Chapter 247 | The Apocalypse Landlady

The people of the Terminal Station could only cower inside, relying on the system’s Rule Power for protection.

But this world was too large.

Panshi City was just a small town; there were bigger cities and greater powers beyond.

The Terminal Station couldn’t stay huddled on the edge of the Ruin Zone forever, isolated from the world.

She needed people who could fight.

She needed a real army.

An army that could leave the Terminal Station, march out to battle, and expand her territory in the outside world!

But currently, she only had high-level combatants like Cold Wind, Iron Bone, Zhou Hu, and Shadow Blade. It was far from enough.

If she could mass-produce Ability Users, even if they were only Level 1...

If those hunters, scavengers, and former City Defense Force soldiers with combat experience could awaken abilities, their combat power would multiply several times over.

An army composed entirely of Ability Users, even low-level ones, would be of immeasurable value!

Su Wan took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent thoughts in her mind, and looked down at Chen Shijie.

The thin, middle-aged man was currently looking at her expectantly.

“If your Awakening Potion is successfully developed, what is the probability of a normal human becoming an Ability User?”

Chen Shijie froze for a moment before quickly answering, “The current theoretical probability is around twenty percent.”

“If I can complete the final data collection and optimize the potion’s formula parameters, the awakening probability is expected to rise above twenty-five percent.”

“Twenty-five percent?” Su Wan’s brow furrowed slightly.

Chen Shijie hurriedly added, “That’s just a theoretical value. The actual effect won’t be known until clinical trials.”

“But even with only a twenty percent success rate, it’s already a massive breakthrough.”

“Do you know what the probability of a normal person naturally becoming an Ability User is? Less than one in a thousand.”

“And that’s innate. The probability of an acquired awakening is even lower—almost negligible.”

“If my potion succeeds, even with just a twenty percent success rate—”

He didn’t finish, but the meaning was already clear.

Su Wan was silent for a moment, then she withdrew the dagger into the system space.

Watching her retract the blade, Chen Shijie’s eyes instantly lit up. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Su Wan cut him off with a raised hand.

Su Wan contacted Iron Bone and told him to bring a few people out of the city.

The Night Owl base was already in the Outer City, so they arrived quickly.

In less than ten minutes, Iron Bone arrived at the Ruin Zone with five members of the Night Owl squad.

“Take these people back to the Terminal Station.”

“They are Level 3 Ability Users. Although they’ve lost the ability to resist, you still need to be careful.”

“Once they’re at the Terminal Station, lock them in an empty room and have robots guard them. No one is to approach without my orders.”

Su Wan’s gaze then fell on the youth curled up on the rubble.

Pale skin, a frail body, constant trembling—his clouded, grayish-white eyes stared blankly at the sky.

“Bring him back to the Terminal Station as well.”

Chen Shijie followed Su Wan’s gaze to the youth and whispered, “He... he has no more research value.”

“There’s no need to take him back...”

“Shut up!” Su Wan gave Chen Shijie a cold look.

Chen Shijie immediately fell silent.

Iron Bone took the order and led the five men to escort the three human Ability Users and the youth away toward the Terminal Station.

Su Wan knew what she was here to do.

She was going to negotiate with the City Defense Force and the Research Institute.

Chen Shijie watched Su Wan walk toward the city gate, unsure of what she intended. He chased after her and asked blankly,

“Where are you going?”

“To the Inner City.”

The streets of the Outer City were empty. A few pariahs wrapped in tattered cotton coats crouched at the base of a wall; seeing the two approach, they quickly tucked their heads and moved aside.

Chen Shijie followed behind Su Wan. Several times he wanted to say something, but seeing Su Wan’s cold, hard profile, he swallowed his words.

The Inner City gate appeared ahead.

A ten-meter-high concrete wall rose from the ground, completely isolating the Inner City from the Outer City.

A sentry tower stood every hundred meters along the wall, the muzzles of heavy machine guns glinting with a cold metallic luster under the dim sky.

The alloy main gate was tightly shut, leaving only a small side door wide enough for one person. Six fully armed soldiers stood at the entrance.

“Halt!”

The leading squad leader raised a hand to block their path, his gaze scanning Su Wan and Chen Shijie warily.

“Who are you? Where are your Entry Passes?”

Su Wan didn’t speak, merely tilting her head to look at Chen Shijie.

Chen Shijie pulled a silver-gray metal plate from his coat and held it in front of the squad leader.

It was a High-level Pass for the Deep Blue Research Institute, the highest-level entry credential in the Inner City. Only three people in the entire Research Institute possessed one.

“I am Chen Shijie of the Deep Blue Research Institute,” he said with a hint of impatience. “This is my guest. She’s coming with me into the Inner City for business.”

In the Inner City of Panshi City, there were few who didn’t know the name Chen Shijie.

The Chief Researcher of the Deep Blue Research Institute and a Senior Expert certified by the Dawn Federation—he was a figure even Commander Pei Su had to treat with courtesy.

“Dr. Chen, my apologies for the disrespect.” The squad leader jolted and quickly stepped aside, waving frantically to the soldiers behind him.

“Open the gate, quickly!”

The small alloy door opened. The squad leader stood respectfully to the side, watching the two enter the city.

Only after Su Wan and Chen Shijie’s figures vanished did the squad leader hurriedly instruct a soldier beside him,

“Quick, report their entry immediately!”

The screens in the surveillance room glowed with a pale blue light.

Zhuang Heng stood before the screens, his gaze fixed on the young woman in the center of the frame—

Windbreaker, long hair, delicate features, and a calm expression.

She was too young, looking like a student still studying in school.

“Su Wan...” he murmured the name, his brow furrowing slightly. The vertical furrow between his eyes was deeper than usual.

He had imagined many possibilities, but he had never expected that the mastermind who had repeatedly thwarted the City Defense Force would be a young woman who looked barely twenty.

Zhuang Heng took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

He walked out of the surveillance room, went to the door of Pei Su’s office, and knocked twice.

“Come in.”

Zhuang Heng pushed the door open and entered.

Pei Su sat behind a broad desk. Several cigarette butts were piled in the ashtray before him, and the air was thick with lingering smoke.

He looked up at Zhuang Heng, the dark circles under his eyes particularly prominent under the fluorescent lights.

“Commander Pei, Su Wan is here.”

Pei Su’s fingers paused slightly.

“She just entered the city. Chen Shijie is with her, and they used a High-level Pass from the Research Institute.” Zhuang Heng paused before adding, “She’s very young, looks to be in her early twenties.”