Chapter 528: Don't Attack Them
Chapter 528: Don't Attack Them
Fatty and his men now rely on An Ran’s protection, so naturally they curry favor with her. Since she instructs them to kill the mutant earthworms and extract their cores, they might as well put on a show of doing it. If danger appears, they can always run screaming toward An Ran.
Following her instructions, Fatty organizes the group to hunt mutant earthworms.
They scavenge hoes and hammers from the town and carefully dig through the frozen soil. Sure enough, they unearth a large number of mutant earthworms.
As An Ran says, the newly grown ones look almost identical to ordinary earthworms—only slightly larger. Stiffened by the bitter cold, they writhe sluggishly in the dug-up soil, and a few blows from hammers quickly smash them into a bloody mess.
By the end of the day, Fatty’s men reap a plentiful harvest. Each water-type ability user receives a handful of crystal cores, relieving them of the strain from overdrawing their powers.
Even more importantly, the elderly, weak, sick, disabled, and pregnant—who once believe themselves completely useless—find a new sense of accomplishment. From dawn until dusk, dozens bend over the frozen earth, digging nonstop. Those without hoes, hammers, or sledgehammers stand at the edge of the ridge, eagerly waiting for their turn.
That night, Luo Feifan and Zhan Lian return from patrol to find the people on the ridges still refusing to disperse. Alarmed, Luo Feifan grabs Zhan Lian and rushes to Yun Tao to ask what is going on.
During their absence, Zhang Boxun, Yun Tao, Liang Ziyu, Wang Wei, little Hengheng, and the soldiers handle early warning duties. With a look of resignation, Yun Tao explains that An Ran told Fatty to organize the effort.
At first, the Fatty only goes through the motions to appease her. But once the elderly, weak, sick, and pregnant feel the thrill of digging up crystal cores with their own hands, they become hooked. They refuse to rest, taking turns with the tools. When one is tired, another steps in. Those not using tools stand waiting at the ridge, eager for their chance.
They begin to feel that maybe they aren’t so useless after all. Before, they only ever fled in terror from the bizarre dangers of the apocalypse. But now, actively killing mutant earthworms, they realize—ah, maybe they actually can do something!
“Wow, An Ran, not bad. You really have charisma,” Yun Tao calls from the roadside.
Just then, Luo Feifan happens to see An Ran step out of the bulletproof car. She smiles at him but doesn’t move closer.
Zhan Lian nudges Luo Feifan aside, slings an arm over An Ran’s shoulders, and smiles as he whispers, “You’re doing well. I thought you meant to protect them all the way north.”
“No, how could that be possible?” An Ran tilts her head and glances at his profile. “When you have time, make them a few more hammers and hoes. They’re motivated. Don’t discourage them.”
On the ridges, all the earthworms that grow past a certain level are consumed by An Ran’s plants. Though the cold slows their activity and limits her long-range perception, she can still control the nearby ones with ease.