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That sentence was more effective than any calming remedy in the world. Ye Yin immediately felt a warm current surging from the soles of her feet all the way up to her forehead, filling her entire body with strength. She smiled brightly at Xi Yu and nodded vigorously.

Because of her high bid, there were soon some leads on the black market regarding the crystal cores. Someone provided a clue that an ability user from the First Base had once flaunted his crystal core collection in public, with two of them perfectly matching the requirements: one was an eighth-rank earth system crystal core, and the other a sixth-rank gold system crystal core.

The First Base... Ye Yu's banishment order incident against ability users had not yet subsided. Coupled with Ye Yin's intense fear of Commander Zhu's grand display, she chose this time to slip unnoticed into the First Base without letting anyone know.

The First Base was as prosperous and lively as ever. The base's area appeared somewhat larger than when she had been there last, likely due to expansion. It must be said that the atmosphere inside the First Base was excellent. Although everyone here had a similar standard of living to the Third Base in terms of material goods, most people here wore expressions of calm satisfaction, as if they had already forgotten they were in the end times.

The ability user who owned the crystal cores was named Ding Chun, a ninth-rank ice system ability user who was also famously greedy and lustful. The wealth he craved had nothing to do with paper money or jewelry but with the hard currency of the end times—crystal cores.

Crystal cores imbued with various elements were not only extremely expensive but also incredibly beautiful in appearance. Some even possessed night-light functionality, several times more precious than diamonds or gems. As a result, they naturally became coveted collectibles among the elite. Ding Chun, an innate ability user, had enjoyed prominent family status before the apocalypse and was now flourishing in the First Base, where ability users reigned supreme. He had become a figure of note in the base.

Rich, powerful, young, and handsome, he was a man of style and charm whose every appearance could spark a sensation. In the area around the A district of the First Base, any young girl you asked would be able to regale you with stories about him for hours on end.

"What do you want to know about him for?" The boss's daughter smiled as she spoke to Ye Yin. "That guy is no good person. He's swindled countless girls."

Ye Yin put on a shy expression. "No... I just want to know a little about him."

"You're so cute. Did he kiss you?"

"Huh?! No..."

"It's normal. Kissing him is like saying hello to him. Almost every cute girl on this street has been kissed by him." The boss's daughter laughed. "I was kissed too."

Ye Yin was shocked. Was this man a male version of Qiao Xinyan?

"It's not what you think. I have other business with him..."

"Don't worry, I won't laugh at you. I won't see you as a rival."

"None of that matters." Ye Yin asked, "What's important is, where can I find him now?"

"You're from another district, right?"

"Mm-hm."

"Then you should find a place to stay. He only just left the base to participate in a routine cleanup task and won't be back for a while."

"Sorry, is there anywhere nearby to stay?"

"Yes. Turn left when you go out, and at the end of the street is a Lucky Inn. It's big and clean, and you can reach it in two or three steps. Many people who came from other bases in the past stayed there. You can wait for Ding Chun there."

"Thank you." Ye Yin took out her wallet. "I've eaten my fill. I'll pay."

"A total of one hundred and seventy-two base coins. Thank you for your patronage."

Ye Yin's fingertips had just touched the paper money in her wallet when she froze.

This was a problem. She only had the Third Base's currency on her. Would they think she was eating without paying? Did this place even accept crystal cores or other items?

The base coins issued by each base looked the same, with only the base name in the lower right corner different. So the boss's daughter saw that Ye Yin's wallet was stuffed with large notes but did not dare to pull them out, assuming she worried about something else. "It's fine. We can change them."

Ye Yin's nape was sweating. At that moment, her mood was like a little ghost sneaking through the human world from the underworld of hell. After eating and drinking her fill, she felt her pocket and remembered it was full of hell notes... Just as she gritted her teeth and was about to reveal a second-rank crystal core, a voice saved her.

"I paid for the young lady's bill."

Ye Yin turned her head and saw a young man smiling at her.

"Ah..." The boss's daughter was about to say something when the man gave her a look, and she immediately shut up, smiling. "Sure."

"Thank you so much." After leaving the tavern, Ye Yin handed the second-rank crystal core to the man who had intervened. "I can't accept strangers' money for nothing. This is for you."

The young man sized Ye Yin up from head to toe.

She had a small and graceful figure, fair skin like snow, and a sweet face. Although he saw this level of beauty every day, the clear and refreshing gaze in the girl's eyes, along with the faint mysterious aura about her, unconsciously captivated him, greatly increasing his rare interest.

"If you say that, you'll make me sad. Paying for a cute girl is the honor of a man." He smiled slightly. "I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping. When I was leaving, I just happened to pass by your table, so I heard a few sentences by accident. You want to find Ding Chun?"

"Yes. Do you know him too?"

"Ah, let's just say he's a friend of mine." The young man said casually, "If you don't mind, how about waiting for him at my place? My house is quite large."

"No, thank you." Ye Yin refused decisively. "I'll go to the inn."

"You're from the Third Base, right?" The young man's gaze was sharp as an eagle. "Although the Third Base's base coins are also green, the color is slightly lighter than those of other bases, so I could tell at a glance. The situations in each base have become a bit delicate lately. The wind is tight, and people traveling across bases are almost nonexistent. So those inns are particularly sensitive. Going there now would be courting trouble."

"Thank you for the reminder." Ye Yin thought for a moment and shook her head. "But I'll find a way."

"Such a cautious little kitten." The man clicked his tongue in admiration. "Since that's the case, I can only wish you all the best. Ding Chun will probably return after the day after tomorrow. He is a man who often disappears without a trace, so you might not be able to run into him. But if you promise me one thing, I can take you to see him directly."

"What is it?"

"You first promise me, and I won't make things difficult for you."

Ye Yin narrowed her eyes, her voice unusually calm. "Mm."

"So obedient." He turned and left, waving at Ye Yin as he looked back. "Meet here at this time tomorrow. No goodbye if we don't see each other!"

Ye Yin originally planned to stay outside the base for the night, but after a moment of hesitation, she exchanged several crystal cores at a bank and stayed at the Lucky Inn. As the man had said, the inn was empty and desolate. Only two or three rooms on the large wooden sign labeled "Guest" were occupied.

The inn did not provide food, so one had to go out to find something to eat. Before entering the inn, Ye Yin had noticed the long line at the neighboring bakery and had grown a bit curious. She leisurely left the inn and joined the line.

It seemed this shop was very popular, and the line was nearly enough to make one despair. Ye Yin was not in a hurry and could endure it, so she did not turn back and leave. After a considerable time, only five or six people remained in front of her. She immediately perked up and joyfully looked up at the menu board.

At that moment, a very familiar voice came gently from ahead.

"Two packs of white cakes, two packs of rose cakes."

Ye Yin's body shook. She instinctively looked toward the speaker. The person was wearing a military green hooded knee-length coat, with the hat pulled tightly over their head. The entire person was wrapped up like a large bell, concealing their delicate and graceful figure.

This voice was not...

Ye Yin could hardly believe her eyes. She rubbed them several times until the person turned around, then stared in disbelief at her own judgment—it was actually Qiao Xinyan!

She was not surprised that Qiao Xinyan was here; after all, everyone knew Qiao Xinyan was now mixed in with the First Base. What shocked her was that Qiao Xinyan seemed to have completely changed. She wore clothes she would have despised before, her speech no longer so superior, and throughout the entire time she did not flirt with or discharge lightning at anyone nearby. Like all the women in the queue, she quietly bought the cakes, paid, and then quietly left.

Ye Yin's body unconsciously detached from the line, and she followed her discreetly.

Upon lowering her head, Ye Yin first noticed Qiao Xinyan's shoes. They were a pair of the most ordinary thick-soled cotton boots, looking somewhat dull. If it had been Qiao Xinyan from before, she would have thrown these into the fire to burn, as no shoes with 8 cm heels could be called shoes!

After buying the cakes, Qiao Xinyan went to the agricultural market, purchasing some carrots, cabbages, and scallions, ginger, garlic, and a bottle of soy sauce, two packs of rock sugar. She placed the items in the cloth bag she had prepared earlier, hooked it over her arm, and left the market with a brisk step.

Her living quarters were quite remote. Ye Yin followed her for nearly an hour, turning left and right, until they reached a small civilian residence in a quiet spot of the A district. This residence had its own courtyard, two stories high, with a tree in the yard that she could not identify the variety of.

When Qiao Xinyan opened the courtyard gate, Ye Yin had nowhere to hide. In desperation, she turned into a gray butterfly and quietly followed behind her into the house.

"I'm back."

No one answered.

However, Qiao Xinyan did not mind in the slightest. She deftly removed her coat, changed into an apron, lit the stove to boil water, washed vegetables, and chopped them. A series of nimble actions left Ye Yin's eyes nearly falling out of their sockets.

Was Qiao Xinyan... possessed?