Chapter 219: The Paralyzed Girl
The gymnasium doors were forcefully pushed open, the equipment barring them no match for Uncle You’s titan-like strength. Zhang Yi stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over the frightened students.
The students nearly screamed, but seeing that three humans had entered, they felt a bit more at ease. Zhang Yi quickly spotted the girl in the wheelchair—Yang Xinxin. He had seen her photo before and recognized her immediately.
"Good, you’re still alive," Zhang Yi sighed in relief. If she had died before he arrived, all his efforts would have been in vain.
As Zhang Yi walked towards her, Wu Chengyu stepped forward, adjusting his hair and straightening his custom blue uniform. "Are you from the West Hill Base? Did my father send you?" he asked.
"West Hill Base? What’s that?" Zhang Yi replied, puzzled by the unfamiliar name.
Seeing them fully armed, Wu Chengyu mistook them for personnel from a refuge organization. With a slight smile, he introduced himself: "I’m Wu Chengyu. My father is Wu Jianguo, the director of the Tianhai City CZ Bureau. You must be familiar with his name."
Wu Chengyu’s appearance was somewhat comical. Despite his expensive hairstyle and custom uniform, over a month in the apocalypse without a bath or clean clothes left him looking barely better than a beggar. Yet he still flaunted his status, which only made him more laughable.
He wanted to gather intelligence about this group. Wu Chengyu, however, looked confused. "You’re not from West Hill? Then you must be from another refuge. Strange, this place is closest to West Hill; why would they send you instead?"
Zhang Yi deduced multiple high-level refuges in Tianhai City, recalling similar mentions by Zhang Yuan and Cai Mingyu at Cloud Manor. These refuges were not the emergency shelters set up for the public but more secure and exclusive locations.
"How much do you know about the refuges?" Zhang Yi probed further.
Sensing something amiss, Wu Chengyu realized these people weren’t sent to rescue him. "You’re not from a refuge? I don’t know much, just that there are some places like that."
He bit his lip. "If we had known the snowstorm would get this bad, I’d be there now!"
Seeing Wu Chengyu’s lack of useful information, Zhang Yi moved past him towards Yang Xinxin. Seeing Zhang Yi’s group as saviors, the other students rushed to surround Uncle You and Fatty Xu.
"My father is Wang Chongming, chairman of Chongming Group. Get me out of here, and he’ll pay you any amount!"
"My dad is Li Gang, and my mom is Zhang Cuiyun. You know what those names mean in Tianhai City!"
"Take me out, and I’ll pay you. If you want to be an official, my parents can arrange that too!"
The students’ eyes were filled with desperation and a strange madness. They had been surviving in this dire situation for too long, and seeing a glimmer of hope, they clung to it desperately. Uncle You and Fatty Xu, uncomfortable with the situation, realized they couldn’t rescue everyone without burdening themselves.
Unlike Zhang Yi, they lacked the heart to dismiss the students harshly. Despite their awkwardness, they couldn't bear to refuse outright. However, none of the students dared approach Zhang Yi, sensing an intimidating aura around him, enhanced by the golden Desert Eagle he held.
Zhang Yi, exuding a palpable killing intent, walked to Yang Xinxin. Lu Keran, pale and frightened, instinctively wanted to flee but couldn't muster the courage. Yang Xinxin, on the other hand, raised her delicate face, looking at Zhang Yi with innocent eyes.
Crouching down, Zhang Yi looked into her pretty eyes, asking gently, "You’re Yang Xinxin, right?"
"I’m Zhang Yi. Your sisters, Yang Siya and Zhou Ke’er, have sent me to rescue you. Will you come with me?" he asked.
"Okay," Yang Xinxin replied without hesitation. In her current situation, anyone willing to save her wasn’t an enemy.
Zhang Yi nodded. "Alright, let’s go."
"Wait… please wait!" Yang Xinxin suddenly said.
Curious, Zhang Yi tilted his head. "What is it?"
"Can you do me a favor?" Yang Xinxin asked earnestly, her eyes clear and bright like gems.
"What kind of favor? Don’t ask for something too complicated, like saving all your classmates," Zhang Yi joked.
Yang Xinxin looked towards the icy corridor, where the sounds of battle still echoed. The clashing metal noises were nerve-wracking. "Can you stop them from fighting? I’m worried for him," she said.
"Oh?" Zhang Yi looked towards the corridor, hearing the ongoing fierce fight. The battle was intense but not one-sided.
"Just stopping them is doable," he said, thinking it wouldn’t be too hard. With plans to have Yang Xinxin help him with network maintenance at the refuge, gaining her favor now would be advantageous.
Seeing Yang Xinxin nod, Zhang Yi smiled. He stood up, approached Fatty Xu, and whispered, "Come with me."
As Zhang Yi moved, the students instinctively stepped aside, not wanting to get too close. Fatty Xu, relieved to escape the students’ pleas, followed Zhang Yi out the door.