17 – A Little Interlude
Zhang Yiyi and Xia Li stepped forward, using knives to cut through the bindings of the tied-up men.
Zhang Yiyi said to them, “They’re restrained now. You’re safe and can leave.”
A woman on the ground frantically shook her head, her tone hysterical: “No! You have to kill them! Do you know how terrifying they are? They imprisoned us here, torturing us every single day!”
The woman then pointed at the recently bound men and added, “Zhang Biao even tied people up to drain their blood and lure away zombies! My husband died exactly like that!”
So that was why there were so few zombies outside—they had been using this method to draw the nearby zombies away. How could they become so inhuman in such a short time?
Hearing this, Xia Li frowned deeply, while Zhang Yiyi felt it was utterly heinous.
“That’s too much!” Zhang Yiyi exclaimed angrily.
The woman, as if finding allies, rushed forward and grabbed Zhang Yiyi’s shoulders, saying, “So you have to kill them! Kill them now!Zhang Yiyi was startled and at a loss by the woman’s forceful grip on her arm.
A few men on the ground actually looked hopeful upon hearing this.
Ye Jin stepped forward and pushed the woman away. Did she expect them to help with killing?
She took the machete from Zhang Yiyi’s hand and tossed it in front of the woman, saying, “He killed your husband? Then take revenge yourself. They’re tightly bound and can’t move at all.”
The woman’s expression froze. She glanced at Wang Biao and his group, picked up the knife, and walked over to them, her hands trembling violently.
Wang Biao wasn’t afraid. He knew this woman was full of pretense. Talking about avenging her husband? Back when he made her choose between herself and her husband to lure the zombies, she was the one who feared death and voluntarily chose to stay and entertain them. Her current act was probably just because she saw these four as capable and wanted to latch onto them. She was putting on quite a show.
Wang Biao looked at the woman holding the knife and snorted disdainfully. “I know what kind of trash you are. If you’ve got the guts, then chop me!”
“You… you demon! I’ll kill you!” The woman raised the trembling knife, holding it in front of him. Wang Biao just stared coldly—he didn’t believe she had the nerve to kill.
The woman’s shaking hand hovered before Wang Biao for a long moment before tears streamed down her face. She turned to look at Gu Jingzheng in his military uniform and whimpered, “I can’t do it… sob…”
As she spoke, she wiped her tears with one hand, looking pitiful, and pleaded with Gu Jingzheng, “Can you take me with you? I have no family left.”
Ye Jin raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding. Internally, she marveled, “Well, well,” and immediately took a step back, sitting on a supermarket rest chair to enjoy the show.
Xia Li also caught on, but Zhang Yiyi was still confused. Weren’t they talking about revenge? Why did she want them to take her away now? And why was she crying?
Gu Jingzheng glanced sideways at Ye Jin’s amused expression and found it somewhat funny. Was she that happy to see him in an awkward spot?
He had encountered plenty of women like this—all just looking for a protector. But she had misjudged her target.
If she had actually chopped Wang Biao earlier, even Ye Jin might have respected her and lent a hand.
But Gu Jingzheng wasn’t like the men she was used to. He had no interest in being chivalrous. Even protecting the weak depended on the person’s character and whether they were worth it.
“Don’t look at me. I don’t have the authority to decide your fate. My boss is right over there!” Gu Jingzheng gestured toward Ye Jin with a flick of his finger.Ye Jin was utterly exasperated. She shot Gu Jingzheng a glare—was he trying to drag her into this mess?
Gu Jingzheng responded with a smile, his peach-blossom eyes sparkling with amusement. Watching a show was boring; performing in it together was far more entertaining.
Their gazes met briefly before quickly looking away.
The woman’s expression stiffened, her voice disbelieving as she asked, “Aren’t you a soldier?”
Why would you listen to a woman’s orders?
Gu Jingzheng denied it, “These camouflage clothes are everywhere. How do they look like a military uniform?”
Impossible! The woman refused to believe it—she had clearly witnessed their exceptional combat skills!
She insisted, “You’re clearly a soldier, yet you won’t save people in distress?”
Gu Jingzheng frowned. Was she trying to pin this on him?
He turned to Ye Jin and asked, “Boss, what do you think we should do?”
Ye Jin was speechless! Could this man have even a shred of integrity?
Ignoring him, she addressed the dazed group on the floor, “We’re just passing through to rest here and will leave tomorrow. Since Wang Biao has been tied up, you can all return home.”
Seeing that Ye Jin was ignoring her, the woman grew irritated, “The outside is full of Zombies! How are we supposed to go back?”
“That’s your problem. I have no obligation to help you!” Ye Jin was also annoyed. Why did she keep running into women like this?
“No! Since you’ve already saved us, you have to escort me back!”
Hah? Was this another Yu Ruanruan? Though, judging by this woman’s behavior, she was at best a low-budget green tea—not even one-tenth as cunning as the female lead.
The woman’s sudden shift in attitude left Zhang Yiyi completely baffled. One moment she seemed fragile, and the next, she revealed her true colors in just a few sentences.
Ye Jin was on the verge of losing her temper. It was one thing to seek support, but expecting everything without giving anything in return and relying solely on moral coercion was unacceptable!
Noticing her dark expression, Gu Jingzheng quickly stepped forward and said to Ye Jin, “You go rest. I’ll handle things here. I’ll keep watch tonight.”
He even pulled a few blankets from his Dimension and handed them to her, “There’s a break room over there. It’s quieter.”
Ye Jin took the blankets, grabbed Zhang Yiyi, and turned to leave without another word. Xia Li promptly followed.
Let Gu Jingzheng clean up the mess he had created.
That night, Ye Jin quietly made her way to the supermarket’s underground warehouse and collected some supplies, leaving the shelves untouched.
At the warehouse entrance lay a half-eaten corpse, already decomposed, dressed in a manager’s uniform.
Ye Jin patted down the pockets and actually found a key. Unlocking the warehouse, she discovered a considerable stockpile—the freezer was packed with meat, along with plenty of apples and oranges.
The freezer’s low temperature had preserved a lot of ice, but without electricity after the apocalypse, half of it had melted, leaving the floor covered in cold air and water. The meat and fish inside were still intact, so she stored all the perishable fish and fruits in her Dimension. These items would spoil in a few days anyway—better for her to take them. She only took half of the other supplies in the warehouse.
After gathering the resources, her mood improved significantly, and she slept more soundly.
Who knows what Gu Jingzheng said to that woman, but the next day, she avoided Ye Jin at all costs, not daring to say a single word.
Before leaving, Ye Jin still asked if anyone wanted to follow behind their vehicle. However, these people were too afraid to venture outside. With the supermarket’s supplies still sufficient and no longer under Wang Biao’s threat, no one wanted to leave—not even the drama queen from the day before.They tied Wang Biao and his men up again with ropes, binding them tightly. Just like that, the butcher became the slaughtered—such a dramatic turn of events.
Did they really think ordinary ropes could restrain an Ability User?
For someone like Wang Biao, you either kill him outright or leave quickly. Once he recovers his physical state, he’s unlikely to let them off easily.
But expecting Ye Jin to kill Wang Biao for them was nothing but a pipe dream. At most, she had some disagreements with him—he hadn’t killed her family, so she had no reason to take his life. Why would she stain her hands with blood for the sake of strangers?
“C-can I follow behind you for a while?”
A small, inconspicuous girl in the corner raised her hand, stood up, and spoke timidly: “I can drive. My home is outside the city. I’ll just follow behind you on my own!”
“Fine.”
As long as someone was willing to take that first step, Ye Jin wouldn’t make things difficult for them. These days, opportunities for ordinary people were scarce. Before the Zombies evolved, this was the best time to gain experience.
“Thank you!” The girl bit her lip slightly, still appearing somewhat timid.
Ye Jin sighed inwardly, relieved to finally meet someone normal.
Though the girl seemed timid on the road, she still managed to run over several Zombies with her car. She only followed them for half the journey before parting ways.
Truth be told, non-evolved Zombies weren’t particularly fearsome—they could be crushed by vehicles. But as time went on, Zombie bodies would not only grow harder but also develop Special Abilities like Ability Users. Life for ordinary people would only become more difficult then.
It was better to face reality early, build combat skills, and if you couldn’t win a fight, you could always run. Once the Base was established, there would still be hope for survival.