Chapter 004: The Changes in Heaven

In the camp, there is no sign of women and children, but it is certain that they are still there. Although staying is dangerous, there is at least hope. That being said, in such circumstances, where else could they go?

Cheng Bin's campsite is very simple, consisting only of a basic single-person tent, and he did not light a campfire, which is the main reason why Xing Zhixin did not discover him. If there had been a fire in this area of the woods, Xing Zhixin would not have been able to miss it. Due to the earlier incident, Cheng Bin's hunting plans for today were ruined, and having just taken a life, he had no appetite. Therefore, he decided not to start a fire to cook. After checking the motion sensors set up around the campsite, he lowered his head and crawled into the tent. According to standard practice, he should have set up at least six sensors in the terrain he was in, but he had not seen the sun for several days, and the efficiency of his solar panels was low. Because of the earlier incident, Cheng Bin's hunting plans for today were ruined, and having just taken a life, he had no appetite. Therefore, he decided not to start a fire to cook. After checking the motion sensors set up around the campsite, he lowered his head and crawled into the tent. According to standard practice, he should have set up at least six sensors in the terrain he was in, but he had not seen the sun for several days, and the efficiency of his solar panels was low. Now, he was relying solely on the generator from his bicycle for charging, and the power supply was insufficient, so he had to conserve energy, setting up only three sensors at key points today.

What will happen to that woman and child? Hou Jia noticed his actions; although he did not speak, she still guessed his thoughts and could not help but ask.

This pond is not large, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a puddle. There seems to be no visible flowing water source nearby, and the water inside should have come from the rainfall a few days ago. Fortunately, the temperature has not been high during this period, and the area is relatively clean, with no unpleasant odors. Cheng Bin carefully washed his hands and face, then also washed his feet and socks, changing into sandals to walk back. To be honest, washing his feet with cold water is not particularly comfortable, but for feet that have been confined all day, it can be considered a relief.

Near the woods in the camp, there was a modified bicycle parked. On both sides of the rear rack of the bicycle, two baskets were welded with steel bars. This was Cheng Bin's mode of transportation, and all his belongings were in the baskets. He walked over and took out a towel and soap, and also found a pair of sandals. He changed out of his military boots, which had developed quite an odor after being worn for some time. There was also a spare pair of shoes on the bicycle, but he planned to find a new pair in the next town to replace the current ones, so he did not take out the spare shoes for replacement.

As the SUV drove away, Cheng Bin stood quietly in the woods watching them. The flames from the burning bodies behind him could not cast any light on his face, and thus his expression remained unseen. In fact, at that moment, Cheng Bin felt very calm. He did not care about the secret departure of Xing Zhixin and the other person. What he needed were comrades he could entrust his life to in the face of danger, not civilians whose actions were unpredictable.

That night, he did not sleep well. Cheng Bin kept dreaming of the people he had killed. Perhaps it was the subconscious moral sense at play in his dreams; those individuals appeared grotesque and terrifying, clawing at him for vengeance. Although it was a dream, Cheng Bin was still aware that none of it was real, so he calmly observed with a cold gaze, allowing the chaos around him to unfold. Soon, those figures vanished, replaced by a woman and a child who appeared before him. Even in the dream, Cheng Bin recognized that this was not reality, and he continued to watch with composure as the turmoil swirled around him. Before long, the previous figures disappeared, and the woman and child stood before him. Their faces were indistinct, yet they wailed incessantly. Cheng Bin did not even need to think; he already knew who they were, and he shouted loudly, "You are not dead yet."

The jerky is quite tough and somewhat salty. He eats it slowly and carefully, trying to chew the food into smaller pieces before swallowing. He first cuts it with a knife to lessen the burden on his teeth. If his teeth become too worn, it will certainly affect his ability to eat. At such times, there is no place to find a dentist. While chewing, he begins to inspect the compound bow that has killed three people, testing the bow's body, replacing the bowstring, adjusting the tension, and maintaining the parts. This is his primary hunting tool, and he relies on it for the majority of his food source, so he cannot afford to be careless.

Not only was the ground outside the tent covered with a thick layer of accumulated snow, creating a scene of pure silver as far as the eye could see, but large flakes of snow were also continuously falling outside the plastic window. Occasionally, snowflakes would stick to the window, and as more and more snowflakes accumulated, they would gradually become heavier and slowly slide down.

He walked a considerable distance while carrying something, arriving at the edge of the water and the - map - book pond, a place he had previously mentioned to Xing Zhixin, to wash up. Typically, campers seek to set up their camps near water sources; however, in reality, water sources attract animals and other humans seeking to drink. For a solo camper like Cheng Bin, who cannot keep watch at night, the dangers near the water are greater. Therefore, he set up his camp high up, far from the pond, so that even when standing by the pond, one would not discover his camp. Typically, campers seek to set up their camps near water sources; however, in reality, water sources attract animals and other humans seeking to drink. For a solo camper like Cheng Bin, who cannot keep watch at night, the dangers near the water are greater. Therefore, he set up his camp high up, far from the pond, so that even when standing by the pond, one would not discover his camp

His small tent is pyramid-shaped, with a very pointed top. However, the snowflakes have a certain viscosity, and the surface of the tent's material is not smooth enough, which causes the snowflakes to continuously accumulate. If Cheng Bin does not wake up in time, it is likely that this tent will be crushed by the weight of the snow.

As his SUV passed by the two other vehicles parked on the road, he couldn't help but glance at the silent camp. Like Hou Jia, he was aware that there were two others present, and although there was no communication, their thoughts were aligned. Xing Zhixin was even more pragmatic than Hou Jia; he understood his own capabilities and recognized that this was not the time to demonstrate humanitarian concern. For most who clamored for humanity, they merely sought a vantage point to stand upon. If they were to encounter an elderly woman who had fallen, they would likely be the first to flee. Xing Zhixin was just an ordinary person striving for his survival in the apocalypse, and he would never engage in actions beyond his means.

Cheng Bin suddenly felt curious about the two individuals over there; they were behaving too quietly. Even if they rushed out to confront him, it would be much more normal than their current demeanor. The two camps were not far apart, and he absolutely did not believe that the people over there were unaware of what had happened. After some thought, he decided against going to take a look. It was not that he lacked curiosity, but he did not want to take unnecessary risks. Those individuals had a Type 54 pistol and a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. Although both were outdated models, they were genuine standard-issue weapons, not counterfeit goods. He could not be certain whether the two left behind were armed. Regarding a gun, he reflected again and dismissed the idea of going over. It was not that he lacked curiosity, but he did not want to take unnecessary risks. Those individuals had a Type 54 pistol and a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. Although both were outdated models, they were genuine standard-issue weapons, not counterfeit goods. He could not be certain whether the two left behind were armed. For a gun, regardless of whether the user was a strong man or a child, it was a weapon capable of killing. Cheng Bin had no interest in dying at the hands of a woman.

The SUV sped past the campsite, quickly driving along the road into the distance. For Xing Zhixin, today's experience served as a warning; the term 'stranger' has now taken precedence over 'zombie,' which previously held the top position on his list of dangerous targets.

To be honest, leaving like this made Xing Zhixin feel very uncomfortable. After all, Cheng Bin saved him and Hou Jia, and out of both sentiment and reason, he should bid farewell to Cheng Bin. However, just the thought of facing Cheng Bin sent a chill down Xing Zhixin's spine; this person made him feel extremely dangerous. If possible, he hoped never to see him again from this point on

The windows on both sides of the tent are covered by curtains, yet the sunlight still stubbornly filters in through the gaps, suggesting that today will be a fine day. The intense light is so strong that it cannot be blocked even by the tarpaulin on the top of the tent, allowing Cheng Bin to clearly see every corner of the tent with the naked eye

It took him more than half an hour to finish the jerky. Besides eating the meat, he only drank a few sips of water. In the evening, he tried not to drink too much water to ensure a better quality of sleep. After having a simple dinner, he hung the adjusted bow and arrow on the hook at the top of the tent. He then took out dental floss from a small bag under the tent window and carefully cleaned his mouth. After that, he removed his windbreaker and draped it over his legs, revealing the holster tucked under his arm, which contained a 92 model 5.8mm pistol. He took out the pistol and meticulously disassembled and cleaned it, then placed the reassembled pistol beside him, not forgetting to pull the slide to chamber a round, keeping it in a state ready to fire at any moment, before finally pulling the blanket over himself and falling into a deep sleep

For Cheng Bin, what happened today is merely a brief interlude in a long journey. By dawn, he will leave this place, allowing these two individuals to fend for themselves. Whether they can survive or not is no longer of any concern to him; he is not a savior and lacks the ability to save everyone. Although he is not deranged enough to kill these two, by killing the three men who were with them, he has already declared their death. In a perilous apocalyptic world, it is fundamentally impossible for a woman and a child to survive independently. Whether they can survive or not is no longer of any concern to him; he is not a savior and lacks the ability to save everyone. Although he is not deranged enough to kill these two, by killing the three men who were with them, he has already declared their death. In a perilous apocalyptic world, it is fundamentally impossible for a woman and a child to survive independently.

Hou Jia is indeed a woman, and she has not encountered any real danger since the disaster. She has not fully adapted to the life in the post-apocalyptic world, so she asked earnestly: "Do you think they might have been taken by force?"

A gust of wind blew by, causing the flames on the campfire behind him to dance strangely. Cheng Bin wrapped his M65 windbreaker tighter around himself and turned to walk back to his campsite. He was quite surprised that the weather in September could be this cold; he estimated that the daytime temperature would not exceed 10 degrees Celsius, while at night it hovered around 0 degrees. When he got up this morning, he noticed that some low-lying areas had already formed a layer of white frost, which was not a good omen. Typically, this phenomenon would not occur until at least mid-October. Cheng Bin speculated that this was related to the continuous cloudy and drizzly weather over the past two weeks. Here, deep inland, the temperature drops significantly without direct sunlight, and at night it hovers around 0 degrees. This morning, he found that some low-lying areas had already formed a layer of white frost, which was not a good omen. Typically, this phenomenon would not occur until at least mid-October. Cheng Bin speculated that this was related to the continuous cloudy and drizzly weather over the past two weeks. Here, deep inland, the temperature drops significantly without direct sunlight, and normally the temperature difference between day and night can vary by more than 10 to 20 degrees.

Although he was reluctant to admit his mistakes, he also did not want to argue about the issue, even in his dreams, so he simply remained silent. The two inner demons then let out a cry and lunged at him. Cheng Bin felt a chilling wind rush towards him, and he was extremely cold all over, unable to suppress a shiver, which caused him to wake up.

Xing Zhixin made a sound of acknowledgment but did not answer the question. However, he felt quite disapproving in his heart. The woman's background was difficult to ascertain, but at the very least, no one would go after a boy unless they felt there was an overabundance of food. There is an old saying in his hometown: "A half-grown boy can eat his father to death." Boys in their teenage years are precisely at the stage of growth, and their appetite can be quite fierce.

Essentially, Cheng Bin is a reasonable person, so he cannot deny this assertion. Regarding the killing of those three men, he feels no guilt; however, it is much harder for him to convince himself about the two innocent individuals involved. Of course, just as Xing Zhixin comforted Hou Jia, he could also persuade himself that they were with bad people, and therefore not good people either. Yet, the rationality of adulthood reminds him that this reasoning is very extreme and extremely unreliable. Of course, just as Xing Zhixin comforted Hou Jia, he could also persuade himself that they were with bad people, and therefore not good people either. Yet, the rationality of adulthood reminds him that this reasoning is very extreme and extremely unreliable.

Cheng Bin immediately understood that the intense light was not due to the sun coming out, but rather the reflection from the accumulated snow. It was evident that the snow had been falling for a long time, and he could clearly see that the alloy frame inside the tent had undergone slight deformation, appearing somewhat overwhelmed.

The dream from just now was still vivid in his mind, as if it had truly happened. Cheng Bin took a moment to collect himself, rubbed his face, and forced a bitter smile, deciding to ignore it. He then lifted the blanket and sat up. It was at this moment that he suddenly realized how cold it was, and the light outside the window seemed excessively bright. Startled, he quickly reached out to pull back the curtains, and was astonished to see a world blanketed in white snow.

Xing Zhixin hesitated for a moment and said, "They may not necessarily be good people"

"I am about to die," the woman lamented, "Do you think you can escape responsibility just because you did not kill us with your own hands?"

Although this tent is very small, not even allowing him to stand inside, it has a moisture-proof air cushion underneath. After he crawled into the tent, he first glanced at the seven-inch tablet computer thrown in the corner, confirming that it could receive signals from the motion sensor. Only then did he take out a small flashlight from his waist, using it to carefully zip up the entrance of the tent, ensuring there were no exposed gaps. He then sat cross-legged on the mat, reached into a side pocket of the tent to retrieve a candle and a small hanging fixture. He first hung the fixture on the circular ring at the top of the tent, and then placed the candle. He took a lighter from his pocket to light the candle, which surprisingly was also a kerosene lighter similar to a Zippo, but with a very traditional design, featuring only the military emblem of the 81st Army on its sides, without any other decorations. After completing all this, he carefully put away the lighter and flashlight, then took out a piece of jerky from the pocket of his windbreaker, cutting off a small piece with a multifunctional army knife, and began to chew it slowly in the candlelight.

As the taillights of the SUV disappeared into the night, Cheng Bin finally withdrew his gaze, taking one last look at the only remaining campsite by the roadside. Since he had killed those three men, there had been no further activity from that direction. After such a long time, the once fiercely burning campfire had dimmed; if no one added fuel to it, it would extinguish before long.