Chapter 729 Returning to Ordinary Life (The Finale)
Three years later, the city of Harbin began to flourish.
In the streets and alleys, busy people come and go...
Everyone wore a bright smile because they had all experienced a wonderful life.
...
In the very heart of the ice city, that ice villa still stands.
Compared to three years ago, it hasn't changed much, except that a small garden enclosed by a fence has been added on the north side.
In this small garden, not only are there flowers blooming even in the cold season, but also various potted plants carefully cultivated by Chen Hai...
On this day, two figures appeared in the small garden.
Chen Hai and a man in his thirties set up a chessboard and sat on two simple wooden stools to begin their game.
The same scene repeats itself every day for the past few months.
And that man was none other than Han Shuo!
...
Yes, he survived the emergency treatment three years ago.
According to Li Shurou later, it was a miracle that Han Shuo survived!
Of course, Han Shuo knew that Li Shurou deserved the majority of the credit for the rescue operation.
After all, miracles also require people to create them, don't they?
However, although he survived, he paid a heavy price.
For example, he slept on an ice bed for a year before waking up.
For example, after waking up, he rested in bed for another year before he was able to get out of bed and move around.
For example, with all his evolutionary abilities destroyed, he is no longer the most powerful human being, but simply... an ordinary person whose body is stronger than his peers...
Han Shuo is gradually adapting to all these changes.
He never complained about the changes his body was undergoing.
At least I survived, right?
What could be more important than life...?
...
Before they knew it, the game of chess between the two was nearing its end.
"General!"
"Hahaha! Xiao Shuo, you lost again today."
Han Shuo looked at Chen Hai, who was so excited that he was waving his arms and legs in front of him, and shook his head with a wry smile.
"Sigh, you're already this old, why are you still acting like a child? Uncle Hai, if you keep going like this, you'll turn into an old rascal."
After hearing this, Chen Hai awkwardly scratched his head.
There's nothing I can do, he's happy because he won the game...
Immediately afterwards, the old man and the young man started the second game.
...
When the Nth game was halfway through, Chen Hai glanced at his watch and quickly put down the chess pieces and ran towards the villa.
"Oh no, we've had so much fun, it's past noon! Xiao Shuo, you keep playing by yourself, Uncle Hai needs to cook for you!"
"Alright!"
...
After Chen Hai left, Han Shuo was left alone in the small garden.
He frowned as he studied the unfinished game on the chessboard in front of him, and the moment he looked up, his eyes widened in shock.
He noticed that, under Chen Hai's small wooden stool, one of his chess pieces had been hidden away sometime during the night...
Seeing this, Han Shuo smiled helplessly.
"Uh... no wonder I kept losing today, so that's why."
"That's strange. When did Uncle Hai become so wicked? Did he learn it from Fatty?"
...
Today, only he and Chen Hai were inside the Ice Villa.
Since the apocalypse ended, his brothers have gone their separate ways.
Apart from him and Chen Hai, who were leisurely staying at home with nothing to do, everyone else started to get completely busy.
Qingyu remains the highest leader here, making it difficult for Han Shuo to even find his old friend to chat.
After all, he had a lot of things to deal with in the years since the apocalypse ended...
As for Lun En, he remained in the second-in-command position, assisting Qing Yu on the sidelines, just as before...
The silver-haired group had already followed the white-haired group back to their main base.
These intelligent cyborgs, with Qingyu's consent, gradually began to establish their own new power in the West...
As before, Xiao Zhao continued to serve as the instructor for training the new recruits.
He really liked this job because every day... there were countless fights to be fought.
Uh... no, it's that there are countless new recruits who need to be trained...
Li Shurou was busy all day and didn't return until late at night.
She has completely inherited Dr. Lin's mantle, working part-time as a doctor, but her main job is to help young researchers overcome various technical difficulties...
As for the fat guy, Han Shuo really had no idea what the kid had been doing all this time.
He was too lazy to ask any further questions. In short, the fat man had been acting all mysterious lately.
The longest I've ever been away from home was over half a month before I returned...
Cheng Shenghong was the most dashing person among them.
He and Lao Wu, along with their brothers, had long since set off to travel to various corners of the world to enjoy the sights and scenery.
He said: None of the positions around Qingyu are suitable for them; a free life is what they ultimately yearn for.
...
And there's wind...
The news of his departure had already reached everyone in Ice City while Han Shuo was unconscious.
Only then did they realize that during the apocalypse, there was a hero silently protecting them.
Feng's body still lies beneath that big tree. Han Shuo's daily life consists of spending time with Chen Hai and frequently visiting that place to pay respects to his brother.
Every time he went there, Han Shuo would stay for a long time before leaving.
This is the only pain in his heart during the two years since he regained consciousness!
...
Apart from Han Shuo and others, no one is allowed to set foot within a two-kilometer radius of the location where Feng's remains are located.
This was the first order Qingyu issued after the apocalypse ended, and this order lasted for nearly a hundred years, until the disappearance of their generation... until the remnants of the wind slowly dissipated with the passage of time.
Simply because the wind prefers quiet, and it doesn't like being disturbed by strangers...
...
One day, after Han Shuo finished paying respects to Feng and returned to Bingcheng, he bumped into a fat man running towards him.
The fat man seemed extremely excited and dragged him toward the city.
"Hahaha! You're finally back! I've been waiting for you for ages! Come on, I'll take you to a great place!"
And so, Han Shuo was forced to board a helicopter with the fat man.
Inside the helicopter, he was also blindfolded by the fat man with a black eye mask.
A few hours later, he was dizzy and didn't know where the fat man had taken him.
...
After the helicopter arrived at the target location, it slowly descended from the air. The moment the blindfold over Han Shuo's eyes was removed, he was completely stunned.
At this moment, the fat man excitedly shouted from the side.
"Hahaha! Look, does this place look familiar?"
How could Han Shuo not be familiar with it? The newly built high-rise buildings in front of him, every tree and blade of grass in the green belts on both sides, and the layout of every passageway were all just like the ones Han Shuo remembered.
Isn't this exactly the same neighborhood where he first lived?
At that moment, he finally understood what the fat man had been busy with all this time...
...
As Han Shuo gazed at the people coming and going, the calm surface of his heart began to ripple.
The fat man watched as his brother stood there, unable to come to his senses for a long time, and was also moved by the atmosphere.
He composed himself and patiently explained it to Han Shuo.
"This is the first city we rebuilt after the apocalypse ended."
I named it: Xinhua City!
"Xinhua City was built according to my plan. Although the geographical location has changed, everything here is the living environment that you and I were once most familiar with..."
...
Listening to the fat man's explanation, Han Shuo gradually came to his senses.
He frowned, then interrupted with a smile.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
"Xinhua City? Fatty, don't be ridiculous."
"This place is indeed as I remember it, but turning left at the main gate leads to the suburbs. This place is so small, it's just a residential area, how can it be considered a city?"
After hearing this, the fat man was clearly unhappy.
He pouted and quickly retorted, "Oh, never mind that, if I say it's a city, then it's a city!"
"It's not completely finished yet. It will continue to expand outwards gradually. One day, it will truly reach the size of a city."
"Well……"
Han Shuo hesitated, then decided against arguing with the fat man.
"Okay, whatever you say goes..."
Then he turned his head and continued to admire the scenery in the neighborhood.
...
After an unknown amount of time, the fat man broke the silence once again.
This time, he had a serious expression on his face and didn't act up again.
"Brother, you'll be staying here from now on."
"Although you usually have a relaxed expression on your face, I know... you haven't been truly happy in the past two years."
"You've probably been through so much, and you're probably a little tired."
"Or perhaps there are painful memories in the Ice City, after all..."
At this point, the fat man paused, the words he wanted to say remaining unspoken.
"Anyway, a change of environment can change your mood. You can stay here for now. After we finish helping Brother Qingyu with his work, we'll move in to keep you company."
...
Han Shuo understood the fat man's good intentions this time, and without saying much, he simply nodded in agreement.
Then he asked.
"Where's Uncle Hai? Isn't he moving in with me?"
"oops!"
The fat man chuckled and waved his hand in response.
"Uncle Hai wanted to come over, but I didn't let him."
"After all, Xiao Zhao and my wife can't bear to part with him either..."
“We’re not home for long periods of time now. After he moves out of the Ice Villa, it will feel empty when we go back.”
"Besides, didn't you say before that you're used to living alone? Don't worry, we'll take good care of Uncle Hai."
"Hmm...that's true."
Han Shuo nodded, not dwelling on the issue too much.
Indeed, he also missed the time when he lived alone.
...
"Oh, right, there's one more thing."
The fat man suddenly spoke, a wide smile of excitement on his face.
“When this new city was being built, I casually put your name on all the property certificates, and even the ownership of this city belongs to you.”
"When time goes by and everyone's lives gradually return to normal, everyone living here will have to pay you rent."
"How about it, brother? I've thought of everything thoroughly, haven't I?"
Han Shuo nodded in satisfaction and jokingly said something with a smile.
"Am I going to be a landlady from now on? Hmm... that's interesting."
"What landlady? You're a man, you should be called landlord."
The fat man immediately retorted, giving Han Shuo a look that said, "Ignorance is truly terrifying."
Afterwards, he stood there and began to think seriously.
He quickly clapped his hands with his fist and offered a better suggestion.
"However, the name 'Landlord' is too petty. I've thought of a more suitable title for you!"
"Landlord! How about being a landlord? Doesn't that sound cool! After all, this whole neighborhood... ptooey! Pshaw! After all, this whole city belongs to you!"
...
"Landlord? Hmm...not bad, not bad, definitely more domineering than landlord."
Just as Han Shuo was imagining himself knocking on doors until his hands cramped up to collect rent in the future,
A soldier who had followed the two from afar hurried over.
He saluted the fat man respectfully and handed him a cell phone.
"General Wu, it's the commander on the phone."
As soon as the words fell, Han Shuo's eyes widened, and he glanced at the fat man with a surprised look.
"General Wu?"
He never expected that a joke that the kid once made casually would now come true.
Over the years, the fat man actually managed to climb up to the rank of general from Qingyu's side...
...
"Okay, I understand. You may leave now."
The fat man took the phone from the soldier and waved it away.
He frowned and slid the answer button, turning on the speakerphone as he did so.
Before he could even say "hello," the next moment, Qingyu's roar from afar instantly rang out on the phone.
"Wu Chengbin!!"
"Where did you take Han Shuo? Bring him back to me right now!"
"Tell him that I'm waiting to retire, and that he should come and take over as soon as possible. I will only be truly at ease if I leave this position to him!"
"I'll repeat myself! This is an order, an order!"
"Bring Han Shuo back to me now! Immediately! Right now!"
...
The barrage of insults startled the fat man, while Han Shuo was already laughing uncontrollably on the spot...
The fat man rolled his eyes at Qingyu for snickering and had no choice but to explain.
“I’m telling you, Brother Qingyu, you’ve tried this before.”
"If my brother wanted the position of commander, he would have agreed long ago."
"Han Shuo doesn't like these things..."
"..."
There was a brief silence on the phone, but soon Qingyu's scolding voice rang out again.
"Hmm... never mind, I can't control him, but I can control you!"
"Do you know how scarce our helicopter fuel is right now?"
"The apocalypse has only been over for three years, and we have a ton of things to deal with. And you're still running around in a helicopter?"
"Han Shuo, go wherever you want, but you better get back to work right now!"
"Now that you're a general, can't you set a good example for your subordinates?"
"General Wu, can you please give me a break!"
Fatty: ...
Seeing Han Shuo still chuckling beside him, he spread his arms and replied helplessly to Qing Yu.
"Alright, my esteemed Commander Qingyu, I understand, I understand, I will return now."
And so, the phone call finally ended.
...
Han Shuo stepped forward, patted the fat man on the shoulder, and said.
"Go back, don't let Brother Qingyu call and urge us again."
"Um."
The fat man nodded and reluctantly turned to leave.
Just as he was about to board the helicopter, his raised foot suddenly stopped in mid-air.
The next instant, the fat man suddenly turned around, ran quickly to Han Shuo, and gave his first and most important brother a bear hug.
The two quickly separated after their embrace.
The fat man's eyes were slightly red as he kept giving Han Shuo instructions.
"Don't worry, you won't be lonely here. There aren't many people here yet, but it's warmer here, and more people from the Ice City will move here gradually."
"Also, I know you're not very good at cooking, but don't worry, you definitely won't starve."
“I already called over a group of middle-aged women who know how to cook. They will bring a cart to your building every day.”
"Although my cooking skills are definitely not as good as Uncle Hai's, I should still be able to eat it..."
"Also, remember to call us often!"
...
At this moment, it seemed as if the fat man was pouring out all his worries to Han Shuo.
At this moment, the deep bond forged between the two brothers who first met in the apocalypse seemed incomparable to anything else...
It wasn't until ten minutes later that the fat man finally turned and left, reluctantly...
...
"Don't worry! We'll definitely come over to keep you company after we've finished helping Brother Qingyu with his work!"
On the helicopter, the fat man clung to the open cabin door with both hands, loudly saying goodbye to Han Shuo.
Han Shuo, with a smile on his face, waved his arms on the ground.
He still hasn't gotten used to this kind of parting.
After thinking it over and over for a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"If you all come to stay with me, remember to pay me rent!"
"Tch! You stingy little thing, I'll owe you that now, and pay you back in my next life!"
...
And so, with Han Shuo watching him go, the fat man left...
He stood there for a long, long time before he gradually came to his senses.
Without thinking further, he turned around and, relying on his memory, walked to the entrance of a building.
He remembered that the fat man used to block the door from this very spot.
Looking back now, the chubby figure holding an iron pipe and constantly poking at the zombies still has a slightly comical feel to it.
...
Then, instead of taking the elevator, Han Shuo slowly walked up the stairs one step at a time to the stairwell.
Scenes from the past kept flashing before my eyes...
He still remembers that this is where he first fought.
However, this time, there were no zombies in the stairwell, and the walls were no longer covered in foul-smelling filth.
Everything was so neat and peaceful...
...
Finally, he reached the sixth floor and stopped in front of a security door.
This is his home, where he lived for a long time.
Place your palm on the door handle, and the fingerprint unlocking authentication is complete, unlocking the door.
Opening the door, Han Shuo walked into his old home...
...
The moment Han Shuo entered the house, he looked at the layout of the living room and couldn't shake off his emotions.
The sofa, table, computer, coffee table... are all exactly the same as before.
Yes, Fatty used to live here too. With his current abilities, it wouldn't be difficult for him to recreate a home exactly like the original one for Han Shuo.
The only difference is that there is now an elegant glass cabinet on the wall.
Just as Han Shuo was curiously preparing to go over and check, he caught a glimpse of an iron pipe on the table beside him out of the corner of his eye...
Looking at the iron pipe that had been removed from the shower room, Han Shuo smiled, a happy smile.
Because this was the weapon the fat man initially used when fighting the zombies...
...
"This kid, don't actually take the metal pipe off my shower."
Han Shuo shook his head with a wry smile, picked up the iron pipe on the table, and walked to the glass cabinet.
Inside the cabinet, there are compartments one after another.
On top of each compartment were the things Han Shuo was most familiar with.
There was Cheng Shenghong's revolver, Xiao Zhao's baseball cap, the book that Li Shurou always held in her hand, with an empty syringe on top of it... Even Chen Hai's large iron ladle for cooking was placed in the compartment.
When Han Shuo looked at the top square, his eyes reddened once again.
Inside this compartment are the sunglasses that Feng used to wear...
"That fatso really doesn't want me to forget everyone..."
With a smile tinged with tears, Han Shuo murmured to himself, regained his composure, opened the cabinet door, and placed the iron pipe in his hand into the central empty slot.
Immediately afterwards, he untied the Tang sword from his waist and examined it tenderly.
brush!
The meteorite Tang sword was drawn once again, and a tiny crack appeared faintly on the blade.
This is what he left behind when he made his final strike that day.
This is also the mark left behind by him and Feng after their victory against the zombie king in that great battle!
...
brush!
The meteorite Tang sword was sheathed, and Han Shuo hung it next to the glass cabinet.
He gently stroked the Tang sword, murmuring softly.
"Old buddy, you've had a tough journey..."
...
...
Two years later.
River, riverbank, a lone figure, wielding a sword...
The Tang sword in Han Shuo's hand seemed like a swimming dragon, dancing wildly and dazzlingly in his hand.
"receive!"
Before he knew it, he had been exercising for an hour.
Han Shuo spun the Tang sword in his hand once, then flicked his wrist, sending the sword flying into the air. Without looking up, he turned away.
In that instant, the Tang sword in mid-air landed precisely in the scabbard at Han Shuo's waist.
"Clap clap clap clap!"
Familiar applause came from the shore.
Han Shuo, as if he were already used to it, didn't look at it, but put on his coat and got up to walk home.
Just then, he looked up and saw a scene he would never forget...
On the shore, a row of people are standing here!
Qingyu, Lunen, Zheng Deliang, Yu Qing, silver hair, blonde hair, red hair, purple hair... Cheng Shenghong, Lao Wu, Chen Hai, Xiao Zhao (Zhao Yu)...
Closest to him, Li Shurou and Fatty (Wu Chengbin) were waving excitedly, with a toddler just learning to walk being held between them...
Everyone Han Shuo knew best was there!
He raised his arm and instinctively reached forward to grab something.
Just then, a gentle breeze brushed past his fingertips.
The next moment, Han Shuo's eyes glazed over, and he called out softly.
"Wind, is that you...?"
So... everyone was there!
...
The fiery red sunrise slowly rose from the east, its rays spreading across the land.
It brings endless vitality to all things and eternal hope to people!
The sunlight shone on Han Shuo's face, so warm, so very warm...
He slowly closed his eyes, a bright smile appearing on his lips.
"It's so good to be alive!"
——————————————————
This concludes the book, "Apocalyptic Survival: The Horde of Zombies."
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