Chapter 001: The Human Heart

The food was only enough for a week, and Tang Yu deliberately ate very little, but it only lasted until half a month; after that, he had to endure it. After Su Qin saved Tang Yu, she began to act as a bodyguard for Tang Shuangshuang and Tang Yu. During this time, many teams were interested in Su Qin's skills and intended to recruit her, but they gave up because she was accompanied by Tang Shuangshuang and Tang Yu

But it seems that no one is willing to listen to him, only hearing the sound of the car starting up without any delay... In the end, he has indeed been abandoned...

Tang Shuangshuang's beautiful face bore three parts fear and seven parts a fierce delight, yet her voice remained so gentle. Coupled with the knife in her hand, its tip still dripping with blood, it inevitably sent chills down one's spine: "A Qin, as long as you are here, I will forever stand behind you."

Soon, Su Qin found a job. Every month, apart from leaving some money for living expenses, she sent all the rest to her uncle. Over the years, Su Qin meticulously recorded every penny spent in the Tang family in a small notebook, from large expenses like tuition fees to small ones like a pencil, keeping a clear and detailed account. In total, it added up to more than 40,000 yuan. By the time the apocalypse arrived, she had already repaid the money she owed to the Tang family, but Tang Shuangshuang had used no less than 20,000 yuan of her money.

Tang Shuangshuang's eyes met Su Qin's predatory gaze, and she couldn't help but recall Su Qin's terrifying demeanor when he killed zombies. A shiver ran through her heart, yet her actions became even more ruthless. Finally, she gripped the knife tightly and forcefully twisted it in the wound, scraping against the bone, producing a piercing sound that, to Tang Shuangshuang's ears, was indescribably delightful. It was only when she saw Su Qin convulsing in pain that she withdrew the knife with satisfaction, slowly wiping the blood from the blade onto Su Qin's face. Then she stood up and walked away without looking back.

April 8, 2016, 3:00 AM

Why kill her? That knife was even a gift she gave to Tang Shuangshuang for self-defense, yet she never expected it would be plunged into her own body

Her uncle and aunt did not mistreat her; it was just that having an "outsider" living in the house always felt a bit awkward. Moreover, regardless of the amount spent on food, clothing, and other necessities, it always represented an expense, especially since there were already two children in the family

Outside the city of Lan, the interior of a minibus, which appeared so dilapidated that it seemed on the verge of disintegration, was reinforced with thick steel bars welded over the windows. Due to the severe physical exhaustion during the day, everyone inside the bus was sound asleep. Liu Song, rubbing his goosebumps-covered arms, pushed open the door and boarded the bus. He then gently tapped the shoulder of a girl with messy short hair sitting in the front row. Su Qin, who had been with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide, her muscles tensing up instantly. Only after realizing that it was her teammate Liu Song who had woken her did she gradually relax.

Upon arriving at the Tang family home, Uncle, Aunt, and younger brother Tang Yu were already absent from the house. Tang Shuangshuang was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. Ultimately, it was Su Qin who discovered Tang Yu, who was still barely alive, in the large wardrobe of the bedroom.

By the time she reached middle school, without anyone reminding her, she conscientiously packed her belongings and moved into the dormitory. On weekends, she stayed in the dormitory, not returning home, while the Tang family pretended not to notice. She only returned to her uncle's house during the winter and summer vacations when the school dormitory was closed.

Later, I learned from Tang Yu that at the very beginning of the apocalypse, his aunt had already turned into a zombie. His uncle accidentally got bitten by her and desperately locked Tang Yu in a cabinet. He also threw in some snacks like chips and water, then advised him to stay in the cabinet and wait for the police to rescue him. Thus, Tang Yu remained in the cabinet for almost a month

Su Qin had actually known this outcome for a long time, but still hid in the restroom and cried for a while. After crying, that very day, he informed his homeroom teacher about his decision to drop out, politely declining the pleas of both teachers and classmates. He packed his belongings and left the school, and the next day, he left Tangjia for Ningyuan City without delay

Since the age of five, when her mother passed away, she has been living with her grandfather. Before her grandfather died at the age of eleven, he entrusted her to her uncle and aunt's family.

Su Qin leaned against the carriage with his arms crossed, his half-closed eyes hidden beneath his tousled bangs, appearing somewhat drowsy. However, the muscles beneath his thin clothing were slightly tensed, bracing for any potential danger that might arise. It has been three years since the apocalypse began, with the global population plummeting from six billion to a mere three hundred million, still struggling desperately against the onslaught of zombies. Su Qin raised his gaze; the sky remained pitch black, devoid of any starlight, much like his current life, which offered no glimmer of hope. Every day upon waking, his thoughts were consumed with how to survive.

Su Qin glanced at the severed head, her eyes twitching rapidly twice. It seemed her cousin was living far too easily. In the three years of the apocalypse, where were there not dismembered limbs? Yet she could still scream in fright over a head that couldn't bite. Fortunately, there were no zombies here; otherwise, they would have been attracted long ago. Just as Su Qin relaxed, an intense sense of crisis suddenly surged within her without warning. Before she could discern the source of this feeling, she felt a sharp pain in her back. Su Qin, in disbelief, lowered her head and saw a small knife piercing through her back. The sharp tip glinted coldly in the darkness. Before Su Qin could react, the knife was suddenly yanked out of her body. She convulsed and fell to the ground, warm blood gushing out, and her life force rapidly draining from her body. Su Qin stared wide-eyed at Tang Shuangshuang, who stood in the darkness holding the small knife, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Why?!"

The deep night of early spring still carries a biting chill, but for Su Qin, who has endured the entire cold winter wearing only a single garment, the current temperature is truly negligible

Tang Shuangshuang's pair of bright, beautiful eyes looked pitifully at Su Qin

Now, looking at Tang Shuangshuang approaching with light steps, there is no trace of her previous pitiful appearance; instead, she seems even more confident and flamboyant than before the apocalypse.

Su Qin withdrew his gaze from Tang Shuangshuang's face, his voice carrying a familiar coldness: "I will keep watch"

"I will give you three minutes." With no other choice, Su Qin had to accompany Tang Shuangshuang to the cornfield by the roadside.

Although Tang Shuangshuang said there were no zombies within a radius of 500 meters, Su Qin still secretly heightened his vigilance, carefully observing the movements around him. Suddenly, Tang Shuangshuang let out a startled cry and retreated two steps, hiding behind Su Qin. Su Qin's heart raced, and he tightened his grip on the dagger, immediately entering a combat stance, his eyes fixed on a cluster of corn stalks ahead. Before he could spot any zombies, he saw Tang Shuangshuang, her face filled with terror, pointing at the spot where she had just been standing and tremblingly saying, "There is a human head over there!" Su Qin's heart raced again, and he tightened his grip on the dagger, immediately entering a combat stance, his eyes fixed on a cluster of corn stalks ahead. Before he could spot any zombies, he saw Tang Shuangshuang, her face filled with terror, pointing at the spot where she had just been standing and tremblingly saying, "There is a human head over there!"

After the apocalypse, the streets were filled with zombies. At first, Su Qin didn't even dare to look at the books, but after half a month, he could calmly use a watermelon knife to smash the heads of zombies, showing no less skill than many men. Later, he accidentally saved Tang Shuangshuang, who was almost assaulted by a group of thugs. Tang Shuangshuang couldn't let go of her family, and Su Qin couldn't let go of his little brother, so they decided to return to their hometown together. Along the way, Tang Shuangshuang would scream at the sight of zombies, repeatedly putting Su Qin in danger. However, due to Su Qin's boldness and meticulousness, along with the skills he honed from killing zombies every day, he managed to return to his hometown safely, despite sustaining numerous injuries.

From the moment Su Qin was born, he had no father, and his mother passed away early. His thoughts were inherently heavier than those of his peers. Observing the increasingly unpleasant expressions on his uncle and aunt Tang Shuangshuang's faces, Su Qin silently and completely stifled the tender sprouts of hope for a warm family that resided deep within him. He endeavored to minimize his presence in the Tang household.

Upon thinking of this, Su Qin let out a long sigh, releasing the pent-up emotions from deep within his heart. A sense of hope for future life began to rise within him, and in the dark, murky night, a pair of eyes shone brightly.

In the post-apocalyptic world, it is rare to see someone with a clean face. Su Qin had not washed her face for half a month, as water resources were extremely precious in this era. She would only spare a mouthful of water to wipe her face when she could no longer endure the zombie blood or brain matter on her skin. However, Tang Shuangshuang's face was spotless, and her long hair was well-groomed and refreshing, in stark contrast to Su Qin, whose bangs were greasy and matted together.

Su Qin was so pained that he could not speak, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He stared intently at Tang Shuangshuang, as if he would pounce on her and devour her alive the moment he regained even a shred of strength.

Tang Shuangshuang understood that if she and her younger brother left Su Qin, their fate would undoubtedly be extremely tragic. Therefore, she exerted all her efforts to cling tightly to Su Qin. She even suppressed her spoiled and willful demeanor as a young lady, becoming timid and submissive, striving to please in every way.

Tang Shuangshuang got out of the car and glanced around. Upon seeing Su Qin, her eyes flickered, and then she stepped forward and walked over.

Su Qin took one last look at the pitch-black sky, the light in his eyes gradually dimming, and then he weakly closed his eyes.

Su Qin maintained his posture, watching as Tang Shuangshuang walked briskly towards him. A hint of shyness appeared on her fair and beautiful face, and then she lowered her voice and said, "Su Qin, I need to use the restroom. Would you accompany me?"

Su Qin knew that if he did not accompany her, she might stand there and grind until she was satisfied, which would only waste time

It is worth mentioning that this jade pendant was still hanging around its neck half a month ago

During the day, they were besieged by zombies. After an intense battle, they lost a teammate but managed to break through. They were severely exhausted, and it was originally planned for her to guard the upper half of the night while Liu Song took the lower half. However, Liu Song insisted on switching with her, and remarkably, he managed to hold on for half the night.

"Su Qin, it is your turn to keep watch now." Upon seeing Su Qin awake, Liu Song could not help but yawn widely, his eyes misty with sleep as he found an empty spot to sit down, and the next moment, soft snoring began to emanate from him

However, Su Qin still took the time to seriously stretch his muscles in place, only stopping once he felt warmed up

The reason lies entirely in the jade tablet possessed by Tang Shuangshuang, which contains an inner space. Within it lies an endless expanse, with a spring that never runs dry. Tang Shuangshuang even awakened her psychic abilities as a result.

No! I must go save my sister!" Tang Yu shouted excitedly, "We cannot leave her behind!"

Su Qin raised her eyes and saw that it was her cousin Tang Shuangshuang, who had been following her since the beginning of the apocalypse, and her brows involuntarily furrowed.

As time passed, her complexion inevitably worsened. There was no need to mention Tang Shuangshuang; ever since Su Qin arrived, her pocket money had shrunk by nearly half, and she could no longer afford the brands she used to wear. Thus, she found it difficult to even greet her cousin, with whom she had previously maintained a good relationship. The only one who still followed her around every day, calling her "sister," was her younger cousin, who was four years her junior. Su Qin felt like a thorn in the throat of the Tang family.

Although Tang Shuangshuang had anticipated that Su Qin would refuse, she could not help but feel extremely angry at Su Qin's cold demeanor. However, she still held back her anger and patiently said: "I just used my mental power to scan the area; there are no zombies within a radius of 500 meters. I only need to relieve myself for five minutes... no, three minutes will suffice. I beg you, Ah Qin."

Su Qin glanced at the sleeping passengers in the carriage, casually tousled his short, messy hair, and then quietly slipped out of the carriage. As soon as his hand touched the cold air, the exposed skin on his arms instantly broke out in goosebumps

In the apocalypse, medicine is more valuable than diamonds were before the end of the world; even a common cold can easily claim a life. Su Qin struggles to survive in this harsh reality, having escaped the jaws of zombies countless times over the past three years, and truly does not wish to perish from a mere cold.

Tang Shuangshuang is her uncle's daughter. Before the apocalypse, she studied at Ningyuan University and was the pride of her uncle and aunt.

It is evident that many people have visited here; the surrounding corn has been completely harvested, and the stalks have been cut down at the base. Scattered about are several incomplete corpses, both of zombies and humans, creating a scene of utter devastation

The car door was gently pushed open, and someone crawled out from the compartment.

This situation continued until the second half of the third year of high school. After just finishing the academic proficiency examination, Tang Shuangshuang came to the school to find her, stating that the family's finances were only sufficient for one person to attend university

As stated in a movie watched before the apocalypse, this cannot be called living; it is merely not being dead. Yet she still wishes to live, for as long as one is alive, there is hope, is there not? They are now on their way to the "Lan City Base." They have been traveling for over three months, from initially more than 300 people to now just 13. They have finally reached the border of Lan City, and at dawn tomorrow, they will be able to enter the city. This base is currently the second strongest among the five remaining bases, just after the capital base, and once they arrive there, they should be able to settle down.

She bent down and forcefully stabbed Su Qin in the chest again. Her movements were ruthless, not a single tremor in her hand, completely unrecognizable from the Tang Shuangshuang who would tremble at the sight of zombies: "We will arrive at the Lancheng base tomorrow. I have almost mastered the ability of the jade token and no longer need your protection. Your mission has been completed; what reason do you have to continue living in this world? In light of the three years you protected me, I will definitely live well for you!" Your mission has been completed; what reason do you have to continue living in this world? In light of the three years you protected me, I will definitely live well for you!

Su Qin lay on the cold ground, his body convulsing involuntarily, blood gushing from a large wound in his chest, staining the ground beneath him... As his consciousness gradually faded, he faintly heard the distant, perfectly disguised cry of Tang Shuangshuang, filled with fear: "Help! There are so many zombies coming over there! Ah Qin was eaten by the horde of zombies while trying to save me! Hurry, drive! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!" There are so many zombies coming over there! Ah Qin was eaten by the horde of zombies while trying to save me! Hurry, drive! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!