The question of whether Yu Bin was hiding a secret was temporarily put aside by the group, partly because Yu Bin was not around at the moment.
On the other hand, if Yu Bin really has some unspeakable secret, even if this secret is detrimental to everyone or even endangers their lives, Yu Bin needs to continue playing the role of a great philanthropist before the secret is exposed. This stage is undoubtedly the safest time.
"Oh, I don't know why, but I always feel much more relaxed when I'm with you guys. Even the stench of blood in the air doesn't seem so strong anymore."
The fat man stretched and loosened his muscles as he spoke.
Old Zhang seemed to sense something as well, and shook his arm, "You know what, I actually had that feeling too."
Sun Muchen laughed and said, "I really don't know where you two get so many feelings from. Don't forget, when the hunter wanted to kill you just now, although my brother didn't join in the commotion, he didn't speak up for you either."
“Hey,” Old Zhang waved his hand and said, “What kind of world is this? It’s the end of the world! As far as the eye can see, it’s a wasteland. Everyone is in danger. It’s good enough if you can remain neutral and keep your own way. At least that means you’re still ‘human.’ As for those hunters? They’re beasts!”
"Alright," Wang Lan interrupted, too tired to listen to their bickering, "Let's cut to the nonsense and get down to business."
"Serious business? What serious business?" The fat man was taken aback, then realized, "Looking for supplies?"
"Looking for supplies?" Old Zhang scoffed. "What's there to look for! We already took all the decent supplies that day!"
“That’s not it,” Wang Lan shook his head and said, “It’s about the bloody footprints we found earlier.”
As soon as he said that, everyone looked at Wang Lan.
The matter of the bloody footprints is unlike any other; it concerns whether the people of the final fortress will appear. It can be said to be the only possible ray of hope in the current dire situation.
Wang Lan said, "After we escaped the danger of the rats, I observed the surrounding area of the grassy area where we stopped, but I didn't find any bloody footprints. However, at the entrance of the market, I found another footprint, which means that the person who left the bloody footprint must have entered the market. It's just a pity that there was too much blood in the market, and it was hard to find any more."
Upon hearing this, Old Zhang and Fatty couldn't help but feel a deep respect for Wang Lan.
They believed that Yu Bin would not forget the bloody footprints, but Yu Bin would certainly not be like Wang Lan, constantly observing every blade of grass and tree around him.
“Let’s move forward,” Wang Lan said, pointing ahead with a thumbs up. “Since those two groups went elsewhere, this is the only road we have left. Let’s keep going and see what happens. Remember, don’t overlook anything, not just the bloody footprints… don’t miss any clues!”
The reason Wang Lan added the sentence was actually to see if there were any other discoveries while searching for the bloody footprints.
He always felt that there shouldn't be no animals to be seen in the market, and that the rats' sudden cessation of movement was most likely due to something in the market that had frightened them.
But he didn't tell Lao Zhang and Fatty about this discovery.
After all, knowing less can sometimes be a blessing in disguise.
Of course, there could be other reasons as well.
For example... it's pointless to talk to them.
Wang Lan had given up all hope for them. Without Zha Lei, the two were indeed useless. Their only value was perhaps to be kicked out as a shield.
The group walked deeper into the market, searching for any suspicious clues along the way. However, the further they went, the fewer bloodstains they could see, replaced by a desolate and terrifying atmosphere.
An invisible tension settled over them, making both Lao Zhang and Fatty feel a tightness in their chests. They exchanged a glance and unanimously decided to huddle together for warmth.
But then, Sun Muchen suddenly shouted, "Brother, I found footprints!"
The sudden noise startled Old Zhang and Fatty, but Wang Lan excitedly ran to Old Zhang's side. Old Zhang landed on the ground, frowning as if he felt something poking his foot.
He then moved his foot away with a suspicious look, and squatted down to take a look.
The object that was hurting his foot was soaking in a pool of blood; it was only about the size of a finger joint. Old Zhang felt a wave of unease, thinking it was a human or animal bone. He was about to kick it away when a thought struck him. If it were bone, shouldn't it have decomposed and become brittle after soaking in blood for a while? How could it still hurt his foot?
Thinking this, driven by curiosity, he looked over more closely, but what he saw made Old Zhang's expression change instantly.
Seeing him staring at his feet, the fat man asked, "What's wrong?"
Old Zhang glanced at him, then lowered his head and said, "This...this thing looks like a bullet casing?"
The fat man was taken aback. "Bullet casings? Aren't those things from a pistol?"
Old Zhang nodded repeatedly, reached out and picked up the bullet casing, wiped the bloodstains off the casing with his clothes, revealing the golden-yellow exterior of the casing.
It's true!
Old Zhang was overjoyed.
The presence of bullet casings indicates that someone fired a shot in the vicinity.
Within this safe zone, what kind of people might have guns?
Without a doubt, only the people inside the final fortress possess weapons like guns!
Old Zhang ran excitedly to Wang Lan's side, handed her the spent cartridge, and said, "Look, what's this?"
Wang Lan and Sun Muchen had only heard of guns, but had never actually seen one, let alone bullets.
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