Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

Chapter 46: Chapter 3 Small Camp (Part 1)

Hearing Sun Ruixing sigh, Wen Yu also felt a sense of helplessness regarding the outdated thinking of some elderly people in the countryside.

Would the government organize any rescue? Yes, certainly.

The government controlled the instruments of violence. For soldiers armed with guns, dealing with zombies was child’s play. Not to mention that military personnel could also change professions. Therefore, in the early days of the apocalypse, the most powerful force was undoubtedly the government.

But in a country as vast as Cathay, could the government manage to cover every corner? It was impossible. The first wave of the Demonic Qi invasion would turn more than twenty percent of humanity directly into zombies. The disaster had struck so suddenly. Coupled with those who had died in the riots just days before, the number of zombies would definitely exceed that of humans. And this didn’t even take into account the vast number of mutant beasts. fr\eewe.bn(o)v\el.c(o)m

Under these circumstances, there was no sign of the military, not just in the small Hualin Town, but even in Mudanjiang City itself.

If things had continued to develop this way, the apocalypse might have been quelled quickly. However, the demon plague six months later shattered all of humanity’s illusions.

Seeing Wen Yu’s solemn expression, Sun Ruixing understood that Wen Yu was a discerning person. Even if the government could bring this catastrophe under control, it would take a very long time. He decided not to dwell on it and simply pulled Wen Yu directly into the large courtyard.

The entire courtyard and several adjacent houses had been connected, creating a very large internal space. Scattered about were simple wooden sheds, which served as the survivors’ living quarters. The perimeter of the courtyard was enclosed with wire mesh. Though unsightly, it was sturdy enough. It might not stop mutant beasts, but it could certainly serve as an early warning system.

Wen Yu followed Sun Ruixing into the house. The main hall was filled with tables. On the floor beneath some of them, tablecloths were spread out, laden with steaming hot food.

Before long, people began to trickle in and fill the dining hall.

The dining hall wasn’t large, and as nearly a hundred people squeezed inside, it became extremely crowded. Fortunately, the spot where Wen Yu was located was quite spacious.

Looking at the survivors in this small camp, Wen Yu sighed.

The combat strength of this camp was pitifully weak. The strongest among them, Sun Ruixing, had a physical constitution of around 3 points. There were quite a few professionists, but none of them had undergone Strengthening.

Interestingly, Tiger Kid, who had just been in charge of organizing the zombie-killing effort, had a physical constitution comparable to Sun Ruixing’s. Furthermore, judging by Tiger Kid’s demeanor, he was clearly consciously concealing his true strength.

The critical issue was the excessive number of dependents in this small camp. In rural areas, the demographic structure was extremely skewed. The elderly, who possessed no combat ability, accounted for more than a third of the camp’s population. In the apocalypse, the elderly and children truly lacked the capital to survive.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Sun Ruixing immediately stood up and said to everyone present, ”This morning, I took our professionists here to check on the situation in Mudanjiang City. However, before we even reached Mudanjiang City, we were driven back by zombies. There were too many zombies, so we weren’t able to observe whether the Mudanjiang City Government has initiated any rescue efforts.”

A commotion started below, with many of the seated elderly people whispering among themselves. Many of their words were complaints directed at Sun Ruixing.

Sun Ruixing was also helpless. These elders couldn’t be struck or berated; each one behaved as if they were a lord. The five-thousand-year-old tradition of filial piety prevented Sun Ruixing from even raising his voice to them.

”But... but...” Sun Ruixing’s two ”buts” finally managed to quiet the scene.

Seeing that there might be a turn of events, the crowd below stopped whispering and looked at Sun Ruixing attentively.

”We rescued a survivor over by the factory. It’s this young brother next to me, Wen Yu. He escaped from Mudanjiang City and has some understanding of the situation there. So, shall we trouble Brother Wen Yu to say a few words to us?”

It had to be said, Sun Ruixing was wholly unsuited for the task of public speaking. Having said nothing useful, he directly passed the buck to Wen Yu.

With nearly a hundred pairs of eyes fixed on him, Wen Yu also felt a wave of helplessness. In his two lifetimes, Wen Yu had never been the center of such intense attention.

After glaring at Sun Ruixing, Wen Yu reluctantly stood up. Looking at the expectant gazes from below, Wen Yu sighed heavily. Looks like I’ll be the one to shatter their hopes. This can be considered repayment for the meal, I suppose.

”Everyone, please listen to me,” Wen Yu began.

”The situation in Mudanjiang City is not good; it’s even worse than here. Moreover, the government has not launched any rescue operations at all. In fact, when I was in Mudanjiang City, I encountered people from the police station and government officials; they were all in the same boat as everyone. In fact, our situation here is much better than in Mudanjiang City.”

This was indeed true. Although rural areas had more mutant beasts, in the initial stages of the apocalypse, the greatest threat to humanity wasn’t the mutant beasts but rather the seemingly frail zombies. The more populous the city, the more severe the destruction caused by zombies.

”You’re lying! The government must have already started rescue operations! I think you look like a fugitive. Did you commit a crime in Mudanjiang City and escape here?”

An old man, nearly eighty years old and leaning on a cane, shakily stood up. He pointed at Wen Yu’s nose and loudly questioned him.

Wen Yu carefully observed the old man who had stood up. Everyone at the old man’s table was of a similar age, and they all regarded Wen Yu with distrustful eyes.

”I’ve said all I intend to. What I said are facts. Believe it or not, that’s up to you.” Wen Yu believed that arguing with these elderly people was completely meaningless. As soon as he finished speaking, he sat right back down.

Seeing the elderly people grow increasingly agitated, Sun Ruixing quickly stood up and announced loudly to everyone, ”Of course, what Brother Wen Yu said might be right, or it might be wrong. The actual situation still needs to be verified. So, I will go to Mudanjiang City again tomorrow to take a look, and I will give everyone an answer then.”

”We’re going too! We’re not staying here any longer! Little Sun, you take us to Mudanjiang City tomorrow! I refuse to believe our government can’t handle these... these dead things!” The old man who had questioned Wen Yu earlier forcefully banged his cane on the ground as he spoke.

Wen Yu was rather surprised. The old man looked as if he could barely stand, yet his voice was surprisingly powerful.

Seeing the entire table of elderly men and women around him echo his sentiments, Sun Ruixing’s face turned various shades of pale and purple. Finally, he said helplessly, ”Alright, alright, Grandpa Sun, let’s eat first. We can discuss this tomorrow, alright?”

”HUMPH.” Grandpa Sun shot Wen Yu and Sun Ruixing a fierce glare, then hastily stuffed a couple of mouthfuls of food into his mouth, stood up, and left.