Ch 174: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

After purchasing weapons on the black market, the two set a time with the vendor for their next transaction. Song Kaiji then returned to the villa at the Red City base, while Qu Weiwei parted ways with him at the city gate, disappearing into the refugee camp.

The villa at the Red City base was empty. The leather sofa and marble dining table that originally sat in the living room were nowhere to be seen, replaced only by a folding dining table and a few chairs. During the months Shen Qing had been in Lantang Village for prenatal care, two major events had taken place.

The first was that Song Kaiji and his group had finally decided to establish their own stronghold, or rather, a small personal base. The Red City base was located in the outskirts of Red City, and it had once been an amusement park. Twenty-five kilometers beyond this amusement park, in an even more remote area, was the Red City Airport. Between the airport and the amusement park lay villages and farmland.

Of course, Song Kaiji had no intention of occupying the airport. After the initial chaos of the apocalypse, humanity had gradually learned how to deal with zombies. Especially after the military discovered, improved, and spread their iron cage tactic, casualty rates had significantly decreased. If the zombies had not evolved, ending the apocalypse would have been only a matter of time.

Even though zombies were evolving now, their rate of evolution was still slower than that of ability users. The apocalypse might not come to an end soon, but humanity was slowly reclaiming lost territory, and some pre-apocalypse infrastructure was being restored, including communication systems. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the nation would reinstate partial transportation networks, making use of airports once more.

If he were forced to vacate the place then, it would be a real pain.

Just seven kilometers from Red City Airport, there were two hotels built to accommodate airport guests—one was a four-star hotel, and the other was an economy chain hotel, separated by only 900 meters. Both hotels had their own wrought iron fences, and the surrounding area was still farmland, making it a prime location.

If they established their base there, it would only be about twenty kilometers in a straight line from Shen Qing’s cave. Before the apocalypse, it would have been just a thirty-minute drive. Even now, accounting for zombie encounters, half a day would suffice. If Shen Qing returned to Lantang Village once a week, this location would still be quite convenient.

Many of the ability users they recruited from the outer city were willing to follow Song Kaiji and his group. Everyone knew what Feng Hao had done and was furious about it. While some regretted that Song Kaiji’s relationship with the military was no longer what it used to be, wealthy employers like him were rare in the Red City base. As long as they could survive, did it really matter where they lived? Besides, it wasn’t too far from the Red City base. They could still return from time to time to trade supplies, and even if they didn’t enter the base, the flea market and black market along the southern wall had everything they needed.

More importantly, as long as they were strong enough, they could take on missions outside instead of relying on trades. After following Song Kaiji’s team on several raids of wholesale markets, the recruits had already seen the benefits firsthand. The new stronghold had well-maintained hotel buildings, farmland nearby, and even a few ability users with plant-based powers—self-sufficiency wouldn’t be an issue.

Thus, the ability users who had decided to follow Song Kaiji trained even harder in preparation.

Song Kaiji led the team there several times, and with the cooperation of earth- and metal-based ability users, they rapidly constructed steel-reinforced walls. Though they couldn’t compare to the brick walls of the Red City base, they were sufficient for repelling small groups of zombies. Besides, to put it bluntly—there were fewer zombies in the outskirts and more in the city. If a zombie horde were to break out, it would come from the city, and Red City base would act as a shield in front of them.

After more than a month of effort, they finally completed the stronghold. The two hotels were enclosed by a three-meter-high wall, along with a section of farmland fenced off with dense metal bars. The only real downside compared to Red City base was the inconvenience of utilities like water, electricity, and gas. But they had a water-based ability user to handle the water supply, and they had bought solar panels from the black market for electricity. Recently, Qu Weiwei had been making frequent trips to the refugee camp to recruit technicians skilled in electrical work.

Gas, however, was beyond their means. They would have to wait until the electrical system was up and running, then rely on electric stoves for cooking and electric water heaters for bathing.

By now, most of their assets in Red City had been relocated to the new base. Ge Bingbing was stationed there with a few mid-to-high-tier ability users from the outer city. Zhang Sujuan, Mother Tang, Father Ge, Nannan, Yu Le, and the young hairpin artisans Shen Qing had “sponsored” were also moved there, along with the families of some ability users from the outer city. Those who lacked self-defense abilities had all been transferred, leaving only Song Kaiji, Qu Weiwei, and Tang Wenjie as the remaining permanent residents at the Red City base. One reason was to wait for Shen Qing, and the other was to continue scouting for potential recruits from the refugee camp.

Brickmakers, charcoal burners, coal ball makers, stove builders—anyone with useful skills to help build their small base. Even if they weren’t capable of fighting zombies, they wouldn’t just be freeloaders.

And the third reason… well, that led to the second major event.

Song Kaiji looked up as the door to a second-floor bedroom opened, and Qi Zhan poked his head out. “Finally back. What’s for dinner?”

Song Kaiji: “…”

That’s right—Tang Wenjie and Qi Zhan had gotten back together. Song Kaiji didn’t know the details, only that one day, while Tang Wenjie was absorbing mutated zombie crystals at home, he absorbed several at once and ended up with an energy backlash, causing his abilities to go haywire. Despite multiple healers at Red City Hospital attempting to fix it, none could help. Only after a long while did Qi Zhan show up, his expression dark.

Then, just like that, they reconciled. And whatever was said in private must have been intense—unlike before when they were vague and playful about their relationship, this time it was like thunder striking dry land, an explosive reconnection. The strongest proof? Qi Zhan finally agreed to leave Red City Hospital and join their team at the new base.

Song Kaiji seriously suspected that Tang Wenjie had absorbed multiple mutated zombie crystals on purpose.

But perhaps it had something to do with the day Tang Wenjie awakened his abilities—Qi Zhan had helped him regulate them back then, creating some kind of special bond. Qi Zhan’s ability refinement greatly benefited Tang Wenjie’s power growth. This time, after absorbing multiple mutated zombie crystals, he shot up two levels at once. While he might not be the number one metal-based ability user in Red City base, he was definitely in the top five now.

Song Kaiji retrieved a few meal boxes from his storage space and placed them on the folding table. “Just make do with this. No one’s here to cook anymore. If you want something better, you and Wenjie should move over there sooner.”

All he had in his space were pre-packed mission meals made by Mother Tang—basic and convenient.

Qi Zhan yawned, came downstairs, grabbed two meal boxes, and headed back up. “My mother-in-law doesn’t like me. If I go over there, I might eat even worse than this…” As if he didn’t know—the technicians Qu Weiwei had recruited from the refugee camp had all suffered from starvation and exposure, and many had lingering health issues. Song Kaiji was clearly trying to push him into going over sooner to start working.

But this wasn’t a life-or-death emergency. If it was just work, why rush? The longer he could delay it, the better…

---

Red City Research Institute.

Feng Hao was dead, and his lab had been vacant for a while before it was reassigned to another researcher. On the desk, scattered blood sample test strips, a pile of reports, and Shen Qing’s file lay abandoned. The new occupant, Lu Yanghui, had known Feng Hao and even worked with him. He had also personally heard some of Feng Hao’s “crazy talk” and was aware of the rumors that Feng Hao’s death had been caused by Shen Qing’s people.

Lu Yanghui picked up Shen Qing’s file and glanced over the reports before his eyes suddenly landed on one particular document.

He stared at it for a long time before slowly shifting his gaze to the scattered test strips on the table. A few days later, Lu Yanghui stared in disbelief at the results of a new lab test.

Feng Hao wasn’t talking nonsense. There really was someone who couldn’t be attacked by zombies…

His grip tightened around the report. Everyone at the research institute knew that Feng Hao had orchestrated the capture of Shen Qing. If what Feng Hao said was true, then why had Chen Jiaxi claimed she saw nothing in Shen Qing’s memories?

They were all intelligent people. Lu Yanghui quickly put the pieces together.

Chen Jiaxi… was a mole! Which meant that everything she had said about Shen Qing’s identity was most likely a lie!

---

Meanwhile, Shen Qing had privately told Miao Chunlei about the miraculous healing spring, only mentioning that his body was brimming with energy and he felt completely fine. Miao Chunlei, however, dismissed his concerns and insisted he rest for a full month.

“This isn’t about feeling strong! Plenty of people in the village are sturdy and go back to work three days after giving birth, but that doesn’t mean they should! Childbirth stretches your bones—if you let the cold seep in, you’ll regret it when you’re older!” Miao Chunlei had suffered long-term damage from childbirth herself and wasn’t about to let Shen Qing take any risks. “What’s the point of showing off? Getting up early won’t change anything! You’ve got people to take care of you, so stop complaining!”

Shen Qing was getting a headache from her nagging. Ever since that day, his mother’s personality had completely changed.

Right then, a series of broken sobs echoed from the courtyard. Miao Chunlei’s face darkened. She slammed her bowl onto the table, grabbed a feather duster, and stormed outside with two dogs in tow.

Lin Ning had come with soldiers earlier and arrested those who had broken into Shen Qing’s house, sending them to the county court. County Magistrate Lin was furious—angry at Lin Ning for acting without permission, but even more enraged at those scoundrels who had used village laws as an excuse to rob and kill.

So, to make an example, he sentenced them heavily, exiling them to the bitter cold of the far north for hard labor. Their untreated knee wounds from Shen Qing’s crossbow shots meant they might not even survive the journey.

At first, the families of those arrested were afraid to act. But then Shen Qing’s grandmother set an example—dragging the paralyzed Old Man Shen to Shen Qing’s doorstep, wailing and screaming as if she were about to die. Seeing this, others followed suit, thinking that since Shen Qing had just given birth, he might be softhearted enough to spare their men. They even sent their children to kneel at the doorstep, crying for mercy.

But the moment Miao Chunlei rushed out with a feather duster and two dogs, the children screamed in terror and ran off, leaving only Shen Qing’s grandmother wailing even louder.

She wasn’t afraid of Miao Chunlei anymore—or rather, she had nothing left to lose. With Shen Zhigao taken away by the authorities, her only support was gone, and she was left to care for a bedridden husband. If Miao Chunlei let the dogs tear her apart right now, she would only see it as relief.

Seeing her in such a miserable state, Miao Chunlei hesitated—she figured the old woman wouldn’t last much longer anyway. After a moment of silence, she finally said, “Back when I was in the Shen family, you encouraged Shen Zhigao to beat me—you know that well. Qing Ge’er and I won’t show you an ounce of mercy, and we absolutely won’t spare him. If you keep making trouble, I’ll go to the authorities and have Shen Zhigao flogged twenty times. Every time you come, I’ll add another twenty. I’ll have them whip him until he’s dead. The beatings I suffered back then—it’s about time he paid for them.”

Old Lady Shen opened her mouth wide but couldn’t utter a sound. She could still vividly recall how Miao Chunlei was beaten in the past. After a long pause, she finally dragged the stretcher carrying Old Man Shen and slowly made her way home. But before she could even reach the door, she collapsed at the entrance.

…

Watching her leave, Miao Chunlei let out a breath of relief. She turned to the children who had run away but lingered nearby, her face cold. “Go home and tell your families—if they come again, I’ll have the authorities whip them. If you don’t believe me, try it!” Then she raised her voice even louder, “If you really can’t bear to part with them, why not pack up your things and move to the new settlement? At least you’d be together as a family. On the road, you’d have people to look after each other—better than dying from infected wounds!”

She glanced into the distance. “Stay in the village, and what good days are left? Over there, at least you’d get free land.”

With that, she turned back into the courtyard. Da Huang and Er Hei barked fiercely at the children, scaring two of them into tears before they happily followed Miao Chunlei inside.

It was a long while before a few adults emerged from behind the trees, clutching their crying children and sobbing quietly themselves.

Because of all this, the atmosphere in the village had been tense, and Shen Qing’s daughter’s washing ceremony and one-month milestone weren’t celebrated with a grand gathering. Instead, they just invited close friends over for a meal to mark the occasion.

Miao Chunlei was a little regretful—such a joyful event for their family had been overshadowed by these unpleasant affairs. But Shen Qing didn’t mind. Having a large crowd wouldn’t necessarily make it better; he’d rather spend time with a few close families who truly wished them well.

Babies changed quickly. By the washing ceremony day, the wrinkled little “red monkey” had turned into a plump, fair-skinned, and beautiful little girl. Lin Ning stared in shock, doubting whether this was even the same child. And now that they looked at her, Shen Qing’s man didn’t seem so bad-looking anymore—though he still wasn’t blonde with blue eyes.

Lin Ning, Lin Zao, the Xie siblings, and Lian Ou and Lian Rong all crowded around the baby, unable to get enough of her. “Qing Ge’er, what’s the baby’s name?”

“Her nickname is Quan Jie.” Shen Qing replied. After all, both the baby and his own life had been saved by that miraculous spring. Ever since that day, the spring had shrunk to a tiny well, barely holding enough water for two scoops. Shen Qing didn’t dare to use it anymore. “As for her full name, I’ll let her father decide.”

Maybe, for her entire life, Quan Jie would never truly see her father… but at least having a name given by him could serve as some small comfort.

But then again… maybe not.

A month and a half later, as soon as Shen Qing finished his postpartum recovery, he couldn’t resist taking Miao Chunlei and Quan Jie up the mountain.

The cave was still there, but Miao Chunlei couldn’t see it—halfway up the path, a solid rock wall blocked her way. Shen Qing held Quan Jie carefully in his arms and stepped forward. He could still see the cave entrance, but it felt as if an invisible force was pushing against the child in his arms, preventing him from moving forward.

Quan Jie squirmed, her tiny head pressing against something hard. She whimpered, uncomfortable, and began to cry softly. Shen Qing quickly stepped back, rocking her gently to soothe her. Miao Chunlei watched the scene unfold, feeling sorrowful for Shen Qing and that Xiao Song—such a good family, yet forever separated.

Quan Jie was a gentle little girl; a little coaxing was enough to stop her tears. Shen Qing handed her to Miao Chunlei, then started a fire in the cave, spreading out some grass mats and blankets. “Mother, wait here with Quan Jie for a bit. I’ll go find Song ge.”

Even if they couldn’t see each other, he wanted Song Kaiji and their daughter to at least be a little closer. This was the only way their little family could ever be together.

It had been months since he last came to Red City Base. The place didn’t seem much different, but the line for entry at the gates had doubled in length. Curious, Shen Qing narrowed his eyes and observed carefully—something seemed off about the blood tests at the entrance. Now, after drawing blood, people had to queue in a separate line, making the entire process take much longer.

Feeling uneasy, he quietly asked someone nearby, “What’s happening at the city gates?”

A helpful person answered, “You just arrived? Did you save up enough for the entry fee? If not, there’s no point standing in line—you won’t get in. See that tent over there? People who can’t pay have to stay there.”

“I live in Red City Base,” Shen Qing replied smoothly. “I was out on a mission and got delayed for a few months. I don’t remember entry tests being like this before.”

“Oh, then you wouldn’t know. This rule started about two weeks ago,” the man explained. “They changed the blood test method. Said the old test strips were unreliable, so the research institute developed a new, more accurate testing method.”

The moment Shen Qing heard “research institute,” he instinctively recoiled. But what the man said next sent a chill down his spine.

“You know how Red City Base improved that iron cage tactic and rented it out to ability user teams? They even shared the strategy with other bases and got recognition from the capital. Well, the capital sent special agents here and brought a ton of good stuff with them. The best part? The internet is back! Red City Base can now connect with the capital’s network!”

Excited, the man pulled a phone from his pocket. “I thought I’d never use this thing again—thought it’d just be for watching old offline videos.”

“Now that we’re online, everyone entering the city has to register their ID number, fingerprints, and blood sample. They’re verifying people’s pre-apocalypse identities so families can find each other.”

“If your relatives are in the capital or another connected base, you can pay a fee to use the system and chat with them on WeChat!”

When this policy was announced, it caused an uproar. Some people—especially those who had committed crimes before or after the apocalypse—were panicked. But in the end, the desire to reunite with lost family outweighed the fear, and the rule was enforced.

Hearing “ID number” and “fingerprints,” Shen Qing knew this was bad. He quickly thanked the man and stepped out of line.

The man blinked in confusion. “Where are you going? You’re leaving? If you come back later, you’ll have to start from the end of the line!”

Shen Qing pulled his hood up and kept walking, head low. But before he could get far, several people burst out of the refugee camp and grabbed his arm.

“Come with us!”

Shen Qing nearly lashed out, but then he saw who it was—Song Kaiji, with Qu Weiwei, Tang Wenjie, and Qi Zhan behind him.

There was no need for explanations. Just from what he had heard, Shen Qing already knew—this was trouble. Anything involving the research institute had to be targeting him.

Now that Song Kaiji and the others had appeared openly, there was no point in hiding. The four of them turned and sprinted, while the guards at the gate suddenly sprang into action, as if they had just come to life, giving chase.

Without even turning her head, Qu Weiwei casually scattered a handful of seeds behind her. Almost instantly, each seed sprouted into massive vines, as thick as pythons and as large as trucks, writhing as if they could snap a person’s neck at any moment.

The plants blocked the pursuers, but only for a moment. A fire ability user among them unleashed a massive flame, reducing the vegetation to ashes in seconds.

By then, however, Shen Qing and the others had already gained a significant lead, putting distance between themselves, the city gate, and the refugee camp. The people at the gate stared in shock. Song Kaiji was no longer hesitant—aside from Qi Zhan and Shen Qing, who were slightly weaker, the rest of their team consisted of high-level ability users. They no longer had to worry about being taken hostage.

Turning to Tang Wenjie and Qu Weiwei, Song Kaiji instructed, “You two take Qi Zhan and go to our base first. Wait for me there.”

Tang Wenjie hesitated for a moment but, recalling that Song Kaiji could teleport with Shen Qing, he nodded. He hoisted Qi Zhan onto his shoulder and took off running at full speed. Qu Weiwei continued scattering seeds as she ran.

Rather than dealing with the troublesome Qu Weiwei, the pursuers naturally chose to focus on Song Kaiji and Shen Qing. Their main target was Shen Qing; capturing Qu Weiwei or Tang Wenjie would be pointless.

Song Kaiji retrieved a grenade from his storage space. Though he hadn’t expected this situation to unfold so soon, he had bought these grenades precisely for a moment like this. Clenching it between his teeth, he pulled the pin and hurled it at the pursuers.

At that exact moment, a golden flash streaked through the air, hurtling straight toward Shen Qing.

Without hesitation, Song Kaiji stepped in front of Shen Qing. A golden metal spike—an ability user’s signature weapon—pierced straight through his left shoulder, sending a spray of blood onto Shen Qing’s face and clothes. The spike vanished just as quickly as it appeared, returning to its owner, leaving only a gaping, blood-gushing wound in Song Kaiji’s shoulder.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Song Kaiji turned, wrapped his arms around Shen Qing, and teleported just as the grenade exploded.

The next second, they reappeared at the entrance of the cave.

Shen Qing stood in shock, his face still warm with Song Kaiji’s blood, unsure what to do. But Song Kaiji simply reached out and wiped his face. “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt. We’ve got Qi Zhan, remember? You don’t know this yet, but Wenjie actually managed to bring him over to our side. He’s powerful—he’ll heal me in no time.”

His gaze dropped lower, resting on Shen Qing’s stomach. Though it had long since returned to its normal flatness, he still pressed his face against it. “How’s our child?”

“She’s fine, she’s doing great,” Shen Qing choked out, tears streaming down his face. “She’s a girl, beautiful and healthy. I listened to you—I recorded videos of her for you…”

Blood was still pouring from Song Kaiji’s shoulder, flowing even faster than Shen Qing’s tears. Shen Qing turned back toward the cave. He could see inside—Miao Chunlei was holding the baby, pacing back and forth. For some reason, the child was crying.

Shen Qing shoved the phone with the recorded videos into Song Kaiji’s hands. “She’s crying. Can you hear her?”

Song Kaiji couldn’t hear anything, but he still smiled and nodded. “You need to go back now. Lay low for a while. Don’t come here again for the time being. I have to teleport to find Qi Zhan right away—whatever you want to say, save it for later. In a few days, I’ll leave a letter here with instructions on how we can meet again.”

Voices echoed from below the rock formation—pursuers had tracked them here. Song Kaiji worried they might start searching the area and gently pushed Shen Qing away. “Go, now!”

Shen Qing hesitated, unwilling to part. “Then… then be careful.”

Song Kaiji watched as Shen Qing’s body slowly disappeared into the cave wall. He had lied to him. Teleporting an adult like Shen Qing once had already drained most of his energy. Now, injured and weakened, there was no way he had enough left to teleport back to their base. Whether he could evade the pursuers and survive depended entirely on luck.

But he couldn’t let Shen Qing stay and risk his life with him.

The blood loss was making his vision blur and darken, but he knew Shen Qing was watching him from the other side of the cave wall. He forced himself to stand firm, pretending he was fine.

Back inside the cave, Shen Qing, still covered in blood, stumbled forward, shocking Miao Chunlei. The baby in her arms wailed even louder. “What happened?!”

“I’m fine… this is Song ge’s blood.” Despite his words, Shen Qing felt his strength draining away. The exhaustion from their desperate sprint finally caught up to him. He wobbled slightly, his bloodstained hand pressing against the large blue-gray stone at the cave’s entrance.

In the next instant, the solid rock wall that had always blocked Song Kaiji’s path vanished, flooding the cave with daylight.

Dazed, Song Kaiji saw a woman holding a baby inside the cave, peering out at him. The baby let out a loud cry—like the sound of new life.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Thandar: ahhhhhhh finally the moment I’ve been waiting forrrrrr