And it was impossible for zombies to appear on a sleeping cruiser.
They had done research; the transformation speed after a zombie bite was swift, leaving no chance to conceal any wounds.
Lin Fan approached a woman with her head down, her long hair hanging in front of her, and spoke gently:
Xia Ya slowly lifted her head to meet Lin Fan’s gaze.
The moment Lin Fan saw Xia Ya, he exclaimed in surprise, "You are Xia Ya."
The tired Xia Ya nodded, "Yes, it’s me."
Lin Fan said, "I used to enjoy the movies and TV shows you starred in when I was free. You were great in them. I heard that you even broke your leg while filming a horse-riding scene. Are you okay now?"
Xia Ya displayed a reluctant smile, "I’m fine now."
To Xia Ya, the young man in front of her seemed odd. Despite these being apocalyptic, serious times, he spoke peacefully about matters, seemingly unconcerned about the apocalypse.
Wu Xiang, seeing Lin Fan striking up a chat with Xia Ya, widened his eyes in dismay. Damn, this guy couldn’t be planning to leave with Xia Ya, could he? If Xia Ya really left with them, the outcome was virtually predictable.
On board the Lucky, there were strict rules against using force.
But in someone else’s territory, those rules probably didn’t apply.
"I’ve talked too much and haven’t mentioned business yet. You can take a look at this flyer. This is our Sunshine District residence. It seems your current living situation isn’t great; are you interested in renting a place there? The price is very cheap, just over a thousand a month, and it’s fully equipped with guaranteed safety," Lin Fan said while offering the flyer.
Xia Ya looked into Lin Fan’s eyes, seeing his clear and friendly gaze. Since the apocalypse, she had rarely seen such a thing.
She thought about her circumstances aboard the Lucky, Wu Xiang’s coercion, the indifference and vile words of those around her, all of which had greatly impacted her spirit.
"Okay, I’m willing to have a look," Xia Ya responded.
Lin Fan’s face lit up with a smile. "Thank you for your trust. Be assured that our Sunshine District is exactly as I described environmentally and price-wise; there won’t be much discrepancy."
Xia Ya stood up and followed Lin Fan toward Gu Hang.
"Hang, she’s leaving with us, but there’s something else I need to do," Lin Fan said.
He was headed to the mother and child he had encountered earlier.
The woman listened to what Lin Fan had to say.
"Forget me and the child."
She was skeptical about Lin Fan’s words. In her view, all shelters were the same; there weren’t good people or bad people, only interests mattered.
No one would support someone else voluntarily.
Especially on land, where dangers were greater. If she were alone, she might have given it a try, but with a child in tow, she didn’t want to take risks. Living here, selling her body like a walking corpse, was bearable.
Lin Fan sighed, turned to leave, and caught the child’s gaze—a look of confusion and despair, as if understanding something yet not quite.
Such a gaze reminded him of other survivors he had seen.
"You’ve completely lost hope in the future, haven’t you?" Lin Fan asked.
The woman calmly said, "I watched my husband lead me and the child here, only to be stopped by zombies. He distracted the zombies to let us reach this place. But what’s the use? It just brought us to a crueller place.
Do you think there’s still a future?"
After speaking, the woman shook her head, a gesture of acceptance of the current reality.
"There is, it always exists," Lin Fan asserted firmly, looking at the woman. "Why not fill the future with hope? If you believe there is one, your child will too. I’ll be waiting for you on the deck. If you can trust me, trust in hope, then come with your child."
After speaking, he prepared to leave.
The woman dully watched the empty doorway.
She didn’t know what to choose.
A voice in her mind told her to stop dreaming. This place was the safest. Selling her body for food could keep her child alive; the hope on land was nonexistent, not only would you die, but your child would die too.
The boy hugged the woman. "Mom, I don’t want the bread anymore, I don’t want those uncles to bully you."
Lin Fan looked at the survivors on the deck, only Xia Ya was beside him and Gu Hang. The other survivors looked at Xia Ya as if she were a fool, as if she had been shot in the head.
Especially those survivors who had previously insulted Xia Ya, they cursed her severely in their minds.
"Stupid woman, just spread her legs and she would have food and drink; why put on airs? Now she turns and plans to leave with someone else. I doubt her end will be much better."
"Yeah, I’ve seen many women like her, just stupid."
"There are still rules here, no force allowed, otherwise do you think she could have been safe till now?"
"It’s best to destroy her."
"She’s simply disgusting."
They whispered among themselves.
Some voices were loud, seeming like a discussion but actually meant for others to hear.
Lin Fan quietly listened to the words of the survivors.
Chilling to the bone.
He had truly not expected that the thoughts of the survivors would be , hearing their words piercing his ears.