Ch46 In the Apocalyptic Times, Only the Ruthless Survive
"Spare us! Spare us! We made a mistake!"
The men on the two assault boats were beaten into submission, begging for mercy.
But Meng Ci and Shen Que both knew that if they didn't finish them off, any future encounter might cost them their own lives.
Meng Ci and Shen Que worked in perfect sync. As Meng Ci steered their assault boat close, Shen Que thrust his blade forward.
One after another, the enemy boats deflated. Some tried to grab hold of Meng Ci's vessel, only to be cut down by the two men's blades.
"Save me! Save me!"
"I can't swim! I have a seventy-year-old mother at home!"
Meng Ci and Shen Que paid no heed. Soon, several people were swept further and further away by the floodwaters.
One man clung to a piece of driftwood in the torrent.
Meng Ci and Shen Que didn't spare him either.
They drove the assault boat toward him, injuring the man's limbs until he had to let go of the wood. He was then carried away by the flood.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Shen Que asked anxiously after the danger passed.
Meng Ci shook his head. "I'm fine."
Having just endured a brutal fight, neither felt like talking. Meng Ci drove the assault boat back in silence.
Meng Ci disembarked first. Shen Que handed him the coal from the boat. Meng Ci took it and set it on the ground.
Residents from other floors and their own floor saw them return carrying only coal, no food, and muttered that they were fools.
But none dared to voice it aloud.
After all, they had seen the blood on the two men and the traces lingering on their knives.
Several people, terrified, even hurried away.
Good heavens, those two had actually killed someone.
What if they took a dislike to us? Would they kill us too?
Shen Que carried two sacks of coal up the stairs at a time, while Meng Ci watched over the coal here and stowed away the assault boat.
Seeing the rabbits in the cage, several people's eyes gleamed like wolves and tigers, their mouths watering with greed.
"Young man, how much for one of these rabbits? I'll buy one."
"Not selling single ones. Buy one of my legs if you like."
The chatter buzzing in his ears annoyed Meng Ci to no end.
He gripped his long knife tightly, then slammed it hard into the wall beside him. The blade stuck fast.
"Not selling!"
That was a solid cement wall. He'd driven the knife in that deep with just his bare hands.
Had that blade struck any of them, it wouldn't have ended with just broken limbs.
The onlookers reluctantly dispersed, muttering about Meng Ci's lack of tact even as they walked away.
Meng Ci paid no heed to their words.
Truth be told, he was all bark and no bite right now.
After all, this was his first time killing someone.
Had those men not been watching earlier, Meng Ci wouldn't have wanted to show weakness-he probably would've collapsed onto the ground long ago.
Now that the onlookers had dispersed, Meng Ci sat panting on the ground, his hands trembling so badly he couldn't even zip up the assault boat bag.
"What's wrong?" Shen Que came down and asked with concern upon seeing Meng Ci's state.
Meng Ci shook his head. "Nothing. Just a bit shaky."
Shen Que zipped up the bag and ruffled Meng Ci's hair.
"This will probably happen often from now on. You'll get used to it."
"Rest here. I'll carry the coal up."
"Mhm." Meng Ci nodded.
Then he noticed Shen Que's hands were covered in soot. The thought that those hands had touched his head filled him with disbelief.
"Shen Que, your hands!"
Shen Que looked down at his hands, which were completely black. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Um... I'll boil some water later so you can wash your hair."
"That's more like it." Meng Ci was satisfied, and Shen Que finally continued carrying the two bags of coal upstairs.
After this brief exchange of banter, the weight on Meng Ci's heart felt lighter.
Although Meng Ci had threatened people with a knife before, he had never taken a life.
Today, however, there were twelve people!
But Shen Que was right-he had to get used to this.
The apocalypse had only just begun. If he couldn't adapt now, those who survived later would be even more ruthless.
Showing mercy then would only end up hurting himself.
Meng Ci reached out and stroked the rabbit inside its cage.
Fluffy and adorable.
Fortunately, there were plenty of carrots in his storage space. He could afford to keep it.
After hauling all the coal upstairs -five sacks per person-
Meng Ci, carrying the rabbit cage and the inflatable boat, waited for Shen Que to open the door. Sure enough, he saw several hammer marks on the newly built wall.
But it was fine. The two of them had made the wall thick, so it wasn't affected at all.
After returning home, Meng Ci invited Shen Que to stay for dinner.
Since Shen Que had worked so hard this time, carrying most of the coal, Meng Ci didn't ask him to help.
Meng Ci took two bags of pre-cooked noodles from the cupboard and stir-fried shredded potatoes.
Each man got a large bowl, and Meng Ci also brought out two cups of instant milk tea.
No sooner had they set down their bowls and chopsticks than the alarm outside sounded again.
The two grabbed knives and went out. Through a ten-centimeter square opening left in the wall, they saw Zhang Mingtian.
Zhang Mingtian spotted them and waved a huge plastic bag in his hand.
"Hey guys, we found food!" Zhang Mingtian beamed, clearly having scored a decent haul this time.
After opening the door, Meng Ci took the plastic bag from Zhang Mingtian and thanked him.
Zhang Mingtian quickly waved off the thanks, explaining that they'd found a supermarket not yet fully flooded.
Though much of the food had been looted, they still found plenty of edible items and invited Meng Ci and the others to join them tomorrow.
Meng Ci shook his head. "No, thanks. We still need to find other things."
"Coal?" Zhang Mingtian asked.
"Coal is indeed needed. Otherwise, how would we cook anything?"
When Zhang Mingtian returned, he learned that Meng Ci and his group had actually brought back a boatload of coal.
Many people found this incomprehensible.
But Zhang Mingtian sensed that Meng Ci and Shen Que were no ordinary people. They must have their reasons for doing this.
Meng Ci nodded. "Beyond cooking, there's a more crucial reason-the weather is growing colder by the day."
"It's already November-true winter has arrived. If we don't find ways to keep warm, we might not survive the cold."
"If we freeze to death, all that stored food will just go to others."
Zhang Mingtian realized Meng Ci was right and quickly thanked him for the reminder.
After locking the security door, Shen Que asked doubtfully, "You're being so kind to that guy -are you sure he's trustworthy?"
Meng Ci replied, "He seems honest enough."
"Besides, if only we bring back the heating supplies, we'll become targets if it really gets cold later."
Shen Que nodded, impressed by Meng Ci's foresight.
Recalling the ample coal at that house, the two planned to return the next day. Finishing the coal haul would be ideal.