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From Meat Tower Chen's stream of curses, the two learned that it had all been over a woman. Normally, at a time like this, Meat Tower would never have offended Zheng Kun over a woman. But how could he have known that Zheng Kun had pursued her before the apocalypse, only to be humiliated in public? Her family background had kept Zheng Kun from doing anything to her, so he had been forced to swallow his anger. After the apocalypse, the woman had failed to awaken an ability and no longer had her family to back her up. Zheng Kun had been waiting for her to come begging, but instead, she had taken a liking to Meat Tower Chen. She was beautiful and had thrown herself into his arms. Knowing nothing of her history with Zheng Kun, Meat Tower Chen had happily accepted her. Had he known, he would not have dared touch her even if she were a heavenly beauty.

"According to you, she's as beautiful as a celestial maiden. So why did she pick you? Wangyang Town has at least eight thousand capable ability users, if not ten thousand. Which of them couldn't have kept Zheng Kun in his place?" Zhang Yi sneered. Together with Nan Shao, he got Meat Tower Chen into the shack and propped him up against the wall. Neither man's clothes would fit Meat Tower Chen, so he would have to make do with staying wrapped in a bedsheet.

At his words, Meat Tower Chen's endless cursing stopped. His face flushed purple, and he replied indignantly, "Captain Zhang, you really underestimate me. Why couldn't Bai Mei have fallen for me?"

Zhang Yi knew he was clever, so he left the hint at that without wasting any more words and handed him a bottle of water.

Meat Tower Chen reached out from under the sheet to take it, unscrewed the cap, and took a couple of swallows. His expression immediately wilted. "Captain Zhang, my legs..."

"Just call me by my name," Zhang Yi interrupted. "Don't worry about your legs. I'll think of something." Then he introduced Nan Shao. "This is Nan Shao. Call him Brother."

"Brother Shao," Meat Tower Chen obediently greeted him.

Nan Shao gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"Keep an eye on him for me. I'm going out for a bit," Zhang Yi told Nan Shao. Then he took a Corpse Crystal, picked up his rebar machete, and headed outside.

"Where are you going?" Nan Shao followed him out.

"To ask whether there's a surgeon among those people," Zhang Yi said. Since ability users had almost no need for ordinary doctors, the town's original clinic had been cleared out along with everything else when people cleaned up the town. All the useful medicines and equipment had been snatched up, and no new medical facilities had been established afterward, so he could only look for another way. In fact, even if there had been a hospital or clinic, they could not have afforded the medicine, let alone surgery. Medicine now was comparable to gold before the apocalypse.

"Then why are you taking that?" Unlike before, when he had accepted whatever Zhang Yi said without another word, Nan Shao seemed determined to get to the bottom of things.

Zhang Yi fell silent for a moment before answering, "I'll go into the county town again and see if I can bring back some medicine." Afterward, he added, "I'll come back." He had already taken Meat Tower Chen in without considering the others' wishes. Now, all the more, he could not take it for granted that they would risk their lives with him. But he valued his life greatly, because he still had a son he could not leave behind.

"I'm going with you. Li Muran can look after things here," Nan Shao said, leaving no room for refusal. He went back into the shack to get his pickaxe, emptied his backpack, and took a few more Corpse Crystals and a bottle of water. Without speaking to the fat man watching him eagerly, he walked straight out.

Zhang Yi looked at him, hesitated, then finally said a quiet thank-you. A sincere smile appeared on his face, making him look a little gentler, and a little shy. He had only ever smiled at Zhang Ruiyang that way. Something inexplicably stirred in Nan Shao's chest, and he knew that only now had Zhang Yi truly accepted him.

"Don't forget, we're in this together," Nan Shao replied with a smile, suddenly feeling much better. Perhaps, deep down, he understood that once this man accepted him, he would never be left behind, no matter what-even if he became infected with the zombie virus.

"Mm." Zhang Yi smiled in understanding.

The two walked over to Li Muran's tent. They had only called out once when Zhang Ruiyang crawled out. "Daddy?" He stopped short of throwing himself into Zhang Yi's arms and looked at the things in his hands, full of confusion. He knew that whenever Zhang Yi took those things, it meant he was going out.

Feeling a little guilty, Zhang Yi crouched in front of Zhang Ruiyang, hugged his small, thin body, and said softly, "Yangyang, Daddy has to get some medicine for Uncle Fatty, so I can't stay with you today. Will you stay home with Auntie and help take care of Uncle Fatty?"

Zhang Ruiyang's little brows furrowed at this. Just as Zhang Yi was starting to feel uneasy, the little boy gave an exceptionally solemn nod. "Okay." Then he cupped Zhang Yi's face in both hands and planted a loud kiss on his nose. "Daddy has to get lots and lots of medicine for Uncle Fatty."

Zhang Yi rubbed his cheek against his son's. Alongside his relief, he felt an even greater sense of how much he owed him.

"I'll go with you." Li Muran, who had been silently watching, suddenly spoke. Before either man could object, she added, "I studied medicine. I know what medicines we need." If she wanted to join their team, she had to show her usefulness. If she always hid behind them, she would still be abandoned when a crisis came.

Both Zhang Yi and Nan Shao were taken aback. They had not expected to have a doctor right beside them, though Li Muran later corrected them, saying that she was only an intern and had not officially graduated yet. With that in mind, they had no reason to object. After all, they could only carry so much. Naturally, it would be better if they could choose the most useful things to take.

The fact that Zheng Kun had only injured Meat Tower Chen's legs and dumped him in the slums showed that he did not want him dead, but wanted him to suffer slowly. There was therefore no need to worry about them coming to the door in the short term. As for the others in the shack district, as long as Meat Tower Chen remained alert, they would not dare target him. Even injured, a mutant was still a mutant. That status alone was enough to intimidate people who feared death and treasured their lives. So Zhang Yi felt reasonably reassured about leaving Zhang Ruiyang behind. Once he had arranged everything, the three set out.

Nan Shao left his uneaten biscuits and apple for the injured man and the little boy, along with two bottles of water. The three of them first went to the canteen to exchange for a few bran cakes. They already had water with them: Li Muran had a bottle of her own, while Nan Shao and Zhang Yi shared one. Apart from their weapons and backpacks, they took nothing else unnecessary. Since it was not yet eleven, they arrived just in time for the last vehicle heading to the county town.