Chapter 152

Chapter 152: The Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse – Full Novel Website

Chapter 152

“It’s her! She’s the one who killed him, it really has nothing to do with me!” Before the group could get close, Wu Qin pointed at Gu Ning and shouted.

Gu Ning, who was being pointed at, slightly narrowed her eyes. Hearing Wu Qin’s words, she immediately thought of the person she had just killed. It seemed the aftermath was coming.

“I’ve already brought you here, can I leave now?!” After pointing out Gu Ning, Wu Qin tried to walk back but was grabbed by the arm by the leading man, who said with a smirk, “Wu Qin, where are you running off to? We’re not done here yet! Stay put.” He forcefully wrapped his arm around Wu Qin’s shoulder and walked over. Wu Qin struggled a few times but couldn’t break free, so she had no choice but to let him lead her forward. Perhaps out of guilt, she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with Gu Ning.

There were about seven or eight people in their group, though they had more members. They had only brought this many because Wu Qin had told them there were only two people on the other side. They were all armed with various weapons—shiny long and short knives, and even sharpened steel rods, which were clearly of higher quality than the weapons Lin Qian’s group had. Gu Ning’s gaze subtly fell on the man’s waist, where the handle of a gun was prominently displayed. Judging by their attitude toward Wu Qin, it was clear they weren’t from the same faction. It seemed this camp was divided into several groups.

The beam of light swayed back and forth between Gu Ning and Ji Jiuzhe before finally settling on Gu Ning’s face. A man in his thirties, holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers, asked in a rough, heavily accented voice, “Beautiful, did you kill Old Zhang?” As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Gu Ning, as if trying to figure out her background. Even in the apocalypse, killing a person was entirely different from killing a zombie. The women in the camp might dare to kill zombies, but they wouldn’t dare to kill a person, let alone stab someone in the head. How could this young girl, who looked like a student, have such guts?

As he asked this, someone dragged a corpse and laid it out in front of Gu Ning and Ji Jiuzhe. Gu Ning glanced down at it, then calmly said, “I don’t know him. I didn’t kill him.”

The scene fell silent.

The man had expected her to deny it, but as he watched her face, he saw no trace of fear or guilt—not even a twitch of her eyebrows. It almost made him believe she really hadn’t done it.

Wu Qin was also stunned. She clearly hadn’t expected Gu Ning to lie so boldly in front of so many people, without even a hint of nervousness!

The man narrowed his eyes, suddenly tightening his grip on Wu Qin, and said in a sinister tone, “Wu Qin, did you hear that? She says she didn’t kill him. You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“No! I’m not lying! She really killed him!” Wu Qin panicked, glaring at Gu Ning. “It was you! Why won’t you admit it?!”

Gu Ning replied calmly, “I don’t even know this person. Why would I kill him?”

Wu Qin said urgently, “Old Zhang grabbed me and tried to… assault me. She heard the noise and ran over, then killed him with a single stab!”

A strange smile appeared on Gu Ning’s face as she stared at Wu Qin, as if what she had said was utterly ridiculous.

Wu Qin felt a chill under Gu Ning’s gaze and couldn’t help but ask, “What are you laughing at?!”

Gu Ning sneered, “You’re saying that man tried to assault you, and I came to your rescue out of righteousness?”

Though she didn’t want to admit it, Wu Qin insisted, “Yes!”

“Why would I save you?” Gu Ning’s face was full of mockery. “Even if I wanted to act righteously, I wouldn’t do it for someone who tried to seduce my boyfriend while I was sleeping in the car. Miss Wu, did you think I’d die so you could openly—”

Wu Qin was stunned. She pointed at Ji Jiuzhe, who had been standing quietly beside Gu Ning, and shrieked, “He’s your boyfriend?!”

Gu Ning naturally linked her arm with Ji Jiuzhe’s. “Or is he your boyfriend, Miss Wu?”

“How is that possible? Then why did you…” Wu Qin suddenly realized something, her face turning pale as she turned to look at the man holding her. “No, Brother Wang, I really didn’t kill him! I wouldn’t even dare to kill a zombie, let alone a person! I don’t know why she saved me, but she really did kill him!”

Ji Jiuzhe suddenly pulled his arm away from Gu Ning’s grasp, and before she could react, he naturally draped his arm over her shoulder, smiling at the group. “Sorry, Ningning can’t stand the sight of blood. How could she kill someone?”

Though she had to play along with his act, wasn’t this a bit too much? “Ningning”? Even in the other world, Ji Jiuzhe had never called her by such an intimate name. Hearing “Ningning” from his lips felt… strange.

As he spoke, his left arm rested on Gu Ning’s shoulder, while his right hand played with a silenced gun. His expression was gentle, but when Gu Ning glanced at him, she felt this gentleness was more chilling than his usual stoic demeanor.

The people across from them likely felt the same. The man Wu Qin called “Brother Wang” glanced at the gun in Ji Jiuzhe’s hand, his expression darkening. Damn it, Wu Qin hadn’t told him this guy had a gun. He shot Wu Qin a fierce look, then turned back to Ji Jiuzhe, staring at him for a long time. His companions grew tense, but then he suddenly laughed. “Looks like we misunderstood your girlfriend.”

Ji Jiuzhe smiled but said nothing.

“Brother Wang! She really killed him! I swear—ah!”

A sharp slap sent Wu Qin’s face to the side. She covered her cheek, staring at Brother Wang in shock. Out of shame and anger, her lips trembled, but she said nothing, her expression filled with hatred.

Brother Wang didn’t even look at her. He shook his hand and said to the others, “Take her back. Notify Lin Qian to come over. Tell her her sister killed one of my men, and see how much she thinks her sister’s life is worth in supplies.”

After Wu Qin was taken away, Brother Wang kicked Old Zhang’s corpse, then looked up at Ji Jiuzhe and Gu Ning with a smile. “Sorry about that, you two. As an apology, why don’t you come back to the camp with us? Although we’ve cleared the area, you never know when zombies from elsewhere might wander over. The camp has walls, so it’s much safer. You can get a good night’s sleep. I’ve spent over a month sleeping in a car, and I know how tough that is.”

Gu Ning was about to refuse when she felt Ji Jiuzhe’s arm tighten slightly around her. Understanding his signal, she stayed silent. Ji Jiuzhe then said, “Really? A Miss Lin Qian mentioned the camp isn’t very welcoming right now.”

Brother Wang laughed. “The camp isn’t run by that woman! By the way, I’m Wang Feng. And you two are…?”

“Ji Jiuzhe.”

“Gu Ning.”

“Then I’ll call you Brother Ji!” Wang Feng seemed to have instantly become familiar with Ji Jiuzhe, chuckling. “Brother Ji, your demeanor screams elite. We’ve got a smart guy in our group too—you two will definitely hit it off! Oh, you have a car? Drive it in with us. It’s less than a hundred meters ahead. We’ll go ahead and wait for you at the camp!”

“Are we really going into the camp?” Gu Ning asked after they left.

“Of course,” Ji Jiuzhe said, opening the driver’s side door for her. “If we don’t, it’ll be hard to stay here much longer.” He got into the driver’s seat and turned on the headlights.

Gu Ning sat in the passenger seat. “You think they’ll make a move on us?”

“Mm,” Ji Jiuzhe said as he drove. “Recruiting us costs less than killing us, and the benefits are greater. If we don’t play along, unless we leave immediately, otherwise…” He smirked. “But he’s right. At least we can get a good night’s sleep.”

Gu Ning thought he must be exhausted, having been woken up repeatedly and not having rested properly for a long time.

Ji Jiuzhe said, “Leave one bag. Put the rest in your space.”

“I don’t know if I can get them back out,” Gu Ning admitted honestly.

“It’s fine,” Ji Jiuzhe said. “I don’t like giving good things to people who make me uncomfortable.”

The camp was just over a hundred meters ahead. The entrance was a wrought-iron gate, flanked by two-meter-high walls. Only four people guarded the entrance.

The car stopped near the gate, where various vehicles were parked—trucks, buses, cars, and SUVs of all kinds.

When they got out, Ji Jiuzhe slung the only remaining bag over his shoulder. A man who had been peeking around the car squeezed in as Gu Ning opened the door, saying, “Let me help you with your luggage.”

Gu Ning smiled at the man, who was frantically searching the car. “Thank you, but we don’t have any other luggage.”

The man searched thoroughly but found nothing, his face falling.

Gu Ning subtly surveyed the area. This so-called Dutch town must have been a tourist spot before. Just inside the gate stood a colorful wooden windmill over three meters tall. The houses along the road were wooden with pointed roofs, giving them a distinctive style. The doorways were cluttered with potted plants and wooden barrels filled with rotting flowers and leaves. The plants were still alive but had grown wild from months without pruning. There were also small shops selling unique trinkets. The houses seemed occupied, with faint candlelight glowing inside. Hearing the car, bored residents opened their windows to peek out.

Ji Jiuzhe and Gu Ning stood out so much that they were immediately recognized as newcomers. The camp hadn’t seen new survivors in a long time, and people speculated about what skills these two had to be allowed in by the camp’s leaders.

They were led to what was likely the largest building in the Dutch town—a quaint, artsy restaurant with stylish tables and chairs and a dusty parasol out front.

The man who brought them in called out, “Brother Wang! They’re here!”

Inside the restaurant, several candles were lit. As they entered, the lively hall fell silent. People at the card tables turned to stare, their eyes filled with curiosity or wariness as they openly scrutinized the newcomers.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the second floor—the sound of dishes shattering.

This was followed by a heated argument. Someone in the hall cursed, and then heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs, the argument trailing behind.

Gu Ning naturally looked over.

Her pupils contracted sharply as she stared in shock at the man descending the stairs with an expressionless face. She didn’t know whether to lament the irony of fate or the persistence of bad karma.

Sensing the strange atmosphere in the hall, the man paused and casually scanned the room. His gaze passed over Gu Ning’s direction, seemingly noticing nothing unusual. But then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he snapped his head back, his eyes locking onto Gu Ning’s face. He seemed unable to believe it, even doubting if he was hallucinating. Only after confirming it was indeed Gu Ning did he freeze, as if struck by lightning, standing motionless on the stairs with his hand on the railing.

The woman who had been arguing with him rushed down the stairs, stopping when she saw him frozen. Following his gaze, her expression shifted dramatically, finally settling on disbelief and deep resentment. Through gritted teeth, she spat out, “…Gu Ning!”

The man seemed to snap out of his daze at her words. He instinctively took a step down but then stopped abruptly, staring at Gu Ning, who stood by the candlelight, looking much the same as the last time he’d seen her. He tried to smile but couldn’t, his face filled with confusion and bitterness. Finally, he hoarsely called out, “…Ningning.”