Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Chapter 223: The Target is You, Brother

After listening to Zhang Yi's words, Yang Xinxin's mouth curled into a meaningful smile.

"Brother, you're very smart! You've guessed about sixty to seventy percent of the truth."

"But I'm not as bad as you think!" Yang Xinxin adjusted her hair, revealing her fair and slender neck.

"I'm not the owner of Huahua, nor did I command it to kill my classmates and teachers. However, it has indeed been protecting me all this time."

Upon hearing Yang Xinxin call the monster "Huahua," Lu Keran's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Huahua? Is it... is it the stray cat you used to feed?" she asked, shocked.

Zhang Yi waited quietly for Yang Xinxin to explain. He was very interested in the mutated cat. When he arrived at Tianqing Academy, he couldn't quickly determine Yang Xinxin's location. The monster's appearance seemed almost deliberate, as if leading him to her. If Fatty Xu hadn't attacked and angered it, it might not have intended to harm him. Such a smart and powerful mutant would be perfect if tamed! After all, animals are far more loyal than humans.

Yang Xinxin, looking into the distance, began to explain, surprising Lu Keran with her story. The monster was indeed a mutated stray cat. Due to her polio, Yang Xinxin spent most of her time in the dormitory, feeding a stray cat named Huahua behind the building. Their bond grew strong during that time, so Huahua never attacked her.

Lu Keran, taking a long breath, said, "No wonder! It scared me every time it showed up but never attacked us. I thought we were just lucky!"

Zhang Yi, however, wasn't satisfied with her explanation. "Is it really that simple? Just gratitude for feeding it?" he asked.

He looked at Yang Xinxin, his expression playful. "So it led us here and didn't attack us just out of instinct?"

Yang Xinxin, smiling, responded, "Brother, your observation skills are impressive! Nothing escapes you."

"Yes, Huahua became incredibly intelligent after mutating. It understands my words. I told it that someone would come to take me away and not to harm you."

"Although, I didn't expect you to be so strong!" she added, glancing at Zhang Yi.

Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow. "So, did you also instruct it to kill your classmates?"

"No, not that," Yang Xinxin replied, smiling. "Although many were annoying, I didn't hate them enough to kill them."

"Initially, they died because some had abused Huahua before and because Huahua needed to eat."

Her gaze darkened. "But things changed later."

"You have no idea how many times they considered me a burden and wanted to leave me to distract Huahua. They even deliberately overturned my wheelchair or pushed me out."

Yang Xinxin's smile grew cold. "It's hilarious. They had no idea Huahua wouldn't harm me, so I survived every time, deepening their hatred towards me!"

"They wanted me dead because my survival reminded them of their evil intentions. As long as I lived, they felt guilty and uncomfortable, realizing their own wickedness."

"That made them even more desperate to see me dead!"

Lu Keran fell silent, recalling the many accidents she and Yang Xinxin had faced. Despite being aware of the truth, she felt powerless to resist. Liang Yue had done her best to protect everyone, but her strength was limited and couldn't cover every student.

"Now I understand," Lu Keran said quietly. "I often thought we were doomed."

Yang Xinxin, caressing the bottle in her hand as if it were a cat, smiled brightly at Zhang Yi. "So, Brother, when Huahua started toying with them and gradually killing them, it was indeed related to me."

"Do you think Xinxin is cruel?" she asked.

Zhang Yi looked at her for a few seconds before smiling. Cruel? Maybe a little. But instead of being repelled, he felt a sense of admiration. This girl was like him—of the same kind.

"They have nothing to do with me. Whatever you did is your business. I don't care," Zhang Yi replied. "I'm rescuing you because I promised your sister and need your skills as a top-notch hacker."

Yang Xinxin nodded, unsurprised. "In this world, only those with value are saved."

Zhang Yi reassured her, "Don’t worry. Join my team, follow orders, and work diligently, and you’ll never face cold, hunger, or death again. I guarantee it."

Hiring new, talented members, he needed to make them feel secure. What he promised was mostly true. As long as nothing unexpected happened, following him would ensure a comfortable life.

"Thank you, Brother Yi," Lu Keran said.

"Thank you, Brother," Yang Xinxin echoed with a smile.

Zhang Yi checked the rearview mirror before asking, "Xinxin, I have one more question."

"Please ask, Brother."

"The apocalypse has been going on for a while. Why didn’t you contact your sisters earlier? Why only recently? And how did you manage the signal issue buried so deep under the snow?"

Yang Xinxin giggled, "Brother, I'm a world-class hacker. Handling signals is easy for me. Besides, Huahua helped."

"As for contacting my sisters..." She opened her eyes, revealing a sly glint. "I never intended to contact my foolish sisters."

"From the start, my target was you!"