Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

Chapter 45: Chapter 2 Welcome to Hualin Town_1

The middle-aged man watched Wen Yu sprint over. Zombies charging Wen Yu along the path were sliced apart by the steel saber in his hands.

The middle-aged man heaved a long sigh of relief. ”Finally, a useful person has been saved.”

Of course, Wen Yu wouldn’t reveal his full strength. When unsure about an opponent’s identity and capabilities, it was always wise to hold something back.

Seeing Wen Yu climb directly into the large truck and sit in the passenger seat, the middle-aged man turned and shouted, ”Brothers, get your tools!”

The professionists below quickly retreated. Then, they pulled out a pile of giant nets from the truck’s rear compartment. Sharp hooks adorned each net.

A few strong-looking men picked up the nets, unfolded them, and attached the ends to the large truck.

The truck then started slowly, gradually reversing.

As zombies staggered from behind and stepped onto the nets, the middle-aged man slammed down the accelerator once the nets were full.

The truck roared and sped backward.

The zombies on the nets were yanked to the ground. Some rolled to the roadside, but others, snagged by the hooks, were dragged backward by the truck.

Seeing dozens of zombies being dragged behind, Wen Yu raised an eyebrow and asked, ”Are we fishing?”

Wen Yu recalled hearing about this method in his previous life; it could be used to catch Level 0 zombies.

The middle-aged man lit a cigarette and took a satisfying puff. ”You bet. There are still some folks in the stronghold who haven’t undergone their class change. Catching some zombies will boost their points and combat experience.”

He sized Wen Yu up again, noting the torn protective suit and bloodstained steel saber. His gaze lingered on the Soul Beast perched on Wen Yu’s shoulder.

”Say, young man, that little creature on your shoulder is quite interesting. Care to tell me about it?”

”Hidden profession,” Wen Yu stated flatly.

The middle-aged man forcefully stubbed out his cigarette. ”This damned world! Even hidden professions are showing up now. By the way, you look pretty rough. Where did you fight your way out from?”

”Mudanjiang City. A Big Lion that escaped from the zoo chased me all the way here. My injuries just healed. I should thank you all,” Wen Yu replied.

”No need for thanks. In this world, if we humans don’t help each other out, we’ll all perish sooner or later,” the middle-aged man said, a wistful look on his face.

Wen Yu was amused by the man’s words. It’s one thing to talk about your ideals, but why the need for such a tragic, compassionate act?

Still, Wen Yu genuinely admired people like him. Though he wouldn’t act that way himself, in this godforsaken apocalypse, humanity would have no hope without them.

”Still, thank you. I’m Wen Yu.”

”Oh, I’m Sun Ruixing, leader of a small settlement here in Hualin Town. And welcome to Hualin Town.” Sun Ruixing gave Wen Yu a knowing smile.

”We’re here.” The convoy drove into a sprawling shantytown and stopped before a large courtyard.

Sun Ruixing hopped out of the truck, and Wen Yu followed.

”Everyone, come on out! We’ve caught some fish!” Sun Ruixing yelled, a wide grin on his face.

A large crowd of men, women, and children, old and young, quickly poured out from the courtyard. The entire camp erupted in cheers upon seeing Sun Ruixing and the other professionists return.

”Ruixing’s back! And he brought a whole bunch of zombies!”

”The boss is amazing! We’ll get several new professionists out of this!”

”Fantastic! Tell the kitchen to start preparing food!”

Seeing the harmonious atmosphere permeating the camp, Wen Yu couldn’t help but regard Sun Ruixing with increased appreciation.

”Brother Sun, you’re quite capable,” Wen Yu remarked.

”Heh, not at all. I was just a truck driver. When the apocalypse hit a couple of days ago, many people died. I gathered the neighbors, and we’ve been killing zombies and surviving together. Thankfully, in the countryside, every household has some food stored up, so our hundred-odd people haven’t had to starve,” Sun Ruixing said to Wen Yu with a smile.

On the way, Wen Yu had already learned about Hualin Town. It wasn’t large, with a resident population of only about eight to ten thousand. However, being in the countryside, especially here, meant most households raised a few dogs. Consequently, the number of mutant beasts was even higher than in the cities, leading to fewer human survivors. According to Sun Ruixing, apart from their small area, he wasn’t clear about the situation in other parts of the town.

They had just gone to the factory district to check the situation in Mudanjiang City. If the Mudanjiang City Government had regained control, their group would have had a place to go. Unfortunately, they encountered a large horde of zombies, which led to Sun Ruixing’s meeting with Wen Yu.

Seeing everyone bustling about and chattering excitedly—some examining the dragged-back zombies, others searching for relatives among the returning team members, and still others calling everyone for dinner—Sun Ruixing stepped onto a large stone and yelled to the crowd below, ”Everyone, quiet down! Settle down, please!”

Sun Ruixing held considerable influence in this camp; after all, he had saved most of the people here.

Once the crowd quieted, Sun Ruixing said, ”First, let’s deal with the zombies we brought back. Tiger Kid, organize some people to kill these zombies. Try to get as many new professionists as possible.”

Tiger Kid, one of the professionists from earlier, was a robust man under thirty who looked very spirited.

”Understood, Brother Sun. Do we stick to the usual criteria?”

”Yes, prioritize the young and strong.” Sun Ruixing nodded to Tiger Kid and then led Wen Yu towards the courtyard.

”Come on, Brother Wen Yu. Let’s eat first. We still have some vegetables left. Since you just arrived today, you should try our camp’s food.”

”Oh, Qiang Zi, take a few men and stand guard. We’ll relieve you after everyone’s eaten.”

”Alright, Boss!” Qiang Zi, a lean, dark-skinned young man, grinned at Sun Ruixing, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

”Let’s go, Brother Wen Yu. After the meal, we’ll need you to tell us about the situation in Mudanjiang City. Many in our small camp still hope the government will send rescue teams. Honestly, anyone with half a brain can see that in a world where even professionists have appeared, what use is the government?! But the common folk don’t believe that. Especially out here in the countryside, it’s mostly older people; any little thing happens, and they immediately think of relying on the government. SIGH.”