Published: February 5, 2025
"How long has the boss been gone?" Little Tiger asked, lighting a cigarette as he sat on the city wall next to Le Da Yuan.
Originally, Ye Zhongming had not allowed Le Da Yuan to participate in dangerous missions. After all, he was a master who would one day research magic crystal weapons, one of the most valuable people in the apocalypse. If anything happened to him, the loss would be too great.
However, Le Da Yuan was also a strong-willed person. Watching the team fight for their lives while he hid away, sharing the resources gained through their sacrifices, made him uneasy. Especially during the fierce defensive battle at the base earlier that day, Le Da Yuan felt ashamed not to have participated in what could be humanity’s first large-scale battle against mutated life forms.
No one questioned Ye Zhongming's decision, nor did they wonder why Le Da Yuan could avoid combat. The team knew that he was a technical talent who could provide immense help in the future, so they took great care of him.
But the more they cared for him, the more Le Da Yuan felt like a useless person. He had already become an evolver, yet he was still hiding behind others! So this time, he insisted on tagging along, even if it meant only providing logistical support.
Ye Zhongming agreed after some consideration, thinking it would be beneficial for Master Le to experience some combat.
"It's been about half an hour, right?" Le Da Yuan glanced at the dark city outside.
"Boss... is so mysterious. Don’t you think so, Old Le?"
Le Da Yuan turned his head, using the faint light from the cigarette to look at Little Tiger. He replied softly, "Everyone has their secrets."
"That’s not what I meant! I’m saying, don’t you think the boss often seems to know things in advance? It’s like he understands the apocalypse really well."
"So what?"
Le Da Yuan's response left Little Tiger dumbfounded.
Yeah, so what?
Could he venture out alone without Ye Zhongming? Just thinking about losing that sense of security made Little Tiger shudder, and he quickly pushed that thought far away.
"What if he has secrets?" From the other side, Liang Chuyin's voice floated over. This internet celebrity lay on her whip, pretending to be a dragon girl. "No matter how mysterious he is, or what his identity is, all I know is that he saved my life, gave me an Evolution Potion, made me a professional, taught me how to fight, and how to survive in this damned apocalypse."
The team members on the "city wall" listened quietly, reflecting on moments they had shared in recent days.
"He gave me all this, yet he hasn’t even climbed into my bed. If it were some other man, I wouldn't be surprised if I were no longer as pure as I used to be."
A few women blushed upon hearing this. Even Xia Lei, who had gone through similar experiences, found it hard to handle Liang Chuyin's bluntness. She playfully shoved Liang Chuyin, chuckling, "You are such a dirty girl."
Park Soo-young and Liang Chuyin were close friends and kicked at her, causing the whip to swing violently. "You can't expect virtuous words from a dog."
"Some words go unsaid because they feel awkward, but I still want to say this: maybe it's a bit early to call Zhongming a belief or something, but I believe it will be like that in the future." The internet celebrity's body swayed with the whip; her strong dance background and the wind dancer profession gave her incredible flexibility and control.
"I’m lucky; I think we all are. We’re alive and doing well because this young man just over twenty is here. I don’t know how you all feel, but I will always follow him. No matter what secrets he has, or even if he carries some ridiculous mission, I will stand by him. Let me be a good person or a villain; if he asks me to save someone, I will, if he tells me to kill, I will kill."
"You really have no bottom line," Teacher Park scoffed, though her tone was more playful than accusatory.
"What’s a bottom line worth? Can you eat it? Can it buy an Evolution Potion? All I know is my bottom line is that Zhongming's enemies are my enemies, and what he wants to do is what I want to do. Whether it's angels or demons in the future, I will stand with him."