Chapter 38

Cheng Zhiyu didn't believe this was merely an accident. He glanced at Feng Rui, who seemed equally taken aback by Tian Manman’s sudden reaction.

Cheng Zhiyu asked calmly, “Where did you live before the apocalypse?”

Feng Rui answered instinctively, but as soon as the words left his mouth, a sudden unease settled in his heart.

Hearing the familiar place name, Cheng Zhiyu was almost certain—it was the very village where they had found Tian Manman. No wonder Tian Manman reacted so strongly to Feng Rui; he was likely the culprit who had kept Tian Manman locked in the cellar.

But this was not the time to dwell on that. They needed to calm Tian Manman first. Cheng Zhiyu gave Feng Rui a deep, meaningful look, then left with Tian Qiao and Tian Manman.

The baby-faced man, looking conflicted, glanced around and quickly followed Cheng Zhiyu’s group.

Feng Rui was utterly bewildered. His carefully prepared opening remarks hadn't even been delivered, and now this unexpected incident had occurred. And… the Superhuman who had screamed so suddenly—that voice sounded so familiar. He frowned, pondering for a long time, but couldn't place it.

“Feng Rui, what is wrong with you? Why are you following me!” Wang Li glared at Feng Rui, her eyes blazing with fury. She was not only worried that her mistake of bringing an outsider would make Cheng Zhiyu and the others distrust her, but also felt deeply apologetic towards them.

Feng Rui, being a scoundrel, had no patience for Wang Li. He shot her a look and said, “Is this road yours? Can you control who walks on it?”

Wang Li sputtered, “You…!”

Feng Rui, still deep in thought, replayed the recent scene in his mind as he quickened his pace. He needed to go back and ask his mother some things.

—

Meanwhile, Tian Manman finally calmed down after being comforted. However, whenever Tian Qiao brought up the incident, Tian Manman would cover his head, frightened, making Tian Qiao hesitant to continue.

After Tian Manman rested, Tian Qiao followed Cheng Zhiyu out, sighing with concern, “What’s wrong with Manman? He was doing so well before.”

During their time together, although Tian Manman still avoided people and kept his head down around strangers, he had never reacted so strongly to stimulation like today. Besides, Feng Rui had been some distance away, so it couldn’t have been a territorial issue.

Cheng Zhiyu glanced toward Tian Manman’s room and said, “It’s because of Feng Rui.”

“Feng Rui? That man from earlier?” Tian Qiao was confused.

Cheng Zhiyu then explained what he had learned. Feng Rui was clearly from the same place as Tian Manman. “Even if he wasn't directly involved in locking Manman in the cellar, he probably bullied him. That’s why Manman was instinctively scared when he saw him.”

Tian Qiao’s heart ached. Having traveled together for so long, he considered Tian Manman his own younger brother. The thought of his brother’s bully being in the base made him want to avenge Tian Manman immediately.

“That bastard Feng Rui actually dared to show his face in front of Manman!” Tian Qiao gritted his teeth in anger.

Cheng Zhiyu guessed, “He probably didn’t recognize Manman.”

Before, Tian Manman habitually hunched over, dressed in rags, with long, dirty hair and a filthy overall appearance. Now, he had clean-cut short hair, was clean, and looked like a shy, handsome young man. Feng Rui probably wouldn't recognize him at first glance. Whether he would figure it out later remained to be seen.

But it didn’t matter.

“Hmph, and he dared to show up in front of me,” Tian Qiao clenched his fist. “Before, when he wasn't around, it would’ve been one thing. But since he’s here, I’ll make sure he regrets it.”

Tian Qiao clearly had no intention of letting Feng Rui off easily.

Cheng Zhiyu nodded, agreeing with Tian Qiao. “He bullied Manman—we can’t just let it slide. Does he think Manman is still alone with no one to stand up for him?”

Tian Qiao patted Cheng Zhiyu’s shoulder. “Cheng, I knew you’d feel the same way.”

But since they knew nothing about Feng Rui, they needed to ask Wang Li for information.

After making plans, Cheng Zhiyu noticed the baby-faced man had still followed them. Little Black was perched atop the wardrobe, occasionally glancing down at the baby-faced man sitting on the sofa, making him feel strangely pressured.

Cheng Zhiyu walked over and held his arms out toward the wardrobe. “Come down.”

Little Black jumped down and landed right in Cheng Zhiyu’s arms.

Cheng Zhiyu petted him and asked, “Isn’t the top of the wardrobe dirty? You just lie up there?”

Little Black pressed a paw against Cheng Zhiyu’s mouth, then quickly retracted it. “I used my Water Power to clean it.”

Cheng Zhiyu chuckled and pinched Little Black’s ear.

Only he could understand Little Black’s words, so to an outsider, it looked like Cheng Zhiyu was talking to himself.

The baby-faced man coughed awkwardly. “Your dog… is quite agile.”

After all, he had only ever seen cats perch on wardrobes.

Cheng Zhiyu glanced at him. “Why are you still here?”

The baby-faced man looked hurt by his cold attitude. “Aren’t we friends?”

Okay, he admitted that initially, he had followed Cheng Zhiyu and the others hoping to mooch off them. But later, he realized they were genuinely good people—a rarity in these times.

In the harsh apocalypse, many had either shed their hypocritical masks or been forced to become scheming. It had been a long time since he met people like Cheng Zhiyu and his group.

Cheng Zhiyu didn’t respond. Little Black looked up, accidentally brushing his mouth against Cheng Zhiyu’s chin, then quickly lowered his head and wagged his tail as if to cover it up. He shot the baby-faced man a look: Friends? Lots of people want to be Zhi Yu’s friend. Get in line.

Unconsciously, Little Black had grown much closer in how he addressed Cheng Zhiyu.

After a moment of silence, Cheng Zhiyu said, “I can’t interact openly with someone who might have ties to the authorities.”

The authorities didn’t just mean protection—they also meant surveillance.

Before the apocalypse, ordinary people might never have contact with officials. But Cheng Zhiyu had secrets, and any interaction with the authorities could spell trouble.

Moreover, in Cheng Zhiyu’s view, if they couldn’t interact openly, it was better not to interact at all. He didn’t want to constantly be on guard—it was exhausting.

The baby-faced man frowned. “I have no ties to the authorities. I was indeed among the first to join the base, but that doesn’t mean I’m with the authorities.”

Seeing that the baby-faced man was being direct, Cheng Zhiyu replied, “But you have connections to them. We’re used to freedom and prefer not to engage with the authorities.”

“I do have connections… My brother was in the military. When the apocalypse hit, he sacrificed himself to complete a mission.” The baby-faced man felt it was nothing to hide, so he laid it out plainly. “The military had a policy where family members of soldiers could be granted a spot in the base based on military merits. I was the only one left in my family, so my brother gave his spot to me. Later, I came to the base. The base authorities are military personnel, and among them is a close comrade of my brother’s. He does look out for me, but it’s all private.”

Cheng Zhiyu studied the baby-faced man and could tell he wasn’t lying. After a few seconds, he said, “I’m sorry.”

“Ah, it’s not something that can’t be mentioned.” The baby-faced man shrugged. “I don’t bring it up to avoid people thinking I have connections. Plus, I don’t want my actions to affect my brother’s comrade.”

Cheng Zhiyu thought about the baby-faced man’s talent for making enemies and replied, “…” It really was better to keep it hidden, or else that comrade would be busy cleaning up his messes all day.

“Let me formally introduce myself. I’m Zhou Min.” The baby-faced man smiled and extended his hand. “Can we consider ourselves friends now?”

Cheng Zhiyu smiled back and shook his hand. “I’m Cheng Zhiyu.”

Little Black glanced at the hands clasped together and, for some reason, it really bugged him, though they soon separated.

He placed his paw on Cheng Zhiyu's hand, sneakily scruffed his hand.

Cheng Zhiyu flinched: "What's up, Little Black? That tickles."

Little Black swished his tail and withdrew his paw.

"So... are you planning to leave the base later?" Zhou Min edged closer eagerly toward Cheng Zhiyu, only to be met with Little Black standing on Cheng Zhiyu's shoulder closest to him, giving him the stink eye.

Little Black: What are you doing! Keep your distance!

Cheng Zhiyu didn't pick up on how protective Little Black was being. Zhou Min was being upfront, and there was nothing to hide about it: "Yeah, we won't be staying much longer."

Zhou Min immediately lit up: "Then take me with you! We're friends now, so bring me along."

Cheng Zhiyu thought of how Zhou Min had ended up with sore legs after just one day of walking and fell silent. Looking out for him, he said, "I think you're better off staying at the base."

"The base is so boring, and..." Zhou Min scratched his cheek, "I've offended too many people. If I don't run soon, I'm afraid I'll really get killed."

Cheng Zhiyu sighed helplessly: "Can't you just tone it down a bit?"

Zhou Min lowered his head and picked at his fingers: "I can't help it."

"Brother Cheng, please take me with you," Zhou Min begged, giving him puppy-dog eyes. Seeing that Cheng Zhiyu remained silent, he cleared his throat and said, "Actually, I have another secret I haven't dared to tell anyone, but I think you're a good person."

Cheng Zhiyu suddenly felt the weight of the world: "Uh... maybe you should keep it to yourself and not tell me."

"No, I've made up my mind!" Zhou Min insisted, "And if I tell you, you'll definitely take me with you."

Cheng Zhiyu: "Don't..."

Zhou Min: "Actually, I'm a dual-ability Superhuman. My other ability is... Healing Power."

Cheng Zhiyu was stunned. He never expected Zhou Min to be a dual-ability Superhuman, and even less that his other ability would be Healing Power.

When they entered Chaoyang Base, it was clear how in high demand Healers were.

Not only because of their ability, but also because of their scarcity and value.

Zhou Min had kept this ability hidden all along, clearly not wanting anyone to know. Yet now he was spilling the beans to Cheng Zhiyu. Honestly, Cheng Zhiyu felt the pressure. Did he have 'trustworthy' written on his forehead? Why did people keep confiding in him?

"Don't you want another Healer on your team?" Zhou Min played his trump card, "Besides, my Healing Power is already at level three."

Hearing this, Cheng Zhiyu's eyebrows shot up: "Level three?"

Zhou Min nodded: "I can make severed limbs grow back."

Cheng Zhiyu: "You've tried it?"

Zhou Min nodded.

Cheng Zhiyu was puzzled. Shouldn't Zhou Min have never revealed his Healing Power in front of anyone?

Soon, Zhou Min cleared up his confusion: "I tried it on a chicken. I cut off its leg and made it grow back, so I could have plenty of chicken legs to eat."

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

Zhou Min sighed: "But in the end, I couldn't bear it. It felt like animal abuse. After letting it grow back once, I put it out of its misery."

Cheng Zhiyu was speechless: "Well, you're weirdly humane."

Zhou Min: "Haha... I guess so."

Cheng Zhiyu massaged his temples, at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, he asked, "How did you reach level three?"

Leveling up an ability is actually quite difficult. Moreover, the base currently seems to have only one level-three Healer, who is under heavy guard by the authorities—ordinary people can't even get near them.

Zhou Min scratched his nose: "I get beaten up a lot, so I heal myself. Over time, I leveled up."

Cheng Zhiyu had lost track of how many times he'd been rendered speechless today. It was true—most abilities advance through repeated use, though completely depleting one's ability feels awful.

The Healers recruited by the authorities have quotas for how many people they can heal each day. After all, who would go all out at work?

Under such circumstances, ability advancement naturally isn't very fast.

Cheng Zhiyu: "I still don't understand why you want to follow us and suffer outside. Since you have Healing Power, wouldn't it be better to be recruited by the authorities?"

Although Cheng Zhiyu didn't think so himself, this was what most Superhumans think.

Zhou Min made a pained face: "I'd rather not. Those Healers may seem glamorous on the surface, with crowds of people protecting them everywhere, but isn't that just a gilded cage? I don't like that kind of life. I live for freedom! The base is too boring."

"You were probably protected early on after the Apocalypse began and don't know how dangerous it is outside," Cheng Zhiyu felt compelled to remind him.

Zhou Min grinned: "That's exactly why I need to find some strong teammates. Even though you're a regular human, I just feel... you're strong."

He added, "Besides, I'm not cut out for working with the authorities. The moment I hear someone lying, I can't help but point it out. Sooner or later, I'd get taken out."

Cheng Zhiyu thought to himself, yeah, you're not wrong about that.

"We'll be staying at the base for a few more days. Think it over carefully," Cheng Zhiyu didn't immediately agree but rather liked Zhou Min's personality.

Despite his easygoing attitude, Zhou Min knew when to keep secrets and when to be transparent—sometimes to the point of coming off as naive.

A level-three Healer—if word got out, how many people would come after him?

Cheng Zhiyu couldn't help but voice his thoughts, but Zhou Min replied, "Do you think I'm stupid? This ability may seem useless, but it's a game-changer when it counts. My ability tells me you're trustworthy."

Cheng Zhiyu understood and didn't push it.

Since Zhou Min was being so open, he could stay if he wanted. Que será, será.

Tian Qiao came out of Tian Manman's room. Cheng Zhiyu asked concernedly, "How's Tian Manman doing?"

Tian Qiao let out a breath: "He'll be okay. He fell asleep."

Cheng Zhiyu breathed easier. Now, it was time to check with Wang Li about Feng Rui.

——

Feng Rui became more and more certain that Tian Manman's voice sounded familiar. He picked up his pace on his way back.

Old lady Chen was humming as she cleaned the house. She had taken half a day off and finally had time to tidy up the place so her precious son could live comfortably.

She wondered if her son had managed to get along with those Superhumans. Her son was so likable—he was sure to succeed!

Old lady Chen grew happier the more she thought about it. She even refrained from picking a fight with Wang Li for once.

But just then, Feng Rui returned.

Old lady Chen was stunned for a moment and quickly walked over to ask, "Feng Rui, why’re you back so soon?"

Feng Rui frowned irritably, "Mom, I suspect the person I ran into might be that little bastard."

Old lady Chen didn’t get it at first, but when it sank in, her immediate reaction was disbelief. "How could that be? That bastard was an idiot. It's the apocalypse now—he must've been torn apart by zombies ages ago. There's no way he's still alive!"

Feng Rui plopped down on the sofa, clearly in a bad mood. "It really is him. I just said one thing, and he started shouting. That voice… I’d know that voice anywhere."

Back in the day, he'd often got his kicks from bullying Tian Manman. Every time he bullied him, Tian Manman would make that exact same sound—just like the cries he heard today.

"He's still alive? Lucky him, surviving this long. Tell me where he is, and I'll go show him who’s boss!" Old lady Chen’s face twisted with malice, as if she'd encountered a sworn enemy.

Feng Rui closed his eyes briefly. "You go? You go, and he'll be the one handing you your ass."

"That worthless bastard, teaching me a lesson? I’ll beat him to death!" Old lady Chen scoffed.

Feng Rui stated the fact he didn’t want to believe: "He’s a Superhuman now. We can’t afford to mess with him."

Just thinking about it made him upset. After the apocalypse began, he’d stayed a regular Joe. He’d always felt it was unfair—why didn’t he have any powers? Now, learning that bastard might be a Superhuman was even harder to swallow. Someone he could once trample underfoot had become a Superhuman, someone he could only kowtow to now. That shift was truly eating him up inside.

Old lady Chen’s eyes widened. "No way! He… he’s just an idiot!"

Seeing she didn’t believe him, Feng Rui added, "Even if he isn’t, don’t forget—his buddies are definitely Superhumans."

Earlier, it was mentioned that the people with Wang Li included Superhumans.

After saying this, Feng Rui grew fearful. "Mom, you don’t think he’ll come after us, do you? He… he definitely recognized me."

Old lady Chen immediately gritted her teeth, protective of her son. "How dare he!"

Feng Rui didn’t respond, just let out a bitter laugh. What wouldn’t he dare, now that he was a Superhuman? If a Superhuman wanted revenge, there were plenty of ways to make it happen.

"Feng Rui, don’t be scared. I’ll go get your dad so we can discuss this." Old lady Chen was also feeling panicked. After reassuring Feng Rui, she hurried off to find Feng Hongjian.

Feng Hongjian was called back, initially puzzled about what was going on. After hearing what his wife and son had to say, he was quiet for a good while. "You’re saying Feng Cong is a Superhuman now?"

Tian Manman actually had a name—Feng Cong. But after Feng Hongjian’s first wife passed away and he married old lady Chen, she began referring to him as "that bastard" and whispering in Feng Hongjian’s ear, convincing him that Feng Cong’s mother had cheated and that Feng Cong wasn’t his biological son.

At first, Feng Hongjian had kind of had Feng Cong’s back, but over time, he grew convinced that old lady Chen was right and began calling him "that bastard" too.

Feng Cong was young at the time, and after enduring so much abuse, he eventually forgot he’d ever had a name like Feng Cong.

"What Feng Cong? He’s just a bastard!" old lady Chen snapped reflexively.

Feng Hongjian glanced at her but didn’t argue further. He simply said, "If Feng Cong really has become a Superhuman, we’ll have to lean on him from now on."

His words left both mother and son silent. They knew he was right, but it left a bitter taste in their mouths. The thought of having to suck up to that idiot in the future was deeply uncomfortable.

Feng Hongjian seemed to ponder something, then smiled. "Who would’ve thought Feng Cong would have such great fortune?"

Old lady Chen held back repeatedly, finally muttering under her breath, "You wish! Think about how we treated him before. If he’s made something of himself and doesn’t seek revenge, that’s already a blessing. And you think you’ll get to enjoy the good life with him? Keep dreaming!"

"That was you two. I never joined in bullying Feng Cong." It was true that Feng Hongjian hadn’t participated directly—he’d simply turned a blind eye whenever old lady Chen and Feng Rui mistreated Tian Manman.

"You!" old lady Chen was furious and about to curse him out, but Feng Hongjian cut her off. "Don’t get worked up. Think about it—if Feng Cong is willing to take me in, and I start living well, wouldn’t that benefit you too? Not just you, but Feng Rui is my son, after all."

Feng Rui, who had been silent until then, had been looking grim, but upon hearing this, he immediately broke into a smile. "Dad, I knew you still had me in mind."

Seeing this, old lady Chen hesitated briefly, but for the sake of her precious son, she eventually relented.

If that bastard really had become a Superhuman, they’d naturally have to find a way to get some benefits out of it. Still, old lady Chen was a bit worried—what if he didn’t even acknowledge Feng Hongjian as his father?

Feng Hongjian, for some reason, was brimming with confidence. He slapped the table. "How dare he not? I’m his father. What son doesn’t acknowledge his dad? Even if I was in the wrong before, if I apologize and admit my mistakes, that should be enough. What more could he want?"

This scrawny old man, who usually looked miserable and could only bow and scrape before Superhumans, now felt he could stand tall again—as if blood relations alone would be enough to suppress Tian Manman completely.

Never mind that he’d stood by and watched coldly as old lady Chen and Feng Rui abused Tian Manman day after day, never once fulfilling his duty as a father.

Feng Hongjian’s words filled all three members of the family with a sense of jubilation. Clearly, compared to other possibilities, they preferred to believe in the scenario he’d painted.

Wang Li was already in a bad mood after realizing Feng Rui had secretly followed her, likely angering Cheng Zhiyu and the others in the process.

So when she walked through the door and saw Feng Rui and his family laughing joyfully, she was seeing red. She stepped forward and demanded, "Feng Rui, why did you sneak after me?"

Before Feng Rui could respond, old lady Chen jumped in to defend her son. "You brat, watch your tone! I’m warning you—be careful how you speak from now on. Our Feng family isn’t what it used to be, and if you’re not careful, I’ll have you kicked out of the base!"

Wang Li almost laughed. "What, is it Feng Rui’s girlfriend again? How ridiculous—bringing back some cold, crappy meat pie and showing it off like it’s some treasure."

Feng Rui’s face darkened, and he couldn’t help retorting, "What do you know? One of those Superhumans you know—do you have any idea who he is? He’s my… brother!"

Wang Li was stunned. "Feng Rui, have you lost your mind?"

She clearly didn’t believe him, but the usually silent Feng Hongjian spoke up with surprising confidence. "Feng Rui is right. That’s indeed my long-lost son. We’re planning to go reunite with him."