The next moment, Han Yi appeared on the hill.
The rain was still falling, and the air, mixed with the smell of burning and blood, was nauseating.
The survivors gathered in twos and threes, some were distraught, some were sobbing, and more of them had numb expressions.
He immediately spotted the slightly thin figure in the crowd who was trying hard to maintain order - Zheng Sisi.
At this moment, Zheng Sisi was lowering her head, her fists clenched, her nails digging deeply into her palms, and her shoulders trembling slightly.
Her voice was filled with suppressed regret and self-blame.
"It's all my fault! I noticed something was wrong with those guys a long time ago! They sneaked around the warehouse and the kitchen more than once, and I warned them..."
"If I had seen through their ambitions earlier, if I had been tougher and called them out directly... this wouldn't have happened!"
"I'm sorry, everyone!"
The more she spoke, the lower her voice became, and in the end she almost choked with sobs.
In fact, it was not only Zheng Sisi who blamed herself, but also voices of accusation were heard one after another from the crowd.
"What's the point of saying this now? Everyone's gone, everything's gone!"
A man with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks said sarcastically.
"Exactly! Isn't Manager Zheng usually quite capable? He even remembers who got an extra cookie. How could he have overlooked such a big thing?"
Another woman with a scorpion tattoo on her arm echoed the sentiment, her tone full of sarcasm.
Zheng Sisi has always been fair, even a little inhumane.
She is responsible for material distribution and daily management. She is very organized and never shows favoritism.
Those who usually try to take advantage of others and exploit loopholes often suffer setbacks at her hands, and have secretly harbored resentment towards her for a long time.
At this moment, the fire had just been put out and people were in panic. Those who were dissatisfied with Zheng Sisi on weekdays finally found a breakthrough to vent.
"I think it's Zheng Sisi's fault for mismanagement! She might be in cahoots with those traitors and deliberately let them go!"
"That's right! Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that she didn't keep an eye on those troublemakers?"
Dirty words were like sharp arrows, shooting at Zheng Sisi one by one, making her already pale face even uglier.
She bit her lower lip tightly, revealing her inner pain and grievance.
As soon as Han Yi appeared, the noisy accusations on the hill were strangled by an invisible hand and instantly became three points smaller.
He walked through the mud, ignoring the surprised or guilty looks, and walked straight to the center of the crowd.
The rain slid down his resolute cheeks, mixed with the blood oozing from his forehead, making him exude a cold and unapproachable look.
Zheng Sisi suddenly looked up and saw Han Yi. Her eyes turned red. She was about to speak but was stopped by his calm look.
Those survivors who had been indignant and accusing Zheng Sisi before were now like ducks with their necks strangled, each one silent as a cicada.
They either lowered their heads or avoided looking, not daring to look into Han Yi's eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.
Han Yi's gaze slowly swept over the crowd. The murderous aura honed from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood made it hard for people to breathe.
"You guys," he finally spoke, his voice quiet but with an icy quality that seemed to freeze the damp, rainy night, "are quite capable."
His words contained no praise, but were filled with suppressed anger.
Han Yi's anger was not entirely because of Zheng Sisi, but more of a disappointment in human nature.
When these people encounter setbacks, instead of thinking about how to solve the problem, they immediately point the finger at their own people. This is so similar to those traitors who betray the team for personal gain!
His face darkened, which was rare for him. It was so dark that water could drip out of it, but he did not curse loudly. Instead, he spoke in a deep voice.
"If the supplies burn, I can find another way. As long as people are still here, there's hope. But if people's hearts grow cold and suspicion takes root, this team will truly fall apart!"
He paused, his tone growing colder. "I, Han Yi, have never thought of becoming the leader of a base, much less leading you to achieve great things. My goal, from beginning to end, has only been one - revenge!"
As soon as these words came out, there was a slight gasp from the crowd.
For many of them, it was the first time to hear Han Yi analyze his inner thoughts so frankly.
"I saved you at first because it was just a matter of convenience. Later, I brought you with me because I thought that having one more person would mean more strength, and perhaps we could hold out for a few more days in this damn apocalypse."
Han Yi's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, as if a heavy hammer was hitting everyone's heart.
"I have no responsibility or obligation to rescue you, let alone provide for you long-term."
"But let me ask myself, since we established this makeshift camp, have I ever let you go hungry? Have I ever left you helpless and isolated when facing zombies?"
"Now, a fire and a few traitors have caused you to vent all your anger on your own people?"
His gaze turned to Zheng Sisi. Although still stern, there was a hint of subtle protection in his eyes.
"Zheng Sisi manages the supplies. Did she gain any benefit from it? No!"
"She worked diligently, even to the point of offending quite a few people. And just because a few traitors showed up, you're accusing her of this and even suspecting her of colluding with them? On what basis?"
Every word Han Yi said was like a loud slap in the face of those who had been shouting the loudest before, causing a burning pain.
He took a deep breath and suppressed the churning emotions in his heart.
"Ask yourselves, without this team, without the protection of me and the other core members, how many days could you survive in this apocalypse?"
A series of questions, like thunderclaps, exploded in the hearts of every survivor.
The entire hill fell into dead silence.
The rain fell softly, mixed with the smell of burning and blood, but it could no longer cover up the heavy shame and reflection.
Yes, Han Yi is right.
They were rescued by Han Yi. From the initial panic to the gradual stability later, it was Han Yi who gave them a relatively safe shelter and provided them with food and water, which were considered luxuries in the apocalypse.
Although they can no longer do whatever they want like before the end of the world, compared to those wanderers who are starving and facing the threat of death at all times, they are already living a life like gods.
Zheng Sisi, she is impartial and ensures the fair distribution of supplies, but she also offends many people because of this.
But without her strict management, the supplies might have been squandered long ago.
They enjoy all of this, but when danger comes, they choose to blame and suspect the first thing they do, and put all the blame on others.
For a moment, those who had been so confident before showed a look of shame on their faces.
Only then did they realize that they had almost destroyed the collective on which they depended for survival, and almost disappointed the people who had truly devoted themselves to them.
Even Zheng Sisi stared at Han Yi in a daze, feeling mixed emotions.
She didn't expect that Han Yi would clear her name in this way.
At this moment, the grievance of not being understood seemed to have found an outlet for venting.
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