Chapter 13 – Dead Weight Needs to Know Their Place

When Ling Mo and Ye Lian decided to stay, no one dared to voice any objections, given the example set by Lu Xin earlier.

However, from the deliberately avoided glances, Ling Mo could tell that most people were more afraid of him than anything else. Although Xia Na was also strong, she hadn’t taken any direct action against them. It was probably at the moment Ling Mo grabbed Lu Xin that the group finally realized it was best to be obedient in front of him.

Just as Ling Mo intended, his slap, though only landing on Lu Xin’s face, made everyone else who harbored resentment towards him feel a burning sting on their own cheeks. Whether they had openly agreed with Lu Xin or merely grumbled in their hearts, they felt the impact.

As for Lu Xin, upon hearing that Ling Mo was staying, he slinked off into his room, too scared to show his face again.

Ling Mo didn’t think he had gone too far. In this chaotic world, strength meant no tolerance for insults!

“Do you all remember the teachers and students left at the school?” Liu Yuhao arranged for Ling Mo to sit on the sofa, then excitedly addressed the group, “Ling Mo has agreed to help Xia Na and me find them!”

The crowd was momentarily stunned, their gazes towards Ling Mo becoming exceedingly complex.

One of the female high school students hesitated before speaking, “There are so many zombies there…”

The implication was clear: she doubted the success of the mission. This skepticism was mirrored in the eyes of the others.

“I’ve told you all before, I am determined to go back and find them. If it weren’t for their help holding off the zombies, you would have become zombie fodder by now,” Xia Na spoke directly and bluntly, unlike Liu Yuhao.

If it weren’t for the way she clung to Ye Lian like a little sister, she would have a real leader’s aura.

“But…”

At this moment, a glasses-wearing man sitting to Ling Mo’s left suddenly spoke up, “If that’s the case, let’s all go together. Xia Na is right; they might still be alive, waiting for us to rescue them. Leaving them behind would be too selfish. What do you say, take us with you?”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone’s expressions became somewhat uneasy, but strangely, no one objected.

“No way!” Before Xia Na or Liu Yuhao could respond, Ling Mo cut in.

The suggestion was rejected, but the glasses man didn’t get angry. Instead, he turned his gaze to Ling Mo and asked, “Why not?”

“You all have no combat skills, and such a large group would be too conspicuous.”

Being extorted by Xia Na was one thing, but acting as a babysitter for such a group was beyond Ling Mo’s goodwill. Moreover, despite the glasses man’s fine words, Ling Mo sensed they wanted to tag along purely out of insecurity, which was evident from their reactions.

The distance to No. 3 High School was quite far. If those people were all dead, it wouldn’t matter, but if there were survivors, it might take Xia Na and Liu Yuhao two or three days to return. Navigating through areas dense with zombies was no simple task.

Of course, this group felt no pressure; all they needed to do was play the role of Dead Weight.

“But there isn’t enough food!” The man who had previously supported Lu Xin suddenly spoke up with a pained expression, and his words confirmed Ling Mo’s suspicions.

“Yeah, we didn’t anticipate running into Ling Mo today, so we didn’t prepare enough food for them…” Liu Yuhao smacked his forehead and turned pleading eyes towards Ling Mo.

“How about this: you don’t have to worry about their survival. Just help us out when things get dangerous. Is that okay?” Xia Na pondered for a moment before suddenly suggesting to Ling Mo.

When Xia Na made this suggestion, everyone’s expressions turned a bit awkward. They likely all understood their roles as Dead Weight, but having it pointed out so bluntly was probably a first, making them feel inevitably embarrassed.

In fact, their dissatisfaction with Ling Mo’s arrival stemmed from recognizing themselves as burdens. Whether Ling Mo was just another burden like them or had some skills, to these tightly-knit group members, he was an “external invader.”

As for Xia Na and Liu Yuhao, in their eyes, they were like hosts—to be exploited and monopolized.

But Dead Weight needed to know their place. Once the host spoke, even if they were unhappy, they had to bear it.

Since Xia Na had spoken, Ling Mo didn’t mind and nodded, “Alright.”

“Great, Xia Na, don’t worry. Just give us weapons, and we’ll do our best to protect ourselves,” the glasses man said, showing a hint of a pleased smile.

However, considering the complex and conflicted expressions of the others, it was hard to take his words at face value.

The group discussed some more details, and then Liu Yuhao took out the food from his backpack, and they all sat down for a simple meal.

However, the food they had scavenged was barely enough to fill their stomachs. In contrast, the food in Ling Mo’s backpack was much better in both taste and calorie content. This was no surprise, considering the urban area was swarming with zombies and survivors; any supermarket had likely been scavenged multiple times…

But Ling Mo had no intention of sharing his stash.

“Hey, isn’t your sister eating?” Xia Na offered Ye Lian half a pack of instant noodles, only to find that Ye Lian was unresponsive.

“Is she in a bad mood?”

Though Xia Na didn’t seem to notice, Liu Yuhao sensed a hint of coldness in Ye Lian’s eyes and tentatively asked.

“No, she just doesn’t interact much with strangers,” Ling Mo quickly interrupted, feeling a headache coming on.

“Why don’t we have Ye Lian sleep with us tonight?” Xia Na suddenly suggested. “You can stay with Liu Yuhao. The guys can sleep over here, and we girls will take the house across the street.”

She pointed to the house opposite them as she spoke.

Although Ling Mo wanted to refuse, when his gaze swept over Xia Na and the other girls, he inexplicably nodded, “Alright.” After all, they wouldn’t be far apart, so Ye Lian wouldn’t be out of his control. Ever since his Psychic Power had greatly increased, the control range had significantly extended.

“Hmm…” Xia Na was a bit surprised by Ling Mo’s prompt agreement, but it slightly changed her opinion of him.

Since the Apocalypse began, almost all forms of entertainment had disappeared. After dinner, even though it was just getting dark, everyone silently retreated to their rooms to rest.

Xia Na pulled Ye Lian along with a few other girls to the house across the street. Meanwhile, Ling Mo, maintaining the Psychic Link with Ye Lian, was assigned a single bed by Liu Yuhao and lay down alone.

This was special treatment, given that he would help Xia Na and the others go to No. 3 High School the next day. With his combat skills, even selective assistance would be significant for Xia Na and her group.

However, what no one expected was that when Ling Mo lay on the single bed, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, his perspective had already shifted to Ye Lian.

“I can’t be at ease leaving Ye Lian alone with you all. I need to keep an eye on her…” Ling Mo thought to himself.