Chapter 198: Raising a Little Zombie

Huo Li was clearly displeased when interrupted during his moment of excitement. Seeing the zombie lying on the ground, his pride as an Ability User kept him from feeling fear; instead, he was annoyed that Xie Hui’s son had disrupted his fun.

After all, he had vaguely sensed a zombie approaching but pretended not to notice, eager to see Yao Yu’s frightened reaction.

The commotion attracted the attention of several others nearby, including the Captain, who had just switched shifts with Xie Hui. After understanding the situation, the Captain couldn’t hold back and delivered a solid punch to Huo Li.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

Huo Li, naturally arrogant, instinctively prepared to retaliate but was swiftly kicked to the ground by Xie Hui before he could raise his hand.

“If you want to die, do it far away. Don’t do it in front of my son.”

With that, Xie Hui took Yunyun away, not returning to the vehicle but instead heading to a quiet spot nearby.

The night wind was cold, rustling Yunyun’s clothes. Nervously, he clenched his hands and mustered the courage to look up cautiously at his father’s expression.

He stepped forward, tugging gently at his father’s sleeve.

“Dad, I know I was wrong…”

Xie Hui took a deep breath, looked down at him, and squatted to meet Yunyun’s beautiful eyes, remaining silent for a long time.

The sound of the wind and his father’s current demeanor made Yunyun worried and afraid.

Even though zombies no longer had heartbeats, he felt his heart racing. Tears welled up in his eyes as he sniffled and hugged his father’s neck, speaking in a nasal voice:

“Dad, I know I was wrong. Please don’t ignore me. I’m scared.”

Xie Hui gently patted his back. He had never been a proponent of silent treatment, but just moments ago, he truly didn’t know what to say. In a hoarse voice, he replied:

“Dad never intended to ignore you. It’s my fault for not teaching you that some people aren’t worth saving.”

“But Dad, they’re still living human beings. I can’t just watch them die in front of me. Our teacher taught us to help others.”

To Xie Hui, Yunyun’s words seemed naive, out of place in the dark apocalypse.

But listening to his child’s voice, the words of advice he wanted to give remained unspoken.

He couldn’t impose adult standards on a child barely over six years old.

“Yunyun, what your teacher taught was before the apocalypse. Now, in the apocalypse, when you lack the ability, don’t be overly helpful, okay?”

“Especially in situations that might endanger you.”

“You always say you can’t live without Dad. For me, I can’t live without Yunyun either.”

After speaking, Xie Hui gently patted Yunyun’s shoulder. Noticing someone approaching with a flashlight, he took Yunyun’s hand and headed back.

On the way back, Yunyun pondered over this. When they returned to the vehicle and his father began to rest, he leaned against him, his mind filled with thoughts on the matter.

The next morning, during breakfast, the Captain publicly scolded Huo Li and Yao Yu in front of everyone.

Xie Hui showed no emotion, while Yunyun sat beside his father, leaning his head against him.

Yesterday, when his father ignored him, he felt miserable. Now that he’d managed to win his father’s favor again, he clung to him affectionately.

It turns out even the coolest little zombie fears a cold-faced father.

Xie Hui understood the Captain’s difficult position between them, and his gaze toward Huo Li and Yao Yu grew colder.

As they set off after breakfast, Yunyun felt someone’s gaze on him. Instinctively, he turned to see Yao Yu, the one responsible for upsetting his father. With a light snort, he quickly climbed into the vehicle.

Sitting there, he hugged Ping An’s large head, took out Fu Gui’er, and gently poked its leaves with his fingertips. This lazy plant was to blame!

Their destination was a mysterious city. Before the apocalypse, it was bustling, but afterward, few survivors had emerged from there.

They speculated that a high-level zombie had appeared in the city.

On the way, the Captain advised them to be cautious and prioritize safety.

The ones who needed the most guidance, Huo Li and Yao Yu, were ignored by the Captain, who was too tired to deal with them.

He planned to remove them from the Guardian Team after returning, as individuals with strong personal agendas didn’t belong there.

After several days of travel and numerous route changes, they finally reached their destination.

While transporting supplies, nothing unexpected happened. Despite the abundance of zombies, the city wasn’t as mysterious as rumored.

Xie Hui inspected the surroundings, deducing that a large event had occurred before the apocalypse. The first wave of zombies had nearly wiped out the entire city, and a second evolution had further reduced the number of survivors.

The city was far from the Survivor Base, and the route there required crossing a river.

If anyone had survived by chance, they likely headed in the opposite direction.

Rumors had shrouded the city in mystery.

Using Xie Hui’s Portable Space, they transported the supplies and left the city. Before boarding, Huo Li made some unpleasant remarks.

“There’s no real danger here. Was it necessary to wait for him to execute this mission?”

“Each of us is an Ability User. We’re not that much worse than him.”

This time, few responded to Huo Li’s words. It wasn’t agreement but a lack of interest in engaging with him.

Most of the Guardian Team members enjoyed seeing their teammates improve, as it meant greater safety and a higher chance of returning safely from missions.

In the dangerous apocalypse, they had no time to worry about who was stronger. Survival was paramount.

Only Huo Li seemed unable to tolerate others’ success. He had previously taunted He Fang for a long time when his abilities upgraded.

Exhausted, Xie Hui rested on the way back.

Upon returning to the base, the Captain took Xie Hui to receive an identity card.

Guardian Team members had special identity cards documenting their missions, ensuring they received the appropriate Contribution Points.

“Captain, I’m heading back now. I’m exhausted.”

Before receiving the identity card, Xie Hui had unloaded the supplies at the Survivor Base’s warehouse, leaving him extremely tired.

“Alright, go rest well.”

After completing the mission handover, the Captain spotted He Fang and approached him.

“Do you have time now? I remember you have a good eye. Come with me to buy some clothes for a child.”

He Fang, initially planning to visit his father, didn’t refuse, though he was curious.

“Captain, which child are you secretly playing with now?”

“Yunyun. When I held him before, I noticed his hands were cold. He doesn’t have a mother, and Xie Hui is busy, so he probably hasn’t thought of these things. Let’s take advantage of our free time to buy Yunyun some warm clothes.”

Hearing the Captain’s explanation, He Fang accompanied him to the base’s commercial street, earnestly selecting clothes for a child.

Huo Li and Yao Yu, preparing to join a new team, overheard their conversation. Huo Li’s expression darkened, and after a moment, he cursed:

“They’re just sucking up to Xie Hui because his ability level is high. It’s disgusting.”

After speaking, he glanced at Yao Yu, who seemed lost in thought, and gently nudged her shoulder.

“What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”

Yao Yu snapped out of her daze, staring at the departing Captain and He Fang. She instinctively asked:

“Did they say Xie Hui’s son’s body temperature is low?”

“Yeah, they said Xie Hui didn’t dress him warmly enough, so his hands were cold. You’d think they were the kid’s real parents. Let’s go report to the new team.”

“Okay.”

Yao Yu let Huo Li lead her away, but she glanced back, her suspicions deepening.

Meanwhile, Yunyun, holding his new flower pot, planted Fu Gui’er inside. Looking at its lush green leaves, he took out a few Crystal Cores he didn’t like and placed them near its roots, gently stroking them with his fingertips.

“Fu Gui’er, eat up and grow strong to protect Dad.”

Afraid of disturbing his father’s rest, Yunyun spoke softly, then sat there, resting his chin on his hands, gazing out the window.

In the distance, someone was watering the fields, and he could see many people training their abilities in the training ground.

Yunyun’s eyesight was excellent. When he saw them wearing military green uniforms, a hint of longing flashed in his eyes.

Uncle Captain had said that if he wanted, he could be like them in the future.

He just wondered if they’d accept a little zombie when he grew up. What a dilemma.

When Xie Hui awoke, he saw the little one leaning by the window. He quietly approached, following Yunyun’s gaze outside. Noticing his interest in the training ground, he covered his eyes.

Yunyun had heard his father’s footsteps but pretended not to notice. When his father covered his eyes, he leaned back, looking up at his father.

“Hehe, Dad, you’re so childish.”

“What were you watching so intently?”

“Them training. I just saw a fire-ability uncle accidentally burn his friend’s hair during practice.”

Yunyun’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and the more he thought about it, the funnier it seemed. Eventually, he leaned into his father’s embrace, laughing heartily.

“It all got burned off!”

“They’re done for the day. Close the window and come here.”

“Okay.”

Yunyun closed the window, moved Fu Gui’er to a side table, and watered it before heading to the sofa.

He sat there, hands on his knees.

“Is your arm better?”

This was from when Yunyun had tried to save Yao Yu and accidentally got scratched by a zombie.

During the mission, with so many people around, the Guardian Team members mostly rested together, and Xie Hui hadn’t had a chance to check properly.

He had quickly changed Yunyun’s clothes to hide it, thankful that he’d prepared many identical outfits, so no one noticed.

“Dad, look, not a mark left.”

As he spoke, Yunyun rolled up his sleeve to let his father see more clearly.

The arm that had been scratched was now perfectly smooth, without a trace of a scar.

“Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?”

“Nope.”

Xie Hui rubbed the back of his head and frowned, saying disdainfully, “Let’s see if you dare to do it again next time.”

Yunyun, knowing his father was recalling the last incident, quickly raised his hands above his head in surrender. “I was wrong, Dad. I won’t do it again.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. Yunyun dutifully ran over to open it.

“Uncle Captain, why are you here?”

Yunyun stepped aside to let Captain in and then closed the door behind him.

Captain placed the bag he was carrying next to the sofa and smiled, “Xie Hui, how are you doing? Not feeling too tired, I hope? When I was holding Yunyun earlier, I noticed his hands were a bit cold. I thought maybe he wasn’t wearing enough clothes, so I picked out a few for him.”

“I’m alright, thank you, Captain.”

Yunyun came out of the kitchen with a glass of water and handed it to Captain.

“Thank you, Uncle.”

“No need to thank me. It’s just a few clothes, nothing worth mentioning.”

Besides bringing clothes for Yunyun, Captain’s main purpose for visiting was to inform Xie Hui that Huo Li and Yao Yu were no longer part of their team.

Captain, being the chief Captain, was in charge of a team that included other sub-captains. Since Huo Li didn’t get along with their team, he was reassigned to another.

Xie Hui was quite pleased with this outcome. He couldn’t understand the behavior of the male and female leads.

His little one was just over six years old, and he didn’t want Yunyun to be exposed to those things during missions.

As Captain was about to leave after their conversation, a sudden commotion erupted outside, followed by urgent knocking. With a puzzled expression, he went to open the door.

Standing outside were Huo Li and Yao Yu, who barged in immediately upon seeing Xie Hui and demanded, “Mr. Xie, how do you explain your son being a zombie?”