Chapter 38 The Honesty of Zhou Min, the Lost Son
Cheng Zhiyu didn't think this was just an accident. He looked at Feng Rui, who seemed to be caught off guard by Tian Manman's sudden reaction.
Cheng Zhiyu asked calmly, "Where did you live before the apocalypse?"
Feng Rui blurted it out without thinking, and then, for some reason, his heart skipped a beat.
Upon hearing the familiar place name, Cheng Zhiyu was almost certain that it was the village where they had met Tian Manman.
No wonder Tian Manman reacted this way upon seeing Feng Rui; he was probably the culprit who locked her in the cellar.
But now is clearly not the time to talk about this. We need to appease Tian Manman as soon as possible. Cheng Zhiyu gave Feng Rui a deep look, and then he and Tian Qiao took Tian Manman away from here.
The baby-faced girl, who was struggling with her decision, looked left and right before quickly following Cheng Zhiyu and the others.
Feng Rui was completely bewildered. He couldn't understand why such an accident had occurred before he could even finish his carefully prepared opening remarks. And... the voice of that superhuman who suddenly screamed was so familiar. He frowned and thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure out who it was.
"Feng Rui, are you sick in the head? Why are you following me!" Wang Li glared at Feng Rui, furious. She was not only afraid that her mistake had caused trouble and brought others along, which might make Cheng Zhiyu and the others resentful, but also because she felt sorry for them.
Feng Rui was a scoundrel. He had no interest in talking to Wang Li and glanced at her, saying, "This road is yours, what's it to you?"
Wang Li: "...You!"
As Feng Rui pondered the events of the moment, he quickened his pace; he needed to go back and ask his mother some questions.
——
Over here, Tian Manman finally calmed down after being comforted.
But when Tian Qiao brought up what had just happened, the other person covered their head, which scared Tian Qiao so much that she didn't dare to say anything more.
After Tian Manman rested, Tian Qiao followed Cheng Zhiyu out and asked with a headache, "What's wrong with Manman? She was fine before."
Over this period of time, although Tian Manman still doesn't like to interact with people much, and she keeps her head down and doesn't say a word when she meets strangers, she would never be so suddenly stimulated as she is today.
Moreover, Feng Rui was some distance away from them at the time, so it was definitely not the reason why Tian Manman felt her territory had been offended.
Cheng Zhiyu glanced in the direction of Tian Manman's room and said, "Because of Feng Rui."
"Feng Rui? That guy from just now?" Tian Qiao asked, puzzled.
Cheng Zhiyu then recounted what he had just asked. Feng Rui was clearly from the same place as Tian Manman: "Even if Manman being locked in the cellar had nothing to do with him, he had probably bullied her before, so Manman was instinctively afraid when she saw him."
Tian Qiao felt heartbroken. Tian Manman had come all the way with them, and he had long regarded her as his own brother. The thought that the person who had bullied his brother was in the base made him want to avenge Tian Manman.
"That bastard Feng Rui actually dared to show up in front of Manman!" Tian Qiao gritted her teeth in anger.
Cheng Zhiyu guessed, "He probably didn't recognize Manman."
After all, Tian Manman used to be timid and cowardly, dressed in tattered clothes, with very long hair, and was dirty all over. But now, the other person has neat short hair, is clean all over, and looks like an introverted and handsome young man.
Feng Rui couldn't possibly recognize such a change immediately, and whether the other party would realize it after returning home was unknown.
However, it doesn't matter.
"Tsk, he still dares to show up in front of me." Tian Qiao clenched her fist: "It was fine if he didn't show up before, but now that he dares to show up, I'll make him regret it."
Tian Qiao clearly didn't intend to let Feng Rui off easily.
Cheng Zhiyu nodded, agreeing with Tian Qiao's idea: "You bullied Manman, how can you let it go so easily? Do you really think Manman is like before, with no one to back her up?"
Tian Qiao patted Cheng Zhiyu on the shoulder: "Chengzi, I knew you thought the same thing."
However, they knew nothing about Feng Rui and had to ask Wang Li.
After they had discussed it, Cheng Zhiyu realized that Babyface had followed them. Xiao Hei was perched on the wardrobe, looking down at Babyface sitting on the sofa from time to time, making the latter feel inexplicably pressured.
Cheng Zhiyu walked over and opened his arms to the wardrobe: "Come down."
Xiao Hei jumped down from the wardrobe and landed right in Cheng Zhiyu's arms.
Cheng Zhiyu patted him: "Isn't the wardrobe dirty? You just lay down on it?"
Xiao Hei pressed its paw against Cheng Zhiyu's mouth, then immediately withdrew its paw: "I have water-based abilities, so I made it very clean."
Cheng Zhiyu chuckled and pinched Xiao Hei's ear.
Xiao Hei's words were only audible to him, so to those who didn't know better, it appeared as if Cheng Zhiyu was talking to himself.
The baby-faced man coughed awkwardly, "Your dog... is quite agile."
After all, he had only ever seen cats lying on top of wardrobes.
Cheng Zhiyu glanced at the baby-faced man: "Why are you still here?"
Seeing his coldness, the baby-faced girl felt a pang of sadness: "Aren't we friends?"
Okay, he admitted that when he first followed Cheng Zhiyu and the others, he did have the idea of getting free meals and drinks, but later he found that they were really rare and kind people.
Survival in the apocalypse is harsh, and many people either tear off their masks of hypocrisy or are forced to become scheming and backstabbing. He hadn't seen people like Cheng Zhiyu and his group in a long time.
Cheng Zhiyu didn't speak. Xiao Hei looked up, its mouth accidentally touching the other's chin. It quickly looked down, flicked its tail as if trying to cover up the mistake, and glanced at the baby-faced man with a sly look: What friend? There are plenty of people who want to be Zhiyu's friend. Get in line.
Without realizing it, Xiao Hei's way of addressing Cheng Zhiyu became much more affectionate.
Cheng Zhiyu was silent for a while before saying, "I can't get along openly with people who are suspected of having ties to the government."
Official status not only means protection, but also... surveillance.
Just like before the apocalypse, ordinary people might never come into contact with government officials in their entire lives, but Cheng Zhiyu has a secret, and if they were to come into contact with him, it wouldn't be a good thing.
Moreover, in Cheng Zhiyu's view, if they can't get along openly, then it's better not to get along at all, so as to save himself the trouble of having to be on guard all the time.
The baby-faced man looked distressed: "I have no connection with the authorities. I was indeed among the first to enter the base, but that doesn't mean I'm an official."
Seeing that he had laid it all out, Cheng Zhiyu said, "But you have connections with the government. We're used to being free and don't like to have contact with the government."
“Yes, there is a connection… My brother used to be in the army. When the apocalypse first came, he sacrificed himself to complete a mission.” The baby-faced man felt there was nothing wrong with saying it, so he simply said, “At that time, the army had a policy that you could exchange military merits for a family member quota to go to the base. I was the only one in my family, so my brother gave it to me… Later, I came to the base. The base’s officials are from the military. There was indeed a comrade-in-arms that my brother was particularly close to. He did take care of me, but it was all a private relationship.”
Looking at the baby face, Cheng Zhiyu could tell that the other person wasn't lying. He paused for a few seconds and then said, "I'm sorry."
“Well, it’s not that this is something you can’t talk about.” The baby-faced man shrugged. “I don’t mention it to avoid people thinking I have powerful connections. Besides, I don’t want to involve my brother’s comrades in what I’ve done.”
Cheng Zhiyu thought of the baby-faced man's ability to offend people: "..." It's definitely better to keep it a secret, otherwise the other party will be busy cleaning up the baby-faced man's mess all day.
"Let me formally introduce myself, my name is Zhou Min." The baby-faced man smiled and extended his hand. "We can be considered friends now, alright?"
Cheng Zhiyu smiled and shook hands with him: "My name is Cheng Zhiyu."
Xiao Hei glanced at their clasped hands and found them inexplicably irritating, but thankfully they separated quickly.
He placed his paw on Cheng Zhiyu's hand and rubbed it against it subtly.
Cheng Zhiyu tucked his fingers in: "What's Xiao Hei doing? It's making my hands itchy."
Little Black flicked its tail and retracted its paws.
"Um... are you guys leaving the base after this?" Zhou Min eagerly leaned closer to Cheng Zhiyu, only to find Xiao Hei standing on Cheng Zhiyu's shoulder closest to him, glaring at him.
Xiao Hei: What are you doing! Keep your distance!
Cheng Zhiyu didn't notice how fierce Xiao Hei was. Zhou Min was honest enough, and there was nothing to hide: "Yeah, we won't be staying for long."
Zhou Min immediately perked up: "Then take me with you! We're friends now, so take me with you."
Cheng Zhiyu thought of how Zhou Min's legs ached after walking all day, and after a moment of silence, he said for his own good, "I think you're better off staying at the base."
“The base is so boring, and…” Zhou Min scratched his face: “I’ve offended too many people. If I don’t run away, I’m afraid I’ll really get killed.”
Cheng Zhiyu said helplessly, "Can't you tone it down a little?"
Zhou Min lowered his head and clasped his hands: "I couldn't help it."
"Brother Cheng, please take me with you." Zhou Min pleaded with his eyes full of hope. Seeing that Cheng Zhiyu didn't speak, he coughed lightly and said, "Actually, I have a secret that I haven't dared to tell anyone, but I think you are a good person."
Cheng Zhiyu suddenly felt immense pressure: "Uh... why don't you just keep it a secret and not tell me?"
"No, I've already made up my mind!" Zhou Min said. "Besides, if I told you, you would definitely take me with you."
Cheng Zhiyu: "No..."
Zhou Min: "Actually, I am a dual-elemental ability user. My other ability is... healing."
Cheng Zhiyu was stunned when he heard this. He really didn't expect Zhou Min to be dual-type, and the other one was a healing type.
When they entered the Chaoyang Base, they could already see how popular the healing style was.
Not only because of its healing abilities, but also because of its preciousness and rarity.
Zhou Min had been keeping this ability hidden, clearly not wanting anyone to know, but now he'd told him. Honestly, Cheng Zhiyu was under a lot of pressure. Did he have such a trustworthy face? Why did he blurt out everything?
"Don't you want your team to have another healing ability user?" Zhou Min unleashed his ultimate move: "Besides, my healing ability is already at level three."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhiyu unconsciously raised an eyebrow: "Level three?"
Zhou Min nodded: "It can regenerate severed limbs."
Cheng Zhiyu: "Have you tried it?"
Zhou Min nodded.
Cheng Zhiyu was puzzled. This shouldn't be the case. Zhou Min had never revealed his healing ability to anyone, had he?
Zhou Min quickly answered his question: "I've treated chickens before. I cut off their legs and let them grow back, and then I had plenty of chicken legs to eat."
Cheng Zhiyu: "..."
Zhou Min sighed: "But in the end I couldn't bear it. I felt it was like abusing a chicken, so I let it grow back once and then gave it a quick death."
Cheng Zhiyu remained silent: "Then you're still strangely kind."
Zhou Min: "Haha... It's alright."
Cheng Zhiyu rubbed his forehead, at a loss for words. He remained silent for a moment before asking, "How did you get promoted to level three?"
Upgrading one's superpowers is actually quite difficult. Moreover, the base currently seems to only have one level three healing ability, which has been well protected by the authorities and is generally inaccessible to the average person.
Zhou Min touched his nose: "I often get beaten up, and then I treat my own injuries. Over time, I got promoted."
Cheng Zhiyu has been speechless countless times today. Indeed, most superpowers are upgraded by constantly consuming them, but the feeling of completely consuming superpowers is very uncomfortable.
The healing specialists recruited by the authorities are limited to a certain number of patients they can treat each day; after all, who would work so hard at a regular job?
Under such circumstances, the upgrade of superpowers will naturally not be as fast.
Cheng Zhiyu: "I still don't understand why you want to come out and suffer with us. Since you have healing abilities, wouldn't it be better to be recruited by the authorities?"
Although Cheng Zhiyu didn't think so, this was indeed the opinion of most people with superpowers.
Zhou Min frowned upon hearing this: "Forget it. I see those healing types seem glamorous on the surface, with a bunch of people protecting them wherever they go, but isn't that just a disguised form of not having freedom? I don't like that kind of life. I like freedom! It's too boring in the base."
“You’ve probably just arrived from the apocalypse and been protected, so you don’t know how dangerous it is outside,” Cheng Zhiyu had to remind him.
Zhou Min chuckled: "So, I need to find some really strong teammates. Even though you're just an ordinary person, I just feel... you're really strong."
After he finished speaking, he added, "Moreover, I am not suited for official positions because I can't help but point out when I hear others lying, and sooner or later I will be assassinated."
Cheng Zhiyu thought to himself, "You're quite self-aware."
“We’ll stay at the base for a few more days, think it over carefully.” Cheng Zhiyu didn’t immediately agree to Zhou Min’s request, but he liked Zhou Min’s personality.
Don't be fooled by their seemingly carefree attitude; they can keep some things completely hidden, and when it comes to being honest, they can be incredibly honest, to the point of seeming a little silly.
A level three healing system! If word gets out, how many people will covet it?
Cheng Zhiyu couldn't help but voice his thoughts, but Zhou Min said, "Do you think I'm stupid? My ability may seem useless, but it can be very useful in critical moments. My special ability tells me that you are trustworthy."
Cheng Zhiyu understood, and he didn't ask any more questions.
Zhou Min has been so honest, so let him stay here if he wants. He'll find that nothing really matters.
As Tian Qiao came out of Tian Manman's room, Cheng Zhiyu asked with concern, "How is Manman?"
Tian Qiao breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness, she's asleep."
Cheng Zhiyu felt relieved. Now he just needed to ask Wang Li about Feng Rui.
——
The more Feng Rui thought about it, the more familiar Tian Manman's voice sounded, so he quickened his pace to go back.
Granny Chen was humming a song as she tidied up the house. She had taken half a day off today and finally had some time, so she cleaned up her place so her precious son could feel at ease staying there.
I wonder if her son has gotten along well with those people with superpowers. Her son is so likable, he'll definitely be able to do it!
Granny Chen became happier and happier as she thought about it, seeing that even the Queen Mother was unusually refraining from causing trouble.
Just then, Feng Rui returned.
Granny Chen was taken aback for a moment, then quickly came over to ask what was going on: "Rui'er, why are you back so soon?"
Feng Rui frowned in annoyance: "Mom, I suspect that the person I met was that bastard."
Granny Chen was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses. When she did, her first reaction was disbelief: "How could this be! That bastard is an idiot. It's the apocalypse, he should have been bitten to death by zombies long ago, how could he still be alive!"
Feng Rui plopped down on the sofa, looking rather annoyed: "It really was him. I had just said one sentence when he started yelling. That voice... I know it all too well."
He used to make fun of her a lot. Every time he bullied Tian Manman, she would make that sound, exactly the same as the sound she made today.
"He's still alive? Good, good, he's lucky to be alive. Tell me where he is, I'll give him a good beating!" Old Mrs. Chen looked at him with malice as if she had encountered an enemy.
Feng Rui closed his eyes briefly: "You're going? If you go, you can expect him to deal with you."
"That bastard, with his pathetic appearance, dares to mess with me? I'll beat him to death!" Granny Chen said disdainfully.
Feng Rui stated the fact he didn't want to believe: "He's a superhuman now, and we can't afford to mess with him."
Speaking of this makes him feel sad. After the apocalypse, he has always been an ordinary person. He was already psychologically unbalanced and felt that God was so unfair. Why didn't he have any superpowers?
Now that he knows the bastard is likely a superhuman, he finds it even harder to accept. The person he used to be able to trample underfoot has become a superhuman, someone he can only look up to. This disparity is really hard for him.
Granny Chen's eyes widened: "How could that be? He... he's just a fool!"
Seeing that she didn't believe him, Feng Rui added, "Even if he isn't, don't forget that his friends are definitely superhumans."
As mentioned before, Wang Li's group includes people with superpowers.
After saying that, Feng Rui was a little scared: "Mom, he won't retaliate against us, will he? He... he must have recognized me."
Granny Chen immediately gritted her teeth, protecting her son: "He wouldn't dare!"
Feng Rui didn't speak, but smiled dejectedly. They were all superhumans, what were they afraid of? Superhumans had plenty of ways to get revenge on someone.
"Rui'er, don't be afraid. I'll go and call your father back to discuss this." Granny Chen was also a little flustered. She comforted Feng Rui for a few moments and then hurried off to find Feng Hongjian.
Feng Hongjian was called back and was wondering what was going on, but after listening to the mother and son's conversation, he remained silent for a long time: "You mean, Cong'er is now a superhuman?"
Tian Manman actually has a name, Feng Cong. However, after his mother passed away, Feng Hongjian married Chen Pozi. After that, Chen Pozi kept calling him a "bastard" and kept whispering in Feng Hongjian's ear, making him think that Feng Cong's mother had cheated on him and that Feng Cong was not his child.
At first, Feng Hongjian was somewhat protective of Feng Cong, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that what Granny Chen said was right. He believed Granny Chen's words and started calling him "bastard" all the time.
Feng Cong was young at the time, and later, due to the torment he suffered, he forgot that he originally had a name called Feng Cong.
"What Cong'er? He's a bastard!" Granny Chen cursed instinctively.
Feng Hongjian glanced at Granny Chen, said nothing more, only saying, "If Cong'er really becomes a superhuman, we'll still have to rely on him in the future."
One sentence silenced both mother and son. Yes, Feng Hongjian made a good point, but they were still very unhappy.
The thought of having to please that idiot in the future made me feel even more uncomfortable.
Feng Hongjian smiled, as if he had just thought of something: "I never expected Cong'er to have such a great destiny."
Old Mrs. Chen held back her anger, but still managed to refrain from scolding him. She muttered guiltily, "You wish! How did we treat him before? It's already good enough that he hasn't retaliated against us now that he's successful. You think you can enjoy a life of luxury with him? Dream on!"
"That's you guys. I've never joined you in bullying Cong'er." Feng Hongjian hadn't actually bullied her, but he pretended not to see Granny Chen and Feng Rui bullying Tian Manman.
"You!" Granny Chen was furious when she heard this and wanted to curse him, but Feng Hongjian interrupted her: "Don't be hasty. Think about it. If Cong'er is willing to accept me, and I live a good life, would you be left out? Not to mention you, Rui'er is my son."
Feng Rui, who had been silent all along, had a rather unpleasant expression, but upon hearing Feng Hongjian's words, he immediately smiled and said, "Dad, I knew you still cared about me."
Seeing this, Granny Chen hesitated for a moment, but for the sake of her precious son, she finally accepted it.
If that bastard really becomes a superhuman, then naturally we'll have to find a way to get some benefits. However, Granny Chen is a little worried that the other party might not even acknowledge Feng Hongjian, his father.
Feng Hongjian, brimming with confidence, slammed his hand on the table: "He wouldn't dare! I'm his father. What son doesn't acknowledge his father? Even if I was wrong before, I could soften the blow with a few words and an apology, and that would be enough. What more does he want?"
This skinny old man, who used to always have a sorrowful face and could only bow and scrape when he encountered people with superpowers, now felt that he could stand up straight, as if he could completely suppress Tian Manman through blood relations.
Even though he turned a blind eye to Chen Pozi and Feng Rui’s daily bullying of Tian Manman, he never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father.
Feng Hongjian's words filled the family of three with joy. Clearly, they preferred to believe Feng Hongjian's version of events rather than the other possibility.
The thought of being secretly followed by Feng Rui all the way, and the possibility that she might have angered Cheng Zhiyu and the others, made Wang Li feel uneasy.
As soon as she entered the door, she saw Feng Rui and his family of three laughing happily. Wang Li's eyes were practically spitting fire. She stepped forward and questioned, "Feng Rui, why were you secretly following me?"
Before Feng Rui could even speak, Granny Chen began to defend her son: "You brat, how dare you talk like that? I'm warning you, watch your mouth from now on. Our Feng family won't be the same as yours anymore. Be careful, or I'll kick you out of the base!"
Wang Li was almost amused: "Is it Feng Rui's girlfriend again? That's hilarious. She brought back a cold, broken meat pie and is showing it off like it's a treasure."
Feng Rui's face turned ugly, and he couldn't help but say, "What do you know? Among those superhumans you know, do you know who one of them is? It's my... brother!"
Wang Li was stunned for a moment: "Feng Rui, have you lost your mind?"
She clearly didn't believe it, but Feng Hongjian, who was usually silent, said with great confidence, "Rui'er is right, that is indeed my son who got separated from me, and we are preparing to go and reunite with him."
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