Chapter 784 - 655: A Spark in Winter

"Master Jia, find someone else for the small tasks, the generator issue is the top priority. I’m leaving now, you guys eat up!"

Zhang Su wiped his mouth, walked out of the restaurant, heading to the call with the Mountain and Sea Squad, it couldn’t be delayed.

"Old Duan, the signal is bad, let Luezi adjust it!"

Zhang Su replied to Duan Wuhu while walking home, talking about the Black Crystal, he remembered that bag of ultra-hard bones still at home, planning to take it to Ding Yong Country for research.

After about two minutes, Duan Wuhu’s voice rang again.

"Is it better this time? Brother Zhang, hello, hello."

"It’s OK now. Are you guys still traveling at night?"

Zhang Su was surprised; the signal was good when they contacted last night, if they hadn’t changed locations there shouldn’t be fluctuations.

Duan Wuhu looked at Wu Lue, saw him spreading his hands, scratching his head saying, "Maybe there’s a bit of a flaw in the equipment, Brother Zhang, we have a problem now, need your decision-making."

"Hmm, go ahead."

"It’s like this..."

Duan Wuhu concisely explained the events that happened at midnight, finally saying, "I mean to invite that brother to come with us, what do you think should be done?"

"Strong combat ability, loyal and righteous, what else to think about, just bring him to our camp, as for the psychological issues, guide him slowly, it’s not easy, it’s been so long, and there are still lone rangers outside..."

Zhang Su reflected, the disaster has erupted for five months, and someone is still lurking in the village, but it’s quite tragic as well, with only one person left in the whole village, immersed in the blow of losing family and friends, unable to pull himself out.

According to Duan Wuhu’s description, their place is not far from Qing County, initially, the Cyan Dragon Corps only focused their attention on Qing County city area, and hadn’t had time to search the surrounding villages, missing a valiant survivor.

Since someone can hide in Red Gully Village, it can’t be ruled out that there might be similar situations elsewhere, but these people chose to live a secluded life, intentionally hiding themselves, there’s no need to disturb if there’s no hostility, it’s another story if encountered by chance.

"Alright, Brother Zhang, you carry on, if all goes well, we should enter the city this morning, then find a way to contact!"

The call ended.

"What did Brother Su say? He’s definitely inviting that person to join us, right?"

Wu Lue saw Duan Wuhu coming into the room, handed over a bowl of porridge.

The porridge was no longer hot, Duan Wuhu gulped it down in two swallows, wiped his mouth, nodded, "Yes, a mighty general, worth recruiting, I’ll go chat with him, gauge his willingness, still the same principle, let’s not delay time, you finish eating and pack up."

In the courtyard, the mysterious man was still moving corpses, but obviously, his strength couldn’t quite keep up, he used to carry them, later shouldered them, now could only drag them...

"Hey brother, take a break, let’s chat for a bit."

Duan Wuhu went up to lend the mysterious man a hand, signaled him to sit on the steps.

The man’s state was much more stable than in the early morning, but he didn’t agree to Duan Wuhu’s request, shook his head dully, and continued working.

No one knew why he lined up the bodies, nor what he planned next.

"So, brother, what’s your surname?"

Duan Wuhu awkwardly rubbed his hands, took advantage of the moment when the other put down a body, handed over a cigarette.

The man didn’t refuse the cigarette, accepted it, clamping it between his chapped lips, pulled out a match from a torn cotton jacket, struck it with a crack, lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and said hoarsely, "Hong."

"You’re obviously older than me, I’ll call you Old Hong then."

Duan Wuhu nodded understandingly, thinking this Hong was the red in Red Gully Village.

"Old Hong, you say you haven’t left the village since the outbreak, do you know, this disaster has affected the whole world, everywhere in the world has become like our surroundings."

Old Hong exhaled smoke, continuing his work, sparingly said, "I guessed so."

"To be honest... currently this area around Qing County, probably only a few survivors are left outside, we came from a big Survivor Camp to investigate the explosion incident, Old Hong, continuing to stay alone in Red Gully Village, consider joining our camp, right now the camp has nearly a thousand people, food and drink are not a problem, it’s developing pretty well."

Duan Wuhu deliberated, extended an olive branch.

He exaggerated the population a bit, but seven or eight hundred people saying close to a thousand isn’t too much, better than saying monthly income reaching barely three thousand, exactly two thousand three...

Old Hong smacked a puff of smoke, continued working, didn’t express an opinion.

At this moment, people stepped out from the house, carrying large bags and parcels, apparently packed and ready to depart.

Duan Wuhu didn’t want to give up just like that, chased to Old Hong’s side, "Old Hong, though you’re not young, your combat ability surpasses us, the camp very much needs talents like you. If you’re willing, you can leave with us, after the investigation, we can return to the camp together!"

Talent...

After saying this, a tremor passed over Old Hong’s face, the casually blurted word ’talent’ touched his nerves.

Duan Wuhu openly showed appreciation and affirmation, hit exactly Old Hong’s psychological vulnerability.

The reason Old Hong appeared so withered was that he felt everyone he knew in this world was dead, no one knew him, life felt meaningless, and being of old age day by day, he preferred a poor life over a good death.

But the interlocutor affirmed his value, acknowledged him as talent, showing a need!

This made Old Hong feel he still had a place to use his skills.

"I want to bury them."

This time Old Hong didn’t refuse, just said he had something left to do.

Duan Wuhu felt joy in his heart, knew there was hope in this matter but then again was troubled, over a hundred corpses, unless they got an excavator, everyone working together to dig a pit would be exhausting!

At this moment, Pu Chanyong sidled over, saying sneakily, "Old master, our country has long advocated cremation, why stick to old traditions, look at these relatives and friends, do they look good going into the ground like that?"

...

As soon as he said this, everyone working, Duan Wuhu, and the corpse-moving Old Hong stiffened, oh the word "dignity"!

"Hey, Old Hong, the young man’s just teasing a bit, but there’s truth in it."

Duan Wuhu hurried to smooth things over, quick-wittedly knowing since someone mentioned cremation now, and observing Old Hong’s reaction seemed somewhat moved, went along with the suggestion, "The zombie virus seized human bodies, why insist on burying in the ground, better to disperse evil spirits with a fire, the spirits of these fellow villagers in the heavens would be comforted, ascend to bliss sooner, what do you say?"

Once a direction is found, even the most stubborn can be swayed.

Old Hong’s cloudy eyes looked at Duan Wuhu, then at Pu Chanyong, nodded with tearful eyes.

"Come on, everyone, lend a hand, help Old Hong."

Duan Wuhu saw that Old Hong agreed, promptly called everyone to assist.

"Hey, Hong, Master Hong, you’re sure you’ll come with us after handling things, right?"

Some didn’t ask more, just got to work, but Lu Yubo couldn’t rest assured, had to ask for clarity, avoiding a futile effort, he wasn’t in for unprofitable deals.

Old Hong paused like before, then nodded slightly, and continued his work.

Upon confirmation, everyone sprang into action, strength in numbers, over a hundred bodies neatly stacked in the street center in no time.

Poof!

Torch lit, Duan Wuhu handed it solemnly to Old Hong, "Brother Hong, bodies infected with the zombie virus burn quickly, you light the fire, be careful."

"Thank you, thank you, everyone."

Old Hong took the torch, bowed to Duan Wuhu and the others, then walked to the bodies, closed his eyes, muttered something, then reopened them, decisively setting the first body alight.

Woosh... woosh!

After months of natural drying, the water content in the zombie bodies was very low, extremely flammable, almost catching fire at touch, over a hundred bodies stretching out seventy or eighty meters, burning completely in less than three minutes.

Towering flames roared under the gloomy sky, forming a stark color contrast, emitting intense heat, the distorted air blurring vision.

The fire in Red Gully Village blazed fiercely, no disturbance to people or hamsters, but it was bad news for the tall zombie on the Cloud Dragon Valley cliff...

As flames rose in the village, the tall zombie opened its elongated mouth wide, its numerous teeth as long as half a person’s finger, unlike ordinary zombies’ white teeth, some of its teeth bore dark brown marks...

Flames danced in the distance, the tall zombie restless on the cliff, at that moment it seemed to regain its stance, sometimes darting into the cave to hide, sometimes hanging upside down crawling out, sometimes running circles in front of the cave on all fours...