Chapter 90

More than a week had passed in a daze, and Wei Mingyang still found it hard to accept that he had suddenly fallen from this real world into this doomsday world surrounded by wolves.

It’s a pity that no matter whether he accepts it psychologically or not, the murderous intentions all around will not let him go, and he has to mobilize all his physical and mental qualities to integrate into this place as soon as possible.

In F17809, he was a strong and healthy member of the vanguard. After the old base was merged into X332, he could not eat and drink for free. For example, this time he was sent to observe the movements of the Silver Sand Family.

Wei Mingyang was quite adaptable and offered no futile resistance when chosen. He had seen similar scenes in movies: the weepiest member of the squad was usually the first to die, the cannon fodder. The smarter approach was to quickly find someone with the aura of a leading man and cling to their side.

There are five people in their task force. It is not certain how the commander selected them. It is very likely that he just drew lots or threw darts to pick a few unlucky people.

After observing the others, Wei Mingyang decided that the team leader wearing the funny New Year doll mask - who was said to be the direct subordinate and confidant of the commander-in-chief of X332 - was the most worthy of flattery.

This unseen team leader was a taciturn man, rarely speaking beyond the occasional order. Both his appearance and voice sounded youthful, and Wei Mingyang felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, drawing him inwardly to a closer relationship.

Wei Mingyang didn't consider himself the type to rush into things. Besides, this wasn't peacetime, so he had no desire to think about anything other than surviving and filling his stomach. He chalked up his fondness for the team leader to admiration for the strong, and accepted it with a clear conscience.

Out of some kind of need to use it as a talisman, he brought the pot of small pear blossoms with him even on this kind of mission.

Of course, more importantly, he still couldn't explain where the blood on the petals came from; he had smelled it, and it was definitely the smell of blood.

Can a single flower really cause a murder? Can it bite someone to death? Or several?

...But, it's just a small pear blossom?

There are several outposts between X332 and F17809, and they selected one of them as the observation point.

The trek was tiring, especially with the possibility of a snowstorm looming over everyone's heads.

As a contributing factor to the apocalypse, abrupt global climate change may prove even more formidable than the "Silver Sand" virus. Humanity has lost its familiar seasons, leaving only high temperatures, torrential rain, and snowstorms—each of which is unbearable.

A blizzard could prevent the Silver Sands from moving, but it could also trap them in their outpost until their food and water ran out, or it could blow open the thin walls and freeze them to death in who knows how many degrees below zero.

The only good news was that there were still some heating tools left behind in the outpost. Although it seemed that they would not burn for too long, at least they could still be used.

The group could still hold on during the day, but after nightfall the temperature dropped again and they had to start making a fire.

Wei Mingyang unbuttoned his cotton coat, took out a small flowerpot from it, and placed it not far from the fire to warm it up.

The other people looked at him in different ways, not quite understanding why he wanted to keep a flower warm; but they said nothing. It was already difficult to survive, so who would blame others for hanging on to their lives?

Wei Mingyang regarded this pear blossom as a thought for Shen Yan, and also as a symbol of the present world which had become distant and unclear, reminding him that he was not a part of this place. After he had fully understood what was going on, he still had to find a way to go back.

Warmth always makes people drowsy. Wei Mingyang dozed off in the corner. In his haze, he heard the rustling of clothes rubbing against each other, and a shadow fell.

He opened his eyes and found that the team leader who always kept to himself had taken the initiative to change seats and sit next to him.

Wei Mingyang was flattered and quickly moved to the side, almost hitting the flowerpot with his elbow, causing it to fall into the fire.

The team leader quickly rescued it: "Be careful!"

He returned it to its owner and curiously explained his purpose: "Is this a pear blossom?"

Wei Mingyang was surprised again: "You know him."

"Well, it looks like it. But I remember Rika..."

"That's not the way to grow it, is it?" Wei Mingyang took the initiative to answer a question he'd been asked many times. "Hey, I'm not sure either. A friend gave it to me, so I just kept it."

Anyway, no one knows him here, so no one will care if he calls a colleague he is not very familiar with a friend, or if he takes advantage of others and says that their things are given to him as gifts.

The team leader pondered for a moment and asked, "Can I take a look?"

Somehow, his voice and tone reminded Wei Mingyang of Lihua's true owner. But he certainly wasn't stupid enough to think that Shen Yan had fallen into this illusory dream with him.

In any case, this person's request, like every word Chen Yan said, made Wei Mingyang unable to refuse.

He handed the flowerpot over again and was about to ask her not to touch the petals, but it was too late. The team leader gently stroked the milky white petals with a very, very gentle gesture, as if he was talking to a sleeping lover or a child.

Wei Mingyang's heart was in his throat, ready to endure the captain's screams, disgust, and quick apology after his finger was pricked by the petals, just like everyone else. He thought helplessly that this process seemed to be repeating itself frequently recently.

Unexpectedly, the captain's finger skin was intact and not injured at all.

That little flower that bites whoever it catches, even hurts Wei Mingyang, its (self-proclaimed) owner, but it didn't bite the team leader?

"It's a lovely flower, thank you." The captain's voice sounded like a smile. He handed it back.

"You didn't..." Wei Mingyang opened his mouth, not knowing what to say next.

What are you talking about? You said you weren't bitten by the flower? You'll definitely be considered a psychopath.

Wei Mingyang held the flowerpot that had been warmed by the fire and tried it himself, grimacing in pain.

He already had experience and withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted. Although there was no bleeding, he could still see a bite mark on the tip of his finger.

He was very puzzled.

It is normal for animals and plants to mutate in the apocalypse, and it also sounds reasonable for a potted plant to turn into a carnivorous plant. He has not thrown away the little pear flower because it has special meaning to him and does not seem to have any lethality.

The question is, how come this little thing is selective in its biting?

Not only did it not hurt the team leader, now it looks like the whole flower is trying hard to move towards the team leader... Can a real flower be moved at will in a flowerpot?

Wei Mingyang didn't dare show these doubts on his face. If other people knew that he had a mutant plant that could hurt people, they would definitely force him to throw away the pear blossom. However, he didn't want to do that. He didn't want to sever his last connection with the real world.

He pretended nothing happened and continued to sleep.

But he secretly squinted his eyes and observed the captain chosen by Xiao Lihua.

The team leader adjusted his mask and stopped talking.

I don't know if it was his illusion, but I always felt that the captain's skin behind the New Year picture doll mask should be very smooth, not full of hideous scars of disfigurement as he said.

So why did he hide himself?

*

Perhaps it is because of the heavy buff of the Son of God, the small system will be teleported to the vicinity of the anchor player every time it goes on a business trip, and this time is no exception.

Li Jue could already tell who the anchor player was - in this doomsday world, it should be the careless breeder - but compared to Wei Mingyang, he was more curious about the masked uncle.

Although the New Year picture dolls are very interesting, he is interested in them not because of the masks.

The uncle had a wonderful smell on him. The child couldn't tell what it was, but he was attached to it. It seemed as if he had been wrapped in this same scent long, long ago. It was so familiar and so reassuring.

It's like...

Zizi thought, it’s just like dad.

But that can't really be the father. If he is the father, how could he not recognize the cub?

However, even if he is not a real father, it is also good to be a temporary father.

Before meeting the big boss of this sub-world, before meeting Xixi here,

Xiao Lijue, or maybe she really turned into Xiao Lihua this time, really wanted to find a new breeder.

Compared to the careless Anchor Uncle who almost knocked over the flower pot several times, the sweet and gentle Temporary Dad Uncle is better, right?

Baobaozi has a habit of giving everyone strange but memorable names.

As the weather scouts had predicted, it snowed heavily after nightfall. The whistling wind was like a wonderful lullaby, lulling everyone in the outpost into a deep sleep, and they didn't even notice that the firewood had gone out.

You will never notice that a little flower is busy escaping from prison.

Li Jue mastered how to move freely without having to carry a heavy shell - that is, a flower pot - on his back. He pulled out his "hands and feet" buried in the soil.

The experience of his new body was very different. He had never felt so light in his life (four years in total). Every step he took was like dancing on rainbow bubble gum, crackling.

He is a carefully crafted puzzle toy, moldable plasticine, light yellow clouds and marshmallows.

He is a little flower!

The "limbs" can be extended or retracted at will, which greatly facilitates the migration of small flowers.

Li Jue first climbed from the flowerpot to the collar of his current owner, stepping on the human's messy hair. No matter how cheerful his dance steps were, this weight, which was lighter than snow, would not wake up any human.

Then, he estimated the distance between the two humans, aimed at Uncle Dad, stretched out the branch, and jumped over like a swing.

Zizi did not choose to go directly behind his mask to see who this person was. Instead, he followed the captain's zipper slide from his shoulders to his folded hands on his chest.

The little pear blossom burrowed into the gap between the human's hands, found a comfortable position for itself, twisted its new body, and hugged its petals with its branches, as if returning to the womb.

It is the safest place in the world, where you can have the sweetest dreams in a nutshell.

The next day, the captain woke up first.

The glass window, which had lost its curtains and had several broken pieces, cast a dizzying white light. He realized that it was snow. He was about to rub his eyes to see more clearly, but his eyelashes felt a touch different from the back of his hand.

He looked down, and his eyes behind the mask widened in surprise.

Eh?

When did a small milky white flower appear in the palm of my hand?