Chapter 10: When Out in the World, Your Identity is What You Make It
1379 Words
"How did the zombie system show up when I haven't even been infected yet?"
"What's going on?"
In the ground search team, a squad leader was puzzled. Hearing voices calling out from all directions, he realized for the first time that too many survivors might not be such a good thing.
"Captain, it seems like we've stirred up some anger."
They had just requested orders from their superiors to prioritize the rescue of Yang Chaoming’s daughter, but with all this commotion, the situation of special treatment was starting to cause problems. In peaceful times, even if people were unhappy, they wouldn't dare do much about it. But now, facing the threat of death, no one wanted to be a step behind.
"Rescue those nearby first. Everyone else, clear the zombies. Don't waste time."
After a brief thought, the captain quickly made the decision. If they let the survivors continue to cause a commotion, some might act recklessly in their heightened emotions, and that could easily lead to more zombies.
Among the survivors, there was no shortage of brave individuals. Many had already formed small groups and fought their way down from the upper floors. Once they reached the safety of the rescue team’s protection zone, they collapsed to the ground, not moving any further.
In the chaos, Lin Yuan and Shen Rong also slipped into the rescue team’s ranks and were placed in the safe zone by rifle-wielding soldiers.
"You lot, follow the safe route we've cleared out of the city. Soldiers will protect you along the way, and zombies won’t attack you. But follow the rules and don’t cause any trouble!"
The earlier chaos had made the captain’s tone more severe. After giving the orders, he no longer paid attention to the survivors, focusing entirely on directing the rescue operation.
From an aerial view, the main roads into the city were already occupied by rescue soldiers. The side streets were blocked by cars, effectively preventing stray zombies from spreading. Every so often, two armed soldiers stood guard, maintaining control of the situation.
Lin Yuan and Shen Rong moved quickly with the group. The muddy streets were difficult to navigate, and if they weren’t careful, they’d step on intestines that hadn’t been completely crushed.
"It smells terrible! I can hardly breathe!"
A thin man up ahead struggled to keep up, alternating between holding his breath and gasping for air. His face grew paler by the second, and he was gradually falling behind. No one, however, was willing to stop and help. Even the three soldiers escorting them didn’t seem to care.
"Ah! There’s a zombie! A zombie’s coming!"
Suddenly, a zombie burst out from a nearby shop, lunging at the nearest survivor. Caught off guard, the survivor was knocked to the ground, with the zombie sinking its teeth into his neck, causing blood to spurt everywhere.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and the zombie’s head exploded. The rescue soldiers quickly pulled the zombie off, while one remained on guard, checking the area where the zombie had appeared.
"Bitten on the neck—no saving him. Send him off."
Without hesitation, one of the soldiers shot the fallen survivor, ending his life quickly.
"Didn’t you say you’d protect us? We’ve barely walked any distance, and someone’s already dead!"
A middle-aged woman, who carried an air of authority, questioned the soldiers. Though her voice trembled, fear for her own safety pushed her to speak up.
"Exactly! There are only three of you. How can you protect us? I suggest you call for more reinforcements—at least ten, no, twenty more people!"
A middle-aged man, speaking with broken Mandarin, tried to take command, sounding every bit like a leader.
"Sorry, we don’t have more personnel. We must ensure the safety of as many people as possible," the squad leader responded in a deep voice, ignoring their requests and signaling for everyone to move quickly.
"Stay alert, everyone. Stick to the middle of the road and don’t get too close to the sides!"
Though cars were blocking the intersections, stray zombies still managed to crawl through. With only three soldiers, they couldn’t cover everything.
"What’s your number? I’m going to file a complaint! I’ve got connections!"
The woman continued to complain, and if not for the man holding her back, she might have gone up to confront the soldiers.
At that moment, a scream came from up ahead. The rescue soldiers immediately rushed forward, only to see a zombie getting its head split open and tumbling to the side of the road.
"Nice move, brother!"
The one who had killed the zombie was Lin Yuan. How could he pass up this opportunity for free evolution points?
"Old soldier, I’ll watch this area for you. I guarantee no zombie will get past!"
Lin Yuan made a gesture, voluntarily taking on the responsibility. He figured if he performed well now, he might even secure an official position. In a post-apocalyptic world, life was going to be hard for ordinary people without something to rely on.
"I’ll leave it to you, then. What’s your name?"
The squad leader felt a sense of gratitude. Anyone willing to step up in such a situation was a true lifesaver.
"My name is Lin Yuan, a retired soldier. If there’s a call, I’ll return to the fight!"
Lin Yuan saluted the soldier, his face filled with solemn respect.
"My name is Chen Yang, and I salute you, veteran!"
In that moment, the two shared a sense of mutual respect. After Chen Yang left, Shen Rong approached, her curiosity about Lin Yuan growing even stronger. After all, for a woman, the identity of a retired soldier was quite attractive.
"You were really in the army?" She asked, still feeling something was off when she thought of what Lin Yuan had done to her earlier.
"When you're out in the world, you make up your own identity," Lin Yuan leaned close and whispered in her ear, "I did military training in school. I was even a Young Pioneer back then—proper and red-blooded." His breath made Shen Rong's cheeks instantly flush red.
"You're such a p*****t! You can still react in a situation like this?"
Seeing her blushing, Lin Yuan cursed under his breath, grabbed his axe, and walked to the side.
"You're the p*****t!" Shen Rong spat at him but still followed closely behind.
Lin Yuan’s display was nothing more than a calculated show of strength. After all, once they entered the refugee camp, chaos would inevitably arise due to the sheer number of people. Much like when starting at a new school, teachers typically appointed well-behaved students as class leaders or group leaders.
Thanks to his Life Detection ability, Lin Yuan could sense where zombies were hiding and prepare in advance.
Every time zombies appeared, Lin Yuan would always arrive just in time to save survivors from being attacked, earning their gratitude along the way.
Of course, there were also a couple of unlucky ones he didn’t manage to save—the middle-aged couple who had earlier questioned the soldiers. For those who might slow the group down, Lin Yuan didn’t mind letting them go if the opportunity arose.
Before long, most of the group had unconsciously gathered around Lin Yuan, with only a few still protected by the soldiers. Whenever Lin Yuan sped up, they jogged to keep up, and when he slowed down, they would immediately stop, afraid to leave his side.
As they approached a crossroads up ahead, the sudden sound of intense gunfire halted everyone in their tracks. A small group of zombies appeared at the intersection.
The rescue soldiers quickly cleared out the visible zombies, but more soon emerged from unknown places.
"This is Squad Seven, requesting support!" Chen Yang called for reinforcements, quickly signaling to his team. The three soldiers stood in a line, reloading their magazines.
At the feet of the zombies were several corpses, including two soldiers in camouflage uniforms. The rescue squad had already begun to suffer casualties. Bullets flew, shredding zombies, as flesh and blood splattered everywhere. But amidst the c*****e, a hidden threat revealed itself.
Three slender zombies, moving like crawling creatures, dodged bullets as they swiftly maneuvered across the ground, even taking cover behind nearby obstacles.
- Writer
