Chapter 52 Don't Be Soft-hearted

It wasn't strange that a wild boar pack recognized them, but it was surprising that they also recognized the hyenas.

"I used to go to the zoo often, so I've seen them before!" 

Upon hearing the boy's response, Su Nian's understanding deepened.

It seemed like this boy came from a decent background.

Unfortunately, the sudden apocalypse had ruined his comfortable and affluent life.

"I used to live in the nearby town. After the extreme heat, my parents brought me to this resort in the mountains, saying it's cooler here with mountains and water, better than the town.

Just a couple of days after the weather suddenly turned cold, we could hear wolves howling at night. 

The night before last, we were all asleep when we heard noises outside and someone screaming. My parents and I woke up immediately. We wanted to run, but it was too dangerous outside, and it was pitch black. My parents were bitten to death trying to protect me."

As the boy spoke, his emotions sank, and his voice choked up.

Su Nian fell silent for a moment before asking softly, "Were there many people bitten to death that night?"

Upon hearing Su Nian speak suddenly, the boy turned to look at her and, meeting her gaze, nodded vigorously. "Many!"

"What about the bodies?"

When they arrived yesterday, all they saw was a mess with no bodies in sight. The ground was covered in pristine white snow, with no trace of blood.

"They said the wolves dragged them away."

So, not only did the wolves kill people, but they also dragged away the bodies. Could it be they took them back as food reserves?

"Did you see which direction the animals came from?" Su Nian continued asking.

"From the south. There are many mountains to the south, and everyone says they came from there."

Su Nian had gathered almost all the information she wanted, and she didn't intend to waste any more time.

She opened her backpack and took out two packs of instant noodles, handing them to the boy. "Here, take these."

For this information, two packs of instant noodles seemed like a fair trade.

The boy looked at the instant noodles with eyes full of longing.

After hesitating for a moment, he quickly reached out and took the two packs, clutching them tightly to his chest.

Although the boy's movement was swift, Su Nian still noticed his hands were purplish-black, covered in frostbite. Even his fingernails were tinged with a bluish-purple hue.

Perhaps he didn't have nail clippers, or he didn't think to trim his nails. They were somewhat long, with pits and grooves along the edges, obviously not well cared for.

Su Nian calmly withdrew her gaze, feeling no significant emotional fluctuations inside.

In this apocalypse, there were far too many people in such situations.

She couldn't help them, nor did she want to.

After a couple of days, Kong Jianming would take them back to the base. Once they were there, as long as they were diligent and willing to endure hardships, their lives would improve significantly, if not greatly.

Jing Mo was about to close the window when the boy outside spoke again.

"Be careful! Everyone says those animals have mutated and become even more ferocious than before!"

From the wild boar they had killed earlier and those unusually heavy rabbits, Su Nian and Jing Mo had already realized this.

Nevertheless, it was kind of the boy to remind them.

Jing Mo reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of candy.

"Keep this. Consider it a reward for your warning. We're even now."

With that, Jing Mo closed the car window and started the engine.

The boy stood outside, unmoving, until he saw the car move, then slowly moved aside.

Even as the car drove away, Su Nian could still see through the rearview mirror that the boy was still standing there, looking towards their direction expectantly.

Jing Mo drove the car, glanced at Su Nian, who was staring at the rearview mirror, and softly said, "Don't be soft-hearted. We can't take him with us."

Soft-hearted?

Su Nian burst into laughter. "You're thinking too much. I won't be soft-hearted."

"Good." Jing Mo chuckled. "There are people left behind by Captain Kong in the lobby. Even if he carries things back, as long as he's smart enough to sit with those people, he won't have to worry about being robbed. Once we return to the base, those who are able-bodied won't have to worry about survival issues."

Jing Mo's voice was calm and steady, and Su Nian didn't find listening to him tiresome.

Even though she already knew all of this.

The car left the resort and headed south.

Outside the resort, there were roads leading in three directions, and the accumulated snow in the middle of the road had been cleared to the sides.

Evidently, Kong Jianming had divided the people into three teams and still had the snowplow clearing the way.

This made it easier for Su Nian and Jing Mo to travel.

After driving south for twenty or thirty minutes, Su Nian saw the silhouette of a village and Kong Jianming's group of cars.

They didn't stop but continued forward.

As they passed another village, there was no one clearing the snow ahead.

Just as Su Nian was about to speak, she saw Jing Mo reach out and press a button.

With his movement, something changed at the front of the car.

Two iron plates extended from under the front of the car.

"What's this?" Su Nian asked, puzzled.

Without waiting for Jing Mo to answer, Su Nian quickly realized the purpose of the two iron plates.

The plates moved back and forth, pushing the snow to the sides, clearing a path for their car.

"After I made the decision to come out, I modified the car a bit," Jing Mo explained with a smile.

Su Nian glanced at Jing Mo approvingly.

This wasn't just a modification.

At least, even after her rebirth, Su Nian was still clueless about such things.

She had expected the journey to be tough, but now they didn't have to worry at all.

They drove south, entering higher mountains and denser forests.

Although the branches were bare, it was still evident that the trees used to be lush.

In such mountains, it was not surprising to encounter wild animals.

They chose a suitable place and parked the car.

Jing Mo took the gas stove out and placed it in the woods, then put a pot on it and poured a bag of fresh rabbit meat inside.

"These animals are coming down the mountain to attack people because they're too hungry. Once the scent of the meat spreads, it should attract some.

When that happens, we'll get on the roof of the car and shoot them on sight.

It's better not to engage in close combat unless absolutely necessary."

"Understood," Su Nian nodded.

Once the scent of the rabbit meat spread, they returned to the car.

Instead of immediately getting into the car, Jing Mo opened the trunk, lifted the mat, and took out a long box from underneath.

As he opened the box, the silver gun barrel inside was revealed.

The barrel was long, almost the same length as Su Nian's Tang knife.

After loading the bullets, Jing Mo handed the gun to Su Nian.

"You like this? Then you use it!"

Jing Mo said as he handed the gun to Su Nian.