Chapter 48: To Follow

In front of the city hall at the city center, soldiers in camouflage uniforms holding rifles patrolled. There were also snipers who monitored the area within a ten-mile radius, using binoculars on top of the building; once there were zombies approaching, they informed the headquarter at once through the walkie-talkie to send a squad forward to kill the monsters.

On the glass windows of the building, striking red paint formed the words ‘Rescue Station’.

In the early stage of the pandemic, most first-tier cities had rescue stations like this. These rescue stations were equipped with medical supplies, airborne food supply, firearms, ammunition, et cetera. Soldiers also patrolled daily.

Lin Chao stood on a broken-down car on a barren street to look at the rescue station building afar. His strengthened vision enabled him to easily discern the big red words on the tower from ten miles away despite the dust in the air.

He unintentionally glanced at the top of the building, his eyes acting like an excellent pair of binoculars, and saw several silhouettes only showing half their heads. Those were probably soldiers on-duty. He turned back and told the little girl and Ye Fei, “Go on, go straight ahead. That’s where the rescue station is.”

Ye Fei was dazed as she looked at Lin Chao. “You’re not going?”

“We have other places to go.” Lin Chao shook his head.

“Where?” asked Ye Fei.

Glimpsing at her, Lin Chao retorted, “None of your business.”

Ye Fei was momentarily stunned before she said, “You… Don’t you know how dangerous it is? Monsters are everywhere. Even if you don’t take your life seriously, you have to at least think about your two younger sisters?”

Fan Xiangyu grinned. “We’re doing fine. You guys should go on, stop this dilly-dallying. We’ve brought you here, it’s the most kindness we can offer.” She was instinctively fearful of a gathering of mankind and was dying for Lin Chao to leave immediately.

Quiet for a beat, Ye Fei then looked up at Lin Chao suddenly and said, “I’m not going if you guys aren’t going too. Bring me along. I would like to learn from you how to kill these monsters. Assuming my identity, I’ll be arranged as a back-up in the army even if I go to the rescue station, sooner or later I’ll die in one of the rescue missions.”

“Didn’t you like saving people?” Lin Chao asked calmly.

Ye Fei bit her lips and said, “I’m only harming others and myself by saving people without the ability to. If I were capable of finding food like you, they wouldn’t have turned against each other. Her mother wouldn’t have died. This is all my doing. I’ve thought through it. I want to keep living and become stronger. One day, I’ll wipe out these monsters from the surface of the earth!”

Rather surprised that she could come to realize this truth on her own, Lin Chao said with a smile, “Then all the more reason for you to go to the rescue station. They can protect you.”

Ye Fei blushed. “I don’t know how to put it but I feel safer following you.”

“Women’s sixth sense was very accurate. I dare not comment on other matters but one thing is for sure, this devil will surely live longer than the others,” Fan Xiangyu quipped with a click of her tongue.

Lin Chao could not help rolling his eyes at her. “Did anyone ask for you to speak?”

Fan Xiangyu covered her mouth with her hands swiftly.

Looking at Ye Fei, Lin Chao told her, “I’m not obligated to bring along a burden like you. I advise you to go to the rescue station. I won’t provide you any protection if you follow me, do you understand?”

Slightly paling and biting her lips, Ye Fei replied, “I won’t be a burden to you.”

Lin Chao no longer wanted to continue the conversation as he turned around to hold Lin Shiyu’s hand and said, “Let’s go.”

“You…” Ye Fei did not expect the young man to dismiss her like this when she had such a plebeian request.

The little girl spoke up quickly, “Big brother, let me go with you.”

Without turning his head back, Lin Chao answered curtly, “No.”

Tears streamed from the little girl’s eyes. Watching the retreating backs of the trio, a glint of grudge flashed in her eyes. To her opinion, Lin Chao must have lied about the rescue station in wanting to abandon them.

Vroom!

A small truck sped from afar heading towards this juncture.

Ye Fei turned back and saw the camouflage-uniformed soldiers in the vehicle. She stroked the girl’s hair, comforting her. “Follow them to the rescue station. Take good care of yourself.”

The little girl truly could not have guessed that there was actually an army to save them. She flushed from various emotions, disregarding what Ye Fei had said.

Seeing that the truck was approaching, Ye Fei had no time to say more; she spun around and ran towards the direction Lin Chao had left.

The truck arrived shortly. The militants in the vehicle were baffled to see the little girl while one of the middle-aged veterans hopped off and asked, “Little girl, weren’t there a few people here just now?”

He was told by on-duty soldiers that there were several survivors here, yet now only stood the little girl in front of him. Could he have arrived too late and the rest of them were mauled by the monsters? Perhaps they had run somewhere else in hiding?

The little girl felt an instant sense of security when she saw the rifle in his grip. Subconsciously wanting to nod, she suddenly thought of something and shook her head. “It’s only me here.”

The middle-aged veteran looked at her doubtfully but assuming that a young girl like her would not lie and perhaps the soldier on duty had been mistaken, he gently carried her up to the truck. “Let’s go, little girl. I’ll take you to the rescue station. You must be starving.”

The girl nodded.

The truck buzzed off to the rescue station. Standing in the vehicle, the little girl looked back at the direction Lin Chao and group headed for begrudgingly; her small hands clenched the safety rail of the vehicle as she thought to herself. ‘It’s all because of you guys that my mommy died. All of you deserve death, all of you!’

.

Swoop! Swoop! Swoop!

Lin Chao, Lin Shiyu and Fan Xiangyu walked on the road speedily, normal zombies met along the way easily killed by Lin Chao using the fireman’s axe.

“You humans are really foolish. Why set up the rescue stations? How many soldiers would have died daily and all they save are ordinary civilians? What’s the use of them?” Fan Xiangyu sparked the topic out of boredom.

Lin Chao replied to her emotionlessly, “Who says that those they rescue are common people? The rescue stations are only built in first-tier cities, mainly to save the elites of these cities. Like scientists, families of the militants, and whatnot. These people are the priority before commoners.”

“I see. That’s selfish,” Fan Xiangyu said in realization.

“It’s not selfish. If you were in their place, would you save your family first or ordinary people who have nothing to do with you?” asked Lin Chao distantly.

Fan Xiangyu was rendered speechless.

Lin Chao continued. “Of those common civilians in the rescue stations, a majority of the males enlist in the military while the females are thrown into back-up zones to do jobs like sewing, cleaning, and stuff to get food. It’s a critical time now. Do you think they’ll be fed for free?”

“That little girl will have to work too?” Fan Xiangyu looked at him.

“Of course, she’ll have a hard time but at least she’s alive.”

Fan Xiangyu and Lin Shiyu nodded but they did not think elaborately to what extent ‘a hard time’ meant to Lin Chao.

To survive in a mass refuge in the post-apocalypse era, a twelve-year-old girl like her would have to have abortions over seven or eight times. The lengthened experience would force them to master ways of pleasuring the men from a young age; they were slaves lower in class than the slave laborers. Although it was still the early stage now and the system had yet to become completely corrupt, the commoners’ lives would only get harder as time passed.

It was a gradual subtle change. By that time, they would truly become the remnants of the apocalypse, forgetting so-called ‘life goals’ and the meaning of being of life, nor would they pursue the quality of it either, becoming frustrated, saddened or committing suicide from the suffering. – They would only survive numbly.

“Hmm?” Fan Xiangyu suddenly exclaimed, “That police officer seems to have come after us. I can smell her.”

Lin Chao had smelled her even earlier. He picked up speed and spoke coldly, “Shake her off.”