Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Su Huan stepped forward, picked up a child, who curled up into a ball with his hands stubbornly covering his ears.

This child had the lowest level of mutation; aside from the blue skin, there were no visible plant elements on him.

Su Huan adjusted his angle, meeting his eyes at eye level, ”What are you doing?”

The child turned his head away in terror, but Su Huan applied a bit of force and turned him back.

The child’s expression was twisted, his gaze desperately avoiding what’s in front.

Su Huan gently said, ”Friendly reminder, speaking while making eye contact makes you seem more sincere, you know.”

Seeing the child unmoved, Su Huan smirked; it had been a long time since he’d encountered a tough nut like this.

Yu Yue’s eyes flickered, her lips moving almost imperceptibly.

Su Huan curiously lifted his head, seeing a girl with grass growing on her head emerge from the shadows across, looking younger than Chengcheng.

The girl wore a heavy work jacket with no sleeves, the hem nearly wrapping around her entire lower leg, leaving only two small white feet exposed.

Her chubby little hands twisted in front of her nervously as she said, ”Don’t bully Zou Ji brother, they are too scared to talk now.”

’Is this a Pokémon refresh?’

Su Huan was taken aback by her outfit, but with someone able to speak, he didn’t bother with anyone else.

He dropped the boy and squatted down in front of the little girl, who retreated a step in fear, but her short legs had limited range. Su Huan leaned forward slightly, with interest, pretending to reach for the grass on her head.

The little girl hurriedly hugged her head and squatted down, ”Don’t pull, it hurts.”

Yu Yue looked at the adorable little girl and suddenly felt pity, but Su Huan had proven countless times that he was right, so in this unfamiliar environment, she wouldn’t act without his orders, the same went for Lin Jin.

However, he was currently on guard against hundreds of mutants.

Su Huan smilingly pinched the little girl’s cheek, ”Brother has a few questions for you, answer them and I’ll reward you by pulling grass.”

The little girl’s round eyes widened, a reward... pulling grass?

Her eyes immediately filled with tears, with grievance, ”Can’t we not pull it at all?”

”Not impossible, depends on your performance.”

Su Huan squinted his eyes slightly.

He was just trying, this little girl was just too young, and children at this age have an instinct to talk seriously about nonsense, simply put they answer whatever they’re asked, with sincerity, even if they have to make up the answer.

It’s hard to tell because she herself believes it.

Su Huan took out a small snack from Yu Yue’s pocket, tore open the package, took a bite, and stuffed it in the little girl’s mouth.

The girl, caught off guard by the reward, smiled with her eyes squinted.

”There’s more if you answer correctly.”

Su Huan displayed a handful of snacks.

The little girl was eager to try.

Su Huan: ”Do you know who I am?”

Xiaoya: ”...”

Su Huan: ”Do you know how I appeared here?”

Xiaoya: ”I don’t know.”

Xiaoya’s eyes glazed over, this reward was tough to earn.

Su Huan frowned, ”You don’t know that, so do you know how many trees are in this forest?”

”I don’t know.”

The child’s eyes grew dim.

”Do you know your name?”

”I don’t know... Eh? This I know, my name is Xiaoya!”

Finally a question she could answer, Xiaoya was so happy she nearly jumped.

Su Huan gave her a small snack.

”Who gave you your name?”

”Uncle!”

Another snack.

”Have you always lived here?”

”Yes, Xiaoya has been living here for many years.”

”Why can’t they talk but you can?”

”I... um, I don’t really know...”

Su Huan took back three snacks from her hand, chuckling, ”Alright, the questions are over, congratulations on answering three questions. You didn’t answer four, plus the trial snack, you owe me two snacks in total, don’t forget to pay back.”

”I-I have to pay back.”

Xiaoya looked at her empty hand, and the sweetness in her mouth turned bitter.

Thinking of her debt, an immense sense of grievance welled up, the world grew gray.

Thinking of uncle’s teachings, debt repayment is a moral obligation, Xiaoya forced herself to stay strong, ”Can I pay you back with other things?”

Su Huan stood up, replied faintly, ”Of course, but I need to see it first.”

Xiaoya turned silently, head down, walking ahead, the sadness she’d been suppressing overflowed, large teardrops rolling down her feet, then slipping onto the tree trunk.

Yu Yue heard the girl’s sobs and her heart was aching, she looked at Su Huan beside her with a calm face, her gunstock was almost bent.

The path was always downhill, passing through trunks, soon arriving at another lower building, larger than the roof of the building they fell from, with several patchwork houses built with various materials, as rough as a junkyard.

Each house contained one or two strange plants, and walking past, there was a feeling of being watched.

Xiaoya stopped in front of an edge house, ”Wait here for a bit, I’m going in to get it.”

Xiaoya ran inside.

Su Huan looked up at a willow tree beside the house, his mouth curled slightly, following Xiaoya into the house.

Inside was very rundown, almost no decent furniture.

A corner was sheltered with waterproof cloth, the cloth was army green, the edges held down by stones, under it were stacked plastic boxes, several sticks of firewood, and an iron pot overturned on a brick stove.