AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 2

 

Chapter 2

He Had Already Been Thrown Away Once, He Didn’t Want To Be Thrown Away Again

Faced with a three-year-old child who didn’t even dare to cry out loud, Ji Yanqing was at a complete loss for how to offer comfort.

He placed the biscuits by the other’s feet and stood up, “Eat if you’re hungry.” As the words fell, Ji Yan lightly picked up the axe and turned to walk towards the side.

Since they’ve decided to set up camp here, it is essential to ensure that the spot is safe. He decided to take another walk around the area to make sure of it.

The fact that the previous survival team had chosen to camp here suggested that the area should be safe, but Ji Yanqing trusted his own judgment even more.

Seeing Xia Shen Shu and the others, everyone also started to check their surroundings one after another.

The vicinity was filled with unfinished high-rise buildings. Looking from afar, it appeared as a lush green, like tender sprouts full of vitality growing out of a steel jungle. However, beneath the green disguise, it was still a core of steel and concrete.

Ji Yanqing quietly returned to the corner where he had previously encountered the zombie to take another look. There were no new zombies in sight, suggesting that there weren’t many zombies in the vicinity.

Ji Yan heaved a sigh of relief and returned to the building, sticking to the shaded areas.

This row of buildings had just had their flooring laid and load-bearing columns finished. Most of the places were still empty, not even a wall in sight, just wrapped on the outside with a layer of green safety netting.

After wandering around a pile of construction materials on the ground floor, Ji Yanqing found the staircase leading upstairs and proceeded to ascend.

After going upstairs, a glance around revealed that the entire second floor was exceptionally spacious and quiet.

Ji Yanqing carefully wandered around the second floor as quietly as possible, then went up to the rooftop for a look. After confirming that there were no zombies in the entire building, he then made his way downstairs.

Downstairs, Sun Haifeng, due to an injury, had not joined the inspection and had already found a place to sit and rest. Xia Shenshu and three others had already returned, while the remaining two were still nearby.

In the corner, the biscuits that Ji Yanqing had previously placed on the ground remained untouched.

The smaller child was still asleep, while the older one, with teary eyes, shyly and stealthily watched him, resembling an injured little wild beast that had yet to grow its claws.

“Should we take this opportunity to look for supplies nearby?” Xia Shen Shu asked, turning his head to survey the surroundings as he spoke.

The survival team had been stationed here before. With their numbers, they undoubtedly scoured all the nearby resources they could find, leaving their chances slim.

Ji Yanqing also had this plan in mind. “We don’t have much food left, and the same goes for water.” Speaking of this, Ji Yanqing felt a hint of a headache coming on.

The food was still fine, but water had already become a problem.

During the hottest part of the day, the temperature outside can soar to over seventy degrees Celsius, turning the ground after a day under the scorching sun into something akin to a heated frying pan. Rubber shoes melt and deform the moment they touch the ground, and even the air carries a sweltering heat. In such an environment, failing to replenish water promptly means they wouldn’t survive two days.

“Will saving a bit of effort be enough to catch up with the team ahead? Wasn’t it said that at the fastest, it would take three days to catch up?” Sun Haifeng interjected.

Ji Yanqing and Xia Shen Shu both looked over.

Ahead of them, there was another survival team. Judging by the traces left along the way, that team consisted of at least five to six hundred people. In theory, such a large survival group should be relatively safe. After all, there’s strength in numbers, implying a certain level of organization and combat capability.

This was also the reason they had been constantly following each other’s movements; if possible, they wanted to join in as well.

The sound of footsteps approached from around the corner, signaling the return of the two who had gone to check the vicinity.

Returning to the group, both of them shook their heads – they hadn’t seen any zombies, and the area was still relatively safe.

“Let’s search for supplies first, and we’ll discuss the rest tonight,” Ji Yanqing decided with a light tone.

Xia Shen Shu nodded, calling everyone over and then distributed tasks according to the number of people.

They were a group of seven, excluding the two children. Sun Haifeng, who was rescued two days prior and had injuries that made it difficult for him to move, was left out of the mission. Thus, the remaining six split up, each heading in a different direction to search.

“You must return here for assembly before nightfall, at the latest before dawn.” Xia Shen Shu’s gaze swept across everyone’s faces, “If you haven’t returned by dawn, we will not continue to wait here.”

Everyone exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and nodded in agreement.

A virus outbreak has heralded the end of the world, and now, the streets are teeming with infected zombies. These zombies are acutely sensitive to light and sound; any slight movement or a mere speck of light in the darkness acts as a stimulant, driving them into a frenzy.

And for a normal person, once bitten, they will inevitably turn into a zombie within five seconds, without exception.

Not a word was spoken among them. The six individuals adjusted their backpacks, seized their weapons, and headed in the directions each was responsible for.

Before leaving, Ji Yanqing glanced lightly at the child who had been gazing up at him from the ground.

Upon noticing his gaze, the child who had just been sneakily observing him immediately averted his eyes.

On the ground, Ji Yanqing’s biscuit still lay where it had fallen.

“Keep a close watch on them for me,” Ji Yan lightly instructed, glancing back at Sun Haifeng.

Sun Haifeng was injured and found it difficult to move. Moreover, his body carried the scent of blood, which attracted the bloodthirsty zombies.

Sun Haifeng glanced over, somewhat reluctantly, and replied, “Fine.” Ji Yanqing lightly adjusted the goggles on his face before turning around to leave.

The construction was not yet complete; all four walls stood barren, only encased by a layer of green netting on the outside.

Ji Yanqing found a gap in the woven web and squeezed through it.

Stepping from under the netting into the sunlight, the scorching rays that could cause one’s skin to sting instantly bathed him. Even though Ji Yanqing was wearing protective goggles, he couldn’t help but squint his eyes.

After adapting to the intense sunlight, Ji Yanqing gently surveyed his surroundings. In front of him lay a cluster of buildings still under construction, wrapped in green mesh.

Perhaps because it was already night when the virus outbreak occurred in this area, the workers had already gone home, making the streets very quiet, with no zombies in sight.

Ji Yanqing cautiously gripped the axe in his hand tightly, silently moving while hugging the wall.

Outside the cluster of buildings lay an old city district, on the cusp of being demolished. Such areas typically have a defining characteristic: a maze of makeshift rental houses, parking canopies, and storage facilities sprawled everywhere. The roads are almost entirely squeezed into winding, narrow paths. Moreover, with the area teeming with people, an unexpected encounter awaits just around the corner if you’re not careful.

Walking in such an area, one must be extremely cautious.

Ji Yanqing frowned lightly as he made his way towards a narrow alley.

They were left with no other options. If they couldn’t find food or water, especially water, within the next two days, they would be facing dehydration the day after.

Water is essential in such scorching heat, without it you risk courting death.

As soon as he entered the old town, Ji Yanqing quickly saw zombies on the road. He chose to go around them without disturbing them.

In the zombie-ridden environment, as long as one made the slightest bit of noise, all the nearby zombies would come rushing over like crazy.

The more zombies there are, the more noise they make, and the more zombies they attract. In the worst case, all the zombies in the old town would be alerted, and by then, no matter how strong he is, he would definitely die.

Bypassing the zombies, Ji Yan chose a neighboring house, neatly scaled the wall, and quietly landed. The moment his feet touched the ground, he crouched down and scanned his surroundings.

Unable to spot anyone in the courtyard, Ji Yan glanced at the houses in the courtyard. After confirming the direction of the kitchen, he quickly entered.

The kitchen had been searched through several times, the cupboard and refrigerator doors were wide open, and bowls, chopsticks, and miscellaneous items were scattered all over the floor.

Ji Yanqing searched around and found nothing.

He frowned slightly, the other rescue teams must have come here before, which also meant that the nearby area had probably been thoroughly searched.

Exiting the yard, Ji Yanqing looked further into the depths of the old city district. The old city district was vast, there might still be unsearched places further in, after all, it was more dangerous the deeper one ventured.

Ji Yanqing checked the time. It was around 1 pm. Night falls at 6 pm, meaning he only had six hours left.

In six hours, he’d have to leave half the time to return, so he only had three hours at most.

Ji Yanqing fastened the buckles on his travel bag and secured the axe on his back. Instead of continuing to search along the outer perimeter of the city, he headed directly towards the deeper parts of the old city district.

Since there were no supplies nearby, he would go deeper in.

At six o’clock sharp, the sun was like an impatient office worker rushing to leave its heavenly office, not willing to stay a second longer in the sky.

The sky darkened at a visible speed, the heat on the ground not yet dissipating, the city already pitch-black.

Beneath the cloak of darkness, the city was more menacing than it was during the daylight hours. Stripped of the sunlight and streetlights, it was like a ghost town from a horror story; an abyss of icy silence and lurking danger.

Those unseen dark corners seemed to be wandering with existences more terrifying than zombies.

Ji Yanqing lightly lifted the net and bent over to step through the hole.

Silently, he skimmed along the low-lying ground toward their camp. Like a phantom thriving in the shadows, he remained unnoticed until his silhouette crossed a patch of firelight, alerting those within.

“Who’s there!?” Xia Shen Shu startled, grabbing his weapon without missing a beat.

The same went for the others.

Ji Yanqing emerged from darkness into the flickering light.

As darkness fell upon the land, Xia Shen Shu and his companions had lit a campfire barely larger than a candle.

Recognizing the figure as their Captain, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

Instantly, everyone’s eyes lit up at the sight of the new backpack slung over Ji Yanqing’s chest.

“Didn’t find much.” Ji Yanqing dropped the backpack next to the campfire.

He spent more than two hours on the road and went deep into the old city. He originally thought he would have a good harvest, but that place had already been searched.

He spent nearly two hours rummaging through that area, and in the end, all he found were a few bags of snacks, bread, and two small packages of dried food.

Ji Yanqing was somewhat dissatisfied with this. This amount of stuff would not even be enough for them to eat for a day, but Xia Shen Shu and the others on the side had smiles on their faces because the rest of them didn’t find anything.

“This vicinity has definitely been searched by more than one party.” Xia Shen Shu smiled wryly.

“Those bastards didn’t leave anything behind for even their father. They really picked this place clean,” the other person on the side couldn’t help but shout out a curse.

Listening to that person’s curses, Ji Yanqing remained indifferent.

In an extremely harsh environment like this, when you can barely keep yourself from starving to death, who would have the leisure to care about others?

Ji Yanqing glanced towards the corner. The smaller child was still asleep, while the older one was looking at him furtively from the corner of his eyes; his gaze was even more timid than it had been during the day.

The biscuits that he had placed on the ground before he left had vanished without a trace.

Ji Yanqing took off his goggles, revealing a clean and fair face. As he exhaled, a slight smile formed on his lips as if it was a natural reflex.

His smile was pure and warm, especially his eyes, like a secluded spring reflecting the weeping willows in midsummer.

At the side, Xia Shen Shu lightly coughed to call everyone to dinner. After finishing their meal, they quickly put out the fire. The light could also attract zombies.

Let’s say it was dinner; in fact, it was just dividing up the things Ji Yanqing brought back.

The bread and snacks were ready to eat, but the red dates and dried mushrooms were put away by Ji Yanging first. They didn’t have water now, and red dates were okay, but there was no way they could eat dried mushrooms.

When the food was distributed, Xia Shen Shu separated a small portion to offer to the two children.

After dividing the food, Ji Yanqing took his and the two children’s portions and headed toward a corner.

Coming closer, Ji Yan Qing placed the portions belonging to the two kids on the ground. Two small buns, and two packs of fish tofu.

In their current situation, they could only guarantee that they wouldn’t starve to death, being full was just a pipe dream.

While the younger one was still asleep, the older brother spotted the small bun resting by his feet. And an irresistible urge caused the bob of his Adam’s apple to slide down.

“After you finish eating, we’ll set out at first light tomorrow. You must be able to walk on your own. No one will carry you.” Ji Yanqing opened his own package of bread and chewed slowly, knowing that chewing more aids digestion.

The cub wanted to look away. He wanted to say that he had plenty of strength to walk a long way on his own, but his throat was too hoarse to produce any sound.

He was indeed ravenous.

He looked at Ji Yanqing, then looked at the pastry placed next to his foot, sniffed, couldn’t help it, and quickly grabbed it.

Instead of tearing open the bag and wolfing down the food, he anxiously glanced at Ji Yanqing again to confirm that Ji Yanqing wasn’t angry, and didn’t plan to use this opportunity to hit him. Only then did he hurriedly tear open the packaging.

He had been hungry for so long that he had no strength left in his limbs. He tried several times to tear the bag open, but he couldn’t.

Ji Yanqing quietly ate his own food, with no intention of helping.

After several attempts, the bag was finally torn open.

The fragrance of bread wafted through the air, instantly causing the child’s stomach to rumble with a loud grumble.

He stole another cautious glance at Ji Yanqing, then quickly took a small bite from the fragrant, soft little bun.

The sweet scent of the bread spread throughout his mouth, making his saliva overflow uncontrollably, and causing his eyes to redden involuntarily.

Carefully finishing the bread in his mouth, he placed the slightly nibbled bun back in its original spot.

Ji Yan looked on lightly.

The child’s dark, damp eyes were fixed intently on him, conveying a sense of nervousness and unease.

“Are you not eating anymore?”

With a little nod of his head, he indicated that he was already full.

Ji Yan was briefly stunned before he understood. He only dared to eat a little because he knew that if he ate too much, he would be discarded.

He had already been thrown away once; he did not want to be discarded again.

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