Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 168: Chapter 158: Coming Home

It had been a long time since Tang Mo had returned to S Base. Standing at the main gate with Xiao Tao, she was struck by a sudden sense of unfamiliarity.

She used to think of S Base as just another large base, no different from any other.

But upon returning this time, she found that S Base had become more like a well-equipped, orderly, and stable city.

The people inside, regardless of their background or wealth, wore peaceful, unhurried expressions. It was as if they inhabited a completely different world from those outside who struggled for survival day by day.

But that was hardly surprising. After all, living in S Base for even a single day required paying a hefty fee.

”Five Basic Crystal Cores a day? This is robbery!”

Xiao Tao stood at the entrance, her mouth agape in an ’O’.

She had been in Wuxi Village ever since the apocalypse began; she had never seen such terrifying prices.

Five Basic Crystal Cores meant five Basic-level Mutant Beasts. You’d have to kill five Basic-level Mutant Beasts every day just to stay in S Base for a single day. That was just too expensive!

The data on everyone’s ID Watch was updated in real time. Everything was monitored—including who had paid and when their fee expired—so there was no need to worry about anyone defaulting on their payments.

”One Intermediate Crystal Core for three days, one High-level Crystal Core for forty. If you’re going in, hurry up. If not, step aside and make room for those who are.”

Seeing Xiao Tao’s wide-eyed, country-bumpkin expression, the guard on duty at the gate began to rush them.

”Three days for each of us,” Tang Mo said, handing over two Intermediate Crystal Cores.

’The price was a bit steep,’ she thought, ’but one of the base’s three great leaders was Qin Ling, and another was her stepfather. The money wasn’t going into a stranger’s pocket, so she felt pretty good about paying it. Keep it in the family. Nothing wrong with that.’

Once the Crystal Cores were handed over, the guard’s attitude improved, and he efficiently processed the entry for Tang Mo and Xiao Tao.

’Tang Mo?’

’Isn’t that the celebrity from the ranking board?’

’In the apocalypse, strength was everything. For someone in his position, who dealt with countless people every day, the most important thing was to be observant.’

Upon seeing the information on Tang Mo’s ID Watch, the guard immediately became respectful, a broad smile spreading across his face.

”Miss Tang, you’re ranked 87th on the board. You don’t need to pay. Here is your Intermediate Crystal Core back.”

’Huh? Was this for real?’

This was the first time Tang Mo had ever received such treatment. ’So, being powerful comes with these kinds of perks,’ she thought.

The two of them were practically ushered through the base’s main gate.

”My dad was right, you have to spend money on everything when you leave home. It feels so good to not have to pay! I need to work hard and get on that ranking board too!”

The strong girl’s natural thriftiness gave her immense motivation for the future.

She and Tang Mo had killed plenty of mutant beasts on their journey, but it still wasn’t enough for them to live in the base for a few months, let alone cover the Crystal Core costs for food and cultivation.

”Look at you, being so frugal,” Tang Mo teased. ”You might not get much else by hanging around me, but the one thing you’ll never be short on is money.”

Having grown quite close to Xiao Tao over the past few days, Tang Mo casually tossed her a bag of Crystal Cores. It contained Basic, Intermediate, and High-level Crystal Cores.

It was no big deal. The Crystal Stones in Tang Mo’s Space were piled up like mountains; to her, Crystal Cores were no different from common rocks.

’It was true that you needed money for everything out here. Since Xiao Tao was going to be sticking with her from now on, it was only natural that she’d cover her food and lodging, and even pay her a salary.’

”Am I... Am I being kept by a sugar mommy?”

Xiao Tao cradled the bag of money with both hands, her head spinning as she remained lost in a blissful daze.

Tang Mo first took Xiao Tao back to the Wen Family home. The house was large and had plenty of rooms, so she had Lin Yi find one for Xiao Tao. After briefly explaining about the Alliance Beast Fighting Arena and the exchange, she let Xiao Tao figure things out on her own. The ID Watch, after all, contained comprehensive information about the base.

”Yangyang, did you miss your big sister?”

Tang Mo first shared a hug with Lin Yi. Seeing that her mother was perfectly fine, with a rosy complexion and a healthy figure, she felt a great sense of relief. Then she went to the sofa to start playing with her little brother.

After being away for so long, she saw that Yangyang could already crawl. He was at his most adorable age.

Children his age don’t have long memories, though, and he had long forgotten who Tang Mo was. He just tilted his head and stared at her, blinking his big eyes. Tang Mo found this unbearably cute, and she scooped him up for several big kisses.

The three of them sat on the sofa together as Lin Yi chattered away, asking Tang Mo about everything she had encountered during her long time away and whether she had faced any danger.

Tang Mo was happy to share some of the more interesting stories with Lin Yi, hoping to add a little excitement to her mother’s otherwise uneventful life.

”Mom, what would you think if I stayed in the base, got married, and stopped running around outside? Just stayed here by your side,” Tang Mo asked suddenly.

”Hmm?” The question caught Lin Yi off guard.

”I know you have a mind of your own,” Lin Yi said, stroking her daughter’s short, neat hair. ”As long as you make sure to stay safe and protect yourself, you should do what you want to do. No matter what you choose, I’ll support you.”

Even though Tang Mo didn’t say much, Lin Yi knew her own daughter.

Even from their simple conversation, Lin Yi could sense that Tang Mo’s experiences had been anything but ordinary.

Of course, she wanted her daughter to stay safe and sound by her side.

But no parent who truly loves their child would, for their own selfish reasons, clip their wings and force them to stay.

Everyone has their own path to walk. Even though she was a mother, she understood this clearly.

”Thanks, Mom.” A smile touched Tang Mo’s lips.

’This is nice,’ she thought. ’Everything is different from the Illusion Realm.’

That evening, after Wen Jianshu returned from his office, the family sat down to dinner together, with Xiao Tao joining them.

”Wow...” Xiao Tao couldn’t help but exclaim as she sat down at the table.

The dishes on the table were simple, but they were all fresh vegetables. It was as if everything was just like it had been before the apocalypse.

”You’re so thin, child. Eat more.”

Lin Yi said warmly, placing more food onto Xiao Tao’s plate.

Tang Mo rarely brought friends home, so now that she finally had one by her side, Lin Yi was naturally giving her the utmost attention.

”Momo, even though you were out traveling, you can’t slack off on your cultivation. Otherwise, you’ll drop right off the ranking board.”

Wen Jianshu was constantly monitoring Tang Mo’s position on the ranking board, and watching her rank slowly slip had made him incredibly anxious.

His position made it awkward for him to bring it up with Tang Mo directly, so he had mentioned it to Lin Yi several times, hoping she would remind her.

But Lin Yi didn’t care about Tang Mo’s rank in the slightest, leaving Wen Jianshu to worry by himself. Now that he finally had a chance to see Tang Mo in person, he couldn’t resist bringing it up.

”I know. I’ll focus on my cultivation from now on.”

Tang Mo knew Wen Jianshu was only saying this because he saw her as family and was genuinely concerned, so she agreed with a smile.

”But don’t work yourself too hard. Just do your best.”

Lin Yi said, placing a pork rib on her daughter’s plate before shooting Wen Jianshu a glare.

Seeing that his wife was displeased, Wen Jianshu quickly shut his mouth, ending the topic before it could even begin.