A ferocious-looking man jumped off a motorcycle at the head of the gang’s motorcade. He was holding a baseball bat in one hand and an assault rifle in the other, looking every bit the bandit.
He walked over to the kneeling man and gave him a hefty kick to the chest, which sent the man sprawling. When he stopped, he was still kneeling, repeatedly begging for mercy.
"Please, we dare not do it again. We didn’t do it on purpose! Don’t kill me, please! Please..."
The ferocious man ignored the pleads, swung his baseball bat, and smashed it down onto the man’s head. A horrifying scream followed, and the man slumped onto the ground. He remained on his knees, wincing in pain and begging pathetically.
Another woman and a timid child got out of their van, which, along with the man, made up a family. They looked in terror at the gang members.
"Hey, not bad looking!"
The ferocious man’s eyes lit up when he saw the woman who had just disembarked. He shouted to the rest of the gang members, inciting raucous laughter from them.
"Please... let us go. We didn’t do it on purpose, we just thought you would kill me. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Tell us what you want and we’ll give it. Don’t harm us."
The woman forced the child to kneel beside her. Like the man, they both pleaded sorrowfully to the gang members.
Onlookers nearby could only watch the unfolding scene under the glare of motorcycle headlights. They had no idea what the family did to warrant such a brutal hunt by the gang members. But soon, they witnessed a horrific and bloody event.
"Let you go? Are you dreaming? We don’t just rob, we kill too. Plus, why not have a little fun?"
The ferocious man threw down his baseball bat and took out a dagger to approach the man. The woman noticed something was off and tried to latch onto the man’s leg while begging: "Please, let us go! I beg you...."-
The man kicked the woman aside and then slashed at the man. All they could hear was a shriek like a pig being slaughtered.
The woman’s voice trembled but was quickly drowned out as another gang member grabbed her. Screaming, she was tied to a motorcycle, and the ferocious man, grinning broadly, walked over to the child. Another man handed him a rope that was tied to a motorcycle.
It was clear what he was about to do. The woman cried out desperately: "No!"
Qiongli could not bear to watch. She was about to hand Nannan to Bai Xinran when she was stopped by a serious-looking middle-aged man next to her.
"Qiongli, don’t be impulsive, they’re armed," he said softly. "You are a higher being now, but you’re still not bulletproof."
The middle-aged man spoke softly. Qiongli clenched her fists and said nothing, but her eyes were already red from anger.
Even though she was a Level 3 New Human, she was still not immune to bullets unless she was fast enough that the gang members couldn’t react in time. She wished she were a highly defensive Level 3 zombie that could slaughter this gang of beasts. But humans are not zombies. Even New Humans’ cells had only evolved due to absorption of anti-life matter. They weren’t like zombies, entirely made up of anti-life matter all from head to toe!
It’s an odd setting. If played right, a Level 3 New Human could defeat a Level 3 zombie. But she herself had no confidence in slaughtering this group of beasts. On the other hand, a Level 3 zombie could do just that.
If you’re wondering, a Level 3 strength-type zombie could withstand a few artillery shells. Of course, a Level 3 New Human could also kill all these people, but that would depend on their combat experience. Obviously, Qiongli didn’t have much of it.
Before she evolved into a New Human, she was just an ordinary woman. She wasn’t a killer nor a soldier, she didn’t have that kind of ability. A Level 3 New Human could feel pain. A bullet hitting anywhere else except her head, heart or other vital organs would not be deadly. But a bullet to the head or heart could instantly incapacitate her or even kill her!
Without the assurance that she could kill this gang of beasts without getting hurt, she wouldn’t gamble on her luck. Holding a child in her arms, if she died, who would take care of her young son and Nannan in her husband’s arms? She didn’t trust these people after what they just did.
Bai Xinran was too weak to protect herself let alone protect others. Among the gang, there were quite a few New Humans, including three Level 2 New Humans. If they got into a fight, she could be finished.
On her side, there were only two Level 1 New Humans, Brother Zhang and an enigmatic young man. There was a big difference. It was clear she couldn’t count on them.
After weighing the pros and cons, Qiongli gave up on trying to save the family.
Next, the gang dragged the family past, leaving behind startling blood trails.
Only after a while did someone curse out loud. The people by the side were stunned, feeling oppressed. They had heard stories about the brutalities of the motor gangs on the highways, but they could not truly grasp it until they witnessed it firsthand. The sight of the despairing family caused them to envision themselves in the family’s shoes; what would they have done in the same situation?
The rest of the gang then towed the van the family was riding in. As they disappeared into the darkness and their tail lights faded, Tang Ye licked his lips reflexively. When all residents of Shiwuguan Base moved to Hua City, they managed to capture a group of gang members and tortured them using brutal methods until they died.
Tang Ye didn’t think much of it back then. But now, perhaps, if they were to capture gang members again in the future, they could be more ruthless.
Recovering from the gruesome scene, Qiongli patted her chest, sighing. She glanced at Tang Ye then forced a smile for the others: "Let’s allocate all the food evenly for now. As for how long we can hold on, only God knows."
PS: A part of this was missing due to server error of 404. Readers might find it confusing. There’s no other way around, apocalyptic novels have too many restrictions. If I wrote any more, it would be censored. Please bear with me, it’s a necessary evil. This is hard for us authors too. When the internet police cleanse the net, I won’t be able to escape!
Just bear with this Chapter now. Whoa, I’m tearing up here. It’s so hard! Once I finish this book, I’m done writing about post-apocalyptic themes. This is bullsh*t (ŐдŐ๑)☄ฺ(◣д◢)☄ฺ! Hand over some monthly tickets to boost my score, my dear readers!