Chapter 25: Duty? A Promise Must Be Kept

Gu Pei looked up at his brother’s resolute, silent back, feeling deeply guilty. He knew that if it weren’t for him, his brother and his comrades could have already gone somewhere safer, instead of risking their lives circling around the city.

All the food they’d found had been given to him and his classmates—people who couldn’t help at all. Brother Qiu Yun had even gotten injured protecting them. Gu Pei could also see that things were getting worse; it was very dangerous to go into the city now. How could he ask his brother and the others to take another risk? But Chen Haitao… he was really pitiful. How could Gu Pei refuse him?

The four of them were roommates, usually as close as brothers. Seeing Chen Haitao getting anxious, Zhao Cheng, who was in the car, couldn’t help but speak up: “Don’t worry, Haitao. They’ll definitely help you find your family.”

“Exactly! Aren’t soldiers supposed to serve the people? They’ll definitely get us to safety first, then help you. Don’t panic!” said a middle-aged woman next to Zhao Cheng—probably his mother.

Everyone else looked like they agreed.

Qiu Yun raised an eyebrow, half-smiling, but after glancing at Gu Xu, he said nothing. Gu Pei listened to their matter-of-fact tone, clenched his fists, and turned to frown at them. “What are you talking about? Serve you? Is it my brother’s duty to save you?”

He suddenly remembered that, aside from when they were first rescued—when everyone was full of gratitude and praise—afterwards, they’d only complained about this or that, hid and screamed whenever they saw zombies, and if they weren’t looked after perfectly, they’d grumble nonstop.

He realized, all at once, that his brother and the others’ efforts were so unappreciated. These people weren’t truly grateful at all; they just took it for granted.

The middle-aged woman pursed her lips, about to retort, but a man beside her tugged her sleeve and she fell silent. Zhao Cheng quickly forced a smile. “Don’t be mad, A-Pei. My mom didn’t mean anything by it. She trusts you guys, that’s all. We know your brother and his friends are good people.”

Gu Pei wasn’t stupid—he could hear the empty flattery, but not a trace of genuine gratitude. He asked, “Zhao Cheng, do you think it’s a soldier’s duty to save your family? That they have to? Didn’t you see how fast the teachers and security guards at school ran away? And the police in University Town—they were the first to smash shops and loot.”

Zhao Cheng’s mother muttered, “Why isn’t it their duty? We pay so much in taxes, not for nothing. Isn’t all this just to make us thank you? Fine, we’re grateful, very grateful, okay? Once we’re safe, name your price!” She curled her lip. “Besides, you’ve got guns and people—shouldn’t you be helping us weaklings? And you, a college student, where’s your sense of social responsibility?”

Gu Pei’s face flushed with anger. “You—”

A gun barrel was suddenly pressed to the woman’s forehead before he could finish. Qiu Yun grinned roguishly. “Why waste words on people like this? Just shoot her and be done with it.” He glanced sideways at the stunned crowd. “No need to pay us back with money—just give us your lives, nice and simple. That way we’ll have more space to stretch out.”

The woman turned deathly pale, and the others shrank away. “You—you can’t do that! Don’t do anything crazy…”

“Qiu Yun!”

Gu Xu finally spoke. Qiu Yun clicked his tongue, put away the gun, and leaned against the window in silence. Gu Pei’s lips moved; he bowed his head in shame. “Sorry, brother.”

“It’s fine. Consider it a lesson,” Gu Xu said. “From now on, look carefully—not everyone is worth helping, and not everyone wants your help. You have to consider your own abilities, and the person you’re helping.”

He smiled slightly, reached out to ruffle his brother’s dejected hair, and said, “But don’t let others’ attitudes become your excuse to back down. If you promised to help them find their family, then as a man, you should keep your word. Tomorrow, I’ll go with you to the city center.” He glanced at Chen Haitao. “You come too. Without you, we wouldn’t know where to look.”

Chen Haitao asked nervously, “Just the three of us?”

“Not enough for you?”

“Boss!” Qiu Yun immediately sat up straight. “That won’t do! Those two are useless, it’s too dangerous. At least take me!” Shadow also gave a disapproving look.

Gu Xu smiled and patted Qiu Yun’s injured arm, making him wince. “Focus on recovering. You four have to protect a dozen people—think that’s easy? By the way, does your wound feel any different?”

“It feels like something’s trying to crawl out from inside. My whole body hurts, and I’m burning up. My head’s all fuzzy. Am I going to turn into one of those monsters?” he joked self-deprecatingly.

Gu Xu’s face turned serious. “Don’t say that! Get some rest. I’ll talk to you all later.”

It was already midnight, the darkness thick and ominous. Overhead, a blood-red crescent moon hung in the sky, casting a faint crimson glow and shrouding the world in a terrifying shadow.

Unlike the city, where zombies roamed everywhere, in the suburbs they were mostly found on the streets and in residential areas. Near the warehouses in the industrial district, you’d only see a few stray zombies, and they’d be taken out by the night watch before they got close.

In one of the many warehouses, Cheng Haijun and Zhou De—the one with the strength mutation—were on duty for the first half of the night. One held a watermelon knife, the other a heavy iron hammer. They had just worked together to kill a female zombie. Cheng Haijun, panting, asked, “Zhou De, don’t you think the zombies are a lot stronger tonight?”

He’d almost been sent flying by a swipe of her claws. He looked at the scratch on the back of his hand, blood oozing from where the zombie’s nails had torn his skin. He frowned—if he hadn’t reacted quickly, he might have lost his hand. Those nails were sharper than butcher knives.

Zhou De felt quite proud. He could clearly tell his strength was several times that of a normal person, and everyone else thought so too. The admiring, envious looks made him feel great. He’d done most of the work killing the zombie just now. Sure, it seemed a bit tougher, but if he admitted that, wouldn’t it make him look weak? He shrugged it off. “Really? I didn’t notice.”

Cheng Haijun frowned in confusion. It wasn’t just that the zombies seemed stronger—they were also much more aggressive. Four or five had already tried to attack survivors tonight. The previous two nights hadn’t been like this.

He couldn’t help but remember what Bian Changxi had said before leaving: “I have a bad feeling, like something’s about to happen. Starting tomorrow, be extra careful when you see zombies. Don’t rush in—watch what others do first.”

What was going to happen?

Cheng Haijun looked up at the blood moon in the sky, unease gnawing at him.

Meanwhile, behind the warehouse, three shadowy figures huddled together, whispering.

“…What? You didn’t get the jade bracelet? What the hell were you doing? That Bian girl was out cold and you still couldn’t handle her?”"