Have Some Decency

"Jian, there's a big truck coming this way."

In the morning, four young men trudged along the roadside, hungry and thirsty. They were about to check for supplies in the vehicles that had lost control and come to a stop here and there along the road.

The one they called Jian was Wang Jian, a young man of twenty-five or twenty-six. He turned at their words, saw that it really was a big truck, and brightened.

Wang Jian waved a hand. "Stop him."

The other three immediately agreed and began fantasizing.

"There's bound to be something in a truck that big. Maybe a whole load of instant food."

"A truckload of watermelons would be good too. They'd quench our thirst and fill our stomachs. Other fruit would work too."

"Even if it isn't hauling supplies, my uncle's a truck driver, so I know they always keep cases of bottled water in their cabs. Plenty of snacks too, like braised eggs, braised chicken drumsticks, and biscuits."

That made all four of them even hungrier.

"Jian, if he doesn't stop, you'll have to use your divine power to puncture his tires."

The other two chimed in, looking at Wang Jian with a mixture of fear and envy.

Wang Jian had awakened his ability the previous night. He had suddenly discovered that he could control metal. At first, he had thought he could control anything, but after experimenting, he realized it only worked on metal.

The others beside him had witnessed it and stood dumbfounded.

An ability?

They had no idea that survivors would awaken abilities one after another over the next two weeks, some sooner than others.

That was the sort of privilege only the protagonist got in novels.

They had to latch on to him. Wang Jian, who had been ordinary and held little status, had instantly become the other three's respected leader.

Wang Jian was immensely pleased with himself too. I was destined for greatness. Sooner or later, this world will bow at my feet.

Many people grew arrogant after awakening abilities, believing that only heaven and earth ranked above them. Wang Jian was certainly no exception.

With Wang Jian's approval, the three immediately blocked the middle of the road, while he stood at the roadside, putting on the airs of a boss.

The big truck was Chen Luo's heavy-duty truck.

"Stop! Stop right there!"

Faced with their shouting, Chen Luo gave a faint smile. Keep blocking the road if you have a death wish.

Just as before, Chen Luo didn't slow down at all.

The three naturally didn't dare stand in the path of a speeding truck and hurled curses at him.

Wang Jian's expression darkened. How dare he disrespect me like this?

Already prepared, Wang Jian took out a long, sharp iron nail. Using his metal ability, he sent it hurtling toward one of the truck's rear tires.

The punctured rear tire immediately began leaking air.

Chen Luo felt the truck lurch and was stunned. What's going on?

He had no choice but to stop and check what had happened.

Seeing Chen Luo slow down and stop, Wang Jian and the other three looked smug and hurried over.

Two of them opened Chen Luo's cargo compartment without asking.

Wang Jian marched viciously up to the window and pounded on it.

"Didn't you fucking hear me tell you to stop?"

"Go on, run! Let me see you try that again!"

Before the Apocalypse, Wang Jian had never been this arrogant. But after awakening an ability and being flattered by his three lackeys, his ego had swollen out of control.

"Get your ass out here! Don't fucking play dead!"

Chen Luo stared at Wang Jian in astonishment. You're the bastard who damaged my truck?

Chen Luo flew into a rage. How am I supposed to get home now that you've wrecked my truck?

Home was still more than ninety kilometers away. Without this heavy-duty truck, the journey back would be dangerous.

An ordinary car couldn't plow its way through the city.

Meanwhile, the two lackeys who had opened the cargo compartment were bitterly disappointed. It was completely empty.

They shouted, "Jian, fuck! There's nothing in here!"

Disappointed and even angrier, Wang Jian roared, "Get out of the truck!"

Chen Luo trembled with anger. This fucking sneak.

Opening the window, Chen Luo viciously slammed a fully formed Space Sphere into Wang Jian's face.

Unable to dodge in time, Wang Jian took it squarely in the face.

The Space Sphere exploded against Wang Jian's face.

Wang Jian screamed as the blast mangled his face into a bloody mess, stripping away all the skin. He immediately collapsed unconscious.

Wang Jian had never imagined that anyone besides him possessed an ability. He was supposed to be the protagonist!

At this sudden turn of events, the other three immediately fled in terror.

Wasn't Jian the protagonist? How had he died just like that?

Chen Luo patted Dharma King's rump. Taking the hint, Dharma King jumped out of the truck and chased down the three.

Barely calming his anger, Chen Luo explained, "Dazhu, it's not that I'm ruthless. If we were ordinary people and fell into their hands in a situation like this, just think what would happen to us."

It was only the third day of the Apocalypse, and Su Dazhu had experienced little of it, so Chen Luo made a point of explaining.

The remaining three soon died under Dharma King's pursuit.

Chen Luo's anger eased a little, and he felt somewhat better.

But venting his anger didn't change the fact that the truck was damaged. It wouldn't repair itself.

Chen Luo and Su Dazhu got out to inspect it and soon discovered that one tire had been punctured. All the air had escaped, leaving it flat.

Where were they supposed to find someone to repair a tire out in the middle of nowhere?

With no other choice, Chen Luo took out his learning materials. They would have to do it themselves.

Besides copying a large collection of movies, novels, and games, Chen Luo had also copied plenty of learning materials.

Ahem, actual learning materials, covering subjects such as planting, electrical circuits, agriculture, biology, and medicine.

He had copied as much of the publicly available educational material as he could find.

With the help of those learning materials, Chen Luo and Su Dazhu finally repaired the tire after a great deal of effort.

Fortunately, he had also stocked the ability space with all kinds of tools.

Chen Luo pursed his lips. He had picked up another skill.

Just as they were about to set off again, Chen Luo remembered that he hadn't collected Wang Jian's crystal.

Survivors who had awakened abilities also had crystals, and their effects were much better than those of zombie crystals.

That was why, after the Apocalypse, treachery from other humans was far more terrifying to survivors than zombies.

Wang Jian had only just awakened. His crystal was much better than one from the lowest-level zombie, but it still wasn't all that useful.

Chen Luo didn't get home until three in the afternoon, without even having eaten lunch.

After enjoying a sumptuous meal, Chen Luo stretched lazily.

Looking at the mess on the dining table, Chen Luo glanced at Dharma King. If only you could wash the dishes.

Under Chen Luo's gaze, Dharma King's sphincter clenched. Have some decency, would you?