Chapter 1220: 1220: Dark Descent (Finale)
Chapter 1220: Chapter 1220: Dark Descent (Finale)
Knock knock—
The knocking sound abruptly rang out, prompting the uncle to raise his hand and signal everyone to be quiet.
“Uncle, it’s me!!”
Someone shouted from outside.
Everyone noticeably relaxed as someone rushed over to open the door.
Three young men came in from outside, each holding something in their hands: “Look, we found quite a lot of stuff.”
The uncle’s face was grim: “Didn’t I tell you not to go out? Why are you so disobedient?”
“We didn’t go far, Uncle, don’t be upset.” One of the young men quickly tried to calm the uncle down.
Ji Lin sat on a small stool, his gaze landing on the last young man.
The young man seemed to sense Ji Lin’s gaze, and looked over, his face pale and sweating, quickly diverting his eyes when he saw Ji Lin.
Ji Lin placed his fingers on Chuzheng’s shoulder, pulling her towards his embrace, whispering in her ear: “He got bitten.”
“Do we have survivors?”
“Hey… just grazed a bit, not bitten by zombies. Can zombies make such a scratch? It’s fine, just cook him up later and let them eat.”
The young man who spoke grinned foolishly at Chuzheng’s side.
Ji Lin let Chuzheng lean against him, holding a bag of candies, eating a couple now and then.
They were sitting at the edge, with Jiang Rushuang deeply engaged in conversation over there, and no one noticed them.
Ji Lin focused on the young man bitten by the zombie, so when Chuzheng leaned in, he wasn’t prepared.
Chuzheng released him after sweeping through like a bandit, prompting Ji Lin to return to reality: “What are you doing?”
Chuzheng had a legitimate reason: “Testing if the candy is sweet.”
Ji Lin chuckled: “Is it sweet?”
Chuzheng nodded: “It’s okay.”
“Try it again properly.” Ji Lin pulled her up, seizing the moment unnoticed, heading to the car behind.
Ji Lin kept thinking about the young man bitten by the zombie, just indulging with Chuzheng for a while without doing much.
When Ji Lin got out of the car, he realized the young man was gone, and frowned.
At night, they arranged rooms, and Ji Lin didn’t go, directly letting Chuzheng sleep in the car. Naturally, Jiang Rushuang didn’t dare to go either.
–
The night passed without incident.
The next day, the uncle sent them off, and Jiang Rushuang, after getting Chuzheng’s approval, vaccinated them.
Instructed them to find a way to get to the base.
“Uncle… Uncle… something’s wrong!!”
The young man ran over, his face full of fear: “Hei Wa locked himself in the room… he… he turned into those monsters outside!”
The previously harmonious scene instantly plummeted into an ice cellar.
The uncle snapped back, hopefully looking at Jiang Rushuang: “Vaccine… young girl, is this vaccine effective?”
Jiang Rushuang shook her head: “No use, after being bitten, no amount of vaccine… is of use.”
The base actually has something for those bitten… but it only works for Special Ability Users bitten, so far no method for ordinary people.
“It’s all my fault; I insisted on going, Hei Wa saved me… Uncle, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”
Chuzheng sat in the car indifferently watching them.
She had seen too much of this along the way, life so vibrant at one moment, might vanish the next…
The most ordinary words might become a farewell.
“Mama…”
Lele looked up at her, grabbing her hair and collar with his soft hands, his eyes innocent and clear without the despair tarnished by this world.
Chuzheng raised her hand to rub his soft, sparse hair… then rubbed his cheeks vigorously.
Who’s the hell your mama!
“Ma…” Lele’s eyes instantly welled up with tears, threatening to burst out crying.
“Why are you bullying the kid?”
Ji Lin got in the car, amused as he looked at her.
Chuzheng: “…”
You don’t let me bully you.
Can’t I bully a kid?
Besides, she just pinched him a couple of times, how is that bullying?
The uncle calmed people down over there, still carrying a heavy sorrow but prioritizing sending them away first.
Jiang Rushuang appeared somewhat silent throughout the journey, with only Lele’s babbling in the car, while the uncle guided them onto the main road.
The car drove forward, and the uncle standing by the roadside, his figure gradually getting smaller.
“Xiao Chu, do you think our world can ever return to normal?”
“I don’t know.”
Jiang Rushuang was originally a sensitive person, usually unable to bear seeing someone suffer. If it weren’t for Chuzheng’s cold face sticking there, Jiang Rushuang would have likely squandered everything, even helping people count their money.
She hesitated for a moment: “Those who turned into zombies… is there still hope for them?”
Chuzheng looked forward along the road, her voice indifferent: “I don’t know.”
The future? Who knows…
Maybe aliens will invade someday!
Ji Lin suddenly grasped her hand, turning to glance at her, with his habitual smile.
Chuzheng didn’t need to ask his meaning, somehow understanding his thoughts deep down.
This world’s fate didn’t affect her much.
The person she cared for was by her side, and that’s enough.
–
Chuzheng and the others first sought Jiang Rushuang’s parents, perhaps lucky—Chuzheng’s Crystal Core helped—a quick find.
The Southern Base wasn’t inferior to the Northern Base; Jiang’s father awoke Special Ability, and earned a captain’s position, leading to good living with Jiang’s mother in the base.
Find found, Jiang Rushuang hesitated between staying or following Chuzheng.
Weighing her decision for long, Jiang Rushuang finally chose to follow Chuzheng.
She planned to settle first, then bring them to the base.
Ji Lin’s parents are at the largest base in the South, and the vaccines they need to deliver are meant for here as well.
By now, after these few months, the Northern Base has probably already updated to the second generation of vaccines.
But there’s no way to deal with this transportation issue right now…
“Not going in?”
Ji Lin parked the car outside the base and handed the vaccine to Chuzheng: “Girlfriend, could you deliver it for me?”
Chuzheng: “…”
Chuzheng delivered the vaccine inside and inquired about Ji Lin’s parents. They were fine. They were among the first to arrive at the base and have contributed greatly to it.
When Chuzheng returned, Ji Lin was staring at her without blinking.
“Why are you staring at me?”
Ji Lin: “…”
Ji Lin glanced towards the base, then lowered his head and started the car.
Almost out of sight of the base, Chuzheng slowly remarked: “Your parents are quite good.”
“Who cares about them.” Ji Lin snorted lightly.
Chuzheng: “…”
Fine then.
As long as you’re happy.
The issue with zombies is being solved by joint efforts from major bases, which is not within Chuzheng’s scope. So she found a village with a good environment to settle in.
Jiang Rushuang brought his parents over. Although it’s not as good as the big base, life here is more leisurely compared to outside and accompanied by family, so there’s nothing to be dissatisfied with.
The whole country was notified not to leave corpses for zombies, resulting in the slow evolution of zombies. Major bases gradually established communication, exchanging messages, and working together to resolve the current predicament.
All bases seem to be operating in a positive direction.
–
Lele is already over two years old, walking unsteadily and loves to hold onto Chuzheng’s leg, calling her “Mama.”
A two-year-old child speaks clearly, with a soft and tender voice that’s particularly pleasant to hear.
Chuzheng: “…”
Someone take this attachment away!!!
What big shot has a kid attached to their leg!
“Mama…”
“Go away!”
“Ugh…”
Lele’s little mouth puckered.
Chuzheng: “…”
Ji Lin approached with a lollipop in his mouth: “What are you doing?”
Ji Lin only saw Chuzheng standing there, not noticing the kid.
Chuzheng immediately picked up Lele, tossed him into Ji Lin’s arms, and dashed off, disappearing without a trace.
“Papa…”
Ji Lin was instantly on high alert, holding the hot potato, neither able to throw it away nor keep it.
–
Another year passed.
Ji Lin rolled up his sleeves to clean his cherished car, and the almost four-year-old kid held a cloth, diligently polishing the car.
Ji Lin knocked on the car’s edge: “Hey, could you stop sitting up there? Look at how much harder that kid is working than you.”
Chuzheng sat on the car roof, slightly turning at his words: “Last night, I worked harder than you.”
Ji Lin: “…”
Ji Lin’s ears flushed instantly, retorting irritably: “What are you saying in front of the kid!”
Chuzheng: “I didn’t say anything.”
Ji Lin: “…”
“Ji Lin, shouldn’t you change cars?” Chuzheng asked him.
“No change.” Ji Lin moved the kid aside and cleaned the messy spots he had polished: “I’m sentimental!”
Chuzheng: “…”
I can’t even beat a car!
The next day, Ji Lin woke up to find his car covered in messy drawings.
“Who did this?”
The kid shrank: “Ma…”
“Jiang Lele!”
The kid softly murmured: “Don’t know.”
The kid bolted towards Chuzheng, clinging onto her leg, with a fluffy head looking at Ji Lin.
“Did you do this?” Ji Lin glared at Chuzheng.
“I’d do something this boring?” Chuzheng denied expressionlessly: “Am I that free?”
“…”
Ji Lin spent another day cleaning the car while Cheng Zuo helped Jiang Rushuang with work, watching the people below: “This lifestyle makes me feel a bit unreal.”
Jiang Rushuang smiled: “Yeah, living here, you don’t even feel like it’s the end of the world outside…”
Cheng Zuo sighed: “Indeed. By the way, why does Jiang Lele have your surname?”
Isn’t that kid always calling Chuzheng and Ji Lin mom and dad?
Jiang Rushuang shrugged innocently: “Neither of them wanted Lele to carry their surname, so eventually he took mine.”
Jiang Rushuang still remembers.
That day, when talking about the surname, both of them set down their bowls at the same time, their eyes sparking with fiery glances.
Eventually, both left simultaneously as if afraid that whoever stayed, Lele would take that person’s surname.
The outside world was still a wasteland.
Yet here is like a paradise.