Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Chapter 41: "You’re Too Young"Hey—"

Su Ming’an stepped out of the second hospital when a hurried female voice called out from behind.

He turned to look at her.

"I mean, thank you for saving me," Yu Ruohuo said seriously, "This is the second time you’ve rescued me, and I must repay you."

Su Ming’an waved his hand at her.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Yu Ruohuo’s face—she understood the meaning behind his gesture. Already several days before, at the very beginning in the laboratory, he had waved like this to let her know to leave.

"Where are you going?" Yu Ruohuo sidled up to him, "I don’t know how to repay you, I don’t know what you lack... but if it’s something I can provide... "

"This." Su Ming’an pointed at her body.

Yu Ruohuo was stunned, then a flush of redness quickly spread across her face.

...What, what, what is this little guy talking about!

Even, even if you are my lifesaver, you can’t just force this kind of thing, don’t you know!

Although it’s said that one could offer themselves in gratitude for saving a life, and it was she who had brought it up...

She glanced at the person before her, the undisputed Number One Player, displaying peak-level wisdom, perseverance, and belief, though a bit cool in demeanor. But in other respects, including unquestionable abilities, as well as looks and height—everything met her esthetic standards... But, the issue was... he had a live stream going with a hundred million viewers!

Was she supposed to do that in front of so many people...?

But then again, it seemed possible to temporarily close the live stream...

Yu Ruohuo’s brain was whirring at high speed, somehow leading her thoughts astray.

"No, no, you’re still too young, absolutely not..." Yu Ruohuo waved her hands repeatedly.

She saw what appeared to be a visibly confused question mark above the young man’s head.

"Does holding a gun have anything to do with age?" she heard him say.

Then, she realized something.

Her slightly stiff and awkward gaze drifted downwards to her waistline.

...There, a small handgun was holstered.

Her mind turned to mush in an instant, the heat spreading across her face. Biting her lip, she struggled to keep her expression normal, then drew the handgun and placed it in his hand.

"It’s yours now," she said, turning her face away, a bit too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

Su Ming’an took the gun and began to check its attributes.

[Remington RP9 (Green Level):

Attack Power: 4~18

Durability: 9/15

Magazine: 9mm

Magazine Capacity: 8/18

Equipment Requirement: Must possess Basic Gunmanship lv.1 or higher (Not possessed, cannot use)

Special Attributes: None]

"I’ve used it a few times against the zombies, and it worked quite well. You can try it," Yu Ruohuo told him as she watched.

And then, she saw Su Ming’an looking at her again.

"What level is your gunmanship?" he asked.

"Level 3. I had it before the game started, I’ve practiced with guns in real life," Yu Ruohuo said, "This gun only requires level 1 to use, it’s very simple."

After that, she noticed the person before her fall into a strange silence.

The barrage was furiously reminding her:

"Uh..." Yu Ruohuo glanced at him, "So, should I show you how to use it?"

She suddenly remembered what Su Ming’an had said to her at the start—he was just an ordinary college student.

Ordinary, my foot! Although not being able to use a gun is a bit...

"I’ll teach you the shooting stance, this is for a fixed shooting position, you need your feet about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Let your toes point out naturally, then slightly to the left rearward..." She recited the mnemonic and instructed him, and he was very bright, not needing her to repeat or make minor adjustments to his posture a second time.

"There’s also the pistol sweep and shoot, which is dynamic shooting. It might be a bit difficult, you have to grip the gun with your right hand, just like the single-arm bracing action. Your left palm faces backward, encircling the trigger guard, then pull the gun toward the left rearwards..." She gave an overview of the concept and then said, "These are just basic positions, but it will take a long time to practice accurate shooting, especially on moving targets. You can practice here, don’t be discouraged, it’s normal to miss..."

As she spoke, she suddenly saw the young man raise his arms, his gaze steely and direct.

"—Bang!"

The sound of gunfire rang out.

The zombie that had just peeked its head out, before it could charge over with bared teeth, was shot in the head, its dark blood spraying all over the ground.

Yu Ruohuo felt that perhaps there really were geniuses in this world.

The chat was momentarily stunned:

Su Ming’an, however, wasn’t surprised. He possessed 30 spirit points, and locking onto a target was a very simple task. Indeed, shooting required familiarity with the gun, and this shot was a stroke of luck.

"So, I’ve repaid my debt of gratitude." Su Ming’an put away his gun and waved at her, "Goodbye?"

"Wait, wait!" Yu Ruohuo grabbed him, "My life is worth more than a mere pistol; you saved me twice, and I haven’t repaid you in full."

She gritted her teeth, her expression slightly embarrassed.

—It wasn’t that she had taken a fancy to him and didn’t want to leave.

It’s just that, with the apocalyptic situation growing ever more dangerous, being without a gun, especially in the perilous city center, her martial arts skills were insufficient. She might not live to see the end of the world.

"..." Su Ming’an seemed to have seen her difficulty, and he turned around, "Come with me."

Yu Ruohuo hurriedly followed behind him like a small animal afraid of being left behind.

The two crossed the street, and then Su Ming’an led her to a park, where they sat down on a bench.

Next, she saw another "Su Ming’an," identical to the first, appear in front of him.

The moment that clone appeared, she felt an unparalleled sense of threat. She had heard from the chat and read on forums that the clone’s combat power might reach around 400, almost two and a half times her own—after all, it could slash away nearly all of the 300 combat power Eni had in a single stroke.

She watched as Su Ming’an sent his clone away and then seemed to sit on the bench, beginning to close his eyes to rest.

She didn’t ask anything, just waited for him to give her an order, but after standing for a while without hearing any sound, it was as if he had fallen asleep.

"Um, I..." She began uneasily.

Su Ming’an opened his eyes, which were full of bloodshot veins:

"Sorry, I forgot about you." He patted the empty spot on the bench beside him, "You can sit here until the world ends, if you wish. If you want to repay your debt, just stay on the lookout and make sure no one gets close to me."

Yu Ruohuo sat down, somewhat perplexed, tensing up as she vigilantly watched the surroundings. Then, she suddenly noticed that the numerous zombie figures that had been wandering near the park—vanished in an instant.

Along with the occasional growling, all had ceased, silent as though there were no other living things in the park.

...She suddenly realized what the clone had gone to do.

In a kindergarten in X City, no longer adorned with the cute decorations of pre-apocalyptic times, the place was now surrounded by barbed wire and fences. Inside, people with weary expressions dragged supplies in and out, with the thick smell of blood wafting through the air.

This was a temporary sanctuary.

Inside the hall and rooms sat children without combat power. Apart from them, even teenagers and women in their teens were laboring hard, moving sandbags and bricks onto the wall tops and boiling a small amount of instant noodles in pots. The collective sighs of the people, the crying of children, interweaved, creating an overwhelming sense of annoyance.

They looked exhausted, their eyes filled with hopelessness and confusion—they were the people who had been gathered at this sanctuary, saved by Yang Changxu’s team. They mostly bore various wounds, mostly scratches and scrapes, while those bitten by the zombies were locked in separate rooms, left to their own fate.

Suddenly, someone heard the sound of the iron gate outside being pushed open, followed by a set of firm footsteps.

"—It’s Old Yang! Old Yang and his team are back with supplies!"