Chapter 785 New Hope

Lai Baiwei followed behind Chen Ye, as docile as a kitten that had taken to its owner.

They had just reached Building 17

when they suddenly heard a commotion. Quite a few people, joy written across their faces, were hurrying toward Building 17.

Chen Ye turned to Lai Baiwei in surprise. “What’s going on...?”

“Big Sister Cao must have had her baby!”

A warm smile flickered across Lai Baiwei’s face as she said it.

“She had the baby?”

Chen Ye remembered that there had been a pregnant woman in the convoy whose husband had died. Afterward, she had stayed aboard Bus Number Five.

Mm, this wasn’t the pregnant woman with the surname Fang from earlier. That Mrs. Fang had always believed Chen Ye was a good person. Later, when they passed Divine Elephant Village, she had stayed there.

Her baby had probably been born by now. He didn’t know whether it was a boy or a girl.

The child was probably already a year old.

The pregnant woman with the surname Cao had come along after Mrs. Fang.

In an apocalypse like this, everyone was fragile. So, whenever they had the chance, people chose to start families anew, so they could support each other and survive.

But contraceptives were scarce, so the chances of a couple getting pregnant were much higher than before the apocalypse.

Even so, it was still rare to see many heavily pregnant women in any of the convoys.

This one in the Fair Convoy had made it this far thanks to having stayed aboard Iron Lion’s vehicle for so long. Xue Nan and Bald Old Li had also taken great care of her.

If she’d been in another convoy...

Chen Ye had originally come to see how Gong Yong was getting on with repairing the Monster Pickup Truck.

He hadn’t expected to run into something like this.

He had only had time to glance toward the repair shop when someone called out,

“The Chief Seat is here! The Chief Seat is here...!”

Everyone immediately parted to make way for him.

Chen Ye was slightly taken aback. He’d come to see how Gong Yong was doing with the truck, not to congratulate someone on the birth of a child.

“Chief Seat, would you like to go see them?” Lai Baiwei asked quietly at his ear.

Chen Ye didn’t answer. He simply watched the crowd.

Some of these people were older than him, while others were younger, but everyone wore a smile. They seemed eager for Chen Ye to go and see the baby.

For a moment, Chen Ye didn’t know what to do.

He wasn’t fond of children, and he didn’t know this pregnant woman well. He seemed to have only seen her from a distance a few times.

After hesitating briefly, Chen Ye started down the road.

Everyone around him had a look on their faces that could only be called hope.

In an apocalypse like this, the birth of a new life meant hope.

“Chief Seat, Chief Seat...!”

“Mr. Chen...!”

Some people called Chen Ye “Chief Seat,” while others called him “Mr. Chen.”

But the hardship had fallen away from every face, and everyone’s eyes were bright.

Chen Ye made his way up to the second floor.

The door there stood open, and the room was packed with people.

Some faces looked familiar, but Chen Ye couldn’t recall their names.

Others looked like strangers, but when they saw Chen Ye, their eyes filled with awe and eagerness to curry favor.

“Mrs. Cao, the Chief Seat is here to see you and the baby.”

There was nothing special about the room. It barely had any furniture, but it looked quite clean.

The people living there must have treasured it.

Two people lived in the room.

In fact, most rooms were shared by two people, and some even housed four.

The pregnant woman surnamed Cao lived in the master bedroom.

When she heard Chen Ye had arrived, she struggled to sit up in bed.

“No need. You’ve just given birth. You should lie down and rest!”

Chen Ye had never married or had children, but he knew at least that much.

“Chief Seat...”

Chen Ye waved a hand and looked at the tiny baby on the bed.

The child was so very small, wrapped in layer upon layer of worn-out clothes.

Looking at that tiny, wrinkled face, Chen Ye was momentarily stunned. No, was this baby really that ugly?

Someone like Chen Ye had never actually seen a newborn before.

In truth, after a few days, the baby would fill out and become very cute.

“Chief Seat, why don’t you give the baby a name?”

“That’s right, Chief Seat. You’re the strongest person around. A name you choose is sure to bring the baby good luck.”

“Exactly, Chief Seat. Pick a name!”

Once one person made the suggestion, the rest started chiming in.

Perhaps they were trying to flatter Chen Ye, or perhaps they genuinely thought so.

But a name chosen by the foremost Superhuman, at the very least, would make anyone think twice before bullying the child in the future.

The foremost Superhuman?

Mm, many ordinary survivors saw it that way. Otherwise, why would Chen Ye be the Chief Seat?

As long as Chen Ye was alive, having him name the child was like giving the baby a protective talisman.

The pregnant woman surnamed Cao was now looking at Chen Ye with eager anticipation, too.

Chen Ye had never been in a situation like this, but he could still understand what it meant.

He looked at the exhausted woman, then at the baby wrapped in old clothes.

In the end, Chen Ye couldn’t resist everyone’s expectations. After a brief hesitation, he said, “In that case, let’s... Oh, right. What’s the baby’s father’s surname?”

The pregnant woman surnamed Cao dimmed slightly, then answered, “My husband’s surname was Shi, the Shi in ‘stone.’”

Chen Ye thought for a moment, then said, “In that case, let’s just call the baby Shi Qiang. Qiang as in ‘strong’!”

“I hope that when the child grows up, she’ll be like a true strong person and protect her mother.”

As soon as he said this, the room fell terrifyingly silent.

Everyone looked at one another. Their exchanged glances carried an unsettling quiet.

The corners of Mrs. Cao’s mouth were twitching wildly, too.

Chen Ye was a little taken aback. “Is there something wrong with the name?”

Someone finally came to their senses and hurriedly applauded. “That’s a great name, Chief Seat. It’s simple, easy to remember, and rolls right off the tongue.”

“That’s right. Where I’m from, there’s a saying that the cheaper... the simpler the name, the easier it is for a child to grow up healthy!”

Someone beside them silently grumbled, What the hell? Since when does a simple name keep a child healthy? This person has no limits when it comes to sucking up.

A smile finally appeared on Mrs. Cao’s face, though it was painfully forced.

And so, the arrival of a new little life in the Fair Convoy brought a little hope to this apocalypse.

At least, when many people saw the tiny life, they felt a little more comfort in their hearts.

Chen Ye left Mrs. Cao’s room and headed downstairs.

When he reached the entrance to Gong Yong’s repair shop, Lai Baiwei couldn’t help asking, “Chief Seat, um... did you notice that... Shi Qiang is a girl?”

Chen Ye froze, then remembered who “Shi Qiang” was. Wasn’t that the name he’d just come up with?

He... no, she was a girl?

The tiny baby was all scrunched up. How was he supposed to tell whether it was a boy or a girl?

Chen Ye: “...”

And so, in this apocalypse, there was now a girl named Shi Qiang.

Some little girl was going to hate that name for the rest of her life.