Doomsday Traveler

Chapter 322 Luo Ping's Teacher
Lu Laoshu led everyone to the side of Binghao Village, where the two vehicles from the 923 Institute base stopped next to Lu Xi'an's RV.

Lu the Rat then wanted to lead everyone into the village for a tour.

For some reason, he felt a strange urge to compare. He thought to himself, "The atmosphere among these people is so harmonious and wonderful, but my village isn't much different."

And the reason you are so close to each other is because you are all new humans. Can you do this with ordinary people?
I'm different!

I'm different from all of you!
With this in mind, he led Luo Ping and the others into the village, introducing everyone who was currently in the village from one end to the other.

Then, after he finished touring the village, he turned around and suddenly realized that, without him noticing, the villagers had become one of the visitors from afar.

Just a moment ago, when he was introducing himself, everyone in his village was extremely reserved and afraid. How come they've become so harmonious in such a short time?

The guests, whom Mr. Lu and Mr. Yao had invited from who-knows-where, sat with the villagers, talking and doing things.

—Yes, Lu the Rat was certain he wasn't mistaken; those people were actually helping the villagers of Binghao Village with their work. Moreover, they were much more efficient than the villagers of Binghao Village, and they were much more skilled at all sorts of tasks. Upon closer inspection, Lu the Rat discovered that these people were actually instructing his own villagers.

What is all this?!
Lu Laoshu felt a strong sense of defeat, and beneath the defeat, there was also a strong sense of inferiority.

"These guys, they can't sit still when there's work to be done."

Luo Ping shook his head and sighed, saying, "But this is good too, Brother Lu. I see that the people here are not very skilled at their work, so we can teach them."

"Also, your arrangements weren't very detailed, causing them to waste time and effort, and the efficiency wasn't high. I'll rearrange them for you later. What do you think?"
"Of course, if you don't like us giving orders randomly, I won't get involved."

Lu Laoshu stammered, "Ah...oh...um..."

He was confused; he didn't even know what he was saying.

Then he spent the day in a daze. At the end of the day, he was horrified to find that his village had changed dramatically. The entire village had been organized by Luo Ping, and the efficiency of doing everything had more than doubled.

In this way, after finishing their work, people would have time to rest, and during their rest, they would greet Luo Ping and the others with respect and enthusiasm.

This atmosphere made Lu Laoshu feel like an outsider.

As darkness fell and everyone sat down to eat, Lu the Rat got up in the middle of the group to go to a secluded spot to urinate. Looking at the joyful laughter and chatter of the villagers, he couldn't help but scratch his head, spit out a mouthful of saliva, and mutter to himself, "Damn, how can they be so awesome?!"

He felt that compared to these people, he was nothing at all.

After he finished urinating and went back, Luo Ping happened to pass him. He stood up to urinate as well.

Lu Xi'an said, "Let's go together."

Luo Ping grinned and said, "I couldn't be happier, brother. Let's see who can pee the farthest."

"Get out, get out!"

Lu Xi'an laughed and cursed.

The two left the village together. Lu Laoshu looked back and thought that the two of them were quite capable, the two most capable people in the group.

Mr. Lu goes without saying. He and his wife, Ms. Yao, fight with such ferocity that it's as if they've eaten mushroom stones.

In a normal place, someone like that would definitely be the boss.

Just like Boss Liang and Aunt Xu.

But Lu Laoshu happened to meet someone like Luo Ping, who was always smiling, grinning and showing his uneven teeth. Yet, he was always so organized in his speech and actions, arranging everything clearly and efficiently.

This person has never lost his temper or shown any strength, yet he can easily convince people with just a casual remark, making them feel that listening to him is definitely the right thing to do.

Those who came with him, except for the little girl named Chai Xin, all called him Mr. Luo—just like the villagers now call themselves Mr. Lu.

And those people all respected him greatly—including the little girl named Chai Xin, and even Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei.

That wasn't based on strength, but on something else...

Suddenly, Lu Laoshu was moved, recalling scenes from the past, including the first person he had saved calling him "Lord," and the second, the third...

……

Lu the Rat withdrew his gaze, looking at the joyful and peaceful atmosphere before him, and remained silent.

……

Once you leave the village and stand by a ravine, you can hear the rushing sound of flowing water.

Lu Xi'an and Luo Ping stood side by side. Lu Xi'an sighed and said, "Luo Ping, you are better than me."

Luo Ping turned his head and glanced at it, saying, "Are you kidding me? Brother, you're much farther away than me."

Lu Xi'an glanced at Luo Ping and said, "I'm not comparing this with you. If we were, you'd be one step behind me for life."

Luo Ping: “…”

The sound of flowing water stopped.

Lu Xi'an said, "I mean these things. You've thought about them more and arranged them better than I have. Actually, many things and conditions are laid out before me, and I should have figured them out. But I didn't think of them—or rather, I deliberately avoided thinking about them. I guess I'm unwilling to face these problems directly."

"But you thought about it, and you did it anyway, and you did it so well."

"Furthermore, regarding what you did today, you led everyone and managed to organize this entire village so well in just half a day. I couldn't have done that."

Luo Ping's hands trembled slightly as he pulled up his pants. He said, "Brother, please don't say that. What you can do, I can't. Look at how much you've brought us all the way south!"
"And the fact that our base has been able to develop is also thanks to your discovery, brother."

Lu Xi'an said, "I relied on luck, you relied on strength."

"..."

Luo Ping was silent for a while, then said, "Brother, you can say that when you can't kill me with one punch."

Lu Xi'an laughed: "I'm afraid that's impossible. My fists are very powerful now."

The two had finished their business, but they were not in a hurry to go back. They stood there, looking at the bright moon in the distance and the dents on the ground, talking to each other.

"Go harder, go harder, go harder is good..."

Luo Ping said, "Brother, you know me. I've always felt that this world is a mess, and I want to change this awful world. I don't want to become a mess like this world myself. I've been working hard for that."

"The reason this world is so awful is because too many awful people have wielded too much power, and this power, in turn, makes the people in this world even more awful."

"I am so grateful that such a powerful force is in the hands of good people like you, like me, and like us."

"I want to tear this damn world to shreds. We good people don't have the power, how can we tear it apart, you tell me?"

Lu Xi'an laughed and said, "You speak so elegantly and sentimentally. What books have you been reading lately?"

Luo Ping smiled and said, "I haven't been reading any leisure books lately; I've been studying when I do read. I have watched a few movies, though. The stuff you brought back, brother, is really good! I had no idea there were so many variations on that!"
"I'm even thinking about finding a wife now."

This guy can always steer the conversation towards sex.

Lu Xi'an was somewhat speechless and said, "Then you go look for it."

Luo Ping said, "Let's wait a bit longer. There aren't any suitable ones right now. I'll have to find someone as beautiful as an older sister someday."

Lu Xi'an said, "You're overthinking it."

Luo Ping laughed and said, "That's true. Who in this world is as beautiful as my eldest sister?"

Lu Xi'an said, "Alright, enough chit-chat. I have another question for you."

Luo Ping said, "Brother, you speak."

Lu Xi'an asked, "When we were on the radio call before, you said you had a teacher named Luo Zheng, right?"

Luo Ping said, "Yes."

Lu Xi'an said, "I was just about to ask you who your teacher is and what his background is, but before I could ask, the connection dropped."

Luo Ping scratched his head, a hint of nostalgia in his expression, and said, "This... to be honest, I don't know either."

"Back then I was just a little kid, wandering around alone... To be honest, I don't remember how I ended up wandering around, I was too young then."

"Then one day, my teacher found me. He took me on a journey and named me Luo Ping. He said his surname was Luo and his given name was Zheng, but that name was too powerful in this world and useless. So he gave me the character 'Ping' to pray for peace, which was good."

"He taught me how to cook, and whenever he had time, he would use a twig to draw on the ground and teach me to read."

"While teaching me to read, he also taught me many principles of life, saying that everyone should learn something, to live like a decent human being, and not to be like those people who are beyond saving."

"But he said others were beyond help, yet he would always lend a helping hand when others were in danger, and then turn around and leave with me when others wanted to harm him."

“I felt that he was very unusual and very lonely. He was more lonely than any of us.”

"Is that so?"

Lu Xi'an then asked, "And then what? Where did he go?"

"do not know."

Luo Ping shook his head and said, "Later, he took me with him on his wanderings, and we stumbled upon the base by chance. He settled me there and taught me how to live alone, how to drive, and how to refuel."

"After he had arranged everything, he left quietly. He didn't say a word to me when he left, and I didn't even know when he left."

"Anyway, one night passed and the weather suddenly turned cold, and the snow fell so thickly. I searched for him for so long in and out of the mountains, and I was almost buried in the snow, but I still couldn't find him."

"When the weather warmed up and the snow melted, he still hadn't come back, and that's when I realized he was really gone."

Lu Xi'an turned his head and saw that Luo Ping had already burst into tears.

(End of this chapter)