Qingying, who had lost Shi Henian at the Vermilion Bird Base, suddenly remembered someone even more outstanding than Shi Henian in her previous life: her biological doctoral supervisor, You Hen.
She had never met You Hen in her past life, but she had heard of Dr. You Hen's great reputation. Even Shi Henian at the time spoke highly of You Hen, calling him a leader in the scientific research community and admitting that he had once received guidance from You Hen. However, Dr. You Hen was known for his eccentric personality.
After the apocalypse began, he converted his laboratory into a base and obtained something called the Water of Life, which he turned into a medicinal agent. This agent not only exponentially increased the level of supernatural abilities but also allowed for the cultivation of crops in the scorched earth of the apocalypse. Because of this, the Thunder Base rose to prominence in the post-apocalyptic world.
However, fame attracted trouble. Dr. You Hen, lacking supernatural abilities, became a target for recruitment by various bases. Unfortunately, the miraculous doctor met a grim end, reportedly murdered by his own student, who then absconded with his research technology. The Thunder Base was later destroyed, overrun by zombies.
Qingying didn't know the name of the student who killed You Hen, where he went, or which base eventually acquired the miraculous Water of Life. This was because shortly after hearing about these events, she was imprisoned in the Cloud City Base by that wretched woman Yin Qing, and she never left that dark, cramped place until her death.
Considering the timing, Dr. You Hen had not yet met his demise. Qingying found her direction and, after leaving the Vermilion Bird Base, rushed to the Thunder Base. She had initially believed that with her memories from her past life, she could convince You Hen to accompany her to Cloud City and help build it into the strongest base in the apocalypse.
To her surprise, the stubborn old man You Hen did not trust her at all. He refused to go to Cloud City with her, let alone hand over his research achievements. Qingying attempted to use force, as she had with Shi Henian, to make You Hen comply. However, You Hen had no supernatural abilities and remained within the Thunder Base day and night. Moreover, the old man had a volatile temper and no fear of death.
Adding to her predicament, while You Hen was a doctor of biology, he had also dabbled in and achieved great proficiency in other disciplines. After the apocalypse began, he had researched and created many peculiar items. The Thunder Base was like a sturdy turtle shell, and inside was a dragon's lair, making Qingying hesitant to act rashly.
Calculating the time, the first large-scale adverse weather event of the apocalypse was about to occur. Qingying considered abandoning her efforts and heading to Cloud City. She knew how terrifying this environmental change would be, and if she didn't leave soon, she wouldn't have enough time to reach Cloud City.
However, just as she was preparing to leave, Gao Chu found her and proposed a partnership. Gao Chu was the first person to awaken supernatural abilities in the laboratory after the apocalypse began. He was also the person with the highest supernatural ability level in the Thunder Base, and all ability users regarded him as their leader. After the apocalypse broke out, it was Gao Chu who led the ability users in eradicating the zombies within the experimental base. He also led the ability users in scavenging for supplies, ensuring the livelihood of the people within the Thunder Base.
He believed it was unfair for the supplies collected by ability users at the risk of their lives to be distributed equally among the ordinary people in the base. Therefore, he proposed that resources be allocated based on ability levels and that useless ordinary people should be expelled from the base to recruit more ability users.
His proposal was immediately rejected by You Hen, who stated that as long as he was in the base, the rules would not change. Everyone in the Thunder Base was equal, regardless of whether they were ability users or ordinary people. Furthermore, he added that anyone who could enter his laboratory was not ordinary but useful. Those dissatisfied with the rules were welcome to leave the base; he would not stop them.
In front of everyone, Gao Chu did not erupt. He immediately apologized to You Hen, but in his heart, he harbored a deep resentment and desired to replace him. He believed that without him, the Thunder Base would not exist, and therefore, he should be the supreme leader of the base. However, he was a hypocrite who wanted to maintain a good image. He felt that as You Hen's student, killing You Hen to take his place would not win him the support of the people and would hinder his leadership of the Thunder Base.
Just as he was searching for someone to carry out the deed, Qingying appeared, and he sought her out for cooperation. Qingying initially refused because she wanted You Hen, and she needed his research achievements. She needed You Hen's living brain to help her build the base. She was not an assassin and would not do anything without personal benefit.
Upon learning of Qingying's needs, Gao Chu claimed that he had followed You Hen for ten years and was privy to all his research findings. As long as Qingying helped him kill You Hen, he would fulfill all her requirements. Thus, the two individuals with malicious intentions colluded and reached an agreement. Under Gao Chu's cover, Qingying infiltrated the Thunder Base and secretly murdered Dr. You Hen.
Gao Chu announced to the internal members of the Thunder Base that Dr. You Hen had gone out to search for the Water of Life and had been killed by zombies. He then smoothly took over as the leader of the Thunder Base and changed the rules, treating ability users and ordinary people differently.
Qingying calculated that she no longer had enough time to reach Cloud City Base before the climate disaster. She decided to temporarily stay at the Thunder Base and use this time to verify the effects of the Water of Life after it was made into a medicinal agent, to see if it was as rumored in her past life.
However, the drop of Water of Life kept as a research sample inexplicably disappeared and could not be found anywhere. This drop of Water of Life had always been personally guarded by You Hen. With no one to corroborate the story, Gao Chu was in an awkward position. Qingying, however, was unconcerned. Based on her memories from her past life, she told Gao Chu that the Water of Life also existed in the suburbs of Jiangcheng.
Gao Chu then excitedly led his confidants, Wo Yucheng and Guangtou, to Jiangcheng. This was because Qingying had mentioned that there was a considerable amount of Water of Life there. They were unaware that while there was Water of Life in the suburbs of Jiangcheng, Mingyue and Shi Henian had already gotten there first. Gao Chu returned empty-handed and encountered a high-level zombie, nearly losing his life. Fortunately, his luck turned when he encountered the Mingyue team and discovered they not only had the Water of Life but also spatial abilities, a stroke of incredible fortune.
"Shi Henian? Why keep him alive? I can do everything he can. You're not interested in him, are you?" Upon learning that Qingying intended to spare Shi Henian's life, Gao Chu felt a pang of discomfort, his tone tinged with jealousy. Qingying's beauty was undeniable, and he had been infatuated with her from the moment he first saw her, but his pride prevented him from expressing it. Another reason was that he was not unfamiliar with Shi Henian. Although they had never met, You Hen often mentioned him when he was alive, calling Shi Henian the most promising young doctor in the scientific research community. The admiring expression and approving tone You Hen used made Gao Chu extremely uncomfortable. In his heart, he had long considered Shi Henian a rival and would not miss the opportunity to eliminate him now. Besides, in matters of murder and theft, no witnesses should be left alive. If the roots are not removed, endless trouble will follow, so he wanted to know why Qingying was doing this.
"Don't overthink it. I just need his brain. Coincidentally, I've recently cultivated a new immortal technique called Puppet Technique, and I want to test it on him. Also, a reminder, that person named Mingyue is unfathomable. Even I dare not confront her head-on. Be careful, don't try to steal a chicken only to lose the rice, and capsize in your own home." Qingying had clashed with Mingyue multiple times without gaining any advantage, so she warned Gao Chu not to underestimate her.
"Don't worry, as long as they are in the Thunder Base, they are like meat on a chopping block, at my mercy," Gao Chu said confidently, gesturing to the various instruments operating around them.