Chapter 162: Fishing
“We can go,” Xue Shen reminded them. “Are you wearing the outfit you got from the mall in Hanzhou?”
“Yeah,” Xie Chongyi leaned against the doorframe. “It went missing later. Didn’t expect my Wu Heng to have put it away for me—”
“I didn’t ask.”
Just then, Wu Heng walked out. He had a half-empty hiking backpack slung over one shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Class Monitor, you don’t have any luggage?” Dou Lu asked in surprise.
Everyone else had more or less brought luggage. Even though most of their gear was loaded into the vehicles, there were still some everyday necessities they needed to carry with them. But Xie Chongyi had nothing.
“Oh, my Wu Heng—”
“Who exactly asked?”
There were four jeeps in total. Wen Yuan and his group had driven off with two of them, along with one of the trucks transporting supplies. Shen Ping’an stood by the roadside; once he saw everyone had arrived, he climbed into the driver’s seat of the lead jeep.
After spending several months in Jingzhou, Xue Shen had long since become adept at driving, so he naturally took the second jeep.
Seeing this, Xie Chongyi moved to climb into the driver’s seat of the truck at the back.
Lin Mengzhi swung his bag onto his shoulder and, together with Dou Lu, dragged Xie Chongyi back.
“How can we let the great Class Monitor drive himself?”
“Where’s the driver?!”
Xie Chongyi glanced at the two of them. “Don’t trust my driving skills?”
“What skills do you even have?” Lin Mengzhi blurted out bluntly.
Wu Heng was the last to step out of the main gate. When he saw several of them still pulling at each other by the roadside, he felt a wave of speechless exasperation. Walking over, he grabbed Xie Chongyi by the wrist and led him toward the jeep. “Sit in the back with me.”
Xie Chongyi was obediently led away. As he left, he even raised his free hand to wave at the people by the road.
“Hiss—” Dou Lu suddenly shivered and hugged her arms. “Lin Mengzhi, I have a premonition.”
“What?”
“From now on, when the Class Monitor deliberately grosses us out, it’ll only increase, not decrease.”
Lin Mengzhi gave her a look that said ‘You’re just realizing this?’ “He’s always been bad.”
“I said I’d drive the truck!” A loud voice rang out.
The girl’s smooth, long legs carried her up into the truck in a single step. After getting in, she flicked a pair of fingerless gloves out of her pocket and pulled them on, looking out the window as she did. “I’ve got a Class A license.”
She dressed in a style completely different from almost everyone else. The dark green pilot jacket stopped at her waist. Because her ultra-short skirt was high-waisted, and her earthy-brown hiking boots rose past the middle of her calves, her legs still looked astonishingly long—striking and beautiful.
Lin Mengzhi’s face flushed all the way to his neck. He pressed himself against the window and asked, “…How tall are you?”
“175. Why?” Xue Zhi replied.
“I’m 185, so that means we’re actually pretty—”
Dou Lu knew he was about to start spouting nonsense again. To avoid affecting team harmony, she shoved Lin Mengzhi aside and reached her hand into the truck. “My name’s Dou Lu. You can call me Lulu, like they do.”
“Xue Zhi.” Xue Zhi shook the girl’s hand.
“Only Ruan Silian calls you Lulu,” Lin Mengzhi added from the side, squeezing his way back in. “I’m Lin Mengzhi! Can I sit in the passenger seat?”
Xue Zhi smiled. “It’s not my truck. Suit yourself.”
Like a puppy that had just been handed a bone, Lin Mengzhi trotted around the front of the truck to the passenger side, climbed in happily, and fastened his seat belt.
Dou Lu hadn’t left yet. She still had questions. “How old are you this year?”
“Nineteen,” Xue Zhi said.
“That’s about the same age as us. Why are you alone?”
“I didn’t come to Qianzhou alone…” Xue Zhi had just begun speaking when, from the corner of her eye, she spotted several familiar faces running toward them from the guesthouse entrance. “Get in first. We’ll talk while we’re moving.”
Dou Lu noticed the obvious change in her expression. She turned in the direction of Xue Zhi’s gaze and saw four or five men and women heading toward them, their expressions hard to read.
Everyone else had already gotten into the vehicles. Dou Lu was the only one still standing outside. From the jeep up front, Ruan Silian leaned out and called for her to get in.
“Wait!” Dou Lu said. She turned back to tell Xue Zhi not to get out, then walked toward the group alone.
Metal-element ability users could almost all draw blades with a mere lift of the hand. Dou Lu was no exception—convenient and cool.
At first, she didn’t pull out a sword. Instead, she produced a long golden staff and used it to block their way. “Something you need?”
Despite her easygoing personality, her looks were anything but naïve. Single eyelids, slightly upturned eyes, a narrow nose, thin lips—she had the kind of face that seemed to hide eight thousand schemes behind it.
Most people who didn’t know her were easily bluffed, and these few were no exception.
“We’re looking for Xue Zhi. We have something to say to her,” the girl at the front said through clenched teeth.
“She doesn’t have time,” Dou Lu replied curtly.
The girl in front was pulled back by a young man behind her. He stepped forward instead. “We used to be friends. Can’t we at least say goodbye?”
Dou Lu frowned slightly. That sounded reasonable—but it wasn’t her call. She turned to look at Xue Zhi.
Xue Zhi got out of the truck.
A dog’s head and a bird’s head poked out of a car window, watching the commotion outside with curiosity.
Step by step, Xue Zhi walked over. “I’ve already made myself very clear. If you want to follow, you shouldn’t be looking for me.”
The young man suppressed a flicker of anger in his eyes, but still held out a card toward her. “She said you left this Polaroid behind. She asked me to bring it down to you.”
The Polaroid had been taken before the apocalypse, of Xue Zhi and a girl who hadn’t come down to see her off. Two copies had been printed—one for each of them. Even the distinctive Polaroid filter couldn’t hide the bright, joyful smiles of the two girls in the photo.
Xue Zhi not only refused to take it—she knocked it to the ground instead. “If I take something like this with me, what would be the point of leaving?”
Wu Heng had been resting his chin against X’s thick, soft back. Only after Xue Zhi climbed back into the truck did he pull the dog and the bird back inside and close the window.
Shukui stepped across his legs and plopped itself firmly between him and Xie Chongyi, while X stubbornly remained sprawled across his lap, refusing to move.
Sharing the same vehicle with them were Xue Qi and Zhou Yi. Even Luo Lei and Wang Meixia had already left earlier with Wen Yuan’s group.
“Zhou Yi, why didn’t you go with Wen Yuan?” Wu Heng lifted X up, leaned past Shukui, and casually placed X onto Xie Chongyi’s lap as if it were unintentional.
Zhou Yi was seated in the row in front of them. Without turning around, he said quietly, “Captain Jiang told Captain Wen about what happened in Shenjian. He thinks there’s no need for me to stay with his unit anymore. He told me to keep following you.”
By declaring his loyalty to Wu Heng, he was making it clear that Wu Heng’s interests were now his everything. For someone like Wen Yuan—whose faith seemed to flow in his very blood—not driving him away entirely was already an act of leniency.
“Oh.” Wu Heng didn’t react much. He wasn’t surprised.
From the passenger seat, Xue Qi twisted around to look at Zhou Yi. “It’s fine! Following Wu Heng is great, there’s meat at every meal!”
“Mm.” Zhou Yi nodded. “I’m just… not used to it yet.”
He had become a soldier for Jiang Yi, yet never developed the pride or ambition one might expect. But now that he had truly left the unit, his pressure hadn’t eased—it had grown heavier.
“You should probably stay a little away from Teacher Ying,” Xue Qi added kindly. “His psychic abilities lean toward the darker side.”
After saying that, Xue Qi glanced back to survey the seating arrangement in the last two rows. Zhou Yi sat alone in one row, the seat beside him empty. In the very back, Xie Chongyi and Wu Heng were already squeezed together—with a dog and a bird wedged in as well. They weren’t ordinary pets, either; together they occupied two-thirds of the back row.
“Forky, Shukui, do you two really have to squeeze in with them?”
X shot him a look that clearly said, ‘Mind your own business.’
Xue Qi clicked his tongue, then turned to look at Xue Shen. “Brother, about how long until we reach Hanzhou?”
“The route’s different from before, and it’s been raining for so long. If nothing unexpected happens, we should arrive by dawn tomorrow.”
“Then something’s definitely going to happen,” Xue Qi said, slumping back into his seat in resignation. “The savior’s life is made up of endless unexpected events.”
But in the next second, Xue Qi sprang upright again and began studying the buttons on the dashboard. “Can this pick up radio signals? I remember Jingzhou released a reception code.”
“There’s still radio?” Wu Heng looked at Xie Chongyi when he heard that.
Xie Chongyi nodded lightly. “After the atmosphere was damaged, the satellites were heavily disrupted as well. Most communication on Earth now is maintained manually. In our country, communications are mainly handled by Brother Ginger (Tang Yan). He’s rebuilt over twelve thousand signal base stations and relay towers. At this point, about eighty percent of the bases should be able to get in touch with Jingzhou.”
“Ginger is amazing,” Wu Heng said sincerely.
Right then, Shukui, sitting between them, suddenly spat out a mouthful of saliva.
Neither Wu Heng nor Xie Chongyi had ever raised a dog before. They stared in confusion as clear drool streamed from both sides of Shukui’s mouth, stretching into thin strands.
The drool dripped onto X’s tail. X immediately recoiled in disgust and leapt to the row in front.
Zhou Yi was startled by the sudden movement. He turned his head—and met Shukui’s dazed eyes.
“…Is it carsick?” Zhou Yi asked hesitantly.
Wu Heng pulled out a towel from his bag and cupped it under Shukui’s mouth. “We’ve taken it in a car before. It didn’t react like this back then.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Shukui’s back began to twitch.
Before Wu Heng could react, Xie Chongyi snatched the towel from his hands, quickly unfolded it, and held it beneath Shukui’s muzzle.
As expected, Shukui vomited. Large chunks of barely chewed raw meat, wrapped in saliva, dropped down in heavy clumps. The sharp, sour stench spread through the cabin almost instantly.
It wasn’t that Xie Chongyi didn’t have a cleanliness obsession. He lowered his eyes, his expression nearly blank—calm as still water.
But Shukui didn’t care about any of that. It kept vomiting, expelling almost all the undigested food in its stomach. One towel wasn’t nearly enough to catch it all.
Wu Heng hurriedly fumbled out a plastic bag, but before he could do anything, Xie Chongyi bundled up the vomit-soaked towel and tossed it out the window. Then he turned back, grabbed the plastic bag from Wu Heng’s hand, opened it, buried his head inside—
—and began vomiting violently.
When Shukui saw its “trash bag” had been snatched away by Xie Chongyi, it anxiously pawed at Wu Heng. Wu Heng quickly pulled out another one and opened it. Shukui immediately stuffed its head inside and continued vomiting nonstop.
“Gross!” X shouted, facing toward the back seat.
Xue Qi rolled down all the windows. “Old Xie! Why are you throwing up just because the dog threw up?!”
After emptying its stomach completely, Shukui wobbled its way to the front passenger area. Luckily the space was roomy enough; it sat on the floor in front of the seat, resting its chin against Xue Qi’s leg, looking listless. As for Xie Chongyi—whom it had disgusted into vomiting—it showed not the slightest hint of guilt.
Xie Chongyi rinsed his mouth with water and washed his hands. Looking drained, he lay back down, resting his head on Wu Heng’s lap.
As a bystander bird, X finally sensed that something wasn’t quite right. It stretched its neck longer and longer to peer at him.
Xie Chongyi opened his eyes and flicked it on the forehead.
—
Driving at night was difficult. The road was riddled with deep and shallow potholes, and with the rain pouring down, not only was it impossible to pick up speed, they also had to be careful not to let the wheels sink into muddy ruts. The once straight and spacious highways had long been wrecked by natural disasters and rampaging mutant plants. Even the jeeps had trouble getting through—let alone the truck behind them.
After driving for three straight hours, they finally spotted a crooked roadside sign ahead: Wuyun Village.
The jeep driven by Shen Ping’an had already stopped beside the sign. Ying Liuquan was relieving himself by a ditch where water rushed noisily past.
When the vehicle Wu Heng was in pulled up next to them, Ying Liuquan hadn’t finished yet.
“Teacher Ying!” Xue Qi shouted. “There are girls in your car too!!”
Ying Liuquan turned around, his face completely red. He hurriedly zipped up and said, “They’re staying in the car. We agreed—I’d go first, then they would.”
Xue Qi gave him a thumbs-up.
The two jeeps parked side by side along the ditch. Besides the vehicles, there was also a towering windbreak forest lining the road—thick, straight trunks stretching skyward. The wind whipped their canopies into a loud rustling roar, and the rain was churned into chaotic sprays that splashed wildly in every direction.
Within several miles in every direction had once been farmland. Now, although wild grass grew and swayed wildly, as far as the eye could see it was still a flat, rolling green sea. The houses had long since disappeared without a trace, but the cries of various animals echoed on without end.
Wu Heng led Shukui out of the car. The dog sniffed all over the ground, then lifted its leg right where Ying Liuquan had just relieved himself—
A stream of steaming dog urine splashed out.
Ying Liuquan turned red all over again.
Shen Ping’an surveyed the surroundings. “Let’s eat something and get some fresh air. We’ll set off again once Xue Zhi and Lin Mengzhi catch up.”
Dou Lu tugged at Ruan Silian’s hand. “We need to use the bathroom too.”
Xue Qi cupped his chin dramatically, as if afraid it might fall off. “Here?”
“As if.” Dou Lu rolled her eyes and looked toward the grass across the ditch. “Obviously somewhere no one can see us.”
“Be careful,” Shen Ping’an reminded them.
Dou Lu released Ruan Silian’s hand and jumped first onto the ridge beside the ditch. The rain had softened the earth, and she nearly slipped straight into the field. Regaining her balance just in time, she turned around and opened her arms. “A’Ruan, jump! I’ll catch you.”
Ruan Silian clutched her coat. She had no special abilities. Facing a ditch that churned like a river, two or three meters wide, there was no way she could jump across it, no matter how hard she tried.
“Lulu…” she said helplessly.
“Don’t make it hard for her.” Wu Heng’s voice sounded out. A vine coiled around Ruan Silian’s waist from behind and effortlessly lifted her across, delivering her straight into Dou Lu’s arms.
“Woof woof!” Shukui barked loudly.
“Thanks.” Dou Lu simply kept holding Ruan Silian and plunged straight into the grass. The weeds were two to three people tall; once the two girls stepped inside, they vanished from sight.
Wu Heng turned back, sent the dog into the car, and, seeing its four muddy paws, carefully wiped them clean.
Then he crouched by the ditch to wash his hands. The water was icy to the bone, and the current stronger than it looked. He washed for quite a while, his hands remaining submerged the entire time.
Shen Ping’an stood beside him, watching quietly.
“Fish.”
Wu Heng suddenly pulled his hands out of the water, holding up a large crucian carp that was still thrashing wildly in his grip.
“?!” Xue Qi rushed over at once. “Holy—holy—holy! How are there fish here?!”
“It’s normal for ditches in the plains to have crucian carp,” Ying Liuquan said.
“I’m gonna try too!” Xue Qi copied Wu Heng and plunged his hands into the water.
No one in the apocalypse would ever complain about having too much food. Even though they currently had enough to eat, the options were limited, and so were the flavors. Most food, for the sake of preservation, had long since abandoned considerations of color, aroma, and taste. Fresh food was naturally far more precious.
Wu Heng fished and ate at the same time. The moment he caught one, he held it in his hands and ate it alive. Even the bones were easily crushed between his teeth. Ying Liuquan and Zhou Yi couldn’t help but frown at the sight—especially since when he ate, his eyes took on a greenish tint, his demeanor intensely animalistic.
After half an hour, Xue Qi had managed to catch two fish. Shen Ping’an and Xue Shen immediately built a small campfire nearby. They cleaned the fish in a few swift motions, skewered them on stripped branches, and set them over the flames to roast.
Wu Heng didn’t save a single one for later. Every fish he caught went straight into his stomach—and he was still eating. The occasional glance he cast toward the crucian carp roasting over the fire made it obvious he had developed an interest in cooked food as well.
Xie Chongyi sat on the step beneath the open car door, watching from behind. Wu Heng was clearly “eating what was in his hands while eyeing what was in the pot,” even showing a faint anxiety that if he was too slow, he might not get any grilled fish. Xie Chongyi couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why haven’t Lin Mengzhi and the others caught up yet?” Xue Qi warmed his hands by the fire, glancing uneasily at the pitch-black surroundings.
Xue Shen tossed damp branches into the flames, which crackled loudly. Without looking at him, he said, “We probably should’ve arranged for another person to go with the truck. Xue Zhi’s strength isn’t below Lin Mengzhi’s. If she had any ulterior motives, Lin Mengzhi might not be able to handle it.”
“He definitely couldn’t handle it. Even if he could—if a pretty girl wanted to trick him, it’d be easy,” Xue Qi said.
“Should we drive one of the cars back the way we came to check? Just in case something happened,” Ying Liuquan suggested.
At that moment—
“Ahhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh!”
Dou Lu’s scream burst out from the surging farmland.
She came charging out with Ruan Silian slung over her shoulder, water streaking down her face. Only after leaping across the ditch did she set Ruan Silian down, both of them panting hard. Ruan Silian looked equally shaken.
Dou Lu’s scream made Wu Heng miss his grab in the water—the fish slipped away. He looked up and asked, “What happened?”
“There were zombies,” Dou Lu clutched her chest. “But they were all dead. Their brains were completely hollowed out—covered in worms crawling all over them.”
“Normal,” Wu Heng replied, then lowered his head and resumed feeling around for fish.
“Wu Heng, what are you doing?” Dou Lu rarely saw him this focused—except when eating. “Are you… playing in the water?”
“There are fish in there,” Shen Ping’an pointed at the ones roasting over the fire. “Crucian carp.”
Dou Lu froze for a second, then immediately crouched down beside Wu Heng, brimming with excitement. “Whoa, I’m gonna try too!”
Most of them relied on their abilities to catch fish. After being altered by Earth’s energy, living creatures couldn’t be caught by ordinary means. Wu Heng still couldn’t precisely track each fish’s position and movement—but for Dou Lu, this was where her ability shone.
“Got one—here!” It took her less than a minute to lift a hefty crucian carp weighing several pounds out of the water. She beamed at Wu Heng. “That was easy!”
“…”
Xie Chongyi wasn’t hungry and had no interest in fishing. He wasn’t cold either, so he didn’t crowd around the campfire with the others to warm up.
Shukui lay behind him, its head resting right beside him. Xie Chongyi absently patted the dog’s head while watching Wu Heng suffer three consecutive failures before finally stepping away from the ditch.
Dou Lu’s “trophies” were all carried by Wu Heng. He walked over to the jeep and handed the fish to X to fill its belly, then came back and sat down beside Xie Chongyi.
One had a leg bent, the other stretched out. Their fingers brushed lightly against each other, yet neither of them spoke.
After a long while, when Wu Heng still didn’t hear Xie Chongyi say anything to him, he finally forced a single word out through clenched teeth.
“Annoying.”