When he woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day. Not only had his fever not gone down, it had worsened, his wound was infected and inflamed, leaving him even more muddled and weak.
The zombie aura around Zhao Changyue was gone, but his injuries were still severe, and there was no sign of him regaining consciousness.
Seeing this, He Guying instinctively reached for his wrist, only to realize that his smartwatch had been thrown somewhere he didn’t know when.
There were pitifully few contacts on his phone, and among them, Xin Xiaoru’s name stood out the most.
He sent Xin Xiaoru a message, not sure whether she would come to pick him up.
He had already thought it through: he had nowhere else to go. If he could team up with her, she would handle basic medical care while he provided combat strength. The two of them should be able to work together for a long time.
Once Zhao Changyue woke up, that would be an extra layer of firepower. Even if two more of Xin Xiaoru’s relatives joined them, they could still manage.
Of course, all of this hinged on Xin Xiaoru being willing to come, and on him surviving long enough.
The roads were littered with traffic accidents and scraped vehicles. Zombies would dart out from time to time, along with infected people who hadn’t fully turned yet, constantly threatening the lives of ordinary civilians.
His off-road RV was extremely conspicuous. He didn’t know whether the people from the organization outside had been wiped out, or whether they were still hunting him, trying to recover those two vials…
The situation was dangerous. If he were in her position, he might not risk coming to find someone.
Sure enough, after the message was sent, there was no reply for a long time.
His body temperature kept rising. Just as He Guying was about to slip into unconsciousness again, his phone vibrated in his hand.
Xin Xiaoru: 【Update your location and send it to me. I’m on my way.】
Looking at that final “on my way,” He Guying unconsciously curled his lips into a faint smile, somehow feeling that she was in a pretty good mood.
He resent the location. She replied with an OK.
He Guying warned her: 【Someone is after me. They’re driving a modified off-road vehicle, license plate YC24761. They’re armed. Please be very careful.】
This time, Xin Xiaoru paused a bit longer before replying with another OK.
He Guying finally let out a small breath of relief, etching this favor deep into his heart.
Xin Xiaoru’s information was more up to date than He Guying’s, because after returning home, Doctor Lin and the male doctor had promptly contacted the police guarding the hospital and explained Xin Xiaoru’s actions.
“She did it to save her nurse friend, and brought along some other people in the process. In the end, five of us survived. The others turned into zombies and were shot. None escaped outside to cause chaos.”
Out of twelve people, five survived, an astonishing survival rate in the hellish hospital floors from the first to the tenth.
Doctor Lin, wanting to give Xin Xiaoru, and himself, more room to maneuver, explained in detail the situation of those who had turned into zombies in the vehicle: “Those who have fully turned into zombies need a headshot to be neutralized. But for those whose eyes are entirely blackening, they are almost certain to turn, so you can kill them preemptively without needing the extra force of a headshot.”
In the hospital, there had been multiple incidents where zombies were shot several times without dying, still able to run, and only after injuring several people could a precise headshot finally stop them.
Even just a few seconds of uncontrolled rampage could doom everyone in a single room.
The police received the information and expressed their gratitude, allowing Doctor Lin and the male doctor to decide for themselves whether to stay or leave, without further concern for hospital arrangements. They also offered to add the two doctors on WeChat, so those who knew inside information could keep up with relevant updates via social media.
Doctor Lin returned the favor, connecting both sides, and naturally, Xin Xiaoru was added to Officer Fang’s contacts.
Through this, Xin Xiaoru saw Officer Fang’s latest post on his social feed: “Illegal organization, armed rampage, police neutralized six individuals; 2–3 still at large.”
Xin Xiaoru immediately sat upright.
So these were the people who wanted the life of the so-called Bright Tower witness, her.
Her long fingers tapped on the back of her phone.
Some of them, better dealt with in advance.
She messaged Officer Fang, requested the contact information for Officer Liu, who was handling the shooting case, and her fingers moved fast across the keyboard, her face showing a cold, ruthless intent even she didn’t fully recognize.
Xiaohua shivered. It was good to have her as a teammate.
Ten minutes later, Xin Xiaoru met up with Officer Liu and guided him and several other police officers into her RV. With everyone watching in disbelief, the vehicle took off, heading directly to locations where the fugitives were likely to be hiding.
The officers, being locals, knew the terrain far better than the fleeing criminals. They directed Xin Xiaoru to fly, then land and drive down alleyways, until finally they found the two criminals in a house whose window had been smashed and door forcibly entered.
Xin Xiaoru stayed hidden in the vehicle while the police quickly got out, using their bulletproof shields to corner the criminals.
Gunfire and shouting erupted, and even Xin Xiaoru’s RV was hit by a bullet. The system automatically deducted 5 stamina points to repair the vehicle, making her wince in frustration.
Finally, after 50 minutes, the criminals refused to surrender and were killed, bringing the incident to a close.
Officer Liu came out and nodded at Xin Xiaoru in acknowledgment: “You were the victim here, so I won’t waste your time. If we have further questions, may we contact you via WeChat?”
“Sure,” Xin Xiaoru said, pointing to the criminals’ wrists. “Their smartwatches can be cracked by my RV’s system.”
Fifteen minutes later…
He Guying was burning with fever, drowsy, unable to distinguish dream from reality, smoke literally rising from his head.
In a haze, someone knocked on the vehicle door. He glanced over, seeing nothing clearly, and instinctively opened the door, driven by his will to survive.
The next moment, he felt his body grow light and lift into the air. The vehicle jostled for half a minute before arriving in an exceptionally cool space, the temperature so comfortable that he groaned involuntarily.
Then, his clothes seemed to be removed, and cold patches were applied all over his body. Even his groin had something applied, though he had no idea what it was, and a wave of relief and comfort washed over him.
He could feel his entire body rapidly dissipating heat, physical cooling, and before long, he could no longer stay awake and fell asleep.
Xin Xiaoru finished attending to He Guying, applying cooling patches to his vital areas, and then turned to help Xiaohua with the more seriously injured Zhao Changyue.
Zhao Changyue seemed to have passed the critical fever stage, but his body was covered in deep wounds, including over a dozen penetrating injuries.
Disinfection, necrotic tissue removal, pus cleaning, hemostasis, dressing, medication, IV fluids, everything that could be done was done. But the blood loss was so severe that only a transfusion could save him.
At this point, every hospital had shut its doors due to the zombie incidents. Police doctors were still working, but only police officers or case-related personnel could request treatment or arrange blood bags.
If Xin Xiaoru sought police help, she would have to turn over He Guying’s brother, and even then, there was no guarantee he could be kept hidden. If she didn’t, she could only leave it to fate.
Xin Xiaoru didn’t care what happened to He Guying’s brother, but she wasn’t willing to lose an ally she already had. No matter what he had been doing before, he was now an important fighter with her, and they still had all these supplies.
She decided to wait until the two of them woke before making any decisions.
The night was deep. Xin Xiaoru and Xiaohua took turns showering. Once done, they spread the sofa flat, transforming it into a cramped bed that filled all the remaining space in the RV, pressing against the driver’s seat and bathroom partition, and lay down together.
They slept soundly. Even in the dark, cramped RV tucked in a narrow alley, it was the first time in so long that they had truly slept peacefully.
In the morning, Xiaohua was the first to wake, and Xin Xiaoru stirred as she noticed the movement.
They checked on the patients and confirmed the fevers had subsided, then started boiling water, eggs, and vegetables. They made a vegetable salad with fruit and also prepared a cold cucumber dish.
Water gurgled and steamed, a simple display of domestic life that would become increasingly rare in the days ahead.
He Guying woke up, starved.
Having gone two full days without food, he instinctively lifted the thin blanket and headed to the table.
The next second, a cold sensation swept over him. Looking down, he noticed that cooling patches were stuck in various places, thighs, neck, armpits, and his lower back was bandaged from the injury, the rest of his body covered as well.
He Guying: “…”
Whoosh—
He quickly pulled the blanket around himself, wrapping his entire body, a rare blush of embarrassment spreading across his usually indifferent face.
Xin Xiaoru laughed. “Relax. These are all patients. This is our daily work. Just think of yourself as a well-built piece of meat, don’t be embarrassed.”
He Guying: “…” Thanks… a well-built piece of meat, somehow even stranger!
“High fevers can reduce sperm activity, and sometimes if the temperature is too high, it needs to be applied there. Now that your temperature has come down, you can just peel it off,” Xin Xiaoru said, handing over two bags of clothes. “These are the ones you found in the car.”
He Guying wrapped the blanket around his lower body like a towel, carefully slid out of bed on his side, avoiding Xin Xiaoru and Xiaohua, and quickly entered the bathroom to get dressed.
Xiaohua couldn’t resist and bumped Xin Xiaoru’s shoulder; Xin Xiaoru laughed.
She casually popped a piece of vegetable into her mouth to taste it when Xiaohua suddenly pointed at her chin: “Your phone is vibrating.”
Xin Xiaoru glanced over. The incoming call was from Aunt Qian.
She already guessed what the call would be about, and her smile faded slightly. “Hello, Aunt Qian.”
“Xiao Ru, I’m begging you, please go pick up your sister,” Aunt Qian’s voice was anxious. “She can’t take any plane or train over there. She won’t be able to get back!”
Xin Xiaoru switched to her phone’s booking app to check quickly. “The day after tomorrow, there’s a standing ticket available. She can get on.”
“That’s a standing ticket!” Aunt Qian’s voice sharpened, completely losing her usual calm. “She’d have to stand for four hours! And there will be so many people, it’s too dangerous! Xiao Ru, please, just this once, go! Just this one trip!”
Xin Xiaoru replied: “Let her call me herself. She has my phone.”
The call ended. Xin Xiaoru’s gaze briefly went blank.
Her relationship with Qian Duo wasn’t good.
Perhaps it was because she had grown up without parents and the family property had been divided among grandparents, leaving her hyperaware of others’ emotions.
Aunt Qian had always been sincere with her. She cared about Xin Xiaoru having no parents, lent her the camp for free, and even loaned her money when she needed treatment at the pediatric hospital.
Qian Duoying, her daughter, was not like that.
Whenever Xin Xiaoru stayed at the camp during holidays, Qian Duoying treated her like a leech sucking off the family. In front of Xin Xiaoru, she didn’t say anything overtly harsh, but behind her back, talking to their mother or classmates, she was completely unrestrained.
Xin Xiaoru knew of at least four instances where Qian Duoying had called her a “beggar living off their house” and “shameless.”
Because of this long-term disparagement, Qian family relatives and many of Qian Duoying’s classmates all thought Xin Xiaoru was a parasite. In reality, she attended nine years of compulsory education, paying only two hundred yuan a year in miscellaneous fees. Her living expenses were covered partly by government and school subsidies, and partly earned by distributing flyers or working summer jobs.
While other kids were in regular high school, she attended vocational school. It wasn’t as bad as people imagined; she repeatedly ranked first in her grade, interned whenever possible, and consistently topped hospital intern evaluations, earning considerable wages and bonuses.
When she wasn’t interning, she worked as a nursing assistant, covering living expenses, school fees, and even RV maintenance costs entirely on her own. She paid the camp for parking on time, even during off-season months when camps often struggled financially. During vocational school, her RV stayed in a distant camp purely to help Aunt Qian’s business.
Even so, after five years, Qian Duoying still secretly regarded her as a beggar.
So Xin Xiaoru could clearly separate them: Aunt Qian was Aunt Qian, Qian Duoying was Qian Duoying.
Yes, Qian Duoying’s hometown, Jiangcheng, isn’t far from Yicheng, only about 400 kilometers, an easy round trip in a day.
But she didn’t want to go.
Aunt Qian was wealthy; in college, she gave Qian Duoying at least 10,000 yuan a month for living expenses. If Qian Duoying had a driver’s license, she probably would have bought a car in her freshman year just for her to drive to school.
Now Qian Duoying still didn’t have a license, but as a rich girl, all her friends had money and cars. How could she not borrow even one car?
Moreover, the RV camp had been operating for years, and Xin Xiaoru knew at least ten owners in Jiangcheng who stayed in touch long-term and were likely to return to Yicheng. She couldn’t even hitch a ride with one of them?
If that were true, money she couldn’t spend, connections she couldn’t use, then this person was simply useless.
Since she’s useless, let her die out there, Xin Xiaoru thought darkly.
But deep down, she knew Qian Duoying wasn’t incapable; she just treated Xin Xiaoru as the easiest route, the most convenient servant to boss around.
If this were her past life, and she already had the RV, she would have gone to pick Qian Duoying up immediately.
But after five years of apocalypse torment, reborn, why should she torment herself again?
I don’t want to, she thought.
She cracked a boiled egg on the table, the shell making a crisp snap.
Xin Xiaoru brought her thoughts back, crushed the shell, revealed the smooth egg inside, admired it for one and a half seconds, then swallowed it whole.
The phone rang.
This time, it was Qian Duoying calling personally.
Her voice was clear, playful, and coaxing: “Xiao Ru, Mom said you wanted to hear my voice, so I’m calling you. This time, please—”
“I’m not interested in your voice,” Xin Xiaoru said flatly. “I’m just curious, your friends, including your boyfriend, all went to college in Jiangcheng. When they come back, why don’t they take you along?”
There was a pause on the other end, tinged with irritation: “What do you mean? Others are others, I am me. Not everyone is as shameless as you, bothering other people!”
Xin Xiaoru said, “Oh. So Sister Qian is so afraid of bothering others, good. I knew you wouldn’t want to trouble me. Then bye-bye.”
She didn’t wait for a response and hung up immediately.
The next second, the phone rang again.
The moment the call connected, Qian Duoying burst out cursing: “Ungrateful little white-eyed wolf! Just because you’ve learned a few tricks now you’re acting high and mighty? Don’t forget you grew up in my house! If you had even a shred of conscience—”
A hand, damp from the cool air, lowered the screen slightly, muted the sound, and turned off the microphone.
Instantly, the RV was quiet.
Xin Xiaoru glanced at the person behind her.
His hair was damp, his face and neck misted with water, clearly having just roughly rinsed off in the bathroom.
His upper body was bare, the bandage on his lower back conspicuous but sensibly dry. His loose athletic pants were on, covering his legs completely.
He asked, “In the Valley camp later, will we live together with her?”
Xin Xiaoru didn’t answer.
He continued, “If you left her there just to protect the supplies and it’s hard to move her, we can figure it out slowly. Once we officially team up, our supplies will be shared. Losing those 200,000 worth of supplies won’t matter.”
Xin Xiaoru looked up at him, tilting her head slightly.
Wasn’t this just another way of saying, “I’ll take care of you”?
Moved? A little, but not much.
The other side of “I’ll take care of you” is that you have nothing, and I back you up.
Xin Xiaoru wouldn’t allow herself to be without a safety net.
Having nothing meant surrendering initiative, whoever had the money was the boss, and she would become the worker.
When survival was uncertain, being a worker was fine. But now that she could survive, she wanted to be a partner.
Xin Xiaoru closed her eyes slightly, letting many thoughts flash through her mind.
Yesterday she had just abandoned Sister Lin’s family. Even though she and Doctor Lin had a very good working relationship, she gave them up because of her large family to care for. And now, to He Guying, wasn’t she again “a big family”?
And this time, a troublesome “family.”
He Guying was definitely not a good man. His current friendliness existed only because she had helped him and his brother survive their ordeal, giving him no reason to show a harsh face. The apocalypse ahead would only get harder, how long could a temporary debt of gratitude and affection withstand the coming hardships?
Even her own affection and gratitude toward Aunt Qian could be worn down by that troublemaker and the five years of suffering in her previous apocalypse life. And she and He Guying had only been teamed up for a few days, what bond did they really have?
The RV upgrade was also an issue.
He Guying, Sister Xiaohua, and the still-unconscious Zhao Changyue had all given genuine five-star ratings. After transferring 500, the long-stalled upgrade task instantly jumped from 6/20 to 9/20.
They were partners, and tenants who helped her steadily upgrade.
In contrast, Aunt Qian, Qian Duoying, and even the camp worker Zhou Fengyun, what could they do?
Xin Xiaoru thought for a long time, though it was only a few seconds.
She said seriously, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
The call had already disconnected at some point, replaced by a barrage of messages on WeChat.
The person had realized they were blocked; calling had only been a one-way output. Now they switched to WeChat to vent their anger.
Perfect.
Xin Xiaoru picked up her phone, took a long screenshot, and immediately sent it to Aunt Qian.
“I originally thought that if she could come back on her own, we could live together and share resources. Now I regret that. I’ve always remembered the care you gave me since I was little. Bringing your daughter back will settle my debt of gratitude to you.”
“Once your daughter is back, we have nothing owed to each other.”
“I’ll leave half of the supplies. If you farm in the mountains, you should be able to survive. I’ll take the rest with me.”
“This isn’t a discussion, it’s the conclusion.”