Chapter 40: Until She Left

The two looked at Emma, their eyes widening as they noticed the pass she had taken out and attached to her side. Quickly, the young man tries to help the old man rise. Emma promptly calmed them down, holding her hands up calmly.

"Whoa, whoa, no worries," she said gently. "You can sit down. You're not in trouble."

Hearing this, they relaxed a little but still insisted on standing. From their behavior, Emma could sense that some people had been misusing their authority around here.

"How can I help you, Miss?" the old man asked, his eyes searching Emma's face.

Emma stared back at those eyes, memories flooding her mind. In her past life, when her family had kicked her out, this old man and his wife had taken her in for a while until she left the base. They were like the grandparents she had lost. The couple had been scientists before the apocalypse, had no children, and had treated her like family. She had promised to take them to the Flaming Base with her, but they said they couldn't leave because they were old. But in this life, she had the chance to repay them.

"Would you like to come to my base with me?" Emma asked, her voice soft but filled with determination. 

"Your base?" Max repeated this skeptically, stepping protectively in front of the old man. "Mr. Ye, be careful. I think she might be a fraud."

Mr. Ye tapped Max's back gently, urging him to move aside. "Max, don't be so quick to jump to conclusions." He turned his gaze back to Emma. "Continue."

At that moment, an old woman approached them, holding two bowls. As she saw the pass at Emma's side, she trembled slightly but continued walking toward them. "What's happening?" she asked, a hint of fear in her eyes. Emma recognized her instantly as Mrs. Ye.

Before Emma could respond, Max spoke up again. "She's here to trick us and harm us."

Hearing that, Mrs. Ye's fear escalated. Emma rolled her eyes. "I never said that. I said I would like to take you guys to my base."

"Why would you want some old people like us?" Mrs. Ye asked, her voice trembling. She has heard stories of zombies pretending to be people and then taking them out of the base and eating them.

"Well, I heard you two were scientists, and I need scientists at my base," Emma explained. She does. Instead of relying on the reward system for everything, she can also just try to create some things on her own. And maybe invent a cure for all of this zombie disease by using the information that was left behind in the experiment labs.

Max let out a laugh of disdain. "She must be a fraud. Who can afford science studies when we're all barely surviving?"

"I can," Emma replied firmly. "My base is filled with resources. I can afford scientists."

Mr. Ye interrupted before Max could argue back. "Is the name of your base Emma's Territory?"

Emma went silent for a second, then nodded. It seems like her plan of letting those two go has worked out nicely. "Yes. But the name is now Autumn's Territory."

"We'll go," Mr. Ye replied immediately.

"Sir!" Max cried out, stepping protectively in front of the old man. "Wait, where is the proof?"

Emma reached into her pocket, and the three watched her carefully. She pulled out a card with her picture and name on it, including the base's name, Autumn Territory. The surface gleamed faintly in the morning light.

Seeing the card, Max was still not convinced. "How do we know this isn't just a fake card?"

Emma sighed heavily, frustration momentarily flickering in her eyes. She reached into her pockets again, this time pulling out multiple kinds of food: a small bag of bread, canned vegetables, and a packet of dried meat. The sight of these rare products made the trio's eyes widen. "It's your choice to believe me or not, but I can promise you that if you come to my base, you will be treated with respect and given jobs that fit your talents." She handed the food over to the old couple, their hands trembling slightly as they accepted the unexpected gift.

Emma noticed more eyes watching her. She turned around quickly and saw that others were staring, hunger and desperation clear on their faces. But after meeting her gaze, they quickly looked away. She knew it was because of the pass that Mr. Zheng had given her; otherwise, these people might have started fighting over the food, no doubt.

The old couple exchanged a glance, communicating silently. Mrs. Ye then turned to Emma. "We trust you. We'll go with you. But we want to see if you can also take some more people with you."

Emma shrugged her shoulders, her smile warm and reassuring. "That's completely fine with me. I'll meet you guys here in an hour."

Back at Xyla's house ————————————————

Cassidy clung to Emma's arm. "Do you seriously have to leave?" she sniffed as she took another bite of the food Emma had taken out of her inner storage. "I will miss you."

"Miss Emma or miss her food?" Xyla teased, sitting down at the table with a knowing smile.

"Ummm... both, of course!" Cassidy replied with a playful grin. "Can I visit you often?"

Emma nodded, her expression warm. "Yeah, of course. You're always welcome." She didn't mind a few extra visitors at her base. The more, the merrier, and the more points she will get. However, she knew she would be busy for a while after getting back to her territory; there were many updates and rewards she needed to handle from the reward system.

Amy watched Cassidy finish her food before offering hers to her. Cassidy looked at her confusingly. "Don't you want to eat it?"

Amy let out an evil smile. "I'll be with Emma, so I get to eat this every day."

Cassidy's eyes widened. "You're so evil, Amy. Emma! Take me under your wing too."

Emma just smiled, watching the scene play out. This was what friends were, a huge contrast to what she went through in her past life with the Falming Group. As the teasing continued, Mila joined in by barging through the front door and snatching Amy's food from Cassidy's hand.

"Eating food without me?" Mila exclaimed, stuffing another bite into her mouth.

"Umm, did I invite you?" Xyla asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mila grinned, wrapping her arm around Xyla's shoulders. "Your house is my house."

Cassidy looked up at Emma, still holding her arm. "So, when is the next time we get to see you two?"

"I don't know; we'll see," Emma replied. She didn't want to make any promises she couldn't keep.

Cassidy sighed. "That sounds like a long time."

Amy nudged Cassidy playfully. "You can always come to visit us and see what real food tastes like."

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "Amy, don't make me punch you."

The group continued eating; the mood was light and filled with laughter. Emma took a moment to soak it all in. It will be a good memory she will keep with her. 

An hour later ————————————————

"These are my students, their families, and some other scientists," Mr. Ye said as he introduced the group behind him. "We would all like to go with you." They had managed to convince some other people to join them, though a few chose to stay behind, feeling stable where they were. However, the rest were ready to take on a new chance at "normal life" again; that's how the old couple and Max advertise it, at least. 

Emma looked at the crowd in surprise. There were around forty people—far more than she had expected. Among them, she spotted Max and the other man who had helped Mr. Ye that morning. "That's completely fine with me," Emma replied, nodding. "Let's go."

She led them to the RV that Amy had already started. Mila, who had been chatting with Amy, widened her eyes when she saw the number of people following Emma. "Is Emma going to start another army or something?" she joked.

Amy's eyes grew wide too. "Maybe."

"Emma, do you need another car for them?" Mila asked as she walked over.

Emma shook her head. "No, you guys will need to drive the car back again. I don't want to waste your oil supply."

Mila waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay; we're going to switch to electric and solar power soon." She took out a key from her pocket and spoke into the walkie-talkie she had with her. Then she climbed into a large bus-sized vehicle parked near their RV. "Come on, I'll drive to your base with you."

"Okay, thanks," Emma said, appreciating the gesture.

As the group loaded into the vehicles, Mrs. Ye took a deep, long look at the base around them. They were in the rich area of the base, the inner circle, a place they had never been to before and perhaps would never see again. Behind her, Mr. Ye, understanding her emotions, squeezed her hand gently and helped her to a seat. He hoped he had convinced everyone that this decision was the right one.

On the other side, Emma climbed into the passenger seat of the RV. It was finally time for them to go home. She missed her puppies and the people at her base. As they left the Aries Base, they had to fill out some information at the exit, but it was easy to work with Mila in their group.

Once out of the base, the group moved smoothly along the road. Emma looked out the window, watching the landscape pass by—a scenery of nature gradually reclaiming the world. The sun was high, casting a bright light on everything and creating a hopeful atmosphere.

On the bus, Mrs. Ye glanced around at the people they had brought with them. Some were chatting quietly; others were lost in their thoughts, but there was a common feeling of fear and hope. Mr. Ye, sitting beside her, gave her a reassuring smile. "We're making the right choice," he said softly.

Mrs. Ye squeezed his hand and nodded. "I hope so."

Next to Amy, Emma pressed a button on the RV control panel. "Jared, we're coming back. There are people for you to register, so be prepared!"

The civilians in Autumn's Territory were jolted by the sudden announcement. After understanding the announcement, everyone let out a happy cheer while Lily and the puppies started happily running around. "Yay! Ms. Emma and Amy are coming back!" Lily exclaimed, her excitement spreading.

"That should give Mr. Levan a bit of work to do for a while," Amy commented with a smile.

Emma chuckled, her mood lightening. "He'll manage. He's good at what he does."