Who are we?

The team hasn't returned yet, and I don't know how far the operation to eliminate the pest has progressed. The most urgent task is to solve the problem of the number of people in my household increasing again.

With two people, including a seriously ill patient, my parents' time together was disrupted, so they had to try to find other ways to keep things interesting. Binbin slept on the floor in their bedroom, while the company commander was arranged to lie down next to my second uncle to recover from his injuries. Zhang Yanhuang took care of him nearby, sleeping on the floor below their bed.

The double bed in the ward was 1.5 meters wide, and two grown men lay side by side without feeling cramped at all. Each had a new quilt, and they lay quietly without moving.

Liu Meili mixed some disinfectant and sprayed it on the floor, furniture, and other items in the room; Zhang Yanhuang wrung out a hot towel and carefully wiped the company commander's face; I stood at the foot of the bed with my arms crossed, looking at the two "vegetative" people on the bed.

After a long while, he sighed with worry, "Ordinary houses have limited capacity; we're almost full."

Liu Meili, holding the spray bottle, said, "The situation is so bad right now, the accommodation isn't that important, the key is food. Auntie must be exhausted cooking for so many people every day. Although Xiao Chen, Xiao Qin, and I can lend a hand, Auntie always tells us not to do anything, and I feel bad about it."

I believe that. I know my mother very well. She's done housework her whole life and is used to taking on everything. She doesn't trust others to do it, and teaching them one by one would be a waste of time, so she simply does it all herself.

Three or five people is manageable, but now that we've brought in a dozen or twenty people, plus the sick, how is my mom supposed to take care of them all? She's exhausted!

“No, we need to think of something,” I said, rubbing my temples as I pondered. “If things continue like this, the number of people will probably increase. My mother is getting on in years; we can’t just rely on her. Actually, there’s a pretty good place with a house, land, and a canteen. We can make full use of the available people, and the patients will have a good environment to recuperate. I just don’t know if the others are willing to move. We’ll have a meeting tomorrow to discuss it.”

Liu Meili exclaimed in surprise, "We need to bring in more people? Aren't they all bad guys? Can they be as well-educated as Brother Hei and his gang?"

Zhang Yanhuang turned to look at me, her eyes filled with despair. I grinned and said, "How could that be? Just because they're so ruthless towards soldiers, they can't be on our side. I'm talking about Han Bo's ex-girlfriend."

From the moment they recognized Ma Li, I knew this was inevitable. I'm not entirely sure about Zhou Yi's attitude towards women, but Han Bo has always been very tolerant.

Around nine o'clock, my parents were asleep when there was finally some noise outside the gate. Binbin diligently persisted in giving the password, but unfortunately, it was Zhou Yi who returned—the good-for-nothing who never paid attention in meetings. He stumbled over the first "former emperor," and then, in a fit of rage and shame, he started banging on the door.

I only realized why he was so angry after he went inside—his crush, Ma Li, was with him.

"Where are they?" I looked towards the door, but saw no one else.

"I'm working!" Zhou Yi pulled Ma Li in front of him. "Sister, take good care of your sister-in-law for me. I have to go back."

Sister-in-law...? Is she my brother Zhou's or my brother Han's? I blinked, but didn't say anything.

Ma Li stood in front of me with her head drooping. She wore a pink mink coat, tight leather pants, and high-heeled leather boots, as fashionable as ever, and predictably disheveled.

The mink fur was matted together, covered in large stains, and had several bald patches; the leather pants were torn on the right thigh all the way to the calf, with loose threads hanging down; the zippers on the leather boots were not zipped up, the boot shafts were droopy, and they were practically slipping on the feet.

Her long, flowing hair was messy, but her face was clean enough. She had big, double-lidded eyes, a high nose, and cherry lips. Even without makeup, her natural beauty was still there. She looked up and timidly called out to me, "Sister Feng."

I almost choked on my saliva and coughed, so I quickly said, "You're too kind, just call me Xiao Qi."

If I remember correctly, the girl surnamed Ma was two years ahead of me. When she was in her senior year of high school and won first place in the school's online beauty pageant, I was only in my first year of high school. Where did she get the title "sister" from?

Zhou Yi looked at Ma Li with reluctance: "It's safe here. Stay here and wait for me to come back."

Ma Li remained silent, while I silently rolled my eyes; Zhou Yi's delusions had flared up again.

"Hey, don't rush off," I said, ignoring his expression of reluctance to leave his wife before resolutely joining the army, and reached out to grab his arm. "How's the situation over there?"

Which side are you referring to?

Zhou Yi's rhetorical question startled me. "What do you mean?"

"If you're asking about the group at the repair shop, we've basically taken them down. Li Qiang and your useless pretty boy ex-boyfriend sustained minor injuries, but the others are fine."

I struggled to suppress the urge to slap him and continued, "Isn't that the end? What's next?"

"We still need to clean up the veterans' hospital. They probably won't be back tonight, so don't wait up for them. Get some rest."

I was shocked: "What do you mean by cleaning up the veterans' hospital? Why would you clean up the veterans' hospital?"

Zhou Yi drew a circle in the air with his finger: "Did you count how many people are in the house now? There's simply not enough room for everyone, didn't you realize?"

I was stunned: "I've discovered it."

"Yes, we found it too. Didn't we agree before that after we took down that group, we would clear out the hospital and use it as our first small base?"

"Who made a deal with whom?" I understood, and my face slowly darkened. "It's you, Xiao Yu, Han Bo, the three of you made a deal, didn't you?"

Zhou Yi noticed the change in my expression and scratched his face: "Didn't Han Bo tell you?"

After he left, I stood there in a daze for a long time, then slowly smiled. Very well, always wanting more than what they have, always looking one step ahead in everything. The three big shots met and decided the whole family's future. If they said they'd go to the auto repair shop, they went to the auto repair shop; if they said they'd move, they moved. The old, the young, the sick, and the women—what right did they have to interfere? What right did they have to know? Just follow along!

This is no longer the time for Han Bo to come and eat half a table of food at my house! This is no longer the time for Zhou Yi to beg me to find him a place to sleep! This is no longer the time for those three damned mentally ill people to rack their brains and shamelessly cling to my house and refuse to leave!

They have people, they have a team, and they want to switch sides!

I know without even thinking who came up with this idea. That guy surnamed Yu is practically got the words "discrimination against the weak" tattooed on his forehead!

I have no problem with him subduing Zhou Yi, but Han Bo is my good friend and brother who grew up with me. I thought our friendship was as solid as a rock. Just a few hours ago, he was swearing to me that he would be a staunch supporter of the Great Wind Party. But... I'm heartbroken!

I felt betrayed, yet I refused to admit I was weak, so I felt heartbroken, sorrowful, and furiously laughed. Perhaps my laughter was too sinister, for it frightened Ma Li so much that she froze to the side, too afraid to move, and stammered, "Feng... Sister Feng, are you alright?"

I stopped smiling and said calmly, "It's okay. Come on, let's go to my room and sleep on the floor."

The three girls in the room had all fallen asleep. After Ma Li finished washing up, she changed into the clothes I had given her, silently laid out her bedding on the only remaining empty space on the floor at the foot of the bed, and crawled in without making a sound.

I thought I would have insomnia, but I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and slept soundly until I woke up naturally.

Downstairs, the noise was deafening. For a moment, I felt a sense of disorientation, as if I were back in those countless mornings before the apocalypse, waking up to the cacophony of coughing, arguing, greetings, and children being spanked; as if Happiness Lane hadn't been demolished, as if my old neighbors were still there, a group of middle-aged women sitting in front of their doors picking vegetables, gossiping about this and that; as if, as soon as I stepped outside, some uncle or aunt would still greet me with a smile: "Going to the mental hospital, Da Feng..."

I buried my head in the blanket and let out a deep sigh. My neighbors are gone, Happiness Lane is gone, the mental hospital is finally going to be overrun by the mentally ill—how can I bear it, how can I bear it!

I got up, washed my face, tidied myself up, and went downstairs with a calm and light step. Every available seat in the living room was taken, and a few people were smoking in the yard. Everyone was enthusiastically discussing last night's events; the speaker was speaking with great passion, and the listeners were engrossed.

I looked past the crowd and met Han Bo's gaze in the courtyard. He instinctively looked away for a moment, then quickly adjusted his expression and gave me an unnatural smile.

I didn't go out, but stood quietly at the top of the stairs listening to Zhou Yi, Blackie, Fatty, and the others talking. They were talking about how 22 out of the 23 people from the repair shop group had been captured, with only one escaping.

"Don't worry, that kid got shot in the leg and won't amount to anything. He'll probably hide in some rat hole. If he shows his face, he's asking for trouble! Nobody will need to lift a finger. I can take him down eight times over by myself."

The girls surrounded Zhou Yi, all looking at him with admiration. His previous awkward and sullen demeanor around women was gone; he was now extremely arrogant.

My dad was very excited when he heard this: "Great! We ordinary people have to stand up for the soldiers. These heartless bastards have to be beaten!"

Seeing that my dad was interested in listening, Blackie quickly added, "Uncle, you told us not to kill anyone before you left, and we all listened to you. We didn't kill a single one; we locked them all up."

My dad pointed at him with his finger, and said with satisfaction, "Good boy, lock him up and we'll hand him over to the government later. We don't have the right to kill people."

"Yes, two cartloads of grain and a lot of weapons were loaded, all considered spoils of war. Would you like to take a look?"

"Alright, let's go eat. You've all worked hard."

Besides my dad, Li Qiang and Wu Bainian were also sitting on the sofa, one with his head bandaged and the other with his arm in a sling. Despite their injuries, they didn't seem to be in pain, openly showing off their bandages with a mix of excitement and pride, and a hint of relief. Their eyes honestly conveyed, "Hey! I've done a great service for the organization, now nobody can kick me out."

Where the prisoners were being held seemed to be a question no one had noticed. My family forgot to ask, and I didn't want to. I walked through the living room, past Yu Zhongjian who was leaning against the doorframe smoking, without even turning my head, and went straight to Han Bo.

When are you leaving?

Han Bo flicked the ash from his cigarette and said with an awkward laugh, "What are you talking about? Where are we going?"

“Let’s go to your new base.” I said slowly, making sure that I didn’t show any dissatisfaction on my face. “I’m exhausted from not sleeping all night. Why don’t we catch up on some sleep and have lunch before we leave?”

Han Bo clicked his tongue, threw away his cigarette, and said to me, "Dafeng, listen to me. It was my fault for not telling you this. We just made this decision on a whim. We thought that with more and more people coming in, we had to plan ahead. We can't wait until the building is bursting at the seams before we start making plans, can we? The cleanup over there won't be finished in a day or two, and it's not like we're moving now."

"We?" I glanced at him indifferently. "Who are we?"

Han Bo sighed helplessly and waved his hand at Yu Zhongjian: "Look, I got screwed over by listening to your nonsense. Can you do anything without consulting the authorities?"

Yu Zhongjian didn't speak, and I didn't want to turn around and look at him. I only said to Han Bo, "It's fine. You're not selling your house to my family. You can do whatever you want. There's no need to consult me. I also think the house is too cramped. You can leave after you've eaten. Those who want to leave can leave. Resources will be distributed according to labor. My parents and I will take as much food as we've contributed. We will not take a single penny more from you."

Han Bo's expression turned serious: "What do you mean? Are you going to cut ties with me? I just missed reporting one thing, and it's still uncertain whether we'll move or not, and you're already cutting ties with me?"

I smiled slightly and patted his shoulder: "It's not that serious. It's normal to have different ideas and go our separate ways. We have no grudges against each other, and we're still brothers even if we break up. Just let me know if you need anything in the future."

"Strong wind!" Han Bo shouted, raising his voice. The house fell silent. My mother poked her head out of the kitchen window, looking at me and then at him with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong, Xiao Bo?"

Seeing that everyone had quieted down and perked up their ears, I said with a smile, "It's nothing, there are just too many people. These guys are thinking of our family and want to move some of us out to find another place to stay. We'll discuss who stays and who leaves after dinner."

Those unaware of the situation changed their expressions; clearly, the words "diversion" were not something they wanted to hear.

"The ones who are confirmed to be leaving are Xiao Yu, Xiao Zhao, Xiao Li, Xiao Bo, and Xiao Zhou. Anyone else who wants to come can sign up after dinner." I dropped another bombshell, and the room immediately erupted in chaos.

Those who can fight tough battles have all been reassigned; those who want to cling to powerful figures should hurry up and do so! I thought with a sneer.

My dad came out, hands on his hips, looking up at our little house: "Is there not enough room? This house is so big, we could easily accommodate a few more people!"

I went over to help him up, and finally couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Dad, they want to stay in a luxury single room, how could they possibly want our little place?"

Han Bo was so angry that his face turned blue. He came up and ripped my hand off my dad's arm: "Uncle, don't listen to her nonsense. I'm not going anywhere. My dad is gone, so you're my uncle. I'll stay with you."

My dad said matter-of-factly, "Is that even a question!"

I glared at Han Bo with my eyes wide open, and he glared back at me with his own eyes wide open.

Liu Meili came out of the kitchen carrying a large pot of thin porridge, saying, "Make way, don't block the way." She seemed completely uninterested in the matter. Of course, she wouldn't leave; to her, following someone surnamed Yu was probably more terrifying than going out to kill zombies.

Zhang Yanhuang listened for a moment by the window, then yawned and closed the window again. Whether he left or not didn't matter to me, but the company commander needed Liu Meili right now; a loyal soldier wouldn't be a fool.

With Yu Zhongjian leaving, Zhao Zhuobao and Li Tonggu will undoubtedly follow closely behind. The six-man group led by Hei Ge and Zhou Yi Ma Li are also yet to comment. I have no hope for Zhou Yi; he harbors the lofty ambition of "reaching the pinnacle of human power," and my family is too small to keep him.

My dad's saintly aura is no joke. After frowning and watching me and Han Bo exchange glances for a while, Blackie said, "Wherever Uncle Qi is, we'll be there." The other five nodded in agreement.

I said sourly, "You've been busy all night, you can't let it all go to waste, Xiao Hei. That place is huge, have you thought it through?"

Blackie clearly understood what I meant by "separation." He shook his head and smiled, saying, "If you're going to leave, we'll definitely leave together. Uncle Qi, have you been there? It's a really big place. It used to be a hospital. There's a sports field, a garden, and even an artificial lake where you can fish."

I was furious: "Pah! Don't try to instigate me, my dad isn't going anywhere!"

"Where are we going?" my dad asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Silence fell inside and outside the room. No one spoke. Everyone exchanged cryptic glances, and the atmosphere was tense yet tense. Several intense eye rolls made my temples ache.

"Dinner's ready!" My mother called out, breaking the silence as she came out with a metal ladle. She turned and went into the kitchen, moving slowly, rubbing her lower back a few times with her left hand, then pounding it. My heart skipped a beat, the cold smile on my face vanished, and suddenly all my sarcastic thoughts disappeared.

Forget it, forget it. I pride myself on being generous and easygoing, but I'm not much bigger than a needle's eye. If I want to go, I'll go. Going a few more times will lighten the burden on my family. My mom's already exhausted; why should I hold a grudge against Han Bo? Nobody owes anyone anything. Why should he report to me just because he's staying at my house? In this world, even parents and children might not stay together until the end, let alone friends. Falling out won't do me any good; I might need his help sometime in the future. Even for my parents' sake, I shouldn't have this argument and act impulsively.

Having let go of that competitive spirit, I became so engrossed in self-criticism that I unknowingly drank two bowls of porridge and ate three large flatbreads. When I reached for the fourth one, Liu Meili stopped me.

“It’s hard to digest if you eat too much unleavened bread.” She sat down next to me, tilted her head and whispered, “Xiao Qi, is that place you mentioned yesterday, with houses, land and a canteen, our Rongjun?”

I was taken aback: "Ah...uh...yes."

"That hospital that Xiao Hei mentioned, with its sports field, garden, and artificial lake, is it also for our veterans?"

I remained silent, but Liu Meili continued joyfully, "Your idea is excellent! We can move to the Rongjun Military Base. Once we clear out the zombies there, there's no better place to live than Rongjun. The environment there is good, and there are all sorts of medical equipment and diagnostic instruments, making it especially suitable for your second uncle and that company commander's recovery and recuperation. Rongjun also has a spacious and well-equipped canteen, so Aunt Chen, Xiao Chen, and I can divide the work and not have to squeeze into the cramped kitchen, leaving Aunt Chen to do all the work. Rongjun also has a three-meter-high wall and an electronic gate, so it's very safe..."

"Okay, Meili, stop talking. I want some peace and quiet." I got up, quickly went upstairs to my room, took out a cigarette and a lighter from under my pillow, and headed straight for the rooftop.

The embers of anger hadn't died down when new flames ignited. I almost forgot if Liu Meili hadn't reminded me: the relocation site I'd chosen for the team was also a veterans' hospital, coinciding with Yu Hanzhou and his family's plan. But everything needs discussion and consultation; a shared vision and joint implementation are what constitute a successful collaboration. Making plans unilaterally and acting on them behind the backs of the whole family—that's utter arrogance!

Does anyone like having everything planned out for them, following orders without thinking? I certainly don't. This whole thing is so frustrating, I need to have a smoke to calm down.

As I was about to climb the last three steps, I overheard a conversation between two men on the rooftop.

“She should understand that this is the best option right now, and her anger is unreasonable.” This is Yu Zhongjian’s statement.

"Sigh, it was definitely wrong of us not to say hello. Da Feng is a tough guy, he's not usually like this. Maybe his period is coming soon." This was Han Bo.

After a moment of silence, the metal-cased lighter clanged, and Yu Zhongjian coldly uttered two words: "Pretentious."