Chapter 166 – The Little Girl’s Kiss

Night descended upon Crescent Moon Community, and a serene silence engulfed the area.

The cold wind rustled through the trees, producing a continuous “shhh” sound.

Ouyang Lian, who had already woken up, nestled in Meng Jiayu’s arms, her large eyes quietly observing Ling Mo, who was sitting not far away.

Before passing out, she had glimpsed Ling Mo dashing towards her. In that fleeting moment, she thought she was hallucinating.

“Jiayu, you’re so lucky to have such a capable brother like Ling Mo.”

Ouyang Lian’s voice was soft and carried the innocence unique to a child.

Meng Jiayu reached out to pull the blanket up, wrapping the two of them snugly inside to fend off the chill of the late autumn night. “Hmm… Lian Lian, be good, don’t make noise. They’re discussing something important.”

“Oh…” Ouyang Lian nodded, somewhat understanding, and obediently closed her mouth. However, her eyes remained fixed on Ling Mo.

“So, you’re an official from Baihua District?” Ling Mo asked, looking at Guo Chao in surprise.

Guo Chao nodded. “I’m just a public servant. I don’t live in Crescent Moon Community either. Like Yang Jia, I’m from a neighboring apartment complex.”

“So you…”

“No, I’m just like you guys. I don’t have any special information,” Guo Chao said, lowering his head to look at the flashlight that was emitting a soft glow.

They had covered the flashlight with a handkerchief, concentrating the light and making it gentler.

Except for the Survivors standing guard at the second-floor window, the other members of the Survival Squad were here, sleeping in their clothes, huddled together for warmth. Since there weren’t enough blankets, they had no other option.

Some of them had already drifted into a deep sleep, but most remained silent, listening to the conversation between Ling Mo and Guo Chao.

Hearing Guo Chao’s words, Ling Mo showed a hint of disappointment and couldn’t help but glance at Ye Lian and Xia Na beside him.

“What about those higher up…”

Guo Chao’s eyes flashed with a hint of something unspoken before he shook his head with a bitter smile. “I have an uncle who works in the provincial government. When the disaster first started, he called me, although the conversation was very short… The outbreak was sudden, a global annihilation. Where the Virus came from, or if there’s a known source—he didn’t know, and neither do I. But I believe we had some emergency measures in place…”

“But for a sudden large-scale disaster like this, even if there are emergency measures…” Ling Mo asked doubtfully.

Guo Chao looked up at him and said, “Yes, their effectiveness would be greatly reduced because nobody knew who around them might suddenly transform. But surely, there would be some forces that endure.”

It seemed Guo Chao, just like Lin Luanqiu, Luo Heng, and others before him, believed that rescue would come eventually…

“So, are you planning to hold out here?” Ling Mo asked.

Surprisingly, Guo Chao shook his head. “I believe there will be a rescue, but how long will that take? The timing is too uncertain. I still prefer to rescue myself.”

“What are you planning to do?” Ling Mo asked with interest.

Guo Chao gave him a feeling of being thoughtful and not just a shallow character. He also seemed quite courageous.

In fact, when people were captured in the Garden, Guo Chao was among the few Survivors who turned back to help.

In times of crisis, not abandoning your companions, having some understanding of the disaster situation, and actively seeking methods for self-rescue—such a person is indeed qualified to decide the survival path for a group of Survivors.

Even though they had just reunited, Ling Mo felt genuinely happy for Meng Jiayu.

Her survival up to this point was certainly due to her own bravery, but to a large extent, she was also reliant on this Survival Squad.

Guo Chao pondered for a moment and then said, “There’s an Armed Police Unit nearby. I plan to find some weapons there. Don’t worry; I don’t intend to use these firearms within the city. Also, the road conditions here are still decent, so I plan to get a couple of military Jeeps and drive to the Food Production Base outside the city. I visited there once for a study tour. It has vast Farmland, enough housing, and surrounding ditches that can serve as natural barriers. There’s a well, a generator, and a large stockpile of food…”

“Sounds like a good place,” Ling Mo said after a brief pause, nodding in agreement.

Guo Chao smiled, but his expression remained very serious, making his smile look rather forced. “Yes, but there are a lot of animals there… I don’t know if you’ve encountered any, but some animals have mutated after getting infected…”

“I have encountered them. I call them Mutation Beasts,” Ling Mo nodded.

Guo Chao’s expression turned grim. “Mutation Beasts… That’s a fitting name. My son… he was torn apart by one of these mutated large dogs… The Food Production Base has many dogs, and they also raise pigs, cows, and similar animals. I suspect birds and poultry might not mutate, but they could still become food for the Mutation Beasts. I hope some of them have survived so we don’t have to be vegetarians all the time.”

“Hey, Ling… I’m older, so I’ll call you Xiao Ling,” Guo Chao said, given he was nearly forty years old, and calling Ling Mo “Xiao Ling” seemed appropriate. Ling Mo smiled and nodded in agreement.

“The reason I’m telling you all this is that I need your help,” Guo Chao said earnestly. “We are all ordinary people. We’re not afraid to die, but we’re not capable enough to handle these tasks. Although I have been searching for nearby Survivors, people keep dying. Now, there are only about seventeen or eighteen of us left…”

“Uh…”

Ling Mo felt troubled. He had anticipated Guo Chao would make such a request halfway through the conversation. Though the team included Meng Jiayu, Ling Mo was only willing to help within his capacity.

Saving so many people would not only be dangerous but would also consume a lot of time and energy.

Moreover, they were planning to leave the city. Ling Mo originally had no intention of leaving the urban area…

“Why, aren’t you planning to go out and have a look?” Guo Chao continued, “To be honest, not far from the Food Production Base is an Army garrison, and nearby there’s a Biological Research Institute. If they haven’t been wiped out, they must have established a base by now. Maybe we can get some information from them…” He added, “And the weapons in the Armed Police Unit would be useful to you too. You’re already strong, but with some weapons, you’d be even stronger.”

These words finally made Ling Mo waver.

It wasn’t because of the weapons, but because of the potential intelligence the Army might have and the existence of the Biological Research Institute.

Although Ling Mo was actively helping Ye Lian and Xia Na evolve, deep down, he still harbored hope that they could be cured.

Even though the possibility was very slim… After all, if a cure were possible, the world wouldn’t have deteriorated to this point.

But if he could find out what the Virus truly was, even if there wasn’t a cure, it would certainly make their evolution journey smoother!

Knowledge is power, even against a Virus!

However, Ling Mo didn’t immediately agree. While this matter was important to him, he still needed to carefully consider its feasibility.

“Let me think about it,” Ling Mo said.

Although Guo Chao was somewhat disappointed, he still nodded, “Alright. We’ll be here for about two more days. There are still a few places nearby we haven’t searched yet. Once we have enough food, we’ll set out. After leaving here, we’ll pass through the Gaoxin Zone, where finding food won’t be so easy.”

“By the way, you mentioned you originally had a superhuman with you, but they went missing. What happened?” Ling Mo couldn’t help but ask more as he was about to leave.

This time, not only did Guo Chao’s expression turn peculiar, but the other Survivors also turned their attention towards him.

Meng Jiayu opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.

“He… He had a daughter younger than Lian Lian. During one retreat… his daughter died, and then he left with her body and never came back. Maybe…”

Guo Chao said with difficulty, “Maybe he thinks it was our fault.”

The explanation was vague, but Ling Mo sensed there might be more to the story.

But the fact that the person just left without causing immediate chaos—it was unclear whether it was due to some issue with his powers or if he couldn’t bring himself to act against them…

“Xiao Ling, you and your girlfriend… girlfriends should go rest. That room upstairs is available. By the way, isn’t it one of your girlfriend’s old bedrooms?” Guo Chao changed the subject.

Ling Mo glanced at the man with the severed hand and the two Survivors around him, knowing that they would definitely keep a close watch on him tonight to see if he would mutate.

“Alright, you all rest well.”

As Ling Mo walked past Meng Jiayu, Ouyang Lian reached out a small, pale hand and grabbed the hem of his pants, shyly calling out, “Ling Mo…”

“Yes?”

Ling Mo had a soft spot for this brave and affectionate little girl. He wouldn’t have saved her otherwise. Seeing her call out to him, he squatted down and ruffled her hair, asking, “What’s up?”

A faint blush appeared on Ouyang Lian’s face. She suddenly leaned in, wrapped her arms around Ling Mo’s head, and planted a kiss on his cheek with a soft “mwah”: “Thank you for saving me, and Jiayu.”

After the kiss, she didn’t release Ling Mo immediately. Instead, she pressed her face against his, gently rubbing against it.

Soft, with a hint of moisture…

“What the… I’m not a lolicon!”

Ling Mo was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook his head.

It must be the result of Xia Na getting him fired up earlier, he thought. I’m definitely not a lolicon!

But Ouyang Lian was indeed adorable. Ling Mo looked at her small face and couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever have children in the future…

But then came the question: Can Zombies and humans have children?

It seemed essential to find out the specific characteristics of the Zombie Virus…

“You’re welcome.” Ling Mo squeezed Ouyang Lian’s cheek and smiled.

Ouyang Lian seemed very happy, giggling twice before shyly turning back and throwing herself into Meng Jiayu’s arms.

With her hat off, Meng Jiayu revealed a ponytail and a face with well-defined features, giving off a refined and pleasant aura.

She wasn’t a conventional beauty but had a cultured and graceful demeanor, embodying the essence of an Eastern girl when she was calm.

“Take care and rest well. Thank you,” Meng Jiayu hesitated for a moment but then extended her hand, grabbed Ling Mo’s hand, and gave it a firm shake.

Footnote:

Xiao Ling (小凌): In China, elders often use “Xiao” before a younger person’s surname, like “Xiao Ling,” to show affection and familiarity.