Transmigrating into a Wasteland Cannon Fodder Slag A [GL Yuri] - Chapter 23

After a quick rest, Yan An peered outside. It seemed there weren’t many wealthy residents here. Or perhaps it was because, despite the large area, the community didn’t have that many people, even at over 95% occupancy. Some must have escaped, and with others trapped underground, the zombies were scattered. They wouldn’t have to worry about being surrounded.

Yan An breathed a sigh of relief. “Is there a way to get to your place from inside the complex?”

“Yes, there’s a small gate. The staff usually use a keycard to go between the two sides, so residents don’t really interact.”

Gu Xia knew the layout of her home well. The villa complex was on the side that faced the sun, so it wouldn’t be blocked by the apartments. A tall wall separated the two areas, and the gate was for staff. The villa section had only twelve houses, each costing hundreds of millions. Calling the residents “rich” would be an understatement. It was clear that Gu Xia’s family held at least 90% of Pingzhou’s wealth, giving Yan An a glimpse into her background.

The two dodged zombies and made their way to the high wall separating the two complexes. The occasional zombie they encountered was easily dispatched, either by Yan An’s axe or Gu Xia’s air blasts. The small gate to the other side was locked, though, which meant they had to climb the wall.

“I’ll go first and pull you up.”

Just because they had awakened their abilities didn’t mean they could scale walls like superheroes. They still had to rely on their physical fitness. If they could have awakened a flight ability, they’d simply fly over all the zombies.

The iron gate was over two meters tall, but it had places to step, making it easier to climb than a regular wall. As Yan An nimbly made it to the top, an alarm suddenly blared loudly.

Yan An was stunned. There’s an alarm on the gate? How advanced is that? She realized she needed to learn more about the technology of this world. Her previous self came from an ordinary family and was only able to attend school through scholarships. She had a limited understanding of high-tech gadgets and may not have even heard of some of them. This was a gap she had to fill.

She put that thought aside as zombies in the distance turned, located the source of the noise, and started running toward them.

“Hurry, get up here!” Yan An reached out her hand for Gu Xia. The moment their hands met, Yan An pulled with such force that she practically yanked Gu Xia up and over the gate in one go.

Yan An jumped down first. “Jump! I’ll catch you.”

Gu Xia glanced at her and simply stepped off the wall.

What? Yan An was confused. She’s stepping down as if there are stairs? She’ll fall and break her leg! But to her surprise, Gu Xia’s feet landed as if there was something solid beneath them.

Yan An’s eyes widened. “You can use your ability like that?”

Gu Xia’s ability to manipulate air could create solid projectiles, so it made sense she could create a solid platform for her feet. It just went to show that smart people always found clever ways to use their abilities. Gu Xia was one of them—a logical, clear-headed, and intelligent woman.

Yan An found her cool, serious demeanor fascinating and couldn’t resist teasing her. It was like watching a cat get startled, which was always fun. She wondered if Gu Xia would get annoyed if she knew Yan An was thinking of her as a cat.

Yan An kept a straight face, grabbed Gu Xia’s hand, and quickly ran into the nearest villa. They were able to get inside without any trouble, as the front door had been left unlocked in the chaos.

Yan An glanced back outside. A large number of zombies were rushing toward the iron gate. The alarm stopped for a moment, and the zombies were confused. Then some of the more aggressive ones broke through the door, and the alarm blared again. A new wave of zombies headed for the noise. Luckily, it was inside the complex. If they had attracted zombies from the outside, they would have been trapped.

“Which one is yours?” Yan An asked as she stepped inside the villa.

When a zombie apocalypse strikes, staying home is often the safer option than venturing out. Yan An knew this from a video she had found, which showed a helicopter rescue operation. She recalled that a lot of people were angered by the federal government’s decision to rescue only the wealthy, and some even tried to shoot down the helicopter. Otherwise, even more people would have escaped.

Helicopter rescues weren’t cheap; the base price was 200,000 federal dollars, with an additional 50,000 for every kilometer. Escaping to the military base would have cost at least a million, and that price was likely to double during an outbreak. Yan An figured if Gu Xia’s family was lucky, they had probably already escaped by helicopter.

As she walked behind Yan An, Gu Xia said, “Villa number six.” The villas were spaced dozens of meters apart, and it was a few hundred meters to Villa number six.

Yan An acknowledged this, taking in the chaotic state of the villa they were in. It was a mess, as if a great struggle had taken place. A few steps in, she spotted a body on the floor. The person, dressed like a butler, had several gunshot wounds. Yan An’s mind conjured up a scene: the staff member had begged the owner to take them along but was refused. In a fit of rage, they attacked, only to be shot and killed by the armed owner or a rescue team. A helicopter could only carry so much, and the owners would prioritize the people and things most important to them, not a mere employee.

She turned to Gu Xia. “Does your family have a housekeeper or butler?”

Gu Xia understood what she was getting at. “No, we use robots.”

“Then why didn’t they use a robot?” Yan An wondered aloud, figuring a robot wouldn’t attack anyone. The world’s robotics industry was quite advanced. The service-model robots were not equipped with weapons, and there had been no reported cases of them attacking humans. When their programming failed, they would automatically shut down for maintenance, which made them a popular choice for the wealthy.

Gu Xia simply said, “They’re expensive.”

Yan An raised her eyebrows, a bit surprised. “Are you saying a robot costs more than a person?”

“Yes.”

How ironic that a robot would cost more than a human. But it made sense. Manufacturing a robot cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions. The annual checkup was tens of thousands, and repairs for minor and major issues cost thousands and tens of thousands, respectively. When you added it all up, a robot was indeed more expensive than a human employee.

“Then why did your family use a robot?” Yan An asked. After all, human labor was more cost-effective. She was just using the conversation to ease her own tension.

Gu Xia looked down. “My family’s butler kidnapped me once.”

Yan An’s eyes widened in shock, her mind racing with questions.