I am the Zombie King of the Apocalyptic World
Chapter 644 - 642 Interesting Kid_1

Chapter 644: Chapter 642 Interesting Kid_1

Winter had set in, and the dusk came early. By seven o’clock, it was already dark, with the luminous moonlight scattering across the land. Within Chenyang 169 Base, lights were turned on in each home. Some people sat alone on their beds, staring blankly at the insignificant objects or white walls in front of them.

Others lashed out at their companions, releasing the frustration and loneliness pent up during the day.

The streets were festooned with festive decorations, but there was no trace of New Year cheer. If anything, it felt desolate. Amid the maze of lights in the base, there was no place one wished to go. The moonlight reflected a misty glow on the lights, outlining a blissful family.

A table was laden with steaming dishes, around which four people sat. They were thrilled to celebrate their own complete festival. Across from them, on a windowsill, a figure was seen smoking, silently observing this family while easing his inner turmoil.

In a corner of the door, a pair of eyes watched silently. The sounds of laughter and merriment filled their senses, yet they remained emotionless, as still as a dark, tranquil lake, unblinking.

"Sister Ling Yue, come on, hahaha."

Chen Xiao used chopsticks to put a slice of bitter melon into Nannan’s bowl. Unfamiliar with the vegetable, Nannan devoured it without a word, only to spit it out a second later, her face contorting. She smacked Chen Xiao’s head hard with her small hand.

"Ouch, that hurts."

"That’s for picking on me!"

Nannan said indignantly. Qiongli and Chen Daowei laughed heartily, watching the two children lovingly. They didn’t notice the watchful eyes from the corner of the door.

Time trickled away, second by second, day by day. These eyes had been there for who knows how long, like a tree with roots planted deep in the wall, taking in every action of the family. As time passed, a layer of dust settled on their eyelids, but no one noticed.

Doors opened and closed, people came in and went out. There were tears, and there were laughter. All these were like scenes from a fast-forwarded movie, stored deep in the memory of the figure observing, a memory which did not belong to him.

Not fifty meters away from Qiongli’s family, down the lane and to the right, a hand snatched food from a beggar’s plate.

"Hey, beggar, you’ve been sitting here for almost a month now, I’ve never seen you move. Aren’t you afraid of starving to death? Honestly, you’ve got both hands and feet."

A young man in gold-rimmed glasses berated the beggar. Some time ago, a beggar had appeared in this alley, clad in tattered clothes, mouth shut, eyes unblinking. He simply sat there, facing the wall.

Chenyang 169 Base had a perfect social system in place. As long as you worked, there was food. As long as you weren’t lazy, you wouldn’t starve. However, there were still some drifters who chose to become beggars, living off the landscape, waiting for handouts.

Most of these beggars were survivors with physical disabilities, with a small proportion of fully able-bodied individuals. These people lost hope in life after their tests revealed no chance of evolving into New Humans and decided to become beggars.

The civilization built during the apocalypse indeed brought stability to human lives, no less than society before the Apocalypse. However, there was one difference: the appearance of New Humans.

They possessed immense individual strength. High-ranking individuals had powers akin to superhumans. They were indispensable for hunting high-level zombies and cleaning up latent dangers. Ordinary people had to work dirty, exhausting tasks within the base. Although healthy individuals could join the militia, that was the end of the line. The discrimination New Humans faced from ordinary people in the early Apocalypse left a deep impression. Most military officers nowadays were New Humans, and only they were considered for promotions.

To let an ordinary person become a leader would garner prejudice from many.

While everyone within the base had sufficient food and clothing, greed persisted. People always desired a better life. In the apocalypse, the only way to improve their situation was to evolve into a New Human.

This trend was being managed in Chenyang 169 Base, but the overall trajectory was irreversible. Those who survived in the apocalypse were no fools. One simple thought could reveal the future: the strong would reign, treating the old humans like stray dogs!

That’s why many people fell into despair after realizing they had no hope of becoming New Humans.

The beggar on the ground glanced indifferently at him, ignoring the gold-rimmed glasses man.

"Hey, you better find something to do soon. So what if you can’t evolve into a New Human? I’m still a non-evolved person yet I’m living just fine."

The man in gold-rimmed glasses took a bite out of the bread in his hand. This was originally the beggar’s food, but the latter made no comment.

"What a waste of food."

The man kicked at a pile of food next to the beggar. Most of it was rotten and blackened. It was given to the beggar by kind-hearted survivors.

Swearing, the man suddenly grew quiet. He took off his padded jacket, revealing the military uniform beneath, armored and fortified. Turning to the beggar, he said, "You’d better find some work soon. Otherwise, in a few days, you’ll starve to death here."

The beggar gave him another glance but remained silent.

"I might not be coming back after today. Here, take this jacket. I just received orders. We’re heading to Shangkun City to kill a Level 5 Water Guanyin that just came ashore. It’s heading towards our city. This battle will be extremely dangerous. Many of my comrades have already written farewell letters to their families. Since I have no family, keep these things safe if I don’t make it back. Don’t lose them."

"Oh, and these glasses too. They were a gift from my mother. They’re very important to me, but I have no use for them. Please keep them safe for me. Thank you."

Having said that, he took out a bag of nutrient mud from his pocket. This amount could sustain an ordinary person for half a month.

Watching him leave, the beggar lifted his hat, revealing it to be Tang Ye.

"Interesting kid, but you should keep your own things safe."

He muttered to himself before turning his gaze to the adjacent street. Tang Ye did not know how long he had been sitting there. His body was stuck in the Qinshan Base Peace Party Building, idling away for a long time. During this time, he saw Qiongli’s family of four pass by 16 times. That young man who’d just removed his glasses and asked Tang Ye to look after them would bring him food every day. He was not an ordinary person, but a Level 1 New Human and said those words to reassure Tang Ye, the beggar.

Tang Ye rose to his feet, picking up the nutrient mud from the ground. He walked over to a group of disabled "colleagues" and tossed it towards them. Then he turned around and walked away.

"Nannan, this might be the last time your father sees you. I must leave soon, and maybe we’ll never see each other again."