29

After a hectic break in the resting area, they are finally on the move again.

By the time they settled inside the car, everyone was lethargic. And this notion was especially true for Isaac. His haggard expression made Xie feel guilty for no apparent reason.

Before entering the car, Xie saw everyone's tired expression. An idea sprouted out from his mind.

Xie bashfully volunteered to drive, offering his help since he felt way too idle. Unfortunately, his request gets denied, making him speechless at their resolute rejection.

He was actually excited at the thought of holding the steering wheel again. It's been too long since he got to touch one.

For Xie, driving is like his salvation.

It is a way for him to cope with the struggle in his life and vent his frustration.

In the apocalyptic world, many vehicles that get abandoned by their owners can be found everywhere on the road. It was free for anyone to take. Sadly, those cars cannot move.

How can a car move when the tank is empty? How can a car move without diesel/petrol as a fuel? They were not living in the futuristic world where flying cars or cars move with the help of long-lasting batteries exist. Their world was not very advanced in terms of technologies.

Diesel and petrol was a scarce resource. It was hard to find one, especially on this barren earth swarm with zombies and mutated plants and animals.

Humans had to abandon their jobs to escape from those hideous creatures. Hence, no one would bother to dig the earth for petroleum or other material. Not only that but there was also a risk of contamination. If you accidentally came in contact with suspicious liquid or gas and turned into a zombie, who can take the responsibility of turning people into man-eating monsters?

Since the resources became scarce, they had to reconsider many factors such as how to come up with alternative resources to replace the current declining ones, where to search for the original resources, or whether they could use them or not when they did find them. The demand skyrocketed, yet there was no way to cope with the current supply, which was very limited in number.

Even if there were many pump stations, most were empty since people who had to go out to search for those supplies had long ago scavenged and coveted those rare-to-find supplies for their own uses.

The only way to survive and gain the things you want is by getting stronger and being the strongest person in the world.

Those with powerful abilities got special treatment and had many privileges. One of them was a car.

To release his addiction, a person without any ability like Xie had to be a substitute driver for those arrogant people, being deaf and indifferent to endure their mockery and ridicule. Well, that type of people was not too bad.

The worse was if you encountered the horny one. Not once or twice did Xie get molested by them, but luckily, he managed to escape every time that happened.

Alas, how fortunate for him.

Right now, he really wants to succumb to his desire.

Xie's addiction makes him want to behave like an improper man and throws a childish tantrum. If they refuse, he might as well do that. His hands were getting itchy over time.

"Can you let me drive for one hour? Please?" He begged Isaac. He looked up at him, blinking his eyes multiple times and endlessly persuading Isaac in a skittish voice.

Seeing this sight makes Isaac wavered. He had a second thought about whether or not to allow Xie to drive only to make him happy.

Should Issac let him do that? He knew Xie had developed a psychological shadow over his driving because of an incident in the past. If he refuses, Xie will be sad, but if he agrees, they need to entrust their lives into questionable hands.

"No." Before anything else, Alaric had beat his turn and sternly refused.

Xie pouted. He looked in Alaric's way, still wanting to say something.

"Alaric-"

"No, means no." Alaric mercilessly crushed his hope.

"...Fine." He gave him a downcasted look.

Alaric: "..."

Alaric saw the disappointment on his madam's face. It looked like he had forgotten about the terror he experienced that day. He inexplicably felt guilty. His words might sound a bit harsh to him. Thus he slowly tugged Xie's sleeve and said in a rueful tone.

"Madam, I don't think you should be driving. It's dangerous for all of us if your trauma comes back. Don't you remember the first time you drive your car? You spent a month in the hospital due to that car accident."

Xie sullenly looked at the boy. Alaric had to remind him about his first driving experience, which had ended up as a disaster. It's ironic that the car that was supposed to be on the road suddenly swerved into a deep ditch when he passed by a sharp corner, and Xie almost drowned because of this unfortunate incident.

Truthfully, the trauma only applied to the original Xie Winchester but not the current him. But how could he explain this to them?

Wu Zhi could not only drive a car without a problem, but he was also an expert and a skilled racer that had won many tournaments.

He started to drive at the tender age of sixteen and had joined numerous illegal racing tournaments to make money. His existence as a street racer was well-known in the racing community even though none had ever seen his real face.

"But..." Xie tried to persuade the firm-looking boy.

Alaric firmly shook his head, showing his determination. No will mean no, no matter how many times madam asked him. The answer will stay the same.

Xie dejectedly entered the car, sulking in the corner, giving everyone his depressed backside.

Isaac unhappily glanced at the boy but said nothing. (A/N: He truly got bewitched by Xie and wants to make him happy regardless of right and wrong.) He suppressed his dissatisfaction and approached the boy.

"Can you sit in the back?" Isaac tapped Alaric's shoulder to gain his attention.

"Why?" Alaric skeptically looked at him. He saw a flash of resentment inside those crimson eyes, but they disappeared as fast as they came. "I mean, shouldn't you sit behind with madam?" Alaric immediately changed his tone to appear polite before Issac.

"There's no reason." Isaac coolly replied.

But, Alaric's eyes had wandered to his lower half and lingered there momentarily, making Isaac want to facepalm due to embarrassment.

Both seemed to think the same thing.

With a red face, which was not so prominent due to his aloofness, he actively ushered Alaric into the back seat while Isaac sat in the front with Richard.

He's doing this, by any means, was for a better purpose. It is not because he afraid the same thing will happen twice! (A/N: Recalling the tragedy in the morning made Isaac close his legs hurriedly).

Isaac wanted to mend the relationship between the employer and his employee. They were fighting before. He hopes the two of them reconcile as soon as possible. They might seem okay on the outside, but the awkwardness between these two causes Isaac's mouth to twitch uncomfortably.

If not because of this, why would he give his reserved seat to someone?

--------

Xie looked outside the window, watching the continuously-changing scenery.

He seemed to be in a trance. The man was quiet and well-behaved and had drowned himself in his self-thinking.

No want dare to disturb him, not even Alaric.

During these two hours, many things happened to Xie.

He couldn't reconcile himself with some facts.

And after today, he had become excessively wary of the protagonist.

She is definitely a dangerous variable that undoubtedly will cause him to lose his life at the slightest moment of carelessness. She, by far, was more powerful than Xie, and he is afraid of the outcome of today's encounter.

The story no longer followed the script, yet the plot armor still existed. By hook or by crook, the most crucial plot would still happen.

For example, what happened today.

The part where the protagonist and the cannon fodder encounter one another should happen in the future after the protagonist starts working as an intern in the slag husband's company. It shouldn't happen today, but a month later.

But due to the influence of the unknown, a glitch had occurred, and it happened sooner than he expected, which had left him flustered. He never wants to meet the protagonist, under whatever conditions and circumstances and is willing to do anything to avoid her.

Even if the protagonist was indeed a white lotus character with a well-behaved personality, he didn't want to meet her forever and ever. For him, the protagonist was the bane of his life. The fewer the number of their meeting, the better. It's better to leave less or no impression about himself to the protagonist.

But, would things follow his wish? It wouldn't. Just looked at what happened today.

She appeared out of nowhere and had created disturbance and trouble for him despite meeting for the first time today. He could even perceive her murderous aura. Why did she hate him when he had done nothing to her? She still hasn't met the slag husband yet. According to the logic, she shouldn't know anything about him, nor should she dislike him.

How strange.

Besides, just from this one meeting, he had deduced the protagonist's personality. White lotus? No. She behaved exactly like an evil villain, and she was the personification of a green-tea bitch.

Somehow, she seemed familiar, yet at the same time, she was not.

There was an unexplainable paranoia feeling every time Xie's made eye contact with her. She made him scared.

Was it a coincidence for the protagonist to appear in the same place as him?

No matter how omnipotent she is, how could she find his whereabouts? She, alone, wouldn't be able to do that unless she had a helper. However, since she no longer follows the storyline and the plot has become unreliable, how can she find him?

She appeared out of nowhere and incited the fight. As if she knew what was going to happen in the future.

Perhaps, she is also a reincarnated character just like him?

Such an absurd thought suddenly bypassed his mind.

Xie felt his whole body tremble in fear. Such a prospect was dangerous for his well-being and safety.

If she was an ordinary protagonist, he might have a chance to upturn his sealed fate as cannon fodder. However, if she is a reincarnated character, which suddenly came in contact with the protagonist and had taken over her body for whatever mission she needed to fulfill, then the probability of him escaping his imminent death would be below zero percent.

-----

Extra#3

After they came out of the toilet, Isaac secretly called someone.

Secretary: Boss?! Where are you?! You tossed aside all the meetings with other sub-leaders and left me alone to deal with those annoying people! How could you do that?! (Voice filled with grievance and resentment)

Isaac: I had a task for you. (Ignored his secretary's complaint)

Secretary: ...You! How could you pretend not to hear me?!

Isaac: I sent you a picture, search these two people's contact information and give it to me as soon as possible. (Still ignoring his secretary)

Secretary: ...I'm not going to do it! (Exploded in anger) Do it yourself!

Isaac: You dare to? (Voice lowered into a few decibels, sounded very calm and without ripples, yet shivers started to run down his secretary's spine)

Secretary: Alright, you black-hearted big boss! I'll do it as soon as possible! (Hurriedly hang up the phone)

Isaac: Hump! Since when did this brat dare to hang up his call on me?