Before coming, the Prophet not only instructed Xiao Yi to remember not to reveal certain information, but also gave him the most important reminder: to be mentally prepared for Tao Han’s potential rejection.
Not everyone can be as fortunate as Milk Tea, having a best friend who’s unwaveringly supportive, or as lucky as Top Student, encountering a boy who treats him as his everything after his mutation.
Many other mutants face rejection and resistance. The CEO’s separation from his wife was relatively gentle due to distance, and they parted on relatively good terms. The Manager, on the other hand, faced his newlywed wife brandishing a knife in a standoff. She detested the zombies that had killed her parents, leading her to be unable to accept the mutated Manager. No matter how he explained, she held onto the deeply ingrained belief that mutants like him were the leaders of the zombies, the masterminds behind the attacks.
As for the Prophet himself, he had experienced the agony of being ground by a blunt knife. After waking up, he returned to his family, who accepted his existence but kept him completely isolated. They avoided contact with him, refrained from touching anything he had touched, and even wore masks when speaking to him.
When the Prophet accidentally scratched his cousin’s arm, his aunt erupted in a complete outburst of fear and anger. She cursed vehemently, using all sorts of profanities.
The Prophet transitioned from panic to calmness, assuring for the umpteenth time that his scratch wouldn’t result in her becoming a mutant. After that, he bid farewell to his mother, who hadn’t spoken a word in his defense throughout the incident. Before leaving, he cleared out all the zombies he could find along his path. From then on, he walked alone, isolated from his family.
But would he be that fortunate? Holding his breath, Tao Yi nervously watched his young uncle. He had slept for too long, awakening far too late. His memory portrayed a man in his early twenties, but now Tao Han, mistaken as his older brother by outsiders, had aged significantly. He could truly be called an uncle now.
Having endured immense life-altering changes and facing exhaustion of both body and mind, he had depleted much of his vitality. Thankfully, time had gradually smoothed his wounds. During his years of work at the school, though living modestly and surviving on meager daily meals, at least he was far better off than those outside the base.
The crucial point was that he could still encounter numerous children. Sometimes, upon seeing a figure resembling Tao Yi’s, he would momentarily pause. Initially, he would rush over to see the person’s face, but later on, he would merely shake his head and jest at his own tendency to experience déjà vu with anyone he saw.
And now, today, he found himself face-to-face with a boy who looked exactly like Tao Yi. The boy addressed him with the most familiar voice, calling him “uncle.” However, Tao Han couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge it.
From the initial uneasiness that Tao Yi felt, to the sinking feeling in his heart that couldn’t be stopped, the tears shed due to the joy of reunion gradually dried. He wiped his tears away and took a deep breath, pretending nonchalance as he said, “Little uncle, I am Tao Yi. I’m alive, but I woke up as a mutant…”
Unable to control himself, Tao Yi glanced at Tao Han and saw him shudder at the mention of “mutant.” Immediately afterward, Tao Han turned and dashed towards the door.
In that instant, a chilling sensation overcame Tao Yi, as if he were encased in ice. Wolf Dog was lurking in the shadows, waiting to take him away. Tao Yi struggled to suppress his sobbing and crying, desperately attempting to run towards Wolf Dog.
Wolf Dog faintly heard the sound of a lock being engaged and curtains being drawn. Just as it was about to remind Tao Yi that the situation might not be as dire as he imagined, Tao Han, who had left only to return, cautiously called out, testing the waters with his voice, “…Xiao Yi?”
“…” Tao Yi blinked his eyelashes, and tears streamed down in torrents. Tao Han was unsure where to place his hands, and he approached Tao Yi step by step. He gently cradled Tao Yi’s face and gazed into the emotions filling his inhuman eyes.
“I’m not dreaming, am I?” Tao Han’s eyes also turned red. Even if it were a dream, he had never dreamt such a beautiful one before. “Is it really you?”
“Uncle!” Tao Yi cried and threw himself into Tao Han’s arms. Tao Han immediately embraced Tao Yi, holding his head tightly against his chest. The body in his arms might not have the warmth of a human, but at least it wasn’t cold. Tao Han murmured in disbelief, “Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi, my goodness, a mutant, how is this even possible…”
*
“Then they hugged and cried, not doing anything or saying anything, just holding each other for over an hour.” Wolf Dog lay on the sofa, nibbling on meteor fruits, ignoring the embarrassed howls of the Middle Schooler as it continued to comment, “That Middle Schooler’s uncle is quite the character. He thought that mutants survive by eating people, so within that short hour, he made a firm decision to kill for the Middle Schooler. But he also knew he probably couldn’t go through with it, so he said if he got too hungry, he could eat him first.”
“Alright, that’s enough,” the Prophet said contentedly, “Friendship, love, family, we have them all. Mutants are not isolated and helpless.”
Shen Shanwu, who was chosen as the representative of ‘love,’ immediately objected, “Not necessarily, you know. I’m just in the pursuit and being pursued phase. Whether it can develop into something more depends on the other person’s behavior.”
“Oh, the old bull’s chasing after young grass,” the Manager said disdainfully, finding him both stubborn and softhearted. Milk Tea, as the first stop in the support team for the Top Student, immediately retorted, “Manager, don’t be so dismissive. Someone as stable and mature as the Top Student is worth it!”
Sometimes the CEO really doubted whether the criteria for mutation among these rare individuals was the more absurd, the more likely to mutate. “Enough with the jokes. Let’s talk business. Who should we send to represent us at the Wuyou City conference?”
Wolf Dog was the first to raise his paw, “Me!”
“The first one to be ruled out is you. Everyone knows you just want to go to the Wuyou City dance hall for some fun,” the CEO remarked.
“…Well, if that’s the case, you guys can have your meeting. I’ll just go have fun on my own,” Wolf Dog grumbled. The Manager leaned in and asked, “Since there’s a dance hall in Wuyou City, is there a gambling hall too?”
Wolf Dog made a subtle gesture that clearly meant “definitely,” and the two brothers immediately agreed, eager to set off right then and there.
As for Milk Tea, who already lived around Wuyou City, the moment she was asked to attend the meeting, she expressed a hundred reasons for refusing and adamantly refused to go.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist scratching that scumbag city lord of Wuyou City with my claws,” Milk Tea scoffed, rolling her eyes. “He married twenty concubines, a whole twenty of them! He really thinks he’s a feudal emperor, flaunting his harem like that. And he even had his eyes on my friend, can you believe it? I feel like he might declare himself a king or an emperor any day now.”
“But the Lord of Wuyou City does have some abilities,” the Manager said. “Under his rule, Wuyou City is incredibly wealthy, and in terms of prosperity and financial power, it even surpasses the coastal base.”
“But he’s a total scumbag, abandoned his original wife as soon as he got rich. I can’t stand him.”
“…Alright, let’s move on to the next candidate.”
The Prophet was their trump card. Unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted the prophet to show himself. Sending the Executioner to attend the meeting was something he himself didn’t mind, but it felt like sending the representative of a butcher might be interpreted as a declaration of war in the eyes of humans?
Hugo, the hermit, and the Middle Schooler were essentially vetoed. That left only the Top Student Shen Shanwu, but he had a dual identity within the coastal base and couldn’t easily reveal himself.
The CEO said, “So, it’s down to me, right? Before the apocalypse, I used to conduct business meetings every day, and now after the apocalypse, I have to attend representative conferences. Maybe I should just change my name to ‘Xiao Kai’.”
“We don’t offer name change cards,” the Middle Schooler weakly retorted, while Milk Tea nodded in agreement.
“…Well.”
*
After deciding on the representative, Shen Shanwu leisurely returned to the Shanhai Unit headquarters. One of his pursuers, who had been paying close attention to his room, confidently walked in and took over half of his bed.
“Do you plan to attend the representative conference in Wuyou City?” Jiang Huan asked. Shen Shanwu shook his head without any hesitation, “No, I am the most inconvenient among the mutants to show my face.”
“With this back and forth, it’ll be at least over a month,” Jiang Huan’s tone turned slightly melancholic as he lowered his gaze. Though he didn’t say it directly, the implication was clear: if you don’t go, we’ll have to be apart for over a month.
Shen Shanwu: “…”
Shen Shanwu: “If I really have to go… I guess I could…?”
The next day, Jiang Huan informed the rest of the team that Jiang Tong would also be joining them on the trip to Wuyou City. Within the Shanhai Unit, no one ever questioned the captain’s decisions. Yao Wuque even playfully ruffled Jiang Tong’s hair and said, “Lucky you, A’Tong. You can skip classes for at least a month!”
“Indeed, lucky me. Teacher Yao, you’re also skipping, aren’t you?”
“I’m prioritizing everything related to the squad. But you, my friend, are shamelessly using connections to avoid classes.”
“Have you learned idioms? Is that how you use ‘connections’?”
“Making progress, huh? Jiang Tong, who doesn’t even recognize basic characters, now knows idioms?”
“…”
The representatives selected from the Coastal Base included not only Jiang Huan, who represented the squad, but also a representative from the highest political council of the base, as well as a representative of the labor force. The three factions formed a convoy of four vehicles, traveling together to the southern Wuyou City.
Jiang Huan brought along his deputy team leader Xu Ye, scout Wu Fengge, Zhong Yin, Yao Wuque, two unidentified drivers, and Jiang Tong who was just tagging along. On the other side, the representatives from their faction were not pleased to see Jiang Huan bringing his son to the national annual conference. However, due to Jiang Huan’s status, they didn’t voice their disapproval openly.
Eager citizen Wolf Dog heard that Shen Shanwu was also going to Wuyou City and excitedly offered to help. The three of them could have a blast at the dance hall for three days and nights, showcasing the unyielding spirit of the mutants. But when he learned that Top Student was going as part of the Jiang Huan’s group using Jiang Tong’s identity, he quickly realized the situation and left with a smug middle finger gesture along with the CEO.
With Zhang Xiaowen absent, the logistics of the journey fell on Yao Wuque’s shoulders. After all, he was the least experienced and the most flexible among them. Who else could they boss around if not him? Yao Wuque tried to persuade Zhong Yin to help him, but his plea was mercilessly rejected.
On the first day’s lunch, Shen Shanwu came across the compressed food block and functional water that he deeply missed, still bearing the familiar appearance and scent. He could already imagine that the taste was bound to be as unpleasant as ever.
He immediately directed a fierce gaze at Jiang Huan, meaning if you dare make me eat this, I dare reveal my true form and abandon the vehicle to escape.
Jiang Huan, as if oblivious to the situation, lifted little Shanwu onto his lap and left a seat for the hardworking Yao Wuque to have his meal. The others were too preoccupied to consider its taste, stuffing the food blocks into their mouths. Soon, only Jiang Tong’s portion remained on the plate. Shen Shanwu had no choice but to fend for himself. He looked up at Jiang Huan with a soft expression and said, “Captain, I’m not hungry. Can I please not eat for now?”
Back when Jiang Huan didn’t know that Jiang Tong was Shen Shanwu, he used to think of Jiang Tong’s playful behavior as simply indulging a child. But now that he was well aware that the person before him was the same guy who liked acting cute as Shen Shanwu, looking at Jiang Tong’s coquettishness… besides wanting to pinch his cheeks, he also felt like playing pranks on him.
Oh no, why am I becoming more and more like Brother Shanwu?
“No way,” Jiang Huan picked up a compressed food block, “Jiang Tong, no picky eating.”
“Captain?” Shen Shanwu was surprised. He attempted to jump off Jiang Huan’s lap, only to be caught around the waist. With his slender and small frame, he could easily be encircled by Jiang Huan’s arm, leaving a little space.
“You have to eat every bit of it, Jiang Tong,” Jiang Huan extended the compressed food block towards Shen Shanwu’s lips, as if he were about to force-feed him. The fearless mutant stared at the small food block, as if it were the most terrifying thing in the world. His face was a mix of frustration and despair. Shen Shanwu didn’t dare speak too loudly, fearing that if he opened his mouth wide, Jiang Huan might just stuff the food block in. “No… don’t, Jiang Huan, Captain. I’m not hungry, you giving it to me is… wasteful. It’s better to give it to someone who needs it… Jiang Huan! This is too much!”
Yao Wuque was laughing uproariously in his seat, causing Zhong Yin to be thoroughly annoyed by his flailing elbows. Xu Ye sat across with a hint of helplessness, tapping the side of his bowl with his chopsticks. “Jiang Tong, why are you acting so immature? You’re not allowed to address your father by his name.”
Jiang Huan chuckled and put the food block away, afraid that he might actually scare Shen Shanwu away. “It’s no big deal.”
“…” Xu Ye’s heart, which had been beating regularly, skipped a beat at that sentence. As a seasoned soldier, he sensed a slight discord. The captain actually said it’s no big deal? He could understand agreeing with Jiang Tong not calling him “dad” and addressing him as the captain instead, but what father would let his son call him by his name…?
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