Chapter 168: Chapter 158: Coming Home
It had been a long time since Tang Mo had returned to S Base. Standing at the main gate with Xiao Tao, she was struck by a sudden sense of unfamiliarity.
She used to think of S Base as just another large base, no different from any other.
But upon returning this time, she found that S Base had become more like a well-equipped, orderly, and stable city.
The people inside, regardless of their background or wealth, wore peaceful, unhurried expressions. It was as if they inhabited a completely different world from those outside who struggled for survival day by day.
But that was hardly surprising. After all, living in S Base for even a single day required paying a hefty fee.
"Five Basic Crystal Cores a day? This is robbery!"
Xiao Tao stood at the entrance, her mouth agape in an âOâ.
She had been in Wuxi Village ever since the apocalypse began; she had never seen such terrifying prices.
Five Basic Crystal Cores meant five Basic-level Mutant Beasts. Youâd have to kill five Basic-level Mutant Beasts every day just to stay in S Base for a single day. That was just too expensive!
The data on everyoneâs ID Watch was updated in real time. Everything was monitoredâincluding who had paid and when their fee expiredâso there was no need to worry about anyone defaulting on their payments.
"One Intermediate Crystal Core for three days, one High-level Crystal Core for forty. If youâre going in, hurry up. If not, step aside and make room for those who are."
Seeing Xiao Taoâs wide-eyed, country-bumpkin expression, the guard on duty at the gate began to rush them.
"Three days for each of us," Tang Mo said, handing over two Intermediate Crystal Cores.
âThe price was a bit steep,â she thought, âbut one of the baseâs three great leaders was Qin Ling, and another was her stepfather. The money wasnât going into a strangerâs pocket, so she felt pretty good about paying it. Keep it in the family. Nothing wrong with that.â
Once the Crystal Cores were handed over, the guardâs attitude improved, and he efficiently processed the entry for Tang Mo and Xiao Tao.
âTang Mo?â
âIsnât that the celebrity from the ranking board?â
âIn the apocalypse, strength was everything. For someone in his position, who dealt with countless people every day, the most important thing was to be observant.â
Upon seeing the information on Tang Moâs ID Watch, the guard immediately became respectful, a broad smile spreading across his face.
"Miss Tang, youâre ranked 87th on the board. You donât need to pay. Here is your Intermediate Crystal Core back."
âHuh? Was this for real?â
This was the first time Tang Mo had ever received such treatment. âSo, being powerful comes with these kinds of perks,â she thought.
The two of them were practically ushered through the baseâs main gate.
"My dad was right, you have to spend money on everything when you leave home. It feels so good to not have to pay! I need to work hard and get on that ranking board too!"
The strong girlâs natural thriftiness gave her immense motivation for the future.
She and Tang Mo had killed plenty of mutant beasts on their journey, but it still wasnât enough for them to live in the base for a few months, let alone cover the Crystal Core costs for food and cultivation.
"Look at you, being so frugal," Tang Mo teased. "You might not get much else by hanging around me, but the one thing youâll never be short on is money."
Having grown quite close to Xiao Tao over the past few days, Tang Mo casually tossed her a bag of Crystal Cores. It contained Basic, Intermediate, and High-level Crystal Cores.
It was no big deal. The Crystal Stones in Tang Moâs Space were piled up like mountains; to her, Crystal Cores were no different from common rocks.
âIt was true that you needed money for everything out here. Since Xiao Tao was going to be sticking with her from now on, it was only natural that sheâd cover her food and lodging, and even pay her a salary.â
"Am I... Am I being kept by a sugar mommy?"
Xiao Tao cradled the bag of money with both hands, her head spinning as she remained lost in a blissful daze.
Tang Mo first took Xiao Tao back to the Wen Family home. The house was large and had plenty of rooms, so she had Lin Yi find one for Xiao Tao. After briefly explaining about the Alliance Beast Fighting Arena and the exchange, she let Xiao Tao figure things out on her own. The ID Watch, after all, contained comprehensive information about the base.
"Yangyang, did you miss your big sister?"
Tang Mo first shared a hug with Lin Yi. Seeing that her mother was perfectly fine, with a rosy complexion and a healthy figure, she felt a great sense of relief. Then she went to the sofa to start playing with her little brother.
After being away for so long, she saw that Yangyang could already crawl. He was at his most adorable age.
Children his age donât have long memories, though, and he had long forgotten who Tang Mo was. He just tilted his head and stared at her, blinking his big eyes. Tang Mo found this unbearably cute, and she scooped him up for several big kisses.
The three of them sat on the sofa together as Lin Yi chattered away, asking Tang Mo about everything she had encountered during her long time away and whether she had faced any danger.
Tang Mo was happy to share some of the more interesting stories with Lin Yi, hoping to add a little excitement to her motherâs otherwise uneventful life.
"Mom, what would you think if I stayed in the base, got married, and stopped running around outside? Just stayed here by your side," Tang Mo asked suddenly.
"Hmm?" The question caught Lin Yi off guard.
"I know you have a mind of your own," Lin Yi said, stroking her daughterâs short, neat hair. "As long as you make sure to stay safe and protect yourself, you should do what you want to do. No matter what you choose, Iâll support you."
Even though Tang Mo didnât say much, Lin Yi knew her own daughter.
Even from their simple conversation, Lin Yi could sense that Tang Moâs experiences had been anything but ordinary.
Of course, she wanted her daughter to stay safe and sound by her side.
But no parent who truly loves their child would, for their own selfish reasons, clip their wings and force them to stay.
Everyone has their own path to walk. Even though she was a mother, she understood this clearly.
"Thanks, Mom." A smile touched Tang Moâs lips.
âThis is nice,â she thought. âEverything is different from the Illusion Realm.â
That evening, after Wen Jianshu returned from his office, the family sat down to dinner together, with Xiao Tao joining them.
"Wow..." Xiao Tao couldnât help but exclaim as she sat down at the table.
The dishes on the table were simple, but they were all fresh vegetables. It was as if everything was just like it had been before the apocalypse.
"Youâre so thin, child. Eat more."
Lin Yi said warmly, placing more food onto Xiao Taoâs plate.
Tang Mo rarely brought friends home, so now that she finally had one by her side, Lin Yi was naturally giving her the utmost attention.
"Momo, even though you were out traveling, you canât slack off on your cultivation. Otherwise, youâll drop right off the ranking board."
Wen Jianshu was constantly monitoring Tang Moâs position on the ranking board, and watching her rank slowly slip had made him incredibly anxious.
His position made it awkward for him to bring it up with Tang Mo directly, so he had mentioned it to Lin Yi several times, hoping she would remind her.
But Lin Yi didnât care about Tang Moâs rank in the slightest, leaving Wen Jianshu to worry by himself. Now that he finally had a chance to see Tang Mo in person, he couldnât resist bringing it up.
"I know. Iâll focus on my cultivation from now on."
Tang Mo knew Wen Jianshu was only saying this because he saw her as family and was genuinely concerned, so she agreed with a smile.
"But donât work yourself too hard. Just do your best."
Lin Yi said, placing a pork rib on her daughterâs plate before shooting Wen Jianshu a glare.
Seeing that his wife was displeased, Wen Jianshu quickly shut his mouth, ending the topic before it could even begin.