Still hoarding supplies in the apocalypse? I'll just go on a killing spree and looting!

The man's shoulders stiffened slightly, and then he turned to look in the direction from which the sound came.

There were two people standing there, and they were women.

The person in front was bald, wearing a military uniform that you only see on TV.

There was another one behind him, who seemed to be holding a gun.

Zhou Wenqing was slightly taken aback. "Who are you?"

The bald woman looked him up and down a few times before saying, "We're from the Orchid Mountain base. Who are you?"

"Orchid Mountain Base? There's a survivor base here?" The man's tone was somewhat excited.

After all, in this chaotic post-apocalyptic world, the existence of survivor bases signifies order and safety.

At least you won't live in constant fear every day.

The man said excitedly, "I'm Zhou Wenqing. Are you here to find the survivors?"

"We have a mission now, we need to go to a military base thirty kilometers away. We won't be going back for a while." As she spoke, Lin You glanced at the simple grave. "Who was he to you?"

Zhou Wenqing turned his head to look at the burning cigarette. "My childhood friend. His name is A-Jie."

His voice was low and tinged with sorrow. "After the apocalypse, he and my younger siblings escaped together. The four of us ran from the north side of town all the way here, being chased by monsters countless times along the way. He was always the one who held the line last. But then some things happened..."

The red glow from the cigarette butt on the grave mound flickered on and off.

Zhou Wenqing chuckled, his voice somber. "He died later. Not by a strange beast, but beaten to death by people."

Zhou Wenqing didn't say anything more, turned his head and looked at Lin You.

"I know the base you're talking about. I can take you there, but you have to send my younger brother and sister to the base first."

"Is this a requirement?"

Zhou Wenqing shook his head and said resolutely, "No, this is a plea. If you're willing, my life is yours."

Lin You hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I'm not lying to you, this journey is very dangerous."

"I know there are man-eating monsters everywhere," Zhou Wenqing said, seemingly unconcerned, looking at the two of them. "I just want my younger brother and sister to live."

"Okay, I'll try my best to make sure they're not harmed, at least until we die."

Lin You only gave this one answer.

But this answer already satisfied Zhou Wenqing. If the other party had agreed so readily and made such a promise, it would have been even better.

Then Zhou Wenqing will probably start to suspect these two women.

Zhou Wenqing looked up at the sky. "It's getting dark. It's not safe outside. Come with me."

Zhou Wenqing hoisted the shovel onto his shoulder, hung the canvas bag on the shovel handle, and walked along the stone path toward the health center.

He quickened his pace compared to when he was at the cemetery, and a sense of hope returned to his heart.

The footsteps of the two women behind him followed at a leisurely pace. No one spoke, but a tacit understanding was slowly forming in the silence.

Zhou Wenqing pushed open the iron gate of the health center and stepped aside to let Lin You and Mu Xue go in first.

The first-floor corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant. The floor was very clean, and in the corner there were several half-withered potted plants, their leaf tips trembling gently in the dim light.

At the end of the corridor, a sign for the consultation room hangs on the door. Below the sign is a family photo drawn with colored pencils—four stick figures, two tall and two short, with the words "Thank you for your hard work, brother" written crookedly next to them.

Zhou Wenqing walked to the door and knocked twice gently.

Lin You heard the rhythm of two short and three long notes and couldn't help but glance at Zhou Wenqing again.

"Xiao Yuan, Xiao Ning, open the door. It's me."

The door was pushed open a crack from the inside, and a little boy peeked out from the gap. He was probably fourteen or fifteen years old, with a fresh, still red, scar under his left eye.

He looked as if he had been cut by some sharp weapon, which gave his originally youthful face a hint of ferocity.

He first glanced warily at Lin You's bald head and the shotgun in Mu Xue's hand before looking up at Zhou Wenqing. "Brother, who are they?"

Zhou Wenqing gently ruffled the boy's messy hair with her palm and leaned the shovel against the doorframe. "They're just passing through. They came from the south and are heading north. They'll stay here tonight. Don't be afraid, Xiao Yuan—they're not bad people."

Xiao Yuan hesitated for a moment, then turned his head to Lin You and looked straight into her eyes.

He watched intently, as if listening to something others couldn't hear.

After a while, he tugged at Zhou Wenqing's sleeve and whispered, "Brother, what this bald woman said is true. She's not a bad person. But... she doesn't seem to be a good person."

"A bad guy?" Zhou Wenqing was taken aback for a moment, then glanced at Lin You without changing his expression.

They noticed that Lin You was looking at the room's layout and didn't seem to notice them.

Xiao Yuan frowned and hesitated, saying, "But... I don't feel like he's a bad person. It's such a strange feeling."

"Oh, what's strange about it?"

Lin You's sudden voice startled the two of them, since although they were not far from her, her voice had been extremely loud just now.

They felt that only two people could hear them.

Being directly called out made Zhou Wenqing's face turn slightly embarrassed. "It's okay. By the way, do you want to eat? There's bread, chocolate, and some braised meat here."

Lin You ignored Zhou Wenqing and instead stared at the fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy. "What can you see?"

Xiao Yuan took a half step back in fear, feeling somewhat timid as she did so.

The little boy's face flushed slightly. He took a step forward, his neck stiff, and said, "I can tell who's a good person and who's a bad person! Don't try to fool me."

"Oh?" Lin You squinted at the boy. "So you have the ability to see into people's hearts?"

Zhou Wenqing stepped directly in front of Lin You, his smile vanishing. "Girl, what do you mean by this? If you have a problem, come at me, don't take it out on a child."

Lin You thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed, he's just a child."

"Who said I'm a child! I'm an adult. I'm an adult," Xiao Yuan, whose body was covered by Zhou Wenqing, said loudly.

This little boy. She saw some strange light in his eyes.

That's the look in a child's eyes who was forced to learn to distinguish between good and evil too early.

Just then.

Another child came out; he was young, around fourteen or fifteen years old.

She's just a girl.

The girl came out from the inner room, still holding the bunch of pea shoots in her hand.

But this bunch of pea shoots seemed a little different; it kept wriggling, like living tentacles.

Her gaze lingered on Lin You's arm for a moment, then looked at Mu Xue, and finally tugged at Zhou Wenqing's sleeve.

Her voice was softer than her brother's, but her tone was firm: "Brother, that bald woman smells of medicine. Very strong. Not the kind you hear in hospitals."

Zhou Wenqing stood up, put one hand on his sister's shoulder, and used the other hand to pull his brother closer to him, like a mother hen spreading her wings to protect her chicks.

He looked up at Lin You, his eyes filled with indescribable hostility and deep worry.

Lin You looked at him with a half-smile, "You don't need to be so nervous, we're just passing by. Like your brother said, we're not good people, but we're not bad people either."

Zhou Wenqing didn't speak, but continued to watch the two of them warily.