Chapter 21: Gu Xu, the Fallen King

Gu Xu? The Gu Xu she knew?!

Bian Changxi was stunned. Suddenly, she understood what had just flashed through her mind.

Rumor had it that before the apocalypse, Gu Xu was a special forces soldier. When the end of the world struck, he was out on a mission with four teammates. Of course, the mission couldn’t be completed, but Gu Xu wasn’t the type to stick to the rules. The first thing he thought of wasn’t reporting back to his unit, but finding his and his teammates’ families first—after all, the world had become a terrifying place overnight.

It was said that the first place Gu Xu and his group went was a certain university, because his younger brother, Gu Pei, was there.

What’s more, Gu Xu was originally a fire-type ability user, but for some unknown reason, he later evolved into a lightning-type. This was unheard of in others. So much had changed, and so few knew the truth—fewer still believed it. Bian Changxi knew, but perhaps because his later image as a thunder-wielding powerhouse was so deeply ingrained, she hadn’t connected the dots at first.

So, that fireball she saw before she lost consciousness…

She had actually run into Gu Xu—and he’d saved her?

The shock was overwhelming. It was like a terminally ill welfare recipient suddenly being told, “Hey buddy, you got lucky—some big shot just happened to be passing by and paid your medical bills for you…”

It was a feeling she couldn’t quite describe.

Or maybe, it was like searching for him a thousand times, only to find him when she least expected it.

Bian Changxi could only think: in her previous life, she’d also been helped by Gu Xu. This debt, stacked on top of another—how could she ever repay it?

Her heart pounded faster and faster, though she kept her expression calm. She asked the chubby girl, “What does this Gu Xu look like?”

At the mention, the girl’s eyes lit up, her round face flushing with excitement. She gestured animatedly, “He looks about twenty-five, over 1.8 meters tall, really handsome—the kind of man with striking features. He seemed cold and serious. If you told me he was a celebrity, I’d believe it! But he’s actually a soldier. We all said it was such a waste!”

She sighed, “He asked us for directions to C University, and if we knew a student named Gu Pei there. Unfortunately, none of us had heard of him, or we could’ve helped. He wanted to ask more, but then Captain Cheng recognized you, and the topic changed.”

She looked regretful. C University was a prestigious school. Though it was in the same university town, it was far from A University—a second-tier school—and S University, which was full of rich kids. There was little contact between them.

For some reason, Bian Changxi’s eyes grew hot. Everything matched up!

This was the person she’d been searching for—the one she owed, the one she wanted to make amends to.

Gu Xu’s early experiences were legendary for a reason. After finding his brother Gu Pei, Gu Pei had a few friends with him. Some of them still had family in the city center. Gu Pei begged his brother to help, so the group set out for the city center to look for them.

In the apocalypse, the city was a hell for survivors—especially after the fourth day, when poisonous zombies appeared, turning the city center into a forbidden zone. Gu Xu’s group suffered heavy losses to these zombies. Most of the ordinary people died, and the five-man team lost two members. Of the two remaining teammates, one grew resentful and later betrayed Gu Xu; the other died in that betrayal. Gu Xu’s brother, wracked with guilt, died in a zombie horde less than a year later. In the end, Gu Xu, who had become a peerless powerhouse, was left utterly alone.

Anyone who heard this story couldn’t help but sigh. Later, the capital’s editorial office called it “The King’s Tragedy.” In truth, Gu Xu’s story was the story of many—so much loss and grief in the apocalypse, so much that people grew numb, unable to put it into words. They could only use Gu Xu’s story to express their own pain and longing.

By her calculations, this “King’s Tragedy” was about to unfold.

That was why Bian Changxi was so agitated. Fortunately, she’d made it in time.

After a moment’s thought, she made up her mind and turned to Cheng Haijun. “Captain Cheng, can this communicator reach Gu Xu? I’d like to thank him in person.”

Cheng Haijun replied quickly, “I’ve never used it, so I’m not sure.” He took out two watch-like devices. In her previous life, Bian Changxi had struggled so much at first that she’d never seen anything like this. But she knew that two or three months into the apocalypse, all communications would fail, and it wouldn’t be until the third year that the capital’s research institute would invent a new device powered by the crystal cores found in poisonous zombies’ brains—a completely different technology.

She grabbed one and fiddled with it. The small LCD screen lit up, and scrolling through the contacts, the very first name was “Captain Gu.”

Her eyes tightened, her heart pounding. She turned to Cheng Haijun again. “Captain Cheng, may I have a word in private?”

Cheng Haijun was a bit puzzled, but obediently followed her aside.

Bian Changxi thought to herself: This man had managed to gather a group, so he must have some ability, but the people he’d recruited were questionable. He didn’t seem able to control them when they argued, which showed his inexperience. She couldn’t judge his motives for collecting payment, but giving her the reward in front of everyone—if he was sincere, he was worth befriending; if it was just a show to save face…

She pressed her lips together and said quietly, “Captain Cheng, thank you for taking me in. But as you saw, I don’t get along with your team, and it’s getting dark. I’d like to head back—my car and a few weapons, you see…”

Cheng Haijun looked at her helplessly. “You really can’t stay? Tomorrow we’re moving to the new development zone in the north of the city. It’d be safer to travel together…”

Bian Changxi frowned. “The new development zone?”

“That’s right, you just woke up, so you don’t know,” Cheng Haijun said. “We heard it on the radio this morning. The government doesn’t think this flu can be contained, so they’re preparing for the worst. Everyone in Jiangcheng is to evacuate the city center and head to the new development zone in the north. If things get worse, the army will come pick us up there and take us to Sucheng, which is supposed to be safer.”

Bian Changxi remembered hearing about this evacuation in her previous life. But back then, most of her team didn’t trust the government and wanted to find their families. In the end, they suffered terribly from the poisonous zombies, and by the time they realized Jiangcheng was no longer safe, the army had already left. They had to organize themselves and barely escaped to Sucheng.

The new development zone was at the northern edge of Jiangcheng, not far from here. A two- or three-hour drive north on the highway would get you there. Beyond that was Sucheng, though even after crossing into Sucheng’s territory, the base was still a long way off.

Bian Changxi said, “It’s a bit far from here to the new development zone.”

Cheng Haijun smiled bitterly. “Yeah, we don’t know how many monsters are out there or what the roads are like, so we’re planning to leave early. Most of us aren’t from Jiangcheng—our families are elsewhere—so we’d have to leave eventually. Better to plan ahead. There are quite a few people in the area besides us, and we’ve agreed to travel together for safety.”"