PSW – Chapter 16

Strength is the best deterrent.

Even though Yu Yinan hadn’t yet demonstrated how she set zombies on fire, the mere flicker of her flame was enough to shut the powerless man up.

Li Yunhan walked over to apologize to Yu Yinan, but before she could speak, Yu Yinan raised a hand to stop her. “Go do what you need to do.”

“That’s right, don’t worry about us. We just came to take a look. Go deliver the medicine; you can’t let an illness linger,” Zheng Yi added with a cheerful smile.

Li Yunhan nodded, then called for Wang Youfei and Yan Han to close the main gate before leading Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi inside.

Jiang Jue stood frozen in place for a few seconds, a hint of anger in his eyes. But since no one paid him any mind, his expression shifted, and he ultimately followed them inside in sullen silence.

“Li Yunhan and Wang Youfei are back!” The people inside seemed thrilled. This place must have been an abandoned factory warehouse. The interior was vast and had never been properly finished, just an empty, unfinished shell.

The space was large, and the floor was now covered with bedsheets, carpets, and other assorted fabrics, forming simple, makeshift beds. There were blankets, but they looked thin and insufficient. Most of the sleeping areas were piled high with thick winter clothes, which they likely used for warmth.

Yan Han found a small stove and stuffed it with old magazines and newspapers, then carefully placed a small pot on top. Before he could pull out a lighter, Yu Yinan walked over and, with a flick of her finger, lit the stove.

“Thank you, thank you!” Yan Han said gratefully. He turned to get some water, but Zheng Yi stopped him and filled the small pot herself.

A water ability user?

In that instant, the way many people in the camp looked at Zheng Yi changed. Ever since that torrential downpour, uncontaminated water sources had become increasingly difficult to find. While the rainwater wasn’t entirely undrinkable, whether or not you’d get infected after drinking it was another matter entirely.

A water ability user was a mobile water source—the source of life itself!

Li Yunhan brought over a few clean bowls, which Zheng Yi thoughtfully rinsed again with her ability. Once the water in the pot boiled, Li Yunhan carefully opened a packet of children’s cold medicine and mixed it with hot water from a spoon.

“Here, let it cool a bit, then give it to the child,” she said, handing the bowl of medicine to the couple.

“Thank you, thank you!”

“Don’t thank us. You should thank Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan. If it weren’t for them, we would have all died on the road,” Li Yunhan said, waving her hand dismissively, not taking any credit. Over on the side, Wang Youfei had already started mixing a dose of adult cold medicine for the couple to drink as well.

“Grandma, drink this cold medicine after it cools down a bit.” Li Yunhan quickly moved to the elderly woman’s side. “This is a bowl of hot water, and this is an anti-inflammatory. Take them together later, and you’ll feel better.”

Zheng Yi scanned her surroundings and noticed that although these survivors were living under the same roof, they seemed extremely distant from one another, mostly keeping to their own corners with little interaction. And their ages ranged from the elderly in their seventies and eighties to an infant of only a few months. Truly, every age group was represented.

‘You think if I told them not to say thank you, but to call me a Saint instead, they’d actually do it sincerely?’

[They would find you very strange,] Zero One replied, using a tactful choice of words.

‘Oh~ In that case, Yu Yinan is much cuter~’ Not only could she intimidate noisy clowns, but she was also generous with her Saint Points.

“Little sisters, are you both ability users?” A middle-aged man who had been sitting in a corner, seemingly uninterested in them, stood up. He walked toward Zheng Yi, his face plastered with a smile.

“Yes. Is there something you need?” Yu Yinan frowned slightly. She took two steps to stand beside Zheng Yi, subtly shielding her as she met the man’s gaze.

Zheng Yi was too soft-hearted, too kind, and too gullible. When it came to zombies, she could be decisive and ruthless, but her guard was always down around fellow humans. When they were out scavenging, Zheng Yi would always rush to the front to protect her. So when they encountered other survivors… even though Zheng Yi hadn’t been at a disadvantage with that gang leader last time, Yu Yinan felt it was her duty to protect her.

“Hehe, don’t be so on guard. We’re all just fellow sufferers in this apocalypse. Who knows when rescue will come? From now on, we should help each other out, live together, and look after one another.” He felt a moment of awkwardness but quickly masked it with a smile. If Yu Yinan’s standoffish aura hadn’t been so palpable, he would have tried to get closer, maybe even pat her on the shoulder.

“Look, there are so many people here, and life isn’t easy for any of us,” he said, sighing with feigned distress. He raised a hand to rub his eyes, forcing out tears. “We’re all ordinary people, none of us have awakened any special abilities. Just getting enough to eat each day is a problem, let alone finding uncontaminated water. And look, there are old people and children here. These days…Sigh!”

[Wow, you’re not even going to respond to that?]

‘Being a Saint doesn’t mean being a total idiot. Let someone else deal with him.’ Despite her thoughts, Zheng Yi played her part, reaching out to grip Yu Yinan’s sleeve, her expression one of sympathy and compassion.

“Haven’t you ever gone out to find resources?” Yu Yinan retorted in the calmest of tones. “Or have Li Yunhan, Wang Youfei, and Yan Han—those three youngsters—not been the ones risking their lives out there all this time?”

“It’s been so long since the apocalypse started, yet you’re still sporting such a big belly.” Yu Yinan pursed her lips. “Doesn’t look like you’ve been short on food or water, does it?”

“You! Is that any way for a young girl to speak to her elders!” The middle-aged man’s face instantly turned crimson. “You’re both ability users! Shouldn’t you stay and help us ordinary people? This is the apocalypse! There are so many zombies out there. It’s probably not dangerous for you, but it’s different for us! I haven’t been enhanced at all. How can I go out and look for supplies? If I had a special ability, I’d be the first one to charge out there and devote everything I have to everyone!”

“You’re not going to tell me that young people like me are selfish and lack awareness, are you?” Yu Yinan couldn’t even be bothered to lift her eyelids. She glanced at the old woman in the corner, at the couple gently cooing to their baby as they fed it medicine, and at the nervous expressions on the faces of Li Yunhan and the others. She tilted her head up slightly, meeting the man’s gaze directly, her tone growing even harder. “Very good. You’re right.”

“Since you’re so eager to contribute, why don’t you start by cutting off a piece of your own flesh and cooking it for everyone to eat?” Yu Yinan scoffed. “Do ability users not turn into zombies when they’re bitten? Do ability users not die? Can ability users survive being swallowed by a zombie horde? You-”

“Jiejie, don’t be angry~” Zheng Yi shook Yu Yinan’s arm, stopping her from continuing. She turned to the middle-aged man with a sweet smile. “However, if this uncle wants to become an ability user so badly, I might have a way~”

“My Jiejie and I both became ability users after being drenched in that rain, so… I still have some of that rainwater stored in my car.” Zheng Yi smiled, her voice gentle. “If you’d like, you can try it anytime~”

The man’s face instantly turned ashen. If he had the courage to take such a risk, he wouldn’t have been hiding in the factory all this time. Rainwater? Yes, it could turn you into an ability user or enhance your body, but it could also turn you into a zombie! You could die!

“It’s chaotic and dangerous outside. We have military forces here in Genbin. Even though the base has fallen, if rescue comes, staying here gives us the best chance of being found,” Jiang Jue spoke up. Having witnessed their abilities, he also wanted to convince the two to stay.

One was a cool, unapproachable beauty, the other a gentle, sweet girl with a lovely voice. Winning over either one would be a victory. Although he hadn’t awakened an ability yet, it was bound to rain again sooner or later. Just because he didn’t have one now didn’t mean he never would.

“You two are just a pair of young, beautiful women. It’s too dangerous for you to be out there on your own,” Jiang Jue said. “At least here we have a place to live, a safe house. With everyone here, you won’t be lonely. Doesn’t that give you a sense of security?”

“Jiang Jue, can you just shut up?” Li Yunhan couldn’t take it anymore. “Yes, you’re a big man, a big man who never dares to go out with us to find supplies! You went out once, and you didn’t even make it to the nearest convenience store before you got scared and ran back, screaming about a zombie horde up ahead!”

“Th-there was a horde! Besides, someone has to stay behind and guard the place, right? Who else would do it? Him? Him? Or that old thing lying there about to die and the couple who only know how to take care of their baby!” Jiang Jue’s voice was weak at first, but his confidence grew as he spoke, his volume rising. “Without me, without me coordinating with you and guarding our home, would this place be so safe? Would everyone be able to come back safely every day! You’re pointing fingers at me? What use are you? You dragged Wang Youfei to his death, to a hospital, just for some fever and anti-inflammatory medicine! You even lost an electric scooter! You think they’ll survive just because they took some medicine? Who can you save! You’re just patting yourself on the back.”

“Fine.” Li Yunhan nodded, not even bothering to mention that the electric scooter had been hers to begin with. She threw her hands up and just let it all go. “Okay, from now on, you don’t have to guard the place. No one needs to. From this day forward, whoever finds supplies gets to decide what to do with them. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. Just like you said, if you have no value, no use, then you might as well go die.”

She strode forward and stuffed all the medicine she had found back into her bag. “The things Wang Youfei and I got, we’ll split them how we see fit. My things are mine to give to whoever I want, to save whoever I want. You can stop telling me what to do!”

In that instant, Jiang Jue, who had been so full of righteous anger just a moment ago, was silenced. His mouth hung open, his expression a mixture of emotions. After a brief silence, he looked at Wang Youfei and Yan Han. “I-I was just saying a few words, just joking. Why did you get so angry?”

“We’re all classmates… I haven’t been enhanced, and I don’t have an ability. I just… I just feel insecure, I have low self-esteem. You think this is easy for me?” Seeing that Wang Youfei remained silent, Jiang Jue’s expression changed in a flash. Tears welled up in his eyes as if on cue. He wiped them away and choked out, “Those two are ability users, one fire and one water. That’s so useful. If they stayed, wouldn’t our lives be better? Wouldn’t everyone have a better chance of survival! I-I was just trying to do what’s best for everyone, wasn’t I? I’m just not good with words, I didn’t mean any harm…”

He sobbed and then slapped himself hard across the face. When Li Yunhan didn’t react, he steeled himself and slapped himself again, his crying becoming even more vigorous and pathetic.