Chapter Twenty-Four: No Need to Change Arrows After Killing You All

“No, I didn’t.” He had been comfortably leaning back in his seat, leafing through the picture book, and hadn’t buckled up because he moved around occasionally.

“Then buckle up. It looks like someone’s following us—I’m going to speed up.” Whether or not they were targeting her, caution came first.

Jiang Xi immediately fastened his seatbelt and tucked his book away. “All set.”

Once she was sure her brother’s seatbelt was secure, Jiang Huan pressed down on the accelerator, sending the car roaring forward. In no time, the electric scooter behind them was left far behind, and within another two minutes, it had vanished from sight entirely.

“She’s got some nerve, driving at that speed on icy roads.” The person who’d been tailing them in the SUV shivered, then stopped at a small roadside shop in hopes of some luck.

But after ten days of deep freeze, there were hardly any intact stores left on the street. He managed to find a few frozen pears, carefully packed them up, and headed back.

Jiang Huan drove several miles further, only slowing down and pulling over once she was certain they weren’t being followed. She stopped in front of a fitness center.

She had checked the map before—this was the largest fitness club in the city. Aside from its strict membership policy, it was also equipped with shooting sports gear, making it a promising spot for scavenging.

She left her brother in the car, instructing him to sound the horn if anyone tried to break in.

The horn had been a bonus from a seller when she’d been stocking up on survival gear. Only a few were sent, and it was said that once switched on, the blaring sound of a bugle call could be heard throughout a thirty-story building.

Jiang Xi nodded, a little tempted to try, but since his sister said it wasn’t a toy, he forced himself to focus on his book.

Jiang Huan locked the car doors and windows, set up a few roadblocks in the corners, and only then entered the fitness club.

The doors were wide open, several panes of glass shattered. Near the entrance, she spotted the front desk and the main gym area.

Treadmills, ellipticals, and weight machines lined up in pristine condition, all looking nearly new. The semi-transparent glass walls of the spin, yoga, and belly dance studios allowed for a clear view inside.

All the equipment remained—after all, it wasn’t something people could eat or use for survival.

Even so, Jiang Huan called out, just in case. “Hello, we’re from the survivor gathering point. Is anyone here?”

No reply. The thick carpeting absorbed every sound, making the silence inside almost eerie.

She rummaged through the front desk and found a map of the three-story club. First, she headed for the surveillance room—every piece of equipment had been ruined by the cold and the power had long since gone out.

Only then did she make her way to the shooting range, a space fitted with soundproofing. Donning a safety helmet, Jiang Huan entered, glancing around to find the walls lined with all kinds of crossbows and bows, even a dartboard.

She picked out all the best-quality crossbows and packed them up.

And how did she choose? The price ranges were clearly displayed—no way the low-end items would outdo the high-end ones. If nothing else, merchants were always honest about their price tags.

She took down the crossbows from the glass display case and packed up every matching bolt she could find.

Besides the better-quality bows and crossbows, she also took the practice targets and emptied a drawer full of hundreds of darts into her bag.

Having cleared out this area, Jiang Huan discovered a drink dispenser, a water bar, and a small storeroom.

The club’s protein powder alone covered over ten square meters, with various sports drink powders stacked in several more. She took it all. She also gathered up the intact bottles of high-end shower gels and shampoos before planning to check out the roller rink, when suddenly the blaring bugle call—so familiar to every citizen—rang out from outside.

Instantly, Jiang Huan raced toward the entrance, heading straight for the parked car. She arrived just in time to see someone smashing the car with an axe. Inside, Jiang Xi was gripping a baseball bat, but he was surrounded from all sides—some wielding axes, others steel rods—battering the car, leaving him unsure which direction to defend first.

Without hesitation, Jiang Huan raised her crossbow and aimed straight at the attacker’s back.

Whizz—a bolt shot out, tearing open the man’s coat and exposing the cotton stuffing inside, but failing to cause any real injury.

Still, it interrupted his assault on the window. He and the three others turned to face her.

Her first shot hadn’t drawn blood, but Jiang Huan wasn’t discouraged. She lifted her crossbow and aimed at their heads. “Step away from my car.”

The man who’d taken the bolt to his back was startled. Discovering he wasn’t bleeding, and seeing it was just a woman facing them, he brandished his axe to charge forward, only to be held back by another.

“Don’t be rash, we don’t want any misunderstandings.”

He pulled the man behind him, raising both hands to show he meant no harm. “We saw there was only a boy in the car, and he wouldn’t respond no matter how we called. We thought he might be suffocating or unwell and wanted to open the window to help him. It was all a misunderstanding, miss, we really don’t mean any harm.” He even tossed the axe aside to prove his sincerity.

His words were earnest, and their weapons lay far away, making them appear genuinely harmless.

Jiang Huan replied, “This is a five-shot crossbow. I can kill all of you without reloading. You have five seconds to leave, or I won’t be polite. One, two, three—”

“Wait, wait, wait! Miss, you’re being too ruthless!”

“Four!”

“All right, we’re going, we’re going! Don’t do anything rash, we really mean no harm. We’ll leave right now.” They quickly retreated to the side.

Jiang Huan only approached the car once she could barely see their retreating backs. She scooped up the axe from the ground, stowed it away, opened the car door, and slid inside, immediately enveloped by a wave of warmth that made her want to sneeze.

There was no time to rest; Jiang Huan started the car and drove off at once. The engine, never having been turned off, roared to life. By the time the men realized what was happening, one muttered, “If she really could kill us all at once, why let us go and leave a potential threat behind?”

After all, only a fool would believe they meant no harm while smashing up someone’s car.

“We were tricked by that wretched woman! Didn’t see that her first shot didn’t even pierce the coat!”

They dashed back, but the car was already gone—having failed to rob her, they’d even lost an axe and two sharpened steel rods.

“Damn it! If I see that ugly woman again, I’ll tear her apart!”

Jiang Huan didn’t hear their cursing. She parked somewhere safe to inspect the dents and cracks left on her car with a pained heart.

Jiang Xi twisted his fingers anxiously. He wanted to explain that he’d told those people to leave, refused their help, and even brandished his bat to show he was armed, but he just couldn’t string together a long enough sentence to make it clear.

“It’s all right. We’ll find someone to replace the window once we get back.” She’d already looted plenty of parts from the car dealership and refused to believe there wasn’t a single person in a community of a hundred who could swap out a window.

“I’m sorry,” Jiang Xi blurted out.

Hearing his apology, Jiang Huan understood. “I’m not blaming you. You did nothing wrong. You gave an early warning and prepared to defend yourself. You deserve praise.”

Jiang Xi, with his simple logic, just wanted his sister to hurry home and get the car fixed.

“Looks like this car can’t take the main roads anymore.” Jiang Huan climbed in, pressed the accelerator, and headed straight for their neighborhood.