Chapter 121 - 113: Salvation Army?
Life is full of unforeseens, just as trees yearn for stillness while the wind refuses to cease.
Li Yu originally wanted to find a tranquil corner, a secluded spot to live through this apocalypse with his family, never dreaming of saving humanity, nor seeking dominance over the world.
He just wanted to peacefully get by day by day.
April 5th, Tomb-Sweeping Day.
Continuous rain showers during Qingming season, pedestrians on the road seem soul-crushed.
As the rain falls, zombies become frenzied, starting to emerge from dark corners.
Li Yu, together with Li Yuan and others, were out scavenging for supplies. Although they had managed to obtain a tanker truck filled with oil last time, in the apocalypse, if there's a chance to acquire more, you do it.
So, Li Yu took Li Yuan, Zhao Dapao, and others to venture out.
After returning from the city, Li Yu established some rules.
Regardless of gender, everyone in the base had to go out, to scavenge for supplies, to kill zombies. Under the leadership of Li Yu, Zhao Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Li Tie, Li Gang, Third Uncle, Uncle, and others, each expedition ensured that there were experienced people with strong combat capabilities.
Li Yu deeply understood that in the event of a major unforeseen incident, all hands must be on deck; one cannot rely solely on a fraction of the people to protect the majority.
Not to mention the exhaustion, those who are protected are like lambs in a comfort zone, powerless in the face of grave danger.
This, was not what Li Yu wanted to see.
From the very beginning, when he let everyone kill the Village Chief and his crew, to later on going out to kill zombies, and then later on, killing people like Manager Zhou at the cement factory...
Walking this path of bloodshed, everyone at the base came to starkly understand how brutal the apocalypse truly is.
Mentally prepared, their next step was to improve their Combat Power.
Starting from learning how to kill using knives, swords, and spears,
to later how to use crossbows,
and then later, after obtaining a large quantity of bullets and firearms, they began practicing their gunning skills.
Thus, those who went out could generally carry firearms, but used them sparingly, resorting to firearms only in special circumstances, otherwise relying primarily on melee weapons like spears.
This time, they were out to extract the underground oil stored at the gas station.
These oil reserves are stored underground, and the gas station had no electricity, which was quite troublesome.
It wasn't until later, when Li Yu found an electric pump during a supply run, that they could insert a hose and start extracting the oil.
The base had electricity; this time they brought a storage battery to connect to the electric pump to siphon the oil!
They had just placed the hose into position, ready to start the pump, when suddenly, the walkie-talkie crackled to life:
"Director Li, someone's driving over here! People are driving over!" It was Ding Jiu.
Caution was a habit for Li Yu. Even though it had been a long time since anyone had been seen around, Li Yu remained vigilant for the arrival of others.
The gas station was situated at the entrance of a small town, and directly opposite it stood the tallest building in the entire town.
A nine-story building.
And it was from inside this nine-story building that Ding Jiu was observing through a telescope, monitoring the condition of the highway running north to south and the surrounding area.
Just moments ago, he spotted several vehicles approaching from the south.
"Understood. Continue observing, make sure you're not detected," Li Yu said into the walkie-talkie.
Then, he turned to Li Yuan and the scruffy-looking companion and ordered, "Seal the oil port quickly, then let's make a swift retreat."
Li Tie immediately stepped forward to help seal the oil port, then he went to fetch the electric car and gathered everyone. They headed for the supermarket behind the gas station as a refuge.
"Big brother, what about our tanker truck?" Li Tie inquired.
"Leave it for now, let's see what the situation is first and figure out what these people are up to," Li Yu contemplated for a moment before replying.
As they drove the electric car to the supermarket behind the gas station, no more than 30 seconds had passed.
Li Yu then heard a series of loud engine roars, followed by the sound of screeching brakes.
Screech~
A screeching sound that makes one's teeth sour, very uncomfortable to listen to. It seems this vehicle is a bit dilapidated, making a particularly loud noise when driven.
Then, there's a conversation.
Li Yu and the others pricked up their ears, listening intently.
"True Father, we should refuel here." The voice sounded like a calm middle-aged man.
However, after he finished speaking, he received no response.
Li Yu was a bit conflicted, wanting to stick his head out to look, but ultimately he didn't. Instead, he picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "What are they doing? Why did they suddenly stop talking?"
On the other end, Ding Jiu said, "They... uh... they're kneeling. It was quite sudden. And then it looks like they're holding something in their hands? The air?"
"..." Li Yu was somewhat speechless.
Until two minutes later, a voice suddenly came through.
"O Lord, teach us to flee from evil, let us not meet temptation." A deep yet gentle voice spoke.
"True Father."
"True Father."
"True Father."
.....
What followed was a chorus of shouts, filled with excitement and devotion as if ready to give up anything, even their lives, for something.
When Li Yu heard this, he was immediately angry.
Damn it!
These pushy people, whether it's before or after the apocalypse, there's always a group like this.
Constantly proselytizing, continuously spreading how they can save people, how to find the true meaning of life.
There are even some churches that tell you that your physical parents in this world don't matter, what's important are your spiritual true parents.
This one just now, likely also a type to mythologize himself into a savior.
MDZZ.
The voice came through again: "According to what your true brothers said, there's a group in the North that will accept anyone. Let's go there."
"Now, our big family is scattered. So we must unite. Once things are stable, I will hold weddings for you, to give birth to innocent children."
"At that time, the power of God will expand." The voice was gentle, as if coming from afar, yet also as if from nearby, carrying a strong persuasive force.
"True Father everlasting." A passionate voice came through.
"True Father everlasting."
.....
There was another wave of fervent worship, the tones filled with passion.
"Big brother, I want to kill him." Li Tie suddenly said, his tone making it unclear whether he was joking or serious.
Li Yu looked at him somewhat amusedly. Li Tie had always been very reliable and dependable, so Li Yu frequently took him along.
And now, Li Tie was the one suggesting murder.
This amused Li Yu.
"Why are those from the Salvation Army always chasing us? We're clearly looking out for their best interest, spreading GOD's message to them," came a woman's voice from the other side.
"Because they are the Devil Satan. They will be punished. All we are currently facing are tests given by G. You must guard your hearts." The gentle voice slowly said.
Salvation Army?
Li Yu felt the name was familiar; he had heard it before his rebirth. At that time, he was in the North and had heard from people coming from the South mention this name.
After thinking for a while, he only remembered the name but couldn't immediately recall any information about the organization.
"Don't go out yet, wait a bit longer." Li Yu's gaze became more somber as he said to Li Tie beside him.