Chapter 22: Foes and Friends (Part One)

Mo Yu and her two companions held their breath, crouched in the shadows, their nerves taut as they watched the situation outside. She had already woven a mental detection net around them—if danger approached, Mo Yu would know instantly.

A guttural howl echoed through the air, followed by the sharp beeping of a car alarm.

After waiting for about half an hour, a white Nissan finally rolled out of the garage.

"Thank goodness they didn't take our car," Li Jun and Lingzi both exhaled, their hearts finally settling.

"No, it's not that they didn’t want to—they just couldn’t drive it away. Maybe their whole purpose was to steal our car," Mo Yu replied.

"Those bastards!" Li Jun was furious, while Lingzi simply hung her head in silence.

In the apocalypse, were there any good people left?

Thud, thud, thud.

The three of them looked down at the disheveled man who’d tumbled from the car. His eyes were tightly shut, thick brows furrowed in pain, his body scraped and battered from his desperate leap.

Mo Yu glanced at the zombies that seemed to be drawn by the scent, then looked back at the dead end behind them.

Damn it!

"Get on the roof!" With a swift motion, Mo Yu lifted Lingzi and set her atop the small workshop’s roof.

Li Jun clung to Mo Yu’s sleeve, then glanced at the man below. "Sister Mo, what about that uncle…?"

"Leave him! Get up!" Mo Yu hoisted Li Jun up, and Lingzi reached down from above to help him. Mo Yu scrambled up after them.

"Sister Mo…" Lingzi started.

"Mo Yu, look…" Li Jun said.

The zombies were now only twenty meters away.

"No. This is the apocalypse, not some child’s game! If you try to save everyone, are you ready to die?" Mo Yu snapped.

"I…" Lingzi choked out, tears brimming in her eyes, while Li Jun had already begun to cry.

The zombies drew closer—fifteen meters now.

Drip, drip—the ominous sound of their shuffling feet.

Mo Yu looked at her companions, one with tears in her eyes, the other silently weeping, then back at the battered man on the ground.

If they saved him, he could be a strong addition to their group—if his character was trustworthy.

The zombies were now ten meters away.

"Fine, you win," Mo Yu said, exasperated. She leapt from the roof, grabbed the man firmly by both arms, and with a decisive heave, tossed him up to the roof.

She really didn’t hold back.

The zombies began to circle the spot where Mo Yu had just stood—confused, as if wondering where their prey had gone.

Mo Yu dusted the dirt and grime from her pants. Beside her, Lingzi and Li Jun were already checking the man for zombie bites or scratches.

"Thank goodness, no wounds," they both breathed in relief.

Mo Yu eyed the man, then glared at her two unreliable companions, who seemed to be relaxing. She yanked up the man’s trouser leg—there, barely noticeable, was a tiny wound. If you weren’t looking closely, you’d miss it, but with careful scrutiny, it was plain to see. The two of them were still so careless in the apocalypse—how much trouble would they bring upon themselves?

"If you’re not more careful, you’re all going to get yourselves killed," Mo Yu scolded, her anger a mix of frustration at their kindness and their negligence.

"Sister Mo, can he still be saved?" Li Jun asked.

"No, unless we have someone with healing abilities," Mo Yu replied.

"Healing abilities? Mo Yu, look, Li Jun is…"

Mo Yu and Lingzi watched as Li Jun gently pressed his small hand to the man’s wound. A soft glow blossomed from his young palm.

"I’d forgotten about him," Mo Yu thought to herself.

When Li Jun finished, he stood up, sweat beading on his small forehead. He stared wide-eyed at Mo Yu and Lingzi, hiding his hands behind his back, unsure and nervous.

"I… I don’t know how it happened," Li Jun stammered, struggling to explain his strange behavior. "Ever since I got scratched by a zombie, I just… I feel different…" He was terrified the only two people who cared for him in this ruined world would now see him as a monster.

Mo Yu nodded reassuringly, as if to soothe him. "That’s called a superpower. You’re a healer. Don’t be afraid—you’re not a monster."

Her words were like a magical hand lifting the heavy weight from Li Jun’s and Lingzi’s hearts. Both of them breathed easier.

"Let’s wait until he wakes up," Lingzi murmured in Mo Yu’s ear, trying to please her.

Mo Yu glanced at them. "If he doesn’t wake up in ten minutes, we leave."

"Alright, alright, we’ll do as you say."

A faint groan escaped the man’s lips as he lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding sunlight, slowly coming to. He knew he was hurt—but now?

What was going on here?

Two beautiful young girls and a boy who hardly looked older than seven or eight?

Zhao Wei’s brow furrowed. Shouldn’t he have become like that other man? But…

He lifted his hand—no elongated nails, no discomfort. Instead, an invigorating vitality coursed through his body.

"You don’t need to worry. Your wound’s healed," the little boy said, concern in his eyes. The more assertive-looking girl nodded in agreement, while the most beautiful girl stared at him intently, her dark, bright eyes like deep pools, making him instinctively wary. He nodded, a guarded smile on his lips, sizing up the situation.

The youngest boy couldn’t be more than eight, and the oldest girl, though her manners and speech were as disciplined as someone who’d been trained, still seemed a bit naïve. Only the beautiful one, whose gaze was as sharp and cold as a snake’s, appeared to be their leader. He offered Mo Yu a stiff smile, expressing his goodwill. For these three to save him in such circumstances, they had to be powerful.

"Can I join you?" he asked.

His question surprised the three standing above him, leaving them momentarily speechless. A sense of unease flared in Mo Yu’s heart, though she masked it well.

Both Li Jun and Lingzi turned to Mo Yu, their eyes silently seeking her decision.

As Zhao Wei observed, he nodded inwardly. His suspicions were confirmed.

Mo Yu lowered her head, narrowing her eyes slightly. If this stranger had good character, he could be a tremendous asset; if not, he would be a threat. Still, in the apocalypse, a man was invaluable. Even though the world preached equality, the deep-rooted ideas of male superiority were like rot—impossible to fully root out.

Her mind wandered to Qingxuan, that snake—or rather, that man…