Before leaving the house, Yue made sure to take the paper bag from aunty Ling and filled it up with crushed up newspaper. This was to make an impression that he came out with the bags he went in. Those three people might still be around this area.
If they get even a gist that he had given manager mu these groceries, they might come to attack them.
In his books it was better to be precautious than not.
"I'll get going aunty; I'll come by soon, okay. Stay safe and don't open the door to anyone else, yeah?"
"Yes yes... dear boy stay safe." She gently kissed his cheeks.
Yue smirked widely and ran out.
On the hindsight he saw aunty Ling close the door.
With the two bags in hand, he ran down the stairs to the street.
His eyes always searched for traces of those three men in the vicinity. Thankfully, they were nowhere in sight.
'My attack must have scared them away,' he thought with a smirk on his face. He too did not fancy hurting human but if he had to he will do it.
Having this thought, his mind inadvertently thought about the day in that observatory... he killed so many in a dazed state.. When he came out of it, he was surrounded by dead bodies everywhere.
Even he did not remember what happened in there. It was all just a blur.
'I can't let go of my control.. I can't become monstrous like that. The only solution is to become strong,'
He vow in his heart as he neared Peng Peng's place.
It was a cozy house with a small yard and fencing. He opened the fence door and walked in to the dusty-looking door.
Spiders had already claimed this spot as their favourite hunting ground, spooling out so many webs in every corner.
'What the heck!'
He hurriedly knocked on the door. "Peng Peng! Are you in there? can you hear me?"
'Did he collapse or.... did he get sick? No, mum told me that Peng Peng made it. Why is the house in such a state?'
The door opened suddenly, scaring his panicked heart.
A distraught looking Peng opened the door. He looked expectantly at him, but as soon as he saw him, the shimmer in his eyes went away.
"ah Yue.... come in,"
"Peng Peng!" he hugged him tightly. "What happened to you?" he caressed his oily hair. "Who are you? Where is my Peng Peng who cared so much about his hair?"
He had a fucking beard, his hair was oily and his cheeks were sunken in.
Peng Peng softly chuckled. "I'm still the same." He pulled him in and closed the door. "Where have you been? The last I heard you were in H city. How did you?.."
"It took me a long time, but I got back home..." Yue held his sticky hands. Weirdly, it felt like syrup. "let's get you cleaned up,"
He pulled Peng Peng into the kitchen and helped wash his hands.
The further he walked in, he saw the mess the whole house was in.
It was a studio apartment with a single bedroom and a kitchen, but every spot in this place was filed with beer cans and wine bottles.
"I knew it," he sighed, glancing at him. "You really survived on wine, didn't you?"
"Not intentionally. Just soothing my wounded heart,"
"What?"
Peng Peng walked past him and plopped down onto the dirty couch, chugging on a bottle he had in his hand the whole time. "Can you believe it? I fell in love for the first time and the guy just disappears. It sucks really,"
"Qian Wen?"
"Who else?" he snorted. "He is most likely one of those things clawing at other humans,"
"Hey don't say that," Yue plucked the bottle from him and tossed it to the side. "Qian Wen, can even survive the worst attacks. He is string and intelligent."
"It's been a month!!!"
"I have been away for a month! Didn't I survive?" Yue sat down next to him and gently hugged him to his side. "Qian Wen is very strong. Plus, his father sent out a rescue team for him,"
"Really?" Peng Peng sat up and gripped his shoulders tightly. "Is that true?"
"Yes, it's true and please let go. Your nails are digging into my skin," he pushed his hands away a bit.
Peng Peng's nails were abnormally long and sharp, made them look more like fangs. "Did you get your nails done?" he held his hands and observed these new attachments.
He pulled away. "They are natural. Weird, right. They grow out so fast and don't even talk about the beard. It won't stop growing. I hate it,"
Yue looked at him peculiarly. "Is that your ability?"
"Growing hair and nails is barely an ability. What is an ability, anyway? I have been hearing word in the street that some humans have powers now."
"You went out!"
"yep... walked two streets and chickened out." Peng Peng leaned back with a loud sigh. "I hate myself,"
"Don't worry, you have every legitimate reason to be scared. I am scared too. But sometimes when I think about protecting my loved ones, that fear just disappears,"
Peng Peng smiled softly. "How was it out there?"
"bad...this is not the worst. The worst is yet to come. I'm scared of that day,"
"Worse?"
"hm.... plants and animals will evolve soon. It will be a shit show out there." Yue sat up. 'I have to somehow bring back fan before that,'
"Peng Peng, I have to get going. I have something very important to do. Just stay safe and have this. Eat god darn it. Qian Wen will come back soon. Even if the rescue team fails, I will bring him here personally.. so just take care of yourself till then,"
He hurriedly emptied the contents on the table and filled it partially with paper.
His friend sorted through the things with a look of surprised. "You brought braised chicken? Let me guess, your mum made it,"
"Yep, she is worried about you. Make sure to cook it before you eat it, you silly guy," he hurriedly ran to the door. "Lock the door after me!" he shouted, rushing to the street.
He really didn't have much tie. The next meteor was supposed to come by the end of the month, but it might be scheduled sooner.
Fan and Qian needs to be rescued before that.
Zou Yue rushed to uncle Wen's residence.
There was a small crowd standing there. Some begged for more food while some demanded stating that it was their basic right. A few of those men looked like they had bad intentions as they crept close to the gate.
'Goodness, trouble really won't leave us alone..'
The guard by the door had changed by now. He looked bulky and menacing enough to keep the thieves away.
Ye pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "Hi, I'm here to see my uncle,"
"Yue?"
"yes,"
"Please enter," his guy respectfully opened the door and let him in. The other looked at him with greed.
"You are letting a pretty girl in, and not us. Where has this county come to? We are respectful people and need food. He has so much, why won't he spare us some!!!"
"Yes, we are starving! Give us food!!!" The crowd started to shout and as a group moved closer to the gate.
The gate keepers was about to hold them back a bit, but if this went on they might be overpowered.
Yue glared back. "Enough!!"
His loud tone silenced them all. Even so, they were glaring his way.
"Rations have been provided by my uncle. Everyone gets their daily food. Then why are you all starved? If you are still complaining about food, it's better to join the work on building the wall. You can get extra credit,"
"You want us to be construction workers! How obnoxious!" one woman in particular shouted. Her face was fully coated in thick makeup and bright lipstick. She pushed her way forward. "You are nothing but a whore that is selling her body to get those luxury things." she pointed at the designer bags in his hand.
Yue scoffed. "You are the obnoxious one. You work, you get food. That's the drill. If you don't want to work, that's fine. Go and do what you accused me of. Maybe that might get you a rich patron." He said and leisurely walked in.
Speaking to people like this gave him head ache. In a difficult work like this, nothing is free. You want it, you have to earn it.
Yue also had plans to join the work force after this matter with Fan was resolved. After all the wall was the most important part of the settlement that kept those nasty zombies out.
He glanced back. That girl was still screaming profanities at him, and the guards were holding her back. They seem to be strength users just like him, so controlling the crowd was relatively easy.
'Things are getting out of hand... where is this Fan Xui!'
He literally ran through the huge yard into uncle Wen's house. A few military officials looked at him but did not oppose of his presence.
He directly rushed into his uncle's study without knocking.
Uncle Wen hurriedly placed the document he was holding into the drawer. "Yue... didn't expect you here. How are you? How are things at home?"
"Fan Xui... when will he...." he panted.
His uncle's smile faltered a bit.
'Oh shoot.... the rescue team failed,'