Chapter 135

Chapter 135

‘Woof woof woof—’

With the battle over, the whining dog, upon discovering its owner frozen solid like an ice statue, ran over and circled around it, scratching at the ice before throwing its head back and howling.

After barking for a while, it turned its beseeching eyes toward the group, who could see the confusion and distress in its gaze.

“Poor thing’s so worried,” Liao Yu sighed sympathetically. The well-trained military dog had intelligence comparable to that of a seven or eight-year-old child—absolutely adorable.

“Hey, there’s something in its collar—”

Jian Cheng’s sharp eyes noticed a small rectangular black box, about the width of two fingers, taped to the inside of the dog’s collar with transparent waterproof tape. It was roughly the size of an ordinary lighter.

Zhou Rongbin stepped forward, soothing the dog with gentle strokes and soft words while running his fingers along its collar.

Whether it hadn’t been loosened in a long time or its owner had done it intentionally, the collar was pulled too tight, making it easy to miss unless you looked closely.

Unable to undo the buckle, Zhao Lei stepped in to help. After some struggle, they finally managed to remove the leather collar.

Inside the collar, small characters were branded—the dog’s details, most of which had worn away. Only four words, additionally engraved, remained clear:

Name: Xiao Qi.

Likely done by its owner before losing consciousness, ensuring others would know its name.

‘Whimper—’

Relieved by the loosened collar, the dog let out a relieved whine from its throat.

Seizing the moment, Zhou Rongbin called its name:

“Xiao Qi.”

‘Woof!’

The fidgety dog stilled for a moment before obediently pressing its head into his hand.

Zhao Lei quickly stripped the tape away and retrieved the attached object:

“It’s a recorder. Well-protected, just out of power.”

He handed the black rectangular recorder to Cheng Jing:

“Cheng, see if it’ll power up.”

“...”

Cheng Jing took it and examined it. The design was simple but well-made, featuring only a power button, a charging port, and an indicator light.

Concentrating, a jolt of electricity surged from his fingertips into the recorder’s charging port.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lei and Zhou Rongbin buckled the collar back on Xiao Qi’s neck. Though worn and frayed, it was the last thing from its owner—better to let it keep wearing it.

Soon, the recorder’s indicator light lit up green. Cheng Jing pressed the power button, and a calm man’s voice played:

‘Whoever you are, if you’ve retrieved this recorder from Xiao Qi, it means I’ve become one of them.’

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Qi, who had been interacting with Zhou Rongbin, immediately bolted over, standing up on its hind legs and pawing at Cheng Jing's legs:

‘Woof woof—’ it barked excitedly.

‘Whimper whimper…’ it whimpered softly.

“…”

Cheng Jing gave its head a pat and crouched down, soothing it while continuing to play the recording:

‘I am a soldier, and my name isn’t important. Xiao Qi is my partner, he had just turned one year old when the toxic rain fell.’

‘Xiao Qi is very obedient. Though he occasionally slacks off during training, he’s friendlier with humans than his peers. He can distinguish between humans and zombies and will protect humans by attacking zombies. He’s very smart.’

‘I know infection is irreversible, and I can’t leave with the main force. Xiao Qi refuses to go too. Since all survivors in Xihe City have already evacuated, and there are no living people left here, I've selfishly chosen to stay behind as a zombie.’

‘I'm losing consciousness, and many memories are slowly disappearing. Only my drive to kill zombies stays strong. Xiao Qi's doing his best to guide me. I feel that I’m different.’

‘Xiao Qi has become fierce, but as long as I listen to it, I can keep killing zombies. If you encounter this odd pair of ours, please don’t harm it—and put me out of my misery. A clean headshot from a distance will do. Thank you.’

After five recorded messages came a rustling sound, followed by the final one, said with particular seriousness:

‘Xiao Qi, remember this—no matter what happens, always protect humans. You can do it. You know I’ve turned into a zombie. If someone tries to kill me, be good and don’t interfere. Leave this place with decent folks… Goodbye.’

After the word ‘goodbye,’ there was nothing else.

Xiao Qi’s owner didn’t go into detail about himself or his experiences, nor did he waste words mourning the end of the world.

He simply stated, matter-of-factly, why he could still fight zombies after turning into one, but his words were filled with concern for Xiao Qi.

They didn’t know his name, where he came from, or which jurisdiction he belonged to. They only knew he was a soldier—steady, quiet, and a man of few words—but he had a smart and loyal partner.

“…”

Cheng Jing replayed the six recordings several times. Everyone listened in silence, their hearts weighed down with conflicting feelings.

Had they acted impulsively, Xiao Qi would've been the first one taken down.

Fortunately.

As the recordings played, Xiao Qi gradually calmed down, going from excited circles and wagging to complete stillness.

Especially during the final message, he clearly understood, barking twice in response each time it was replayed.

Its owner must have repeated these instructions many times while still lucid.

Finally, Xiao Qi stopped circling the recorder and instead lay down beside its frozen owner, lying perfectly still and silent.

He looked heartbreakingly sad.

As night fell, Cheng Jing turned off the recorder and handed it to Zhou Rongbin, then crouched beside Xiao Qi:

“Xiao Qi.”

“…”

Xiao Qi turned to him with a soft whimper, acknowledging him.

Cheng Jing stroked its head and talked straight to him, whether he understood or not:

"We're going to let your owner go. It's his wish. He's become a zombie and can no longer care for you. From now on, you'll stay with us, okay?"

"..."

Xiao Qi gazed at him with vacant eyes. Cheng Jing smiled:

"Trust me, you'll definitely like your new home and new friends..."

After speaking, he nodded at Liao Yu, who walked over and rested his hand upon the ice sculpture.

Jiang Nian couldn't stomach watching and turned away, walking to the side.

Xiao Qi seemed to understand what was about to happen, letting out throaty whimpers. Zhou Rongbin tried to lead it away, but it refused, so he had no choice but to hold it tight just in case.

But they were overthinking it. Xiao Qi was smart and obedient, obeying its owner's last command.

Whether it was Liao Yu breaking the ice sculpture apart or Cheng Jing covering it with Thunder Fire, Xiao Qi only watched quietly, uttering mournful whines, as if bidding its final farewell to its owner, yet never making a move to interfere.

When only a crystal core remained after the flames died down, Zhou Rongbin released Xiao Qi, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Woof!"

Just as Cheng Jing was about to pick up the crystal core, Xiao Qi gave a sharp bark at him.

"..."

Cheng Jing withdrew his hand:

"You want it?"

Xiao Qi ran over, nudged the core with its paw a few times, then picked it up in its mouth and headed in the direction it and its owner had come from.

After a few steps, it stopped and turned back, placing the core down and emitting two sharp barks to urge them to follow.

"Let's go, or we'll get scolded again."

Huang Qian sniffed and quipped. She always thought she had a tough heart, but even she was undone by this poignant moment.

Everyone's mood was heavy, but they followed with weary smiles.

Jiang Nian walked at the back, and Cheng Jing came over to take his hand:

"Nian Nian, you alright?"

"A little sad."

Jiang Nian answered honestly, lacing their fingers together and walking forward with his head slightly lowered.

Cheng Jing glanced at him, then suddenly got a sudden impulse. Seizing the moment when no one was looking, he quickly darted in to plant a kiss on Jiang Nian's cheek to comfort him:

"Don't obsess over things beyond our control, or you'll only wear yourself out."

"Brother Jing!"

Jiang Nian immediately scanned to see if anyone saw, sighing in relief when they hadn't.

Still, some of his gloom had lifted.

Cheng Jing squeezed his hand reassuringly:

"From the time we left the base until now, I haven't kissed you."

"You're lying. You stole a kiss last night at midnight..." Jiang Nian instinctively retorted, then suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Damn!

"......"

Sure enough, the next second, he heard the person beside him take a deep breath, clenching his jaw as he lowered his voice to ask:

"So, you were awake! But you pretended to be asleep and turned away, ignoring me?"

Because they had obtained a special crystal core, everyone was excited, but he was worried this guy might be too tired to mess around. He thought sneaking a little kiss at midnight would suffice—little did he know!

"Sorry..."

Too ashamed to look at him, Jiang Nian kept his eyes straight ahead and quickened his pace.

It wasn’t that he deliberately ignored him—he just didn’t want to slow the team down for reasons that might lead to social awkwardness.

Cheng Jing didn’t push it further here either. After all, getting rejected after a stolen kiss wasn’t exactly a proud moment. Some things were better dealt with alone.