Since the front gate was impassable, Xie Qi had no choice but to look up at the high surrounding wall. Confirming that the distance was suitable, he slowly stepped back, took a running start, and effortlessly leaped over the wall.
His entire movement was fluid and natural, as if he had done it countless times before. Once his feet landed stably on the ground, Xie Qi took out a clean tissue and gently wiped the residual dust from his hands.
To Xie Qi's relief, these ferocious-looking zombies, reeking of foul odors, showed not the slightest interest in him; they couldn't even be bothered to glance his way.
This meant he didn't have to fight them off, nor did he have to worry about getting blood or grime on himself and ruining his mood.
Xie Qi couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief, his pace growing lighter. He couldn't wait to meet that legendary protagonist as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the protagonist and his group had been searching the vicinity for quite some time.
Song Chen nimbly side-stepped and delivered a fatal blow to the head of a lunging zombie. After they dealt with the very last zombie, he looked at Lu Ze and asked doubtfully, "Captain, is Professor Xie really around here?"
Hearing this, Lu Ze, who had just put away his ability, gazed at the ruins and wreckage before him and replied, "The Commander's intelligence indicates that Professor Xie's home is nearby."
At that moment, Yu Tian also turned his head, looking at Lu Ze with a troubled expression, and sighed helplessly, "But Captain, this is the apocalypse now. Things have changed, people have drifted apart—how easy do you think it is to find Professor Xie?"
Lu Muyang grew even more agitated upon hearing this and couldn't help complaining, "Ugh! This is so annoying! It's all that guy's fault. If it weren't for him, why would Professor Xie have been removed from his post? And why would we have to go to such great lengths to search everywhere!" Muttering indignantly, he viciously kicked a loose stone by his foot.
Just as everyone was sinking into a gloomy atmosphere, a voice suddenly broke the silence. It was firm and powerful, like the dawn breaking through the dark clouds, bringing hope to this hazy wasteland.
"Hey, are you guys looking for Professor Xie? I know where he is."
Hearing the voice, Lu Ze vigilantly looked toward the source. He saw Xie Qi walking toward them with steady strides. Xie Qi wore a neat and well-fitted outfit, forming a striking contrast with the ruin-filled, dust-choked apocalyptic environment, making him stand out conspicuously.
Looking at Xie Qi, whose attire was entirely out of place in the end times, Lu Muyang couldn't help asking out of curiosity, "It's the apocalypse, and you're still acting like a big shot? Can you even see the road wearing sunglasses?"
However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than Song Chen, standing right behind him, quickly reached out and covered his mouth, lowering his voice to say, "Be good, don't just run your mouth."
Then, Song Chen turned to face Xie Qi, a hint of apology on his face as he explained, "Sorry about that, bro. He didn't mean any harm, he just speaks his mind—please bear with him."
Although Song Chen had no idea what Xie Qi's true strength was, just by observing his spotless attire and grooming, he could guess that the other man must be a powerful ability user.
After all, in this resource-scarce, crisis-laden apocalypse, anyone who could maintain such neatness and composure was certainly no ordinary person.
Yet, faced with everyone's strange looks, Xie Qi acted completely unfazed and said casually, "Oh, you mean the sunglasses? Actually, there's no special reason; I just simply don't want to look at those disgusting freaks."
Hearing Xie Qi's such nonchalant reply, the people around him didn't know what to make of it for a moment.
After all, compared to seeing repulsive things, any normal person would surely care more about whether they could clearly see the road and the oncoming zombies!
In such a perilous environment, being unable to see the road and enemies was extremely dangerous, but the person before him chose to wear sunglasses to block his vision just to avoid seeing so-called "disgusting freaks." He was either a fool or immensely powerful.
At that moment, Lu Ze also walked up to Xie Qi and introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Lu Ze, their captain. I heard you just say you know where Professor Xie is. Could you trouble you to take us there?"
Xie Qi simply took off his sunglasses and fixed his gaze on the protagonist before him. He was very curious about what the protagonist of this world looked like.
However, when those delicate and refined features came into view, Xie Qi couldn't help raising an eyebrow. For someone obsessed with aesthetics, a look that Xie Qi acknowledged was undoubtedly top-tier. Lu Ze happened to hit every single one of his aesthetic preferences.
After all, he had never seen anyone better-looking than himself. At that moment, Xie Qi developed a strong interest in this damn save-the-world mission.
Then, looking at Lu Ze, Xie Qi said with a hint of languidness, "It's not out of the question to take you to Professor Xie, but you have to agree to one condition."
Lu Ze looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly in puzzlement. Hearing this without any restraint, Lu Muyang blurted out angrily, "We're looking for Professor Xie for the future of humanity! What kind of de—mph... mph..."
Before Lu Muyang could finish, Song Chen covered his mouth and pulled him into a hold. Song Chen looked at Lu Ze helplessly and said, "Captain, you guys go on chatting."
Hearing Song Chen's words, Lu Ze sighed helplessly, then turned back to look at Xie Qi. His gaze was calm and profound, as if he could see right through the other's inner thoughts.
Lu Ze slowly opened his mouth to ask, "What do you want? Supplies or a favor?"
There was a hint of doubt and vigilance in his tone. He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and since the other person was making such a demand, he definitely had his own motives.
Xie Qi smiled slightly, revealing a row of neat teeth, his smile brimming with confidence and slyness. "Can't you say it's protection?" he countered, a barely perceptible glint flashing in his eyes.
Lu Ze's brow furrowed slightly as he looked Xie Qi up and down, seemingly evaluating whether the other man truly needed their protection. After a moment, he shook his head and said indifferently, "You don't look like someone who needs our protection."
Xie Qi deliberately put on a pitiful expression and said, "Oh my, that's so heartbreaking. Actually, I'm very fragile."
Hearing this, Lu Ze was not fooled by his act and continued to analyze the situation calmly. "So, you're saying you want us to protect you?" he asked again, his gaze locked tightly onto Xie Qi.
Dropping his pitiful, depressed demeanor, Xie Qi answered with a straight face, "Not really."
Seeing this, Lu Muyang flew into a rage. With wide eyes, he roared at Xie Qi, "You dare play with us!" With that, he lunged forward.
Lu Ze quickly reached out to stop Lu Muyang, motioning for him to stay calm. Then, looking back at Xie Qi, he asked word by word, "Then, what—on—earth—do—you—want?!"
Seeing the noticeable emotional shift in Lu Ze compared to just moments before, Xie Qi let out a soft laugh. "I heard you possess the thunder, fire, and water triple-element abilities?"
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Lu Ze replied calmly, "I don't know where you heard that, but that's correct."
"Then use your water-element ability to give me a bath."
The protagonist possessed the water-element ability, and in this situation, Xie Qi naturally wouldn't let slip such an opportunity. With the original host's fastidiousness, if he didn't wash up soon, he would lose his mind!
Hearing Xie Qi's words, Lu Ze was initially stunned. He hadn't expected Xie Qi to make such a demand. After all, in everyone's minds, abilities were meant for killing zombies, not for taking baths.
At that moment, to smooth things over, Yu Tian stepped forward and said in a friendly tone, "Bro, you can come back to the base with us. As long as you help us find Professor Xie, higher-ups will provide you with free lodging, which has clean water for you to wash up."
Yet upon hearing this, Xie Qi said nothing. He simply looked at them quietly for a few seconds before raising a hand to put his sunglasses back on. Then, without a shred of hesitation, he turned and walked away.
Waiting until they returned to the base to bathe would be more agonizing than death; he'd rather check out where there was water nearby to wash up first, and then come back to find the protagonist and his group later.
However, when Lu Ze watched Xie Qi turn and leave without warning, a hint of doubt and misinterpretation welled up in his heart. Could it be that the other person was truly unwilling to cooperate with them?
The thought flashed through his mind, and Lu Ze immediately realized that time was of the essence and he couldn't afford to let any opportunity slip away. Without a moment's hesitation, he shouted aloud, "Fine! I agree to your terms. But once it's done, you must tell us Professor Xie's whereabouts."
At that moment, Lu Ze knew full well that despite his lingering doubts over whether Xie Qi could actually lead them to the professor, he would never give up lightly, even if there was only a slim glimmer of hope.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Xie Qi's previously stern face instantly blossomed into a smile. He spun around abruptly, strode back toward him with brisk steps, and without another word, firmly grabbed Lu Ze by the wrist. "Really?! Then let's get moving right now."
Lu Ze was left momentarily speechless. Despite feeling somewhat conflicted inside, he still nodded silently in tacit consent.
Watching their captain being forcibly dragged away, the teammates left behind exchanged bewildered glances. After a brief hesitation, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow closely behind.