The next morning, we woke up and got ready for breakfast. As usual, we had the same stuff in the breakfast menu, each of them costing points. While we had a hot potato each, Hong Xia wandered over to speak to us.
"The boss would like to see you both after you're done eating."
"Oh, okay." I scratched my head and nodded. We had to tell him our choice anyway. We had no intention of staying in this bunker. We needed to return to the fortress city as soon as possible.
Perhaps we could even extend an offer to escort those in the bunker who wanted to leave back to the fortress city.
However, I didn't get to propose that. When we met Wang Yang in his gigantic chamber, he got straight to the point, raising a hand before I could speak.
"I know you've probably already decided what to do, but before you tell me your decision, could you help us with a favor?"
"A favor? What kind of favor?"
"We've been running low on supplies and ammunition, so we plan to send a team out to collect food and ammo. You know, you met Hong Xia's team yesterday. But as you can see, such runs are always dangerous…we could really use an evolver's help. Someone of your strength will help us a lot. Just this one time." Wang Yang pressed his hands together and lowered his head. "Then you can leave after that or do whatever you want. Of course, we'll welcome you if you want to stay."
"Uh…" I glanced at Lisa, who was also looking uneasy at this sudden request. Unfortunately, I was too nice of a person to reject them outright. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Just this one time, right?"
"Yeah. I'll be personally leading this team for this one." Wang Yang smiled, relieved, though I could see a twinkle in his eyes. This guy was scheming something. I had to be on my guard. "I got to lead on the frontlines sometimes, you know? Otherwise who's going to follow a leader who wouldn't do what he orders other people to do?"
Did he hear me criticize him for just assigning points and ranks while doing nothing and benefit off other people's work yesterday? I felt bad. Then again, I should have known better. For all of the luxury surrounding him, Wang Yang was still in good shape, bulked up and muscular. His movements were lean and dangerous, like a predator.
This guy wasn't just cunning, he was also physically strong. He wasn't an evolver, but he was probably at the peak of human physique.
"All right, we'll follow you for this trip. When are we heading out?"
"Ah, wait." Wang Yang held up a hand. "Only you will be going out. We can't bring a lady out on something so dangerous…" He turned to Lisa. "Sorry, little miss, but you'll be staying behind. Kelsey, take care of her. You're a healer, right? Just sit tight and treat injuries when we return. Can't risk losing you out there."
"Yes, Wang Yang." I didn't notice that Kelsey was in the room. She was seated in one of the couches at the far end, diminutive and silent. No wonder I didn't spot her, she was making herself as invisible as possible by hiding at the corner.
"What? But…" Lisa protested, but Wang Yang shook his head.
"Sorry, but I have the responsibility of making sure everyone is safe. Please understand, little miss. It's for your own good."
The grin on his face as he said that…at that moment, I understood. We had fallen into his trap.
Wang Yang wasn't keeping Lisa back in the bunker because he was truly concerned about her safety. He was holding her hostage, to ensure that I return to the bunker for her later. Otherwise Lisa and I might part ways with his group after successfully helping them with their resupply run or whatever. He was doing whatever he could to prevent that…to force me to return to the base. Then he would look for another excuse to keep us here.
Doing this while plastering on a façade of kindness and thoughtfulness. Responsibility, my ass. This guy just wanted to take advantage of us.
"We'll be moving out in thirty minutes, so make whatever preparations you need. Kelsey, please take care of the little miss."
"Yes, Wang Yang." Kelsey rose to her feet almost robotically, a contrast to her idol-like behavior last night. She bowed politely to a hesitant Lisa. "This way, please."
"This…" Lisa said, glancing at me. I was clenching my fists and trying my best to think of something, but I couldn't. Suppressing a sigh, I decided to go with Wang Yang's plans for now. Surely he couldn't keep us forever.
We would help him this once, and if he still thought of an excuse after I returned to the bunker, then we would have to resort to something more drastic. Obviously, I didn't want to resort to violence. Wang Yang and his grunts were one thing, but the other people here were innocent…just listening to orders and doing their best to survive. If they got caught up in the conflict between me and Wang Yang, then how did that make me different from him?
On the other hand, I understood that though Wang Yang was exploitative, he did take responsibility for the lives of people here. My ideals were impractical in such a setting…the survivors here had no choice but to rely on him…and they did owe him their lives.
However, I now had the means to offer them an alternative path to survival. Unfortunately, I felt that Wang Yang wouldn't accept it. So I didn't propose it…not until I returned to the bunker.
"Zhi Ming…" Lisa looked at me, concerned. I shook my head.
"Don't worry, Lisa. I'll go with them for now. Just wait for me to return and we'll figure something out."
"Yes." She leaned over to kiss me on the cheek, and then she pulled back with a smile. "For luck. Come back safely, okay?"
"I'll do my best."
I watched her get led away by Kelsey, who maintained an impassive expression throughout. Then I followed Hong Xia to the armory, where the combatants were gearing up for their supply run. They were slapping on pouches of magazines, slinging their rifles and checking them over to ensure they wouldn't jam out there. It wasn't just guns. A few of them were picking out blades, ranging from huge machetes to wicked looking combat knives, and sheathing them. Some strapped them to their boots, others attached them to their belts or hooked them to their backs.
"Um, I don't know if you need any weapons, but feel free to pick any from here."
"Don't be silly, Hong Xia," one of them called out. "We don't have evolver weapons here. I'm sure the kid will have his own weapons that are way better than ours."
"Yeah, don't worry about it," I told the red haired dude and patted his shoulder. "You should get ready too."
"Okay."
About thirty minutes later, we assembled at the big bunker gates, armed to the teeth. Wang Yang was there, as promised, also properly geared up. He wore Kevlar armor and sported a huge assault rifle that he slung to his back, and a holstered revolver hanging to his hip. In addition, he wore a long sword at his belt, its finely crafted blade concealed within a black leather scabbard embedded with jewels to signify some sort of rank or whatever.
Fancy for a leader of a ragged band of survivors. Of course he would hoard the best gear and weapons for himself.
"Let's set out!" He said, and his subordinates roared in support. "The survival of our group depends on us! We need to find food and ammo! Otherwise we'll be in danger!"
"Yeah!"
At his signal, the sentries flipped several switches and opened the bunker doors. Then they stood to the side and saluted. Wang Yang nodded to them before he led the group out back into the open. I lingered at the back, my hands resting on my evolver pistols.
Wang Yang ad his band had also learned from prior experience that the zombies were least active during the day, and so they had chosen the best moment to set out – early morning. A couple of hours after dawn, to ensure that the sun had risen high enough, but not too late that we wouldn't have time to explore the surroundings.
"There should be a military camp to the southwest," Wang Yang said, consulting his smartphone. Apparently the survivors still had access to smartphones and other communication devices, which made their decision to stick around here even more puzzling. Then again, it appeared that only Wang Yang and the upper echelons of his group possessed smartphones. The others, such as the cleaning crews and other "lower-ranked" people in the bunker didn't have smartphones.
Hong Xia shook his head when I asked him about it. "I don't have one," he admitted. "Only the boss and a select few have smartphones."
Figured. Of course Wang Yang would want to restrict such…potentially dangerous devices.
The trek toward the military camp took a few hours, and we didn't run into many zombies. There were a few stragglers that raised their heads and shambled toward us lethargically, but I picked them off from the distance between they could reach us, my evolver instincts and glasses' sensors allowing me to spot them before any of the regular people in the group. More than once, I saw them watching me, impressed.
"You can see them from that far away?"
"Well, my glasses have sensors built into them…"
"Whoa…"
The military camp was slowly coming into view, a desolate place that was fenced off, those there were gaps in the perimeter when it was overrun so many decades ago.
"We'll head to the ammunition depot first to grab as much ammo for our guns as possible," Wang Yang reminded his subordinates of the plan he outlined earlier during the briefing. "Then the storeroom to see if they have rations. If they have fresh food and ingredients in the cafeteria storeroom, we'll prioritize those…as long as they haven't spoilt. We can come back for the rations later. They aren't as perishable."
"Yes, boss!"
"We should be careful, though," Wang Yang continued. "We don't know what's hiding in the military camp. Something that can overrun a camp full of armed soldiers can't be underestimated." He then grinned at me. "Good thing we have an evolver here with us today."
At that moment, I understood. In the past, Wang Yang didn't dare to dispatch anybody here because he knew it would be too dangerous. They had no idea what dangerous mutants might be lurking inside the military camp…but now that an evolver had shown up in their midst, he wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to check it out and raid it.
I could understand his reasoning. The contents and resources within a military base were too good to pass up. if they could clear out whatever mutants that made their nest inside and collect the resources inside, the bunker would be stocked for several months at least…maybe even a couple of years.
Why didn't they just make for the fortress city where they would have a steadier supply of food and ammo, I had no idea. Perhaps it was some misguided idea of "freedom and autonomy." I should have suspected that there was a very good reason why this band of people refused to be bound by rules and regulations.
Maybe I was fortunate – I was an evolver, which was why they were treating me with respect and didn't dare to provoke me. Wang Yang might be ruthless, but he wasn't a fool. He knew how to make the best of what he had and maximize whatever resources he could lay his hands on. It was undeniable that he exploited the people under his charge, but he wasn't some megalomaniac tyrant who bullied people for the laughs or because he was some one-dimensional villain whose role was solely to be evil so that the protagonist was justified in killing him later.
Nothing was so black and white, and the lines of morality were constantly blurred, especially in a post-apocalyptic world like this. Even in the fortress-city and its multiple districts, there were…allowances for evolvers. Inequalities and unfairness existed. I wasn't naïve and blind enough to deny that some people suffered – particularly the regular people – and that there would be evolvers who would take advantage of their privileged positions to abuse their power and suppress others. The authorities would do their best to encourage equality, but ideals didn't always play out in reality.
But what was the point of having ideals if we didn't do our best to live up to them?
Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand and stepped forward, eyeing one of the huge holes in the perimeter fence.
"I'll take point," I suggested. "If we do run into anything dangerous in there, I'll handle it."
"We'll be relying on you then," Wang Yang said, a sinister smile on his face. I frowned, but didn't remark on it. The guy was clearly pleased that he could use me, but I couldn't allow his subordinates to suffer just because their boss was scheming. If I didn't volunteer, he would send someone else to be the vanguard…sacrificial pawns who would lose their lives.
No, this was the work of the evolvers. I might not like it, but at least I wasn't going to become a bastard like Wang Yang.
Steeling my resolve, I stepped through the hole in the mesh wire fence and scanned the military base for any signs of the enemy.