Chapter 47:

Chapter 47:

After the convoy entered the base's rest area, some people impatiently asked the receptionist, "We heard you've got the zombie virus vaccine in your northern base, is that true?"

The receptionist wore a helpless expression upon hearing the question.

Over the past two months, people had been gradually coming after hearing rumors about the vaccine. Almost all of them had stopped here to rest and replenish supplies. He had already explained it countless times.

"If we really had the zombie vaccine, we wouldn't be stuck here in the base."

Many people in the convoy had come specifically for the zombie virus vaccine, and they immediately became anxious when they heard this.

"But a convoy from the North arrived at our base and told us..."

"Don't worry, I get what you're saying. There have indeed been whispers of a vaccine, but it hasn't been developed just yet, and we haven't had access to it."

"The vaccine you're referring to is probably from the North's largest base, the Northern Righteousness Base."

"They still have nearly a million survivors there, and all the top experts are gathered there. If a vaccine is developed, they would be the first to do so."

"However, we haven't received any news that the vaccine has been successfully developed at that base yet, so please stay calm."

Although he said this, those who had traveled far couldn't calm down.

Ordinary people, lacking connections, could only ask a few questions, but those who were wealthy and had abundant resources had already found ways to get more information through their channels.

A wealthy man in the convoy, Mr. Sheng, who had previously conducted business in the North, luckily re-established old contacts in this base.

After delivering some items, his contact disclosed some exclusive information to him.

Indeed, there is a vaccine, but the general public is still unaware of it.

The vaccine has requirements for the recipient's physical condition, and if someone vaccinated with it was infected with the zombie virus, there was only a one-in-seven chance they would not mutate.

Its effectiveness is not great, and it is difficult to produce and store, making the quantity extremely limited.

"Ordinary people shouldn't even consider it. It is currently circulating internally and is still in the experimental stage."

Sheng Haofu couldn't bear to give up and pressed further, "Is there any other way to get the vaccine in advance?"

The acquaintance felt a bit troubled and said, "I have a relative who conducts research in a secret base near the Northern Righteousness Base. According to him, there's another new vaccine that is slightly more effective. But no amount of money can secure it. The only way to receive it is by joining their special team and performing some high-risk tasks. Then you can get the vaccine for free."

Sheng had some hope at first, but upon hearing the last sentence, he immediately shook his head and gave up.

Being sent on the most dangerous missions for the base means one thing—entering cities infested with zombies to search for supplies.

Such missions are extremely dangerous, with a very low chance of survival. What’s the point of the vaccine if you don’t survive the mission?

He only had his grandson and granddaughter left with him. How could he bear to risk their lives, especially since they lack the necessary capabilities?

Clearly, the requirements to join such a special team are very high.

There was no alternative.

Sheng Haofu returned to the convoy and told his grandchildren that they would rest there for two days before heading to the Northern Righteousness Base.

"We have to go farther, Grandpa? How much longer do we have to travel?"

The granddaughter was the one who had delivered supplies to Wen Jiuze before.

She had been anxious all this time, and ever since she witnessed zombies attacking and killing a person with her own eyes, she would have nightmares whenever she heard the sounds of zombies, making it hard for her to sleep peacefully.

"We’re almost there. If everything goes well, we should arrive in another half a month," the grandfather said soothingly, patting her hand.

The grandson, more concerned about the vaccine, asked for updates.

Sheng waved his hand, indicating there was no need to discuss it further, "Let’s not worry about it now. We’ll see what happens when we get to the Northern Righteousness Base. At this point, we likely won’t be able to get the vaccine."

The convoy captain from the New Fourth Base also met with the base’s leadership.

They shared an important piece of information with him.

"The Northern Righteousness Base has been continuously recruiting capable individuals to join their special operations team. Those with good physical condition, strong abilities, and specialized skills are particularly welcome."

"If you qualify, you can try out. This team handles dangerous missions, but once you join, the Northern Righteousness Base will provide everything, including the latest vaccine."

"Team members can bring their relatives into the safest area of the base to live, and they can also receive free medical treatment."

"You should know that getting access to the North Base is extremely difficult these days. If you go there now, without enough contribution points, you'll only get a temporary residence permit for half a month."

Many in the team were intrigued, including the captain.

His wife had liver problems and had often needed to go to the hospital even before the apocalypse. After the apocalypse, lacking those resources, her condition had worsened significantly. He was the captain of a scavenger team at the New Fourth Base and was considered capable, but the points he earned couldn't be exchanged for enough medicine. If he could join the special operations team at the North Base...

Seeing his hesitation, a senior base official said, "If you have the intention, you can sign up now. You've come at the right time; there'll be an assessment soon. In a couple of days, our base will organize a group to go to the North Base for the assessment."

"More than 500 people from our base have already signed up," the official added.

The captain was taken aback. "That many?"

The base official replied, "That's not a large number. Besides our base, several other bases have people signing up. There are over 10,000 applicants, but only about 100 will be selected."

The captain immediately felt hopeless. He knew his capabilities; he was competent, but not elite. It seemed the team would only select the elite.

Disappointed, the captain couldn't help thinking of Wen Jiuzhe.

He had a vivid impression of Wen Jiuzhe. Over the past two months on the road, there had been several critical moments when Wen Jiuzhe had stepped up to help. Each time, the captain marveled at his skills and courage.

If it were Wen Jiuzhe, he might stand a chance to pass the assessment and join the team.

The captain hesitated, considering whether to inform Wen Jiuzhe about this opportunity.

Wen Jiuzhe was still outside the base.

"Take your time. Go back and think it over carefully," the base official said with a smile.

There were rivalries between bases, and if someone they recommended got into the special team, it would bring many benefits to their base.

The base official arranged for the team to stay in a secure area near the base entrance.

"You'll stay here for now. The residents here are all from the south and southeast, just like you."

"About a dozen people have already decided to participate in the assessment. Those are them."

The squad leader took his team members past a small house. Following the direction pointed out by the staff member guiding them, they saw several men standing or sitting in the yard.

They all had buzz cuts and had a tough, rebellious air about them. Their arms were decorated with dark blue-black lion head tattoos.

Noticing their gaze, the men looked over, giving them unfriendly looks.

A big, burly man glared at them fiercely, appearing to have a bad temper.

The squad leader and his team members quickly walked past, not paying much attention to these strangers.

Meanwhile, a team of a hundred people was using their various skills to gather information around the base. A few kilometers away from the base, Wen Jiuzhe was cooking a goose in an iron pot.

Xue Ling had chased the goose over an hour ago. More accurately, the goose chased her over.

After promising to stand guard so Wen Jiuzhe could sleep peacefully, Xue Ling went to check for potential dangers in the surroundings.

Since she had volunteered for the task of patrolling the territory, Wen Jiuzhe took the chance to relax, lazily waiting in the car for her return.

It hadn’t been long before Xue Ling hurried back. Her pale face showed signs of excitement, and the goose behind her was even more excited, swaying and spreading its wings as it stretched its neck to peck her.

Fortunately, Xue Ling’s tough skin meant a peck left no mark.

Wen Jiuzhe quickly got out of the car, firmly grabbing the aggressive goose. He held the goose’s neck and beak tightly, laughing, "You ran pretty fast when the goose was chasing you just now. Is this how you chase me when you're not putting in effort?"

Xue Ling: "?" thinking, I lured the goose over for your sake, and you dare to laugh at me?

She instantly struck Wen Jiuzhe’s hand that was controlling the goose, and the goose took the opportunity to peck him hard.

Xue Ling: "Gaga."

Haha, serves you right.

"Hiss." Wen Jiuzhe cried out in pain and grabbed the goose again.

"You're helping it peck at me? Whose side are you on?"

Xue Ling couldn't be bothered to argue with him and yanked a cast iron pot off the vehicle.

The pot had been brought back by Xue Ling when her collecting habit had kicked in. At the time, Wen Jiuzhe had even asked her why she was carrying such a big black pot back with them.

She threw the pot in front of Wen Jiuzhe and urged him, "Quickly, quickly! Kill the goose and let’s make some iron-pot-stewed goose!"

And so, the goose was put to stew.

As the aroma began to rise, Wen Jiuzhe sat nearby with his legs crossed, the wind tousling his hair, which had grown long down to his neck.

Unable to stay idle, Xue Ling roamed around the area and soon returned with a handful of green herbs, tossing them into the pot.

Wen Jiuzhe watched with his arms crossed, not stopping her, and casually asked, "What’s that?"

"Wild vegetables!" Xue Ling replied.

Seeing Xue Ling busily happy, Wen Jiuzhe felt the urge to tease her and asked with a knowing smile, "I don’t think they look right. Are you sure?"

His question made her unsure.

She had seen pictures online and thought she hadn’t misidentified them. But now, seeing the vegetables bubbling in the pot, Xue Ling wasn’t so confident anymore.

"Do you know about wild vegetables?" she asked.

"I don't," Wen Jiuzhe answered honestly.

If you don’t know, why say something like that? Xue Ling slammed the ladle into the pot and told him to shut up and just eat.

She then got up and gathered more wild vegetables to toss into the pot.

Before the goose was ready to eat, Wen Jiuzhe had already eaten his fill of wild vegetables.

As the sky grew darker, the goose was finally cooked. Wen Jiuzhe sat by the pot, using chopsticks to pick at the meat.

Xue Ling sat next to him, joining in the fun, telling him which piece to eat and which was the tastiest, just to feel more involved.

The sky at dusk was a brilliant golden orange hue, as if it seemed to set the sky ablaze.

Burning the sky to welcome the night.

Wen Jiuzhe asked Xue Ling to keep watch, but when night fell, he didn’t leave her alone. Instead, he stayed with her for a long time.

Xue Ling urged him to go to sleep, but he said, “I ate too much and now I'm too full, I can’t sleep.”

He didn’t sleep until midnight, trying to digest his food.

The next day dawned sunny. A car emerged from the base and slowly approached their vehicle.

It was the convoy captain, who had met Wen Jiuzhe a few times. They weren’t very familiar with each other, but he had come specifically to inform Wen Jiuzhe about the recruitment for the special operations team at the Northern Righteousness Base.

He went over the difficulty of the selection process and the benefits of passing, finally adding, “If you’re planning to join, you should go to the base and register.”

The captain, after thinking it over for the entire night, had decided to come in person to deliver the message to Wen Jiuzhe.

First, Wen Jiuzhe had come to seek treatment for his lover, so the two of them shared a similar fate.

Second, since they were from the same place, registering together could help them support each other.

To the captain’s surprise, Wen Jiuzhe immediately refused.

The captain didn’t understand. “You don’t want to take that vaccine? Or don’t you want to continue treating your lover?”

Wen Jiuzhe said, “Thank you for letting me know, but I have my own plans.”

After seeing off the captain, Wen Jiuzhe asked Xue Ling, “They’re heading to the Northern Righteousness Base in a couple of days. What do you think? Do you have any instructions?”

“Do you want to go with them to check out the area around the Northern Righteousness Base, or should we part ways here and find a place to stay on our own?”

Xue Ling, of course, wanted to go and check out the Northern Righteousness Base. As long as she didn’t enter the base, she would be safe.

When the captain returned to the base, he ran into several members of the small team and the Sheng family’s grandchildren talking.

“Captain, did Wen Jiuzhe agree to sign up with you?” a team member asked.

Captain shook his head. "He's not signing up."

The Sheng siblings also learned about the special team recruitment from their grandfather and, upon hearing that the captain had gone to invite Wen Jiuzhe to join, came over specifically to get some information. They were surprised to hear that he had refused.

"Wen Jiuzhe is so powerful, why didn't he join?" the younger sister asked, confused.

"Has he ever entered any bases along the way? Last time, he chased us away before we even got close. I think it's because his girlfriend has something unusual about her and can't be seen, which is why he's been avoiding people," her brother speculated.

"Wen Jiuzhe must be held back because of his girlfriend. Otherwise, if he were alone..." The younger sister's voice trailed off unconsciously as she noticed several pairs of eyes looking over at them.

When she saw the lion-head tattoos on the arms of these men, she became a little frightened and moved closer to her brother.

These men, who had escaped from the Justice Lion Base, had arrived here more than half a month ago.

They were more skilled than the average person, especially the leader, Fourth Brother. The person in charge of recruitment at the base had taken a liking to him and was preparing him to take part in the upcoming assessment.

There were many restrictions, and since they had just arrived, the men had been keeping a low profile, finding it quite dull.

When a young and beautiful girl walked past the courtyard, two or three of the men couldn't help staring at her with lustful looks.

A steadier and more honest-looking man frowned at the name he overheard in their conversation.

"Wen Jiu?"

He stood up and walked over, asking the Sheng siblings, "Did you mention Wen Jiu?"

The younger sister said fearfully in a low voice, "No."

Her brother, not wanting to provoke them, explained simply, "No, we were talking about Wen Jiuzhe, a person from our motorcade."

"I heard you say he's extremely skilled? Where is he? We'd like to see him," the steadfast-looking man said, his eyes glinting with suspicion.

One of the younger men who had been ogling the girl earlier chimed in, "Yeah, let's see this remarkable person. Can he really compare to our Fourth Brother?"

The steadfast-looking man gave him a warning look and then said to the Sheng siblings,

"I heard his name and thought he might be similar to an old acquaintance of ours, which is why I asked."

"The person we know is named Wen Jiu. He's very skilled, proficient in guns and short blades, tall, and very handsome."

Upon hearing this, Shengjia’s brother said, "Wen Jiuzhe also uses a dagger. It might be the person you know."

The man asking the question turned to look at Fourth Brother, who was sitting on a stool smoking. Their eyes met, and the man reached out to put his arm around Shengjia’s brother’s shoulder. "Come on, tell us more in detail..."

After sharing what they knew, the Shengjia siblings hurriedly left as if fleeing.

Although they didn’t know much, the description matched exactly what they knew about Wen Jiu.

Fourth Brother, with a grim expression, pressed the cigarette butt into the chair’s armrest.

"We’ve been searching for him for so long; I didn’t expect to encounter him here."

After the incident at the Righteous Lion base, Lao Si gradually lost his three sworn brothers. He blamed Wen Jiu for everything and issued a wanted notice for Wen Jiu in several nearby bases, but unfortunately, there had been no news.

Having failed to seize power, he could no longer afford to provoke others. Like a stray dog, he fled to a base in the north with only a few loyal followers.

Despite this, he had never forgotten his enemies. He vowed to rise again at the Northern base and one day exact revenge on all his enemies.

With one of his enemies right in front of him, Fourth Brother couldn’t wait any longer.

"Let’s go see if it’s really our old acquaintance."

Fourth Brother stood up, gathered a few brothers, and they sped out of the base in their vehicle.

Today, Wen Jiuzhe drove a bit farther from the base.

In the wilderness where zombies could appear at any time, it was best not to stay in one place for more than two days.

When Fourth Brother’s group found them, Wen Jiuzhe was organizing things next to his car.

At first, he thought they were members of the motorcade.

But the cars drove straight toward them without any intention of stopping, going faster and faster, with someone sticking out of the window.

Wen Jiuzhe had keen eyesight, and at the sight of what was happening, he suddenly dropped what he was holding.

Xue Ling, carrying a clean, large pot, walked over, and he pulled her towards him. He threw her and the pot into the car.

He then got into the car, started the engine, and sped off down the road ahead.

The car ran over an obstacle and bounced violently. Still holding the pot, Xue Ling was jolted upwards.

Wen Jiuzhe had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on Xue Ling, while keeping an eye on the pursuing cars in the rearview mirror. He kept her from hitting the windshield.

The pot fell to the floor, and Xue Ling, gripping the door handle and Wen Jiuzhe’s arm, straightened up and uttered a questioning sound.

Wen Jiuzhe said, "Someone's here for revenge."

Xue Ling: "..."

"Enemies coming for revenge out here?" Xue Ling thought. "You must have a lot of enemies, huh?"