An abandoned warehouse, a secluded corner.
He Mingxuan gave Miao Yan some water. Seeing her eyelids twitch faintly, he let out a sigh of relief. It was good she was waking up, as there was only so much he could do, given his humble status in the prison. Though it seemed like he was the leader of a team searching for survivors, he was actually just a runner.
"Why did you save me?" Miao Yan asked weakly.
He Mingxuan remained silent for a moment, then said, "Consider it a repayment for the time you saved me."
"Don’t worry, I already spoke to him. You just stay here for a while, don’t go anywhere. I’ll bring you food in the evenings."
"Thank you, you are a good person."
Upon hearing this, He Mingxuan’s hand trembled slightly as he tore open the bread packaging, a self-mocking smile on his face.
If being a good person meant living like a dog, being humiliated, he’d rather be a true villain.
After experiencing these events, his thinking had subtly changed.
He needed to become tough.
Seize any opportunity that came his way.
But just at that moment.
There were footsteps.
"I didn’t expect to stumble upon a secret that I wasn’t supposed to see, He Mingxuan. You actually saved the woman Yong Ge wanted to bury. I wonder if you’d die if I told Yong Ge about this."
"I think I might be able to replace you as the leader of the scavenging team."
Just as He Mingxuan was about to turn around, he heard the voice from behind. His face turned pale instantly, his heart beating rapidly.
He Mingxuan bowed his head, pondered for a few seconds, took a deep breath, then suddenly turned around and lunged at the other person. His hefty body pinned the other person to the ground. Without thinking, he gripped the other’s neck tightly, while the other person clawed at his arms, nails breaking the skin, but even so, he did not think of letting go.
The other person emitted a low, suffocating sound.
He Mingxuan’s eyes were terrifying, bulging as if they were about to burst, and he clenched his teeth, tightening his grip, letting the other person’s legs kick the ground continuously, but he just wouldn’t let go.
His size gave him a great advantage.
With the help of the moonlight, he saw clearly who it was — the usually silent Skinny, a frail guy, but with a gaze that seemed nefarious toward everyone.
Skinny’s face turned crimson, as if he wanted to plead, but He Mingxuan had no intention of stopping. He intended to choke him to death.
Skinny’s eyes rolled back, and he lay motionless, but He Mingxuan still gripped his neck, even if he was dead, he would keep choking for a few more minutes; he didn’t want any complications.
Lin Fan stretched lazily, looking at Mengmeng lying in bed babbling, smelling her smelly bottom, "Oh, she’s pooped again."
He was well prepared, grabbing a diaper, pouring water from the thermos, taking a wet wipe, and starting to clean her up properly.
That’s what taking care of a child was like.
He prepared breakfast, then carried Mengmeng to the balcony, breathing the fresh air. The desolate city seemed particularly quiet. Thinking about Professor Xia and others, he wondered if they had a smooth journey or had encountered any danger.
He had no other thoughts, just hoping they would safely reach the Dragon Palace base. The future in this post-apocalyptic world still depended on professionals like the professor.
He was just an ordinary citizen, strong but ignorant, as if he understood why scientists were the most important during turbulent times, sacrificing even their lives to ensure the safety of these scientists.
Lin Fan thought if he lived in that era, also just a man of brute strength, he would likely give his life for scientists too, hoping they could survive because a scientist had the power to change the world. That was the power of knowledge, often unmatched by sheer strength.
The workers weren’t just Lin Fan and Wang Kai now; Zhou Ting had also joined them.
"Big Brother, can we really make money doing this?" Zhou Ting asked curiously as he hung a fallen piece of clothing back on the rack.
Lin Fan smiled, "Yes, I just spoke with the boss, the cleaning fee is altogether three hundred yuan. The shop isn’t big, nor is it very messy, so the price is reasonable."
Wang Kai raised his head, looking at Zhou Ting, "You should really thank our Brother Lin. This is a path he found for us. Even though two people were enough, he still brought you along, wanting to help you prosper with us, earning modest income through our hard work."
"Kai is right, Big Brother is truly good," Zhou Ting nodded in agreement.
He remembered the scene when Lin Fan brought them to the shop, talking to the empty shop to himself.
"Boss, the shop is a bit dirty, let us clean it up for you. It’s cheap, just three hundred."
"Okay, thanks, boss."
He was astonished; perhaps this was the way to do business in troubled times.
He understood how bizarre it was in the post-apocalyptic world to clean shops for others, and even more bizarre to accept money. Money had become worthless paper, something he and his girlfriend had struggled to understand at first. But the kind Mr. Wang told them about the connection between work and money in Sunshine District and about the post-apocalyptic society, confirming that no one there had gone mad or stupid, so they came to accept it too.
As they listened to Mr. Wang’s teachings, they felt like children entering school for the first time.
Until he truly understood the meaning.
His view of Lin Fan had undergone a radical change. If previously the title of ’Big Brother’ was a mark of respect for someone else’s strength, now it stemmed from a deep, heartfelt respect.