Chapter Thirty-Six: Guo Yu Saves His Mother

"Fang, why did you come downstairs?"
The other girls turned to look as well. Many of them gazed at Fang with admiration, but as soon as their eyes fell on Bai Xing, their expressions dimmed once more.
"Here are forty-one upgrade crystals. Use them to advance before you head out."
Bai Xing was not one for pretenses. Even though those seventy-four upgrade crystals had been obtained by everyone together, she didn't feel it necessary to seek everyone's approval—so long as Fang agreed, that was enough.
"From today onward, any upgrade crystals you acquire can be used directly. The order of use will be determined by Liu Rui based on your contributions."
Fang's words filled all the girls present with excitement. Bai Xing's strength was largely due to her being a first-tier Warrior; now, they too had the opportunity to become just as powerful.
"Liu Rui, there are also two combat knives and a dagger here. Please allocate them as you see fit."
He called Liu Rui over again and handed her the weapons he had secured the previous day.
"In the future, you can distribute any weapons you obtain amongst yourselves, but make sure that all the data is recorded. Do you understand?"
Liu Rui nodded.
Fang's willingness to do this showed his trust in her, and it indirectly increased everyone's chances of survival. Liu Rui was deeply grateful.
With all instructions given, Bai Xing had just finished her upgrade, becoming a second-tier Warrior—an advanced one, having taken the upgrade elixir. Now that her safety was assured, Fang felt at ease.
"Keep it up," he encouraged them, then turned and headed upstairs. Having slept poorly last night, he planned to catch up on rest.
There was no elevator to the twenty-first floor, and climbing up and down was quite a hassle.
On the way up, Fang noticed a few people heading downstairs, probably also looking for airdrop crates.
Both sides were extremely cautious; in this post-apocalyptic world, trust between people was virtually nonexistent.
Back on the twenty-first floor, Fang was surprised to see that same young man again, his clothes tattered and stained with blood.
This time, the young man didn't hesitate. The moment he saw Fang, he rushed toward him.
Fang stopped, gripping his combat knife tightly, curious about the boy's intentions.
When he was three meters away, the young man suddenly dropped to his knees and kowtowed several times, the sounds echoing in the corridor.
Fang remained unmoved, staring coldly at him with his knife at the ready; at the slightest suspicious move, he would strike without hesitation.
He hadn't acted immediately because he hadn't 'heard' any malicious intent from the boy's inner thoughts—a skill Fang now understood only activated when someone was plotting against him.
"What use is there in just kowtowing?"
The cold words made the boy pause mid-bow.
"My mother is dying. As long as you can save her, I'll do anything."
Before, he would never have dared to ask Fang for help, even knowing Fang might save his mother.
But two days ago, he'd seen Fang return with a large group of women, and hope had sparked anew.
He was willing to do anything to save his mother.
In the past few days, he'd ventured out to kill zombies and had even found an airdrop crate, only to have it snatched away by a stronger group.
Alone and outnumbered, his only hope had been dashed.
Yesterday morning, his mother suddenly fell ill. With little to eat for so long, she had no resistance and quickly became gravely sick.
At that point, Fang was the only person he could turn to.
He had come yesterday, but hadn’t found Fang, so he'd waited all morning—their final hope.
Save his mother? Fang had no intention of playing the hero. A few days ago, he might have considered it, but now, with so many team members, they were short of supplies, not people.
He slowly raised his combat knife; the boy was blocking his way back to his room. If he didn't move, Fang would have no qualms about acting.
"I beg you, if you save my mother, I, Guo Yu, will be indebted to you for life."
Seeing Fang’s movement, the young man trembled all over, but stubbornly remained kneeling. This was his only hope to save his mother.
He’d seen Fang kill before and knew Fang wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
Besides, in times like these, living could be more painful than dying.
Guo Yu? The name sounded familiar.
Fang lowered his knife.
He knew this person. In his previous life, Guo Yu had been Chen Gang’s chief lieutenant, with formidable strength. The survival of Dawn City through repeated zombie attacks owed much to Guo Yu’s efforts.
“He’s put away his knife. There’s hope now. Mom, hold on, your son will save you soon.”
Fang narrowed his eyes, studying the young man. The world was vast; it was possible this was just a coincidence of name, but he weighed whether the investment was worthwhile.
In his previous life, Guo Yu was seldom mentioned; it was said he had no family and was violent and bloodthirsty.
Some claimed his only relative died after the apocalypse began, with no one to help her, which changed him utterly.
That matched the Guo Yu before him now.
Without Fang, he would have sought help elsewhere, only to be turned away, his mother doomed.

"Take me to see your mother."
To Guo Yu, these words were like a chorus of angels. He scrambled up and led the way.
At the end of the corridor, Fang tensed, wary of a possible trap—perhaps a group lying in ambush, waiting to kill him for his supplies.
Everyone on this floor knew how much food he had.
He dared to come because of his supernatural ability; he still had one use of instant movement left today, a guarantee for a safe retreat.
He pushed open the door—no ambush awaited, only a woman lying quietly on the bed, coughing weakly from time to time.
Her illness was minor; hunger was the real threat.
"You've killed zombies before, haven't you?"
Standing at the bedside, Fang suddenly asked.
Guo Yu nodded.
"Did you get any upgrade crystals?"
Guo Yu took a handful from his pocket—seven in total, evidence of his efforts.
An ordinary person, all alone, killing so many zombies—Fang began to believe he really was the Guo Yu from his previous life.
Fang fetched a canteen from his storage space and handed it to him, along with a food box.
"Give your mother one upgrade crystal first. Let her rest a bit before feeding her the rice ball."
Guo Yu hurried to comply, trusting Fang had no reason to harm him.
Upgrade crystals could not only enhance abilities, but also restore strength and treat ordinary illnesses—better than medicine.
"The water and food box are yours. You can’t survive here. I’ll give you some advice: head to Boya Middle School, where there’s a survivor group."
Fang had no desire to rule a city; it was up to Chen Gang to found Dawn City.
But he didn’t want a potential threat hanging over him either. He needed someone in Dawn City who had influence and could help him—Guo Yu was the perfect candidate.
Seeing his mother’s color improve, Guo Yu knelt and kowtowed several more times in gratitude.
Fang accepted the gesture without protest.
"Go out and kill more zombies. When you have ten upgrade crystals, advance yourself to a first-tier Warrior. Then, take your mother to Boya Middle School—there’s a survivor team there."