"So, what's your real name, Ash Ketchup?" The old man asked.
Yang Zhang gulped out of nervousness. He was considering whether it was okay to tell them his real name. It was easier in the case with Katarang since the blue-haired girl didn't even want to tell her real name.
But these people, Fei Mu, Fei Ningyan, Fei Baoyan, all told him their real names.
'But is it, though?' Yang Zhang asked himself. 'There is a chance that they are using fake names, not an alias, just fake names."
Yang Zhang was naturally a careful person, so he quickly thought of a name and replied, "My real name is Deng Fan."
"Deng Fan, it is. It's a pleasure to meet you, young man. We're all humans with immunity, so you don't need to be careful around us," the old man Fei Mu said.
Yang Zhang nodded cautiously and was relieved because the old man believed him easily.
Of course, he was using Young Master Deng Fan's name. The man who kicked him out of the shelter because Yang Zhang accidentally commented that Young Master Deng's ability was sucky as hell.
Like… what would you do with an ability to turn your teeth into gold? You can't even grow it back if you break your teeth!
"Deng Fan, did you run away from your shelter as well?" Fei Baoyan, who was carrying the boar with rainbow stripes, asked.
"Yeah, most of us escaped our shelter and went to the wood to hide from those pesky ability users and the governments!" Fei Ningyan added.
"Y—Yeah, I did. My shelter is in the far west, by the way. I've been surviving in the wild alone. I just happened to find you guys when I heard the gunshot," Yang Zhang added more information to make sure the three men in front of him believed him completely.
"Well, since you're here all alone, then you should be staying with us. We have a small shelter specifically reserved for humans with immunity," the old man said. "Come with us. We will introduce you to the other people."
Yang Zhang followed the three men from behind as they trailed on a narrow road in the forest.
Yang Zhang looked at the three men warily. He never knew there were humans with immunity in the wild other than him. Because he always thought that all humans with immunity must've been sheltered.
Yang Zhang could feel his pets inside his jacket pocket and sleeve were peeking to check where they were going, and Yang Zhang shoved them back in to make sure they stayed hidden.
"How long have you been surviving in the wild, Deng Fan?" Fei Ningyan asked while they were walking.
"Less than a week," Yang Zhang replied.
"Less than a week? Whoa! I bet the government is still searching for you!"
"Ehh, that shouldn't be. We are just lab rats, remember? The government has tons of lab rats!"
Yang Zhang listened to these two younger men who discussed the sad truth of humans with immunity.
At first, the government treated them like the most important creatures on earth. But after realizing that 1% in this country meant at least 1 million people, the government only treated them like second-class citizens and lab rats.
'But I'm glad to find someone else without power like me,' Yang Zhang thought.
**
After a long walk through the forest, they stopped when the forest trail ended, "Okay, we're here."
Yang Zhang looked to the front and saw rows of tall fences made of logs with sharpened tips on top. The sharp tip was also rolled with barbed wire for extra protection.
Two guards were standing in front of the gate, and they were armed with guns as well.
The two guards looked at Yang Zhang with scrutinizing gaze when they arrived in front of the gate.
"He's a new recruit, another human with immunity like us," the old man said.
The guards nodded and opened the gate for them.
Yang Zhang was shocked when he passed the gate.
It was quite crowded, with people walking around, chatting, and even trading. Yang Zhang saw a woman who set up a food stall and a man who set up a smithy. This place was similar to that zombie village in the north where Xi Feng and her mutated flower sister lived. Yang Zhang imagined that the villagers hadn't been infected with the Z-20 virus.
"What are you guys using to pay for that—" Yang Zhang asked, and he pointed at the smithy.
"Oh, the blacksmith accepts meat and fruits from the wild. He will inspect whether the meat is edible or not, and he will trade them for the weapons he made!"
"Yeah, we don't use money or gold here because there's no use of them in the apocalypse!"
"Wow, this is…." Yang Zhang was stunned by the development of this place.
"Out of your expectation, right?" Fei Baoyan giggled as he saw Yang Zhang's surprised face. "This settlement has been here for 8 months. That's why it has been developed!"
"Yeah, we've been here for 6 months already!" Fei Ningyan added.
"Quit your babbling. Let's take Deng Fan to the boss. You will be introduced and initiated to be one of us," old man Fei Mu said.