Chapter Thirty-Seven

After speaking, Zhou Yu was the first to leave, heading to the back of the armored car. He retrieved a submachine gun, a handgun, and some canned food and rations from inside. When he came out, he handed these items to Peng Honghai and said, “Brother Hai, there’s nothing much left here. Besides, I still need to look after these people. Take these with you for the road. Even though you can protect yourself now, you still have your wife and the others—don’t turn this down.”

Peng Honghai listened to Zhou Yu’s words without replying.

Zhou Yu went over and put his arm around Peng Honghai’s shoulder. “Come on, Brother Hai. Let’s eat, then you can take the car and go. I’ll wait for you ahead, with your wife and the others.”

Peng Honghai’s eyes were red as he gave Zhou Yu a light punch. “Brother, once I bring my wife and the others, I’ll come find you.”

“That’s the spirit,” Zhou Yu replied. “Before all this, we were nothing. But now, in the apocalypse, we have the ability to survive. There’s no reason to fear what’s to come.”

“You’re right,” Peng Honghai said. “It’s the end of the world, but we’re still standing. What’s there to be afraid of? Let’s eat.”

With that, Peng Honghai and Zhou Yu walked back into the house, arms thrown over each other’s shoulders.

Inside, Xiao Jie had already set the table and was waiting for the two men.

Zhou Yu sat down immediately, saying nothing, and simply began to eat.

When Zhou Yu finished eating, he took out a pack of Supreme 95s, pulled out a cigarette, and tossed it to Peng Honghai. “Brother Hai, you know I don’t drink. Have a cigarette to mark your departure.”

He lit another cigarette for himself, placed it between his lips, and said, “A smoke after a meal is better than being a living god.”

Peng Honghai lit his own cigarette and said, “Brother, wait for me. When I return, we’ll make our mark on this land together. Otherwise, it would be a waste of the fate that let us survive.”

Zhou Yu nodded. “Exactly. We must make our mark, or else it’d be for nothing. I’ll be waiting.”

“I’m off, then,” Peng Honghai said.

“Wait, Brother Hai,” Zhou Yu called out.

He turned to Zhao Yan and said, “Zhao Yan, give me the keys.”

Zhao Yan guessed what Zhou Yu was about to do and said nothing. After all, their lives had been saved by Zhou Yu.

Zhao Yan tossed over the keys. Zhou Yu caught them, then immediately tossed them to Peng Honghai.

He said, “What’s the matter, Brother Hai? Did you forget what I just said? Take the car, the sooner you go, the sooner you’ll be back. I’ll be waiting for you up ahead.”

Peng Honghai caught the keys, looked at them, and said, “Alright, wait for me, brother. I’m going now.”

Zhou Yu didn’t get up to see him off. He just sat there, watching as Peng Honghai got in the car, reversed, turned around, and drove away. Only then did Zhou Yu drop his cigarette to the ground and crush it out.

At this moment, Zhao Yan said, “Zhou Yu, I was listening to you two talk earlier, and I think I understand something. I feel like we should change our goal.”

Zhou Yu was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Zhao Yan explained, “Before, our goal was to reach the survivor base, because at that time all we wanted was to stay alive, right?”

Zhou Yu nodded. “That’s true. But why do you think we should change our goal now?”

“If you want to make something of yourself now,” Zhao Yan said, “my suggestion is that we should strike out on our own.”

Zhou Yu still didn’t quite understand. “Is there really a difference between striking out on our own and heading to the survivor base?”