Chapter 73 – The Value Displayed

“So, there are many of those Rescue Teams at X City University?” Ling Mo asked curiously.

Lin Luanqiu nodded. “Yes, the largest one seems to have over two hundred people. But the resources at the school are really limited. I reckon most people are thinking about how to escape. However, the number of zombies is just too overwhelming. We lost a lot of people and only managed to escape with about ten of us. Now, it’s just Shi Bin and me.” She paused, a bit surprised, and said, “It looks like you are determined to go to X City University. Even if you are strong, getting in won’t be easy, let alone coming out afterward. That place is not suitable for a prolonged stay.”

“I have my ways, but thank you for the warning,” Ling Mo replied with a smile, then regretfully added, “It’s a pity your health isn’t good; you probably can’t lead the way.”

Shi Bin, a bit angry, interjected, “Are you kidding? She’s in this condition, and you’re still thinking about using her?”

Interrupted by Shi Bin once again, Ling Mo couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. He was merely expressing his thoughts and had no intention of making Lin Luanqiu lead them.

It was hard to tell if Shi Bin genuinely didn’t understand or if he just had a particular dislike for Ling Mo. Ling Mo glanced at Shi Bin and sneered, “It seems you care a lot about her.”

Shi Bin’s face turned slightly red. If not for the black eye he had, his pale face might have looked quite righteous. “Of course! Regardless of the past, we are now companions. Besides, if she hadn’t protected me back then, I wouldn’t be standing here alive. It’s only right for me to think of her now.” After saying this, he stood up straight and stole a glance at Lin Luanqiu.

“Oh…” Ling Mo elongated the word, suddenly standing up and coldly saying, “So what have you done for her? Kept her confined here, watching her wait to die?”

“What did you say?!”

Shi Bin jumped up in anger, but just as he raised his fist, Lin Luanqiu immediately stopped him. “Don’t do anything foolish!” she commanded. Then she turned to Ling Mo, “He’s a bit stubborn, but you don’t need to provoke him on purpose just to find an excuse to beat him up…”

As she spoke, Lin Luanqiu glanced at Xia Na and Ye Lian. Since entering the room, these two girls had kept their distance, seemingly unwilling to engage with strangers.

However, when Shi Bin had shown signs of aggression, Xia Na had instantly gripped her knife, and Ye Lian’s eyes had turned cold.

Lin Luanqiu had no doubt that if she hadn’t stopped Shi Bin, he would have been beaten to a pulp, even if Ling Mo hadn’t intervened.

Xia Na was one thing, but since when had Ye Lian become so formidable? Then again, Lin Luanqiu’s knowledge of the Campus Belle was based on hearsay, and she’d heard that Ye Lian was quite low-key. Maybe she had trained in self-defense before?

The more these two girls exhibited caution, the higher Lin Luanqiu’s opinion of Ling Mo rose.

Unlike Shi Bin, she didn’t think Ling Mo was forcing them. If that were the case, why would they constantly keep their focus on him?

“As for being confined… you can see how weak I am now. It’s just a precaution,” Lin Luanqiu sighed, explaining.

However, Ling Mo had a feeling that things weren’t that simple. Even if there was a fear of being harmed by other survivors, it wouldn’t necessitate hiding in such a small warehouse. Recalling Shi Bin’s extreme reaction, Ling Mo felt something was off.

But ultimately, it wasn’t his business to pry, so he looked at Lin Luanqiu and asked, “I wonder if you could draw me a map…”

“No,” Lin Luanqiu interrupted, looking at Ling Mo. “I want to go back to X City University with you.”

“What?!” Shi Bin exclaimed. He was about to say more when Lin Luanqiu cut him off. “I’ve been dragging this out for days, but instead of getting better, my condition is worsening. I don’t want to die, at least not from illness.” Lin Luanqiu’s tone was calm, but Shi Bin felt his face burn with embarrassment. Having just been questioned by Ling Mo, hearing Lin Luanqiu speak like this felt like being slapped repeatedly on both cheeks, leaving his face swollen.

Seeing Shi Bin tightly pressing his lips together without saying a word, Lin Luanqiu gave an apologetic smile and turned to Ling Mo. “Don’t worry, I won’t be a burden. Shi Bin can take care of me. In return, I’ll guide you and provide information about the school. I have only one condition: I want to go with you to the School Hospital.”

“What, you don’t want to return to that Rescue Team?” Ling Mo asked, glancing instinctively at Xia Na behind him. Xia Na had insisted on returning to No. 3 High School, only to be betrayed by Lu Xin and infected, transforming into a Zombie.

Lin Luanqiu shook her head. “What would I do there in my current state? They’d probably kick me out the moment I walked in. I just want to go to the School Hospital and get some medicine. It’s better than waiting to die. Don’t worry, I won’t slow you down. With me guiding you, you’ll save a lot of time. No matter where you need to go, I can find the best route. I see your team is quite capable, and I trust you. I hope you can trust me too.”

Her confident words indeed persuaded Ling Mo.

Having someone familiar with the environment leading the way would save a lot of time. Given Lin Luanqiu and Shi Bin’s current abilities, reaching the School Hospital safely on their own was nearly impossible. Her decision to join them for her survival was entirely understandable.

What Ling Mo appreciated most was that Lin Luanqiu was smart enough to understand the concept of a fair exchange. Although her words might have seemed a bit overconfident, Ling Mo felt her approach of openly stating her value was quite appropriate.

The only thing Ling Mo wasn’t entirely satisfied with was Shi Bin’s presence. However, Lin Luanqiu’s physical condition was indeed poor. While Ling Mo could allow her to guide them, he wasn’t keen on playing the role of a caretaker.

After considering for a moment, Ling Mo nodded. “Alright. But let me be clear: if you act recklessly and put us in danger, my priority will be the safety of my team.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t act recklessly,” Lin Luanqiu replied with a light-hearted tone, even making a joke about herself. “In my condition, how could I possibly act recklessly?”

Shi Bin also grumbled, “As long as you all don’t act recklessly, we’ll be fine.”

“When do you plan to leave?” Lin Luanqiu asked.

Ling Mo rubbed his nose and said, “Probably not today. I was planning to find a place to rest here and slowly figure out the situation inside.”

“Then let’s stay here for tonight. Although it’s a bit cramped, at least there are no Zombies…” Lin Luanqiu had just finished when Shi Bin grumbled, “There weren’t any before, but now two have shown up. What bad luck!”

His words had a pointed tone, but Ling Mo didn’t bother to respond to him. Instead, he nodded, “Alright, that works.”

Hearing that two Zombies had appeared inside the bar, Lin Luanqiu looked a bit surprised. However, since she lived here and was unfamiliar with the situation outside, she didn’t become suspicious.

Perhaps having hope for survival boosted her spirits, as Lin Luanqiu seemed in good spirits. The two of them sat and chatted for quite a while.

After confirming their cooperative relationship, Lin Luanqiu no longer held back and shared all the information she had with Ling Mo.

Xia Na and Ye Lian, although they didn’t join the conversation, listened very “attentively.” They might not understand everything, but seeing someone talking to Ling Mo, these two female Zombies were surely curious. Xia Na, in particular, paid close attention.

From Lin Luanqiu’s explanation, Ling Mo gained a general understanding of the situation at X City University.

The kind of Rescue Team that Lin Luanqiu belonged to was indeed numerous at X City University. After all, with over three thousand survivors, it was a significant number.

Lin Luanqiu didn’t know the internal situation of other Rescue Teams, but the one she was in had split into two factions.

One part wanted to hold their ground, while the faction led by Lin Luanqiu believed they should escape as soon as possible. They thought only outside could they survive until national rescue arrived.

There were also some who had completely lost hope. They believed neither holding their ground nor waiting for rescue was meaningful. These people gave Lin Luanqiu the biggest headache, and during her conversation with Ling Mo, she subtly compared these people to trash.

Trash… aren’t they just parasites? It seems parasites exist everywhere.

Aside from the kind of Survivor Camps that Song Tian and Wang Lin were in, many Survivors seemed to have just temporarily gathered together, lacking effective organization and regulation.

With such Rescue Teams, it’s no wonder they would fall apart.

Although Lin Luanqiu talked a lot, she never mentioned what the “incident” she had previously referred to was. She only hinted that her current predicament was closely related to that “incident.”

“By the way, what do you think is the proportion of superhumans? How many superhumans are there in this city?” Lin Luanqiu suddenly asked.

This question stumped Ling Mo. He thought to himself, how would I know? He had been constantly moving around the city, and so far, he hadn’t encountered many Survivors, let alone superhumans. There were only two he had met: Wang Lin, whose superpower was nearly useless, and Lin Luanqiu, who had a strong superpower but a weak body. Ling Mo couldn’t help but feel a bit fortunate, thinking that he was quite lucky. More importantly, because of his superpower, he was able to keep Ye Lian by his side, as well as Xia Na…