"Three thousand?" Both Zhou You and Doctor Zhao exclaimed in shock. That's incredibly expensive! What job pays that well?

Zhou You realized he had to rethink his life. Even in post-apocalyptic times, money still mattered. His first step was to find a job with a decent income.

After dinner, everyone continued practicing boxing with Captain Li. Shao Qi, seeing Li Hongxi's military-style boxing, nodded and said, "A regular army background. No wonder you're upright. You all are lucky."

As he spoke, Shao Qi stared at a distant rocky hill, his brow furrowed. The hill seemed out of place, giving him an uneasy feeling.

Suddenly, he shouted, "Danger! Get me out of the vehicle now!"

He abruptly stood up, causing several of his wounds to tear open, grimacing in pain. Seeing this, Zhou You hurried over to assist him, asking, "What's wrong?"

"No time to explain, take me down to have a look first."

Upon seeing his stern expression and unwavering gaze out of the window, Zhou You felt a twinge of unease. Without hesitation, he hoisted the man out of the car, causing Shao Qi to stare dumbfoundedly at the back of Zhou You's head, wondering if the latter realized that human contact was now largely avoided in this post-apocalyptic world.

Just as Li Yunxi came seeking Zhou You for practice, she cheerfully waved at him, "Zhou You, over here!" She circled around the two, curiously asking, "Is this the important figure my brother saved? He's so young and handsome."

Zhou You introduced, "This is Captain Li's younger sister, Li Yunxi."

Shao Qi didn’t spare Li Yunxi a glance, his attention wholly fixed on Stone Mountain. He patted Zhou You on the shoulder, saying, "Move a bit further ahead."

As Zhou You aided him closer, he too noticed something amiss. He perked up his ears, discerning sounds resembling countless claws scratching stone. But what creature could live within stone?

Oblivious to Zhou You's concern, Shao Qi suddenly shouted, "Quick! Everyone back to the vehicles! Danger!"

A scorpion the size of a hand emerged from a crevice in the rock. Its large pincers clacked menacingly as it rapidly approached the nearest human.

Zhou You exclaimed, "Scorpions! Run! Get back to the vehicles!"

The crowd was taken aback, unsure of the sudden peril. But upon hearing 'scorpions', they rushed towards the cars without hesitation. Yet, with the convoy being so extensive, many couldn't make it in time before the scorpions caught up.

Li Hongxi hastily grabbed two nearby children, handing them to another member, saying, "Quickly, get the kids out of here!"

A heart-wrenching scream pierced the air. Zhou You raced over to find a middle-aged man convulsing on the ground. His complexion swiftly turned ghastly pale and within moments, he ceased breathing. Seconds later, a scorpion emerged from his chest, appearing even larger than before.

"Bang!" A bullet accurately hit the scorpion, pushing it off the corpse by the impact, but it quickly scurried towards its next target.

Before Zhou You could react, the seemingly ordinary Stone Mountain was swarming with countless scorpions, flooding down towards the masses like a tidal wave.

Shao Qi yelled, "Don’t shoot them! Bullets won't penetrate their exoskeleton. Use incendiary grenades!" Pushing Zhou You forcefully, he barked, "What are you waiting for? Get back to the vehicles!"

Holding Shao Qi, Zhou You retreated but not towards the vehicle, asserting, "You lead, and I'll protect you!" He'd never directed a battle against mutated creatures, having minimal knowledge about them.

Considering the recent events, relying on Captain Li's people seemed uncertain; following Shao Qi's guidance appeared more sensible.

A smirk crossed Shao Qi's face, "You? Protect me?" Where did this man find such confidence? But his audacity was admittedly commendable.

Author's note: Shao Qi: "Protect me with what? Those skinny arms and legs?"

Zhou You pinched his arm, retorting, "You're not much stronger than me. Shouldn't you be moved by my unwavering support in dire times?"

Chapter 020: Escaping from Venomous Fangs

"Ah...help..."

"Run!..." The crowd was in utter chaos. The dark of the night, punctuated only by the flickering light from a bonfire, obscured their vision. A stampede ensued.

Shao Qi yelled at a member of the Dawn Exploration Team, "Do we have flares? Deploy them now!"

Flares illuminated the surroundings, revealing the countless venomous scorpions. One after another, people fell to their bites, their lives tragically snuffed out. Zhou You anxiously inquired, "Is there no recovery after a bite?"

"No kidding! A minuscule amount of this scorpion's venom can kill an elephant. They especially relish human hearts."

Exclaiming in frustration, Zhou You asked, "What's their weakness then?"

"They fear fire and high temperatures!"

Zhou You tossed Shao Qi onto the vehicle's roof, then dashed towards the bonfire. He threw flaming logs towards the encroaching scorpions, halting a few in their tracks. Grabbing a handful of lagging individuals, he pushed them towards a truck, yelling, "Get on!"

Thrown roughly onto the roof, Shao Qi muttered an expletive, then sat up to assess the situation below. He frowned deeply at the uncoordinated evacuation. If they were a trained military unit, even if they couldn't eradicate the scorpions, they could've retreated efficiently. Instead, their chaos was slowing their escape.

Several people ablaze with flames let out harrowing screams. In a panicked state, they rushed towards the convoy for help. Shao Qi shouted furiously, "Get the vehicles moving! What are you waiting for?" People can lose their reason in the throes of fear. Otherwise, they would realize that once the flames reach the vehicles, an entire convoy could be doomed.

Zhou You used matchsticks to tend to several people on fire. Unable to save them all, he aimed to alleviate their suffering as much as possible.