Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 1231 - 96 Seed Distribution

Chapter 1231: Chapter 96 Seed Distribution

Dong Zixuan’s legs trembled non-stop; she was experiencing muscle cramps and gritted her teeth in pain.

"Pride got the better of you, stretch your leg out!" Tang Zheng grabbed the policewoman’s calf, slipped off her shoe with the other hand, and, gripping her foot, helped her stretch the muscles.

This was the first time a man had touched Dong Zixuan’s feet. Although her leg still hurt, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Tang Zheng, however, did not care about her feelings and pulled hard on her calf.

Although Kong Licheng and the others were anxious, they could not retrieve the Seed from the magma and could only look on helplessly.

"Hurry up and grab the Seed, let’s get out of here, the zombies are coming." The traffic police meant well, but his words sounded inconsiderate to the policewoman.

Kong Licheng helped to echo the sentiment on the side.

A woman’s whims are always unpredictable. Dong Zixuan had initially thought the traffic police was a good man who took the bigger picture into account, and she was ready to give the Seed to him, but now she had completely lost that intention.

"Let go, I’m fine now." Dong Zixuan tried to retract her foot.

"You think I want to touch you? I just don’t want to owe you any favors," Tang Zheng said seemingly casually, but he had actually chosen his words carefully. A woman with such self-esteem and pride, who thinks so highly of herself, would definitely not accept help from others time and again without wanting to repay the favor.

Indeed, remembering that Tang Zheng had given her a Seed and his outstanding performance in combat, Dong Zixuan decided to let him dispose of the Seed that had fallen.

"Take that Seed, then."

The policewoman’s words made the faces of the traffic police and his party turn pale. Kong Licheng hesitated for a moment but still spoke up, "Wait!"

"What? You think I don’t deserve this Seed?" Dong Zixuan, annoyed that Kong Licheng had not cared about her earlier, also sounded a bit sharp.

No one said a word, and it was painfully awkward. During the recent fight, they had played second fiddle, and even the damage caused by the Rocket shells Tao Ran fires was more significant than their contribution.

"No, it’s just that Tang Zheng doesn’t need this, right? Moreover, he already has one." Kong Licheng brazenly made up an excuse, knowing that he had now offended Tang Zheng absolutely. Even the most good-natured person wouldn’t tolerate such an affront.

"When we killed the Ukrainians in the subway tunnel, Dong Zixuan and I put in the most effort. Shouldn’t we be the ones to take the Spoils of War? Besides, I’ve also given you the Recovery Potion," Tang Zheng hadn’t abandoned Dong Zixuan, which made her feel that her worth was recognized, and she nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing the policewoman in such a mood, the traffic police knew he had lost his strongest support and said no more.

"Can you give me one?" Zhou Meng pleaded in a low voice again, looking at Su Su, who was hiding behind the Armored vehicle and peeking over secretly.

"Get in the car and we’ll talk. Can you walk now?" Seeing the zombies approaching again, and the policewoman not having put her shoes on, Tang Zheng simply tossed the shoes into her arms and then picked her up in a bridal carry.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Dong Zixuan exclaimed, instinctively wrapping her arms around Tang Zheng’s neck and feeling the man’s arm under her thigh and behind her back, her cheeks flushing once more.

"If we don’t hurry, we’ll end up as zombie feed." Tang Zheng ran back to the Armored vehicle, which, due to the small number of survivors, could just fit them all.

Zombies’ Teeth couldn’t bite through the armor of the Armored vehicle, and since the escape route had already been planned by Tang Zheng, he didn’t waste a second driving on the Highway. Whenever he encountered obstacles on the road, he crashed through them, forcefully clearing a path.

As Tang Zheng sped down the highway, those zombies were in bad luck, getting hit and sent flying, limbs severed. He even had to turn on the windshield wipers to clear the glass of Broken Flesh and blood. The Newbies in the vehicle also had a rough time, shaking with the movements of the Armored vehicle.

"What’s going on here? Are you treating this like a Bumper Car?" Kong Licheng could only vent his irritation in this manner.

"So fast." Ada, driving a Hummer, was thinking about how to strike up a conversation with Tang Zheng when she saw them speeding ahead, leaving her far behind. However, as a Special Agent with good driving skills, she quickly caught up to him.

The road conditions were terrible, causing Tang Zheng to be distracted. He didn’t notice her, and an hour later, the Armored vehicle successfully left New York City, which was engulfed in a biochemical Virus, and reached a Highway where the zombies were scarce. A few citizens who had been fortunate enough to escape stopped their cars there and were taking a breather. They gathered spontaneously into a Camping ground to feel a sense of safety.

Everyone’s face was filled with shock, exhaustion, and worry for their future lives.

Tang Zheng stopped the car outside the Camping ground; the Team needed to rest, and he, too, needed to ponder how to make it to France to return Eve to Simpson’s side.

For the group driving the armored vehicle, the Indigenous People didn’t question their origins; they just thought they were lucky to have come upon a decent vehicle. After all, they didn’t believe these folks could have snatched it from the SWAT. Moreover, since the newcomers were all armed, the natives wisely kept their mouths shut. Of course, there were some who couldn’t hide their greedy expressions—nothing was more valuable than a sturdy car when navigating through zombie-infested streets.

Even though it was a summer night, the wind in the wilderness was cold enough to make one shiver. Although not cold enough to catch a flu, the relentless breeze was still unpleasant, so people gathered various flammable materials and set up countless campfires throughout the camping ground, like stars scattered in the sky.

Song Xin hadn’t awakened yet. After checking on her, Tang Zheng returned to the camping ground and saw the newbies huddled around the campfire, shivering and with expressions that alternated between lifelessness and anxiety, akin to a debtor cornered by creditors.

Gurgle, Jing Lan’s stomach growled, followed by Su Su’s, who was equally unwilling to be silent. They hadn’t eaten dinner, and after such turmoil, they were famished, but the food reserves were all on the Greyhound bus, lost during the overturn. In this barren wilderness, there was nothing to eat but wild grasses and clumps of dirt. However, the mouthwatering aroma of food began to spread in the camping ground, as some of the luckier ones, better prepared, were able to enjoy a piping hot meal.

Tang Zheng’s backpack hadn’t been lost, but it only contained enough rations for three days—not nearly enough to feed everyone even for one meal. He opened it, revealing chocolate and canned beef that immediately drew the eyes of the newbies, amplifying the growling of their stomachs and prompting some to covertly swallow their saliva.

"Eat this for now; I’ll find a way to get us more food," Tang Zheng said as he distributed the food among the women. In that moment, he thought back to the unappetizing hot dog he had tossed away earlier, wishing he had forced himself to eat it regardless.

"Thank you!" Su Su didn’t forget her manners. Not being a coddled woman, she unwrapped the chocolate and passed it to Zhou Meng’s lips, "Eat this."

"You eat it, I’m not hungry," insisted Zhou Meng, though he was starving. But seeing the look from Rong He and Kong Licheng, his vanity was greatly satisfied. Plus, the affection of the girl he secretly adored made him feel all his previous efforts were worthwhile.

"Just eat it, we still have canned food to share," Su Su wasn’t naive; she knew her life depended on it. Although she didn’t fancy Zhou Meng, Su Su understood that a man willing to die for her was worth her trust, so she began to genuinely care for Zhou Meng, "Don’t refuse. Your health is important."

"You did well earlier," Tang Zheng said, opening a can of beef and handing it to Tao Ran, adding a compliment. The sight of Black Long Straight’s cheeks illuminated by the firelight made his heart skip a beat, and he felt an urge to kiss her.

"Thank you!" Tao Ran blushed under Tang Zheng’s direct gaze and lowered her head.

Zhao Dongtao sighed. It seemed that Song Xin stood no chance, especially since she couldn’t even compete with a woman who was blind in one eye.

Dong Zixuan, perturbed after witnessing this scene, couldn’t help but ask when Tang Zheng handed her some food.

"What do you like about her?" In terms of looks, Song Xin was on par with Tao Ran, but at least Song Xin’s eyes were flawlessly expressive.

"Her personality, I guess; she’s very comfortable to be around," Tang Zheng couldn’t quite understand why he was drawn to her. What he appreciated about Tao Ran was her serene and graceful demeanor. Weary from the constant fighting, he yearned for a piece of sky with white clouds and a green meadow to lie down and rest.

"How will you divide the Seed?" Dong Zixuan changed the subject, nodding toward Tao Ran with her chin, "Are you going to give her one?"

"Yes," he confirmed.

Dong Zixuan thought Tang Zheng would evade the question; she didn’t expect such a straightforward answer, leaving her with no way to voice the advice she held back.

"This isn’t fair," the newbies overheard the hushed conversation, as Kong Licheng made one last attempt, "For the greater good, I hope you can give up the Seed, Tao Ran."

"Give it to you for the greater good?" Tang Zheng scoffed, realizing Kong Licheng was prepared to throw in the towel.

"Even if not to me, giving it to the traffic police or to Rong He would be better than giving it to Tao Ran, wouldn’t it?" Kong Licheng knew he stood no chance and wanted to muddy the waters in an attempt to rally a few allies; otherwise, being used as Cannon Fodder by Tang Zheng would be miserable.

"Were you not also fighting? And Tao Ran was fighting as well. Was she inferior to you?" Tang Zheng took out the Seed and threw it to Black Long Straight, "Besides, I can trust her with my back. Can I say the same about you?"

Watching the Seed fall into the soil, Tao Ran’s shoulders shook slightly—she hadn’t expected Tang Zheng to stand up for her like this. Tears streaked down her cheeks as the feeling of being trusted was deeply comforting.

The newbies stayed silent, leaving Kong Licheng with no retort; after all, his past actions spoke for themselves.

"Look at the other teams; they’ve already regrouped and started hunting down their rivals. Now look at us, we’re just Loose Sand. If not for the policewoman’s power, we would’ve lost half of us in the tunnel," Tang Zheng said bitterly, looking at the remaining newbies. This was a real challenge.

"No need to say more, I understand your dilemma. Give the Seeds to Dong Tao and Tao Ran," the traffic police spoke up first in Tang Zheng’s defense. Rong He was somewhat displeased, but considering his own average relationship with Tang Zheng and how often Tang Zheng had helped him, he couldn’t bring himself to protest, "Give it to Dongzi. Tao Ran’s a good girl who showed courage in combat; it’s worth nurturing her."

Kong Licheng held his tongue, knowing it was reasonable for people to equip those they trusted first, and he would have done the same. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to cast your votes for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)