Chapter 003: Each with Their Own Concerns

In fact, Xing Zhixin did not want to stay here to watch Cheng Bin dispose of the body at all. He also did not want to take any cues from him. In his view, simply not discarding a corpse was already a sign of good manners, and there was no need to go to such lengths. This godforsaken place might not see a single person for years, providing ample time for organic matter to decompose naturally. However, what Cheng Bin was doing now piqued his curiosity, so he endured his anxiety to take a look.

The later group of people made Cheng Bin feel a sense of danger. Under normal circumstances, if a group of drifters encounters another group, they would never rashly stop unless they first ascertain that the other party poses no threat. In this regard, he is much more sensitive than Xing Zhixin. Therefore, he concluded that the later group was not composed of good people; they were likely taking advantage of the camping opportunity to observe the strength of Xing Zhixin and the other person. It was easy to guess what they intended to do.

At this moment, everything that Hou Jia could move by herself had already been loaded onto the vehicle. She was just afraid that Xing Zhixin might suddenly return and not have enough time to pack up if he wanted to escape. When she saw Xing Zhixin coming back alone, she felt a sense of relief. While helping him pack up the tent, she curiously asked the question that had been on her mind. It must be said that a woman's desire for gossip can sometimes triumph over fear.

He tightened the lid of the oil barrel, then turned and walked over to Xing Zhixin, placing the oil barrel on the ground. Looking at Xing Zhixin's reluctant expression, he spoke up: "There is a pond behind the forest, would you like to go wash your hands?"

"Where did you take the body?" Hou Jia was already packing her things when Xing Zhixin followed Cheng Bin out. It must be said that this woman's courage is not insignificant; she did not faint from the indoctrination of traditional media earlier and cause trouble for Xing Zhixin, and now she can actively get out of the car to tidy up her belongings. Perhaps this is the reason why these two ordinary individuals have managed to survive until now

Xing Zhixin felt somewhat tempted, but after some thought, he was still unwilling to leave Hou Jia too far behind. The person in front of him was too mysterious, and he was very concerned that this individual might pose a threat to Hou Jia. Thus, he forced a smile, shook his head, and reached out to take the oil barrel, discovering that Cheng Bin had shown some mercy, leaving him a bit, which was a relief.

The car key turned gently, and the engine started smoothly, emitting a faint rumbling sound. Xing Zhixin let out a sigh of relief and turned back to glance out the window. The bonfire they had lit had already been extinguished by him, while on the other side of the trees, there was a bright flame. It was the first time he realized that a corpse could be so combustible; after burning for over ten minutes, the flames showed no signs of weakening.

Xing Zhixin took one last glance at the campsite from earlier, confirming that nothing had been left behind. He quickly jumped into the car, retrieved the hard-earned car key, and inserted it into the ignition, trying his best not to think about where he had just found it.

Cheng Bin chuckled self-deprecatingly and glanced at the distant figure of Xing Zhixin, who had already walked far away. To be honest, he did not think highly of this man. Today, he arrived here earlier than both Xing Zhixin and Hou Jia, but he chose not to camp by the roadside. In fact, Xing Zhixin did so, which led to encounters with other survivors and resulted in so many incidents. Most of the time, when the situation is unclear, no one would actively provoke others. Therefore, if it were not for Xing Zhixin blocking the road, those few people, even if they discovered someone in the woods, would likely have just driven past.

Cheng Bin was unaware that Xing Zhixin still had the leisure to slander his name. Essentially, very few people have the opportunity to name themselves, so what one is called does not truly depend on one's own will. Otherwise, who would a person named Er Gou turn to for reasoning? At this moment, he was squatting on a patch of grass behind the woods, facing three corpses stacked together. Xing Zhixin stood a little farther behind him, nervously wiping his hands with a piece of rag. It was already quite difficult for him to retrieve the car keys from the dead, and then he had to follow Cheng Bin to drag the bodies this far. The distance of several dozen meters made Xing Zhixin, who was clearly in good physical condition, feel that it was even more exhausting than carrying a sack of grain. Of course, at least he now understood why Cheng Bin had dragged the bodies here. In fact, Cheng Bin did not enjoy dragging corpses as a leisurely pastime, nor was it to improve his dietary structure; he was actually preparing to burn the bodies. The campsite chosen by Xing Zhixin was too close to the woods. If Cheng Bin wanted to burn the bodies, the bonfire would be much larger than a campfire, and he would have to be careful of the wind carrying the flames to ignite the entire forest.

After completing these tasks, Cheng Bin picked up the plastic bucket behind him and poured some gasoline onto the corpse. Considering Xing Zhixin's unpleasant expression, he did not empty the entire bucket. This gasoline was all provided by Xing Zhixin; he himself only had a small amount of diesel, which was not a good choice for igniting. To be honest, when he first asked Xing Zhixin for gasoline, Xing Zhixin agreed readily. However, upon learning that it was to be used for burning a corpse, he immediately appeared very reluctant. Unfortunately, Cheng Bin was not someone who easily changed his mind, so he completely disregarded the wishes of the gasoline's owner. This gasoline was all provided by Xing Zhixin; he himself only had a small amount of diesel, which was not a good choice for igniting. To be honest, when he first asked Xing Zhixin for gasoline, Xing Zhixin agreed readily. However, upon learning that it was to be used for burning a corpse, he immediately appeared very reluctant. Unfortunately, Cheng Bin was not someone who easily changed his mind, so he completely disregarded the wishes of the gasoline's owner.

Two individuals had been living in a village with several dozen households, and they were the only living people in that village. However, a few days ago, zombies suddenly appeared in the village, which greatly alarmed them. They did not know where the zombies came from, nor did they know if they would leave, so after some discussion, they decided to leave the place. Although they had never engaged in guerrilla warfare, they were aware of the principle of running away when faced with something they could not handle. Naturally, they could only adhere to this one principle of the four-character guideline, as they dared not consider the other three. Having lived a stable life for so long, they were not yet accustomed to the various changes that came with this sudden shift in lifestyle. As a result, when camping, they packed away too many unnecessary items, and now tidying up has become somewhat chaotic.

Cheng Bin was highly vigilant. Upon noticing a car stopping on the road, he hid in the shadows to observe the strength of the incoming person. When Xing Zhixin went into the woods to chop firewood, Cheng Bin felt a moment of tension, as Xing Zhixin would see the camp that Cheng Bin had just set up if he passed through the sparsely wooded area.

Someone once said that in a place devoid of order, killing is not a difficult task. Therefore, we must set some additional conditions for ourselves to allow for more contemplation before taking action. Cheng Bin murmured, and after speaking, he turned to glance at Xing Zhibin, hoping he would understand this ascetic form of self-punishment. However, he soon realized he had overthought it; the big guy had already walked away during his silence and was now quite far off, likely frightened away by the restless corpses in the fire.

Unlike Xing Zhixin and the others, Cheng Bin carries far fewer items with him. He has to find ways to replenish his food supply every day, or he risks going hungry. In contrast, both Xing Zhixin and those few men have a diet that is more akin to traditional foods before the disaster. Occasionally, Xing Zhixin will set traps to catch some small animals, but he does not rely on these for sustenance

Regardless of what one does, as long as it is carefully planned, the main process will not be too difficult. The real challenge lies in the seemingly unimportant preparation and follow-up processes. Therefore, when Cheng Bin faced Xing Zhixin, he was constantly considering how to rid himself of them, which is also the reason he has been so reticent. Now that he sees Xing Zhixin voluntarily leaving him, he feels a sense of relief. Turning a blind eye to someone in distress is one thing, but to harden his heart against an unarmed person is something he truly cannot bring himself to do. The reason he was unwilling to speak with Xing Zhixin earlier was that he feared he would take the opportunity to request to team up with him. To be honest, he is not someone who enjoys solitude; having two companions, even if just to chat during moments of boredom, would be preferable. However, judging by the performance of the two earlier, they do not seem to be good teammates. Cheng Bin does not seek a god-like opponent, nor does he want two pig-like teammates to drag him down. In a post-apocalyptic world, surviving alone is already quite difficult, and lacking a protagonist's halo, he has no interest in overshadowing others.

"In fact, you don't need to handle the corpse," Xing Zhixin said, trying to make conversation. Besides disliking the idea of dragging a body, he was also pained by the thought of the gasoline; Cheng Bin was using fuel that was not his own. In fact, he was unaware that Cheng Bin had just unhesitatingly discarded a genuine Zippo lighter. Otherwise, he would have felt even more distressed, as the amount of fuel used by Cheng Bin was enough for him to travel over a hundred kilometers. Of course, if it weren't for the need to dispel the eerie atmosphere that made him uncomfortable, he wouldn't have taken the initiative to speak to Cheng Bin. He simply felt that although Cheng Bin was quite strange, he was still easier to deal with than a dead person.

Hou Jia let out a sound of realization, finally understanding the situation regarding the flames that had ignited in the woods. An involuntary shiver ran through her, and then she closed her mouth and focused on her work.

The blood has not yet coagulated, making it easy to wipe away. He first secured the arrow shafts before carefully examining the two arrowheads. The arrowheads are crafted from high-carbon steel, with three sharp edges forming the sides of a triangle. Both the edges and the raised tail along the edges are honed to a very sharp point. To reduce air resistance, the three flat surfaces of the arrowheads have been hollowed out, resulting in insufficient strength. In fact, this is also part of the design; deformed arrowheads will create irregular wound surfaces, increasing blood loss and complicating the suturing process.

Upon seeing Xing Zhixin return, the anxious Hou Jialian hurriedly approached him, nervously glancing behind him, and asked, "Did you find the key?"

If it were not for Xing Zhixin's sudden outburst at the last moment to save Hou Jia, Cheng Bin was already prepared to go back and pack his things to leave. Killing a few people was not difficult for him; he simply did not want to take risks for those unworthy of it. The entire world had collapsed, and there were not many tragic figures, just these two. He only hoped that he would not regret his actions afterward. However, Xing Zhixin's subsequent behavior completely took him by surprise. Seeing him rush out recklessly to save Hou Jia, a surge of blood rushed to Cheng Bin's heart. Therefore, when that person aimed a pistol at Xing Zhixin, he shot the arrow in his hand without a second thought. This was proof of his impulsiveness, for under normal circumstances, this bow and arrow were merely tools for hunting. In the face of danger, he had more suitable weapons to choose from. Once things began, regardless of whether they aligned with his wishes, Cheng Bin could only continue. Thus, he decided to go all in, charging directly out of the woods and killing the other two people. It proved that he had good character; if the second arrow shot while running had not hit the target, he would have faced the threat of two guns, and things would likely not have developed so smoothly. In retrospect, Cheng Bin did not have confidence that he could hit again under those conditions. He did not even have a girlfriend, nor had he ever seduced his sister-in-law, and he certainly did not possess the skill to hit every time.

Cheng Bin stared at the fire in front of him, his face solemn and silent. The flames quickly spread, and the stacked corpses began to ignite. The muscles and nerves that had not completely decayed contracted violently under such stimulation, making it appear as if the three bodies were stretching their arms and legs, as if trying to rise. Thick smoke mixed with the foul odor produced by the carbonization of proteins spread in all directions, drifting far away in an instant. Fortunately, the positions chosen by Cheng Bin and his companion were upwind, so the irritation to their eyes and noses was not as intense.

In Cheng Bin's view, what happened later was merely the reality following the collapse of the apocalyptic order. Moreover, when Xing Zhixin easily abandoned the axe in the face of the gun, he had already lost interest in the affairs of these two individuals. Someone very important to him once said: "If a person is not prepared to actively safeguard their own interests, then they should not expect others to do it for them."

Through a sparse grove, he could not see the situation on the other side of the campfire, nor did he know what Cheng Bin was doing. Thinking of the three men he had easily killed, a chill rose in his heart. He hurriedly released the handbrake and turned the steering wheel, smoothly executing a one hundred eighty-degree turn, driving along the road towards the two cars of those men.

Xing Zhixin nodded slightly, glanced around anxiously, and said, "We will pack our things and leave"

Cheng Bin did not do anything particularly special; he merely removed the arrows from the two corpses. He first pushed the arrows forward, allowing the steel tips to be fully exposed, then wiped them clean with torn rags he had ripped from the bodies. After that, he carefully twisted the tips, which separated from the shafts due to the threaded connection, and then he pulled out the shafts without the tips. Throughout this process, the grotesque corpses seemed to him merely like two pieces of blood-soaked pork.

"It burned." Thinking of those bodies twitching in the flames, Xing Zhixin felt a wave of nausea and spoke in a muffled voice without raising his head

The two arrows in Cheng Bin's hands had respectively broken a vertebra and a rib, resulting in varying degrees of deformation. Cheng Bin furrowed his brow; the deformation of the arrows before being shot not only affected their lethality but also made their flight trajectory unpredictable. He certainly did not want to aim at Tokyo and have the arrows land in Hawaii, so they should not be reused. These arrows were all handcrafted by Cheng Bin himself, and even with complete tools, it would take him at least half an hour to make one. Now, having to discard them made him feel a pang of heartache. This was different from the normal wear and tear during hunting; unless he intended to eat these few people, it would be a genuine loss. After some thought, he ultimately could not bring himself to throw them away and instead placed them together with the arrow shafts.

To be honest, Hou Jia had been constantly thinking about the few people who were ultimately killed by Cheng Bin, and she also wondered where the two individuals in the eerily quiet camp were, not knowing if they were aware that their companions had already met their demise. Hou Jia felt no pity for the three deceased, but she understood what it meant for a woman to be alone with a child in such circumstances. Rationality told her that she should not interfere and that there was nothing she could do, yet her heart could not help but dwell on it. Thus, she had long wished to leave this place; if possible, she would rather not have these things. However, she also understood how hard-won these items were in the current situation, and that losing them would create significant problems in their lives, so she could only endure and tidy up little by little.

It is precisely for this reason that Cheng Bin has been observing the situation here. He is uncertain whether Xing Zhixin's sudden decision not to enter the woods while chopping wood indicates that he has discovered something. If he has found Cheng Bin's camp, then during another attack, it is likely that the trouble will be drawn to him, and he does not want to be attacked for no reason. Thus, he witnessed the entire process of the conflict between the two parties. In his view, the three men had clear objectives and did not even waste time looking for flimsy excuses; it was evident that they were accustomed to such behavior, even skipping the process of finding a justification for their conscience.

Cheng Bin said nothing further, but took out the lighter he had just taken from the corpse. After igniting it and waiting for the flame to stabilize, he tossed it away. The Zippo traced an arc and accurately landed on the corpse. The flame did not extinguish during its flight; it merely flickered once before igniting the vaporizing gasoline, resulting in a loud explosion of fire. Night had finally fallen, and everything began to grow hazy. The suddenly erupting flames cast various eerie shadows on the ground around, as if some unknown beast was baring its fangs and claws.

After finally cramming the last bit of clutter into the car, the two of them let out a sigh of relief. Hou Jia immediately opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, leaning back when her head bumped against a corner of the tent stuffed in the back seat. Due to the time constraints, they did not arrange each item as meticulously as usual, so most of the belongings were haphazardly shoved into the car, making it impossible to utilize the space efficiently.