AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

This team of his was becoming increasingly… strange.

With Feng Yimo’s reassurance, Ji Yanqing rubbed his temples, a headache forming. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation. He was tempted to tie Feng Yimo to his waist with a rope.

As his headache throbbed, a small, tearful voice called out from the crowd, “Papa…”

Ji Yanqing turned.

Ji An and Ji Le, barely reaching the adults’ thighs, were pushing their way through the crowded truck towards him. The cargo bay was large, but not large enough for over a hundred people and their seventy or eighty overstuffed backpacks. Everyone was crammed together, chest to back.

“Papa…” Ji Le’s small face was streaked with tears. He had clearly been crying for a while, his eyes red and swollen. He continued to cry as he approached Ji Yanqing.

Ji An, his usually clean face now smudged with dirt, had also been crying. He trailed behind Ji Le.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing their distress, Ji Yanqing ignored his throbbing leg and asked, concerned.

Ji An and Ji Le were usually so well-behaved. He had left them before on missions, but he’d never seen them this upset.

Finally reaching Ji Yanqing, Ji Le threw his arms around Ji Yanqing’s uninjured leg, clinging tightly as if afraid he would disappear.

“Papa… Don’t… Don’t leave me… Okay?” he sobbed, his voice hoarse.

“Who said I’d leave you?” Feeling the small arms around his leg, seeing Ji Le’s heartbroken expression, Ji Yanqing’s confusion deepened.

“Ahem… Sorry. It’s our fault,” someone said.

Ji Yanqing looked up.

Nearby, the members of his team who had reached the truck first stood with flushed faces, looking embarrassed and guilty.

“We’re sorry. We almost lost them during the escape,” one explained. “We went back to look for them right away, but they seemed… frightened.”

Shame burned their faces. Ji Yanqing had risked his life for them, and they had lost his children. Even though they had found them, the fact remained that they had been lost.

Ji Yanqing looked at them, noting their shame, but didn’t reprimand them. He didn’t know what had happened, but it seemed they hadn’t intentionally abandoned Ji An and Ji Le.

He looked down at Ji Le, who was clinging to his leg. His expression softened, his voice gentle. “I won’t leave you. Papa loves you very much. I cherish you, don’t you know?”

“Really…? Waaah…” Ji Le looked up, his tears almost spent, his voice hoarse.

“Really,” Ji Yanqing affirmed.

Despite the reassurance, Ji Le continued to sob quietly, clinging to Ji Yanqing’s leg.

Ji Yanqing looked at Ji An, who, because of Ji Yanqing’s injured leg, remained standing, his eyes red-rimmed, clearly fighting back tears and the urge to hug him.

Ji Yanqing reached out and stroked his head. Despite being only half a year older than Ji Le, Ji An was much more mature, like a little adult.

At Ji Yanqing’s touch, Ji An wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and grabbed Ji Yanqing’s hand, holding it tightly.

Ji Yanqing squeezed his small hands, hoping to soothe his trembling with the warmth of his palm.

Silence fell over the truck, only the rumble of the engine and the rush of wind audible.

To avoid pursuit by the three Corpse Kings and two Awakened Zombies, the truck drove for over an hour before stopping.

It was one o’clock in the afternoon. The hottest part of the day had passed, the snow melted.

Ji Yanqing felt drowsy. Ji Le had cried himself to sleep, his arms still around Ji Yanqing’s leg. Ji An dozed against Lan Zi.

The truck had stopped in an area surrounded by trees and hills. Everyone disembarked, Ji Yanqing, hampered by his injured leg, exiting last.

Seeing the sleeping children, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi exchanged amused smiles, each carrying one down from the truck.

Ji Yanqing, helped by Feng Yimo, followed, settling under a tree with Ji An and Ji Le.

As he sat, a sharp pain shot through his leg. It had hurt before, but now, after running for so long, the pain was a deep, throbbing ache.

He asked Xia Shen Shu for a knife and carefully cut away the fabric around the wound. The injury was on his outer right thigh, extending down towards his knee. The entire area was a dark, purplish bruise.

Feng Yimo frowned, seeing the extent of the injury. If it were his own leg, he wouldn’t even flinch. He could heal it instantly. But the wound was on Ji Yanqing.

“The bone isn’t broken, at least,” Ji Yanqing said, looking up at Feng Yimo’s concerned expression, trying to lighten the mood.

Feng Yimo looked at him, disapproval clear in his dark eyes.

Ji Yanqing paused, surprised by the intensity of Feng Yimo’s reaction. Feng Yimo usually seemed detached, his emotions rarely so visible.

Ji Yanqing wasn’t trying to be brave; he was genuinely relieved. A broken leg in their current situation was a death sentence. He trusted Feng Yimo, Xia Shen Shu, and the others wouldn’t abandon him, but he would be a burden if he couldn’t walk.

Just then, Lü Qing jumped down from the truck. He had been examining the unconscious passengers.

“The two unconscious ones will be fine. They just need to wake up. I’ve treated two of the other three; their injuries aren’t serious. The one with the abdominal wound is the most concerning. It’s deep, and he’s lost a lot of blood,” Lü Qing reported.

Li Pingsen and the others sighed in relief. When the container had been thrown, they had all expected to die. They were lucky it had hit the building first, lessening the impact.

Lü Qing scanned the crowd, then approached Ji Yanqing. Crouching beside him, he began to examine the injured leg. Without proper medical equipment, he relied on touch and pressure. Despite his quick and efficient movements, Ji Yanqing still broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.

“No broken bones, but severe soft tissue damage and muscle strain,” Lü Qing concluded. “Take some anti-inflammatories. It’ll take about ten days to heal.”

After examining Ji Yanqing, Lü Qing turned to the others. Over a hundred people were gathered in the forest, all with varying degrees of injury, some minor, some severe. He selected the most serious cases and began to treat them.

While he was busy, Ji Yanqing treated his other, less serious wounds. Though painful, they were superficial.

Feng Yimo assisted with the bandaging, his skills surprisingly adept. Ji Yanqing mostly just cooperated.

As Ji Yanqing’s wounds were being bandaged, a commotion erupted at the edge of the group. He tried to see what was happening, but the crowd blocked his view.

A few minutes later, the commotion subsided. Hei Long, his face bruised and swollen, his nose bleeding, was picking himself up from the ground. He had already had one black eye, a broken nose, and a split lip. Now, his other eye was swollen shut, and his nose was bleeding again. He was a pitiful sight.

He had challenged one of his former team members to a fight… and lost.

Ji Yanqing was speechless. He didn’t know how to react. Hei Long’s general demeanor was so… laid back, lacking in seriousness, and entirely unfit for a leader, that Ji Yanqing found it hard to feel much animosity towards those who had betrayed him. He even struggled to feel sympathy for Hei Long himself.

Ji Yanqing chuckled, shaking his head. Just then, Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, and Li Pingsen approached him, guns in hand.

Ji Yanqing looked up.

“Captain Ji, what are we doing next?” Li Pingsen asked.

All eyes in the forest turned to Ji Yanqing.

He straightened, thought for a moment, then looked at Lü Qing and Hei Long’s group. “What are your  plans?”

Hei Long’s group, caught off guard, blinked. Only then did the reality of their situation sink in. Ji Yanqing’s team, Lü Qing’s team, Hei Long’s remaining followers, and the group they had encountered during their escape – in all, a small but complicated mix of people.

They exchanged glances, a heavy silence falling over them.

Lü Qing’s group, formerly residents of the town, couldn’t return. They numbered only twenty or so, each with a gun, but too few to survive long-term in this apocalyptic world. Their small size and abundance of firearms might even make them a target for larger groups.

Hei Long’s team, once numbering over one hundred and fifty, had been reduced to forty or fifty after his deputy’s betrayal and the escape from the town. They had no guns, no supplies – nothing.

The deputy who had betrayed Hei Long hadn’t made it out of the city. His group now numbered just over twenty, four with guns, the rest ordinary members.

Ji Yanqing’s team had eight guns and nearly fifty members. While they didn’t have the most firearms, they were in the best shape overall. They had all escaped the city alive, and while some were injured, they were far better off than the others. They also had the truck.

The survivors, battered and bruised, looked at each other. No one spoke.

Finally, Ji Yanqing broke the silence. “Do you all want to join my team, or are you going your separate ways?”

He wasn’t going to let this ambiguous situation continue. Either they joined, or they parted ways.

His decisive words brought another exchange of uneasy glances. Still, no one spoke.

Ji Yanqing looked at Lü Qing, who had finished examining the wounded and was now fiddling with his tablet. Noticing Ji Yanqing’s gaze, he looked up.

“Those two Awakened seemed to be subservient to one of the other Kings in the city,” Ji Yanqing said.

“Subservient?” Lü Qing had heard the term from Ji Yanqing’s team during their escape, but the chaos hadn’t allowed for further discussion. Now, his eyes lit up with curiosity and anticipation.

Ji Yanqing, however, looked away, refusing to elaborate.

Lü Qing, his anticipation unmet, blinked, then realized Ji Yanqing was dangling bait. And he was the fish. If he didn’t agree to join, Ji Yanqing wouldn’t reveal anything more about the subservient Awakened.

His decision was swift. “We need a generator. My tablet’s out of power.”

Li Pingsen and the others sighed in relief, then frowned. Lü Qing was a doctor, a valuable asset, but where would they find a generator in this wasteland? They barely had enough food; how could they spare the time and resources to power Lü Qing’s tablet?

“You modified the water purifier in the church yourself?” Ji Yanqing asked, having secured Lü Qing’s agreement.

Lü Qing’s church had both a generator and a large water purifier, clearly modified. The canal water wasn’t safe to drink without treatment, and Lü Qing’s modifications were their secret.

“Yes,” Lü Qing confirmed, understanding Ji Yanqing’s line of questioning. “Given the materials, I can build another one.”

Li Pingsen and the others, who had been worried about the generator, exchanged glances, their frowns turning into expressions of excitement. If Lü Qing could build another purifier, they would have access to clean water – a resource as valuable as bullets and food, perhaps even more so. Control over water meant control over their survival, a significant advantage.

While it would tie them to a water source, the benefits far outweighed the limitations.

They now looked at Lü Qing as if he were their prized possession. A generator? They would get him ten if he wanted. His strange fascination with zombies? A harmless quirk. If he liked, they would even capture a zombie and let him walk it on a leash.

Ji Yanqing nodded, then turned to Hei Long and the group that had betrayed him. They had witnessed the exchange with Lü Qing, the news of the water purifier clearly impacting them.

He looked at Hei Long, who stood silently, a serious expression on his face. Ji Yanqing was surprised. He had expected Hei Long to readily agree to join. He had called Ji Yanqing “boss” before, but words spoken under duress didn’t always hold true.

Then, he noticed Hei Long glancing at him surreptitiously. After a quick look, he resumed his stoic expression.

Ji Yanqing was confused.

Hei Long snuck another glance.

Ji Yanqing was bewildered.

After a pause, Hei Long glanced at him again, winking conspiratorially.

Ji Yanqing stared at his contorted face, finally realizing Hei Long was waiting for him to offer an invitation. After all, he had just actively recruited Lü Qing. Hei Long, despite his current predicament, had been a leader. It would be a loss of face to simply beg to join.

Understanding Hei Long’s strange logic, Ji Yanqing remained silent. This man’s thought processes were truly baffling.

Ignoring Hei Long’s winks, Ji Yanqing looked at his remaining followers instead. Reduced to thirty or so after their losses in the city, they looked even more haggard and weakened, both physically and mentally. They had no weapons, no supplies – nothing. Their survival, even in the short term, was uncertain without joining Ji Yanqing’s group.

“We’ll join,” a man in his forties said. He had injured his arm before entering the city, and the wound had gone untreated. Coupled with lack of food and water, and the betrayal, he looked ready to collapse. Joining Ji Yanqing was his best chance for survival.

“Me too.”

“We all join.”

“Us too…”

With the first voice breaking the ice, the others quickly followed. Their options were limited. They had also heard about the water purifier, the promise of clean water a powerful motivator.

The thought of unlimited clean water made their throats tighten. It had been months since they had drunk their fill. The imagined sensation of cool water flowing down their parched throats was almost painful.

Hei Long, still winking at Ji Yanqing, heard his followers’ declarations and panicked. He turned, seeing their eagerness, realizing he had been abandoned again. Hurt flashed in his eyes.

Then, turning back to Ji Yanqing, his face filled with false bravado, he slapped his thigh. “Boss, just tell us what to do!”

Ji Yanqing choked, then looked away from Hei Long’s bruised and incredibly punchable face. If he had been in Hei Long’s team, he probably would have punched him by now.

Composing himself, Ji Yanqing looked at the remaining group – the ones who had betrayed Hei Long. They sat apart, their faces a mixture of hesitation and uncertainty. The four with guns were especially conflicted. They had just betrayed Hei Long that morning, only for their own group to be nearly wiped out within the hour. Now, they were being asked to join a team that included Hei Long?

More importantly, they looked at their guns.

As if anticipating their thoughts, Ji Yanqing spoke. “If you join my team, you follow my rules. No exceptions.”

Knowing their guns would be confiscated, they hesitated again. Having a gun in this world was a matter of life and death. They had betrayed not only Hei Long but also his forty or fifty followers.

...

“We’ll join.”

“Me too.”

“We all join.”

Before the four could fully consider their options, the unarmed members of their group spoke up, eager to join. Their original group was gone, and they had never even had guns. Their choice was clear.

Seeing the others agree, the four exchanged glances. “We’ll join too,” one finally said.

Ji Yanqing nodded, satisfied, then turned to the grinning Xia Shen Shu.

Without needing instructions, Xia Shen Shu stepped forward and began collecting the guns. First from Lü Qing’s team, most of whose weapons had been distributed to Ji Yanqing’s team members who stayed behind in the city. However, these guns weren’t officially theirs yet; they needed to be handed over to Ji Yanqing for redistribution.

Lü Qing’s team and the dozen or so from Ji Yanqing’s team obediently stepped forward and surrendered their firearms. Ji Yanqing, still seated due to his leg injury, watched, taking note of those who had volunteered to stay behind.

The last to hand over his gun was Mo Xian, one of the “gun faction” from Xue Gang’s former team. Ji Yanqing paused, surprised. Back in the city, facing almost certain death against multiple Corpse Kings, there had been no room for pretense. Mo Xian’s bravery had been genuine.

Though surprised, Ji Yanqing didn’t comment. Mo Xian’s current desire to be a “good guy” didn’t erase his past actions. Forgiveness wasn’t something Ji Yanqing felt qualified to offer.

He glanced at the other two who had joined around the same time as Mo Xian, back in that cursed forest with the nearly evolved Awakened Zombie. They remained apart, distanced from the rest. They hadn’t been accepted by the group, nor had they fully integrated themselves.

After collecting all of Lü Qing’s team’s twenty-five guns, Xia Shen Shu turned to the four armed members of the group that had betrayed Hei Long. They had originally had five guns, but one had been taken by a member of Ji Yanqing’s team during the fight for the truck, and it hadn’t been returned.

The four exchanged pale glances, then stepped forward and handed over their weapons.

With that, all the guns in the entire group, except for Li Pingsen’s and the others’, were piled before Ji Yanqing, forming a small mountain of metal. Thirty guns in total: twenty-five from Lü Qing’s group and five from the betrayers.

The members of Ji Yanqing’s original team stared at the pile, their eyes gleaming, hearts pounding. They knew what was coming.

Under their expectant gazes, Ji Yanqing spoke. “Those who volunteered to stay behind in the city, except for Mo Xian, can choose a gun.”

A moment of stunned silence followed, then a rush of excited bodies surged towards the pile. They weren’t fighting over the weapons; they were simply eager to claim their prize.

Quickly and efficiently, they each selected a gun, then retreated to the side, cradling their new possessions with goofy grins, under the envious gazes of the others.

Twelve guns remained. Ji Yanqing scanned the crowd, searching for suitable candidates.

A few minutes later, after distributing the last gun and instructing those unfamiliar with firearms to seek guidance from Xia Shen Shu, he waved a hand, dismissing them to rest.

As the crowd dispersed, those who hadn’t received guns crowding around those who had, Ji Yanqing sighed, a gentle expression softening his features. Their team was improving.

They now numbered almost one hundred and thirty, with nearly forty guns. While this might not be much compared to larger groups, it meant that almost a third of their team was armed – a significant improvement. Their increased size also meant they could start interacting with other survivor groups.

As Ji Yanqing pondered this, Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, and Li Pingsen began taking inventory of the remaining supplies from Lü Qing’s group and the twenty who had betrayed Hei Long.

They worked quickly. Within ten minutes, a comprehensive list was presented to Ji Yanqing.

“We have a good variety of guns now, so we can use the ammo we couldn’t before. But after the fight in the city, we’re down to about two hundred and eighty rounds,” Xia Shen Shu reported.

Ji Yanqing frowned. Two hundred and eighty rounds for nearly forty guns meant an average of seven rounds per person, not accounting for different gun types and ammunition compatibility. That wasn’t much.

“Lü Qing’s group had quite a bit of food, water, and some medicine. Lü Qing is listing the specifics,” Xia Shen Shu continued. “I’ll bring it over when he’s done.”

Ji Yanqing nodded. He wouldn’t know what to do with a list of medicines anyway. Lü Qing, their only medic, was the best person to manage it. He also trusted Lü Qing’s judgment. He was an odd individual, but more likely to be tempted by a King on a leash than by material gain. Though, at the moment, offering him a King seemed unlikely. Kings were notoriously ferocious and difficult to capture.

He was actually a bit surprised Lü Qing hadn’t rushed over to ask about the subservient Awakened Zombies yet.

“We’ve reorganized the food and water,” Lan Zi said, her brow furrowed. “Combining ours with Lü Qing’s, we have barely enough for another day.”

They, along with Lü Qing’s and the other smaller group, had brought supplies, but Hei Long’s people had nothing. With their numbers now at thirty or forty, the shared resources were dwindling rapidly.

Ji Yanqing nodded, a familiar headache returning. A larger team was good, but the increased consumption was alarming. The amount of supplies listed, enough for his original team of ten to survive for twenty days, now barely lasted a day for the larger group. It was a sobering thought.

“Distribute some food and water. We’ll rest for a bit, then move on. We need to check how much fuel we have left. We’re heading downstream, towards the next town. We need to find it before tomorrow,” Ji Yanqing instructed. They needed to eat, even with the high consumption rate. Their rations were barely enough to stave off starvation anyway.

Lan Zi nodded and went to organize the distribution. Xia Shen Shu followed, intending to brief those who had received guns on their proper use. He seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of firearms.

After Lan Zi left, Ji Yanqing, still sitting on the ground, pulled out his map and began studying their route, considering their next steps. They needed more than just food and water. They needed another vehicle. Their current truck, while large enough to transport everyone, was cramped with the backpacks, forcing everyone to stand. And it would be even more crowded once they acquired a generator and water purifier. The makeshift walls they had added were also flimsy and unreliable against a direct attack.

They would need at least two more vehicles in the next town. Then the generator and water purifier – both difficult to find, further complicating their journey. Lü Qing needed a specific type of purifier, not the common household kind, but an industrial one, the kind used for well water or food processing. Those were likely to be scarce.

As he thought about the purifier, he looked towards Lü Qing, who was walking towards him, a look of excitement on his face. He hadn’t forgotten about the Awakened. He had simply been detained by Lan Zi, who needed help listing the medicines. Lan Zi, despite her generally amiable nature, could be surprisingly assertive.

“We’ll try to reach the next town by tomorrow afternoon,” Ji Yanqing said before Lü Qing could speak.

“Get the generator as soon as we arrive,” Lü Qing reminded him.

Ji Yanqing gave him a look. “Food, water, and vehicles first. Then we’ll worry about the generator and purifier.” They needed to survive before they could worry about anything else.

Lü Qing’s excitement deflated. Realizing the generator wouldn’t be acquired immediately, he wandered off, seemingly forgetting his original purpose.

Ji Yanqing shook his head, watching him go. His team was truly a collection of eccentrics. Xia Shen Shu’s enthusiasm, Hei Long’s strange logic, Lü Qing’s obsession with Corpse Kings, and Feng Yimo, who seemed to operate on a different plane of existence altogether…

He glanced at Feng Yimo, sitting beside him, and rubbed his temples. What had he done to deserve this?

Feng Yimo, feeling Ji Yanqing’s gaze, looked at him, a flicker of confusion in his dark eyes. He felt… judged. Why?

Ji Yanqing turned to Ji An and Ji Le, sleeping soundly. He gently stroked their chubby cheeks, his heart filled with a mixture of tenderness and a strange ache. He had initially claimed them as his children to protect them from Xue Gang, but somewhere along the way, they had become his, and he, their father. He was experiencing a sense of family he hadn’t known before the outbreak.

“Finished?” Xia Shen Shu’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Ji Yanqing looked up.

“I need to discuss something with you.”

Ji Yanqing raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he had heard Xia Shen Shu use the word “discuss,” which gave him a sense of foreboding.

Xia Shen Shu sat down beside him, grinning, his eyes gleaming with barely contained excitement. Ji Yanqing’s scalp prickled. What was he planning now?

“It’s about the team. I’ve been thinking… We should form smaller squads,” Xia Shen Shu said, launching into his idea.

Ji Yanqing was taken aback. He hadn’t considered that.

“When our team was small, it was easy to manage. But now, with so many people, we need organization and discipline, or things will fall apart,” Xia Shen Shu explained. “We have more people with guns now. It’s not fair to always send the same people into danger. Especially when it’s life or death.”

Ji Yanqing, initially wary, paused. Xia Shen Shu had a point. He trusted his judgment, he didn’t think any of his chosen gun wielders would shirk their duty, but maintaining a sense of fairness was crucial for morale.

“So, I want to choose a few reliable people as squad leaders, create smaller teams, and train them together to improve their coordination and combat effectiveness,” Xia Shen Shu continued, gesturing towards the map in Ji Yanqing’s lap. “That way, when we enter a city, we can split up, each squad handling a different task. It’ll save time and resources.”

Ji Yanqing’s eyes narrowed. He considered the implications. With their growing numbers, their consumption would only increase. Every wasted day was a significant loss. They usually spent hours searching each city for supplies, first food and water, then fuel.

If they split into smaller teams, they could search for everything simultaneously, clearing a small town in a matter of hours.

He looked at Xia Shen Shu. “Do you have any candidates in mind?”

“Li Pingsen, Lan Zi, and I will each choose members, both armed and unarmed, to form three squads. We’ll see how it works, and if it’s effective, we’ll create more teams later,” Xia Shen Shu said, grinning from ear to ear.

Ji Yanqing’s scalp prickled, but he nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

With his approval secured, Xia Shen Shu jumped up and practically skipped over to Lan Zi.

Watching him, Ji Yanqing’s scalp prickled again. Xia Shen Shu clearly had more in mind than he was letting on. Those chosen were going to suffer.

He opened his mouth to warn Xia Shen Shu not to go overboard—after all, he would have to deal with the complaints—but then closed it. He glanced at Feng Yimo, who, for some reason, seemed to have suddenly wilted like a frost-bitten plant. Imitating Feng Yimo’s usual aloof demeanor, Ji Yanqing adopted an unapproachable expression, practicing his death glare for anyone who dared to complain. If Xia Shen Shu was busy tormenting others, he wouldn’t have time to bother Ji Yanqing. Better them than him.

Feng Yimo, still puzzling over Ji Yanqing’s sudden coldness, was then subjected to another chilling glare. His mind went blank.

In the forest, Lan Zi, busy overseeing the food distribution, was startled by Xia Shen Shu’s announcement about the squads. She wasn’t the only one. Almost everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Ji Yanqing.

He nodded in confirmation.

The reactions were varied.

Hei Long’s new recruits looked confused. They weren’t familiar with the concept of squads within a survival team. Their previous teams, though different from Xue Gang’s, had also prioritized those with guns. The armed and the unarmed lived in separate worlds.

The original members of Ji Yanqing’s team, however, were thrilled. Many of them had just received guns and were eager to put them to use.

Xia Shen Shu clapped his hands and, under the expectant gazes of the survivors, announced the three squad leaders, adding that more teams would be formed later.

Li Pingsen, hearing his name, flushed with excitement. Xia Chen, standing beside him, his initial anticipation replaced by a scowl, forced a stiff smile.

Ji Yanqing, having confirmed the truth of Xia Shen Shu’s words, returned his attention to the map. As leader, he needed to plan their next move. This wasn’t just a matter of pointing at a random spot on the map. With their increased numbers, he needed to consider consumption rates and the state of their destination.

Small villages were no longer worth their time. Large cities were likely to harbor Corpse Kings and Awakened, and might already have been looted by other groups. Their primary targets had to be supermarkets; ordinary shops couldn’t sustain them anymore.

He focused intently, momentarily forgetting his leg pain as he charted a route that balanced risk and reward.

He put down the map, rubbing his aching eyes, just as Xia Shen Shu began selecting team members.

Those with guns formed one group; those without, but willing to join a squad, formed another. Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, and Li Pingsen took turns choosing from both groups. Almost all the unarmed survivors, except for the very young and very old, volunteered.

The original members of Ji Yanqing’s team, along with the new recruits, understood the unspoken rule: demonstrate competence and willingness to work, and you’ll be rewarded with a gun. In this apocalyptic world, a gun was more than just a weapon; it was a means of self-preservation, a symbol of status within the group, and a beacon of hope.

Those who yearned for a gun stood on their toes, faces flushed with excitement, desperate to catch Xia Shen Shu’s, Lan Zi’s, or Li Pingsen’s attention.

The selection process continued.

Ji Yanqing watched, a sense of surrealness washing over him. It felt like a dream. He had decided to form his own team after encountering Xue Gang, what felt like a lifetime ago, yet it had only been a little over a month. And now, he led a group of over a hundred people.

The realization filled his heart, usually weighed down by the despair and hardship of their world, with a sense of warmth and purpose. What truly bolstered his spirits was the well-roundedness of his team. They had transportation, a decent number of firearms, a soon-to-be-acquired generator and water purifier, and, most importantly, a collection of skilled individuals.

Xia Shen Shu, with his extensive knowledge of weapons, strategy, and team organization, was a valuable asset, despite his somewhat eccentric personality and penchant for chaos.

They had Lü Qing, a doctor with a wealth of knowledge about both humans and zombies, and a quick learner, despite his slightly unsettling fascination with the undead.

Ji Yanqing paused, a sense of unease settling over him. This team was becoming increasingly… strange.

He looked at Lan Zi. Aside from Xia Shen Shu and Lü Qing, she also represented hope – hope for defeating the Corpse Kings. Kings were notoriously tough, their thick hides rendering them almost invincible. Facing a stronger, faster, and practically immortal enemy, their only option had always been to run. They had been running constantly, endlessly.

But even Kings had weaknesses: their eyes, mouths, ears – areas not protected by their tough exteriors.

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. If all went well, Lan Zi could become their trump card against the Kings and Awakened. It sounded far-fetched now, but perhaps one day, they would be the hunters, not the hunted.

He glanced at Feng Yimo, sitting beside him, seemingly oblivious to the commotion surrounding the team selection. Feng Yimo was another trump card. His strength and speed suggested he could even hold his own against an Awakened Zombie. While this was a comforting thought, Feng Yimo’s unpredictable nature and tendency to vanish without warning were a constant source of anxiety.

The thought made Ji Yanqing’s teeth clench. He was tempted to tie Feng Yimo to his waist with a rope. He imagined the scene, a miniature Feng Yimo dangling from his belt, and sighed in exasperation.

Feng Yimo, already reeling from the earlier coldness, the glare, and now this look of disappointment, swayed slightly, his eyes widening.

What was wrong? 

What had he done now?

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