C19 The Decision

The group entered one by one, but Chu Yue lingered at the entrance. He closed the door and barricaded it with various items as a precaution for the night. Once he finished, he stepped into the room and noticed two girls tidying up, dusting off the surfaces. His attention, however, was drawn to a photograph on the wall. He approached it, removed it, and pulled out some tissues from his pocket to clean the dust off. His parents' faces emerged from the photo, and as Chu Yue's eyes grew moist, tears dotted the image. He wiped it clean; it was a precious family portrait. Ho Lan came over, gave his shoulder a reassuring pat, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Chu Yue, hearing her, quickly dried his tears and turned around, setting the photo on the table. "I'm fine. What could possibly be wrong with me?" he replied.

"Oh, come on, if you feel like crying, just let it out. We're not going to tease you," Ho Lan said playfully, her voice aiming to lift Chu Yue's spirits, sounding exceptionally pleasant.

Chu Yue gave her a cool glance and remained silent, then headed straight for the adjacent kitchen to assess what could still be used. To his surprise, Ho Lan followed him and declared, "This is the kitchen, right? Well, the kitchen is my domain. I'll take care of this—you go do something else."

"Uh..." Chu Yue chuckled and nodded, then made his way back to the living room where Chuxue was examining the photo. He gently touched her head and asked, "What's on your mind, Xue?"

"Is the sister in this picture your sister, Mr. Chu Yue?" Chuxue asked innocently, her large eyes looking up at him. "She's so pretty. I want to grow up to be just like her!"

"You definitely don't want to be like her. If you two were to team up, I'm afraid I wouldn't stand a chance..." Chu Yue mused, recalling his sister's past antics, which filled him with a slight sense of dread. The thought of these two girls together was almost too much to handle.

With that thought, Chu Yue broke into a cold sweat. He had just finished speaking when he began to clear out the bedroom. It had been years since anyone had been there, and much of the stuff was worn and outdated. He disposed of the unusable items and secured some bedding over the windows. Zombies relied on sight to hunt at night, and the light from the room would surely intrigue them. Smarter zombies might even deduce that people were inside. If a horde of zombies were to descend upon them, they would be in serious trouble.

After tidying up for quite some time, everyone had become quite dirty. They looked at each other's faces and burst into laughter.

Thankfully, the running water in the courtyard hadn't been cut off. Despite being in a rural area, they were still able to clean themselves up a bit. The two girls, in particular, were very keen on cleanliness and hurried to wash the dust off their faces. Chuxue glanced at her reflection in the mirror, too shy to meet Chu Yue's gaze, worried that he might find her appearance off-putting. At that moment, she kept her distance from Chu Yue.

Third Infantry Battalion.

Lin Shuchen emerged from the tent, the sound of gunfire still echoing from the city walls. She shook her head in frustration, eager to bring an end to the situation. As the leader of the Sparrow Group, she found herself confined to this place, her expression betraying a hint of resignation.

Entering the laboratory, she found Prof. Zhang sitting at his desk, visibly worn out, his gaze somewhat vacant. The food that had been delivered that morning had remained untouched, and it was nearly evening. Lin Shuchen quickly approached and gave Prof. Zhang a gentle pat on the shoulder, her voice laced with concern. "Prof. Zhang, I've told you time and again, can't you take a proper rest? What will we do if you wear yourself out?"

"There's you and Xue Rang to protect everyone. The world is full of scientists; my absence won't make a difference. With the Zombie Virus being so prevalent in our region, I must consider our future," Prof. Zhang replied with a weary smile.

Lin Shuchen's face soured at his words. She promptly cleared the uneaten food from the table and returned about ten minutes later with a fresh assortment. She set it down, pushed Prof. Zhang's chair closer, and said firmly, "Prof. Zhang, I insist. You need to eat all of this. Otherwise, you'll have me to answer to..." She playfully stuck out her tongue at Prof. Zhang, coaxing a chuckle from him. "Okay, okay, I'll eat. Is that better?"

Prof. Zhang was indeed hungry, as he quickly finished off the food on the table. Lin Shuchen watched with a smile. Just then, Xue Rang entered and addressed the professor, "We've located the individuals we were searching for, but the area outside is swarming with zombies. It's going to be tough to break through. If I assist someone else..."

"Xue Rang! Can't you see that Prof. Zhang is in the middle of a meal? Could you possibly wait until he's had a chance to rest before discussing these matters with him?" Lin Shuchen asked, her tone tinged with frustration. Xue Rang glanced at the spread of food on the table and couldn't help but feel a touch embarrassed. He offered a sheepish smile and said, "My apologies, Professor, for the interruption. Tell you what, you go ahead and rest, and if there's anything, I'll come back and see you tomorrow."

Prof. Zhang was about to respond when Xue Rang hurriedly made his exit. Shaking his head, Prof. Zhang watched him leave. Lin Shuchen, with a playful grin, said, "Professor, now that you've eaten, why not take a nap? If you don't, I swear I'll toss all your papers out. You know I mean it—I always follow through. You're well aware of what kind of person I am, right?" Batting her large eyes, Lin Shuchen's smile seemed to send a shiver down Prof. Zhang's spine.

Deep down, Prof. Zhang understood that Lin Shuchen's antics were all in the interest of his well-being. Previously, he had no excuse to take a break, but now, thanks to Lin Shuchen's words, he felt justified in taking some time to rest.

After finishing his meal, he exchanged a few words with Lin Shuchen and retired to his room to sleep. Lin Shuchen stepped outside and noticed Xue Rang coaching the infantry. Approaching him, she gave his shoulder a friendly pat and greeted, "You were looking for Prof. Zhang earlier. What was it you wanted to discuss?"

"We've pinpointed the exact location of the man we were talking about the other day. But as you know, my abilities have their limits. Once I use them, I'm unable to move, and that's something even Prof. Zhang hasn't been able to solve. So, if we're serious about finding this guy, we have no choice but to head out," Xue Rang explained thoughtfully.

Lin Shuchen pondered for a moment before replying, "If it comes down to it, I'll go. I am an Ability User, after all. As long as you can keep the zombies at bay, I'm confident I can handle the smaller ones with no trouble."

"No, it's not appropriate for you, a young woman, to embark on such a perilous mission. We'll discuss this further later," Xue Rang said, firmly rejecting the idea. "Let's plan first, and then we can make a decision."

"Discuss? What's there to discuss? We've already located him. Why shouldn't we go now? Are we going to have to track him down again later? That would just be a hassle. And what's wrong with me being a girl? I'm the leader of the Sparrow Group, and you all have to follow my lead. Are you trying to undermine me now?"

"Uh..." Xue Rang shook his head awkwardly, at a loss for words. When Lin Shuchen noticed Xue Rang was speechless, she commanded, "As the leader of Sparrow Group, I order you."

"Yes, ma'am!" Xue Rang snapped to attention in front of Lin Shuchen, startling her. He braced himself to hear her out. "I now order you to share every clue you know with me. Furthermore, ensure my safety as we exit this place. After that, your duty is to protect Prof. Zhang and all the survivors here."

"But..."

"No 'buts.' When I give an order, you follow it. No more stalling," Lin Shuchen said without a hint of politeness. Xue Rang felt helpless but realized that indeed, Lin Shuchen was the only one fit for the task. Others who had ventured out had scarcely returned. It seemed he truly had to depend on her.

Xue Rang's gaze grew intense as he stood atop the tower, channeling his abilities. The sky darkened ominously, with clouds swiftly gathering overhead. Lightning streaked from the clouds, striking the Zombies below and clearing a path on the ground—a path Xue Rang had forged for Lin Shuchen.

Lin Shuchen revved up a Porsche from the warehouse and sped down the cleared path. A few persistent Zombies trailed her, but eventually, they abandoned the chase.

That evening, Ho Lan prepared a meal. Despite the modest conditions, her culinary skills shone through, and the food was exceptionally tasty. Chu Yue realized that bringing Ho Lan along was the right decision; she was far from being just a pretty face. This realization brought him a sense of contentment.