Yuqi's stomach growled.
"Gollum."
Her face flushed as she clutched her belly.
"Hungry?" Yuto Saito asked with concern, noticing her discomfort.
Yuqi nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, a little."
Yuto smiled at her, then turned to the others. "Alright, let's head back to the floating island for a bit. We can find a new zombie cluster after that."
Ni Shuang chimed in softly, "Sounds good."
The group left Tangtang Studio, walking toward the elevator. Mina, ever curious, asked, "Yuqi, why were you alone at the company? Weren't you part of Tangtang's talent group?"
Yuqi sighed as memories of the morning's chaos flooded back. "Yeah, but Tangtang's out of town filming. Yesterday, everything was normal, but today… it all went to hell. I came in with my manager and two bodyguards, but we were ambushed by zombies in the parking lot. They tried to protect me and… they didn't make it." Her voice trembled, eyes clouding with sadness.
A heavy silence settled over the group as they entered the elevator. Yuqi's gaze fell on the floor, unable to forget the horror of seeing her companions fall to the undead. Tears pricked her eyes.
Yun Yun, sensing her sorrow, walked over and gently patted Yuqi's back. "Don't be sad. From now on, you'll have the power to protect yourself and the ones you care about."
Yuqi straightened, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Yeah, I won't let that happen again."
As they stepped out of the elevator, Yuqi was startled by the sight of the floating island hovering above them. "Wait… why didn't I see that island before? I didn't notice it at all from the company!"
Ni Shuang grinned. "That's because you hadn't joined the team yet. The island goes invisible to anyone outside the group."
"Invisible?" Yuqi's eyes widened. "That's… amazing."
Natto took the opportunity to explain, her excitement palpable. "Yep! And that's not all. The island's area can be expanded, too. With enough spar, it can grow, and we can even build farms and fish ponds. Right now, it's 10,000 square meters, but we're working on upgrading it to 100,000! That way, we'll never have to worry about food."
Yuqi's eyes sparkled with wonder as she listened to Natto's description of the floating island. "Wow, this place really is incredible. Do you think one day I could bring my family here?"
Yuto Saito's smile softened. "Maybe. Once the island reaches level 5, we'll have enough space and resources to support more people. Right now, though, we can only handle the current team."
Yuqi nodded in understanding. The apocalypse had changed everything. Survival now came with careful planning and difficult choices.
When they reached the floating island, Yuqi was amazed by the lush greenery that greeted her. The air was so fresh, it felt like breathing in a whole new world. She looked around, marveling at the vitality of the place. "This is incredible."
Ruoruo pointed toward the center of the island. "See that? It's the Tree of Life. It keeps the air here pure and fresh."
Yuqi stared up at the massive tree in awe. "It's beautiful…"
Yuto smiled, watching her wonder. "And it'll grow even bigger as the island upgrades."
Yun Yun clapped her hands, catching everyone's attention. "Alright, let's get some food for Yuqi. What would you like?"
Yuqi's face lit up. "Honestly, anything's fine. I'm not picky. I just want something to fill my stomach."
Yun Yun beamed, clearly pleased by her response. "Good to know. Not all stars are as down-to-earth as you."
Yuqi blushed. "I'm just glad to be here."
They entered the villa, and Yuto gestured around. "Make yourself at home. This is your place now too."
Yuqi smiled warmly, the feeling of being part of something larger than herself washing over her. "Thank you, Captain."
Yun Yun headed into the kitchen to prepare a meal while Yuto pulled out some fruit and snacks from his storage ring. "Here, have some of this while you wait."
Yuqi accepted the snacks gratefully, her hunger getting the better of her. "Thanks! You've all been so kind to me."
Yuto chuckled. "You're one of us now. It's no big deal."
As she ate, a thought struck her, and she couldn't help but laugh. "You know, when I first saw you all flying in on that island, I thought you might be aliens."
Orange, mid-sip of juice, choked, nearly spraying it everywhere. "Aliens? Really?"
Yuqi giggled, covering her mouth. "I know, I know. It sounds silly, but with everything going on—the zombies, monsters—I figured aliens wouldn't be too far off!"
Mina leaned in with a grin. "Well, I hope we're the most stylish aliens you've ever seen!"
They all shared a laugh, the lighthearted moment a reprieve from the grim reality outside.
Yuto handed Yuqi a storage ring and a fan weapon. "Here. This is for you."
Yuqi's eyes lit up as she examined the ring, marveling at the space inside and the supplies stored within. "Thank you, Captain! I'll use this well."
Yuto waved off her gratitude. "We're a team now. No need to thank me."
Mina, always the joker, added with a smirk, "If you really want to thank him, you could always give him a baby later."
Yuqi froze, her cheeks turning bright red. "Wha-what?!"
Natto quickly jumped in, laughing. "Don't mind her. She's just teasing you. None of us are… like that with the Captain. Well, except Yun Yun."
Yuqi let out a breath of relief, shooting a glare at Mina, who just laughed harder. "You scared me!"
The conversation took a lighter turn, and before long, Yuqi pulled out her phone, sending a quick message to her fans: "Don't worry, I'm safe!"
Within moments, her phone lit up with replies from relieved fans.
"Thank goodness you're okay, Yuqi!"
"Was it the military that rescued you?"
"Stay safe, Yuqi! We're all rooting for you!"
Yuqi smiled, feeling a new sense of purpose with her team. Her life had taken a drastic turn, but she was ready to face whatever came next—stronger and no longer afraid.