Volume One, Chapter 29: Charging Ahead with the Ball

"When shall we go?"

After a brief moment of contemplation, Han Xu looked at Han Xiao with a grave expression. Currently, they had nothing to their names, and even hiding in this temporary shelter left them highly vulnerable to being killed by mechanical monsters. Since Han Xiao had already found a potential refuge, it was naturally better to act as soon as possible.

"Help me find a veil to cover my face; we’re going now." Han Xiao was desperate for revenge and did not want to wait even a single second longer.

"Alright."

A dozen minutes later, the sister and brother cautiously left their hideout. Fortunately, the pet shop Han Xiao had mentioned was not far away. Although mechanical monsters lurked everywhere in the ruined streets, as long as one was careful enough—and not exceptionally unlucky—a short trip through the city wouldn't necessarily be life-threatening.

Perhaps Han Xiao had exhausted all her bad luck for the day; about two hours later, they finally caught sight of the pet shop's sign.

"We found it!" Han Xiao exclaimed, gesturing excitedly at the sign, which remained intact and undamaged.

Unlike the other dilapidated storefronts on the street, this pet shop was remarkably well-preserved; not even the glass was broken. What did this imply? It meant that this shop possessed genuine strength.

"Let’s go, quickly."

Han Xiao scanned the surroundings. Once she confirmed that no mechanical creatures were in the vicinity, she grabbed Han Xu’s hand and hurried toward the shop. However, when they reached the entrance, her steps froze as if she had been petrified. If one looked closely, her legs were trembling.

Through the glass door, the interior of the shop was visible. A massive steel serpent dominated the view, its head alone large enough to completely block the storefront. At that moment, its two sapphire-blue eyes, each as large as a water bucket, were fixed directly on the two of them.

Han Xiao felt as if an invisible force had tightened around her heart, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Had she not been holding Han Xu’s hand, she likely would have collapsed to the ground in terror. Facing this steel monster was nothing like facing a mech; to Han Xiao, this giant serpent was dozens of times more terrifying than Zhang Wei.

"Visitors so early in the morning?" A lazy voice drifted out.

A moment later, a disheveled man with a scruffy beard walked around to the front of the snake’s head.

"Boss, we..."

"Hmm? Come on in, quickly."

When he saw Han Xiao, his eyes lit up, and he eagerly pulled the door open.

"Boss, I didn't expect what you said in the group chat to be true. It... it’s so big!" Once she mustered the courage to enter, Han Xiao immediately began to flatter the steel serpent. Her tone was dripping with artificial, coy sweetness.

When the man heard her soft, slightly pampered voice, a jolt seemed to run through his body, and he instantly became invigorated.

"Heh, not bad, right? So, what brings you here?"

"My name is Han Xiao, and this is my brother, Han Xu. We’ve come to seek your protection." Han Xiao stated her purpose.

Hearing the words "seek protection," the boss’s eyes gleamed. A woman with such a fine figure and such a sweet voice—if she were in his bed...

"I’m Wang Sheng, just call me Brother Wang. You haven't eaten yet, have you? Come on in, have something to eat first." Wang Sheng greeted them with great enthusiasm.

Truth be told, the siblings were genuinely starving, so they didn't stand on ceremony. The meal wasn't lavish, but it was filling. Throughout the meal, Han Xiao didn't remove her veil, which piqued Wang Sheng’s curiosity.

"Little sister, what happened to your face?"

Han Xiao had been waiting for this exact question. In the next moment, she acted as if her defenses had shattered, tears immediately welling up: "Brother Wang, I... I was bullied."

Sobbing, Han Xiao reached out to grab Wang Sheng’s arm and buried her face in his chest. Wang Sheng felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He had never received such treatment before. While he had posted his details in various groups hoping to lure in some women, he hadn't expected such happiness to arrive so quickly. He didn't even know where to put his hands.

Wang Sheng didn't know what to do, but Han Xiao did.

She looked up and immediately grabbed Wang Sheng’s hands with both of hers: "Brother Wang, you must help me get revenge." As she spoke, she guided his hands toward her bosom. When Wang Sheng felt the softness, he was instantly overjoyed.

"Little sister, tell me, who bullied you? Your Brother Wang will help you get revenge. Our 'Big Flower' here is very powerful, and it can even command other little things."

Wang Sheng wasn't boasting. 'Big Flower' was the steel serpent; it was ten meters long, thick-bodied, and could indeed command the smaller pets in the shop that had been converted into mechanical creatures. It had over a dozen such minions, cats and dogs alike.

"Brother Wang? Really? You didn't even ask who bullied me." Han Xiao fluttered her large eyes, the tears on her lashes effectively capturing Wang Sheng’s attention. Watching the beauty so close to him, Wang Sheng felt an urge to sweep her up and carry her into the back room immediately.

"What’s there to ask? Forget those mechs; even stronger mechanical monsters are no match for our Big Flower. You just tell me who it is, and Brother Wang will settle the score for you."

"Brother Wang, you’re so good to me." Han Xiao didn't name the person immediately; instead, she pulled Wang Sheng’s hands deeper. Wang Sheng was already struggling to contain his drool.

Unexpectedly, Han Xiao’s hand suddenly relaxed and dropped...

"Oh, Brother Wang..." A soft, drawn-out sound escaped her lips. Seeing her coy demeanor, Wang Sheng couldn't help but suck in his gut; he had never experienced such a situation before, certainly not in the world before the apocalypse.

Noticing Wang Sheng’s reaction, Han Xiao leaned her head in and pressed closer to his chest, whispering, "I’ll stay with you tonight, Brother Wang. From now on, you must protect me."

Wang Sheng’s eyes went wide. This implication... and the way she was pressing against him—wasn't this a bit too aggressive? However, Wang Sheng found this aggressive "foul play" by Han Xiao to be entirely welcome.

"Good, good. Now, you still haven't told me who bullied you. Anyone who dares to bully my woman—I’ll see to it they regret being alive." Feeling emboldened, Wang Sheng wanted to take revenge immediately so he could move on to the next step.

Han Xiao acted a bit coyly: "Brother Wang, maybe we should just let it go. They are very powerful, and I don't want you to be in danger."

"That won't do! Just tell me who they are and where they are." It was clear that Wang Sheng had never studied military strategy; he didn't even understand the art of playing hard to get.

"Their mechs are very strong, and they have excellent weapons. Although Big Flower would become even more powerful after eating those things, we shouldn't go. It really will be dangerous. Let’s just live our lives peacefully here, okay?"

Han Xiao added more fuel to the fire, using information she had gathered the previous day. Wang Sheng became even more excited upon hearing this.

"Really? Then we definitely have to find them."

Wang Sheng knew this information was likely true, as his Big Flower hadn't been this powerful when it first became mechanized. It had only acquired its current combat strength after eating several mechs and learning a new skill. If it could eat more mechs, Big Flower would become even stronger, and his own life would become even more carefree.

"You really want to go? Zhang Tao from Chuan City Mining, have you heard of him, Brother Wang?"

"Who did you say? Zhang Tao?" Wang Sheng was so startled he jumped.