Chapter 472: Fatty
Chapter 472: Fatty
"What do you mean?"
"What happened to the chief?"
"Where is the chief?"
Luo Feifan, Zhang Boxun, and Axe ask in unison, their expressions grim.
Tears stream down Tang Siluo’s face as she points toward a building ahead. “We made another attempt to break out a few days ago, but we’re forced back. That’s when Dad gets injured. Afterward, his body gives out, and he’s had a high fever ever since.”
Without another word, Luo Feifan and the others rush toward the building Tang Siluo points out, while she follows behind, still crying.
No one comes out to greet An Ran and Zhan Lian, who stand at the gate.
They park the bulletproof SUV and the truck inside the compound, find a place to sit, and begin surveying the environment.
All the trees are dead. The ground has turned to rock, concrete, and sand, completely inhospitable to plant life. Several windows in one of the buildings are cracked, and a few survivors hide behind them, peering out cautiously. Soldiers stand in the barren, lifeless space, keeping watch.
It’s fortunate Tang Jianjun’s group scavenged supplies all the way to the Star District. Otherwise, how could so many elderly, weak, women, and children have survived here for so long?
From this alone, it’s clear how vital Lei Jiang, the earth-type ability-user, has been. If he hadn’t altered the soil composition, Tang Jianjun’s people wouldn’t have lasted this long. So long as Lei Jiang doesn’t abuse his ability, he’s incredibly useful.
But is it really possible for someone like him to stay on the straight path?
An Ran sets up a baby rocker and places Doll inside to play. Just outside the compound gate, a vine she planted attempts to stretch its roots into the community. Unable to penetrate the soil, the green vines cling to the gate, creeping in from the outside.
A scream erupts from behind a window, and the soldiers on guard quickly rush over with their guns raised.
Zhan Lian steps forward and stops them from attacking the vines. He doesn’t say much—just explains that they’re harmless.
Though skeptical, the soldiers remain tense and alert for a long time, but eventually obey and refrain from destroying the vines.
The vines continue to grow, climbing along the walls like ivy. A few tendrils reach Doll’s rocker, gently rocking it back and forth.
Electricity? Who needs it? The plants take care of everything.
Doll giggles, her chubby body jiggling with joy, head bobbing up and down in the rocker as she laughs, “Hahaha!”
To help ease the soldiers’ tension, Zhan Lian strikes up a conversation with them.
Meanwhile, Yun Tao leads Hengheng and Little Mint down from the truck, Zhao Ru and Liang Ziyu go to check on Wang Wei, and An Ran remains beside Doll rocker.
She looks up and suddenly spots a familiar chubby figure peeking out from a stairwell.
That body type is especially noticeable in the apocalypse—fat people are rare now, and the sight of one is unforgettable. An Ran stares intently at Fatty in the stairwell. The man looks a bit embarrassed, gives her a sheepish smile, and quickly turns around to run back inside.
She recognizes him.
It’s the same man who steps forward on the road during the evacuation, when Liang Ziyu detains a few kids trying to barter for supplies. He suddenly appears to play the hero, and then vanishes afterward. An Ran doesn’t pay him much attention at the time.
Now, seeing him again, she realizes he’s quietly remained with Tang Jianjun’s group of elderly, weak, women, and children the entire time.