Chapter 68: Intentions Fulfilled, Steps Quickened

Di Ping was taken aback. He already felt somewhat repelled by Yue Lie, and as he saw the latter rushing toward him, he quickly sidestepped, not wanting to be caught by someone like him—it would be utterly nauseating!

"What do you want?" Di Ping barked in a low voice, his eyes wary as he looked at Yue Lie. His expression darkened, and he raised his sword slightly. Jina, standing firm, also extended a hand from her robe, the faintest of energy ripples emanating from her palm. Her eyes were locked on Yue Lie and Liu Han, clearly prepared to act at any moment. The atmosphere immediately grew tense.

"Uh, uh… Please don't misunderstand, please don't misunderstand!" Yue Lie seemed to realize the situation had turned awkward. He quickly shook his hands in front of him, his expression filled with urgency as he tried to calm Di Ping down.

"Lao Lie, what are you doing?" Liu Han, now aware of the situation, ran over in haste and grabbed Yue Lie, his eyes nervously glancing at Di Ping and Jina.

"Hero, please save the people at the base! Please, save my girlfriend! I beg you!" Yue Lie disregarded Liu Han's grip, pulling away and falling to his knees with a thud. His eyes shimmered with tears, his face desperate as he looked up at Di Ping, pleading.

"Hero, please, you're so powerful—surely you can save her?" Liu Han, finally understanding the reason for Yue Lie's intense reaction, also kneeled beside him, his eyes red as he looked up at Di Ping, begging in earnest.

"You two, get up." Di Ping, now understanding the meaning behind Yue Lie's fervent gaze, felt a little awkward. It seemed Yue Lie had mistaken his admiration for something else. He awkwardly rubbed his nose and stepped forward to help the two men up.

"Hero, will you really go to save her?" Both men, seeing Di Ping step forward to help them, immediately looked at him with eager hope.

"Of course, I promised," Di Ping replied with a smile, looking at the two men who were now brimming with excitement.

"Thank you, thank you!" The two immediately rose, expressing their gratitude repeatedly.

"Alright, enough with the thanks. Lead the way," Di Ping interrupted, urging them to move forward.

"Right, right! Let's go! Lao Liu, we'll lead the way!" Yue Lie, overcome with joy, wiped away his tears and eagerly nodded. He stood up and grabbed Liu Han, leading the way ahead.

Di Ping signaled to Jina to follow, and without looking back at the mutated dogs' corpses on the ground, he quickly caught up with the two men. Though he had told them to lead, Di Ping knew better than to let them walk in front. If any mutated creatures ambushed them, they would be in grave danger. So, he kept pace with them, ensuring their safety.

As they walked, they talked. Di Ping took the opportunity to gather more information about the situation at the base, knowing that the more details he collected, the more useful they would be. From their conversation, he learned that Yue Lie, Liu Han, and several classmates were trapped at the base, including Yue Lie's girlfriend.

They had been university students out together celebrating a friend's birthday when the apocalypse struck. The friend's house was near the provincial government, and when the outbreak occurred, they found themselves stranded there. Fortunately, the friend's father was a city official, and they received the government's evacuation notice. They joined the fleeing masses, but disaster struck when they encountered mutated crocodiles. The group was scattered, and while they were lucky not to have been killed, they managed to reach a nearby base for refuge.

Since food was scarce, Yue Lie and Liu Han had joined a search team to find provisions, leaving Yue Lie's girlfriend and a few other classmates behind at the base. However, disaster struck again when Yue Lie and Liu Han got trapped outside, unable to re-enter. Yue Lie was extremely worried for his girlfriend, knowing how dangerous the base could be, especially for a young woman.

They were no longer the naive students they once were. After surviving the brutal realities of the apocalypse, they knew exactly what could happen to a woman in the base without proper protection, especially if they ran out of food.

With urgency in his heart, Yue Lie quickened his pace, seemingly ignoring the dangers ahead. Di Ping, seeing this, knew it was too risky. Moving so quickly through an unknown area meant they couldn't adequately secure their surroundings. It would put them all in danger.

"Yue Lie! Stop!" Di Ping's voice was firm as he called out, causing Yue Lie and Liu Han to stop in their tracks. Both turned back, looking at Di Ping in confusion. Di Ping, now serious, addressed them directly: "Yue Lie, calm down. There are dangers all around us. If you want to save your girlfriend, you need to steady yourself."

"Di Ge! I… I…" Yue Lie seemed to hesitate, still anxious. However, under Di Ping's stern gaze, he lowered his head, a look of unease on his face.

Through their earlier conversation, Yue Lie and Liu Han had learned that the young man was named Di Ping, so they addressed him as "Di Ge." Yue Lie had been too panicked to consider the risks, but upon hearing Di Ping's harsh words, he snapped back to his senses, a sense of guilt filling his eyes.

"Alright, your life comes first. If you lose your life, there's no way you can save anyone else," Di Ping said, his tone soft yet firm, as he looked at them both.

"Thank you, Di Ge!" Both men, realizing their mistake, immediately responded in unison, "We'll be careful and not act recklessly again!"