Elongated Specters
As Su Chen entered the clothing store, he heard a low, cautious voice coming from the dark depths of the lobby: "Don't move!"
He was taken aback to see a federal soldier with blood stains on his uniform and an automatic rifle in his hand, watching him warily as he walked further into the store. The soldier's expression was tense and alert, reflecting the dangerous nature of their situation.
Despite the soldier's wary stance, Su Chen spread his hands in a cooperative gesture, showing that he meant no harm.
The soldier relaxed slightly and asked, "You are not being targeted by any monsters, are you?" Su Chen shook his head
The young federal soldier appeared to be around twenty years old and was visibly nervous. However, upon seeing Su Chen clearly, he seemed to relax slightly and quickly motioned for Su Chen to come closer.
As Su Chen approached, he noticed a second person behind the bar - a young man who looked slightly agitated and was also watching him warily. Behind the two of them, Su Chen could sense that there were many people concealed in the functional area in the second half of the clothing store, watching him closely. It was clear that they were all on edge and wary of outsiders.
"You are... the army?" Su Chen was a little surprised.
The young soldier then introduced himself as Wu Guodong, a member of the 13th Squadron, Third Squadron of the Midtown Search and Rescue Brigade. Their mission was to search for survivors in Midtown and bring them to safety. However, their team had been attacked by a black scale monster and a group of elongated ghosts, resulting in the deaths of all of his comrades. Wu Guodong was the only survivor, and he had taken refuge with these survivors in the clothing store.
Despite the dire situation, Wu Guodong reassured Su Chen that reinforcements were on their way and that he was now safe.
Wu Guodong opened the door at the back of the clothing store, motioning for Su Chen to follow him inside.
As Su Chen entered, he was surprised to see that there were at least a dozen survivors huddled together in the cramped space.
It was clear that these survivors had been saved from the brink of death by the soldiers who had died in the attack.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for Wu Guodong and his former comrades.
As Su Chen looked around, he realized that the vast majority of the survivors were much older than the nervous young soldier who had brought him here.
Taking a step forward, Su Chen hoped that he could find someone among the survivors who might know where he could find the materials he needed for his battle armor or even the specific location. With so many people in one place, it was possible that someone might have valuable information that could help him on his quest.
The survivors in the room appeared to have been trapped for several days, and many of them seemed to be in a state of despair. Su Chen noticed that some of them were staring blankly ahead, lost in thought.
As Su Chen stood there, a middle-aged man near the door noticed the swollen backpack on his back and couldn't help but ask, "What do you have in your backpack? Do you have any food?" The man's voice was laced with desperation, and Su Chen could sense the hunger and need in his words.
The man's question immediately caught the attention of all the survivors in the room. Even a young girl in the corner stood up and exclaimed, "Your backpack looks so full! There must be some food in there! Please, Brother Zheng..."
Su Chen frowned slightly as he noticed the young man who had been hiding behind the counter now standing up, presumably the same Brother Zheng that the woman had referred to. The young man grabbed Su Chen's arm as if to stop him from moving forward, and Su Chen could sense the tension in his grip.
Su Chen retreated into the functional area behind them and then Brother Zheng said, "I understand that you want our protection," Qiao Zheng said, "but if you have food, it's important to share it out. Everyone here has gone almost two days without food."
The young man's hand on Su Chen's arm tightened, as if he wanted to prevent him from escaping.
Su Chen understood that the survivors felt safer in the cramped room, but he knew that it was not a wise idea to huddle together like this in case the monsters attacked. The survivors seemed to believe that the small room was a safe haven for them, and Su Chen's movement had caused some anxiety among them.
Su Chen grew increasingly frustrated with Brother Zheng's attitude and replied, "Why should I share my things with you? What makes you think you can protect me? Call me selfish but we should all be looking out for ourselves and finding ways to survive."
Su Chen knew that in this dangerous world, survival was every man for himself, and he wasn't willing to give up his resources without good reason.
Su Chen still held deep respect for the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. So he didn't voice his concerns directly, but he couldn't help but wonder if even a soldier as skilled as Wu Guodong would be able to fend off a monster, let alone a group of elongated ghosts.
Brother Zheng seemed to sense Su Chen's doubts and laughed confidently, declaring, "I am a gifted person!"
Su Chen was surprised when Brother Zheng proclaimed himself to be a "talented person," and asked what that meant. However, Su Chen couldn't help but recall the tragic fate of the metal man he had seen at the Tianjing Hotel, who had been abandoned by his companions and left to be killed by the elongated ghost knife.
Brother Zheng seemed embarrassed when he realized that Su Chen didn't know what a talented person was, and his claim was met with silence from the other survivors.
Suddenly, the young girl in the room spoke up and shouted contemptuously, "You don't even know what a gifted person is?"
Wu Guodong then explained, "A gifted person is the millitary's collective name for individuals with special abilities that suddenly emerged after the catastrophe. Though I am not very clear on the details, but Mr. Qiao Zheng does. He is a gifted person who can provide us with protection to a certain extent"
However, these people have not eaten for two days. If you really have food, I urge you to share some of it with everyone, I promise to repay you when I return to the army."
The young girl in the room then spoke up proudly, "My brother, Zheng is very powerful. He killed an enlogated ghost on his own, If you want to be protected by us, you would have to share what you eat!"
"Are these two lovers a couple?" Su Chen wondered
Su Chen then furrowed his brow and directed his gaze towards Qiao Zheng. He asked, "Can you really kill an elongated ghost? Are you truly that powerful?" Su Chen was skeptical of Qiao Zheng's abilities.
"If you're going to claim to be a gifted person, then I am one too. I have killed six elongated ghosts by myself."
Su Chen was genuinely curious about the abilities of these so-called talented people and had purposely made his remark to provoke a response. He had observed that the young couple seemed to thrive on publicity, and he believed that stirring them up would be more effective than anything else. Despite this, Su Chen's claim of having killed six elongated ghosts was not an exaggeration, and he was more than capable of holding his own in a fight.
The young girl responded with a derisive chuckle. She then retorted sarcastically, "If you don't want to share your food, just say so. Don't try to boast to cover it up! If you're so capable, then you don't need my brother's protection!"
Qiao Zheng, emboldened by his girlfriend's presence, responded to Su Chen's challenge with arrogance. He boasted of his own abilities, saying, "My talent is the ability to emit bright lights of various colors. I can focus the light and increase its power, like a laser. With just 13 seconds of focus, I can even melt an elongated ghost!"
Su Chen's claim of having killed six elongated ghosts seemed to anger Qiao Zheng. He was suspicious of Su Chen's capabilities and believed that he was lying to avoid sharing his food with the group. Qiao Zheng wondered if Su Chen was simply trying to show off in order to gain their protection.
Su Chen was shocked when he heard the words.
What is this ability?
Su Chen was taken aback by Qiao Zheng's claim of being able to kill an elongated ghost by storing energy for only thirteen seconds.
He wondered how that could be possible, given the speed of the elongated ghost.
However, Su Chen quickly realized that Qiao Zheng's ability must have been developed and honed with the assistance of the military officer, making it much more effective.
Despite this, Su Chen remained noncommittal and shook his head, "I can give you some food, but it won't be for free, because I don't need your protection"
Everyone felt slightly wronged when he said this
Wu Guodong was at a loss, lacking experience in dealing with such situations. He didn't want to resort to using his guns to force others to comply, as he believed that they were meant to protect people rather than to intimidate them into submission.
After some thought, Wu Guodong suggested an alternative solution. He said, "If you don't want to share your food, that's fine. It's too dangerous out here on your own. Why don't you come with us instead?"
Su Chen then clarified, "No. I'm not kidding, I'm not crazy, and I don't need your protection... I actually came here by accident, and I didn't come here to seek asylum... But, I do have something that could be of assistance to you...."
As he spoke, he opened his backpack and produced two packs of biscuits. "I have these two packs of biscuits," he said, "and I would like to trade them for a piece of information."
Upon hearing Su Chen's proposal, the group was left stunned and incredulous.
Given the current state of the world where monsters were rampant, food had become a valuable commodity. Having food at hand meant that one didn't have to venture out to find it, reducing the risk of encountering monsters. The group couldn't fathom what information could be worth as much as precious food.
The young girl, emboldened by her talented boyfriend, spoke with disdain towards Su Chen's proposal. "Why would we trade two packets of biscuits for a piece of information?" she exclaimed. "A message can't serve as a meal or protect you from monsters. Are you out of your mind? You don't need our help, but how far can an ordinary person like you really go?" The girl's words dripped with arrogance and superiority, as she belittled Su Chen's abilities and dismissed his offer.
Qiao Zheng felt a sense of suspicion creeping in, as he observed Su Chen's demeanor. Su Chen's calm and composed tone seemed genuine, and Qiao Zheng began to wonder if he was truly a gifted person. Could the information he sought be related to finding a missing companion?
While some members of the group were consumed by greed and considered taking advantage of Su Chen's offer, they were hesitant to act due to the presence of the nearby soldier.
The survivors were wary of crossing any lines that could provoke a reaction from the soldier, and so they refrained from making any sudden moves.
In response to the group's provocation, Su Chen calmly stretched out his arms and revealed a gun that he had concealed beneath his windbreaker. With a pistol in one hand and two packets of biscuits in the other, he reiterated his proposal. "Two packets of biscuits for one piece of useful information," he repeated. "I will confirm the veracity of your information, and anyone who is found to be lying will be shot on the spot." Su Chen's words were firm and unwavering, and he made it clear that he was not to be trifled with.
Turnips and sticks!
With Su Chen brandishing a gun and making threats, the situation had turned tense and serious. The young soldier, Wu Guodong, was taken aback and quickly raised his own gun, trying to defuse the situation. "Let's all calm down and talk this out," he said, hoping to avoid any unnecessary violence. The atmosphere was charged with tension, and the group was on edge as they waited to see what would happen next.