Chapter 263: Even Such a Young Child
Chapter 263: Even Such a Young Child
"Do we need to collect supplies before entering the city?" Yun Tao looks at Zhao Ru and asks the most crucial question.
If there are no other career options in Tiesi Village, then soldiers are assigned to guard duty, while medical staff are responsible for issuing monitoring cards, checking body temperatures, and performing disinfection. But what about the rest of the people? If they are all sent to kill zombies, who handles production?
Where do the people in the guard and medical systems get their daily food from?
This makes Yun Tao wonder whether Tiesi Village is collecting supplies from survivors to keep the guard and medical systems running. After all, both systems require a significant number of personnel, yet the village’s farmland is limited. The amount of food needed to sustain so many people each day is unimaginable.
"No need," Zhao Ru says, shaking her head. She then explains to Yun Tao, "If you want to enter the city for protection, each person must hand in 10 crystal cores. It’s not an entry fee—just a symbolic payment. This rule was introduced in the past two days. It didn’t exist before."
"Everyone needs to pay?" Anran stands up, pointing at Doll in her arms. The little one yawns, its head wobbling sleepily. Anran adjusts her hold, gently cradling Doll, and looks at Zhao Ru again to confirm. "Even such a young child?"
"Everyone," Zhao Ru replies. "Even an unborn baby inside a pregnant woman." She then smiles at Doll in Anran’s arms, clearly wanting to hold it.
However, Anran pretends not to notice. Instead, she nods and says, "The baby is going to sleep. You guys continue chatting." With that, she gets into the car, planning to soothe Doll to sleep.
Outside, Zhao Ru continues explaining like a tour guide.
Sitting inside the vehicle, Anran can still catch parts of the conversation. Zhao Ru is saying that the crystal cores from zombies’ brains seem to contain some kind of power. That is why Tiesi Village requires them as payment from those entering the city.
However, Zhao Ru can’t provide a more detailed explanation. Perhaps even Tang Jianjun, the leader of Tiesi Village, doesn’t fully understand the reason, which is why Zhao Ru is also uncertain.
Does this mean there are others in Tiesi Village who need to absorb crystal cores like Anran? And can they survive solely on them?
Yun Tao listens silently to Zhao Ru's explanation, his attitude one of skepticism. As for what is happening to Anran, Yun Tao has only seen this one case; with so many survivors, it can’t be guaranteed that Anran is the only "unique" one.
After all, as for power-type superhumans, this ability is not unusual. Not to mention the entire post-apocalyptic world—just along the Jinggang Expressway, more than half the people are power-type superhumans. As power superhumans, they don’t need to absorb any crystal cores.
Their abilities are innate. Unlike Anran, they can’t actively sense the energy within their bodies. As long as they eat enough and maintain their blood sugar levels, their strength remains stable. They never experience a state where using up all their power leaves them completely drained.
Yun Tao can also tell that power users can grow stronger. Through continuous training and pushing their limits, their abilities eventually evolve, undergoing a qualitative transformation.
So then, why is Tiesi Village collecting crystal cores?