Lu Xi'an was astonished. A man on the brink of death had recovered just by eating a tiny bit of food. It was practically like the Holy Healing Technique.
He wondered if he, as a New Human, had that kind of ability.
"I'm good now. Thanks, thanks."
Luo Ping sprang up from the ground, lively and full of energy, no longer looking half-dead. "So, what do you think of my ability?
"I've been relying on it to fight those bastards tooth and nail all this time.
"They can't kill me no matter how hard they try. They must be going crazy by now."
Lu Xi'an nodded repeatedly. "Impressive, impressive."
Luo Ping said smugly, "Well? Jealous? Type B New Humans are pretty rare. I've only met one other like me in all my life."
Lu Xi'an nodded again and again. "Jealous, jealous. Though having to get injured and nearly die before it works is a bit rough. I'd still rather be able to crush everyone outright, so nobody could beat me."
Yao Wei nodded beside him, agreeing with Lu Xi'an.
"..."
Luo Ping fell silent for a moment. "You really don't know how to talk."
Lu Xi'an didn't pursue the topic. "Didn't you say you were going to hide out for a few days before making a run for it? How did you end up fighting people?"
Luo Ping's expression darkened. "They stole my car and killed the companion I'd finally managed to find. I'm not letting it go until I settle the score with them!"
Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei couldn't help feeling a little puzzled. When had this guy gotten a companion?
Luo Ping glanced toward the county town and took a deep breath. "Could you give me something to eat?
"Type B New Humans can only get back to full strength by replenishing their energy with food. I ate everything I had while avenging my companion.
"I don't have anything on me now, but I wiped out everyone in Gao Family Village. I've taken out the people in the county town a few times, too, and they don't dare come out anymore.
"I didn't want to sit around waiting to die there, just in case. Looks like dragging myself over here to lie low was the right call.
"There's still some supplies at their base, but no food. I can trade their supplies for something of yours.
"If you trust me, take me there so I can pick up the supplies. If you don't, you can wait here. What do you need? Weapons or tools? I'll go get them for you."
Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei exchanged a glance and made up their minds.
"There's no room in the car. You'll have to hang on outside," Yao Wei said.
Luo Ping grinned. "Okay."
So Lu Xi'an got behind the wheel, and Yao Wei took the passenger seat. Luo Ping planted his feet on the running board and clung to the window frame. With Yao Wei pointing a pistol at him, he rode along with them to Gao Family Village.
The guy was still a chatterbox. Even hanging onto the outside of the car, with a gun pointed at him and wind blowing in his face, he kept on talking. Without Lu Xi'an or Yao Wei needing to ask, he explained what they wanted to know:
"I hid in a cave a while back. I didn't expect anyone else to be living in it. He wasn't a New Human, but he had big ambitions and was willing to be my companion.
"He's pretty smart and full of ideas. He could probably get a lot done.
"After hiding for two or three days, I figured those two groups probably didn't have the time to keep worrying about me, so I planned to take my new companion back to the base with me.
"But when we stopped to refuel at the gas station outside the county town, the people from town ambushed us.
"They stole my car and took my supplies. That wasn't a big deal. Possessions are replaceable.
"But the one thing they absolutely shouldn't have done was kill my new companion!"
Yao Wei could sense the boundless sorrow and fury Sharp Brother was showing, but she chose to ignore it and kept pointing her pistol at him.
Meanwhile, Lu Xi'an held the steering wheel and drove. "My condolences."
"Condolences for what? I just want to kill people right now, not grieve!"
Luo Ping spoke through gritted teeth. "This world is crawling with vermin. Every one of those people lives like a beast. Do you know how hard it is to find a companion like him?
"I've gone out from the base time and time again, all over the place. I don't even know how many people I've met, but I've found hardly any companions!
"The people I've run into are either staking out territory as their own little kingdoms or wandering around looking for some oasis. They search for supplies, fight over supplies, and go completely insane over the smallest scrap.
"Why don't they ever stop to think? The old world ended so many years ago. They've been searching all this time. Has anyone found a single oasis?
"Those supplies are relics of the old world. They'll run out eventually. What will everyone do then?"
Yao Wei was momentarily stunned.
"So you want to build an oasis yourself?" Lu Xi'an asked.
Luo Ping's eyes lit up. He shook his head, flinging away the hair the wind had blown into his mouth, then gazed brightly at Lu Xi'an. "I knew I was right about you. Big brother, big sister, you're people like me!
"The environment in this world is completely different from the old one. It's much harsher.
"But nobody stops to think about how, in this world of shifting heat and cold and different terrain, animals and plants still manage to thrive. Even after bitter winters, they grow lushly, as if nothing had happened.
"People in the old world studied plants, domesticated animals, and produced food from the old world. We keep our eyes fixed on things from the past instead of asking ourselves whether, in this new age, they can keep providing us with food indefinitely.
"Supplies are relics of the old world, and oases are just a fantasy from the old world. We shouldn't keep looking to the past. We have to look to the future—and start with what's right beneath our feet!"
Lu Xi'an let out a quiet breath. "You're a very good orator."
Luo Ping smiled.
But just then, Yao Wei suddenly spoke up. "Someone tried to do that before, but they were wiped out."
Lu Xi'an turned to look at Yao Wei, unsure whether she was talking about her mother.
Luo Ping nodded. "I know. More than one group tried, and more than once. But they all failed. They were too focused on their ideals and forgot that the people running wild across the world had already turned into beasts. They'd become vicious.
"They were torn to pieces by those beasts before they could accomplish much."
"So if I'm going to do the same thing, I can't be like them. I need to grow some fangs."
As he spoke, the car drove into Gao Family Village.
Bodies lay scattered everywhere. It looked like there had indeed been a battle, and everyone had been wiped out.
Luo Ping got out of the car. Before long, he came back carrying two guns. Both his pants pockets bulged with supplies, and he held two heavy cleavers.
"One gun for you, one for me. Same with the cleavers. I need the bullets, so I can only spare you a few—how about ten? In exchange for those three packs of Instant Noodles.
"If you don't use all three packs, I'll give back whatever's left the next time we meet."
Lu Xi'an had Yao Wei take the cleavers, guns, and bullets, then took the three remaining packs of noodles out of his backpack and handed them to Luo Ping.
"Thanks."
Luo Ping said it, then immediately opened one of the packs and wolfed it down in no time.
He'd only eaten a small piece of the noodle cake before and hadn't fully recovered. After eating another pack, he seemed to come back to full strength. "Could you give me a ride a little farther? Drop me off near the county town."
"Hang on by yourself," Yao Wei said.
"Thanks."
Luo Ping thanked them again.
So Lu Xi'an drove out of Gao Family Village. Yao Wei continued pointing her pistol at Luo Ping.
When they reached a spot where they could see the white flag fluttering in the wind atop a statue in the county town, Luo Ping jumped off the car.
"Maybe we'll meet again."
He said it with his back to Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei, then set off toward the county town with his gun at the ready.
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