Chapter 137

Chapter 137: Some Things That Must Be Done – The Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse

The young boy, with a stubborn glint in his eyes, did something he didn’t think was particularly remarkable. Yet, it inadvertently pulled Gu Ning, who was on the verge of falling into darkness, back into the light.

Zhuang Chen watched as the coldness on Gu Ning’s face gradually melted away and quietly sighed in relief. Gu Ning’s expression earlier had truly made her heart race.

Gao Yue came downstairs and was slightly startled by the scene below.

Gu Ning asked, “Are any of our people injured?”

Gao Yue looked at the captured men with a grim expression. “Zeng Xiaoshu got a cut on his forearm from a knife. Luckily, it didn’t hit the bone, and I’ve already treated it. No one else is injured, but the kids were a bit frightened.”

Zhang Xiaobai asked fiercely, “Third Brother, what should we do with these people?”

The captives didn’t dare to beg for mercy, fearing it would only provoke a worse fate. They tried their best to look pitiful, hoping for some compassion. After all, the Three-Linked Team occasionally distributed supplies to families with elderly and children in the base, showing they had a kind side…

Third Brother looked at Gu Ning, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. He always maintained a soldier’s demeanor, but despite his tough and fierce appearance, he had a compassionate heart. Every day, he reminded his team to check if anyone outside needed urgent help and to provide aid when necessary. But now, his compassion had turned to anger. He couldn’t believe that the people they risked their lives to protect were robbing their supplies behind their backs. If they hadn’t discovered it in time, Zeng Xiaoshu would have been killed without hesitation!

Third Brother said fiercely, “Cut off their left hands, find the ringleader, and kill him directly.”

The captured thugs were stunned upon hearing this. They never expected him to be so ruthless—cutting off hands?! In these times of scarce medical resources, surviving such an injury was uncertain. Even if they did survive, how long could they last with one hand? Realizing this, they began to wail and beg for mercy, their cries heart-wrenching. One of the ringleaders was so terrified he turned pale and trembled uncontrollably.

“What’s going on?! What happened?!” Just then, a patrol team pushed through the crowd and entered.

Seeing the patrol team, the thugs immediately cried out for help, begging to be taken away and locked up. According to base regulations, those who robbed within the base would only be beaten by the patrol team and imprisoned for ten days without food. That was still far better than having their hands cut off!

The patrol team leader quickly understood the situation. Seeing the Three-Linked Team members glaring at him with icy stares, he knew better than to interfere. Normally, he would have taken the captives away to maintain the patrol team’s authority, but this was the Three-Linked Team! Even without special abilities, they were a group of fearless warriors. Even a ten-year-old in their team wouldn’t hesitate to kill zombies. He didn’t dare provoke them, so he forced a friendly smile and said to Third Brother, “Third Brother, we’re just here to check. Since everything’s under control, we’ll leave now.” After receiving Third Brother’s silent approval, he quickly led his team away.

The onlookers realized that even the patrol team feared the Three-Linked Team. They couldn’t quite understand why. In the past, when these ability-user teams had powers, it made sense for the patrol team to be wary. But now, without their abilities, why were they still so afraid?

The thugs, who had briefly hoped for rescue, now knew their fate was sealed. They stopped begging for mercy, their faces ashen. As Zhang Xiaobai and the others dragged them behind the house, they struggled fiercely, but it only earned them a beating.

The agonizing screams from behind the house sent chills down everyone’s spines.

Some among the onlookers, who had entertained similar thoughts, now felt a deep sense of dread.

As for the ringleaders, it took some effort to capture them in the dark. Once caught, they were killed on the spot and their bodies, along with the zombie corpses, were transported to the riverbank and burned.

The zombie corpses were piled everywhere, and it took nearly a week just to clear them. The fire at the riverbank burned for over ten days, stretching for dozens of meters.

Loading the zombie corpses onto trucks and driving them several kilometers from the base to the riverbank was a gruesome task. But with the high material rewards offered by the base, many signed up. Li Yi’s small team of youngsters also volunteered. Being too young, they had limited job options. Previously, they could help move bricks while repairing the walls, but the pay was meager, barely enough to feed themselves. Calculating that moving zombie corpses for a day would earn them a pound of supplies, working for several days would allow them to stockpile several pounds. For these young boys, struggling to obtain supplies, this was a “fortune.” Moreover, although the evolved zombie corpses at the main gate had been cleared and their crystal cores extracted, there were still some stragglers outside. Even though their abilities had vanished, who knew if the crystal cores still held value? If they were lucky, they might even find a crystal core.

Li Yi wore a mask, and the base generously provided gloves for everyone. However, the overwhelming stench of decay still seeped through, making it hard to breathe. It was his second day moving corpses, and his movements were mechanical yet skilled. Together with his companions, he lifted an adult zombie and struggled to load it into the truck. He had lost count of how many corpses he had moved that day—at least three hundred, maybe four hundred, or even five hundred? He couldn’t keep track. His glow-in-the-dark watch showed 5:30 PM. In half an hour, his shift would end. His arms ached, and all he wanted was to return to his tent and sleep through the night.

“Are you Li Yi?” A boy tending the campfire looked warily at the young man inquiring about Li Yi. “What do you want with him?”

The young man smiled kindly. “I have something to give him. Is he not here?” He held a bag filled with supplies.

The boy suddenly recognized the young man in the flickering firelight. Staring in shock, he stammered, “A-aren’t you the wind ability user from the Three-Linked Team?!” His eyes reflected the dancing flames, his face filled with curiosity and admiration.

The young man was taken aback, then smiled. “You know me?” This was Cheng Ming, carrying a bag of supplies that Gu Ning had instructed him to deliver to a boy named Li Yi.

The boy was ecstatic. “I saw you killing zombies! Those wind blades whooshing through the air! So cool! Absolutely amazing!” Then he paused, cautiously glancing at Cheng Ming. Seeing no anger on his face, he relaxed and scratched his head sheepishly. “Um, could you give me an autograph?” He even switched to a more respectful tone.

Cheng Ming was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. “An autograph?”

“Wait a sec!” The boy quickly darted into a tent, rummaged around, and returned with a ballpoint pen. Handing it to Cheng Ming, he unzipped his jacket to reveal a dirty white T-shirt. Pointing to his chest, he asked eagerly, “Can you sign here?”

Cheng Ming took the pen, hesitated, then bent down and carefully signed his name on the boy’s chest under his delighted gaze.

“Thank you!” The boy beamed, carefully zipping up his jacket. Then he remembered Cheng Ming’s purpose. “Oh! You’re here for Li Yi, right? He’s out moving corpses. He’ll be back soon. Would you like to wait here?” His small eyes looked up at Cheng Ming, full of hope.

Cheng Ming smiled. “Then I’ll wait here for a bit.”

The boy quickly brought over a stool for Cheng Ming. “Sit here and warm up by the fire!” He then sat on the other side of the fire.

Cheng Ming felt a pang of emotion. “Have you eaten tonight?”

“Yes!” The boy replied eagerly. “Yesterday, I moved corpses all day, and the base gave me a pound of supplies! Enough for several days!” He spoke openly, his sincerity endearing. After a pause, he hesitated, then asked, “I still have half a can of fish. Would you like some?” He licked his lips, seemingly reminiscing about the taste from earlier.

Cheng Ming looked at the boy’s sunken cheeks, a result of long-term malnutrition, yet his eyes still shone brightly. Compared to the well-fed children in their team, he felt a pang of sadness.

Suddenly, Cheng Ming stood up. The boy, startled, also rose, looking confused. “I need to leave for a bit. I’ll be back later. If Li Yi returns, tell him to wait here for me.”

“Huh? Oh, sure! Don’t worry!” The boy, hearing Cheng Ming would return, grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

Cheng Ming reached out and ruffled the boy’s tangled hair, smiling at him before turning to leave. He had made a decision. There were things he needed to do, even if success was uncertain. He had to try.