Chapter 77

Chapter 77

The Superhumans were still quite eager to earn those two crystal nuclei. They glanced at the rest of the group and asked, "Is that true?"

The girl looked at the group with hope, but someone avoided her gaze and lowered their head, saying, "I... I don't know."

The girl’s expression changed, and she turned to a middle-aged woman nearby. "Aunt Zhang, you know, right? My brother was injured by that mutant beast yesterday, and he was protecting you at the time..."

Aunt Zhang avoided the girl’s gaze. "I don’t remember."

The girl couldn’t believe it. "Aunt Zhang, how could you do this? My brother is so badly injured. If we don’t find someone to treat him soon, he... he won’t make it. Please, tell the truth."

Aunt Zhang looked conflicted. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell the truth; she just didn’t want these two to go to the base. If they left, the group would lose their only Superhuman, and how would the rest of them survive?

"What about the rest of you? Can you speak up for me?" The girl sobbed uncontrollably. She never expected these people to be like this. Her brother had risked his life to protect them all along the way, and now no one was willing to speak up for him.

One of them looked uneasy and seemed about to say something, but the person next to him tugged at his sleeve. "Think carefully. If they leave, we’ll all die out here."

The person opened his mouth but eventually lowered his head and said nothing.

The girl broke down crying. She turned to the Superhumans and pleaded, "Please, my brother really isn’t infected. Look at him—he’s fine. If he were infected, he would have turned into a zombie by now. Please, take us to the base."

"You expect us to believe you just because you say so? What if you’re lying? No one can vouch for you," Superhuman C shook his head. It seemed they wouldn’t be earning those crystal nuclei today. "Forget it, let’s go."

"Ugh, another wasted trip," Superhuman B sighed.

As the girl watched them leave, her expression turned despairing. She glared coldly at the people who had followed them all this way, filled with regret.

If she and her brother hadn’t taken pity on these people and brought them along, if it had just been the two of them, maybe her brother wouldn’t have been so badly injured.

She touched her brother’s burning forehead. His wounds had even begun to fester. She sobbed uncontrollably.

"Don’t be too upset. Maybe your brother will pull through," Aunt Zhang mumbled.

She didn’t want him to die. If he survived, he could continue protecting them.

At the entrance, the group of Superhumans ran into Cheng Zhiyu and the others.

Superhuman C frowned. "Why is it you again?"

"Buddy, that’s not a nice thing to say. This road belongs to everyone. We’re not following you. If you can come here, why can’t we?" Tian Qiao crossed his arms.

This was a supermarket. They hadn’t planned on coming here, but they heard crying and decided to check it out.

The Superhumans didn’t want to cause trouble and ignored them, turning to leave.

Cheng Zhiyu and the others walked into the supermarket and took a look.

The group of ordinary people, upon seeing newcomers, began crying and begging to be taken to Dongyang Base.

Cheng Zhiyu stated, "We’re not going to Dongyang Base. We can’t help you."

The girl, holding her brother and feeling utterly hopeless, suddenly thought the voice sounded familiar. She thought she was hallucinating but looked up anyway. When she saw the familiar face, she was momentarily stunned. Before the other party could leave, she quickly called out, "Cheng Zhiyu! Is that you?"

Cheng Zhiyu paused and looked at the girl. He didn’t recognize her at first—her hair was messy, she was covered in dirt, and her face was so grimy that her original appearance was barely visible.

Seeing it was really him, the girl grew excited. She stumbled over but, noticing how clean he was, didn’t dare touch him. "It’s me, Han Tingting!"

"Han Tingting?" Tian Qiao glanced over. "Whoa, it really is you?"

Han Tingting was Cheng Zhiyu’s high school deskmate. The two had been good friends. Tian Qiao, who had attended the same school as Cheng Zhiyu, often went to his classroom and had become familiar with Han Tingting over time.

Han Tingting nodded eagerly. "It’s really me. Tian Qiao... I didn’t expect you to be here too."

Cheng Zhiyu finally recognized her. In his memory, Han Tingting was a spirited girl who got along well with everyone. Seeing her in such a wretched state left him momentarily dazed.

A moment later, they helped the unconscious Han Ping lean against the wall. Han Ping weakly opened his eyes, saw Han Tingting was still there, and closed them again.

"How did your brother get so badly injured?" Cheng Zhiyu turned to Zhou Min. "Can you treat him?"

"He was injured by a mutant beast," Han Tingting wiped her tears and looked at Zhou Min excitedly. Was he a Healer?

"Let me take a look." Zhou Min, seeing that this was a good friend of Cheng Zhiyu and Tian Qiao, was very friendly. It was clear that the siblings weren’t bad people.

They had overheard outside that this group had relied entirely on this one Superhuman to make it this far.

"These injuries are pretty serious," Zhou Min sighed after examining Han Ping. Before Han Tingting could panic, he smiled and said, "Good thing you ran into me."

Without wasting any more words, he began the treatment. In just a short while, the injuries were mostly healed.

Zhou Min’s face was pale. "I’ll treat the rest after I recover a bit."

Han Ping looked fine on the surface, with no missing limbs, but his internal organs were severely damaged. Luckily, he was a Superhuman—an ordinary person would have died on the spot.

These injuries were harder to treat than missing limbs, and one session wasn’t enough. But after this treatment, his life was no longer in danger.

Han Tingting touched Han Ping’s forehead and, finding it no longer feverish, wiped her tears and relaxed. "Thank you, really, thank you..."

Words felt inadequate to express her gratitude.

Han Ping slowly opened his eyes and said softly, "Why are you crying?"

Then he saw Cheng Zhiyu and looked conflicted. "It’s you."

Han Ping also knew Cheng Zhiyu. He used to visit his sister at school during holidays.

"Haha, let me tell you, back when Han Tingting was close with Cheng Zhiyu, her brother thought she was dating him and almost beat him up..." Tian Qiao laughed heartily at the memory.

But suddenly, he felt a chill beside him. He glanced at Cheng Mo and quietly shut his mouth.

Cheng Zhiyu, noticing Cheng Mo’s jealousy, quickly explained, "It was all a misunderstanding. We were just friends."

Cheng Mo grabbed Cheng Zhiyu’s hand and looked at Han Tingting. "I’m his boyfriend."

Han Tingting’s mouth twitched, and she suddenly understood. "No wonder so many girls confessed to you back then, and you never responded. So you like guys."

Cheng Mo frowned. "Many girls confessed to you?"

Cheng Zhiyu sighed. "That’s not important."

"It is important," Cheng Mo said sourly. "You’re quite the charmer."

Han Tingting, feeling she had said the wrong thing, quickly shut up and focused on taking care of her brother.

Cheng Zhiyu covered Cheng Mo’s mouth. "Just shut up, will you? You’re the only one I’ve ever dated, okay?"

Cheng Mo smiled contentedly. "I knew it. I’m the only one who could make you fall for me."

Cheng Zhiyu: "..." Such thick skin.

But it wasn't wrong either.

"Alright, let's talk later," Cheng Zhiyu coughed lightly and said soothingly.

Being so openly affectionate in front of so many people—he was genuinely embarrassed.

Cheng Mo smirked and fell silent. Aww, Zhi Yu's shy.

Han Tingting stood there stunned, never expecting Cheng Zhiyu to have such a side. If their high school classmates saw this, they’d be utterly shocked.

But after taking another look at Cheng Mo’s face, she could understand. His looks were so striking that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he could win over both men and women.

Han Tingting knew Cheng Mo probably wasn’t misunderstanding, but she still explained, "Cheng Zhiyu and I are just friends. Blame my brother—he’s always letting his imagination run wild. Maybe it’s because he had puppy love himself back in school, so he assumed I would too."

Han Ping, still recovering from his injuries and lack of food, was too weak to argue. He shot his sister an annoyed look but decided to let it go. Regardless, he sincerely thanked the group.

"Ah… I really never thought I’d run into you all," Han Tingting said, both surprised and feeling like heaven was looking out for her. She had been on the verge of despair just moments ago.

Given her brother’s condition, their original plan to go to Dongyang Base was clearly impossible. Not only did they not know the exact location, but even if they did, if they encountered zombies in his current state, they’d both be dead.

Luckily… she never imagined they’d bump into people they knew.

With her nerves finally no longer so tense, Han Tingting relaxed, feeling utterly exhausted. She hadn’t rested properly since her brother was injured.

Just then, a cautious voice spoke up: "Tingting, are these your friends?"

Han Tingting coldly glanced over. It was Aunt Zhang. She hated her guts and had no intention of responding.

Seeing Aunt Zhang speak up, the others gained courage and started chattering: "Miss Han, why didn’t you mention you had friends like this earlier?"

"Can you put in a good word for us? They’re heading to Dongyang Base, right? Let us tag along."

"Yeah, it’s not far. Please bring us with you."

"Tingting, help us out."

"We’ll owe you one once we reach the base."

Han Tingting thought it was ridiculous. Kindness? She saw right through these people. Their promises were just talk. It’d be a miracle if they didn’t stab her in the back later.

Although her brother had helped these people out of sheer goodwill without expecting anything in return, their recent behavior had been utterly disheartening.

Han Ping didn’t know what had just happened, but he didn’t want these people bugging his sister. Frowning, he said, "Even if they’re my sister’s friends, you can’t expect favors like that. If you want to go to Dongyang Base, talk to them yourselves."

Han Tingting pursed her lips. "Yeah, if you want to go, ask them yourselves. I won’t speak for you." Her tone was noticeably cold. Han Ping glanced at her.

The group turned their pleading looks to Cheng Zhiyu and the others. "You guys, please help us!"

"Take pity on us. We’ll repay you once we reach the base."

"Yeah, we’ll definitely repay you."

Cheng Zhiyu and the others had caught some of the earlier conversation and weren’t impressed.

Zhou Min, knowing they were lying, said calmly, "How will you repay us?"

They were taken aback, stumbling over their words for a moment before finally mumbling, "We’ll work our fingers to the bone for you…"

Wasn’t this just all talk?

Cheng Zhiyu said, "We don’t need you to work your fingers to the bone for us."

Before they could smile in relief, he added, "What did that other group say earlier? We’ll take you, but it’ll cost one Level 2 Crystal Core per person."

They were stunned. "But… we don’t have any crystal cores."

"Yeah, we’re just ordinary people. We can’t fight zombies. How would we get crystal cores?"

"Aren’t you just being unreasonable?"

Some began to complain.

Tian Qiao laughed. "So you have nothing and just want us to take you for free? Quite the wishful thinking."

"How… how can you say that?"

"Aren’t you Tingting’s friends? What would it cost you to help us?"

"Exactly. Ah, it’s really the apocalypse now. Everyone's so cold-hearted. I might really die here today."

Cheng Mo was annoyed by the noise. "Anyone who wants to die, step forward. I’ll help you."

That shut them up immediately. There was no denying Cheng Mo’s intimidation was seriously top-tier.

Cheng Zhiyu said, "Like you said, I’m Han Tingting’s friend, not yours."

"Besides, we’re not actually going to Dongyang Base." He turned to Han Tingting. "What are your plans?"

Han Tingting seemed unsure. "I was originally taking my brother to Dongyang Base, not because we had to, but mainly to treat his injuries."

Some people went to certain bases to find family, but it was just the two of them left. They had no other relatives…

The thought made her get teary-eyed.

Cheng Zhiyu explained they weren’t from Dongyang Base but a smaller one. "It’s probably not as well-equipped as Dongyang Base. Do you want to come with us? If not, we can take you to Dongyang Base."

Some wanted to ask, "I thought you weren’t going to Dongyang Base?" but didn’t dare. There was an intimidating guy among them who wouldn't think twice about killing.

They’d never seen anything like it before.

Han Tingting glanced at her brother and said without hesitation, "I won’t go to Dongyang Base. It was never set on going anyway."

It was better to follow Cheng Zhiyu and his group to their base. At the very least, they’d have friends there, which would feel safer.

Cheng Zhiyu said, "Alright, come with us then."

He glanced at Han Ping. "Can you walk?"

Han Ping, looking pale, nodded. "Yes…"

As the group prepared to leave, the others started panicking. "Mr. Han, take us with you!"

"Yeah, we won’t go to Dongyang Base. Please, take us along."

"Mr. Han, you can’t just leave us behind."

"We’ll die if you leave us…"

"I don't want to die, Han Ping!"

They thought Han Tingting was hard-hearted and turned to beg Han Ping instead.

Han Ping, supported by Han Tingting, flinched back slightly, looking hesitant.

Han Tingting beside him was absolutely furious. She shouted hoarsely, "How dare you beg my brother?!"

"We don’t want to die..."

"You don’t want to die, but does my brother want to? Does he owe you anything?" Han Tingting wiped her tears, gritting her teeth. "Just now, you refused to prove that my brother was injured by a mutant creature—weren’t you trying to get him killed? You knew he was severely injured... He protected you all the way here, and you’re nothing but ungrateful wretches! And you, Auntie Zhang, if it weren’t for my brother, you would’ve been dead yesterday!"

"But... we never wanted him dead. How could we want him dead?"

"Right, we just didn’t want to be left behind. He’s a Superhuman—he can handle it."

"If you leave, how are we supposed to survive?"

Han Tingting didn’t want to say another word. Talking to these people was a waste of breath.

From Han Tingting’s fragmented words, Han Ping understood what had just happened. No wonder his sister’s attitude toward them had changed so drastically.

Han Ping wasn’t unaffected, but this time, he didn’t give in. He just said, "Dongyang Base isn’t far from here. You can get there yourselves."

If these people only know how to mooch off others, they might as well just wait to die.

Otherwise, even if someone helped them this time, what about next time? When they reached the base entrance and were asked to pay an entry fee, would they beg others to pay it for them?

Once inside, with no food or water, would they beg again?

If that’s the case, it’s better not to save them. No matter how many times you help, if you refuse even once, they’ll turn against you.

They’ve relied on Han Ping all along, and now they only know how to depend on others.

Sure enough, as soon as Han Ping said this, they freaked out: "We’re just ordinary people, how’re we supposed to get there?!"

"We’ll die..."

"How can you be so heartless? Boo hoo, how can you be so cruel!"

As Cheng Zhiyu and the others walked away, they could still hear the group’s wailing.

Cheng Mo annoyedly covered Cheng Zhiyu’s ears. If it weren’t for the fact that they couldn’t just kill people, he’d really like to shut them up for good.

Han Ping sighed. "I guess I was wrong."

Before, he’d only thought that helping even one person counted for something—everyone is human, and survival is hope. But clearly, those people didn’t see it that way.

"Brother, stop being such a pushover," Han Tingting said.

Han Ping: "..." Why say it like that?

Seeing that Han Tingting and Han Ping were looking rough, Cheng Zhiyu said, "Let’s find a place to rest first."

They found an apartment, covered in dust everywhere. Cheng Mo used his Water Power to clean out an area.

Cheng Zhiyu: "You two, sit down first."

Cheng Zhiyu and the others checked the kitchen. Unfortunately, the apartment had no natural gas, but luckily, he had a portable gas stove in his storage space and had collected plenty of gas canisters, so they were set.

Han Tingting originally wanted to help but was sent away to rest. Tian Qiao, cleaning as he spoke, said, "No, you look dead on your feet. We don’t want people thinking we’re mistreating you."

Han Tingting laughed. "I’m not that bad off."

But she was indeed exhausted and hungry, so she didn’t argue. Sitting on the sofa, she felt surprisingly relaxed and soon fell asleep.

In her sleep, an amazing smell woke Han Tingting up. Embarrassed, she covered her growling stomach.

Luckily, her brother was with her, and Han Ping’s stomach was growling too.

Zhou Min brought over two bowls of meat congee. "Eat up."

He’d cooked the congee himself; simple meals like this were no problem for him.

Han Tingting swallowed saliva, hesitating. "You guys aren’t eating?"

Han Ping added, "We should all eat together. We can’t just eat by ourselves."

Zhou Min smiled. "Nah, it’s cool. We’ll have something else later."

Tian Manman urged, "Eat quickly, or it’ll get cold and won’t taste as good."

As a food lover, he cared a lot about preserving flavor.

Han Tingting was really touched. They’d given up such precious food for her and her brother to eat.

As she ate, she started crying—whether from the delicious taste or from emotion, she didn’t know.

It was so delicious, sob...

They hadn’t had a hot meal in so long, only cold, hard bread, and sometimes not even that, forced to go hungry.

A mouthful of warm porridge made her whole body warm up.

Soon, the two finished every bite. Zhou Min asked enthusiastically, "Want more? There’s plenty left."

Han Tingting was still a bit hungry but shook her head. "No, we’re good."

Han Ping also declined. They weren’t full but were too embarrassed to eat more, especially since the others hadn’t eaten yet.

Just then, another aroma wafted from the kitchen, not like the porridge.

Zhou Min exclaimed excitedly, "Ah, Brother Cheng’s food is ready!"

He hurried to the kitchen and brought out the remaining half-pot of porridge, offering it to the siblings. "Feel free to have more if you want. It’s rare to find people who don’t mind my cooking—thanks for being fans~"

The siblings fell silent.

Soon, a large pot of stewed meat was placed on the coffee table in front of them.

The siblings, who thought the others had given them their share: "..."

This wasn’t what they’d expected.

"You probably haven’t had a full meal in a long time, so heavy food isn’t suitable for you right now," Cheng Zhiyu said with a smile. "Have some warm porridge first."

Cheng Mo sneakily served him more food, not wanting him to talk too much with the others.

Han Tingting stared at the stewed meat, salivating. Wuwuwu, she really wanted to eat it.

With tears in her eyes, she asked, "Can... can I have a bite?"

Cheng Zhiyu felt sorry for her and said, "Have a little, but not too much, so your stomach can handle it."

Han Tingting nodded vigorously, then shyly put a piece of meat in her brother’s bowl. After taking a bite herself, she was moved to tears and exclaimed, "Tablemate, I always knew you were a dependable guy!"

Cheng Mo looked over.

Caught off guard, Han Tingting quickly added, "If you meet such a great man, you ought to marry him."

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

Cheng Mo laughed and said, "Well, I’m willing—just don’t know if Zhi Yu’s willing to marry me."

Cheng Zhiyu’s face flushed red. He slid a piece of meat into Cheng Mo’s bowl and said, "Just eat your meal. Maybe this’ll shut you up."

Han Tingting: *secretly shipping them*

The siblings only ate a little meat before obediently stuck to eating porridge.

It had to be said—people’s bodies had gotten a lot tougher since the apocalypse. In the past, after going hungry for so long and lacking proper rest, they’d need way more time to bounce back.

But after finishing their meal, Han Tingting and Han Ping were doing a lot better, speaking with noticeably more energy.

Of course, it wasn’t suitable to let Big Strong out in the city, so they decided to spend the night in the apartment.

Cheng Zhiyu asked, "We’re going out to look for supplies. Do you want to come along?"

Han Tingting thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, my brother isn’t fully recovered yet. I’ll stay and clean up the rooms here."

They had only cleaned the living room earlier—the bedrooms were still untouched.

Cheng Zhiyu had the same idea. There was no running water in the apartment, but Cheng Mo was there, and he had stored plenty of water.

Cheng Zhiyu said, "You can use it to clean up."

Han Tingting nodded, a little embarrassed. She hadn’t noticed it before, but now, as she lowered her head, she caught a whiff of herself—man, she stank. It couldn’t be helped; on their journey, scoring a sip of water was lucky, let alone a chance to bathe.

At least her brother was there to stink along with her.

Han Ping: "?"