A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

Chapter 141: Pessimism and Optimism

"Should we fish it out?" Hachiman asked tentatively.

What happens to a zombie that falls into the sea?

Or what would happen if animals were infected with the zombie virus?

do not know.

Logically, the carcass would first be eaten by large scavengers, and then by smaller scavengers. There shouldn't be sharks in Tokyo Bay; it's usually crabs and lobsters.

"If possible." Uesugi Genshin didn't care much; he didn't believe that no zombies had fallen into Tokyo Bay in the past two weeks.

Marine microorganisms can adsorb and degrade organic waste, thereby reducing pollutant levels. Now, human-caused pollution has basically stopped worldwide, and the ocean's restoration speed can finally exceed the rate of human destruction.

Viruses don't survive long outside the cells of other organisms. As long as they aren't inherited like big fish eating small fish, there's not much of a problem.

"Ah..." Hachiman, who had squatted down, shook his head and mourned for the unfortunate zombie.

He stood up and examined the cargo ship again. It wasn't large; it was most likely a thousand-ton vessel used for near-ocean or inland waterway navigation.

"Qin Ye."

"exist!"

"You go first."

"Yes!"

Some containers were placed on the deck, obstructing the view.

"Let's split up." Uesugi Genshin turned his head to look to the right.

"Okay." Hachiman agreed, then discussed it with Uesugi Genshin, and finally decided to split into three groups.

Hachiman and Sagami went to the left, Zaimokuza and Hadano went to the right, while Uesugi Genshin led his men to look towards the bridge.

"Clean the deck thoroughly, then regroup. Watch out for the entrance leading below deck," Uesugi Gendo said.

Yes.

"Yes, sir." That was Yoshiteru Zaimokuza's voice.

"......" Are you serious about timber bases?

Uesugi Genshin led Sakurajima Mai and Hayasaka Ai toward the bridge at the stern of the ship.

The knife was slowly drawn out, held in a reverse grip, with the blade pointing forward.

Mai Sakurajima, standing behind him, kept an eye on the movement to the left, watching for any possible developments.

The sound of light, scattered footsteps made the three of them stop, and even after they stopped, the sound persisted.

“Up ahead,” Uesugi Genshin said.

There is at least one zombie in the blind spot blocked by the shipping container.

With his left and right hands gripping the hilt, Uesugi Genshin twisted the blade and took a few steps forward. As the viewpoint shifted, the hidden parts gradually came into view.

The crew member in the orange overalls stiffly turned his neck and met his eyes—not just one, but two!

Sakurajima Mai and Hayasaka Ai simultaneously passed over Uesugi Genshin's body and faced the zombie's attack.

A baseball bat studded with nails was swung at the zombie's head, and with a bang, blood splattered everywhere.

All of them were killed with a single blow.

Uesugi Genshin looked around and, after confirming that there was nothing unusual, lowered his guard and resumed holding the sword in one hand.

"Let's go." He stepped onto the stairs and walked in front, as it was safer for him to lead the way in the narrow space.

Arriving at the door on the second floor, I grasped the white doorknob, turned it, and the door opened with a click.

The inside was unusually quiet, so it seemed safe.

The captain's cabin is also on this floor, but there are three zombies loitering in front of the door.

How did you know this was the captain's cabin?

Because this is the only living room on this floor, and it's quite spacious and nicely furnished.

Staying here on the ship is much more comfortable than being below deck; at least you can see the blue sky when you open the window.

But...

After Uesugi Genshin leaped and killed three zombies, he opened the door and saw the person hanging in front of the window.

Outside, there was a clear blue sky. Sunlight streamed through the window into the unlit room, casting lonely shadows on the walls.

The three silently looked up at the person on the rope, swaying slightly, while the ship at sea was not completely still.

Mai Sakurajima's lips moved slightly, she opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. Looking at her emaciated and miserable state, she must have been starving for a long time before finally hanging herself.

There is drinking water on board, so there is no food. A person can survive for a week without food.

She sighed softly at the end; it was no use that they had come earlier.

A foul odor permeated the air, and even with the windows open, the nauseating smell lingered.

Uesugi Genshin walked around the corpse, picked up the folded white letter on the table, and the stench became more pronounced. It was not the stench of the corpse itself, but the smell of excrement and urine.

It is possible for a person to lose control of their bladder upon death, so the ritual of preparing the deceased's body is necessary.

He unfolded the paper, glanced at it, and said, "It's definitely a suicide note."

Looking up at the person again, their eyes were half-open, their mouth slightly parted, and their face was sunken in on both sides, making them look no different from a dried corpse.

Uesugi Genshin folded the letter in half and put it in his pocket. There was no need to show it to the two of them. It was full of pessimistic words, a final cry before death, and was almost entirely negative emotions.

Aside from the part about his family, it's pointless to say anything more since he's not a native of Chiba.

"Let's go." After checking that there were no zombies in the inner room, Uesugi Genshin returned to the door and said to the two people who were standing there dumbfounded.

"Aren't we going to put him down?" Hayasaka Ai asked, turning around.

Uesugi Genshin, who was standing in the doorway, stopped in his tracks. "That's not our job."

He took one last look at the body and left the captain's cabin.

They then checked each room one by one, and found no zombies in the uninhabited areas.

Upon reaching the control panel on the top floor, two zombies dressed in white saw the living people in front of them without even turning their heads and ran towards them.

"I'll go first." Taking the lead, Mai Sakurajima strode quickly to the right, swung her stick diagonally, and sent the zombie flying, crashing into the wall on the left, leaving a few drops of blood on the window.

Uesugi Genshin then severed the neck of the other one, its head rolling to the ground, blood flowing in a line from the severed wound.

After using the navigation equipment to reach the other side, there were no more zombies.

All that's left is to double-check that all the staircases are clear, and then the bridge will be cleared.

"Deck confirmed." Hachiman was waiting under the bridge and went up to report when he saw Uesugi Genshin come out.

"Then let's go down and take a look." Uesugi Genshin hammered the hilt of his sword, then shook off the blood on the blade to prevent it from dripping onto his clothes.

Below are the engine room, cargo hold, crew quarters, galley, and so on.

The members of the Hachiman squad took turns, moving forward in groups to search the area below.

In the crew quarters, Sagami casually closed an open laptop and called out to the captain outside, "This room is safe."

"Hmm." Hachiman nodded and took a few steps forward.

"It's safe here too." Qin Ye poked his head out from another room.

As Sagami opened the new room, he quickly retreated, raising a baseball bat as a precaution. A zombie darted out of the room and was immediately knocked to the ground, where the team members smashed it to death.

"It's solved," Sagami shouted in their direction.

At the same time, the sound of banging on a door came from the corridor. A zombie in one of the rooms heard the commotion outside and began to pry open its own door. Zombies don't open doors.

"This one." Hachiman led his men to a door, and Shiroyama, carrying a fire axe, stepped forward to open the door.

He nodded to Hachiman, then slowly turned the doorknob and suddenly opened it, making a thud as if he had hit something.

Chengshan rushed in and pinned the zombie to the ground with an axe, splitting its spine in two.

There is no doubt that the zombies are unable to move.

Uesugi Genshin and the others went to the kitchen, which was empty and the items were neatly arranged.

To cope with the rough seas, all the kitchen utensils were secured, except for the stove, which had railings around it and no pots were placed on it.

I turned on the tap, and water gushed out. I leaned closer and smelled it, and there was no strange odor.

They just saw that the drinking water here has been purified by multiple devices similar to a water purifier, turning seawater into drinkable mineral water.

Open the refrigerator and you can see the beef stacked together; you can tell it's beef just by looking at the red marbling.

Uesugi Genshin glanced at the stove, then at the refrigerator.

"Would you like to have a meal before you leave?" he suggested.

“Okay.” Mai Sakurajima smiled. These words instantly made her feel much more at ease. Whenever food was mentioned, the atmosphere wouldn’t be so gloomy, because it really was delicious.

"Chinese cuisine?" Hayasaka Ai tilted her head.

"Ah... I was thinking of frying or grilling it." Uesugi Genshin exclaimed.

Simple cooking methods preserve the original flavor of food; he just wanted to eat meat.

"I see." Hayasaka Ai didn't show any disappointment, but said rather calmly.

Uesugi Genshin picked up a green onion and asked Hayasaka Ai, "You know how to cook steak, right?"

"I can, I can." She didn't understand at first, but quickly realized, "No problem!"

If you can't finish it, you can make it into beef jerky and enjoy it slowly at home.

"Ahem..." Hayasaka Ai then gave a shy smile, put her hands together, and winked at them.

Indeed, Uesugi Genshin's eyesight was correct; he had not misread the situation.

"what......"

"Hehehe..." Sakurajima Mai patted Uesugi Genshin on the shoulder while trying to suppress her laughter. In short, it was very funny.

Chapter 142: The Sunflower Girl

"I'm counting on you." Look at his sincere eyes; his subordinates must have felt the weight of his trust.

"..." Hayasaka Ai's lips twitched, and she asked in a gyaru-like tone, "Are you kidding me?"

The final "la" syllable is slightly drawn out, giving off a delinquent vibe.

“This is because I wholeheartedly believe that only you can shoulder this important task. You just accepted my gift, and now you’re going back on your word?” Uesugi Genshin raised an eyebrow.

“This is…” Hayasaka Ai softened her tone.

Oh no, this is what they mean by "he who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding".

No! Don't fall for it!

She shook her head. If she was to write this report, she expected that in the near future, that is, tomorrow, and without exception, she would write all the reports thereafter.

“Hayasaka!” Uesugi Genshin grabbed her shoulders, their eyes meeting, their beautiful irises a delightful sight.

Of course, this doesn't change the fact that Hayasaka Ai thinks the person in front of her is somewhat rotten.

She had been wondering ever since last time if this person thought he was a perfect laborer, which was why he kept insisting that she join Soubu High School...?

"Please~"

In that instant, Kaguya's figure overlapped with this person's.

"what......"

"Thank you." Uesugi Genshin smiled for a moment.

Looking at the closed door, Hayasaka Ai felt she was about to fall completely in.