Gu Qing stood up and saw Li Lili, covered in blood and in a sorry state. He didn't open the car door without permission, instead seeking Xu Qian's opinion first.
After the incident with the mother and daughter, Gu Qing's trust in Xu Qian reached one hundred percent. He now believed whatever she did unconditionally. In the apocalypse, even children, one couldn't tell if they were human or monstrous.
"Open it."
Li Lili, pale-faced, rushed to Xu Qian. "You weren't sent by my father, were you? Why did you save me?" She had returned home to find her father had already turned into a zombie. If she hadn't escaped in time, she would have been killed by her zombified father.
Xu Qian raised an eyebrow, her tone nonchalant. "I saved you because I wanted to. Why else?"
Li Lili took a deep breath and exhaled. "I can't let you have saved me for nothing. What do you want me to do?"
There was only one reason Xu Qian waited for her: Li Lili was the strongest individual in the apocalypse, and befriending her would be beneficial.
Her tone was faint. "Join us. We'll face hardships together, and share food."
Li Lili nodded without hesitation. Although she didn't know why Xu Qian saved her, her father was dead, her mother had passed away long ago, and to be alone in the apocalypse was to wait for death. It was better to have someone to look out for.
Xu Qian nodded. The other two men had no objections.
"Can we name our team?"
Gu Qing's eyes darted around, and he chuckled, "How about the God of War Team? We're all gods of war!"
Li Lili rolled her eyes at him and waved her hand weakly. "No, it's too cheesy! Let's call it the Sun Team! In this apocalypse, we are the sun that illuminates the world!"
Hearing this, Xu Qian raised an eyebrow and looked at Mei Yuebai. "What do you think?"
Mei Yuebai chuckled softly, lifting her eyelids to glance at her. "The meaning of sun is good, but it's too common. Let's call it the Sunfire Team."
Her lips curved slowly. "What do you guys think?"
The two nodded with smiles. This name was perfect; it conveyed the meaning of the sun and sounded good!
"Alright, then it's the Sunfire Team. The RV has four beds. Gu Qing, you can sleep with the driver's seat folded down. Li Lili, the upper bunk above the driver's seat. Mei Yuebai..."
With his sharp brows, deep eyes like a tranquil pool, and a slight curl of his thin lips, he looked roguish. "I'll sleep with you!"
Xu Qian's lips curved. She said with a half-smile, "Do you want to sleep with a zombie?"
Mei Yuebai's eyes subtly narrowed, and he wisely closed his mouth.
"We'll rest in the RV tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll go to Poly Villa to find someone."
Mei Yuebai and Gu Qing had no objections. They only needed to follow Xu Qian.
Li Lili was stunned for a moment. "Find whom?"
"Cheng Yaqiu's family."
Li Lili's eyes brightened, and she quickly responded, "I know Cheng Yaqiu. She doesn't have any immediate family, but she has two brothers, Cheng Liangze and Cheng Liangqing. Cheng Liangqing is a criminal police officer, and Cheng Liangze is serving in B City." Brother Liangze... she hadn't seen him in three years.
Xu Qian's expression remained as indifferent as ever, her brows cool, showing no particular concern.
"Yes, Cheng Yaqiu is dead. She asked me to tell them not to look for her."
"What... Cheng Yaqiu is dead."
Li Lili's face turned pale, and she slumped back onto the seat. Cheng Yaqiu was the apple of her brothers' eyes, doted on since childhood. Now that she was dead, she couldn't imagine what Liangze would do.
Seeing Li Lili's unusual expression, Xu Qian glanced at her. "What's wrong?"
"Cheng Yaqiu's two brothers doted on her immensely. I'm afraid they might do something foolish."
Xu Qian's vision flashed with the image of the girl's death. The dead could not be revived. In the apocalypse, life was always the top priority.
[Ding, a new side quest has been activated. This is a mandatory mission. Please gather at the G City Base within five days.]
[Go to the base?]
The system did not respond further.
[...]
The sky grew darker, and the fog gradually thickened, inevitably creeping into the carriage.
Xu Qian watched the fog swirl within the carriage, lost in thought for a moment. The first mutation was about to arrive.
Xu Qian had thought that since she had already mutated once, she would be more resilient this time. However, after taking just a few steps out of the RV, she collapsed onto the ground, falling unconscious.
In her semi-conscious state, pain spread through her limbs. Xu Qian was jolted awake. It wasn't as intense as last time, and she could still stand up despite the pain.
She saw Mei Yuebai curled up on the bunk, clutching his knees, his body writhing as if electricity flowed through him.
Li Lili was sprawled on the upper bunk, a faint red glow emanating from her body. Gu Qing was huddled in the driver's seat, trembling, sweat beading on his forehead and the floor.
Her own body showed no signs of glowing, yet why did she have symptoms of mutation?
Xu Qian dragged her feet back into the RV. She had no sleep that night; pain tormented everyone in the vehicle.