The Post-Apocalyptic Big Farm Owner

Chapter 26: Bing Shuang, Han Xue!

After a day of hard work, the store’s renovation was almost entirely complete. Upon finishing, Li Ba gathered all the workers and paid each of them ten jin of grain coupons as wages. In the post-apocalyptic world, labor was the least valuable commodity. The going market rate for these renovation workers was two jin of grain coupons per person. In reality, if you haggled, there were people willing to work for just one jin of grain coupons a day. Three days’ work, a free lunch, and ten jin of grain coupons as pay—for these workers, it was a tremendous blessing. One by one, they expressed their deepest gratitude and left with beaming smiles. In business, every penny counts. But Li Ba wouldn’t be harsh with these struggling survivors; he, too, had once done manual labor and empathized deeply with their hardships. As evening fell, the Da Fang and Xiao Fang brothers returned. They’d spent the entire day at the market, getting a good handle on the prices of nearly all the goods. The brothers also brought back quite a few items—cigarettes, liquor, meat, and the like. Some of these daily necessities were for Li Ba’s own use, while others he planned to take with him on a visit to Luo Jianguo’s place that evening. The storefront had already been renovated; all that remained was to get the supplies ready before opening for business. Before opening, he had to secure a business license. Naturally, he would have to ask Luo Jianguo for help with this. Li Ba didn’t stay home for dinner; carrying his purchases, he started up his motorized tricycle and sped off. Night fell. In the evening, lights began to flicker on here and there throughout the settlement. In the southern part of town, there was an upscale residential area. It was brightly lit, with even the streetlights on—a stark contrast to the rest of the town, which was pitch-black. This upscale residential area was where the settlement’s officials lived. It offered free 24-hour water and electricity, and was guarded by Armed Police officers—the benefits were quite generous. When Li Ba arrived, he was stopped by the Armed Police officers. He gave the name “Luo Jianguo,” and after verification, the officer at the gate quickly let him through. He parked his car at the main entrance, walked inside, and before long, met Luo Jianguo at the intersection near one of the buildings. “Director Luo,” Li Ba called out from a distance. “Little Li, I figured you’d be coming by any day now. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come on, let’s head upstairs and have a couple of drinks!” Luo Jianguo greeted him warmly. When he saw the bags Li Ba was carrying, his smile grew even broader. Nine o’clock in the evening. Li Ba, thoroughly drunk, staggered out of the building. Behind him, Luo Jianguo and his family of three saw him off. “Cousin, cousin’s wife, and my big niece… wait a minute… I… I’m heading out now!” Li Ba had had quite a bit to drink, and his speech was slurring badly. Tonight’s visit had been quite fruitful; Luo Jianguo had pounded his chest and guaranteed that he would definitely secure the business license within three days—without spending a single jin of grain coupons. According to his plan, he’d taken Li Ba in as family. That way, the settlement authorities would grant preferential treatment, exempting them from all taxes and fees. And just like that, Li Ba gained a new cousin—and, along with him, a cousin-in-law and a niece. Luo Jianguo’s daughter was already eighteen and had grown into a graceful young woman, yet she had to blush as she called Li Ba—who wasn’t much older than her—“Uncle.” Hearing this, Li Ba was so delighted that he had a few extra drinks and ended up getting drunk. He waved his hand, telling Luo Jianguo’s family not to see him off. Li Ba staggered toward the entrance of the residential complex. “That old Luo… he sure can hold his liquor!” He’d always considered himself a heavy drinker, but tonight he’d met his match. The two of them had downed three jin of baijiu. Li Ba was already completely drunk, but Luo Jianguo remained unfazed—he was practically a barrel of liquor. After taking a few steps, he simply couldn’t hold it in any longer. Li Ba slumped over the roadside greenbelt and began vomiting violently. Under the streetlight, two young women walked by together. Both were dressed in standard military uniforms and leather boots, looking dashing and exuding a unique charm. As they passed Li Ba, they caught a whiff of an indescribable stench—a mixture of fermented food, alcohol, and body odor—and both covered their noses and mouths, furrowing their brows. “Hey, Axue, that looks like Manager Li!” One of them, a shorter, short-haired beauty, glanced at Li Ba with a look of surprise on her face. Beside her stood another beauty with long hair cascading down her shoulders, snow-white skin, and a delicate, ethereal beauty—her looks easily rivaled those of the “pure and innocent” actresses from before the apocalypse. She, too, cast a glance at Li Ba, her face involuntarily betraying a look of disgust as she nodded: “It’s him!” “Manager Li!” The short-haired woman from earlier hurried over and helped Li Ba to his feet. It seemed they were acquaintances after all. “Qianqian, it’s you!” Li Ba’s vision was blurred by alcohol, and his mind was a bit foggy, but he immediately recognized the woman helping him up as Ding Qianqian, a former colleague from before the apocalypse. She was a capable subordinate he’d personally trained—one might even say she was his protégé. Seeing the concern on Ding Qianqian’s face, Li Ba’s mind cleared a bit. His gaze shifted to another long-haired beauty not far away, and he suddenly smiled, saying self-deprecatingly, “I specifically checked the almanac before leaving today—it said I’d meet a benefactor. It turns out I was right.” He pushed Ding Qianqian aside, his gaze brimming with defiance as he turned to the beauty and continued, “Han Xue, esteemed Evolver, it’s been a long time.” Han Xue had been an intern in Li Ba’s department before the apocalypse. With her innocent beauty and stunning figure, she was the dream girl of countless otaku. Such a gorgeous flower had landed right in his department. As a high-ranking manager, Li Ba naturally had ulterior motives. More than once, he’d taken advantage of work situations and the unspoken rules of the office to try to seduce her. In the end, Han Xue, proud and aloof, completely ignored him. She had an extremely poor impression of her lecherous boss. When the apocalypse struck, they were trapped in the large conference room. After enduring darkness, hunger, and despair, Han Xue unexpectedly tapped into her latent potential, awakening as an Evolver. She protected herself and her colleagues, leading them to safety and all the way to the western settlement. Among them was Li Ba. When entering the city, Han Xue originally intended to bring all her colleagues with her. As an Evolver—and an exceptionally powerful one at that—she received special consideration from the settlement, which allowed her to bring ten family members or friends into the city. At the time, there were only sixteen colleagues from Li Ba’s company in this group of refugees. Among them were three Evolvers: Han Xue and Ding Qianqian, who were standing right in front of him, plus that scumbag Li Chao. They had enough slots to bring all their colleagues into the city. However, at Li Chao’s instigation, Han Xue took the other colleagues and selected quite a few other survivors to flee with them—but she left Li Ba behind. This shows just how poor an impression she had of him. I remember clearly that at the time, Ding Qianqian tried her best to persuade Han Xue and Li Chao to take Li Ba with them into the city. In the end, her suggestion was met with opposition from both Han Xue and Li Chao, leaving her with no choice but to remain silent. “We meet again…” He had thought he would die in the refugee camp, or outside the city. Who would have imagined they’d meet here today? All the memories of the past flashed before his eyes. As he looked at her clear, ethereal face, a surge of inexplicable anger welled up within Li Ba, and his eyes were filled with hatred. “I didn’t expect you’d make it into the city either.” Han Xue said indifferently, her tone brimming with sarcasm. “Wine and meat—it seems you’re doing quite well… I hope you can live like this forever, drunk and oblivious. Perhaps that’s the greatest wish for someone like you in this apocalypse!” “People like me?” Li Ba pointed at himself and suddenly burst into laughter. “What are you laughing at?” A flash of anger flickered in Han Xue’s eyes. Ever since she’d awakened as an Evolver, few had dared to be so brazen in her presence. “Someone like me eats when I’m hungry and laughs when I feel like it—it’s none of your damn business.” Li Ba took a few steps forward, and, fueled by the alcohol, actually pointed his finger at Han Xue and began cursing at her: “You think you’re so great? Hmph! If I hadn’t taken pity on you back then and let you join the company as an intern, you wouldn’t even be able to support yourself… College student, my ass!” Han Xue’s expression shifted. “I hired you, taught you the ropes of the business step by step, and gave you all my best client contacts. I don’t think I treated you badly… Oh, right—the only mistake I made was falling for you and trying to hook up with you. You’re single, and I’m single—there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?” With the alcohol coursing through his veins, Li Ba completely forgot that Han Xue was an Evolver. In one breath, he vented all the pent-up resentment and frustration he’d been holding in for days: “And you—you ungrateful bitch—it’s one thing not to take me into the city, but to team up with Li Chao to find ways to torment me… Let me tell you, sooner or later I’ll make it big! And sooner or later, I’ll settle the score with you and that bastard Li Chao!” He cursed with such relish that he didn’t notice the murderous intent already etched across Han Xue’s face. “How dare you curse me!” Han Xue clenched her fists and advanced step by step. Around her, tiny specks of frost began to dance in the air, and the temperature in the vicinity plummeted suddenly, becoming bitterly cold. Li Ba’s pupils contracted. He had witnessed Han Xue’s awakened ability—Frost—with his own eyes. It could instantly freeze zombies solid; it was incredibly powerful. “What’s the matter? Trying to silence me? Come on, if I so much as furrow my brow, you’re done for!” He’d already cursed her anyway. Li Ba decided to go all out, stamping his feet as he continued his tirade. In front of this woman, he absolutely could not accept any more humiliation. Even if he died, he’d go out with a bang. “You’re asking for it!” Han Xue extended a finger and tapped lightly; the frost swirling around her began to condense, forming an ice spike that shot toward Li Ba, ready to strike down this foul-mouthed fat man. “He’s had too much to drink… For my sake, Axue, just let it go.” Just then, Ding Qianqian stepped in front of Li Ba. After all, Li Ba had once treated her well, and she couldn’t bear to see him lose his life over a mere verbal altercation. Seeing that Han Xue was getting serious, a flicker of fear crossed Li Ba’s face. He was simply drunk; under normal circumstances, he would never have acted this way. The ice spikes formed and quickly vanished, and even the frost swirling around them dissipated. With her good friend stepping in, Han Xue had no choice but to stop. Besides, she’d only acted on a moment’s anger—she hadn’t meant to take Li Ba’s life. Although that fat bastard was truly despicable. “Get lost, and don’t ever let me see you again!” Han Xue waved her hand, her pretty face still brimming with murderous intent. “Fine, I’ll leave. Hmph, just you wait. One day, you’ll have to beg me for help, and when that happens… we’ll settle all our old and new scores at once!” Knowing that Ding Qianqian was there, Han Xue couldn’t possibly kill him. Li Ba’s courage grew, and before leaving, he hurled a parting threat. “Qianqian, why did you stop me?” Watching Li Ba’s back as he stormed off cursing, Han Xue stomped her foot in frustration. Ding Qianqian sighed and said softly, “Manager Li may be a smooth-talker who likes to tell dirty jokes to us female coworkers, but he doesn’t mean any harm. On the contrary, he’s always been quite considerate toward us.” Upon hearing this, the anger faded from Han Xue’s face. She couldn’t deny this, either. “I’ve heard that he had a very hard time in the refugee camp, and even so, Li Chao wouldn’t leave him alone—he used his status as an Evolver to torment him in every possible way…” “Is that really true?” Han Xue was startled. If that were true, it was no wonder the fat guy had been so resentful when he saw her tonight. Ding Qianqian nodded. “There’s no mistake about it. Axue, you know full well that Li Chao and Manager Li were arch-enemies even before the apocalypse. On top of that, since Li Chao has a crush on you, he sees Manager Li as a thorn in his side. He’s always been petty—even his own subordinates know that—and now that he’s become an Evolver, there’s no way he’d let Manager Li off easily.” At this point, Ding Qianqian looked at Han Xue and added softly, “Actually, regarding that incident with entering the city… you went a bit too far!” Is that so? Did I really go too far? I just hated him—he was using his power to try to take advantage of me… Did I really do something wrong? A hint of confusion flashed in Han Xue’s eyes.