The vehicle drove underwater for a while before reaching higher ground, allowing it to emerge from the water with a loud splash. Water cascaded down the sides as the car returned to a depth below the windows.

It was only thanks to the modified combat vehicle that they were still operational. A regular car would have been ruined by water infiltration long ago.

"Are there still any survivors in the area? N City used to be under the rescue jurisdiction of your B City Survivor Base, right?" Chen Xiaofei turned to ask Zhou Siqi.

Zhou Siqi nodded softly, her voice gentle as she replied, "Yes, it was our responsibility, but there were inevitably some oversights."

After all, the number of ability users was far too few compared to the ordinary people in need of rescue—desperately few.

"Let’s try broadcasting a message," Chen Xiaofei suggested, glancing outside. "I see some signs of life on those upper floors, though they could just be remnants from before."

No one objected to the idea.

Chen Xiaofei leaned forward and pressed the broadcast button, speaking into the microphone: **"Is anyone there? Is anyone there? H City Survivor Base is conducting a rescue operation. Please respond if you can hear this. Please respond."**

The recording of his voice began looping on repeat.

However, the sound seemed to attract a swarm of mutated frogs. They were similar to the ones Xu Duoduo had seen before—massive in size, with blood-red eyes and tongues covered in tiny barbs. They leaped at the car, their tongues slamming against the windows with a screeching "squeak-squeak" sound.

Though the glass remained undamaged, the sight was undeniably revolting.

"Damn it! Why are there so many mutated frogs here? Next time, I’m definitely suggesting to the engineering department that we add flamethrowers around the car to burn these things to ash," Chen Xiaofei complained.

Zhou Siqi glanced at the frogs and suddenly spoke up, "People in B City eat these."

Her words left Qin Luo and his team momentarily speechless. They stared at the grotesque frogs outside, their expressions a mix of disbelief and horror. “People used to eat bullfrogs, not *these* monstrosities!”

But for those who enjoyed eating frogs, this was a feast waiting to happen—just imagine the size of the portions!

Zhou Siqi, slightly embarrassed, explained, "In B City, these frogs are actually collected and sold. One of them can fetch sixty points."

Wang Weihu couldn’t help but comment, "That’s not cheap."

Bai Shu quickly pulled up some data on his tablet. "Oh, she’s right. It’s true."

Qin Luo looked at the frogs outside, his expression complicated. "If they’re worth money, we might as well collect some. But what do these things eat? Have they eaten humans before?"

Zhou Siqi’s tone turned serious. "When food supplies are about to run out, anything edible becomes valuable."

The B City Survivor Base housed an overwhelming number of survivors, packed tightly together. Who knew how much food was consumed in a single day?

At some point, there was no longer room for pickiness.

These mutated frogs didn’t eat zombies, which was already a small mercy. They didn’t feed on carrion either, meaning they were classified as mutated animals rather than corrupted monsters. With proper processing, they could still be consumed.

The conversation grew heavier.

The three major survivor bases had been continuously accepting refugees. Across the entire country, only these three bases were relatively well-established. Other areas were still suffering in unimaginable conditions.

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Xu Duoduo pulled out her tablet to check the latest updates on the bases. Coastal regions had been almost entirely overrun, while central regions fared slightly better. In the highlands, there were reports of mutated plants and animals, though fewer zombies were present.

Extreme weather patterns had become completely unpredictable. Before the apocalypse, it would have been the dead of winter by now, but most of them were still wearing autumn clothes.

Hearing about the food shortages, they decided it was worth collecting some "food" if they came across any.

Qin Luo reviewed the latest report on edible mutated plants and animals. Sure enough, the mutated frogs were listed. "Everyone, take a look at this report. If we can gather some, let’s bring them back to the base. They’ll find a use for them."

Previously, they had secured one grain warehouse, but C City was vast, with numerous smaller warehouses scattered throughout its districts. Other cities also had grain reserves, and the headquarters had some emergency stockpiles.

But for the survivors, it was like a drop in the ocean.

Large-scale farming was no longer feasible.

Eventually, they would run out of resources.

The only solution was to start exploring edible mutated plants and animals to fill the food gap.

At least ability users and mutants could eat them. If the appearance was too disgusting, they could process it into nutrient solutions or compressed biscuits.

Blend it up, and out of sight, out of mind.

As they diligently studied the latest findings, they discovered that many mutated plants and animals were indeed edible.

Xu Duoduo noticed that mutated plants had a higher acceptance rate among people and were more likely to be deemed edible. In fact, vegetarianism had become increasingly common. After witnessing so much bloodshed, many people developed psychological barriers to eating meat.

Qin Luo quickly memorized most of the key points from the report. Suddenly, he pointed to a large tree ahead. "Isn’t that a mutated loquat tree? Old Wang, drive over there!"

Chen Xiaofei compared the tree to the report and exclaimed, "Oh wow, it really is! Old Wang, park under the tree! I’ll take the Little Squad Leader up to pick some. Damn, this loquat tree is enormous!"

Bai Shu carefully examined the tree and confirmed, "We’re in luck. This type of mutated loquat tree isn’t aggressive. Xiaofei, pick as many as you can."

Qin Luo was reminded of the time Chen Xiaofei had carried the little zombie up to the second floor with his claws…

He turned to look at Xu Duoduo.

The little zombie’s eyes were sparkling with excitement, her expression practically screaming, *"Let me! Let me!"* She seemed eager to prove herself.

Great. All she was missing was a pair of wings.

Captain Qin was not pleased.

But he said nothing.

Fine. He just grumbled internally. There was no time to waste on petty thoughts. "I’ll provide cover. You two go ahead."

Qin Luo grabbed his gun and prepared to stand guard.

Chen Xiaofei climbed from the passenger seat to the middle row, opened the sunroof, and climbed out. With a flap of his wings, he took off, leaving behind a few black-and-white feathers.

Bai Shu sighed and picked up the feathers. "Could you be a bit more careful? What if someone with allergies starts sneezing because of you?"

If the situation allowed, the rebellious Chen Xiaofei would have loved to smack Bai Shu in the face with his wings.

Qin Luo reached out to the back seat, letting the little zombie place her small hand in his. He hoisted her up, supporting her waist as he helped her through the sunroof.

Chen Xiaofei, ever the goofball, grabbed the fabric of Xu Duoduo’s clothing with his claws and flapped his wings. "Haha! Little Squad Leader, look, we’re flying! You’re so much lighter than Bai Shu. This is fun! Let’s go pick lots of loquats!"

The mutated loquat tree was massive, but its fruits were surprisingly small. However, they were seedless, incredibly sweet, and absolutely delicious—practically made for human consumption.

Chen Xiaofei plucked one and immediately took a bite. "Oh my god, this is amazing! Thank goodness our mimicry is only partial. If I were fully mimicked, I wouldn’t even have hands to pick these!"

After all, humans were still humans.

The diluted mutation core serum often resulted in partial mimicry, usually adding beast-like features to the body.

For example, Qin Luo, Wang Weihu, and Bai Shu all had beast ears, but their human ears remained functional.

Otherwise, wouldn’t that look strange?

The little zombie’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the enormous loquat tree. She and Chen Xiaofei made the perfect team—two foodies with eyes gleaming at the sight of something edible.

Standing in the sunroof, Qin Luo kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. Whenever a mutated frog approached, he took it out with a single shot.

Despite the rescue broadcast playing on repeat, there was no response from the residential area nearby.