The Walking Dead : Rules of Survival

Suo Tian pulled me up from the ground, a hint of irritation on his face.

After scanning me up and down, he spoke:

"What on earth is going through your head?"

I froze for a moment, not realizing he was scolding me, and reflexively replied,

"What do you mean, what am I thinking?"

Suo Tian stared at me for a couple of seconds, then turned around somewhat helplessly and walked into the pharmacy.

"Stay close."

"Oh."

I glanced at Suo Tian's back in confusion, wondering why he suddenly cared about what was on my mind.

I almost got bitten by a walker and he didn't even seem worried.

The pharmacy was practically a wreck.

Judging by the mess, it seemed like those walkers had been trapped in there for quite some time.

It was unclear whether they had been locked in after turning into walkers, or if someone had locked them up while they were still normal, and then one of them turned and bit the rest.

If it were the latter, then the person who locked them in probably never had a chance to come back.

Suo Tian stepped into the disordered shelves, rummaging through the scattered medicine until he found a few rolls of gauze, two bottles of iodine, and a large box of band-aids.

I figured he grabbed the band-aids just in case someone got a minor cut or scrape later—it could be used for temporary isolation.

After all, we had to fight with walkers from time to time, with filthy blood and brain matter flying everywhere.

If that stuff splashed into an open wound, the only option left would be to go plead your case to the King of Hell.

I casually picked up a few scattered bottles of Laxative from the floor and stuffed them into my pocket.

Yangyang's stomach has always been sensitive—one slip-up and he'd end up with diarrhea.

In my experience, this medicine works wonders for that.

Cheap and effective.

I used to always keep a bottle at home.

But for a long time now, I hadn't heard Yangyang complain about any stomach issues, so I had completely forgotten about it.

Most likely, he just wasn't saying anything.

It's not like the end of the world magically cured his digestive system.

"Let's go."

Suo Tian packed the supplies into the backpack he always carried, stepped out from between the shelves, and headed for the door.

I followed behind him, and when we passed by the female walker that had just knocked me over, I gave her corpse a hard kick.

Damn you, you almost gave me a concussion again!

Of course, it's not really worth getting too worked up over the dead, so that one kick was enough to vent my anger and disgust.

Though honestly, I really wanted to pull out a dagger and stab that rotten face a few more times!

Hearing the commotion, Suo Tian turned around and gave me a mildly amused look.

"Funny how you weren't so bold when she was trying to bite you just now."

That fired me up.

"What do you mean 'wasn't bold'? I just didn't have a free hand at the time!

If I'd had even a second, I would've blown her head wide open!"

(…That last part, I only said to myself in my head.)

"Alright, let's go."

Suo Tian's tone, for once, carried a hint of something almost like indulgence.

It instantly lit me up inside, and I trotted after him, grinning like an idiot.

Even after getting into the car, I kept replaying that one line in my head—especially the way his voice lifted slightly at the end.

That kind of tone usually means the person doesn't dislike talking to you.

Just as Suo Tian started the car, I was still happily gazing out the window.

Right next to the pharmacy was a narrow alley—barely a meter wide.

I happened to glance into it casually, but then my eyes froze.

Deep in the alley, I caught a fleeting glimpse of two figures.

At first, I didn't think much of it, but just as I was about to look away, one of them suddenly stumbled forward a couple of steps before steadying themselves.

Then they clutched their chest and said something to the person beside them.

Living people?!

I was stunned and instinctively reached out to stop Suo Tian, who was about to turn the key and start the engine.

"There are people in the alley!" I warned.

Suo Tian froze and turned to look in the direction I was pointing.

The two figures in the alley exchanged a few words, then cautiously looked around before walking toward the alley's exit—right toward where Suo Tian and I were.

I turned to Suo Tian and asked,

"Should we go check it out?"

He pulled his gaze back, sat upright, and said,

"No need. Let's go."

"Alright."

After all, I was relying on others for shelter now, and after that whole mess with Mei Jing, I really wasn't in the mood to play the good Samaritan again and rescue someone mid-journey.

As for Xu Shu and Chen Pu, that was different—I helped them because I was hoping to get their car.

Though in the end, not only did I not get it, I almost ended up costing several people their lives...

Besides, judging by the kitchen knives those two were carrying, it seemed they at least had some ability to protect themselves.

Suo Tian started the car, and I sat up properly, ready to put those two out of my mind.

Whether before or after the apocalypse, this world has just too many pitiful people.

I can't save them all.

And really, wasn't I one of them too?

I guess the only difference was that while I was pitiful too, I also had a bit more stubborn will—and motivation—to survive than most.

Then suddenly—

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't go, please don't go! The people in the car—please don't leave, I'm begging you, just wait a moment!"

The two people were just about to reach the mouth of the alley when Suo Tian suddenly started the car.

The roar of the engine caught their attention, and they began shouting and pleading, begging us not to leave, while quickly running toward us.

"What should we do?" I couldn't help but ask Suo Tian.

But before he could answer, the two had already reached the front of the car.

That's when I realized it was a middle-aged man and woman.

Their hair had gone noticeably gray, and deep lines etched their faces—obvious signs of years of hardship, sun, and toil.

Their appearances gave off an honest, down-to-earth impression.

In fact, seeing them holding kitchen knives seemed oddly out of place with their demeanor.

I could hardly believe that people like them had managed to survive in all this chaos.

But then again, if someone like me—and Yangyang—could stay alive and safe this long, then maybe it wasn't so surprising they'd made it too.

The pair ran straight in front of the car, trying to block our way and stop us from leaving.

Then the woman noticed me sitting in the front passenger seat.

Maybe she thought a woman would be more compassionate, because she quickly ran to my window and started pounding on it, begging,

"Miss, please, be kind, save us—please save us. We can't hold on anymore, we really can't..."

As the woman spoke, her voice broke into sobs, and tears streamed down her face.

She cried so sorrowfully that it tugged hard at my heart.

Through the window, I could see the exhaustion and sorrow etched deeply into her weathered face, and I couldn't help but feel a painful ache inside.

The middle-aged man in front of the car wore a tattered old tunic over an even more ragged blue cotton-padded jacket, the stuffing already poking out.

He kept wiping at his tears while bowing to us repeatedly in a pleading gesture.

Even though I didn't look much better than him at the moment, I couldn't help but feel a strong wave of sympathy.

Judging by their actions, it seemed they saw us as their last hope of survival.

But with Suo Tian staying silent, I didn't dare respond.

I was afraid that if I gave in to compassion and agreed to help or take them in, I might bring unnecessary trouble upon us.

Suo Tian sat in the driver's seat, staring at the man in front of the car for a while.

Then, clearly growing impatient, he tapped the horn as a signal for them to move.

But instead of moving, the couple grew even more desperate.

The woman, who had been pounding on my window just moments ago, ran to the front of the car as well—and with a thud, she dropped to her knees on the pavement.

I was startled and immediately sat up straight.

In all my life, no one had ever knelt before me.

Now, out of nowhere, an elder was kneeling in front of our car, and a wave of discomfort swept over me.

According to some elderly people, having a senior kneel to you is said to bring misfortune.

Even though I've never had much fortune to speak of, I still didn't want to see an old lady kneeling in front of me like this.

The middle-aged man who had been bowing nonstop saw the woman kneel down, and with a thud, he dropped to his knees as well.

Then the two of them began kowtowing to the car, again and again.

The woman cried out in a shrill, heart-wrenching voice, sobbing something I couldn't quite make out, but I could more or less grasp the meaning.

She was saying that she and her husband (which I assumed was the man in the tattered blue cotton jacket) hadn't seen a living person in a long time, and that their children and grandchildren had all been killed by the walker.

The two of them had endured countless hardships just to survive until now.

Feeling conflicted, I turned to glance at Suo Tian.

Sympathy had already taken root in my heart, making me feel anxious and uneasy.

But Suo Tian still sat there with his lips pressed into a thin line, looking out at the scene as if it had nothing to do with him.

The couple continued kowtowing relentlessly, and the woman kept crying and shouting.

Her voice had grown hoarse and torn from the strain of sobbing so hard.

Suo Tian's expression gradually turned impatient.

He glanced around, seemingly trying to figure out how to maneuver the car around the two of them.

I couldn't help but feel a little worried.

From the looks of it, the couple was completely exhausted, and Suo Tian clearly had no intention of helping them.

After we left, how much longer could they even last?

But worry was just worry.

Deep down, I still didn't have a strong urge to actually save them.

How should I put it... I was now like those people who used to be written about online—watching coldly from the sidelines, pouring all their energy into expressing how deeply sympathetic they were to the world, while in reality, they couldn't even be bothered to lift a finger.

I let out a self-deprecating chuckle and was about to turn and signal to Suo Tian to find a way to leave quickly—when at that exact moment, out of the corner of my eye, I sharply noticed more than a dozen walkers stumbling out from some distant alleyway, drawn by the commotion and now lurching unsteadily in our direction.

They were too far away, so I couldn't hear the walkers making any noise.

The couple outside were crying so intently, and since the walkers were coming from behind them, they didn't notice at all.

I really panicked this time.

I quickly rolled down the car window, stuck my head out, and shouted at them, "Sir! Ma'am! Run! Walkers are coming! Behind you! Behind you! Walkers are coming!"

I shouted urgently, trying to raise my voice as much as possible, until my voice cracked at the end.

The couple probably didn't expect me to suddenly open the window and talk to them.

They stopped kowtowing abruptly and just stared at me, clearly not understanding what I was shouting.

Seeing the walker group getting closer and closer, I grew even more anxious.

Sweat broke out all over me as I shouted and gestured wildly, "Turn around! Turn around! Behind you! Walkers are coming! Run, run!"

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