People, before experiencing death, would willingly sacrifice themselves for a great cause.
But when truly facing death, a strong desire for life emerges.
Zhang Ming was like that. At first, he was determined to follow his mutated zombie wife to her demise.
Yet, when his wish was about to be granted, he no longer wanted to die. He wanted to live well, to dominate the apocalypse.
But life rarely offers so many choices or chances for regret. This was a one-way ticket, forward only, no turning back.
Furthermore, his hands were stained with too much bloodshed. The survivors he fed to his zombie wife were his debt.
What Su Ling did was merely to deal with him in his own way.
In this apocalypse where order had collapsed and morality had long been lost, she was simply doing what needed to be done to the best of her ability.
For instance, sending Zhang Ming to meet the survivors who had died unjustly.
Although Zhang Ming's two abilities sounded very tempting.
But what of it?
Such a person, if not eliminated, would only be a menace in the apocalypse.
Moreover, if allowed to grow powerful, he would undoubtedly become her enemy in the future.
A person without principles or a bottom line would be restrained by laws and systems before the apocalypse, daring not to act recklessly.
But this was the apocalypse, where nothing could restrain them. The evil in human nature would be allowed to develop freely and thoroughly.
Su Ling remained indifferent to Zhang Ming's pleas.
She stood under a large tree, eating the unfinished bread in her hand, her expressionless.
Gu Shangse stood beside her, and Yang Yang stood between them.
Su Ling's mouth was full of cake, but her mind was occupied by the fruits and vegetables in Zhang Ming's yard.
She would feel it a waste of such good resources if she didn't take them.
But taking them would expose her spatial ability.
Her silence, to Gu Shangse, who was observing her closely, suggested she had something on her mind.
He glanced at Zhang Ming in the distance, who was about to be surrounded by zombies and was struggling to crawl towards a safe zone. Gu Shangse withdrew his gaze and looked at Su Ling, "This is his retribution; he deserves it. Don't feel burdened. I sent him there, and I killed him."
Su Ling, who was contemplating how to hide her actions from Gu Shangse and take the items, slightly raised her eyes upon hearing his words and looked at him.
The latter was looking at her with earnestness and a righteous air.
Just as Su Ling was about to speak, Zhang Ming's screams echoed from nearby.
Both of them turned their gazes toward the source of the sound. Zhang Ming, who was crawling on the ground, ultimately could not escape his fate.
He finally managed to stand up and prepare to run, only to be tackled to the ground by a zombie. Its mouth latched onto his buttocks and thighs.
Fabric and flesh were torn away with a savage rip. The zombies were emotionless; their mouths stuffed with meat, they began to feast.
The smell of blood and flesh stimulated the other zombies, who swarmed forward one after another.
Su Ling, no longer watching Zhang Ming's pained howls and struggles, turned back to Gu Shangse and said, "I know."
After giving this brief response to Gu Shangse, Su Ling added, "Those cakes, go see if there's anything you want to take back."
Gu Shangse met Su Ling's gaze and said, "You go. I'll wait here for you."
This gesture granted Su Ling free space.
Su Ling hummed in acknowledgment and then said, "I'll go to the backyard to get some vegetables and fruits."
"Okay," Gu Shangse replied. He added, "Do you need any help?"
"No," Su Ling coldly refused Gu Shangse's offer. She looked ahead and then said, "While I'm gathering supplies, you can practice."
"Alright," Gu Shangse agreed again. Then he looked at Su Ling and said, "Be careful."
Su Ling watched Gu Shangse leave before heading towards the cake shop.
Upon entering the yard, Su Ling surveyed the abundant harvest. Without hesitation, she transferred everything she fancied into her spatial ability.
After the yard's fruits, vegetables, and melons were emptied, she set her sights on the lychee tree and the cherry tree.