Ji Qiuyue squinted her eyes, always ready for combat, aware of her own strength. No longer a fragile scientific researcher, she was more like a creature apart.
Zhou Peng raised a hand, silencing the noisy crowd. He could sense Ji Qiuyue’s extraordinary abilities, far from ordinary, and she exuded a peculiar aura.
There was no obstruction, instead they were allowed to leave freely.
Ji Qiuyue held Jin Qiu’s hand, keeping a certain distance from Zhou Peng as they cautiously made their way to the door.
Zhou Peng quietly watched them, gesturing to his lackey, who approached with a cigarette and lit it for him. He took a deep drag, savoring the pure taste of the smoke, and felt quite refreshed.
He could feel Ji Qiuyue’s power, which was not something that ordinary people could handle. Since he was not confident in dealing with her, there was no point in keeping them. Letting them leave was the right choice.
"Boss Peng, are we really letting them go?" a survivor asked.
Zhou Peng smiled, "Yeah, they’ve missed out on a great opportunity. The base I spoke of is real, and it has everything you desire. Everyone gather your things and follow me; there, food and drink are abundant. Just look at you all, it’s probably been a while since you’ve tasted anything delicious."
"Could I lie about that?"
Zhou Peng said with a smile.
At that moment, a survivor came forth with a booklet.
"Boss Peng, take a look at this, the Zombie Album. Someone has been documenting these creatures and spreading it around."
Zhou Peng took the album to look through.
The more he looked, the graver his expression became.
The recorded types of zombies were all familiar to him and accurately described, though the album omitted a few types.
Huang City’s Sunshine Shelter, Lin Fan with the sword on his back...
He silently committed this location to memory.
There was a faint tremor in the back.
His back was embedded with a face, fused with his body. Indeed, he had once been surrounded by zombies and thought he would die at their hands, but then something shocking happened.
He was taken before a very strange zombie.
He didn’t want to think about it further.
On the dust-covered road.
Ji Qiuyue was inspecting vehicles abandoned by the roadside, finally finding one that could be used.
The two got into the car.
"Jin Qiu, remember what sister tells you. If I have to get out and tell you to close the door and stay quiet, you must listen, understand?" said Ji Qiuyue earnestly.
She was aware of her condition, prone to bouts of irrationality and feared harming Jin Qiu. She would never forgive herself if such a thing happened.
"Sister, I understand," Jin Qiu nodded obediently.
As they drove, Ji Qiuyue said, "The Sunshine Shelter you want to go to—I know the people there. Although we’ve never met, we’re acquainted. I know their way of life; it’s good, very good. There are many children your age, all attending school, busy with their studies every day."
"Ah? Sister, we still have to go to school?" Jin Qiu asked with wide eyes.
"Qiuqiu, remember this: knowledge once changed one’s fate, but now it can rebuild urban civilization. You must rely on your own hands to inject vitality into this country, into that city."
Ji Qiuyue spoke with heartfelt emphasis.
She knew that to the children of today, studying was a tiresome chore, but there was no choice. Only with a smart mind and a wealth of knowledge could the future be made brighter.
They drove a long distance.
Passing by a supermarket.
Ji Qiuyue instructed the child to stay in the car, while she entered the supermarket. Moments later, she returned with biscuits and a drink for Jin Qiu.
"Here, have something to eat; that’s all that was left inside."
"Thank you, Sister. Uh, Sister, you have blood on your face."
Ji Qiuyue touched her face and then, looking down, smiled and said, "It’s nothing, just a scrape."
Jin Qiu unwrapped the biscuits. Having not tasted anything good for a long time, he devoured them eagerly. These snacks, once bought for him by his parents until he grew tired of them, now tasted so delicious.
Ji Qiuyue still thought about Zhou Peng she had seen earlier.
That guy carried the scent of zombies.
She never understood why unless he told her directly; it was very difficult to know for sure.
A large truck was driving down the street.
Gu Hang handled the vehicle with steady skill.
"Xiaofan, the meat in this freezer warehouse has truly been a lifesaver," said Old Zhong next to him. "It’s been quite some time since I’ve tasted meat."
Lin Fan smiled, "We have to thank He Qing for that. He told me the location of the freezer warehouse. When I opened it, I was stunned to find so much meat."
Gu Hang said, "We should be thankful we stayed in the city."
Old Zhong mentioned, "That must have cost a pretty penny."
Hearing Old Zhong’s words, Gu Hang looked at him in surprise, realizing that even in the later days of Sunshine Shelter he knew that Lin Fan had a habit of paying for things. Paying was a good thing, but as the number of survivors increased, it became more of a formality. Yet, he knew that Lin Fan always adhered to it.