Chapter 21: The Special Ability Team from Base
Su Zhucheng stopped those who wanted to pester Shen Zhigui, only stepping aside after Shen entered his room.
Chu Jiangyue sat comfortably in the luxurious executive chair behind the counter, enjoying the show.
Indeed, outstanding people never lack suitors no matter when—seems she appeals to all ages!
A dozen students—the obedient ones had already gotten their own rooms, while the disobedient ones were automatically expelled by the hotel when the two-hour limit passed.
Chu Jiangyue felt no sympathy for them; they'd brought it on themselves.
After handling the new guests' check-in, Chu Jiangyue left Building 1 and approached the randomly planted fruit sapling she'd cultivated earlier, channeling some wood-elemental energy into it.
Was it just her imagination? Chu Jiangyue could've sworn she sensed the sapling's joyous emotions.
Moreover, she even felt the sapling conveying a "delicious, want more" thought to her.
What was going on?
In her previous life, even when her abilities reached Level 4, she'd never encountered this function!
Chu Jiangyue couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she thought.
However, after pondering for a while without reaching any conclusion, Chu Jiangyue simply stopped thinking about it. After all, it didn't affect her normal usage. In fact, this function even allowed her to perceive plants' emotions, which only brought benefits without any drawbacks.
Watching the fruit saplings she planted with her own hands grow taller day by day, Chu Jiangyue was in an excellent mood.
「Host! Host! Someone's coming again! And it seems someone's injured—host, go save them quickly!」
The little fox that had disappeared to who-knows-where earlier suddenly came running back, leaping a few times before landing on Chu Jiangyue's shoulder.
"Who are they?"
「Not sure, but they look like an ability-user team.」
An ability-user team—that likely meant they came from a safety base.
If H Province already had safety bases, it stood to reason that B City, the capital of Dragon Country, would have established one too.
"How far from the hotel? And also… I'm a merchant."
No profit, no early rising. If the rewards for saving them didn't meet her expectations, Chu Jiangyue wouldn't lift a finger.
「I don't think that injured person can hold on much longer. Once he falls, the entire team might be wiped out…」
The little fox spoke softer and softer, while Chu Jiangyue's frown deepened with each word.
"Enough, I'll go take a look."
Chu Jiangyue knew the little fox was trying to appeal to her sympathy—and unfortunately for her, it worked every time.
Consider it giving the little fox some face.
Time was of the essence, so Chu Jiangyue didn't have time to retrieve her weapons and stepped outside the protective barrier of Jianglin Hotel empty-handed.
With the little fox guiding her, Chu Jiangyue soon spotted a group struggling against the zombies.
Though the number of zombies here wasn't overwhelming, their luck was terrible—they'd stumbled upon several Level 1 zombies at once.
There weren't many Awakened individuals to begin with, and most hadn't yet reached high-tier abilities.
While they could handle basic zombies with ease, facing multiple Level 1 zombies in an uneven fight made escape nearly impossible.
Not to mention, they also had to be wary of getting scratched or bitten by zombies at every turn, which severely limited their ability to fight at full strength.
Upon hearing someone approach, their faces initially lit up with hope, but when they saw it was only Chu Jiangyue coming alone, the light in their eyes dimmed again.
However, Chu Jiangyue immediately used vines to bind several zombies - her long-range attacks gave her a clear advantage with her special abilities.
The group who had been desperately fighting moments ago saw the zombies being restrained and their faces brightened with relief as they quickly retreated backward.
They no longer cared about the level 1 zombie cores now; their only thought was to escape as quickly as possible, putting as much distance between themselves and this place as they could.
The bound level 1 zombies could only watch helplessly as their prey escaped, flailing their limbs in furious frustration while making angry "Hah! Hah!" sounds from their throats.
However, Chu Jiangyue's vines were ultimately conjured through her special ability, and her current ability level is only Level 2—much weaker compared to her previous life.
The vines restraining the zombies could last at most five minutes.
But this brief period was enough for the others to escape.
Several people supported each other as they moved closer to Chu Jiangyue.
"Thank you for your help. We came from the safety base in City B, originally intending to search for any survivors here.
We didn't expect to encounter five Level 1 zombies. Thanks to your assistance, otherwise, we might not have made it out alive today."
They had awakened their abilities and even formed an ability squad. Their post-apocalyptic lives had just begun to stabilize, and dying so pitifully would have been truly frustrating.
Fortunately, fate had other plans, and someone appeared to save them at the critical moment.
"Just a small effort. I run a hotel up ahead—if you want to thank me, how about supporting my business?"
Chu Jiangyue led them in the direction of Jianglin Hotel.
Hearing Chu Jiangyue's words, the group looked surprised.
Someone can still run a hotel in this post-apocalyptic world?
Though they found it hard to believe, they still followed behind Chu Jiangyue.
Whether it was true or not, the fact remained that she had saved them.
After walking just a few steps, they saw Jianglin Hotel—like a world apart from everything else.
"What is that over there?"
"Lawn! A green lawn! Is this really not a mirage?"
The three couldn't believe their eyes.
After the apocalypse arrived, outdoor vegetation withered, greenery dwindled day by day, until now they couldn't see a trace of green anywhere outside.
But who could have imagined they'd witness such a vibrant scene here?
"That's my hotel. Currently, we mainly provide accommodation services."
Chu Jiangyue pointed toward the lush lawn, completely unaware of how her words had shocked the trio.
"That… is your hotel?"
The leading boy looked utterly astonished upon hearing Chu Jiangyue's words.
Chu Jiangyue nodded: "It hasn't been open long, but business is decent. You're welcome to visit - no obligation to stay."
These people came from Base B. When they return, they'll inevitably spread word about Jianglin Hotel to their friends and family - making them perfect walking advertisements for her.
"This place truly looks like a paradise."
Chu Jiangyue smiled slightly - all thanks to the system's blessings.
"What are those two buildings used for?"
"The wooden cabin on the left is my residence. The adjacent red-brick sloped-roof building serves as guest accommodations."
There was no reason for concealment - Chu Jiangyue answered everything truthfully.
"There's even a tree! Showing absolutely no signs of withering!"
The more they observed, the more amazed they became. What kind of mythical place was this?
"Oh, that's my planting. It's supposedly a fruit tree, though it hasn't borne fruit yet. We don't know what kind it will be."
"You're a wood-element ability user - keeping plants alive isn't surprising."
In the base, wood-element abilities were highly sought after.
Not only can they have their own land, but the produce grown can be directly sold to the base, eliminating any worries about sales channels.
It's just a pity that in their team, all members possess offensive-type superpowers.