Chapter 164 You're a liar!
"Thank you so much!"
"It's cold outside, please come in and have a seat."
The survivors warmly invited them inside.
Fu Jinxing arrived a little late; the zombies had already been dealt with by Shen Han.
He led his men and slowly entered the house, following behind Qiao Xi and Shen Han.
It's getting late today. The other floors of this building are all habitable, so Fu Jinxing plans to stay here for the night and set off again tomorrow morning.
"Luo Xiang, go and tell the people below to move the things in. We'll rest here tonight."
After Luo Xiang's assistant left, Fu Jinxing, Qiao Xi, and others were invited into the house.
The rescued survivors took out some biscuits they had saved up at the bottom of their chests and said tentatively, "You must be hungry. Have something to eat first. There's nothing else to eat here, just these. Please don't mind."
It seems there are no wood-type ability users among them; these should be their last supplies.
Josie did not refuse to go back and let them deliver the supplies to her.
Meanwhile, the three superpowered individuals and their newly rescued companions huddled together, quietly discussing their future.
Ultimately, they unanimously decided to follow Josie's powerful team out of the city and head to the suburbs to seek a better life.
However, not everyone can leave easily.
In the crowd, a middle-aged man with gray hair and a sallow complexion sat leaning against the corner of the wall. His left leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, and his trouser leg was soaked with dark brown dried blood, clearly indicating that he had not yet recovered from a serious injury.
He spoke in a hoarse voice, "You...you should go, don't worry about me. My leg is useless, I'll only be a burden to you. Let me stay here and keep Old Zhang and Old Wang company..."
The old Zhang and old Wang he mentioned have been left here forever.
"No, Uncle, you only injured your leg. We'll go with these superhumans, and you'll be fine."
As they were talking, Fu Jin walked over to Qiao Xi's side.
He opened his palm, and a vial emitting a faint blue glow was handed to him.
Qiao Xi didn't answer immediately. "Brother Jinxing, this is something you should handle."
Both understood what the other was thinking; they were already prepared to take their money.
But whoever makes the first move, these people will be even more grateful to that person.
Fu Jinxing smiled and shook his head, placing the cold vial into her palm. "Xixi, my battlefield is in the laboratory, but leading everyone to survive and uniting people's hearts... that's what you're good at."
The cool vial pressed against my palm, yet it felt as if it were burning hot.
Fu Jinxing's words were like a key, completely unlocking the door to ambition in her heart.
Yes, in her past life she had had enough of being unable to control her own destiny, and had had enough of struggling to survive in the cracks.
She wants power, she wants a voice, she wants to control her own future!
Under Fu Jinxing's firm and expectant gaze, Qiao Xi slowly closed her fingers, gripping the few vials that carried both hope and danger. The last trace of hesitation in her eyes faded, replaced by a resolute determination.
"Okay." She uttered a single word, her voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable force.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone—whether expectant, doubtful, or wary—Josh walked step by step toward the middle-aged man with the broken leg.
She knelt down in front of him, looking directly into his cloudy and desperate eyes, and opened her palm, revealing a dark blue potion that looked particularly mysterious in the dim light.
“Uncle,” Josie’s voice was clear and calm, “I have a potion here. It can not only heal your injuries in a very short time,” she paused, looking at the sudden light in the man’s eyes, “but it may also… awaken your superpowers, giving you the strength to survive in this apocalypse.”
The man sat bolt upright, his withered face flushed with a sickly red from excitement, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Little...little girl, you...you're telling the truth? Is there really such a miraculous medicine that can cure my leg? And...and turn me into a superhuman?"
“Yes, I’m not lying to you.” Josie’s gaze was frank and sharp. “But,”
Her tone suddenly turned somber, "This potion is still in the experimental stage, with a success rate of only about 70%. That means there's nearly a 30% chance... you'll fail and turn into a zombie on the spot."
“Thirty percent…” the man murmured, repeating the number, his eyes filled with intense struggle.
He looked at his crippled leg, then glanced around at the numb and desperate faces of the survivors around him, and finally his gaze fell on the potion in Josie's hand that was emitting an alluring glow.
Time seemed to stand still, with only the piercing sound of the cold wind howling through the broken window.
Just seconds later, the man suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with an almost crazed light, and roared hoarsely and resolutely, "I'm willing! Don't say there's a 30% chance! Even if there's a 90% chance I'll turn into a monster, I'll accept it! I'm a cripple, living a life worse than death in this world. I'm willing to try!"
He stretched out his withered, grimy hand and eagerly reached for the medicine.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Josie placed the cold vial into the man's trembling hand.
Without any hesitation, even with a sense of relief and eagerness, the man bit open the metal cap with his teeth, tilted his head back, and drank the viscous, dark blue liquid inside in one gulp.
The cold liquid slid down my throat, bringing a strange burning sensation.
All eyes were fixed on the man, as if they could hear their own hearts pounding.
One second... ten seconds... half a minute... time slowly passed in a tense atmosphere.
The excitement on the man's face was gradually replaced by a strange flush. He felt the changes in his body and was about to say something when the flush on his face faded at a visible speed, replaced by a rapidly spreading deathly gray.
His eyes began to cloud, and hideous blood vessels appeared on the whites of his eyes. A strange "hoarse" sound, like a broken bellows, came from his throat. His body began to convulse uncontrollably, and his fingernails grew longer and turned black at a visible speed...
Josie closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the cold, rotten air, and when she opened them again, only a faint regret remained in her eyes. "It failed."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.
"Liars! You're liars! You killed Uncle Wang!" A young girl among the survivors burst into a heart-wrenching cry, pointing at Josie with grief and indignation.
Before Josie could explain, the converted superhumans in the group stepped forward one after another.
"They weren't lying!" The man's voice swept firmly across the room. "We're all ordinary people! We became superhumans only after using this catalyst. Before he drank it, he was clearly told there was a 30% chance of turning into a zombie! He did it voluntarily!"
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