Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

”The Song Family Pavilion is by Xiang Mountain, and this is Weigang Town. Even though we cleared out all the monsters near the village committee, you still have to watch out for things coming over from Weigang Town.”

He reached out and patted the burly Xue Feng’s bulging, muscular arm. ”I’m leaving this to you. We expect to be back in one to two days.”

”Don’t you worry, Captain. We’ll keep a tight watch on things here. We won’t let our guard down for a second.”

Once the arrangements were finalized, Xue Feng had someone tell everyone on the six large buses to get off.

About three hundred people, lugging packages, dragging suitcases, and shouldering bags, huddled together in two or three rows. Unsure of what to do, they exchanged hesitant glances.

Suddenly, a woman burst out of the crowd, dashing toward Xie Ning and Song You’ai, who were standing by a sedan.

”It’s you!” Upon seeing Xie Ning again, Shi Ailing looked furious enough to go berserk.

”You heartless woman! You left us to die!” Shi Ailing roared furiously at Xie Ning. ”How dare you show your face here again?”

The woman’s sudden appearance startled Song You’ai, but she still reflexively moved to stand in front of her daughter. ”Who—who are you?”

”You’re asking me who I am? You heartless bitch! At the gas station, all you did was save your own skin, leaving us behind to die.”

”Are you even human? Do you have a shred of humanity or morality left?” The woman stepped forward to shove Song You’ai, but Xie Ning grabbed her by the wrist and violently threw her back.

”Ah!” Shi Ailing stumbled backward several steps. Just as she was about to fall, a man rushed forward and caught her.

”Mr. Cheng, thank you. I’m all right.” Shi Ailing turned to thank him, the rims of her eyes turning red.

Cheng Zihao frowned, glancing at the mother-daughter pair of Song You’ai and Xie Ning. ”Why did you have to get physical? Can’t you talk things out?”

Xie Ning raised her hand. SLAP! A sharp slap landed on Shi Ailing’s dumbfounded face. ”Yeah, I hit her. So what?”

Gu Chen, Zhai Ruobai, Lu Wei, and the other bystanders: ...

She hadn’t actually hit her before, but as soon as the man said his piece, the young woman just went and slapped her.

Tears of indignation welled up in Shi Ailing’s eyes.

Cheng Zihao became quite annoyed at the sight. ”You’re being rather unreasonable, aren’t you, miss?”

”Reason is for people who are willing to listen,” Xie Ning replied icily. ”Get lost, or I’ll hit you too. And don’t think I won’t hit you just because you’re a man.”

Gu Chen, Zhai Ruobai, Lu Wei, and the rest of the peanut gallery suddenly felt a sense of collective exasperation.

’That sounds a bit strange,’ they thought. ’Shouldn’t it be ”Don’t think I won’t hit a woman”?’...

”This girl is clearly no ordinary person—a cut above the rest. I could tell the moment I saw her,” Zhai Ruobai said with a chuckle. ”She’s got character! I’m a big fan of girls like her.”

Gu Chen smacked him on the back of the head. ”Go do what you’re supposed to do. Stop standing around enjoying the show all day. A young man like you shouldn’t be so lazy and unambitious.”

With that, he started walking toward Xie Ning.

Zhai Ruobai: ???

’Did my bro just roast me again?’

As Gu Chen walked over, an elderly man with graying hair at his temples also approached Cheng Zihao. ”Zihao.”

”Professor Li.” Cheng Zihao quickly turned to explain. ”It’s Miss Shi who’s been wronged. I’m fine.”

The moment Shi Ailing saw Gu Chen approaching, she burst into tears. ”Captain Gu, I’m so sorry to be causing trouble. I just wanted to ask this young lady for an explanation, but I never imagined she wouldn’t even give me a chance to speak...”

And so, as he drew near, Gu Chen could only watch, wide-eyed, as Xie Ning slapped Shi Ailing across the face yet again.