It was precisely because of this that she followed them regardless of the circumstances. However, she hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise. Without food, she and her child could endure, but without fuel, she feared they would die on the road, as she lacked the confidence that those two would take them along as extra baggage.
Park Su had known about the gas station because of Xu Nuo, so he wasn't excited by the discovery of it. What he was concerned about was whether there was any fuel left.
After all, it had been about twenty days since the apocalypse began, and by now, everyone had a clear understanding of the need to gather supplies. Besides food, gasoline was a precious commodity even in the later stages of the apocalypse.
If it weren't for the fact that electric cars weren't as durable, Park Su would have considered collecting one to drive, especially since solar generators made powering an electric car much more convenient, at least eliminating worries about fuel. Unfortunately, durable electric vehicles weren't something the government had time to develop even by the time Park Su died.
Looking back, Park Su regretted not knowing he would meet Xu Nuo and about Xu Nuo's isolation talismans; otherwise, he would have secured one or two electric vehicles. Perhaps he should look for abandoned electric car shops on the road and get one to drive?
But for now, the priority was to check if there was any fuel left. Park Su was about to get out when Xu Nuo stopped him, "Be careful. Go check if there's any fuel left, I'll provide cover. There are at least five zombies here."
After thinking for a moment, Xu Nuo continued, "Don't worry, even if I kill the zombies, you'll get your share of the crystal nuclei."
Park Su was puzzled why the conversation had shifted to zombie nuclei. Did he look that petty? However, he didn't refuse Xu Nuo's generous offer but nodded in acceptance. Sometimes, when someone as strong as Xu Nuo offered you something, it was better to accept it gracefully; it made the person offering feel more at ease.
Moreover, in Park Su's view, Xu Nuo, with his mass-killing abilities, probably wouldn't care about a few crystal nuclei. If he pushed back, it would seem rather petty.
So, Park Su drove the car next to the pump for 95-octane gasoline, then got out to check for fuel. Xu Nuo stood by his side, taking on a defensive posture.
Their movement wasn't quiet, and soon the zombies inside the gas station began to emerge and quickly rushed towards them.
Xu Nuo was prepared, but he didn't rush to attack. Instead, he used his manipulation skill to control two of the zombies, making them fight the other three, intentionally creating more wounds and causing more blood to be spilled.
On the other side, Park Su was fortunate to find there was still a significant amount of gasoline left. Under the protection of Green Vine and Xu Nuo, he quickly refueled his pickup and had Green Vine roll several empty oil drums from the nearby supermarket, filling them with five or six drums of gasoline. After ensuring there wasn't much fuel left, he turned to the widow who had stopped behind them and hadn't moved, waving her over, "Come over and get some fuel!"
He had a relatively good impression of the widow, partly because of her love for her child and partly because she was perceptive and hadn't caused any trouble. For instance, when she saw him not only refueling but also stockpiling fuel, she didn't rush forward, demanding her share, which would have been annoying. She clearly understood the situation.
For someone like this, Park Su was naturally willing to be generous within his capabilities. Most importantly, he noticed Xu Nuo seemed more lenient towards them and appeared willing to help.
In fact, the widow was anxious when she saw Park Su stockpiling fuel, but she knew it was theirs by right, and she had no grounds to complain. Allowing them to follow was already a great kindness, considering Xu Nuo's ability to prevent them from doing so.
As for the gasoline, after seeing the zombies emerge upon Park Su and Xu Nuo's arrival, she realized that without their protection, her and her child's meager combat abilities would barely keep them alive, let alone covet the fuel.
She had considered asking for some if she ran out, just enough to avoid dying on the road. However, she had little confidence that they would be willing to share, as in this day and age, everyone wanted to keep the good things for themselves.
She hadn't even opened her mouth when Park Su turned and offered. Seeing his smile, her eyes welled up with tears, but she didn't delay, quickly driving her car next to Park Su's and stepping out to say, "Thank you, and I'm sorry, I really had no other choice but to follow you."
She then started filling up her tank while wiping away tears.
Watching her apologize with teary eyes, Park Su felt a bit embarrassed, knowing he hadn't left much fuel, just enough for her to fill up and store a little extra. But he could see her sincerity in thanking them, and her prompt action to make use of their time, which made him view her more favorably, and his tone softened.
"You don't need to apologize. You're not the only one following our car. We won't go out of our way to protect you; whether you can keep up to the S base depends on your own luck!"
The widow nodded, quickening her pace to store as much fuel as possible before Xu Nuo had to deal with the zombies.
The boy in the car, upon seeing Park Su, had his eyes light up. He jumped out of the car and looked up at Park Su, "Big brother, I remember you! You saved us that day. I remembered everything you said and have been trying to protect my mom. But I'm still too weak; I can't take down the zombies in one go, and I'm not good at defeating them. I still rely on my mom to protect me most of the time. I saw how strong you were, so can you teach me a good way to protect my mom better?"
Park Su was surprised and looked down at the boy, noticing the determination in his eyes, a stark contrast to the scared child hiding in the corner that day. This change made Park Su glance at the widow, who was busy refueling her car, thinking that the words he had spoken that day had been taken to heart and effectively applied to the child's education.
Unfortunately, Park Su had no particular techniques to teach the boy; he had just awakened his abilities earlier. For hand-to-hand combat, he had some skills, but those were learned through hard experience over time in his past life. He didn't know how to teach it; it all felt unsuitable for the boy.
However, faced with the boy's shining gaze, Park Su couldn't bring himself to say he couldn't help. When it came to life-saving and zombie-killing techniques, only Xu Nuo knew more, but Park Su glanced at Xu Nuo, knowing he would never do something like this. He had spent enough time with Xu Nuo to understand his temperament; he didn't want to cause trouble for him, especially not over this boy, which might jeopardize his own chances of learning to make spatial rings.
So, after thinking for a moment, Park Su reached into his car and pulled out a dagger, placing it in the boy's hand, "I don't have much to teach you. Since you already have someone you want to protect, you need to be brave. All abilities are something you have to explore on your own. Gradually, you'll learn when to charge forward and when to protect the one you're guarding. Keep your mind clear, don't do things you shouldn't. In the process, you'll develop your own fighting style. If one day you have the chance to gain energy, even if it's painful, remember your mother is by your side, and never give up."
Park Su said this because he believed that in this apocalypse, the timing of ability awakenings was unpredictable. While many were ordinary people, there were also quite a few ability users. The boy was still young; who knew if he might have the chance to awaken an ability? However, surviving the awakening period wasn't easy; even he and Xu Nuo had endured much pain in the process. Survive it, and you become an ability user; fail, and you might become a zombie. If the boy had the chance to awaken an ability, Park Su hoped his words would help.
The boy didn't fully understand Park Su's words, but his reverence for the older boy made him nod firmly. He carefully tucked the dagger into his waistband and committed the words to memory, thinking that what his big brother said was always right.
When the widow turned around, she saw this scene and was moved, stepping forward to say, "I'm truly grateful. You've not only helped me but also enlightened me. I don't know how to thank you enough. My name is Lü Xia, Lü from double-mouth, and Xia as in the rosy clouds. I hope one day I'll have the ability to repay your kindness and guidance!"