Before Qin Yu and his companions arrived at the fishing ground, a small group of soldiers and the people they rescued arrived there.
They arrived in City A after dark, and unfortunately they happened to go to the street where the shopping mall was. Seeing so many zombies on the street, they hurriedly retreated and never entered the urban area of City A again. Instead, they chose to escape on roads with fewer people, and unknowingly walked towards the road to the airport.
Late at night, their two trucks stopped in an open field for a few hours' rest. At daybreak, they hurried back to find their way. The person using military binoculars to find their way stumbled upon the fishing ground's wall. The wall was so thick and so large, it must be a small base!
There were about seventy or eighty ordinary people in their group, a little over twenty soldiers, and only two people with special abilities. They were exhausted and hungry from the journey, so they were naturally excited to see the base and drove there immediately. However, when they got closer, they realized there was no road.
A group of soldiers got off the car to survey, used binoculars to determine the location, and simply sent four people in to explore first.
The four of them came to the wall and knocked on the door cautiously.
Lei Xiao and Xia Lin were practicing sword moves in the open space when they heard a knock on the door and immediately went up to the observation deck to look down. Lei Xiao saw that they were wearing camouflage uniforms, and the military atmosphere was very familiar to him. He smiled and asked, "What's going on?"
Several people stepped back and looked up. One of them said, "Hello, is this the base? We've rescued dozens of people in a nearby city, and they're all outside the woods. Can you join us?"
"Base?" Lei Xiao was stunned for a moment and looked at Xia Lin. "Does this place look like a base?"
Charlene smiled. "From the outside, it does look quite similar." She spoke loudly to the four people, "This is a private place, not a base. I heard there's a safe base two or three cities away. If you want to join the base, you can look for it there, but we don't know where it is."
The four of them looked at each other. They were really too tired, and City A was quite desolate, with no one to be seen. Now they finally saw such a safe place. Lei Xiao and Xia Lin were full of energy and looked like they were living a good life. They really didn't want to walk anymore.
They hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "I see you have a large place here. Can you accommodate us? If you don't like outsiders, could you let us rest for a few days before we leave? Don't worry, we will go out and look for supplies as a reward, and we can also help you with things."
Lei Xiao had said before that he would help Tao Rui recruit some military helpers, but he didn't think about it anymore when they lived in the fishery. But now that it was delivered to his doorstep, he thought he could still consider it. After all, Tao Rui had the qualities to be a leader. Would he just stay in the fishery for the rest of his life?
He asked about the specific situation and which army the four men belonged to. After getting the answer, he ran back to the small building to discuss with Tao Rui.
That's right, he can now run without any worries. Although he has passed his 69th birthday, after practicing for several months, not only has his strength increased a lot, but even his slightly fat belly has disappeared. If it weren't for the wrinkles and white hair on his face, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he is as handsome as a jade tree.
Tao Rui was a little surprised to hear that soldiers were coming. "Grandpa Lei, how do you think they are?"
Lei Xiao touched his stomach out of habit. "I think they're pretty good, full of integrity. But I can't say the same about the people they rescued. I see they look so tired, maybe it's because of those people. How about we just let the soldiers in and keep those people out?"
Tao Rui thought about it and realized that his mission was to protect his people and keep them alive as much as possible, but humans are social animals. Even if there were fifteen of them, the number was still too few and they were too isolated from the world.
This is actually very disadvantageous, because they may gradually lose their understanding of the distorted nature of people in the post-apocalyptic world, and they will easily be deceived when they go out later. It is better to experience the various types of people in the post-apocalyptic world within a safe range.
Tao Rui immediately decided to let those people in.
The road was definitely not open, so the two trucks were left outside, and a group of nearly a hundred people walked in on foot, about a thousand meters away.
They were all tired and hungry, and some of them kept complaining, "Didn't we say we were going to a safe base? Why are we running to a place like this halfway?"
"How come there's not even a road here? Is this some shabby village? I have to walk in here, it's exhausting."
Of course, most people could still see the situation clearly. Some remained silent, while others retorted in disbelief, "If you don't want to, just leave. No one will stay here."
"How can you talk like that? We were all rescued, so why are you so noble? You're not allowed to say anything when you're upset?"
"No one has the obligation to save you. If you're saved, just be honest and be grateful. Do more and talk less. You usually run faster than anyone else when you encounter zombies, but now that you're safe, you just complain. What a bunch of crap!"
"What's wrong? What's wrong with running fast? We are just ordinary people who are powerless. It's the duty of the soldiers to save us."
"Haha, it's been half a year since the end of the world, and you're still saying what should and shouldn't be done. Is this moral kidnapping?"
The crowd was about to start a fight, and the captain of the military at the front was furious. Such ungrateful people should be left outside to fend for themselves. It was only because their duty as soldiers prevented them from abandoning others that they had the opportunity to complain and find fault.
Maybe I should be more indifferent. It's the end of the world, isn't it?
Tao Rui brought the core members of his team to open the door for them, so that everyone could have a first impression of the outsiders.
As the gate opens, the first thing that catches your eye is a very large open space. The only difference from outside the wall is that there are no trees. There is a small second floor and courtyard in the distance.
Everyone's first reaction was a puzzlement. Tao Rui smiled faintly and said, "This is indeed a private place. I wasn't kidding. We built such a large wall just to keep the zombies out and give it some peace and quiet."
Someone complained: "There's nothing here, why are you staying here? Are you crazy?"
Tao Rui looked at the captain of the military team and said, "It seems that some people don't want to come in. Do you want to discuss it again? First of all, we are the only ones living in our yard. If you want to stay temporarily, I can lend you a tent and you can stay here."
"What? You won't even let us into the yard? Go, go, go, hurry up."
"How can we live in this empty lot? There's nothing there. Living in a car is worse than living in a tent."
The captain's face grew increasingly darker, and fearing Tao Rui and the others would change their minds, he said coldly, "Any of you who don't want to stay here can leave now. Our team needs to rest here. The host is kind enough to take us in, so at least we don't have to worry about zombies appearing and can get a good night's sleep. If you want to sleep in the car, go ahead."
"Didn't you say to send us to a safe base?"
"I said it was on the way. Please understand that I have no obligation to take you anywhere. Now we need to rest, you can choose to stay or go." After the military captain said this, he saluted Tao Rui, led all the soldiers into the fishing ground, and quickly set up tents.
Fifty of the remaining seventy or eighty people followed without saying a word.
The number of tents was limited, and four or five people had to squeeze into one tent. If they chose first, they could stay with people they knew or were safe. You have to remember that after traveling for several days, you would encounter many zombies from time to time, and some people would be injured and transformed. We encountered so many the day before, so who knows if anyone was injured.
The military captain even took the initiative to ask, "Do we need to quarantine? There are too many people here, and I'm not sure if anyone is injured."
Tao Rui glanced at them and smiled, "So there are hundreds of zombies here."
Everyone was startled and immediately looked around, "Where...where is the zombie?"
Lei Xiao laughed heartily, touched the sword on his back and said with a smile: "It's obvious. You should stay away from our yard, otherwise you will bear the consequences if anything happens. As for whether the people around you will turn into zombies, you'd better keep an eye on it."
Someone's face changed. "You can't just ignore it. We're all ordinary people. How can we prevent the people around us from turning into zombies? Besides, we're all gathered here. If someone turns into a zombie, wouldn't a lot of people die?"
Zhou Yangyang said unhappily, "Why are you all talking so much nonsense? If you don't want to, just leave. Why are you clinging here? You were originally in the car. If someone turned into a zombie, wouldn't a lot of people die? This big open space is already very scattered, right?"
"What does a child have to do with adults talking?"
"This is my home. I won't like it if you speak rudely!" Zhou Yangyang said as she waved her hand, and the man was immediately frozen into a big block of ice.
A second later, he withdrew his supernatural power and snorted coldly: "If you want to leave, leave quickly. If you want to stay, don't talk nonsense!"
Many people gasped, staring in disbelief at the child who looked like an elementary school student. The two psychics among the soldiers exclaimed, "Peak Level 2! Stronger than us!"
Zhou Yangyang's move immediately silenced those who were complaining. No one dared to find fault anymore, and no one dared to look down on this family with both old and young.
At this time, Xia Lin patted Zhou Yangyang on the head, stood up with a smile and asked everyone to set up the tents in an orderly manner. Everyone obeyed obediently.
Someone would occasionally glance at Ji Yingying and whisper, "It's Ji Yingying! A big star."
The man who had been frozen just now was shivering and couldn't recover for a long time. Hearing this, he murmured in dissatisfaction, "Isn't it just a pretty face? Before the apocalypse, he would hang out with rich men, and after the apocalypse, he would hang out with people with superpowers. Anyway, he just needs to find a financial sponsor. Maybe he will have to accompany several financial sponsors. He has no spine."
Tao Rui narrowed his eyes, and the vine in his hand instantly lengthened. He tied up the man and dragged him directly to the gate, throwing him to the ground several times, leaving him stunned.
"Do you want to get out on your own, or do you want me to throw you out? There are dozens of zombies circled not far to the west. Do you want to go over and give it a try?"
Ji Yingying raised her hand, and a small fire dragon circled the man's head, instantly singeing all his hair. It looked like it had been gnawed by a dog, and the man was so frightened that his face turned pale and his whole body trembled.
Ji Yingying said with a half-smile, "I don't think a third-level psychic like me needs any sponsors. At least I have more backbone than a blood-sucking bug like you."
Ji Yingying had just reached level three, and their couple's move had truly shocked everyone. No one dared to say anything unkind. Some even urged the man to get out of here and not get them into trouble.
Of course, the man didn't dare stay. Wasn't he afraid of death? He scrambled out and ran back to the truck. But he was alone on the road, and fear quickly overwhelmed him. He even huddled down in the car, afraid of being discovered by the zombies and being seen by others.
After they set up their tents, Tao Rui had Wang Wei cook a large pot of porridge for them, just like the traditional porridge relief, and served each of them a bowl. No one complained anymore, as they truly realized that Tao Rui was different from the soldiers. The relief food was really just the most basic relief food, nothing extra.
But even a bowl of hot porridge, though thin, satisfied many. Within such thick walls, being able to eat a hot meal in peace and quiet was the happiest thing they'd experienced during this time. Many people rushed to sleep after finishing their porridge. No one knew when they'd leave, so they might as well conserve their energy. Besides, they wouldn't be hungry once they fell asleep.
Of course, the soldiers still patrol in shifts to prevent people from turning into zombies or encountering other emergencies.
Lei Xiao called the captain aside and questioned them about their situation. He learned that they had been ordered to rescue a scientist, but when they arrived, the scientist was already dead. The original order was a death order, requiring them to risk their lives to get the scientist to a safe base, but they hadn't expected the mission to fail before it even began.
They were very confused. Occasionally, they would rescue trapped people when they saw them on the road. Later, they were vaguely morally blackmailed and not only had to rescue them but also protect them, and even tried their best to collect enough supplies.
More than twenty civilians died along the way, and they also lost ten of their comrades.
At first, they were waiting for instructions from their superiors, but their satellite phones were unavailable. Gradually, they realized they had truly reached the end of the world, seemingly without any superiors. This was why they were so exhausted, and when they saw the fishing grounds, they felt a strong urge to stay. They had lost their way, and, burdened by the pain of their fallen comrades, they didn't know how to move forward.
This was a heavy conversation. Lei Xiao had actually been on the battlefield and had been on missions. No one here understood their suffering better than Lei Xiao.
So after understanding all of this, Lei Xiao patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't be confused. Life always has a direction. Even though I'm old, I still want to see the world after the end of the world."
"The end of the apocalypse?" The captain looked puzzled. Now that there wasn't even a single governing body, only scattered safe bases, could the apocalypse ever truly end? He even noticed the zombies evolving along the way. With so few humans left, how could they continue the struggle?
Lei Xiao laughed out loud and said, "Young man, you must have fighting spirit. Come, let me show you my skills."
Lei Xiao has reached the peak of the second level of Qi training at this time. He does not have spiritual roots like gold, wood, water, fire and earth, but he is a sword cultivator. The sword in his hand can already shoot out sword energy, which is not much worse than the best martial artist in martial arts novels.
He took a few steps back, drew his sword and swung it, pointing it at the big tree in the distance. After a few moves, he swung his sword, and many branches on one side of the tree were immediately cut off and fell off.
The captain's eyes were filled with disbelief. Lei Xiao smiled and said, "How is it? Not bad, right? I'm just a bit of a stunt. Our captain, Tao Rui, who brought you in today, is much more powerful. What he showed today is just the tip of the iceberg. He's a doctor, proficient in both Chinese and Western medicine, and is very good at research.
We who follow him are full of hope for the future. I believe that under his leadership, the apocalypse will eventually come to an end, and perhaps even an old man like me will have the chance to see it."
Lei Xiao ignited a patriotic spirit, and the exhausted captain seemed to have found his direction in an instant. He followed Lei Xiao to meet Tao Rui. Although he did not have superpowers, the two superpowered soldiers in their team still admired him because he had once won the title of Soldier King and had superb individual combat capabilities.
After exchanging a few moves with him in the backyard, Tao Rui gave him a thumbs-up with great satisfaction. "It's not easy to be this strong without any special abilities. No wonder you can lead so many people with such a small number of soldiers."
"In fact, there are still only a few people who don't know what's good for them like today..."
"Then, based on your observations, among these nearly eighty people, how many are truly grateful to you? How many are complaining? How many are indifferent?"
"...one third each."
Tao Rui smiled and asked, "Do you think it's troublesome to manage them?"
The military captain nodded without hesitation. He could manage soldiers and defend the country, but he really couldn't stand managing these civilians. This was not his forte.
Tao Rui said, "You can bring your people to join us, train with Grandpa Lei, and be responsible for guarding. The others will not be your responsibility. I will take over. How about it?"
The captain of the army suddenly felt relieved, as if a burden had been lifted from him. He immediately said, "I'd love to. Thank you for accepting us. I'll go back and tell my brothers."
He saluted Tao Rui and Lei Xiao, then strode back to the open space ahead. The reason he and Lei Xiao trusted each other so well was that they had a lot in common. They had both been on missions before, and although they hadn't met before, they could easily resonate when discussing certain missions, certain armies, or things within their respective systems.
Their world is also very simple, full of vigor and straightforwardness. Lei Xiao even felt his blood boiling when he saw them, and he wanted to make a big move!
Of course, it does not mean doing bad things, but expanding the army and training the most powerful army in the apocalypse.
Seeing Lei Xiao's excitement, Tao Rui said with concern, "Grandpa Lei, please remember your age. You should take it easy, otherwise I won't be able to explain to my grandfather."
Lei Xiao waved his hand, "Don't worry, I have a plan. Your meridian circulation route is really suitable for me. I'm sixty-nine, but I feel a bit rejuvenated. Now my body is like that of a forty-something. Rui boy, do you have a route that suits those soldiers? Since they are one of us, give them some benefits. Don't worry, if anyone betrays me in the future, I, an old man, will kill him myself."
Tao Rui smiled and nodded, "No problem, I'll think about it and draw a diagram for you, and you can train them."
"Okay! I'll make sure to train you a good team!" Lei Xiao was overjoyed. He had never expected that after so many years of retirement, he would be able to train and fight with everyone again. The military blood in him was ignited.
The soldiers were naturally delighted when they learned of Tao Rui's abilities and his acceptance of them, but others were a bit panicked. Many people asked them what to do next. If all the soldiers stayed, how would they get to the safe base?
Others complained, "If you didn't want to send us there, why didn't you promise to do so in the first place? If we had known you were so unreliable, we wouldn't have gone with you! We might as well have stayed where we are."
One hot-tempered soldier, fed up with their efforts for a long time, angrily said, "Who made any promises to you? All we've said all along is that we're going to a safe base. You can follow us if it's convenient, but we can't guarantee your safety."
We're just colleagues, so you can't rely on us just because we're soldiers, right? If we go back to where we came from, wouldn't you have followed us because you were dying? Do you want to starve to death in your old place?"
The captain stopped him and said sternly, "We will try to find other teams heading to a safe base and ask them to take you with them. But I hope you understand that no one is obligated to protect you, find you food, or escort you. Many of our people have sacrificed their lives protecting you before, and our original army has long been disbanded. As their captain, I will never make such a mistake again.
Also, Captain Tao Rui here isn't a heartless person, but he does hate ungrateful people. If you want to stay here, then behave yourself and don't look for trouble."
The captain was very determined this time. He took more than 20 soldiers on his side and moved the tent to a place next to the courtyard on the second floor, clearly separating them from the others.
They did rescue many people, but they also made it clear when they did that their mission had failed. They didn't know what they would face in reaching the safe base, nor did they know if they could even reach it. They suggested that those who were able to do so should go on their own. It was these people who decided to follow them, and then inexplicably felt that they had an obligation to patrol, find food, and escort everyone.
It was difficult for them to change their original mindset, and they had proactively protected these people. However, after several painful experiences and the despair of the end of the world, they gradually became unable to accept it. This time, it wasn't like they were abandoned. From what Tao Rui said, he wanted to establish a base. If these people were grateful or behaved honestly, Tao Rui would probably keep them. It would be much better than risking going to a safe base.
Of course, if those who find fault still sit back and reap the benefits, they deserve to be kicked out.
Many people in the crowd were talking about it. The soldiers were no longer on patrol and suddenly had some free time. They all started to sleep and rest.
By this time, Qin Yu and his group had found the airport and were returning. His teammates asked in confusion, "Where is the fishing ground? We didn't see a single one along the way. Daqiang, did you remember it wrong?"
"No, not long before the apocalypse, I saw someone in the group asking that cousin to bring me some fish. She said they were fresh from the fish farm. I popped my head in at the time, and my cousin even asked if I wanted her to send me a box. The fish farm must be there."
"Then why isn't this here?"
"How should I know?" Daqiang was a little anxious. Suddenly, he saw two large trucks on the side of the road and asked curiously, "Who parked the car here? Eh? Could it be nearby?"
"Isn't this just a forest? Where's the fishing ground?"
"Then why are these two vehicles parked here? They're not carrying any goods."
They were so loud that Liang Yurou was annoyed by their noise. She suggested gently, "Why don't we stop for a while and take a look at the car to see if we can find some information? Brother Yu must be tired after driving for so long. I have some food in my space. Let's discuss it while we eat."
After thinking for a moment, they parked the car next to the truck.
The two trucks looked like they'd been through a lot, having run over many zombies. Daqiang even found a small shoulder badge on the truck bed and asked in surprise, "Looks like they belonged to soldiers! Where are they?"
Just then, someone opened the car door and shouted, "There's someone here! Get out! Get out of the car!"
Several guns were instantly pointed at the person in the car. The person climbed out of the car trembling and even fell down due to being so scared.
Liang Yurou loved to make her presence felt, so she immediately stepped forward to comfort him, "Don't be afraid, we mean no harm. Are you injured? Why are you here alone? Were you abandoned by your teammates?"
The man nodded subconsciously, "Yes, they kicked me out."
Liang Yurou smiled and said, "Let me heal you. I'm a healing psychic. Then can you tell us what happened?"
"Okay." The man with healing ability was in a trance for a moment when he heard about this ability for the first time. Then he answered whatever Qin Yu asked him. Of course, he spoke in a way that was biased towards himself.
According to him, a group of veteran soldiers brought them here for some unknown reason, and then disregarded their lives. When they found a small base here, they insisted on going in.
When he got in, he found that it was not a base at all. It was empty with only a few people inside. Those people were bullying the weak. He just mentioned that it was inappropriate to live in a tent, so they beat him up and kicked him out.
Liang Yurou easily healed his injuries, angrily spoke up for him, and felt very sympathetic towards his situation.
Qin Yu glanced at her. Perhaps because he had been very wary of Liang Yurou from the beginning, no matter what Liang Yurou said, he would think twice. Now Liang Yurou felt that those soldiers and the owner of the small base were going too far. He thought about it carefully and felt that there must be something fishy going on.
Every sentence this person said implied that the soldiers were persecuting the people, but he didn't actually say a single thing.
As for the idea that tents are inappropriate, if there's a safe place in the apocalypse, sleeping on the ground is fine. Since it's so empty, there's no house. So what's wrong with living in a tent? No matter how you look at it, the host wouldn't throw someone out just because of this. No matter who they are, good or bad, they wouldn't do that.
However, if there is a small base here, then you must go and see it.
Qin Yu asked the man to lead the way. Liang Yurou also said, "Don't worry, our captain and team members are very capable. If anyone really bullies the weak, we will definitely help you get justice."
The others didn't say anything when she said this, but their expressions showed disapproval. It's the end of the world, who would be so kind as to go around helping others? Helping others is risking one's life, and when you don't know the other person's strength, wouldn't such a promise just be asking for trouble?
However, they did not regard Liang Yurou as a real teammate, so they naturally would not refute. Anyway, if they did not want to take action at that time, no one could force them.
Liang Yurou's approach did have an advantage, however: it could easily lower the other party's guard. As they walked toward the fishing grounds, the man recounted the events that had occurred while following the soldiers.
When they knocked on the door, the first to react were the soldiers, who almost immediately stood up and drew their guns. The captain of the soldiers ran up to the observation deck and saw the people they had driven out returning with eight men and one woman. He immediately thought of the four words "the one who comes has bad intentions."
"What's the matter?" His voice was rather cold. He frowned as he looked at their weapons and assessed their strength. He also prepared himself for defense and hid in a position where he was not easily attacked.
Qin Yu was a special police officer before the apocalypse. He knew he was a real soldier the moment he saw him. He became even more skeptical of the man's story, so he tried to be sincere and said, "One of our brothers' cousins works at a fishery, and we've come to seek refuge with her."
Daqiang immediately stepped forward and nodded, "Yes, my cousin is Wang Wei, she's a chef, and I'm Fei Qiang."
The captain of the military made a gesture, and someone immediately rushed to the courtyard to report the matter. After Tao Rui asked Wang Wei and confirmed that there really was a cousin named Fei Qiang, he went to the observation deck in person.
When he saw who was coming, he couldn't help but think, "Is this the aura of the hero and heroine? Do they have to be killed in front of others before they die?"
[System: Host, before I followed you, it seems you were also a male protagonist in the world of cultivation.]
Tao Rui remained noncommittal. His hero had definitely fought his way through, even going through marrow cleansing and bone cutting that was worse than death. He had been on the brink of death countless times in that life. If it weren't for his strong willpower, he would have been finished long ago.
But this Liang Yurou is different. He couldn't see it before because he had no cultivation. Now that he has reached the fourth level of Qi training, he can clearly see that Liang Yurou has an immortal-level magic weapon on her body, which is a necklace.
I'm afraid that Liang Yurou escaped the disaster in that shopping mall by hiding in the space.
After all, he had to work hard to earn points to buy his life-saving artifact, but Liang Yurou gave him this space for free. Why did he suddenly feel a little bit cheated?
He was a little curious. If he dressed up as a villain who was against the protagonist, would he be knocked out by the protagonist's halo?
Liang Yurou also saw his face clearly at this time, and her eyes widened instantly as if she had seen a ghost, "Tao Rui? You are not dead yet?!"
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