Chapter 70

The armed men in the back of the truck were still making a racket, the chaotic noise masking the sound of gunfire. They had no idea that a deadly threat was lurking in the darkness, and the enemies they were about to face were not just zombies, but something far more powerful.

Han Fei stood there in a daze.

He had taken a first-stage enhancement serum but had not taken the silver bone, so he was not truly an enhanced person. However, the enhancement to his vision was enough for him to see the scenery outside the car window clearly, and the dead driver beside him clearly told him what was happening.

Someone, someone is shooting at me?

Han Fei struggled to think of this sentence with his dazed mind. Before he could react, a huge orange light ball suddenly appeared in front of him, hurtling towards the truck.

Is it a rocket?

This thought immediately popped into Han Fei's mind.

There was no time to think more. He instinctively pushed open the car door, jumped out of the cab, and rolled on the ground several times. Before he could stand up, a loud explosion came from behind him. The entire truck was blown into the air, enveloped in a scorching flame. Several people, covered in flames, escaped from the truck, running around like headless flies, screaming. The truck was completely shrouded in smoke, and the sound of bullets exploding could be heard from the depths of the fire.

A shower of debris fell from the sky, cutting across Han Fei's cheeks and nose. His mind was in chaos, and his ears were filled with the buzzing sound of the explosion. A shattered mirror was blown to a place not far from him. In the flickering firelight, Han Fei saw his own pale face, with bloodshot eyes.

He tried to stand up, but his body, affected by the shock wave, lacked the strength to complete the action. Han Fei could only lie on the ground, panting heavily, and watch helplessly as his men on the rooftop were shot one by one from the darkness, screaming as they fell from the heights to their deaths.

At the end of the street, two off-road vehicles emerged from the darkness, charging into the camp like wild bulls. The sudden braking of the wheels kicked up a large cloud of dust, and the vehicles came to a stop between the bodies and the remains of the truck.

Su Hao and Cao Rui stepped out of the two vehicles, and several fully armed team members quickly spread out behind them. They showed no emotion as they shot the heads of the dying men on the ground, then darted into the building to collect valuable resources and equipment.

Han Fei gritted his teeth, struggling to stand up, his eyes red with hatred, staring at Su Hao. The latter looked at him with a cold, icy gaze, his focus quickly settling on the group emblem on Han Fei's chest.

"So, you're from the 'Shengfei' Group."

Su Hao muttered. Before he finished speaking, he delivered a powerful punch, sending the half-dead man flying and crashing to the ground. Cao Rui watched Han Fei coldly, her assault rifle always aimed at his forehead, not saying a word or showing any intention of helping him out of his predicament.

The moment the punch landed, Han Fei felt the immense force from Su Hao's fist.

It was an indescribable impact—shattering his entire arm, spreading to his chest, and instantly displacing his internal organs. It was not a force that a human could possess, but a terrifying collision that only a ton-heavy machine could produce.

"You... you..."

Han Fei's face was covered in blood. He struggled to lift his head, trembling, and shouted at Su Hao with a voice full of shock and hysteria: "Second stage, third stage... no, you must be even stronger than third stage. Who... who are you?"

This destructive power was beyond Han Fei's comprehension.

Su Hao walked over in silence, crouched down, and spread his right hand, gripping Han Fei's skull. He looked at the face filled with despair and fear for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled in a very eerie way.

"Who am I? Haha... guess?"

"Crack—"

The sound of his cold, mocking question and the sound of the skull breaking were heard simultaneously.

Su Hao stood up, looking at the burning vehicle wreckage, his eyes full of coldness.

He remembered the names of all the noble families and conglomerates.

They captured refugees in the chaotic world after the virus outbreak, turning all living people into slaves.

Su Hao never understood why the military allowed such morally corrupt behavior?

No one stopped it, and no one intervened. The refugees could only get weapons from the military, forming free teams to fight against the large slave-hunting groups and the constantly evolving monsters.

This was the power structure of the future world, and the "history" that Su Hao and all the team members would face.

Without any omissions, including "Leopard Head," Han Fei and all his men were killed.

Su Hao had seen the reality of this world clearly—he could not change the fixed structure, but he could try to secure his own share.

To avoid being forced to hide and run like in the previous dimension.

To prevent his belongings from being stolen.

For those who had become his closest family.

He had to be ruthless, cunning, and violent, and learn to use all kinds of despicable means and conspiracies that he had previously despised and refused to use.

The weapons and supplies found in the building were already loaded onto the vehicles. The engine and lights were used to lure the approaching zombies, making them surge from all directions, completely engulfing this place of sin, which was burning with flames and scattered with bodies and debris.

...

It had been rainy for several days. The droplets falling from the dark clouds were small and few, but they drove away the remaining warmth on the ground, turning the world into a cold, icy place.

Xin Yan carried a shovel and walked leisurely through the fields, where withered licorice and morning frost were mixed.

She wore a light pink high-necked cashmere sweater, the elastic fabric making her chest stand out. Her white nine-eighths pants, with black spots, tightly hugged her legs, making them look even more impressive and full of temptation. Her buttocks, like ripe peaches, had a very beautiful curve, leading up to a slender waist and a smooth, fine nape. She tied her long hair, looking like a beautiful and smart stag, skillfully avoiding low-lying areas and pits, hopping forward.

Old Song and several other team members followed behind, about ten meters away. They were not walking slowly, but they could never catch up with Xin Yan.

"You're completely torturing my old arms and legs. Slow down... walk slower—"

Old Song complained all the way, but he was smiling. The others beside him seemed to be used to this game between him and Xin Yan, and they were also happy, occasionally inserting jokes to liven up the atmosphere.

The people living in the "Castle" were very content.

There was plenty of food, water, and electricity, and it was very safe. Especially for the newcomers who had recently joined the team, the contrast in happiness was particularly profound.

Perhaps because everyone had been injected with Su Hao's blood, the relationships among the team members were harmonious, with no conflicts arising, and no one complaining about the food and resource allocation system. They were all fighting for survival and the future, being vigilant and dealing with common enemies.

This provided some real-world evidence for Zhou Chen's theory—this 100% loyal biological researcher to Su Hao found that, in addition to regularly testing the number of black particles in the injectees' bodies, the relationships among team members could also be used to judge whether the injectees' thoughts had changed. True "worker bees" would only unite and cooperate, and outsiders with ulterior motives could not integrate into this environment.

The group walked towards the gentle hills in the distance.

The survivors had collected a lot of dried seaweed and vermicelli from the city. These things could be stored for a long time but could not replace fresh vegetables. In the fall, Old Song planted many carrots on the opposite hill, and it was now almost time to harvest them.

Following Su Hao's orders, over a hundred more residents from the "Castle" were assigned to Dong Guomin's construction team. The area around the "Castle" was set with dense traps, and people were constantly cutting down trees from nearby mountains. Every day, several camps would send large amounts of supplies... Even Xin Yan did not understand why Su Hao seemed so anxious about these matters, but it made the people in the "Castle" rarely have time to rest, and Old Song could only lead a few people to work between the vegetable fields and their homes.

For a whole week, they had been digging carrots.

Xin Yan even had the illusion that they were like the hardworking rabbits in elementary school textbooks, frantically transporting food for the winter to their burrows.

The hills were getting closer, and the undulating horizon gradually became flat. When Xin Yan hopped to the highest point of the hill, she breathed in the cold air and quickly focused her gaze on a slow-moving black figure in the field below.

A few minutes later, Old Song and the others caught up. They stood on the hilltop, silently watching the black figure with Xin Yan.

They were all enhanced people and could see that the black figure was actually a man in his seventies.

He wore a dirty white shirt, a tattered blanket wrapped around his thin body, and an old wool cap on his head. On the ground beside him were several freshly dug carrots, covered in mud. Against the withered and desolate background of the hills, these bright red carrots stood out even more.

He also noticed the strangers on the hilltop. This unexpected change made him feel panicked, so he grabbed a stick he was using as a shovel, held it horizontally in his hand, and stood in front of the pile of carrots like a fearless warrior.

The cold wind blew the blanket's hem high, ruthlessly taking away the little warmth left in this poor man's body. His face turned blue, and he shivered in the blanket, his eyes full of panic and anger, but he had no intention of running away.

This land was cultivated by the team members in the summer, and Old Song had planted the seeds.

It was clear that he was very hungry and very tired.

He was an old man stealing carrots.

Xin Yan turned around and looked at Old Song with a consultative gaze.

She certainly knew how to handle such matters, but out of respect for his age, she had to see what he thought first.

Old Song's expression was somewhat reflective. He remembered Su Hao rushing into the small building to save him and quickly calculated the remaining living space and food supply in the "Castle."

"We need more people, and he needs us."

Old Song's voice was hoarse but had the kindness and warmth of an elder: "He is human, not a zombie."

A few people walked down the hill and surrounded the old man. This made him even more nervous, gripping the stick tightly, his body trembling like a Parkinson's patient. His hair was sparse, and his long, wrinkled face looked like a dried, waterless pear, his eyes full of vigilance and fear, and a hint of pleading and hope.

Old Song took out a cigarette from his pocket and smiled, offering one to the old man.

About the same age, a gentle attitude, and a cigarette—this greatly reduced the old man's hostility.

He hesitated for a moment, released his right hand from the stick, and slowly took the cigarette offered to him.

Xin Yan looked at him, then at Old Song, and a smile appeared on her fair, smooth face. She did not comment or give an opinion, turned around, and called the others to start working, digging up the remaining carrots in the field.

Old Song took out a lighter and lit the cigarette for the old man, who was holding it between his fingers.

He kept his eyes on the old man's hands—though the skin was wrinkled and covered with gray spots, there were few calluses, and the joints were not large, indicating that he rarely did manual labor.

"This weather is quite cold. You should wear something thicker."

Looking at the old man's thin, tattered clothes under the blanket, Old Song shook his head and sighed, taking out a cornmeal pancake from his backpack: "I don't have much with me, but take it and eat something."

The old man's eyes immediately lit up with intense light. He took the cornmeal pancake, swallowed saliva, and gently touched the surface of the pancake with his thin fingers. He inhaled deeply, his sunken, toothless lips slowly moving. It was clear he was very hungry but was trying hard to control the urge to swallow the pancake in one bite.

"Thank you."

He put the pancake in his pocket, and a smile finally appeared on his wary face.

Old Song took out a woven bag and helped the old man pack the carrots he had dug. When he handed the heavy bag to the old man, the old man finally broke down and cried.

"You... you are good people... sniff... sniff..."

Old Song patted the old man's shoulder kindly, like an old friend, and started a conversation.

"Old brother, from your accent, you're not from around here, right?"

"Yes! I escaped from Panzhihua."

"Oh? I see many people heading north. Why did you come this way?"

"I originally planned to go to Chengdu, but on the way, I met an acquaintance who said there were more deaths in the north, and there were those man-eating monsters everywhere. I had no choice but to come back."

"Are you alone?"

This question made the old man's face, which had just shown a hint of a smile, instantly stiffen. He trembled, unable to bring the cigarette to his lips for a long time.

"Everyone is dead... except for my grandson..."

"I don't know what exactly happened. That morning, my wife bit my daughter-in-law to death in the kitchen like a dog. My son was also bitten. The three of us ran out of the house, and the streets were full of people biting and eating others. My son drove the car, taking me and my grandson around the city. We finally got out of the city, but he left us two and drove back alone. I don't know why he did that, so I just sat there and waited. I waited... until night, and I couldn't reach him by phone. I had to run around with my grandson, looking for something to eat. Later, in a village, I met a man whose hands and feet were bitten off. He could still talk and asked me to call 120 for an ambulance. A few minutes later, he turned into a monster. Fortunately, he couldn't move, so he just rolled on the ground. That's when I realized what was happening. I grabbed some clothes and food from the room and started wandering..."

"I probably won't live much longer, maybe not through the winter. I hid my grandson in a place not far from here. Old brother, you all seem like good people. The world is chaotic, and those willing to share their food are almost all dead. Please, save my grandson, give him a chance to live!"

He kept crying.

By the end, he knelt down and kept bowing to Old Song.

Xin Yan and the others quickly ran over to pull him up from the mud. His face was covered in dirt and mud, his expression miserable, and his eyes empty.

Old Song comforted him, and Xin Yan and two other team members went to find the old man's grandson according to his directions.

"Don't say such discouraging things. I think you have many more years to live!"

"We have a place to stay and food. As long as you're not a lazy person, we'll take you."

"Think about your grandson. He is your closest family. Can you bear to leave him alone?"

When Xin Yan brought the child back, the old man's mood had improved a lot. He tightly hugged the little boy, rubbing his bearded lips against the boy's soft cheeks, his eyes full of tears.

"I'm not leaving! I'll stay with TaoTao. Haha! This grandpa and that sister are good people. Look, cornmeal pancake. Eat slowly, it's all yours."

Old Song stood beside, watching quietly, and Xin Yan and the others did not speak.

"Helping someone in their most difficult time, they will always remember your kindness."

Old Song said to Xin Yan: "Su Hao is a pretty good young man, but he can't take care of everything. We need to help him remove his worries. Like my late wife, who always cooked and waited for me to come home from work. Only with a stable home can he focus on doing more things. After all... we are a family."