broken off and she had been heartbroken over it for a long time.

By noon, before the next supply distribution, Xi Ya received her repaired doll. Lin Bai had replaced the broken leg with a metal one. The new leg not only had movable joints but could also be detached and used as a small dagger. The combination of silver metal and the doll’s soft synthetic skin looked oddly harmonious.

“Amazing!” Xi Ya held the doll as if she had received a priceless treasure, inspecting it over and over. The doll’s realistic eyes even swayed slightly as she examined it.

She was beyond delighted. “Thank you.”

Looking up at Lin Bai, she repeated in an even softer voice, “Thank you, Mom.”