Chapter 165: Resolutely Refusing to Be Separated from Her Child
Chapter 165: Resolutely Refusing to Be Separated from Her Child
In the apocalypse, a mobile granary that can continuously produce vegetables, rice, and fruits is a treasure beyond value. For the Green Dragon tattooed man’s subordinates, it’s worth sacrificing every fleeting pleasure, even giving up women, to secure such a lifeline. Survival in this bizarre, ruthless world forces everyone to prioritize immediate survival. They dream of the day society might return to normal, when food is no longer scarce. Then, perhaps, they can reclaim their dignity—wearing suits, ties, and living glamorous lives once more.
As the sky dims, Anran takes note of her surroundings. Like most gas stations, this one has a refueling area and a small supermarket. Medium-sized gas stations like this also tend to include offices, employee dormitories, and basic facilities like restrooms. This station is no different. Behind the supermarket is an office, flanked by dormitories, while a two-story restaurant stands across from the restrooms.
Anran trails behind Yun Tao, observing the Green Dragon tattooed man’s men carefully. From their varied appearances, it’s clear they weren’t a cohesive group before the apocalypse. Some wear suits, others school uniforms, and still others are dressed in sportswear. It’s obvious that this group has only come together as survivors in the aftermath of the apocalypse.
Several pickup trucks are parked in front of the employee dormitories, each loaded with large oil barrels. These trucks, arranged in a defensive circle alongside the restaurant, serve as a barrier against the encroaching zombies.
However, it isn’t just the men or the vehicles that catch Anran’s attention. In one of the dormitory windows, she notices a young girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, locked inside. The girl is completely naked, leaning against the window frame with lifeless eyes fixed on Anran’s group.
Her body bears clear signs of suffering—numerous bite marks, whip-like scars, and dried blood matted into her disheveled hair. Yet, the girl shows no emotion, no pain, no fear. She doesn’t cry, doesn’t call for help. She simply stares blankly, her face a mask of numbness.
The sight chills Anran to the core.
As the Green Dragon tattooed man’s men surround them, it becomes increasingly clear that Anran and her group aren’t being welcomed—they’re being escorted like prisoners. Though the Green Dragon tattooed man wears a broad smile, the oppressive presence of his men tells a different story.
The Green Dragon tattooed man gestures toward one of the dormitories near the girl’s room and addresses Anran: “You, brother, will share a room with this elder sister. Don’t worry about the kids—they’ll be taken care of. As for you,” he adds, glancing at Anran, “I’ve arranged a single room with decent conditions. You’ll be comfortable.”
“I want to stay with them.”
Anran frowns, her grip tightening on the knife pressed against her neck. Her gaze bears into the Green Dragon tattooed man’s with unwavering determination. She will not, under any circumstances, be separated from her child.
Seeing her firm attitude, the Green Dragon tattooed man holds back, nodding and smiling as if placating her. “Alright, alright, you can stay with them. Wash up first and apply some medicine to your old man,” he says, gesturing at Yun Tao.
Despite his outwardly easygoing demeanor, the Green Dragon tattooed man has no intention of letting things go so smoothly. For now, however, he doesn’t push too hard. Anran still has a knife against her throat, and forcing her hand at this moment might backfire.
Yun Tao is injured and unlikely to cause trouble, and Anran, being a woman, seems incapable of real resistance. Liu Yuan, meanwhile, appears spineless, and the two children can be dealt with easily if necessary.
The Green Dragon tattooed man decides to let Anran and Yun Tao stay in the same room for now, intending to separate them later in the night when the situation is more manageable.