Chapter 160

Xie Zhou picked up a book and skimmed through a few pages. It was all basic knowledge, the kind he had tried to teach the baby back when he first got books.

Unfortunately, the little fellow was a slacker. He had no interest in dry, tedious knowledge and would frequently shut his eyes and lie down somewhere to play dead.

If it were before the apocalypse, An An, who never stood when he could lie down, would have already been in kindergarten.

“An An, do you want to learn some things so you can become super, super powerful like those uncles?”

An An, who had just opened a book out of curiosity, silently closed it, put it back where it belonged, and patted his bottom as he ran away.

His hurried departure practically had two words written across his back: NO! WAY!

Xie Zhou helped tidy up the books. As a father, he was very much in favor of sending the baby to school, and Red Star Base happened to have a kindergarten and a primary school that provided the perfect conditions.

The number of newborns after the apocalypse was very small. In the entire Red Star Base, there were fewer than thirty children. The teachers basically worked in multi-to-one ratios, putting twelve-tenths of their energy into the children’s education.

While An An was out playing on Pingping’s back, Xie Zhou went to check out the school’s atmosphere. Whether it was the facilities or the teaching staff, everything was excellent.

Before the apocalypse, an ordinary family would never have been able to get into a school with such a powerful teaching team.

An An rode on the back of the mutant Husky, Pingping, charging through the Red Star Base like a little demon king.

Everyone in Red Star Base possessed an extraordinary level of patience and tolerance for children. They didn’t get angry when they saw An An making trouble; instead, they found the sight of such a small child riding a Husky and falling head over heels quite amusing.

Every evening, Xie Zhou would see the baby return looking like a little mud monkey, reaching out his hands for a hug.

After joining Red Star Base, Zhou Li became very enthusiastic about carrying out various missions, following the base’s squads.

The reason he had been able to survive alone for so long in the apocalypse was purely because he had exercised and stayed fit before the world ended, and he often traded necessities with others.

Only after arriving at Red Star Base did he realize that his ability wasn’t just for logistics. Forcing seeds to mature was something done only during harsh weather conditions.

Normally, when he went out on missions with the squad, the other Wood-type users in Red Star Base were very generous and shared various seeds with him.

For example, the Blood-Sucking Vine. Once matured, it could literally strangle any zombie within the third rank to death.

In the short two months since joining Red Star Base, Zhou Li had seen more high-attack plants than he had in all the years he spent wandering alone.

Most Wood-type users carried various seeds with them. Once their energy was spent and the matured plants withered and aged, they would collect the seeds and repeat the cycle.

In the eyes of others, Zhou Li seemed like a fool who only cared about completing missions. In reality, for Zhou Li himself, these missions with low difficulty and guaranteed safety were an excellent opportunity to train.

Specifically regarding the Blood-Sucking Vines, which could even grow inside human blood vessels and brains, Zhou Li had specially raised one that ate and slept alongside him.

On this day, Zhou Li finally didn’t take a mission and came over to Xie Zhou’s house to visit An An.

The Little Zombie was frowning, his face full of defiance. A book was spread across his knees, and he was working hard at making “ho-ho” sounds.

“What’s wrong, An An? Why the long face?”

Zhou Li leaned over and crouched beside An An, reaching out to gently rub his head.

It was only after he got closer that he noticed it wasn’t just An An; Pingping was sitting beside him, and even Xiao Guai was sitting at a miniature desk, seriously reading a book.

According to research by the doctors at Red Star Base, the intelligence of Mutant Beasts was roughly equivalent to that of a five-year-old child and could gradually develop as their ability level or age increased.

The base provided Mutant Beasts with treatment similar to human children. Since they were here, they had to study hard, learn to read, and distinguish right from wrong.

Seeing the three of them studying diligently in a row, Zhou Li suddenly remembered the fear of being controlled by schoolwork in his past, and his body couldn’t help but shudder a few times.

“Thank goodness I’ve already graduated.”

Hearing this, An An silently hugged his book and went to the balcony. He didn’t want to talk to someone like that!

Pingping followed his little master with a book in his mouth. Xiao Guai first approached and gave Zhou Li a sharp flick with his tail before coiling his tail around his book and leaving.

Not only was the intelligence of Mutant Beasts similar to human children, but even their aversion to studying was exactly the same.

Xie Zhou finished tidying up and saw Zhou Li standing there as he walked out, greeting him proactively.

It was clear that Red Star Base had been making preparations lately. A life-and-death struggle between the two great bases was inevitable.

As the apocalypse dragged on, the remaining resources on this land grew scarcer, making conflicts over them unavoidable.

Red Star Base supported all kinds of high-intelligence talents and possessed the most advanced laboratory in the world, which was enough to deal with the changes brought by different harsh environments in the apocalypse.

New fertilizers to purify the soil and seeds with extreme adaptability were just a few of the most common items in the Red Star Base research lab.

In the beginning, Dawn Base only took in high-level ability users. By the time they realized the importance of researchers, it was already too late.

Most researchers had not awakened any abilities and remained ordinary people. The survival rate for such people in the apocalypse was extremely low, unless they were part of the group that joined Red Star Base at the very start.

They had joined Red Star Base at the onset of the apocalypse. Over the years, Red Star Base had done its best to satisfy any request they made.

No matter how generous the terms Dawn Base offered in secret, they had no intention of betraying Red Star Base.

Fang Sinian always thought that as long as he offered enough benefits, he could attract anyone to his base.

But in reality, this world was full of people willing to strive their entire lives for their beliefs and the things they cared about.

Wood-type and Water-type users were severely lacking in Dawn Base. The high-and-mighty combat-type users finally realized the problem; the food they had stolen last time was still a bit of a strain to support the entire base.

In Fang Sinian’s eyes, Red Star Base was now like a piece of fat meat hanging in front of him. As long as he took a bite, everyone in his base could go back to living a life free of worry.

Although Red Star Base found it a bit difficult to support so many ordinary people, their strength was not lacking, and they would certainly not sit back and wait for death.

The sudden intensification of training recently was enough to show that they were prepared to take the initiative.

If not for the sake of the big picture, the vast majority of people were actually more inclined to catch Dawn Base off guard, but the leaders of Red Star Base had been hesitating.

Fang Sinian only saw the dwindling survival resources, but he failed to notice that the human population across the entire planet was dropping sharply.

Even in a base as large as Red Star, there were currently fewer than fifty children under the age of ten. One could imagine how severe the problem was.

In such a harsh environment, most people’s desire for romance, marriage, and procreation had dropped to the minimum. If things continued to develop this way, it was possible that one day in the future, humanity would truly go extinct.

“Brother Xie, what do you think will happen if a real fight breaks out?”

Zhou Li sat on the sofa, leaning against the backrest and staring at the brilliant sun outside the window.

Having lived for so many years, Zhou Li felt he had already gotten his money’s worth out of life. The only thing he couldn’t let go of was the fact that he hadn’t yet avenged his younger brother.

Even if he was to die, he had to die after Fang Sinian. Only then would he dare to face his brother in the afterlife.

“Brother Xie, for the sake of the time we’ve spent together, if I end up sacrificing myself, you have to help me kill that guy Fang Sinian.”

“You won’t die. We’ll all be fine.”

The topic of life and death was always heavy. The more partings and deaths one witnessed in the apocalypse, the more one worried about the departure of those nearby.

Xie Zhou was a relatively emotionally detached person, and Zhou Li was one of his few friends.

Hearing Xie Zhou’s words, a bright smile appeared on Zhou Li’s face.

“Alright then. I’m thinking that after Dawn Base is gone, I’ll take An An as my godson.”

“It’s a deal.”

Inside Red Star Base, aside from the slightly intense training, their lifestyle during the remaining time was very close to how things were before the apocalypse. They didn’t have to worry about sudden zombie attacks at all.

Almost everyone in the base had been injected with a vaccine developed by Dr. Zhou. Small scratches from zombies or Mutant Beasts would not cause an infection.

Since the development of this vaccine, the safety factor for completing their missions had increased significantly.

Zhou Li usually acted in a carefree, improper manner. Ever since he discovered that An An, Pingping, and Xiao Guai had to start studying, he would come over every day to make sarcastic remarks.

“Oh, who is this? Let me see who it is. Who was it that didn’t finish their homework last night and had to go hungry?”

“Oh… it’s An An! Let me feel your belly, is it a bit flat?”

With a mischievous grin on his face, Zhou Li reached out to touch An An’s stomach. The infuriated An An ground his teeth, a threatening “Heh-heh” sound vibrating in his throat.

“Okay, okay, I was wrong! Don’t be so fierce, let’s talk this out, let’s talk this out.”

Seeing that the fuming Little Zombie was about to bite him in the next second, Zhou Li knew when to yield and hurriedly bowed his head to apologize.

With Gu Wen, who possessed a Healing-type ability, present, even a bite from An An wouldn’t turn him into a mindless zombie. However, the process of purifying the zombie virus felt like having chili water poured into his veins-a burning, searing pain from the inside out.

Last time Zhou Li was on a mission, he suffered a deep wound from a mutant plant. He absolutely never wanted to experience that sensation a second time.

Pouting, An An carried his books to another room. Zhou Li sat there and let out a long sigh of relief.

Just then, he saw Xie Zhou walking out of a room and hurriedly spoke up:

“Little An’an’s temper has really grown lately.”

Hearing this, Xie Zhou shrugged helplessly and reminded him:

“You’d better not provoke the baby lately; he’s in a bad mood. If he bites you, I’m not paying for the medical bills.”

At the mention of this, Zhou Li instantly perked up and leaned in curiously to ask:

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“He can’t keep up with Pingping and Xiao Guai’s study progress, and Auntie Liu criticized him. This morning, Auntie Liu forgot to bring his favorite Crystal Cores, and he thought it was a punishment for falling behind in his studies.”

No wonder An An got so angry when Zhou Li mentioned him being hungry earlier.

In reality, Auntie Liu’s memory just wasn’t what it used to be as she got older. She happened to miss the specific kind An An liked, leaving the aggrieved An An sulking in a corner for a long time.

“Mr. Sun asked me to inform you that the plan is to set out in half a month. He wants you to help An An pack his luggage in advance.”

As a Space-type mutant zombie above the tenth rank, An An was said to have been able to proficiently use space-tearing skills shortly after turning into a zombie. Such talent was extraordinary.

Many Space-type ability users would come to seek advice from An An. Unfortunately, he couldn’t explain anything with his “Heh-heh” sounds. Those who came under the guise of seeking advice usually ended up just gently pinching An An’s little cheeks before leaving.

“Alright.”

The conflict with Dawn Base had already reached a boiling point. Fang Sinian had even shamelessly suggested that they should replant crops on the vacated land, promising that they wouldn’t try to seize it this time.

Coming from someone who had already done such a thing once, the promise held zero credibility. Mr. Sun would never do something so foolish.

It was short of direct robbery; showing his intentions so clearly only proved that in Fang Sinian’s mind, Red Star Base was already something in his pocket.

Rather than sitting around waiting for death, it was naturally better to strike first.

“He really is shameless.”

A mocking smile played on Xie Zhou’s lips. Then again, how could someone capable of doing those things care about shame?

Time flew by. When they finished packing and boarded the vehicle heading toward Dawn Base, Zhou Li’s hands were trembling with excitement.

This was so much better than what he had originally imagined. The power of the entire Red Star Base was more than just a little bit stronger than the combined strength of him and Xie Zhou.

Xie Zhou’s heart was also far from calm. His wife had been gone for a very, very long time. Coupled with everything that had happened in the apocalypse, her image had long since blurred in his mind.

However, the things they had experienced together remained firmly etched in the depths of Xie Zhou’s heart, impossible to forget in this lifetime.

If it weren’t for Fang Sinian, the role of a mother would not have been absent from the baby’s growth. Perhaps their family of three could have lived a very happy life even in the apocalypse.

Xie Zhou now often fantasized about these non-existent possibilities to satisfy his empty heart.

When they were still some distance from Dawn Base, they abandoned the large trucks and split up to move separately, each carrying a miniature walkie-talkie.

To avoid alerting the enemy, Xie Zhou stood alone at the main gate of Dawn Base and told the registration officer that he wanted to see Fang Sinian.

The people who served as Fang Sinian’s lackeys generally had personalities similar to his.

Hearing Xie Zhou’s request, the man scanned him from head to toe and said in a low voice:

“Go over there and have your ability level tested first. That’s what determines whether or not you’re qualified to see our Brother Fang.”

“Tell Fang Sinian that my name is Xie Zhou. I am an old friend.”

They were friends who had met not long after the apocalypse began. During that time, Xie Zhou had been protecting Fang Sinian. Every time he went out to find supplies, he would leave a portion for Fang Sinian, treating him like a younger brother.

It must be said that even after all these years, Fang Sinian had never encountered anyone as foolish as Xie Zhou again.

If it weren’t for the fact that Fang Sinian was now successful enough to have whatever he wanted, he might have actually felt a bit nostalgic.

Now, hearing someone mention that name to him, he immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed down. Seeing Xie Zhou standing there from a distance, it was indeed the person from his memory.

“Brother Xie, why did you only come to find me now? You must have suffered out there all these years, right?”

With a smile on his face, Fang Sinian walked toward him with apparent excitement and gave Xie Zhou a firm hug.

“I was living in a small base before. That base was destroyed by a zombie tide last month. I heard the leader of Dawn Base was named Fang Sinian, so I wanted to come and try my luck.”

Xie Zhou spoke these words haltingly, but fortunately, it didn’t arouse Fang Sinian’s suspicion. He only thought the man was still as poor with words as he remembered.

Back then, he had handled that matter flawlessly. If he hadn’t fled out of a guilty conscience and fear that his actions would be exposed, they would have spent much more time together.

Judging by Xie Zhou’s current appearance, he clearly hadn’t discovered that the incident back then was his doing. Otherwise, given Xie Zhou’s upright character, he would surely be itching to kill him.

“The fact that you could make it here to find me is proof enough that your strength is formidable. Brother Xie, how have you been getting along all these years?”

On the surface, Fang Sinian was exchanging pleasantries with Xie Zhou, but in reality, he had already begun contemplating something else.

As the environment grew increasingly harsh, they had been forced to follow the example of the Red Star Base and establish a laboratory. Most of the staff inside were doctoral assistants who had awakened abilities.

While their knowledge and capabilities couldn’t compare to the doctors at the Red Star Base, they excelled in ruthlessness. They wouldn’t even blink at the most cruel human experiments.

The experiment currently in progress desperately needed a Lightning-type ability user of the fifth rank or higher to test a new drug.

Lightning-type users were rare enough in the post-apocalyptic world, and since most users of this type possessed incredibly strong offensive capabilities, Fang Sinian couldn’t bear to sacrifice any of his own qualified men.

Now that Xie Zhou had suddenly delivered himself to his doorstep, Fang Sinian saw it as a literal godsend.

“I… it’s been quite hard. In my old base, I was the only one with a rank six ability. I had to protect everyone, yet everything I brought back had to be split equally with them. Don’t even get me started, just thinking about it makes me feel resentful!”

Xie Zhou currently looked like a man truly embittered by his past experiences.

Fang Sinian felt a particular resonance with these words. Many ability users only joined the Dawn Base after developing similar feelings of unfairness.

He reached out and patted Xie Zhou’s shoulder, his eyes even turning slightly red with feigned sympathy.

“Exactly. Why should you have to share things you risked your life to get with them? Even if they really wanted a share, they should have been profoundly grateful to you, begging for your charity.”

“Why don’t you just join my base? I guarantee you’ll enjoy the most generous treatment here, and you can do whatever you want. What’s yours is yours. You won’t have to shoulder any responsibilities; you just need to be happy.”

“It’s already the end of the world, why bother thinking so much? Who can guarantee they’ll even be alive tomorrow?”

“Instead of worrying about this and that, it’s better to enjoy the present and live for the moment.”

Fang Sinian was most satisfied with people like Xie Zhou who came alone.

If he had brought a family or several hangers-on, Fang Sinian would have had to find a way to get rid of them.

Only by maintaining the base’s atmosphere of hedonistic indulgence could he ensure these ability users remained loyal to him.

Ideology was, to a certain extent, highly infectious. Just like those Wood-type and Water-type users he had previously suppressed so well; they had believed a few instigating words from outsiders and left one after another, causing him so much trouble.

The loyalty of most ability users in the base was no longer what it used to be. Unless absolutely necessary, Fang Sinian didn’t want to resort to his old methods again.

“Alright!”

“I’ve heard many people mention the Dawn Base before and always wanted to come, but the distance was just too great. I’m glad I finally made it, otherwise I would have missed out on such a great opportunity to enjoy life.”

Fang Sinian deliberately said things Xie Zhou wanted to hear, and Xie Zhou intentionally played along. The two of them appeared to be having a wonderful conversation.

That night, Xie Zhou was arranged to stay in Fang Sinian’s villa. The decor and furnishings here appeared even more luxurious than they had been before the apocalypse.

Fang Sinian even went out of his way to arrange several good-looking young people for Xie Zhou. When he sent them over, he had an ambiguous smile on his face.

“Brother Xie, now that you’re at the Dawn Base, you just need to enjoy yourself to the fullest.”

“Um… but there’s no need for these people. I’ve been traveling for many days straight to get here, and right now I just want a good night’s sleep. Out there, I had to be on guard every second for mutant zombies. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a proper rest.”

The reason Xie Zhou gave was perfectly reasonable and did not arouse Fang Sinian’s suspicion.

From shortly after the apocalypse began until now, Fang Sinian had rarely lived in the wild.

Even on the rare occasions he left the base, he was surrounded by a circle of high-ranking ability users to ensure his safety.

He couldn’t imagine how one would rest while traveling exhausted in the wild without anyone standing guard. He could only walk over and pat Xie Zhou’s shoulder, comforting him about the hardships he had endured.

“Then you should get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll arrange a banquet to properly welcome you to our base.”

“Alright.”

After Fang Sinian left, Xie Zhou looked like a country bumpkin who had just arrived at a five-star hotel.

He began pacing nervously around the room, not at all appearing eager to rest as he had claimed in front of Fang Sinian.

When he encountered certain expensive items, he couldn’t even resist reaching out to touch them, a greedy smile playing on his face.

Back in his study, Fang Sinian watched this performance through the computer and felt completely at ease. After all these years, Xie Zhou was no longer the man in his memories.

Drifting in the wasteland had worn away all of Xie Zhou’s pride, making him as vulgar as everyone else.

Fang Sinian sat there, staring intently at Xie Zhou on the screen, thinking about how he could let the other ability users in the base know about his good relationship with Xie Zhou.

This was his sworn brother who had faced death with him!

Yet, for the sake of the many ability users in the base, he was willing to send him to the laboratory for dissection.

Once this story was spread, more people would surely believe in his selflessness, and it would likely offset the previous negative influences.

Only after Xie Zhou had walked through every corner of the room did he lie down to rest.

There were a total of three cameras and four microphones in the room. Living here meant that his every move was under Fang Sinian’s surveillance.

The next morning, Fang Sinian specifically pushed aside many important matters in the base to personally accompany Xie Zhou on a tour of their facility.

Compared to the austerity of the Red Star Base, the Dawn Base was indeed much more luxurious. The roads were paved with smooth asphalt, and the exteriors of all the houses showed no signs of damage.

“Brother Xie, are you satisfied with my base?”

Fang Sinian was asking the question, but the smugness in his eyes betrayed him.

Since the apocalypse, no place other than the Dawn Base could provide them with such an opulent lifestyle.

Such a beautiful base was enough to make Fang Sinian proud for a lifetime.

“It’s very beautiful. Even before the end of the world, I never lived in such a nice house.”

Xie Zhou was very cooperative, putting on an air of being unrefined and displaying the cautiousness of a newcomer, as well as a desire to flatter Fang Sinian.

This attitude pleased Fang Sinian immensely. He wore a smile and waved his hand in mock humility.

“It’s just average. As long as you’re satisfied, Brother Xie, and willing to settle down here, that’s what matters.”

For the first three days, Fang Sinian paraded Xie Zhou around the entire base. In the shortest time possible, he ensured everyone in the base knew the news that Fang Sinian’s “good brother” had come to find him.

The deeply suspicious Fang Sinian had even settled him in his own home the very day he arrived.

Fang Sinian’s treatment of Xie Zhou was exceptionally good, especially after he saw the projections for the next experiment in the report submitted by the laboratory.

They planned to dissect Xie Zhou’s brain, drain his blood, and ideally grind his bones into ash to see how they would react to various chemical reagents.

Lightning ability users were rare, so they cherished this opportunity. They couldn’t wait to test every single curiosity they had on the experimental subject before them.

Two days before Fang Sinian decided to send Xie Zhou into the laboratory, Xie Zhou was finally granted a small measure of freedom.

Xie Zhou led the ability users following him to a spot he was certain had no surveillance. Putting on an air of reminiscence, he spoke up and asked:

“Do you have any family members you care about? The kind you can’t forget no matter what, the kind you see every time you dream.”

The two ability users responsible for tailing Xie Zhou glanced at each other after hearing this and shook their heads decisively.

How could there be a family member one couldn’t forget? In this world, there was no such thing as an unforgettable person.

If someone couldn’t forget, it was only because not enough time had passed, or because their current life wasn’t good enough.

For people like them, who could get anything they wanted at the snap of their fingers, it was impossible to look back on a past they’d rather not remember, let alone the people involved in those memories.

“I do. My wife. She was with me for many years, and I loved her very much, but in the end, life and death tore us apart.”

After Xie Zhou sat down, one of the ability users sat beside him and asked nonchalantly:

“Was she beautiful?”

If she wasn’t a world-class beauty, how could he be so obsessed?

Xie Zhou was slightly stunned by the question, then he broke into a smile and shook his head in denial.

“No. Everyone who met her said she looked very ordinary, the type who would disappear in a crowd. But in my eyes, she was truly beautiful, more beautiful than any famous star known for their looks.”

Both ability users were accustomed to seeing beauties, so they couldn’t understand Xie Zhou’s perspective at all.

Since she wasn’t beautiful, why bother missing her?

To be unable to let go of people or things from the past only meant that he hadn’t found a better replacement yet.

However, considering this was a task personally assigned to them by Fang Sinian, even though the two men were already growing impatient, they continued to listen.

“Because of life circumstances, I was away from her for many years. Everyone around her suggested she break up with me and find someone more suitable, someone who could be by her side all the time.”

“She endured the judgmental looks of everyone who doubted us and waited for me to return. When I finally made it home, she brought a bouquet of flowers for me at the station.”

Fresh flowers? Those were an extreme luxury after the apocalypse, uncommon even in Dawn Base.

In this cruel world, just staying alive consumed all their energy. Who had the mind to seek out things for mere pleasure?

“That day, she had her hair in a low bun with a bow, and she was wearing a light blue dress I really liked. The moment she saw me, she came running toward me at full speed.”

“Later, while we were hugging tightly, she said… she had spent half an hour getting that bun just right, only for it to fall apart after running a few steps. She thought it was such a shame.”

Xie Zhou looked up at the horizon, his eyes full of reminiscence and longing for the past.

His few sentences allowed the two ability users to visualize the scene in their minds.

Lovers reuniting after a long separation, hugging tightly in a station, a bouquet of flowers, the hem of a dress, and a messy bun.

Even though Xie Zhou hadn’t mentioned the weather, both men subconsciously assumed it must have been a very beautiful day.

“Her parents didn’t like me; they felt I was wasting her youth. But her grandmother liked me very much. Knowing I was back, she specially made me a bowl of hand-pulled noodles.”

“She stir-fried a bowl of shredded pork, and most of it was hidden at the bottom of the bowls meant for me and my wife.”

The previous words had only made the two ability users feel that it was a nice story, but this simple sentence caused one of them to freeze instantly.

Memories of his own grandmother came rushing back without warning. She had also been a little old lady who doted on him.

She would always save what she thought were the best things for her precious grandson, even if they had expired and she couldn’t bear to throw them away.

That ability user fell into his own memories. How had he joined Dawn Base? It seemed he had heard they had specialized caregivers to look after the elderly.

His grandmother was old, and he didn’t want her to spend her final years wandering around with him. For her sake, he had even agreed to several extremely harsh demands from Fang Sinian back then.

At that time, he wasn’t calculating like he was now. Even when signing an unequal treaty, all he thought about was that the little old lady could finally get a good night’s sleep.

He thought he had mostly forgotten these things; after all, life in Dawn Base was quite good.

But now, that sealed memory had been hooked and pulled out. The scenes of the past replayed in his mind one by one, every detail so clear he felt he could remember it perfectly.

The pocket money the old lady would secretly tuck into his backpack before school, the snacks she prepared for him every time he came home.

After graduating from university, his ambitions were sky-high. He always felt the place where his grandmother lived was poor and backward. The dirt ground would ruin his shoes that cost thousands of yuan, and he was unwilling to eat the food prepared by his grandmother’s hands, which looked like withered branches, thinking it was unclean.

Even when forced by his parents to visit her, he would sit at the dining table with a long face, refusing to even pick up his chopsticks.

When the little old lady saw this, she would put down her chopsticks and head out. Half an hour later, she would return with snacks from the village convenience store, thinking he was still the child who needed snacks to finish his meal.

In his memory, his grandmother seemed to always have a gentle smile. Right now, it felt like a heavy blow to the man’s heart, striking him so hard that he snapped awake in an instant.

He gasped for air, trying to soothe his aching heart.

Seeing this, Xie Zhou glanced at him and walked over to help him up.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to carry you on my back to get checked out?”

Back at Red Star Base, a certain little zombie would often choose to play dead to avoid going to class, and Xie Zhou would simply carry him there.

The words slipped out almost instinctively. After saying them, he couldn’t help but find it a bit funny.

But the man sitting on the ground, upon hearing those words, suddenly and pathetically began to shed tears.

That familiar phrase reminded him of when he had failed at work and was drinking heavily at home. He had nearly died of alcohol poisoning, and in his daze, he only remembered someone picking him up and carrying him on their back.

It was hard to imagine how an eighty-year-old lady had carried a grown man from the village all the way to the town.

“Ah…”

He buried his head in his arms. A grown man who had been numbed by years of hedonism couldn’t withstand the sudden surge of grief. He pounded his chest hard, his entire body trembling.

He couldn’t form a complete sentence, only able to let out meaningless, choked sounds.

Seeing him cry, Xie Zhou instinctively wanted to hand him a tissue or a handkerchief to wipe his tears. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pale yellow handkerchief printed with a small pink pig.