Chapter 5: Hangcheng's Current Situation

Lin Yue.

He simply gave his name, but his eyes never left Zhao Si's face, continuing to scrutinize every trace of post-disaster survival on the survivor's face.

Zhao Si seemed to have no guile, or perhaps the joy of survival had dulled the cruelty of the apocalypse.

He gasped heavily, cherishing a small sip of water.

"Lin Yue brother, judging by your accent… you're not from Hangcheng?"

Zhao Si finally caught his breath, rubbing his purplish injured leg while asking cautiously, though his gaze occasionally flicked toward the warehouse exterior.

Lin Yue knew this was the instinctive reaction of apocalypse survivors, and he didn't say anything more.

"Just arrived not long ago."

Lin Yue answered vaguely, then shifted the conversation, directly cutting to his most pressing question,

"How is Hangcheng's situation now?"

He also couldn't directly ask what had happened, as that would seem odd, so he resorted to indirectly asking about Hangcheng's situation.

That question caused the joy on Zhao Si's face to vanish instantly; he fell silent for a moment, his voice drifting like a dream-talk:

"Six months ago… we here in Hangcheng called that day the 'Day of Heavenly Change.' No one knows why, but the world seemed to go mad overnight. The sky turned gray, and then… everything began to mutate."

Zhao Si's voice trembled,

"Corpses, everywhere are corpses."

"What about the authorities? Didn't the military organize any rescue?"

He continued asking.

"There is, how could there not be!"

Zhao Si became excited,

"It's precisely because of the military and police protection that we ordinary folks got a breather. Later, they took the largest prison outside the city—Hangcheng Third Prison—and converted it into a massive refuge."

"A prison?"

Lin Yue chewed on that word; it was an interesting choice.

With its high walls and iron fencing, easy to defend and hard to attack, it was indeed the best barrier in the early days of the apocalypse.

"Exactly, most of the survivors in Hangcheng now gather there."

Zhao Si's eyes flashed with longing, then quickly dimmed,

"I… I just came out of the refuge."

"I joined the refuge's scouting team, the Third Squad."

He gave a self-deprecating laugh, patting his injured leg,

"Our mission is to go out and scavenge for supplies—food, medicine… everything we need. Yesterday, our squad was nearby, trying to enter this supermarket, but we… ran into a pack of mutant beasts."

Zhao Si's breathing grew heavy, his eyes bloodshot:

"Our team of five, I'm the only one left. At the time I survived by hiding in this warehouse, but I was too panicked and my leg got pinned under a shelf… Lin Yue brother, if it weren't for you…"

He didn't go on, but the meaning was clear.

Lin Yue had a clear idea.

A five‑person scouting team was almost wiped out right outside this supermarket door—just imagine how dangerous the outside is.

And he is able to stand here unharmed solely because of the Black Tortoise.

"These times, one cannot guarantee safety from morning to evening."

Lin Yue muttered softly, as if lamenting and also warning himself.

He glanced at Zhao Si's leg, a bloody mess, and knew that in this godforsaken place such an injury amounted to a death sentence.

He is no saint; he cannot drag a heavily wounded person along.

"Your leg…"

Lin Yue spoke.

"I understand."

Zhao Si, however, spoke first; he was tactful and made no unrealistic demands,

"Brother, you saved my life—that kindness is immense. I dare not hope you'll take me with you; this leg… is a burden."

He reached into his bosom and pulled out a dirty cloth bundle, carefully opening it to reveal a crudely drawn map and half a pack of cigarettes.

"This is the map our squad drew of nearby safe points and supply spots; it's incomplete, but should be usable. These cigarettes… are my last treasure."

He pushed the items toward Lin Yue,

"Brother, great kindness needs no thanks. If you ever go to the Third Prison Refuge, and happen to see Captain Wang Hailong of our Third Team, tell him Zhao Si did his best."

Lin Yue did not take the map, nor the half‑pack of cigarettes.

Instead, he took two bottles of water and some food from his own pack and placed them in Zhao Si's hands.

"Keep the map; you need it more than I do. Use these rations sparingly."

Lin Yue stood up, his voice showing no emotion,

"Find a place to hide well, stay silent, and perhaps… you can wait for the next team."

Zhao Si was completely stunned.

He looked at the food before him, then lifted his gaze to Lin Yue, lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

In this world where human life is cheaper than grass, this food is far more precious than life itself.

"Brother…"

"My name is Lin Yue."

He left his final words, then turned and walked out of the warehouse without hesitation or looking back.

Outside the supermarket, the gray sunlight was somewhat glaring.

Black Tortoise's massive body stood like a mountain at the doorway; seeing him come out, it let out a low rumble from its throat, and its huge head affectionately rubbed against him.

"Let's go, Black Tortoise."

Lin Yue flipped over and climbed onto the broad turtle back,

He glanced back at the supermarket, wishing you good luck.

Lin Yue silently murmured to himself.

He is not a savior; all he can do, besides self-preservation, is leave a tiny bit of goodwill.

Lying on Black Tortoise's back, his field of view instantly opened up immensely.

The abandoned vehicles and collapsed buildings on the ground could no longer obstruct his view; the layout of the entire street lay bare before him.

"This angle is practically a natural reconnaissance platform."

Lin Yue couldn't help but sigh.

He directed Black Tortoise to advance slowly through the ruins.

"Roar!"

A basin-sized mutant cockroach leapt out from the trash heap, attempting a sneak attack.

Lin Yue couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyes.

"Thud!"

Black Tortoise kept its original pace, its sturdy foreleg coming down like a war hammer, directly crushing that thing into a puddle of green slime.

The turtle back merely jolted slightly, as if rolling over a small pebble.

【Absorbing scattered energy, gaining 1 point of energy.】

"It didn't even condense into an Energy Crystal!"

Lin Yue pursed his lips, saying somewhat dissatisfiedly.

Lying on the turtle back, he could safely observe the surroundings, search for the next supply point, and incidentally look for isolated prey.

Just then, at the edge of his vision, beside a half-collapsed mall ruin, a few furtive figures flitted by.

They were living people.

Three people, clad in rags, yellowish and emaciated, gripping a pry bar and a rust-streaked machete, were nervously huddled behind an overturned bus, as if hiding from something.

Lin Yue's appearance startled the three of them.

When the three saw a mountain-sized giant turtle carrying a person slowly approaching them, their expressions froze.

First they were stunned, then their hands gripping weapons began to tremble.

But after the initial shock subsided, a hint of greed quietly surfaced in the eyes of the scar-faced man leading them.

"What kind of monster is that?"

"Has it been tamed?"

If he could tame this monster, in this apocalypse, what would he have to fear!

But that hint of greed only surfaced before he forcibly pressed it back down.

The scar-faced man grabbed his two companions, frantically warning them with his eyes not to make a sound, even to ease their breathing.

In the face of such power, any extra thought is tantamount to seeking death.

Lin Yue looked down from above, taking in their expressions fully.

He did nothing, merely sweeping his indifferent gaze over their hiding place.

That glance made the scar-faced man feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his hairs standing on end.

He had no doubt that if he dared show the slightest hostility, that giant beast would immediately grind them into meat patties.

Lin Yue lingered not, directing Black Tortoise to walk past them at a leisurely pace.

Only when that massive silhouette disappeared around the corner did the three scar-faced men feel as if their bones had been pulled out, collapsing to the ground, gasping heavily, their backs already soaked in cold sweat.

"Boss... what... what the hell is that?"

A young survivor asked in a trembling voice.

"Shut up!"

The scar-faced man snarled low, his eyes full of lingering fear,

"That's not something we can provoke. Remember him, remember that turtle! Next time you see it, detour!"

On the other side, Lin Yue lay on the turtle's back, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful arc.

"Interesting."

He muttered to himself,

"It seems in this world, my 'pet' is my best calling card."

He no longer paid attention to those survivors, redirecting his focus forward.

According to Zhao Si's map memory and his own observation, not far ahead there should still be a small supermarket.

"Let's go, Black Tortoise."

Lin Yue patted the shell beneath him,

"Whether we can add a canned food tonight depends on this trip."

Black Tortoise let out a low growl and proceeded steadily.