Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Reopening the Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse – Full Novel Website

Chapter 138: Reopening

In the living room, a single candle was lit as the only source of light, casting a dim glow that made the faces of those sitting in the room flicker with the dancing flame.

“Are you suggesting we bring these kids into our group?” Third Brother held an unlit cigarette, showing his usual gentlemanly demeanor by not smoking indoors, especially in the presence of ladies. He stared at Cheng Ming, “We’ve discussed this before. Our current situation is even worse than before. Gu Ning’s space has closed, meaning we’ve lost a significant amount of supplies. What we have now won’t last long.”

No one else spoke. Gu Ning lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

Cheng Ming pursed his lips, hesitated, and finally said, “Is there really no other way?”

“Wu Sen can already go out with us. He He and Zuo You performed well at the base gate the other day. There are a few other promising kids among them. In a while, they can join us too,” Gu Ning suddenly spoke up, seemingly off-topic, then shifted the conversation back to Third Brother, “How about forming a youth reserve team? Give them a month of training with the other kids. If they pass the assessment, they can become official members. Before that, we’ll provide them with food and shelter…”

Gu Ning paused. Even though they were indoors, big guys like Shi Tou and Luo Long were still wearing thick coats, while the boy named Li Yi was only in a thin autumn shirt. In such freezing weather, without sunlight, these frail kids wouldn’t survive the long winter. And finding food on their own would be incredibly difficult. Yet, that boy with frostbitten hands stubbornly returned the supplies that could have helped him last a bit longer… Gu Ning thought of his determined, dark eyes and continued, “Let’s talk to the Management Office and rent the empty rooms on the second floor. We’ll move them indoors. As for supplies, even with these extra mouths, we have enough to last the winter. When we went to Baoxi District before, it didn’t seem too looted. After some adjustments, we can go out and gather more supplies.”

The room fell silent.

Hong Jie paused her knitting and looked up, “This base has over a hundred thousand people. Even if we’re just talking about orphans of this age, there are at least a couple of thousand. Are we taking them all in or just these few? If we take in too many, our supplies won’t last long. We didn’t take in new members even when things were better. Now, with things worse, we’re considering adding more. I think we need to consider whether we can handle it.” Hong Jie didn’t outright oppose but raised a critical question, though it was clear she wasn’t fully on board with Gu Ning’s decision.

“How about a compromise?” Gu Dad suggested, “Before they become official members, we only provide them with shelter, not supplies. We help as much as we can, but within our limits. What do you think?”

Cheng Ming said, “Lately, they’ve been helping move zombies outside and earning some supplies. The base occasionally posts tasks they can do to earn more. We don’t need to shoulder much in that regard.”

Jia Daozhang, now without his bandages and wearing a woolen hat, chimed in, “We’ve already brought in these kids. A few more won’t hurt.”

Zhong Xu, who had been silent, suddenly smiled and said, “If my brother were still alive, I’d hope there was a team like this to help him.”

After a moment of silence, Third Brother slapped his thigh and stood up, “Then it’s settled. Xiao Bai, Cheng Ming, go to the Management Office and get the keys to the second floor. Bring those kids back too, if they’re willing.”

Cheng Ming visibly relaxed and stood up, thanking everyone in the room, “Thank you.”

Zhang Xiaobai chuckled, “What are you thanking us for? It’s not like they’re your relatives. This was a group decision. Don’t waste time, let’s go.” He wrapped a red scarf around his neck and dragged Cheng Ming out the door.

After they left, Hong Jie, still knitting, brought up another issue, “What about those people you brought in from outside the other day? How are you planning to handle them?”

She was referring to the group Third Brother had brought back from outside the base: Chen Wen, Lin Zihao, three girls, a woman, and a ten-year-old child. In the chaos of the moment, they had followed Third Brother upstairs and found an unlocked room to settle into. It had been a few days, and with everyone busy, no one had bothered to deal with them.

Hong Jie’s voice carried a hint of mockery, “They seem quite comfortable. Let’s hope they don’t get too attached.”

Third Brother frowned, “Zhong Xu, go talk to them. If they want to stay, they’ll have to pay rent. If not, they can go live in a tent.”

“Why me?” Zhong Xu protested, not wanting to move from the couch, “I didn’t bring them here… Besides, they’re girls. I can’t just go and say that.”

Hong Jie, ever understanding, said, “Fine, you’re all too shy. I’ll go talk to them later.”

Luo Long suddenly spoke up, “That room isn’t being used anyway. They’re just girls and a child. Why not let them stay? They don’t have much in the way of supplies. Where would they get the extra to pay us?”

His words were odd, and everyone gave him strange looks before suddenly understanding, their expressions turning peculiar.

Zhong Xu teased, “Luo Long, be honest. Did you hit it off with one of the girls?”

Luo Long immediately denied, “What?! No way! I’ve only met them a few times. What do you mean ‘hit it off’? That’s such a harsh way to put it!”

“Alright, alright! Not ‘hit it off,’ but do you have a crush on someone?” Zhong Xu quickly rephrased, “Is it that Chen Wen girl? I saw you bringing her water yesterday. You talked for a while in the hallway, didn’t you?”

Luo Long’s face, already tanned from lack of sunscreen, turned red, “I just think she’s a poor girl with no one to rely on…”

The room erupted in laughter, everyone teasing Luo Long.

After the laughter died down, Hong Jie said with a smile, “If you like her, let them stay. These are desperate times. If you like someone, just go for it.”

Luo Long weakly protested, “I really don’t…” but his voice betrayed his guilt, earning him more jeers.

Gu Ning was surprised but also understood. After all, the team was full of young men, and besides her and Huang Mengyao, there weren’t many girls around. Thinking about it, she realized a few of the guys often hovered around Huang Mengyao. In this cold, death-filled world, perhaps a little romance could bring a glimmer of hope.

Six nervous boys were brought to the third floor. Li Yi, the oldest at fourteen, was their leader. The boy who had spoken to Cheng Ming was named Yang Yang, twelve years old. The other three boys were around twelve or thirteen, and a little girl, about six or seven, was tightly holding Li Yi’s hand.

Li Yi said, “Her name is Ya Tou. I found her on the road. She’s seven.” He paused, staring at Gu Ning, “Are you really going to give us a place to stay and teach us how to kill zombies?”

After receiving confirmation, Li Yi suppressed his excitement and said seriously, “We’ll work hard to learn!”

Gu Ning nodded, “Good. If you pass our assessment in a month, you can officially stay.”

Cheng Ming had already explained this to the boys on the way, but hearing it from Gu Ning made it feel more real.

Gu Ning had stored many barrels of water in the room, and with Zhong Xu’s usual stock, there was enough. The kids were filthy, their clothes shiny with grime. Gu Mama boiled a large pot of water for them to bathe and thoughtfully prepared new clothes that fit them. After washing, their features became clear, and Ya Tou turned out to be an adorable little girl. They were settled on the second floor.

The clean boys lay in soft, warm beds, feeling a sense of satisfaction they had never known before.

“It feels like a dream,” Yang Yang whispered.

The others nodded in the dark, each silently determined to pass the assessment and stay.

“Gu Ning.”

That night, as they lay in bed, Gu Mama called out to her.

“Hmm?”

Gu Mama asked, “Do you like any of the guys in our team?”

Gu Ning was taken aback, then realized Gu Mama was referring to the earlier incident. She smiled in the dark, “Right now, I just want to live peacefully with all of you. I haven’t thought about anything else.”

Gu Mama sighed, “You should think about it. I think Fang Fa is nice, and Cheng Ming is very considerate. They both seem to like you. Either one would be a good choice. Don’t you like anyone?”

Gu Ning turned over, lying flat and staring at the ceiling, “Mom, I’m really tired. Let’s sleep.” Then she fell silent.

Gu Mama sighed deeply.

Gu Ning wasn’t sleepy at all. She stared at the ceiling, her anxiety not lessening. She didn’t know when the space door would open again. She had been trapped in this world for four days. When she returned, how would she explain things to Ji Jiuzhe? Someone like him would catch any inconsistency in her story. Strangely, she had a deep, inexplicable certainty that the space door would open again, though she didn’t know when.

She had little interaction with Ji Jiuzhe in this apocalyptic world. He probably wouldn’t stay long at the Central-South Base. After all, he had come specifically for Zhuang Chen and Yi Shaoqing. Now that their safety was confirmed, he would likely return to the Capital soon, and Zhuang Chen and Yi Shaoqing would leave too. Thinking about this, Gu Ning felt a sense of loss.

She closed her eyes and sighed inwardly. The moment she did, a familiar golden light flashed unexpectedly—