Chapter 179

Chapter 179: The Great Ideal

In the evening, Third Brother and Method drove back into the campus, their faces unable to hide their disappointment—clearly, they had found nothing.

Xiao Liang, who had just closed the gate, rushed over: “Third Brother! The person you were looking for has come to us! They’re inside right now!”

Third Brother and Method were stunned, then exchanged glances before exclaiming in unison: “Gu Ning!”

Cheng Ming and Method, already carrying their guns, sprinted inside.

“Gu Ning!” Method shouted from a distance at Gu Ning, who had her back turned. He rushed over and gave her a tight, joyful hug, asking excitedly, “When did you get here?”

“About an hour ago,” Gu Ning replied, then hugged the visibly emotional Cheng Ming before embracing Third Brother and the others. Though only a few days had passed, it felt like months apart, and everyone was deeply moved.

In this world, once separated, it’s hard to predict if you’ll ever meet again safely.

Third Brother hugged Gu Ning tightly, then smiled and said, “I didn’t expect you to find us first.”

The desks in the classroom had been dismantled for firewood, neatly stacked at the back. A large fire burned in the center, with a big pot hanging above it. Soon, steam rose, and when the water boiled, pre-prepared instant noodles and seasoning were tossed in. Instantly, the aroma of noodles filled the room. While the adults held their composure, the children couldn’t resist, standing on tiptoes, eagerly peeking into the pot.

The noodles cooked quickly, and Huang Mengyao, Gao Yue, and Hong Jie stood by the pot, serving the children one by one. The kids, holding their bowls, immediately ran off to eat.

“Our supplies were mostly lost during our escape. The areas where we could scavenge for resources are monopolized by the three major bases. We can’t even pick up scraps. If you hadn’t arrived in time, tomorrow we would have had to trade antidotes for supplies,” Third Brother said.

Jia Daozhang slurped his noodles and added, “We owe a lot to Gao Yue’s antidotes on this journey. Without them, who knows how many more would have died. It’s a shame her machines were too heavy, and with so many zombies, we had to leave them behind. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache.”

“You actually developed an antidote yourself?!” Ji Zhaotang asked Gao Yue in shock.

“Even your Shaoqing brother praised Gao Yue,” Zhuang Chen said, looking at Gao Yue with admiration. “Gao Yue, with your abilities, if you’re willing, I can recommend you to the research institute. There, you’ll have access to the most advanced and comprehensive equipment, three meals a day, various benefits, and absolute safety. All you need to do is focus on your research; everything else will be taken care of.”

Everyone else was stunned. What kind of待遇 was this? They thought, who wouldn’t accept such an offer?

Third Brother and Jia Daozhang’s expressions turned微妙. After all, Gao Yue’s presence was a significant safety net for them. From minor headaches to zombie bites, Gao Yue could handle it all. If she left, it would be hard to find another doctor as dedicated and skilled as her, even if they searched the entire country.

Gu Ning, however, remained calm.

Gao Yue simply said, “Thank you for the offer, but I prefer my current life.”

It was a clear refusal.

Hearing this, Third Brother and Jia Daozhang visibly relaxed. Zhang Xiaobai even let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, then glared at Zhuang Chen: “Zhuang Chen! You’re really something, trying to poach from us!”

Zhuang Chen remained unfazed: “I just wanted to give Gao Yue an opportunity.” He then took a big gulp of noodle soup and said contentedly, “I’m full!” He didn’t seem bothered by Gao Yue’s refusal, as if he had expected it.

“Can you get me another set of machines?” Gao Yue suddenly asked Gu Ning.

Gu Ning smiled, glanced at Zhuang Chen, and replied, “Of course.”

Gao Yue finally showed a hint of satisfaction.

Yuan Ge, slurping his noodles, didn’t miss a word of their conversation. Hearing that Gao Yue from the Three-Linked Team had developed an antidote, he was filled with shock. As he ate his hot noodles, he decided he must improve his relationship with the Three-Linked Team.

After finishing his meal, Zhuang Chen suddenly remembered something: “By the way, earlier they thought we were here to collect supplies. What’s that about? What supplies?”

Xiao Liang, who had been guarding the gate during the day, angrily explained: “What’s it about? The major bases have monopolized the supplies. We in the安置点 can hardly find any resources, yet you demand we hand over fifty pounds of supplies every month! You’re just a bunch of heartless exploiters!”

Before Zhuang Chen could respond, Ji Zhaotang interjected: “You mean you have to hand over fifty pounds of supplies every month? To whom?” He suddenly seemed to recall something: “By the way, where are your managers here?”

Another young man sneered: “Managers? They stay in the bases, why would they come to suffer in these安置点? They only show up once a month to collect supplies.”

Ji Zhaotang frowned更深: “How can that be? Managers of安置点 should stay there. Moreover, the base never instructed them to collect supplies from you. On the contrary, three months ago, the base started distributing a hundred pounds of supplies to registered安置点 every month… So you’ve never received any of these distributions?”

Hearing this, they became agitated: “Is that true? We’ve never even heard of it! And it’s not just us; all the安置点 around here have to hand over fifty pounds of supplies every month. If we can’t pay, we’re forced out!”

“It’s true. It seems some people are truly heartless, not only embezzling the base’s distributed supplies but also extorting supplies from the安置点,” Zhuang Chen said coldly, standing up. He turned to Gu Ning: “Gu Ning, Zhaotang and I need to head back. We must report this immediately. Some minor managers wouldn’t dare do something so brazen without backing. There’s someone powerful behind this. Uncle, Aunt, we’ll take our leave now.”

“I’ll see you off,” Gu Ning stood up, and Yuan Ge quickly put down his bowl to follow.

The four walked to the gate together.

“Gu Ning, what are your plans?” Zhuang Chen asked, glancing worriedly at the简陋的安置点. “You’re not planning to stay here instead of coming back to Base One, are you?”

Gu Ning sighed: “I haven’t decided yet. For now, I plan to stay here. If I change my mind, I’ll come to Base One to find you.”

Zhuang Chen was also无奈 about Gu Ning’s decision: “Alright then. I might be busy recently, but I’ll have Xia Yu and the others bring you some weapons. If you need anything, you can come to Base One to find me.” She hugged Gu Ning and sighed: “I really don’t want to part with you.”

Gu Ning felt a warmth in her heart and smiled: “Me neither.”

Gu Ning added: “I’ll leave Yuan Ge’s matter to you.”

Yuan Ge gave Gu Ning a grateful look.

Zhuang Chen assured: “Don’t worry.”

“Take care,” Gu Ning said, knowing that Zhuang Chen’s return to Base One would likely stir up some trouble, and she was concerned.

Zhuang Chen noticed Gu Ning’s隐忧 but simply smiled with her innate pride and confidence: “You too.”

Ji Zhaotang, sitting in the driver’s seat, rubbed his arms. He had never seen the usually decisive Zhuang Chen so黏糊糊 with anyone, and it was a bit unsettling.

Watching their car drive away, Gu Ning felt a pang of melancholy. Whether it was Zhuang Chen’s身份 or her own ties, their paths were destined to diverge. But Zhuang Chen was her best friend, and that would never change.

She exhaled a white breath, smiled, and turned back.

The elderly and children, along with Gu’s parents, had already retreated to their warm beds. The thin blankets on the floor had been replaced with thick, soft quilts, ensuring no one would suffer from the cold. The老人 and children slept soundly.

The fire in the classroom crackled, casting a warm glow on Third Brother and the others.

Third Brother gave Gu Ning a detailed account of the current situation in the capital from their perspective.

First, their安置点 had a population of over two hundred, mostly children and老人, as Gu Ning had seen. These were留守老人 and children from nearby homes, gradually gathering here. There were very few young adults, only about thirty, both men and women. Most who entered the安置点, upon seeing the majority were老人 and children, would quickly move to other安置点. Those who stayed did so out of concern for the老人 and children. Fortunately, they had only faced small waves of zombie attacks so far. Though challenging, they managed to protect the安置点 until the Three-Linked Team, a strong force, arrived. It was Gu’s father who had提议 staying.

Nearby安置点 had similar populations, with larger ones usually located closer to the three major bases, providing a greater sense of security.

However, the situation in these安置点 was generally poor, and the monthly fifty-pound supply demand only worsened their plight, often leaving them with only one meal a day.

Xiao Liang interjected: “Many安置点 are already going hungry.”

Another man added: “Many of these people had skills before the末世, but not everyone is adept at killing zombies. Before, they could support themselves with their skills, but now they either starve or freeze to death. Meanwhile, the major bases have monopolized most of the city’s resources, yet they don’t even allow平民 to enter. It’s truly tragic.”

Listening to their愤慨, Gu Ning seemed deep in thought.

The conversation continued late into the night. After most people had returned to their classrooms to rest, Gu Ning, Method, Zhang Xiaobai, Gao Yue, Cheng Ming, and the other年轻人 remained in the classroom.

“Maybe my father was right,” Gu Ning said, her eyes bright. “Our parents’ generation is growing old. They have the will but not the strength. But we’re still young. We can do more, not just improve our own situation but also change others’ lives… Have you ever thought that maybe we could change the world, even make history?”

The room fell silent, only the crackling of the firewood breaking the stillness. Slowly, the年轻人 in the room began to grasp the significance of Gu Ning’s words, their eyes gradually lighting up. Even Gao Yue, who had seemed somewhat detached, now had a fiery look in her eyes.