Celine looked at the small cloth bag filled with crystal cores. Her heart was instantly filled with a strong sense of satisfaction.
These crystal cores came at the perfect time. Not only did Shenan need them, but Hogan did too.
She couldn't stop the smile tugging at the corners of her lips and quickly packed up the crystal cores.
Then, she handed Red his share of supplies.
"Captain Red, this is yours."
Red glanced at the pile of supplies, and his face broke into a wide smile.
After thanking Celine, he prepared to leave.
The base still had a lot to deal with—clearing zombie corpses, reinforcing defenses, and more.
"I'm heading back. The base needs me."
Red kept it short, nodded at Celine, and then disappeared from the space in an instant, without any hesitation.
The next second, a freezing wind wrapped around him, a stark contrast to the warmth inside the space.
He walked steadily toward the logistics supply area.
There, several heavily bundled figures were busy in the cold wind. The white mist of their breath quickly faded into the air.
At the front was Silyne. She wore a thick cotton coat. Her cheeks were red from the cold, but her eyes were bright, and her movements were swift and capable.
Red used his thoughts to move the supplies onto an empty space and said to Silyne, "Silyne, get these checked and stored."
He was used to leaving the detailed tasks to them.
In the apocalypse, physical strength was critical. The male team members usually handled the fighting and heavy work.
As for logistics, the female members were more meticulous than the rougher guys. It made people feel more at ease.
Silyne looked at the supplies piled up like a small hill. Her eyes lit up.
The other female team members nearby also came over immediately, unable to hide the joy on their faces.
"Captain brought back more supplies!" a young girl said excitedly, rubbing her hands together.
Every time Red or Leader Rui brought back supplies, it was their busiest but also their most comforting time.
Sorting, categorizing, recording… even though the process was repetitive, no one complained, let alone slacked off.
In the apocalypse, what could be more reassuring than watching the storage grow fuller day by day?
Bread, candy, pork...
Every day, as she sorted through these life-saving supplies, Silyne felt a deep sense of security—almost happiness.
That feeling was rare and precious.
She knew better than anyone what it meant to be a woman in a world where order had collapsed and morals had crumbled.
At the bottom, dependent… sometimes even treated like an object.
That was not just an empty warning.
Silyne had felt grateful many times for awakening her ice power.
At least it gave her the chance to stand on her own. She didn't have to rely on anyone else. She could use her own ability to trade for the things she needed to survive.
She knew very well that keeping this chance until now wasn't just because of her own hard work. Two people made a big difference in her life.
Red and his late wife, Weirine.
Back in Mr. Cheng's base, when Red was still the second-in-command, he had pushed for rules that clearly helped women and ordinary people.
For example, women and those who were physically weaker were given safer jobs like working in logistics, hospitals, schools, or farms.
They weren't all forced onto the front line to gather supplies or fight zombies, no matter their age, gender, or whether they had powers.
In that harsh world where only the strong survived, these rules were rare. But they gave many ordinary women a chance to stay alive.
Silyne understood that those human-focused decisions may have been issued in Red's name, but the one who really pushed for them was probably Weirine. She seemed gentle, but she was strong inside and paid attention to details.
Silyne had seen her from afar a few times. Weirine always had a soft smile, but even someone as tough as Red listened to her.
Because of that, Silyne had always truly respected and felt thankful for that couple.
Later, when news came that Red had gone missing during a mission and might have died, Silyne secretly cried several times.
Things got worse after that.
Clark, Mr. Cheng's illegitimate son, suddenly took control of the base.
From then on, everything changed.
Clark believed only people with powers mattered. He looked down on ordinary people and didn't hide it.
With his approval or even his support, the base became a cruel place. People with powers started bullying the weak more and more.
The most terrible thing was that there were more than ten cases of powered men forcing ordinary women. But nothing was done.
No one was punished. No one paid the price.
All that was left were the tears of helpless women.
So, when Leader Rui, who had kept quiet and patient for so long, finally chose to leave the base and asked if anyone would follow him, Silyne didn't even need to think.
She stood up right away and followed him without regret.
Looking back now, even with the danger, leaving Mr. Cheng's base was one of the best choices she had ever made during the end times.
At least here, they could feel respected and safe again.
Silyne took a deep breath of the cold air and pushed away her messy thoughts.
She started carefully counting the supplies in her hands.
Living in the moment and protecting this hard-earned peace was the most important thing.