The world was currently in a state of turmoil. Ordinary people harbor fear towards individuals with superpowers, while people with superpowers also hold resentment towards ordinary people. The risk of encountering danger looms at every turn.
Tao Ran stayed with Chao Feng at the base camp for a few days, eating pork and potato chunks in the cafeteria every day. To be honest, the food wasn't difficult to eat, but being monotonous, it was easy to get tired of. Tao Ran ate it for four days in a row, and when he saw the pork and potato chunks again, his face looked even worse than the potato chunks themselves.
Chao Feng, being well-acquainted with his son, understood Tao Ran's expression and inquired, "Can't eat?"
Tao Ran nodded, "Mm."
"If you can't eat it, don't force yourself," Chao Feng said. "Come with me tomorrow."
Tao Ran's eyes lit up with joy, "Dad, are you taking me out to eat something delicious?"
Chao Feng glanced at Tao Ran silently, then said, "I want you to come with me to work tomorrow. You'll be so exhausted that you won't have trouble eating anymore."
Tao Ran: "..." What happened to the promised father's love for his son?
Tao Ran didn't dare to be mischievous anymore and ate his meal honestly. When he wiped his mouth and prepared to go back to his tent to sleep, he accidentally bumped into a young woman. The woman was very beautiful, and she seemed quite happy to see Tao Ran. She secretly slipped two fruit candies to him.
Tao Ran smiled at her while holding the candy. The woman went to have dinner with her colleagues. Xiao Mei remarked, "The female lead gave you candy to eat! Are you going to pursue her too?"
Tao Ran said blankly, "Did you see the way she looked at me? It was like a mother looking at her son. Pursue her, my foot!"
Xiao Mei: "..."
At night, Xiao Mei suddenly reminded him, "Get ready, the female supporting character and the male lead are about to appear."
Tao Ran was taken aback. He cursed Xiao Mei for not telling him earlier, and then he woke up Chao Feng, who had been toiling all day and was quite sleepy. Surprisingly, after being woken up by Tao Ran, Chao Feng didn't get angry or scold him. It served as a testament to Chao Feng truly being his father. Rubbing his drowsy eyes, Chao Feng asked, "What's wrong?"
"Dad, let's go pee," Tao Ran said.
"..." Chao Feng who hadn't helped Tao Ran pee for over a decade. He paused for a moment, then said, "I don't need to go now. You can go by yourself."
"Dad~" Tao Ran looked pitifully at Chao Feng. "It's dark outside, and I'm scared."
Chao Feng couldn't help but examine his son closely. Was this person who had suddenly become so vulnerable and girlish really his son?
"What's wrong? Are you sick?" Chao Feng asked.
Tao Ran tugged at Chao Feng's arm persistently. "Dad, please come with me. I'm scared."
Chao Feng made up his mind to take care of his son, regardless of how absurd the situation seemed. He led Tao Ran out of the tent.
The open space of the base was crowded with these tents, the surface of which were fitted with solar equipment that absorbed solar energy during the day and provided electricity at night. This was a forced measure, as society had become chaotic and energy was not as easy to obtain as before. So of course, all possible ways to obtain energy must be considered.
The two of them headed towards the restroom area. Tao Ran had no desire to use the restroom, and he didn't feel safe even hiding in the toilet. Moreover, he couldn't bear to watch everyone die outside.
Chao Feng spoke from behind Tao Ran, "If you need to pee, do it quickly. Why are you dawdling?"
"Dad," Tao Ran suddenly said, "I'm scared."
Chao Feng felt an instant urge to slap Tao Ran, but he held back and patiently reassured him, "Dad is here, don't be afraid."
"But I just saw a shadow pass by," Tao Ran persisted.
This statement made Chao Feng's scalp tingle. He said sternly, "Don't talk nonsense."
"It's true," Tao Ran insisted. "I really saw it. That shadow didn't belong to anyone from the base; because it seemed to be floating."
Chao Feng peered into Tao Ran's eyes, but in the darkness and with Tao Ran's acting skills, he couldn't discern much. He didn't think Tao Ran was lying, but he wasn't fully sure if Tao Ran had seen it correctly. If it was indeed true, he would need to report it to the officers in the base. But what if it was false? If he reported it and nothing happened, would it be seen as causing unnecessary disturbance?
Tao Ran looked at Chao Feng and said, "Dad, go tell the soldiers. It's better to be safe than sorry. Even if I'm mistaken, I'll just face some scolding."
Chao Feng thought so too. People were very valuable now, especially young men like himself and Tao Ran who needed to be protected. Even if the military intelligence turned out to be false, the worst that could happen was receiving a scolding. A scolding was just a scolding, and it wouldn't hurt them.
So, Chao Feng accompanied Tao Ran to the soldiers on the night watch. The soldiers, equipped with infrared night vision goggles, spotted them approaching from a distance. They raised their guns and asked, "What are you doing?"
Tao Ran walked over and greeted, "Hello, brother soldier."
Tao Ran was young and looked innocent, coupled with his deliberate display of cuteness, he easily won people's favor. The soldiers relaxed their expressions and gently asked, "What's the matter? Did you not eat enough tonight?"
"No," Tao Ran replied innocently, "I just went to the toilet and saw a shadow floating by, so I came to inform you."
Upon hearing this, the soldiers' expressions turned serious. They inquired, "Are you sure you didn't see it wrong? Did the person's shadow float by instead of walk?"
"I'm sure," Tao Ran said. "When people walk, their shoulders move, but that shadow was very stable and quickly floated by."
Like Chao Feng, the soldiers did not believe that Tao Ran was lying. They exchanged a glance and one of them said, "I'll go inform the leader."
Before anyone could move, a strong beam of light suddenly illuminated the entire base.
Tao Ran looked up and saw a huge fireball appearing in the sky above the base, like a sudden rising sun. The soldier who was about to go to ask for permission exclaimed, "Damn, it's too late."
"Enemy attack!"
With a resounding roar, the sun in the sky erupted, and numerous small fireballs cascaded down upon the camp, and a rain of fire fell in the camp in an instant.
Two soldiers grabbed hold of Chao Feng and Tao Ran, hurriedly seeking refuge in a nearby building as the open space was already in flames. Startled from their sleep, people ran out of their tents, and various cries and screams echoed through the silent night.
Amidst the chaos, Tao Ran caught a whiff of the scent of barbecue. As Chao Feng stepped into the building, a sharp whistling sound came hurtling towards Tao Ran. Without a second thought, he kicked the soldier who was pulling him, causing them to stumble aside, narrowly avoiding the impact of a large stone that crashed into the spot they had just stood in the nick of time.
Chao Feng snapped back and shouted, "Chao Ge!"
The soldier desperately held onto Chao Feng while saying, "You can't go out, you will die if you go out!"
The big rock blocked the doorway, so they couldn't get in from there. The soldier who was kicked by Tao Ran gratefully looked at Tao Ran and said, "Thanks, I'll cover you. You go around and come from the back route."
Drawing his weapon, the soldier signaled him. Realizing that he couldn't contribute much to the situation and remaining would likely result in immediate danger, Tao Ran made a swift decision and bolted away without hesitation.
Although superhumans were unable to reproduce, their combat power was formidable. Apart from the initial surprise attack, subsequent confrontations did not inflict much harm on them. Superhumans possessed incredible abilities, and few of them could cause a lot of damage, while ordinary people, despite having access to weapons, were limited in their capabilities.
Tao Ran didn't know how many superhumans came this time, but he knew that the male lead and female supporting character must be among them. He sprinted towards the back of the base, skillfully dodging fireballs that flew by from time to time. Occasionally glancing back, he witnessed a sea of flames, gunshots, as well as occasional flashes of bright lightning.
The male lead's ability was lightning, but he didn't know if that was the male lead.
Regardless, Tao Ran pressed on, his feet pounding against the ground. Suddenly, a dark silhouette appeared in front of him. The figure stood motionless, his face could not be seen clearly.
Reacting swiftly, Tao Ran pleaded, "Please don't kill me! I'm just a kid!"
The person seemed to chuckle, taking a few steps forward. Tao Ran noticed that the person was bare-chested, and his exposed skin glistened with a metallic sheen.
"You've got metal power!" Tao Ran exclaimed, taking a few cautious steps backward.
It was evident that the metal power mutants harbored a deep resentment towards ordinary people. "Are you afraid? Do you think you're superior? You call yourselves humans and label us as humanoid? Kid? Are we not human because we can't have children? I just like killing children, hahaha..."
Tao Ran thought that this person's nerves were probably abnormal, so he cautiously backed away. The metal power superhuman, unwilling to waste any more time, charged towards Tao Ran, his large golden hands slapped towards Tao Ran. He thought that the kid in front of him must be scared and wouldn't move, but he was caught off guard when Tao Ran suddenly dodged to the side and kicked his waist at the same time.
Although it didn't cause any substantial harm to him, he suddenly lost his balance, stumbled and fell to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, Tao Ran swiftly turned around and fled, while the enraged metal power superhuman roared and got up to chase after him.
Unfortunately, he only had metal abilities and not speed abilities, so he had no advantage over Tao Ran in running. Tao Ran quickly left him behind, further fueling the metal mutant's fury. If he hadn't been a metal mutant but a power mutant, he would have already grabbed the kid and ripped him in half.
Just as Tao Ran was on the verge of escaping from the other side of the building, Xiao Mei's voice suddenly echoed, "Host, be careful. There's the supporting female character in front of you."
Tao Ran's heart sank as he spotted a slender figure standing ahead.
The metal mutant behind him also noticed her and exclaimed, "Lao Kui, quickly capture that kid!"
With wolves in front and tigers behind, and fire engulfing his surroundings, Tao Ran swiftly made a decision. He rushed forward and embraced Kui Qingqing, pleading, "Sister, please save me! There's a scary uncle behind who wants to kill me!"
Kui Qingqing was about to catch Tao Ran, but Tao Ran suddenly threw himself into the trap.
Kui Qingqing: "..."