Chapter 20: Spicy Crispy Potato Pancakes

After finishing the last bowl of meat porridge, Su Su finally felt an unprecedented sense of fullness.

While the fire was still burning, she thought for a moment and had Little Black release the bucket of eggs, boiling six of them.

If they didn’t have time to cook on the road ahead, the eggs would be convenient to eat directly.

She also stewed a pot of smoked chicken, leaving it for Little Black’s dinner.

“Little Black, we need to head to X City first.”

Eighty pounds of rice would be enough for her alone to eat for quite some time, but if unexpected events happened on the journey, supplies could quickly run out.

No matter what, she had to detour through X City. Su Su planned to search for supplies there and have Little Black store everything.

“Hiss~”

The black snake was too lazy to move and gave Su Su a hard time before she managed to place it on the front passenger seat.

“Honestly, I still prefer how you looked before.”

She sighed as she set it down.

“You’re too heavy now—carrying you on my back is tiring, and holding you is even more exhausting.”

The black snake closed its eyes, feigning sleep, pretending not to understand.

Cold-blooded creatures generally have a more aloof temperament. Even though it acted indifferent, Su Su treated herself as its owner, taking care of it wholeheartedly and willingly.

Who would quibble with their beloved pet?

Su Su still hadn’t figured out exactly how intelligent Little Black was. From her perspective, it was just a rather clever and formidable python.

Sometimes lazy, a bit petty, a little fierce... but it would protect her when it mattered!

Su Su lovingly peeled a boiled egg.

“Eat this, we’re about to hit the road!”

Whoosh.

The snake’s head darted out and swallowed the egg in an instant.

“Let’s go.”

The off-road vehicle headed toward X City. The closer they got to the urban area, the more scattered zombies appeared.

Ordinary low-level zombies couldn’t keep up with the vehicle’s speed. Even if flying zombies blocked the road, they were mercilessly knocked aside.

Su Su focused more on the second-tier zombies.

She was also second-tier... With her current strength, what level zombies could she control at best? And how many could she control simultaneously?

These were questions she needed to explore.

This journey was the perfect opportunity to train. If she could encounter a third-tier zombie... Su Su thought hopefully. But after driving day and night, they hadn’t come across a single third-tier zombie.

In desolate areas, first- and second-tier zombies weren’t even common, so there were few chances to act.

Su Su didn’t lose heart.

Only when they passed the outskirts of X City, with residential buildings growing closer, did the number of zombies gradually increase.

Perhaps attracted by the car’s roar, a large horde of low-level zombies swarmed, mixed with many first-tier ones.

Su Su unleashed her psychic power. A white light invisible to others enveloped a ten-meter radius. The snarling zombies were disoriented by the light, lost their direction, paused briefly, then staggered away in all directions.

Thump, thump.

Seeing this, Su Su’s heart involuntarily quickened.

Her seemingly “useless” psychic ability was so effective against zombies... As her power grew stronger, wouldn’t that mean she could move freely in this apocalypse?

“Little Black, from now on we…”

Su Su wanted to share her joy with the black snake but turned to find it already crawling out the open window!

She slammed on the brakes, shouting, “Little Black?”

Without looking back, the snake “flew” out the window, covering dozens of meters in the blink of an eye, unaffected by the vehicle’s speed.

It locked onto a second-tier zombie, instantly burning it to ashes with blue flames.

A crystal stone dropped to the ground, swiftly swept into the snake’s mouth by its crimson tongue.

Su Su’s heart finally settled.

She realized she had worried too much. Little Black was a python with psychic power; after swallowing crystal stones, zombies were probably recognized as prey to be hunted.

In broad daylight, the black snake was like a walking “incinerator,” burning wherever it went. Su Su watched helplessly as it swallowed over ten second-tier crystal stones. Though she worried about excess energy building up inside it, she mostly felt relieved and proud.

Since that was the case, she wasn’t in a hurry to continue. She found a concealed spot to park the off-road vehicle and began searching for supplies.

This area was still twenty or thirty kilometers from the city center. Before the apocalypse, it took a subway to the end of Line One and then a half-hour drive to reach here.

Land was cheap, so developers had built many new housing complexes, but surrounding malls and living facilities were still incomplete.

Several storefronts were even still vacant.

Su Su used her psychic power to “ward off” zombies while inspecting each place, hoping to find supermarkets or retail shops that might still hold some leftover supplies.

Finally! At the end of this street, she found a small supermarket on the second floor of a building!

The elevator entrance had long been abandoned; she had to take a special side passage.

Staring at the dark corridor, Su Su hesitated for a few seconds but decided to retreat.

“Little Black!”

Hearing her voice from afar, the black snake turned its head to glance at her.

Su Su waved. “Come here, I found supplies.”

Torn between the allure of crystal stones and the human call, the snake pondered briefly before slowly swimming over.

Su Su opened her backpack.

“There might still be survivors in the supermarket. Come in and hide.”

The black snake grudgingly crawled inside.

It had once obediently stayed in the backpack because the strong human scent around was threatening for a creature used to living deep in the mountains.

Later, as its mind cleared and powers grew stronger, it disliked being confined in the bag.

“Hiss!”

On the way upstairs, the snake restlessly poked its head out and silently crouched on Su Su’s shoulder, vigilantly scanning ahead.

Su Su indulged it. “If you see anyone, hide in the backpack immediately, okay?”

“Hiss~”

The snake gave two perfunctory hisses.

Worried the supermarket might hide zombies or survivors, Su Su moved lightly and with utmost caution.

Just as she stepped onto the last stair, she heard sounds of crashing and fighting.

Someone was there! And judging by the voices, several people!

Su Su panicked, glanced around, and instinctively hid under the supermarket’s entrance counter.

“Boss! We can’t hold on!”

“This third-tier zombie is too fierce! If this goes on, we’ll all die here!”

Two seconds later, someone responded.

“Hold on one more minute! Can Can, go grab the supplies—take as much as you can!”

“Got it!”

The familiar name and voice immediately reminded Su Su of the four people she had met in the wilderness a couple of days ago.

So it was them—what a coincidence to meet again.

After a few seconds of thought, she still didn’t come out.

One minute passed quickly, and the situation outside became more one-sided.

No matter how unwilling, the leader had to order the team to retreat from the supermarket.

“One minute’s up! Fall back!”

Three burly men fought their way to the exit. The clinging zombies, sensing their retreat and unwilling to lose fresh prey, launched even fiercer attacks.

The leader, with the strongest psychic power, was struggling.

If this continued, they might not escape!

Realizing this, the leader’s eyes flickered.

His peripheral vision caught sight of Pang Can Can rushing over; she had just cleared the shelves but was slowed down by the supplies in her arms.

“Boss, we can’t keep this up,” the sarcastic chicken guy who had mocked Pang Can Can earlier said quietly. “This zombie is too tenacious. If we don’t find someone to cover us, none of us will get out.”

At that moment, a zombie’s claw scratched the leader’s face.

He narrowly dodged and tried to counterattack, but his psychic power was nearly drained.

In an instant, he made a decision.

He grabbed the arriving Pang Can Can, who wasn’t heavy and easily dragged in front of him.

Caught off guard, Pang Can Can’s supplies scattered on the floor.

“Boss?”

“Can Can, don’t blame me. Someone has to cover the rear. Your psychic power is too useless—you're the best choice.”

With that, the leader ruthlessly threw her toward the charging third-tier zombie.

“Bastard! Scoundrel!”

Shouts echoed throughout the supermarket, but they didn’t evoke guilt or remorse from the others. Seeing the zombie slowed by fresh flesh, they hurriedly fled the chaotic place.

Muttering curses, “Damn it, we didn’t get the supplies!”

By now, no one mourned Pang Can Can’s sacrifice; they only regretted the lost supplies.

The curses turned into screams.

“Get away!”

Pang Can Can’s sleeve was torn by zombie claws. Terrified, she immediately released a dozen poisonous insects.

They swarmed the zombie’s head, crawling into every opening—eye sockets, ears, mouth—any gap they could find.

“Roar!”

The enraged zombie, its rotted body impervious to the poison, swatted the insects away, except for those near its brain.

The few seconds of delay allowed Pang Can Can to try to escape, but the exit was blocked. She had to retreat into a narrow storage room.

Just inside, the zombie, having crushed a dozen poisonous insects, charged to the door, roaring and pounding on it.

Judging by its force, the flimsy door would soon be broken down.

“Bastards! Sons of bitches!”

“Zhao Qiankun! Lin Wenzong! Zhang Qiang! You’d better pray I die here today. If I survive, I swear I’ll kill you all!”

Her desperate curses clearly echoed into Su Su’s ears.