Chapter 28: The Thousand-Faced Esper-No apocalipse, estoques bilionários de suprimentos e domínio total da construção em terras devastadas!(A lua segue o barco que navega.)

Jiang Qiyu frowned slightly. Shi Chao’s desolate and distraught appearance was clearly not just the result of "recalling a few things from the past." She walked over and sat down beside him.

"Why are they targeting you?" Jiang Qiyu asked directly, her tone laced with a hint of inquiry.

"They... they don't want me to stay here." Shi Chao’s voice was low, carrying a faint, imperceptible tremor. He lowered his eyes, his thick lashes veiling the emotions beneath, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

Only then did Jiang Qiyu notice that Shi Chao’s room was tucked away in the furthest corner of the second floor, separated from the other residents' quarters by a significant distance, forming an almost isolated zone. It seemed that those responsible for the room assignments had been influenced by the other residents, whether intentionally or inadvertently, to ostracize him.

This feeling was all too familiar to her.

She still remembered her past life, when she had protected her family with her life while escorting them to the base, believing she would finally be safe.

"Qiyu, the base is overcrowded and resources are scarce. You... you should stay outside for a few days. We’ll come to pick you up after a while." Her aunt had held her hands, speaking with a facade of warmth, yet her eyes flickered with impatience.

"Yes, Qiyu, you’ve always been the most sensible one. Just help us out this once." Her grandmother had joined in the persuasion, her kind face appearing particularly ironic at that moment.

She looked at them, her heart filled with disbelief. These relatives, who had repeatedly claimed to love and care for her, were casting her aside so easily, leaving her to fend for herself.

"It’s full of zombies out there. How do you expect me to survive?"

"Don't worry, we’ll keep a spot for you in the base. You just need to..." her cousin, Yang Wei, had said with a snide, sinister tone, only to be silenced by a fierce glare from her aunt, forcing him to swallow the rest of his sentence.

She understood then that they had no intention of ever coming back for her; they were merely looking for an excuse to discard her completely.

She tried to speak again, but was forcibly dragged away by several strong men. She struggled and cried out, yet no one paid heed to her pleas for help.

They threw her outside the base perimeter, a dangerous zone infested with zombies. The cold iron gate slammed shut behind her, ruthlessly severing all her hope.

"Rest assured, as long as you follow the rules of this territory, no one can drive you away," Jiang Qiyu stated firmly, offering Shi Chao a sense of security.

Shi Chao looked up, his gaze filled with a touch of gratitude. "Thank you, Lord."

"Tell me about your situation. How did you end up wandering here?" Jiang Qiyu asked, eager to learn more about Shi Chao and his companions.

Shi Chao remained silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, before speaking slowly: "We were at the seaside filming a movie, and then... several zombies suddenly burst out from the catering van, biting the driver and several crew members..." He paused, his voice tinged with lingering fear. "We were all so terrified we just scattered, and in the end, only a few of us were left."

"Those zombies... why didn't they attack you?" Jiang Qiyu sharply caught a suspicious point in Shi Chao's narrative. By all logic, zombies would attack any living person, unless...

Shi Chao shook his head, bewildered. "I don't know... It was as if they couldn't see me; they just ran right past me..."

Jiang Qiyu had kept Shi Chao’s ability in mind.

It was a near-miraculous talent for concealment. In the apocalypse, possessing such a skill was undoubtedly a tremendous advantage.

She reached into her spatial storage, her fingertips brushing against the slightly creased paper. She gently pinched a corner and withdrew a crisp, new resident contract. Smoothing the document in her hands, she handed it to Shi Chao with a touch of warmth. "Sign it," Jiang Qiyu said, her voice steady and powerful, leaving no room for doubt. "From now on, you are a part of Coastline. This will be your new home."

Shi Chao accepted the contract, scanned it quickly, and signed his name without the slightest hesitation.

The moment he signed, a system notification chimed in Jiang Qiyu’s mind: "Congratulations, Lord! You have acquired a special talent!"

She immediately checked Shi Chao's information panel:

Name: Shi Chao
Age: 25
Loyalty: 7
Strength: 5
Speed: 7
Burst: 6
Spirit: 18
Skill: Thousand Faces (Beginner) — Can alter one's appearance and aura, blending perfectly into the environment.

"Shi Chao," Jiang Qiyu said, staring intensely at him, speaking each word clearly. "Congratulations, you have awakened an ability!" She paused, then added, "The potential within you has been triggered, granting you strength beyond that of a normal person." Her tone carried a mix of approval and curiosity. "Do you know what this means? It means you are no longer an ordinary person."

She patted him on the shoulder, encouraging him. "Make good use of your ability; it will become your greatest reliance for survival in this apocalypse."

"Ability? What is that?" Shi Chao looked blankly at her, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

"An ability is a superpower, allowing you to possess unique talents," Jiang Qiyu explained. "Your ability is called 'Thousand Faces.' It grants you a chameleon-like power. Because you changed your appearance and aura, the zombies mistook you for one of their own, which is why they ignored you. They treated you as if you were air, and naturally, they wouldn't attack you."

Shi Chao’s eyes widened, his mouth hanging slightly open. He stood there frozen, like a statue, motionless and hollow-eyed, as if his soul had left his body. It took a long while before he blinked, his eyes darting around as he struggled to digest her words. Looking utterly incredulous, he muttered to himself, "Ability? Superpower? Chameleon? Me?"

His voice grew softer until it was barely audible, his lips merely quivering as if reciting a spell. He looked up at Jiang Qiyu, his expression dazed, as if seeking confirmation or wondering if he were dreaming.

She continued, "You can change your appearance and aura at will, making yourself blend into the surroundings." Jiang Qiyu gestured with her hand, adding, "Imagine it as if you are dissolving into the air; your enemies will be unable to perceive your presence." She concluded, "This will be a formidable weapon for your survival in the apocalypse."

Shi Chao: "???"

He subconsciously touched his face and looked at his surroundings, his expression one of utter disbelief. "I... when did I..."

"Do not doubt it; this is your ability. Use it well, and it will be of great help to you in these end times."

Shi Chao nodded slowly, still immersed in the overwhelming shock, not yet having fully processed this sudden revelation. He looked down at his hands, palms upward, then slowly clenched them into fists, as if trying to grasp something.