Ice Apocalypse (Season 2)

Chapter 243: Nearing the Truth

After leaving Yunque Manor, Xie Huanhuan and Liu Ziyang rushed back to the Xishan Base without stopping.
Xie Huanhuan couldn't suppress her smile, even the icy snow of the midnight couldn't dampen her mood. Liu Ziyang was deeply puzzled by this. Xie Huanhuan was his superior; he executed tasks assigned by the higher-ups directly under her command. Along the way, Liu Ziyang had not been privy to many specifics, but today, Xie Huanhuan seemed overly excited. This piqued Liu Ziyang's curiosity.The two had been partners for a long time and had a good relationship. Liu Ziyang asked, "Huanhuan, what did you see in Zhang Yi's villa that made you so happy?"At this point, they were far from Yunque Manor. Xie Huanhuan was in a good mood, eager to report back and receive recognition. So she started to tell Liu Ziyang about it."Old Liu, strictly speaking, you're just an ordinary soldier in our A team, and some things are above your clearance level.""But today I'm in a good mood, so I'll tell you anyway!"The matter concerning Zhang Yi was insignificant to the leaders of the Xishan Base, so there was no strict requirement for secrecy. Besides, in the current special circumstances, some rules were gradually becoming less stringent. Xie Huanhuan shared the inside story with him."That Zhang Yi, there were rumors he was involved in the theft at the Walmart South China warehouse. Have you heard of that case?"Liu Ziyang frowned slightly, "I think I have a vague impression."At that time, he was still in the army and not very clear about external news."But you've heard of Walmart, right?""Oh, that I know. It's a pretty big chain store, famous worldwide, right?""Exactly, not only is it famous worldwide, but it's also the largest chain supermarket globally.""They have over 800 large chain stores in China alone.""And the South China warehouse in Tianhai City stored more than a third of their goods in China. The value of those goods was said to be in the billions!"Liu Ziyang was shocked: "Billions in goods! That's terrifying!"Even with years of preparation and mobilization before the snow disaster, the total value of the Xishan Base's stored supplies couldn't reach that level."Are you saying that Zhang Yi knows the whereabouts of those goods?"Liu Ziyang reacted sharply.Xie Huanhuan smiled, "Initially, the leaders at the base thought so too. They just considered Zhang Yi as someone in the know and sent us to investigate.""But after going to Xujiatun and personally entering their home, I realized the situation was far from simple!"Xie Huanhuan's tone became serious, filled with the joy of discovering a great secret.Liu Ziyang frowned, "I... don't quite understand."Xie Huanhuan rolled her eyes at him; this big guy was a bit slow on the uptake."If Zhang Yi were just an ordinary warehouse manager, the missing billions in goods would have little to do with him.""Even if we found him for questioning, the intelligence we gained would likely be useless. After all, even if we found the mastermind, we might not have the capability to retrieve those goods.""But what if he's someone with hidden capabilities and immense power?"Xie Huanhuan thought of what the villagers of Xudong had told her and exhaled lightly."Can an ordinary person survive for so long in the apocalypse and have such strong firepower?""Can an ordinary person repel hundreds of villagers' attacks single-handedly and kill over a hundred people?""This leads me to conclude that Zhang Yi is far from ordinary!"As they talked, the sled dogs began to act restless. Their muzzles were strapped, so they couldn't bark, only whimpering and running frantically forward. Neither noticed this issue, being too engrossed in their conversation. After all, in the freezing weather, dogs throwing a fit was common.Xie Huanhuan continued, "I was initially just suspicious. But after investigating their home, it further confirmed my suspicion.""Their living conditions are too good, even more luxurious than our leaders at the Xishan Base.""Who dares to live so extravagantly in times like these without sufficient supplies?"Liu Ziyang slowly began to understand."I see! You mean Zhang Yi must be in control of a vast amount of supplies!""Quite possibly the missing goods from Walmart's South China warehouse?"Xie Huanhuan blinked and said in a low voice, "Perhaps not just part of it! Maybe, it's all of it!""What???"Liu Ziyang was almost knocked out of his senses."Huanhuan, that's a bold statement. Where would he store so much?"Xie Huanhuan replied, "The case itself was mysterious. No one could explain how the so-called world's largest warehouse, the South China warehouse, was emptied in just a few hours.""But now, with the appearance of mutants, many impossible things have become possible."Liu Ziyang frowned, "You mean he has some ability to hide the supplies?"Xie Huanhuan said, "It's just a guess, not a certainty. But even if there's a chance, it's worth us taking action!"Her eyes sparkled with excitement."When we return, we'll report this immediately and have the leaders dispatch a large force!""Just a quarter of our A team's strength would be enough to crush any resistance.""No matter how sturdy his house is, with me there, it will be as fragile as paper."Although Xie Huanhuan's abilities were more supportive, they were extremely useful in assault operations. She couldn't carry large objects inside, but throwing bombs and gas grenades was no problem. Any fortress, broken from within, was easily breached.Liu Ziyang looked at the confident Xie Huanhuan with envy."How wonderful! You mutants with natural abilities can create limitless possibilities."Seeing a hint of melancholy in his eyes, Xie Huanhuan suddenly patted her old partner's shoulder hard."Old Liu, don't be too discouraged! You'll also be greatly rewarded when we return from this mission.""When I become one of the high-ranking leaders at the base, I won't forget you, hahaha!"Liu Ziyang looked at the spirited Xie Huanhuan and couldn't help but laugh."Alright, I'll rely on you to look after me in the future!"They returned to the Xishan Base, chatting and laughing, both pleased with their significant find.At that moment, Liu Ziyang saw Xie Huanhuan's head suddenly tilt to the side. A spray of blood burst from her temple, her smile still frozen on her face, but her eyes quickly lost their light."Bang!"Xie Huanhuan's body fell off the sled without any warning.