Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person

”So... did Uncle Zhang really ask you to do farm work here?”

Mo Qianlan couldn’t quite figure out the guy in front of her. If he was here to pursue Yi Xiaoling, then why did he start chatting her up the moment Xiaoling left? But if he was overstepping boundaries, it was still all within reasonable limits.

Maybe he’s just naturally sociable?

”Of course!” Wang Zhetao replied quite naturally, then let out a chuckle.

”You saw me getting along well with Sister Xiaoling just now and thought I was here to pursue her, right? No, no, you’ve misunderstood. It’s polite to be a bit more enthusiastic when asking for advice. That’s just how I am. Little Sister Xiaolan, is there anything I can help with around here?”

If he’s not here for Yi Xiaoling, then maybe he’s interested in me? Mo Qianlan didn’t want to assume too much about herself, nor did she want to get tangled up in this, so she waved her hand and said, ”Sister Xiaoling’s given you plenty to do. Just focus on pollinating the cucumbers. That should keep you busy until lunchtime.”

Wang Zhetao had no objections and went back to the cucumber vines to get to work. However, as he worked, he continued to chat leisurely with Mo Qianlan, his tone natural and the atmosphere pleasant.

Thanks to a rich campus life, Wang Zhetao had accumulated a vast reserve of knowledge—not the kind you find in textbooks but a little bit about everything.

He started talking about anime, then moved on to Korean and Japanese celebrities, transitioned to Western ones, smoothly discussed fashion, and even discussed cosmetics. Somehow, he managed to circle back to domestic singers.

”The group you mentioned earlier, I like them too! There’s a song I remember that goes, ’I was a young man chasing the sun, daring to take on responsibilities, remembering the true form of the world. I am a reckless rogue living freely, hurry up’...”

Whoosh.

Just as Wang Zhetao was showing off his singing to Mo Qianlan, the door of the vegetable greenhouse was pulled open, and his song abruptly stopped.

”Wow, it’s lively here. What are you all up to?”

With almost the entire Yama Corps deployed and many of the camp’s remaining people off to work in the village, there weren’t many left to cook. Zhong Xiaoshan had come over to call Mo Qianlan, only to stumble upon a greenhouse concert.

”Ah, no, not much, really. Sister Shanshan, is there something you need?”

Mo Qianlan nervously stood up as if caught in the act, twisting her fingers together, somewhat uneasy.

Wang Zhetao was much more composed, smiling as he said, ”Second sister-in-law, Brother Wang asked me to do farm work. I’m pollinating cucumbers, and I’m just singing because I got bored.”

Zhong Xiaoshan looked at the two of them with an unreadable expression, adjusted her hair, and said, ”Lanlan, we’re short-handed for cooking today. Come help out.”

”Ah... cooking? Okay, sure.”

Mo Qianlan was startled, took off her gloves, and checked the time on her phone, realizing it was already 11:30.

She couldn’t believe how fast the morning had passed. Chatting didn’t even delay the work; in fact, it seemed even more efficient than before. This experience made her feel... like it wasn’t so bad.

”I can cook too. Can I lend a hand?”

Still very enthusiastic, Wang Zhetao had been busy all morning, his gloves stained yellow from chemicals, and his clean face now smudged with dirt, but it somehow didn’t feel out of place.

Zhong Xiaoshan had heard about Wang Zhetao from Zhang Su, and this proactive attitude fit the description. She smiled subtly and said, ”Sure, come along. Today, Lanlan’s mother, Old Zhao, and Master Jia aren’t here, and we’re short-staffed in the kitchen. Why don’t you pick some vegetables and then head to Little Lucky Kitchen? I’ll go get Xiaoling.”

Having said that, Zhong Xiaoshan turned and left the greenhouse, but her eyebrows furrowed.

As someone with experience, she had keenly sensed the off vibe between Wang Zhetao and Mo Qianlan.

There’s nothing wrong with men and women being affectionate; pairing up makes work less tiring. But it’s never as simple as it seems.

Lu Yubo was out on a mission, and Zhong Xiaoshan wasn’t sure of the details. Still, judging from Zhang Su’s attitude toward Lu Yubo, it seemed the young man was very dedicated. However, in matters of the heart, Lu Yubo was quite serious, and serious often means being particular!

Now, while Lu Yubo was out risking his neck fighting zombies, his wife left behind at the camp was engaging in friendly banter with another guy. If he found out, there’d be peace no more!

”What a troublesome guy!”

Zhong Xiaoshan shook her head repeatedly.

On Celestial Horse Island, smoke rose from the chimneys, and a few figures were busy in Little Lucky’s kitchen. Zhong Xiaoshan originally had other matters to attend to, like processing a batch of supplies Liu Yao had brought back that hadn’t been logged yet, but for special reasons, she ended up staying to cook with the others.

Although she said she was busy, she was mostly focused on Wang Zhetao and Mo Qianlan.

While the vegetables were still not fully cooked, a voice came through the walkie-talkie from the sentry at the village gate: ”The Yama Corps is back! Brother Su and the gang are back!”

Hearing this, everyone exchanged knowing smiles. The Yama Corps was the backbone of Celestial Horse Island, and their safe return was a relief.

Soon, the sound of car horns, tires screeching on the ground, and engines roaring could be heard from outside the window...

”Quick, get the cooking done. I’ll go check outside!”

Zhong Xiaoshan took off her apron and hadn’t even reached Little Lucky’s courtyard gate when a car screeched to a halt just outside, giving her a start. Seeing Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu through the window put her at ease.

”Xiaoshan? What are you doing here? Come on, let’s open the gate!”

Zheng Xinyu jumped out of the car in a hurry, momentarily surprised to see Zhong Xiaoshan, thinking she should be at the warehouse. Regardless, she grabbed her and headed towards the stairs.

After getting out of the car, Zhang Su opened the rear door and carried someone out, quickly making his way to the second floor.

”Uh-oh, someone’s hurt!”

In the kitchen, Wang Zhetao craned his neck to look outside just in time to see Zhang Su carrying someone upstairs...

”It’s best not to meddle unnecessarily. Let’s just focus on the work we have!”

Pei Lan stirred the big pot with a ladle to prevent burning and, seeing Wang Zhetao’s face full of gossip, chided him a bit bluntly. Everyone present had loved ones in the Yama Corps, yet no one was rushing outside to see what was happening.

Wang Zhetao turned back, noticing Mo Qianlan and Yi Xiaoling hadn’t left their workstations, diligently busy, making him feel a bit ashamed. He reluctantly returned to his spot.

”Mr. Zhang seemed to be carrying something into the courtyard earlier. Did you see what it was?”

On the mountain road outside the guesthouse, Fu Weijun, sitting in a wheelchair, curiously asked Duan Wuhu behind him.

Duan Wuhu shook his head, confused: ”It looked like a person, but they vanished quickly. Could it be someone got hurt? I saw Nurse Zhong too, but nothing was mentioned on the walkie-talkie earlier!”

”If someone’s hurt, that’s not good. Brother Duan, you should check if they need any help. We shouldn’t wait for Mr. Zhang to call for people; it would be better for us to take the initiative.”

Fu Weijun’s emotional intelligence suddenly soared.

”Alright!”

Duan Wuhu agreed readily, but as he let go of the wheelchair handles, he paused and looked back at Fu Weijun, saying, ”Something’s off, Weijun. Are you trying to send me away for something?”

Speaking, Duan Wuhu unabashedly glanced at the fire-breathing zombie squad, noticing quite a few Yama Corps members chatting over there, thinking there’s no real chance for Fu Weijun to stir up trouble.

Fu Weijun smiled: ”Brother Duan, what are you thinking? These days I’ve set aside my scientific experiments and thought a lot, realizing I used to be too indifferent in interpersonal relationships. Sometimes we should be more enthusiastic and proactive. You should go.”

”I think you’re just trying to get me to find out what’s going on, but you’re right, I should check it out. You stay safe!”

Duan Wuhu bluntly exposed Fu Weijun, laughing as he headed towards Little Lucky.