Are You Sent by the Central Government?

After dealing with all the zombies, Shu still opened the main door.

Although it was unlikely anyone was hiding in the museum... he still had to check, didn't he?

The door was heavy, but nothing for Shu. However, the harsh grating sound it made when opening still startled him.

Just as the door opened, the wind, absent for seven or eight hours, suddenly picked up. Shu instinctively looked back at the crimson flag on the plaza.

The wind felt like the last gasp of a spent force, but the crimson flag still caught this sudden gust and began to flutter.

A fluttering crimson flag is more beautiful...

Shu felt a sudden sense of awe rising from within him.

Just then, Shu heard a groan filled with the vicissitudes of life. He immediately turned back and saw the old man curled up in the corner.

There really is someone!

At this moment, Shu was incredibly grateful for his spontaneous idea. He recalled the three Xuanyuan Swords, quickly rushed over, and knelt before the old man.

As he got closer, Shu sensed the hunger, thirst, and various pains brought by old age hidden beneath the thick layer of shock.

He quickly used a small [Wish], attaching a bit of [Hope] to the old man, helping suppress those negative conditions.

Although he couldn't directly restore the old man's physical condition, suppressing the deterioration was no problem.

Now he wouldn't have to worry about subsequent treatment and recovery causing any adverse effects on the old man.

"It's okay now..." Shu comforted the clearly still shocked old man, then reached out, about to pull out his nutrient fluid.

Although it was a bit bitter, under Shu's enhancement, this nutrient fluid was the best medicine for the old man.

But just as Shu was about to reach, the old man suddenly grabbed his hand in panic, struggling to speak. "Run... Run quickly... Outside... Outside is full of..."

Outside... the zombies?

Shu understood. He gave the suddenly stunned old man a kind smile.

"It's okay. I'm here."

The old man looked at him, slowly releasing his hand. Then, Shu saw the old man let out a long sigh, his body, which had straightened up from excitement just moments ago, slumping down again.

Fortunately, Shu was constantly monitoring the old man's physical state. Taking this opportunity, Shu pulled out the nutrient fluid, took out a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, dripped two drops of the emerald green nutrient fluid into the water, shook it well, and handed it to the old man.

"Drink this. It's for replenishing nutrients," Shu said, simultaneously looking around, searching for other possible survivors.

The old man looked at the water bottle containing the pale green liquid in Shu's hand, then at the nutrient fluid vial Shu held, only accepting the water bottle after confirming the vial was almost full.

Since two drops can dilute so much water... this stuff probably isn't very rare...

Only after confirming this did the old man accept Shu's bottle.

"No need to look... It's just this old bag of bones here..." The old man didn't drink immediately, instead rubbing the bottle with both hands, reminding Shu before pursing his lips and taking a small sip.

Shu withdrew his gaze upon hearing this.

He had also just sent out his senses, confirming there were no other survivors here.

He looked at the old man cradling the water bottle like a treasure and smiled again. "Drink some more. Give the bottle back to me when you're finished."

The old man fell silent, then raised the bottle with trembling hands and brought it to his lips.

It wasn't that he didn't want to keep distance from the bottle's mouth, but he really couldn't bear to waste those two drops of nutrient fluid due to his shaking hands.

While the old man replenished himself with the nutrient fluid, Shu surveyed the surroundings.

In another corner, a trash can held several garbage bags, emitting a faint rotten smell, though not strong enough to be noticeable without deliberately sniffing.

Besides that, there was no other trash here. Except for the corner where the old man lay, the rest of the place was very clean and tidy.

Shu even felt a sense of returning to the Taixu Martial Arts Hall, seeing the spotless main hall.

However, this place wasn't that clean, just tidy.

Like the simple "floor bed" the old man lay on, there were three or four more here. Clearly, the old man wasn't the only one here previously.

"Old Grandpa, were there other people here before?" Shu withdrew his gaze and asked the old man.

The old man had already drunk half the bottle of nutrient solution. Hearing Shu's question, he quickly put down the bottle. "Before... yes, there were. My wife, and a few university students volunteering..."

You really don't need to be so formal, I was just asking casually...

Shu watched the old man hold the bottle, waiting for his next question. His eye twitched slightly, and he nodded.

Where these people went, Shu felt there was no need to ask. When mentioning them, the old man's sorrow was palpable.

Looking again at the neatly folded, yet different, dust-covered "floor beds," Shu roughly knew where those people had gone.

Probably... outside too...

The old man forlornly continued drinking the nutrient solution. Shu also withdrew the hand resting on the old man's shoulder.

"Old Grandpa, how should I address you?" Shu sat cross-legged opposite the old man, waiting until he finished the last sip of the nutrient solution before asking.

"My surname is Wang. My name is Jinzhong," Wang Jinzhong tremblingly pulled out his shirt, rubbing it, about to use the whitest part to wipe the bottle's mouth.

Shu quickly took the water bottle from Wang Jinzhong's hand, gave an embarrassed smile, capped it, and put it away.

Wang Jinzhong, now empty-handed, stared blankly for a moment, then picked up the notebook from the floor, patted it, and held it in his arms.

Shu glanced back at the sky outside the door. The sunset had lost its final glow, and the crimson flag had stopped swaying again due to the lack of wind.

However, he could quickly carry Wang Jinzhong back to the Hyperion.

"Mr. Wang," Shu turned back, straightening up. "I am the captain of the Pioneer Squad of the anti-Honkai organization—the Fire Moth. We are specifically here to search for survivors."

Wang Jinzhong looked up confusedly. "Fire... what?"

"It's Fire Moth," Shu repeated. "We are an organization fighting against the Honkai. The Honkai is the disaster that erupted three months ago. We fight against these disasters."

Wang Jinzhong paused for a moment. Gradually, his eyes visibly brightened.

"Fire Moth... Fire Moth..." he repeated, his emotions growing more agitated with each repetition.

"You are the Central Government... Are you sent by the Central Government to help me!"

Shu paused for a moment.

Central Government... Is there a big difference from 'official'? Probably not...

"Yes, we are," Shu nodded affirmatively.