The next road, the car didn’t stop again.
Inside the car was very quiet. Xu Yin closed his eyes and actually fell asleep for a while.
Before, when he was with Li Dongxiang and Ren Lan, although he also closed his eyes, he never really fell asleep. His brain was always awake, and his ears were also attentive to the movements around him.
However, now that the most familiar man is sitting beside him, without any psychological defenses, the drowsiness just kept coming up uncontrollably—Xu Yin has always been someone who sleeps well in the car, always feeling sleepy on long-distance trips.
His head nodded slowly, occasionally tilting to the side with the jolts of the car.
Li Nianqin couldn’t help but move his left shoulder slightly.
His shoulder was indeed not completely healed, but it didn’t hurt and didn’t affect its function, almost like just a skin injury.
His gaze wandered around inside the car, silently.
After the silence… his body quietly shifted—he expressionlessly leaned a bit closer to Xu Yin.
Then Xu Yin’s head nodded and nodded… gently leaning on Li Nianqin’s shoulder.
The feeling in that moment was truly indescribable.
Li Nianqin lowered his gaze, his eyes tracing the features of the young man, his peaceful sleeping face, feeling a sense of indescribable satisfaction filling his chest.
Yu Dong glanced through the rearview mirror, surprised.
After the apocalypse, the world changed a lot, and human nature was exposed without doubt.
Some people, relying on their powerful abilities, rob, rape, and bully the weak, doing everything.
There are also those who sell their bodies in search of protection.
Both men and women are among the latter.
Even in their base in City B, which is large in scale and well-equipped and managed, there are still many such things happening in private.
Finding a powerful person with abilities to rely on, if something unexpected happens one day, they might really be taken care of. Even if nothing unexpected happens, when the person with abilities goes out to gather supplies, they can bring back more things, which can benefit them a little more.
What’s wrong with that?
Among these powerful individuals with abilities, Li Nianqin is undoubtedly a popular choice.
Although he only has a single-element ability, it is very powerful. Additionally, he is handsome and a gentleman. Therefore, whether men or women, there are many who want to get close to Li Nianqin, including those who genuinely like him.
However, Li Nianqin never pays them any attention and doesn’t let anyone get close to him at all.
Yu Dong originally thought that Li Nianqin was really clueless. After all, he’s about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, a handsome guy in his prime, but he acts as indifferent as a piece of wood.
As a result, this guy met this young man who got in the car halfway, and it seemed like spring had come in less than a day…
Hey, he’s quite proactive.
…Of course, Yu Dong had to admit that this young man named Xu Yin is indeed very handsome.
He sighed inwardly.
Yu Dong kept an eye on the two of them, as did Dr. Lu and Ren Lan.
Especially Ren Lan, since the apocalypse, she hadn’t encountered a man like Li Nianqin. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have to insist on following Li Dongxiang.
Seeing Xu Yin fall asleep, she once again secretly glanced at the back of Li Nianqin’s head… As a result, the ice on her neck moved in front of her eyes again!
Ren Lan: “!!!”
Wasn’t he asleep? Does this ice have a mind of its own or what!?
She angrily closed her eyes.
They drove until the sun was setting in the west, and Xu Yin was awakened by the sound of talking.
Realizing that she had eventually leaned on Li Nianqin’s shoulder, the first thing he did when he woke up was furrowed his brows and ask, “Is your shoulder okay?”
“It’s okay, it’s much better now. Did I wake you up?” Li Nianqin’s tone was very gentle.
“Yeah, I’ve also slept enough,” Xu Yin checked and confirmed that the bandaged area was still fine, then asked, “Have we arrived in City B?”
When he was drowsy just now, he heard some words.
Yu Dong, who was driving, replied, “Yes, we’ve received the signal from the signal tower.”
Dr. Lu was adjusting the signal platform inside the car.
After the adjustment was completed, a communication came in immediately, from inside Base B.
The person across shouted, “Xiaodong, have you picked up Dr. Lu?”
“Yes, we should arrive in a few minutes.” Yu Dong drove the car through the desolate urban area of City B. The thought of finally going home made him happy, and his tone became much lighter.
The person laughed, “Great, everything okay?”
Upon hearing this question, Yu Dong’s smile suddenly froze.
He opened his mouth but didn’t say anything.
“Hua Zi is dead,” Li Nianqin said in a low voice.
“What…” The person on the other end of the phone probably didn’t expect to suddenly hear this news. After Li Nianqin’s words fell, there was silence for a while.
After a while, the person sighed.
There was something in this sigh that almost everyone could feel.
Suddenly, all the excitement of returning to the base disappeared, and the atmosphere became slightly heavy.
The person didn’t want to ask any more and just said, “…Are you all okay?”
“We’re okay,” Li Nianqin replied.
“Good, that’s good.” After murmuring with melancholy for a moment, the person changed the topic directly, “By the way, you’ll probably meet the vehicle from Base A when you arrive.”
At this, Xu Yin suddenly looked up.
Yu Dong was taken aback and asked, “Base A? There’s a base there too?”
“Yes, they just repaired the signal tower and contacted us. They said they wanted to merge, Uncle Li considered it and agreed. They should be arriving soon. They’re probably not taking the same route as you, so you’ll meet them at the entrance.”
“How many people are there on their side? Do we have enough remaining houses in our base?” Yu Dong was surprised; this was the first time another base was merging with theirs.
“They have fewer people, only about forty-something. Their leader, Yuan Yue, said they can fit six people in a room, so they shouldn’t take up much space.”
Yuan Yue, the leader?
Xu Yin raised an eyebrow.
The original host had only left for half a month, and that introverted and cowardly young man had become the leader?
Xu Yin didn’t have any personality bias, but Yuan Yue had been almost invisible in Base A, even disliked by some. It was somewhat strange that he suddenly became the leader.
The person continued, “Speaking of which, I heard that this guy Yuan Yue can disperse zombies. With him around, zombies dare not approach. I don’t know if it’s true or not.”
Yu Dong was full of question marks. “So amazing? Is it an ability?”
“It’s not clear yet, but Uncle Li and the others speculate that it might be a mental ability.”
Xu Yin squinted slightly.
So this is the reason why Yuan Yue suddenly became the leader of Base A?
If he remembered correctly, Yuan Yue didn’t have this ability before.
Of course, everyone’s ability manifests at different times. Some people manifest their abilities right at the beginning of the apocalypse, while others take a long time to develop them. So, it’s not that strange for Yuan Yue to suddenly have an ability.
But Xu Yin remembered what happened that day at the supermarket.
The strange thing about that day was that Yuan Yue had startled the zombies who were dozing during the day in the supermarket, and those zombies had already gathered in front of him.
However, in an instant, the horde of zombies all turned and stared at the original host, eventually surrounding and attacking him to death.
Xu Yin hadn’t seriously thought about the whole process of that day before because he hadn’t considered returning to Base A. But now that Yuan Yue had come to him, he began to ponder.
Li Nianqin noticed his expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Just then, Xu Yin suddenly looked out the window and said, “Something’s not right.”
As the words fell, there were birds swiftly gliding through the air, emitting sharp cries.
Several figures flashed by, quickly climbing along the buildings on both sides, like several giant spiders, then suddenly leaped—
“Zombies!” Yu Dong exclaimed.
They were driving peacefully, without causing any commotion. How could they inexplicably attract zombies during the day?!
Moreover, these zombies were… climbing the walls at a fast pace, leaping so far in each jump?!
They had never seen zombies with such explosive strength!
Yu Dong violently turned the steering wheel, the car making a sharp turn, avoiding two zombies that were leaping towards them. Ren Lan, who wasn’t seated properly, could only lean to the left and then to the right with the inertia of the car, screaming!
Xu Yin and Li Nianqin activated their abilities in the car. Blades of gold and ice simultaneously condensed and appeared around the car, swirling and chasing after the zombies on both sides relentlessly—
However, those few zombies actually dodged sideways!
Zombies only have instincts, no intelligence. Most of the time, they don’t dodge attacks at all. However, these few zombies dodged!
Yu Dong and Dr. Lu’s faces changed slightly.
Li Nianqin and Xu Yin were even more aware of the strangeness of these few zombies than they were, their expressions slightly frozen.
The two of them simultaneously strengthened their abilities. The swirling of the ice and gold blades became even faster and sharper. This time, before the two zombies could dodge, the two blades harvested their heads!
However, immediately after, seven or eight more zombies leaped down from the buildings on both sides!
Yu Dong violently turned the steering wheel, the tires drifting on the ground with a screech. Accompanied by Ren Lan’s screams, Base B finally appeared not far ahead—a huge circular territory surrounded by high earth walls!
More than a hundred meters ahead, several cars were parked at the gate of the base! That’s probably the vehicles from Base A!
“We’re almost there!” Yu Dong shouted.
Outside the car, after the two blades intersected and continued flying towards several other zombies, at that moment, the zombies suddenly fell to the ground like dolls with their power turned off. After falling to the ground, they just stood there, motionless, looking at them as they drove away without moving a muscle.
Ren Lan saw it through the rear window and shouted desperately, “They stopped! They stopped!”
“This is so strange, too strange!” Yu Dong broke out in a cold sweat.
The zombies were still staring at them, indicating that they still recognized them as prey. However, knowing they were prey but not chasing after them was incredibly bizarre!
Dr. Lu also turned his head and watched as those few zombies, after staring at them from a distance for a while, each turned around, swaying and staggering, slowly dispersing as if the previous targeted and forceful attack had never happened, as if they were just ordinary zombies.
While Xu Yin’s ability was still within range, he once again threw out the ice blade. This time, the ice blade easily killed a zombie, which made no attempt to dodge.
Xu Yin, Dr. Lu, and Li Nianqin exchanged glances, then, with a single thought, they all looked towards the front of the car, where the unfamiliar vehicles were parked.
Arriving at the gate of the base, Yu Dong stepped on the brake, and the car stopped.
Even though he hadn’t done any physical labor, he was panting, murmuring, “So strange, too strange!”
Dealing with just a few zombies shouldn’t have been difficult for Li Nianqin and Xu Yin’s abilities, but the strange behavior of the zombies had scared Yu Dong. The invasion of the zombie virus, ushering in the apocalypse, was terrifying enough. They couldn’t afford any more variables!
Before he could catch his breath, someone quickly got out of the unfamiliar vehicle in front.
Yu Dong was stunned, then looked ahead with Xu Yin and the others.
As soon as that person got out, the doors of the other vehicles also “cracked” open. Men, women, old, and young people pushed and shoved each other, eagerly running down, surrounding that person. Each of them had flushed faces, clapping and sighing in admiration—
“Truly worthy of Teacher Yuan!”
“So powerful as always! Look at those zombies, just walking away like that, hahaha!”
“As long as Teacher Yuan is here, we’re all safe!”
“Teacher Yuan is simply a god!”
The young man referred to as “Teacher Yuan” or “Boss Yuan” looked to be in his early twenties. He was wearing a white shirt and light-colored jeans, with a handsome face and a slender figure.
In response to the praise from those around him, he just smiled and said, “Don’t exaggerate.”
“How is that possible? As long as Teacher Yuan stands there, the zombies won’t dare to approach. Isn’t that impressive enough?”
“Teacher Yuan, don’t be modest, you deserve the praise!”
“Exactly!”
The young man smiled and didn’t say more. Instead, he looked towards the car with Xu Yin and the others and politely said, “May I ask if you are Mr. Li and Dr. Lu? Hello, I’m Yuan Yue, the leader of Base A. I hope everything is fine with you just now?”
The car window opened a crack, and Yuan Yue’s words could be heard inside.
Yu Dong and Dr. Lu were the first to open the car door, and Ren Lan quickly got out of the car as well— the collar around her neck had been removed.
Ren Lan got excited as soon as she got out of the car. “You, you can really disperse zombies?!”
She had heard everything that Yu Dong and the people from Base B had said during the communication just now.
At this moment, hearing the praise from Yuan Yue’s companions and recalling the sudden halt in the attack of those few zombies, she exclaimed, “Is this your ability? It’s amazing!”
Yuan Yue smiled faintly, without responding, only stepping forward to shake hands with Yu Dong and Dr. Lu.
At the same time, Li Nianqin got out of the car.
He was wearing the black vest that Xu Yin had taken out of the space before— it was something Xu Yin had casually stuffed in while in the rest area, and he didn’t expect it to fit Li Nianqin perfectly.
However, this small piece of fabric couldn’t hide Li Nianqin’s figure. As soon as he got out of the car, his tall and handsome appearance attracted the attention of many people.
Yuan Yue was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks.
He walked up and said gently, “You must be Mr. Li, Li Nianqin, Uncle Li’s son, right?”
Yu Dong and Dr. Lu had already introduced themselves, so the only person left must be Li Nianqin, the son of the person in charge of Base A, Li Nianqin.
Yuan Yue hadn’t expected the other party to be so handsome, and his heart beat a little faster.
He likes men, but since the apocalypse, he hasn’t met any men who meet his taste.
Li Nianqin’s appearance, not to mention after the apocalypse and even before the apocalypse, was top-notch among everyone. Therefore, Yuan Yue was immediately attracted to him.
His clear eyes looked at Li Nianqin, but Li Nianqin just briefly shook hands with him before turning to look inside the car.
Yuan Yue hesitated for a moment.
Wasn’t his performance just now worthy of the slightest attention from this man?
He quickly adjusted his expression, barely diverting some attention from Li Nianqin’s face and looking towards the car.
Is there anyone else who hasn’t come out yet?
Yuan Yue put on a smile again, waiting for someone else to step out of the car, about to reach out his hand again…
When he saw the person who stuck their head out with a smirk, he froze.
Xu Yin’s gaze swept over Yuan Yue.
He smiled and said, “Long time no see, Yuan Yue.”
Yuan Yue opened his mouth, the smile instantly fading from his face, his brain buzzing, his face pale.
He widened his eyes in horror and exclaimed, “Xu… Xu Yin?!”
*
The sun was about to sink below the horizon.
Noticing the reactions of these two, Li Nianqin immediately asked, “Do you two know each other?”
When Yu Dong and his companions from Base B were talking just now, he noticed that Xu Yin’s reaction was off. He had intended to ask about it, but the conversation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of several zombies.
Xu Yin got out of the car completely and calmly said, “Yes, old friend, I used to be from Base A.”
Yuan Yue seemed almost afraid, subconsciously taking a step back, his face still showing fear as he stared blankly at Xu Yin.
The group from Base A, who had been discussing Yuan Yue’s performance just now, suddenly fell silent when they saw Xu Yin. They were all stunned.
After recovering, they were all astonished and excited.
“Xu Yin?”
“You’re still alive?!”
“Is it really Xu Yin? Am I seeing things?!”
Guan Qi, who had once helped establish Base A with the original host, stood not far away with his arms crossed. When Xu Yin got out of the car, his expression changed as if he had seen a ghost.
He walked up, looked Xu Yin up and down in disbelief, and asked, “Xu Yin? How come you’re here? Are you okay?!”
Yu Dong was a bit confused and asked, “What’s going on?”
All eyes were on Xu Yin, and he had nothing to hide. He shrugged and said, “I had a mission when I was in Base A, had an accident during it, couldn’t go back. When I woke up, I decided not to go back and hitchhiked to Base B.”
Upon hearing his words, the people from Base A all had strange expressions.
Yuan Yue stood there stiffly, unable to move.
Guan Qi asked in a strange tone, “What do you mean, had an accident… You…”
He moved his lips, asking, “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”
Upon hearing this, Yu Dong and Dr. Lu were stunned, while Li Nianqin’s body tensed up, his brows immediately furrowing.
What did he mean by “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”
He looked at Xu Yin and asked hoarsely, “What’s going on?”
Guan Qi explained on behalf of Xu Yin, “He was our original leader at Base A. Half a month ago, he and the other five went on a mission with Yuan Yue. He was attacked by zombies during the mission. Not only Yuan Yue, but the other three on the first floor of the supermarket also saw it happen.”
Guan Qi spoke quickly, paused here, as if he couldn’t continue.
Someone from the group of men, women, young, and old behind him spoke for him.
“They all saw Xu Yin being surrounded by zombies!”
“Yeah, wasn’t it said that his flesh was all gnawed off… his hand was almost torn off…”
“In that situation, there’s no way to survive, so Xu Yin didn’t come back at all, logically speaking…”
With this, it seemed that the situation was already clear.
Yu Dong looked shocked, while Dr. Lu looked curious.
And Li Nianqin’s face looked a little unpleasant.
It’s not hard to imagine what would happen to someone left alone in a zombie horde.
Moreover, what someone has witnessed, they are already in the mouths of the zombies, and their outcome is completely foreseeable.
So—
“How come you didn’t die?” Someone in the crowd, afraid, hid behind someone else and asked.
Being surrounded by zombies but not dying, and appearing in front of everyone in good condition half a month later, there was only one possibility.
—In an instant, many people took a step back, trying to stay away from Xu Yin.
—This person has become a half-zombie!!
But shouldn’t a half-zombie look the same as a full zombie? Why hasn’t Xu Yin’s appearance changed at all? Not a single piece of his skin is rotten, his eyes are clear, he is handsome, clean, and alive as if he were still alive!
This is impossible. Even if a half-zombie were to restore its original appearance, it would take a very long time!
The people from Base A whispered to each other.
Xu Yin smirked.
He had intended to keep his identity hidden and enter Base B with Li Nianqin, but unexpectedly ran into the people from Base A. There was nothing he could do about it.
He turned his head and smiled at the man who had been standing beside him, watching him with a complex gaze. He spoke gently, “Yes, I am a half-zombie—do you call it that in Base B, too?”
Bathed in the light of the setting sun, the young man was enveloped in an orange halo, appearing gentle and soft.
With just a few words, Li Nianqin’s heart felt as if it had been heavily tugged.
The young man tilted his head again, smiling as he asked, “So, does Base B accept half-zombies?”
“Don’t joke around!” someone from Base A shouted first.
“A half-zombie wants to live with us humans? Dream on!”
“Hey, uh, Mr. Li, stay away from him. He’s been lying to you all along, must have some bad intentions!”
These people had once been protected by the original host and enjoyed the supplies he brought back to the base.
They had also praised the original host just as they had praised Yuan Yue.
Xu Laoda is amazing.
Xu Laoda is our guardian angel.
Xu Laoda, you are my benefactor.
However, at this moment, they all changed their faces.
They looked at Xu Yin like they were looking at a monster, facing him defensively and vigilantly, shouting at him to stay away.
Human nature, in the current world, is laid bare for all to see.
Xu Yin didn’t care about those people. He just smiled and fixed his gaze on Li Nianqin, waiting for his words.
Beside him, Yu Dong was at a loss, while Dr. Lu raised an eyebrow.
The gate of Base B finally opened, and the Base B partners who had been contacted and rushed to the gate looked puzzled at the strange atmosphere outside and shouted, “Hey… shouldn’t you come in? What’s going on? What are you doing?”
Some of the people from Base A rushed in as if escaping from zombies, but once inside, they stopped and watched Xu Yin and the others with fear.
After a moment of silence, Guan Qi spoke heavily, “Xu Yin, don’t blame us. You’ve become a half-zombie, and we are no longer on the same path. I regret what happened to you, but you cannot enter this door today.”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yue seemed to regain his senses, gently moved, and his eyes flickered slightly.
He spoke apologetically, “Xu Yin, I’m sorry. Although you have always advocated for treating half-zombies as our partners, everyone is too afraid of them to live together. Now that humans are so few, everyone needs to protect themselves, and everyone’s feelings are important, so—”
Before he could finish speaking, a figure moved and stood in front of Xu Yin.
Li Nianqin looked at the two of them expressionlessly and said coldly, “It seems you’ve mistaken. This isn’t your Base A so who are you to decide that and what are you doing here without authorization?”
Yuan Yue and Guan Qi froze.
Behind Li Nianqin, Xu Yin lowered his eyelids and smiled softly.