"We already said we'd give them some supplies and ask them to leave. If they don't go, we'll have to resort to force."
Fu Yunting's initial thought was to kick them out without giving them anything. In the apocalypse, strength dictated order.
Fu Yunting patted An Nuan's head. She was still too compassionate.
An Nuan slowly moved closer, placing her foot onto the top of his shoe.
Fu Yunting's brow furrowed slightly as he subtly tried to move his shoe away. These were limited edition collaborative shoes released before the apocalypse, retailing for thirty-two thousand yuan. He'd bought three pairs immediately. They were later resold for over seventy thousand yuan and were now out of stock, and would never be available again.
Fu Yunting mused that he might need to find some designers and craftsmen. What would he do if he ran out of shoes in the future?
Jin Can also considered her family's safety and decided that following An Nuan was the best choice. She nodded in agreement.
"No matter what others think, I agree. I'll do my best to handle what you ask. In exchange, you just need to ensure the safety of my brother and mother."
"Isn't your safety included?"
"If we have to go out and fight zombies, who can guarantee absolute safety? I can only do my best to survive." Jin Can offered a wry smile.
An Nuan liked girls who understood the situation.
At this moment, Mi Shuangshuang and Hai Changfeng were also on their way back and decided to detour to find An Nuan.
"The brother at the entrance helped clean up the area. I saw he really wanted to join us but didn't dare to speak up. They're currently setting up tents and makeshift shelters about five hundred meters away from the main entrance."
Tian Nan was keeping a distance from them, so An Nuan couldn't just tell them to leave. *This guy is quite reasonable,* she thought.
"Xiao Nuan, I think Tian Nan is quite capable. Do you want to consider taking him in too? Let him team up with me, and I guarantee we'll bring back a lot of supplies!"
"Shuangshuang, stop messing around. Let me introduce you to our neighbors. You two team up with her to compile a list of residents and their distribution within the community. Jin Can will tell you what I just said. I need to go home and drink some brown sugar water."
An Nuan's stomach started to ache again, and she didn't want to walk anymore after just a couple of steps.
Fu Yunting squatted in front of her. An Nuan blinked.
"What is it?"
"Come on, get on. I'll carry you back. I'm fast."
"That's true..."
An Nuan really didn't want to walk anymore. She climbed onto Fu Yunting's back, catching a faint scent of grass and wood. *Why does it smell so good? Is this his scent? This faint scent of grass and wood makes me feel so safe and comfortable.*
An Nuan nudged him upwards. Fu Yunting turned his head and asked, "Is it uncomfortable?"
"No, your back is just right, firm yet soft. It's quite comfortable."
"Then, can I walk back slowly?"
"Sure."
An Nuan relaxed on his back. Her stomach no longer hurt, and being carried felt quite comfortable. The gentle breeze made her feel sleepy.
Fu Yunting also savored the moment of carrying An Nuan.
"When we were kids, you dragged me out of the mine and carried me for a while. You were so thin and small, and you wanted to carry me, but you tripped and fell face-first onto the ground, scraping your arm and crying buckets."
Fu Yunting's lips curved slightly upwards. "Xiao Nuan, when can we get married? Xiao Nuan..."
An Nuan rested against his neck, her breaths evenly puffing onto Fu Yunting's skin.
"You truly have no worries."
Fu Yunting reached back and pulled the hood of his hoodie over her head to shield her from the wind, then carried An Nuan home to sleep.
---
Tian Nan had initially brought everyone here to find a safe place to settle. Later, they encountered Boss Zhao and even considered joining Boss Sun's forces to take advantage of them. However, when he saw An Nuan and Fu Yunting, it wasn't just his spine that went numb; his scalp tingled.
Tian Nan had never felt such fear since he was born. He should have run away immediately, but when he saw the giant panda leading animals to clear the battlefield, Tian Nan had another thought. If a giant panda could be their subordinate, why couldn't he? He observed the team composition, which even included children, so the two leaders couldn't be bad people. At the very least, they were tolerant. Moreover, they had mentioned not lacking supplies, and if children could be kept in such good spirits, adults would surely be well cared for.
Tian Nan discussed it with his companions, and they all agreed that rather than drifting around, it was better to find a way to join them. At the very least, they could stick with the strong, which would ensure their safety. However, Tian Nan had missed the opportunity to submit his pledge of allegiance and didn't know what to do, nor did he dare to approach them rashly.
After communicating with Hai Changfeng, Tian Nan and his people used discarded vehicles and tents to set up a temporary camp. The other convoys, fearing An Nuan and her group, and with Boss Zhao's team still being dealt with, had hurried away. As night fell and the temperature outside dropped, Tian Nan lit a bonfire, and after drawing straws, they took turns standing guard.
An Nuan was eating Lanzhou-style pulled noodles at home while watching them gnaw on instant noodles. The noodles in her hand smelled even better!
[Brother, the information is found. I'll cast it onto the TV for you.]
Fu Yunting had thoroughly investigated the personnel list and backgrounds of Tian Nan's team. Their character was decent, and they had no bad habits. These people were originally neighbors. Some were architects, others musicians and painters, and there were two doctor couples. An Nuan was quite pleased with the composition of the group. After entering the apocalypse, they hadn't abandoned any companions, but their combat effectiveness was relatively weak. Originally fifty-six people, they were now down to forty-three.
[Sister-in-law, do you want to accept them?]
"Forty-three mouths are a lot. Apart from the doctors and designers, their parents and children hold little to no attraction for me, possibly even negative attraction." An Nuan was still considering. Building the community required talent, but when talent came with dependents, it became troublesome. Couldn't they all be like their group, lone individuals where one person's sustenance meant no worry for a whole family?
"Fu Yunlei, help me check how many resources they have to back them up. If it's just an empty shell, we'll be in trouble."
[Understood, Sister-in-law.]
Fu Yunlei: Calling her sister-in-law doesn't get a reaction. Should I remind him?
Fu Yunting: Shut up and get to work. Don't cause trouble.
[I've found that before encountering you, Tian Nan ran into a severely injured Level 4 mutated creature that self-destructed. He might have a crystal.]
An Nuan's eyes lit up at this. A Level 4 mutated creature was almost impossible to encounter at this time. However, it wasn't impossible for a creature to undergo a drastic mutation and enter a super-evolved state after devouring and absorbing other crystals. But most creatures couldn't handle the energy brought by such a transformation. Whether it was humans, mutated creatures, or zombies, when their energy exceeded their absorption capacity, they would self-destruct. That mutated creature was unlucky, self-destructing just as it reached Level 4. A self-destructing mutated creature would definitely possess a crystal, and one of considerable purity!
"Fu Yunting, you're really lucky today. Food keeps coming our way!"
"Xiao Nuan, what will you do if they don't give it to you?"
"Not give it? Then we'll reason with them. Their level is too low, and eating it would cause them to self-destruct. It's better to give it to us. It saves us from having to fight, and it wouldn't be good to beat up a group of intellectuals and break their limbs, right?"
Everyone nodded. This bandit logic was excellent!