Chapter 119: Who Is the Hunter?

The journey had been mostly silent. Although the apocalypse had struck, many had yet to experience the world beyond the coastline. As a result, there was a mix of nervousness and apprehension about this strange training exercise.

Jiang Huan appeared lost in thought but was actually reviewing the gear she had prepared before bed. Her diving suit, fully inflated kayak, life jacket, lifebuoy, and buoy marker were all neatly arranged. Her pistol and electromagnetic gun were secured in a tactical vest. It was too hot to wear a bulletproof vest now, so she left it aside but kept it nearby to avoid wasting time searching later.

In the distance, they saw the harbor along the shore. Xing Yu strode forward briskly. “Let’s gather up. When we head down, don’t get separated.” After all, the head coach wouldn’t be standing onshore shouting through a megaphone. This wasn’t a kindergarten field trip—it was serious training.

Jiang Huan acknowledged with a nod, matching Xing Yu’s indifferent tone. Surprisingly, this attitude made Xing Yu glance at her a few extra times. In his mind, women naturally sought men’s help, so he had been grudgingly accepting being paired with her out of necessity. Yet Jiang Huan was even more aloof.

A cold sneer flickered in Xing Yu’s mind. If she lagged behind and slowed them down, he and Dai Fu wouldn’t wait for her. Weak links were simply discarded on the front lines.

With that mindset, once they disembarked, the others quickly scattered. Xing Yu and Dai Fu strode ahead, soon leaving Jiang Huan behind by more than ten meters—a gap that only widened. Jiang Huan initially thought it was her stride that was too short, but realizing it wasn’t worth chasing, she merely followed at a distance, watching them go.

When they turned a corner and disappeared from sight, Jiang Huan took her time. She surveyed the surrounding buildings through her binoculars, then slipped into a ruin. When she emerged, she had a skateboard in hand.

The city of Wanwan had suffered earthquakes and possibly major seawater surges, leaving many cracks in the ground. Even choosing the smoothest paths required exceptional core control.

She cruised forward until she reached a relatively intact building she had spotted through the binoculars. Guessing that such a place might still hold flags, she entered a four-story mixed-use residential and commercial building. Before the apocalypse, the ground floor had been a snack shop, with apartments above.

On the fourth floor, she found some small appliances that had miraculously avoided damage. Descending to the third floor, she passed an open door revealing three boxes of small toys—some for adults, some for those with particular tastes. She left them behind to save space.

On the next floor down, she discovered a sturdy computer desk and a fully functional foldable electric wheelchair. Her hoarding instinct took over, and she took both.

At the last room on the second floor, which appeared to be a public restroom, she hesitated before entering. Bathrooms were usually avoided unless absolutely necessary. But this time, she was right to go in.

In the furthest stall, despite an unpleasant odor, she spotted a small flag bearing a star emblem—the kind that people used to stick on their cars or conference tables before the world ended. Jiang Huan carefully stowed it away in the safest spot.

The ground floor held nothing but rotting, sun-dried food and furniture beyond salvage. She moved on to explore other nearby buildings that had remained relatively intact.

Turning a corner, the scene suddenly opened up before her. A stretch of road had been cleared and smoothed out. But Jiang Huan avoided walking on it, instead hugging the wall as she made her way across.

Not long after she left, a team passed by unaware that this seemingly ordinary road was anything but. They were only alert to their surroundings, not the ground beneath their feet. Two of the three fell into traps, leaving them to retreat in a state of chaos and alarm.

Jiang Huan continued on to a counter emblazoned with the words “China Gold.” The items there had long since been looted.

It made sense: first the ice, then the earthquakes, followed by extreme heat waves. This area was closest to Heartless Little Japan Island, where panic would have been at its peak. Precious metals like gold, which still held value as currency in chaotic times, had surely been swept clean.

Jiang Huan felt a twinge of regret. No matter how well-made any product was, after such extreme weather events, everything was ruined.

As she noticed a suspicious pile of things that should have been censored, she realized someone still lived nearby. Someone who wanted to leave but was forced to stay.

A red dot suddenly appeared on Jiang Huan’s collar, accompanied by a voice through a loudspeaker: “Don’t move if you don’t want a bullet through your chest.”

Jiang Huan raised her hands in surrender. Soon, someone approached. Seeing it was a woman, the newcomer smiled. “This one’s worth a lot.”

Jiang Huan said nothing. She couldn’t tell if “worth a lot” meant trading her with the head coach or somewhere else. Either way, it all boiled down to one thing.

Before she could react further, Jiang Huan dropped into a crouch, punched the woman in the stomach, then pulled her in front as a human shield, pressing her pistol to the woman’s temple.

This was inevitable: they saw her as merchandise, not a person.

“Hey, hey, miss! Miss, comrade! We’re not bad people, calm down, calm down.” Hearing Jiang Huan’s sudden attack, two more people appeared from the loudspeaker side, approaching from left and right to flank her.

Jiang Huan disengaged the safety on her gun. “Tell them to stop.”

“Ah! Stop, stop! Don’t come closer, do you want me dead? This is a real gun! Really!” The two froze at the sound of the real firearm, muttering complaints about how they were supposed to be unarmed.

Ignoring their grumbles, Jiang Huan pulled the woman back. “Keep pace with me. If you trip or fall on purpose, accidentally triggering something, that’s on you.”

Her words seemed to predict the captive’s possible actions. The woman immediately went meek, quail-like.

“Sister, I’m very obedient, but please control that gun well. And, we really aren’t bad people—we’re just cooperating with your leaders to help train you.”

“I just heard you happily planning to trade me. What do you mean by that?” Jiang Huan’s cold question sent a cold sweat down the woman’s spine.