Published: February 6, 2025
"Boss Ye, why don't you let us follow you?"
The Copper Kettle Team was the strongest group that had decided to stick with Ye Zhongming this time. Ye Zhongming even entertained the idea of cultivating Copper Kettle as his representative in Ying City. Unfortunately, this man who often said things in a straightforward manner refused. He claimed that he and his wife, Xiaoli, were not the type to engage in cunning games; they would rather charge into battle than resort to such tricks.
The real reason that Copper Kettle didn’t disclose was that his wife, Xiaoli, felt this way because… during peacetime, Cloud Summit Villa was too expensive for them to visit. Now that the apocalypse had begun, being able to settle there was akin to fulfilling a long-held wish.
After getting to know Copper Kettle's character over the past month or so, Ye Zhongming recognized that he was quite a decent man. His wife, Xiaoli, despite her sturdy build and slightly greater strength than Copper Kettle, was also straightforward and open-hearted, making it easy for her to gain Ye Zhongming's trust.
"No, you all focus on wrapping things up in Ying City first, and then come back in half a month," Ye Zhongming smiled as he turned down Copper Kettle's request, making this short and stout man wonder if Boss Ye didn't want him and his brothers around.
Smack!
Xiaoli slapped her husband on the head, thinking to herself how dense he was, unable to see the obvious.
"If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute! Boss Ye is accompanied by so many beauties on this journey, like Shasha, Xingmei, and Qiqi. What business do you have following along, you smelly man?"
Ye Zhongming couldn't help but feel a headache coming on; they truly were a pair of lively characters.
Copper Kettle suddenly had a realization, winking at Ye Zhongming as if to say, "I understand, I'm a man too," but his wife noticed and promptly slapped the back of his head again.
Ye Zhongming rubbed his nose, kicking the couple away.
"The journey back won't be peaceful, will it?" Shasha appeared not far behind. Although she didn't obtain any Evolution Potions this time, her gear had been significantly upgraded. Besides the edge of the moon, she also got a white-level belt, and the rest of her equipment was gray, doubling her combat power compared to before.
"You really don't have to worry; they're a bit simple but not foolish. They understand everything," Shasha said, watching Xiaoli, who was taller than her husband, dragging Copper Kettle off into the distance with some envy.
The apocalypse had only just begun for less than four months, yet it seemed people had forgotten what feelings and love were, only remembering evolution and strength.
You could say this was a testament to humanity's remarkable adaptability, but from another perspective, wasn't it also a victory for the darker side of human nature?
Some people confidently claimed that with no food to eat, who would talk about love? How foolish was that? Yet, regardless of how harsh and dangerous the environment might become, it might change the way humans live, but it wouldn't change the fact that humans are emotional beings. This is the fundamental difference between humans and those mutated life forms.
No matter the time, there are always some things that humans must persevere through.
You might not be able to do something, but if someone else could, it was worthy of envy.
Copper Kettle and Xiaoli, in peacetime, would have likely been the subjects of laughter for many, but in the apocalypse, they remained together, undeterred. This was enough to let many people feel a kind of strength, a glimmer of humanity.
Perhaps this strength and glimmer was the reason why humanity is called human.
"I know; they're expressing their determination to follow me in this way," Ye Zhongming nodded. "They're good people."
In the apocalypse, the term "good people" was often used in a derogatory manner, but now it held no negative connotation.
"Do you need me to gather the others to escort you back?" Shasha said with a smile, "I'm not a good person; I need my reward."