Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 362: Chapter 352: Two-Way Search

”Xiao Jin came home?”

Hearing his daughter’s whereabouts, George Lin couldn’t sit still.

”I have to go back and find her!”

Qi Jiaming had been home for a while now. In that much time, Qiao Jin must have gotten far. He had no idea if his child had run into any danger.

”George Lin, you need to calm down!”

Qi Jiaming’s father, Qi Wenshan, stopped George Lin.

”You don’t have enough food right now. If you go out and run into those Meat Dragons, it’s a death sentence. Our homes are so far apart. You’ll die before you even find Xiao Jin.”

Every word Qi Wenshan said made sense. It was a long way from the Qi residence to the Qiao residence. With no food on them whatsoever, it was simply impossible to make it back.

”So what if I die! My daughter finally made it out here. As her father, I can’t just abandon her!”

George Lin had been waiting for his daughter to come home for far too long. Now that he finally had news of her, how could he possibly stay put at the Qi residence?

”George Lin, we’re both parents. I understand how you feel. But you’re not on your own right now. Are you just going to abandon Bai Hua? She’s so weak. If you don’t make it back, have you ever considered what she would do?”

Bai Hua was Qiao Jin’s mother and George Lin’s wife.

In Qi Wenshan’s opinion, Qiao Jin had already gotten too far away. With no food for protection, George Lin’s chances of finding his daughter were incredibly slim.

If George Lin didn’t come back, how could Bai Hua possibly survive?

After all, the people who were still alive and with them were what mattered most.

”I...”

At the thought of his wife, George Lin didn’t dare say anything more that would recklessly endanger his own life. After all, he now had more than just his own life to consider.

George Lin’s fists were clenched, his brow deeply furrowed. His eyes were bloodshot, and the internal conflict threatened to consume him.

”I’ll go with George Lin.”

Bai Hua had appeared in the living room without anyone noticing. She had heard what was said about Qiao Jin’s return.

”George Lin, let’s leave now and find our daughter.”

They had no luggage to speak of, and even less food. They didn’t even need to pack; they could just open the door and leave.

”Your health...”

Although George Lin was worried about his daughter, he also had to consider his wife’s current condition.

He was torn, the choice an unbearable agony. He couldn’t make a decision.

”George Lin, our daughter is our life. If we turn our backs on her now, what’s the point of us even being alive?”

Bai Hua walked over and took George Lin’s hands, which were clenched so tightly the veins stood out.

Her gaze was so determined that it gradually soothed the anxiety and conflict in George Lin’s heart.

’That’s right,’ he thought. ’When she was gravely ill, she was the one who refused treatment and food, risking everything just to send their last remaining provisions to their daughter.’

His wife’s love for their daughter was every bit as strong as his own, if not stronger.

’If something had really happened to our daughter on her way home, and I didn’t even try to find her, what would be the point of living out the rest of my life?’

His love for his daughter finally overcame all his anxieties, and George Lin’s gaze became resolute.

”Alright. We’ll go together.”

After George Lin and Bai Hua left to find their daughter, Qi Jiaming sat on the sofa, overcome with anxiety.

Although he knew Boss Qiao’s skills were far beyond his reach, she was, after all, still a girl—and one who wasn’t good at interacting with people.

’She wanted to go home so badly and went to such great lengths to get there... only to find the house empty when she finally arrived. How devastatingly disappointed must she feel?’

Qi Jiaming wasn’t actually worried about Qiao Jin’s safety.

He had seen Qiao Jin’s abilities and had confidence in them, but he was worried about the safety of Mr. and Mrs. Qiao.

’If something happened to Mr. and Mrs. Qiao while they were looking for her, how would Qiao Jin ever manage to go on?’

’That girl had just started to become a little more talkative and endearing. She couldn’t go back to how she was.’

Without realizing it, Qi Jiaming’s feelings for Qiao Jin seemed to have changed.

”I can’t let this happen. I have to go protect them.”

Qi Jiaming dumped all the food and water out of his backpack. Qiao Jin had given it to him to take home when they left the mountains.

”Dad, Mom, you eat this for now. Don’t go outside, no matter what. Wait for me to come back!”

Without waiting for Qi Wenshan and Mrs. Qi to say anything else, he followed in George Lin and Bai Hua’s footsteps out the door.

”Wenshan, how can our son be so impulsive!”

They had only just gotten their son back. She hadn’t even had a chance to really see him, and he was already out the door again.

The world outside was so dangerous. Why would her boy run off instead of staying home? The tears Mrs. Qi had just managed to hold back began to fall again.

”He’s a man now, with skills to match,” Qi Wenshan murmured, looking toward the door. ”It’s not easy to survive in these times. Him maturing quickly might not be such a bad thing.”

’You have to come back safe.’

Meanwhile, Tang Mo was completely at a loss. Although she had inherited Qiao Jin’s memories, Qiao Jin herself had been completely oblivious to her parents’ daily activities, social circles, or business dealings. Tang Mo had no idea where to even begin looking for them.

But waiting at home wasn’t a solution either. She had to go out and look.

Tang Mo left a note in the living room.

”Dad, Mom, I’m back. If you come home and see this note, please don’t leave. Lock the doors and windows and wait for me to return. Your daughter, Qiao Jin.”

After leaving the note, Tang Mo went downstairs, preparing to search the nearby area for Qiao Jin’s parents.

’Even though this world doesn’t have any organized bases or an Alliance or anything, there must be some settlements or small groups around, right?’

With these mutant beasts everywhere, driving was obviously not a realistic option.

’Given Mrs. Qiao’s physical condition, they couldn’t have gotten far on foot. If I ask around at the nearby settlements or with any groups I find, I might get some clues.’

Tang Mo quickly decided on her plan.

’But as for here... where would a settlement even be?’

Tang Mo went downstairs without even carrying a weapon, only her backpack full of food.

If an outsider were to see her at this moment, they would definitely cry out in surprise.

Because this girl seemed completely unafraid of the Meat Dragons, walking right past them as if they weren’t even there.

She didn’t just ignore the sated, non-aggressive Meat Dragons; she was completely unafraid even of the red-eyed ones, swaggering right past them.

In truth, it wasn’t that the red-eyed mutant beasts wouldn’t attack Tang Mo, but rather that her spiritual power was just too ferocious.

She had tested it before. These creatures thought of nothing but eating. Just a sliver of her spiritual power could fry their simple minds, rendering them completely harmless and making them forget about food entirely.