Chapter 192: Raising a Little Zombie 10

Xie Hui lowered his head and reached out to smooth the hair of the little one dozing on his lap. Seeing the unwavering trust in the child’s eyes, he curved his lips into a faint smile.

This kind of unshakable faith and unity—no other country in the world could compare.

Next door, the Old Madam couldn’t sleep and often called out “Yunyun” by the window.

The little one, who had always followed his dad around, heard someone calling and eagerly dragged over a stool to sit by the window. The old and the young began chatting through the glass.

Xie Hui leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes to rest.

Twenty-four hours later, the same person who had brought them in came to escort them out. He was dressed in military uniform and even pulled a piece of candy from his pocket to hand to Yunyun, giving the boy’s soft-looking hair a gentle ruffle.

“Sir, your ability level must be pretty high, right? We rarely see children in the base.”

Children’s cries attracted zombies. Most were either abandoned or died with their parents in a zombie’s jaws.

Xie Hui nodded slightly, then gave Yunyun’s shoulder a gentle push and said softly, “Say thank you to the uncle.”

Yunyun looked up, stared at the soldier, and smiled so brightly his eyes nearly disappeared into crescents.

“Thank you, Uncle! Uncle, your clothes look so cool!”

He Fang had seen too many people numbed by the apocalypse. A lively child like this was a rare sight. He crouched down and picked Yunyun up.

“So, little guy, do you want to grow up to be like Uncle?”

Being picked up by someone other than his dad startled Yunyun. He quickly wrapped his arms around the soldier’s neck, but once he realized what was happening, he broke into a grin and answered crisply, “Yes!”

He Fang personally escorted them to the resettlement area, explaining along the way that housing wasn’t free. They needed to work for the base in exchange for Contribution Points. Five points would cover a week’s stay.

“You’re an Ability User. If you’re willing, you can join the Guardian Team. The points you earn from missions are much higher than doing regular chores.”

The base needed people to build shelters, farm, and clean. Even sixty-year-olds could find something to do.

The Guardian Team was responsible for protecting the base and rescuing survivors. It was dangerous work, but the rewards were generous.

“Guardian Team?”

Hearing Xie Hui’s interest, He Fang’s attitude became noticeably more enthusiastic. He patiently explained further.

Although the base was operating normally, it was still running at a loss. Supporting so many ordinary people was a heavy burden, and food supplies were already running low.

For a survivor base like theirs, Ability Users were incredibly scarce.

There was a mission coming up to retrieve pre-apocalypse grain from a distant city. The rice in question had been unpopular before, due to its poor taste, but in the apocalypse, anything that could fill a belly was a blessing.

However, the base didn’t have enough Ability Users. After accounting for those needed to defend the base and those in the rescue teams, there weren’t enough left to form a complete mission squad.

Their superiors didn’t allow Ability Users who couldn’t properly use their powers to go on missions. Some newly awakened ones were still in training.

Even after counting everyone, they still couldn’t scrape together enough people for the mission.

“Sir, the Guardian Team offers great benefits. You don’t need to worry about your child either. We have a dedicated kindergarten in the base, so you can carry out missions without concern.”

Yunyun, who had been listening intently, blinked in confusion at that sentence. He widened his eyes and instinctively protested, “Uncle! I’m already in elementary school! I don’t want to play with little kids from kindergarten!”

He Fang was momentarily stunned, then chuckled.

“My apologies, little guy. Uncle misunderstood.”

“It’s okay.”

After helping them complete the registration process, He Fang stood at the door of their new housing unit and asked again, “Sir, would you consider it?”

“I’m quite interested in the Guardian Team, but I have one condition.”

He Fang had already started smiling at the first half of the sentence, but his heart tensed at the second.

“Go ahead. We’ll do our best to accommodate.”

“My son is very attached to me. He was traumatized while we were wandering outside, so he can’t be apart from me. I’m willing to join the Guardian Team, but I want to bring him with me. I’ll take care of him and won’t cause any trouble.”

The little one, who had supposedly become clingy and traumatized, widened his eyes and gave a small nod under He Fang’s gaze.

The missions were dangerous, and bringing such a young child along was clearly inappropriate. He Fang hesitated.

“I’m a Fourth-rank Ability User.”

That one sentence from Xie Hui instantly changed He Fang’s wavering attitude into firm resolve.

Currently, the highest-ranking Ability User in the base was Huo Li, who had only reached Second-rank during the last assessment.

“Sir, would you be available to come with us for a quick test? It’s not that we doubt you, it’s just…”

Before He Fang could finish, Xie Hui nodded.

“Alright.”

Xie Hui hadn’t even stepped inside their new housing unit before He Fang led him straight to the testing facility.

Scientists at the base had already developed tools to measure ability levels. Following the instructions of a man in a lab coat, Xie Hui placed his hand on the device and activated his power.

The numbers on the electronic screen flickered a few times before settling at 4652.

“He really is Fourth-rank!”

Even the usually composed He Fang couldn’t help exclaiming in surprise.

He had assumed Xie Hui was Second-rank like Huo Li, which would explain how he had managed to survive the apocalypse with a child in tow. He hadn’t expected him to be a Fourth-rank Ability User.

As a Fourth-rank, Xie Hui could not only bring his child along on missions, but if his son wanted to ride on the shoulders of any Ability User in the Guardian Team to watch his dad in action, he could pick a different one every day and no one would dare object.

This test result was actually suppressed by Xie Hui.

To put it bluntly, without an ounce of false modesty, no one in the entire apocalypse had more combat experience than he did.

To keep his ever-hungry little one fed, he hadn’t taken a single day’s rest since the apocalypse began. Abilities only improved through constant use and training.

Maybe his talent wasn’t the best, but no one could match his dedication.

He Fang’s face lit up with a warm smile as he extended his hand to Xie Hui.

“Sir, welcome to the Guardian Team.”

Xie Hui reached out and shook hands, giving He Fang a friendly smile.

Instead of taking them to the resettlement area, He Fang brought them somewhere else.

The resettlement area mostly consisted of one-bedroom units with shared bathrooms. It provided shelter, but space was tight and cramped.

The Guardian Team’s housing, on the other hand, was a separate apartment with two bedrooms, a living room, a private bathroom, and even a kitchen.

On the way back, He Fang’s heart was still racing.

Though he didn’t show it outwardly, deep down he had always taken pride in being a peak First-rank Ability User.

In the entire base, he was second only to Huo Li in terms of ability level.

But now, that pride had been shattered by Xie Hui’s status as a Fourth-rank Ability User.

He had once believed that if he just stretched a little, he could touch the sky. But now he realized the sky was far higher than he had ever imagined.

Still, he wasn’t discouraged. After the initial sense of deflation, excitement surged through his chest. The uncertainty of the future, filled with challenges, only made it more thrilling.

He Fang turned his head to look at the man holding his child. His hair looked like it had been chewed by a dog, and his beard was overgrown and scruffy.

But with the aura of a Fourth-rank Ability User, that disheveled appearance gave him an air of mysterious detachment, like a reclusive master.

After escorting them to their new home, He Fang handed the keys to Xie Hui.

“When do you want to start taking on missions?”

“Uncle, is there anywhere in the base that sells safety helmets?”

Xie Hui and Yunyun spoke at the same time. He Fang, who had been about to turn and leave, paused and looked back.

“Mr. Xie, if you don’t need to rest, I can come by tomorrow. You can start with a few smaller missions to get used to things.”

“As for the helmet, I’ll keep an eye out for one.”

Yunyun really wanted a safety helmet. Maybe it was because he’d dug into so many zombie skulls that he’d developed a subconscious desire to protect his own head.

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Xie Hui gently nudged his son’s shoulder, signaling him to go inside. Under He Fang’s gaze, he gave a small nod.

“What time tomorrow?”

“Would the morning work for you?”

“That’s fine.”

He Fang had been about to leave again, but after a moment’s thought, he added, “Sir, there are places in the base that sell children’s clothes. Does your son need anything? When I was holding him earlier, his hands felt a bit cold.”

“I’ll check it out when I get the chance.”

“All right, then I won’t keep you any longer.”

Xie Hui stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Seeing his son already seated on the sofa, he walked over and sat down beside him.

“What made you suddenly want a safety helmet?”

Xie Yun scooted closer, explaining, “Dad, I saw how fast you dig out zombie crystal cores… and I got kind of scared. What if one day you fall asleep and dream you’re fighting zombies, and mistake me for one?”

As he spoke, Xie Yun hugged his head and looked up at his dad nervously.

“We’re in the base now. There are a lot of people around. Don’t bring up zombies again, understand?”

Every time this topic came up, Xie Hui’s tone turned serious.

The child was still young and often spoke without thinking. All he could do was patiently correct him, over and over.

“I know, Dad. I was wrong…”

Xie Yun nodded obediently, realizing he’d made a mistake. Then he leaned in and rubbed his head against his dad in a show of affection, pulling a piece of candy from his pocket—the one that uncle had given him earlier—and held it out.

“Here, Dad. For you.”

Xie Hui took it and gave his son’s head a gentle rub.

For the first time in a long while, they slept peacefully in that room, without worrying about zombie attacks in the night. It felt almost like life before the apocalypse.

The next day, when He Fang came to take them to the Guardian Team, Xie Hui ran into someone he knew.