Urban Powers After the Apocalypse

Although he still occasionally fell victim to sneak attacks from behind, Xu Mo was gradually developing the instincts of a skilled player. Finding his rhythm in the game, he decided to splurge on a PM, the legendary B46 sniper rifle. With deadly precision, he took down opponents the moment they entered the battlefield, leaving them sprawled across the map.

Xu Mo's almost supernatural performance quickly drew the attention of nearby players. If not for the fact that most of them were familiar with him as the "veteran cannon fodder," they might have suspected that someone had hacked into the "Pan" account.

After about a dozen matches, hardly anyone wanted to enter the same room as Xu Mo anymore. Being repeatedly one-shot killed was frustrating, to say the least. However, there was one stubborn newcomer, "Mimi," who refused to give up. Even when left alone in a match against Xu Mo, he continued fighting despite being mercilessly slaughtered each round. His persistence was so relentless that Xu Mo started to feel guilty.

Finally, after another series of brutal defeats, a girl in the gaming café suddenly slammed the table in frustration and shouted, "Who the hell is this Pan?! I was just about to head home—can't you let me win at least one match?!"

"Uh…"

The victim had appeared.

Xu Mo instinctively tried to lower his head and avoid attention, but the gleeful gazes of his fellow male gamers mercilessly exposed him.

There was no escape. His ID was simply too notorious.

"Hey? You're… Xu Mo?"

"Huh? It's you?"

It was only then that Xu Mo realized the player behind the "Mimi" account was actually Xu Bilin!

He had thought she was joking when she introduced herself as a gamer, but it turned out to be true. While "Mimi"'s skills were rather average, they weren't something that could be developed overnight. If not for his enhanced neural reflexes, Xu Mo might have been the one getting destroyed.

"Haha, so you're Mimi? What brings you to the café?"

"Well, I've been under a lot of stress lately, so I came here to relax. But thanks to you, I'm even more stressed now," Xu Bilin sighed. Seeing that it was a familiar face, her frustration quickly dissipated, and she replied with a smile.

"How about… I let you win a couple of rounds?" Xu Mo felt bad for mercilessly taking her out, especially since she was a girl—and not just any girl, but Xu Bilin.

"Forget it. That wouldn't be fun either," she chuckled and shook her head. Then, glancing at her watch, she slung her backpack over her shoulder. "It's about time for me to head home."

"Where do you live?"

Xu Mo knew it was an awkward question, given their level of acquaintance, but he couldn't stop himself from asking.

To his surprise, Xu Bilin answered casually, "Fengjing Shijie community in the south of the city—the one by the river. You know it?"

Fengjing Shijie was a mid-range residential area located in the southeastern part of Shangshan City. Xu Mo had seen its promotional brochures before, so he had a general idea of its location. However, since it was in the opposite direction of his own home, he had never been there.

"Alright, I should get going. See you the day after tomorrow." Xu Bilin paid for her session and waved goodbye.

"W-Wait a second."

As Xu Mo watched her walk away, a strange sense of loss crept into his heart. Almost involuntarily, he blurted out, "I—I happen to live in that direction too. Let's go together."

He anxiously watched Xu Bilin, afraid she would call out his obvious lie. But she simply nodded cheerfully. "Sure! That area is all newly developed, and the streets are pretty empty at night. It's great to have company… If anything happens, you'll protect me, right?" She playfully winked.

"N-No problem!"

Xu Mo discreetly clenched his fist in triumph. Although walking her home didn't mean anything special, it was still a crucial step in strengthening their bond.

From that day on, Xu Mo made it a habit to escort Xu Bilin home after school, even though it meant taking two late-night buses back to his own place. The extra hour spent commuting was worth it, as their friendship deepened. Xu Bilin began treating Xu Mo like a close confidant, even venting personal frustrations to him from time to time.

However, something puzzled Xu Mo. He couldn't shake the feeling that Xu Bilin knew him a little too well—down to his favorite foods and colors. Yet, as far as he could recall, he had never shared such details with her. Given her carefree and somewhat scatterbrained personality, he found it hard to believe she had picked up on these things by chance.

He had tried probing her about it, but she always deflected his questions with a playful shrug. Eventually, he gave up asking.

Time flew by, and before long, the final exams of the first semester of senior year arrived. After two grueling hours, the much-anticipated final bell rang, signaling the end of the exams.

The blaring sound of the bell, usually annoying, now felt like a heavenly anthem. Whether students had done well or poorly, everyone let out a thunderous cheer. The entire school buzzed with excitement, the tension finally lifting from their shoulders.

Xu Mo packed up his stationery and walked out of the building. Xu Bilin and HeShang were already waiting for him outside. The moment they spotted him, they ended their conversation and approached.

"Hey, Xu Mo, how'd it go?" Xu Bilin asked.

HeShang, on the other hand, didn't bother asking about Xu Mo's grades—he knew it would only hurt his self-esteem.

"Heh, not bad. A lot of the questions were covered in the notes you lent me. I should be able to score at least 110 points," Xu Mo replied with a grin.

"That's great! Keep it up! Hopefully, we'll all get into the same university. I don't want to be taking the train alone…"

Xu Bilin patted Xu Mo's shoulder in encouragement. Such an intimate gesture was something only Xu Mo had the privilege of receiving.

"You two lovebirds can go to the same university. Just leave me out of it," HeShang muttered gloomily, adjusting his glasses. "No matter how hard I try, I'll never reach your scores…"

"Monk, do you have a death wish? What lovebirds?!" Xu Bilin playfully kicked HeShang, but her gaze toward Xu Mo remained steady and composed.

Xu Mo had long accepted that she only saw him as a friend. Though a little disappointed, he didn't want to dwell on the topic.

As he glanced around, he suddenly noticed a large number of military vehicles parked on the empty lot west of the school. Soldiers in white hazmat suits were scanning the area with various instruments, while a fully armed platoon of troops stood guard, gripping their Type 95 automatic rifles.

"What's going on over there?" Xu Mo nudged HeShang and nodded toward the lot.

"Not sure. They arrived about half an hour ago, set up a perimeter, and started working on something. But we'd better not go near them—those rifles are the real deal."

Xu Mo acknowledged HeShang's warning, but his gaze remained fixed on the scene. He suddenly recalled the strange purple mist he had glimpsed through the mask before. Could the military's arrival be related to that eerie phenomenon?

"Hey, Xu Mo, are you even listening?" Xu Bilin's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She waved her hand in front of his face.

"Huh? Sorry, I spaced out."

Xu Bilin pouted and lightly flicked his forehead. "Idiot. Listen carefully this time… My 18th birthday is next week! I've booked a private room at 'Yipin Pavilion' for 5 PM. Don't be late, and bring me a gift!"

"No problem, ma'am! Mission accepted!" Xu Mo saluted playfully.

"Enough joking around! I'm in a good mood today—let's go play some CS!"

"No way! You two always gang up on me!"