At night.
They had all fallen asleep.
Lam Pham brought Dai Hung's child to his own room to watch over her. Manh Manh was temporarily left in Sister Ly's care, while he watched the little girl.
Bitten by a zombie, with a persistent high fever, there was temporarily no way to bring the fever down. Also, to prevent any incidents if something happened, ordinary people wouldn't be able to handle it. Having him watch over her was for safety.
The appearance of a strange, unique characteristic was filled with all sorts of wonders.
He felt that this little girl's situation would bring a different kind of change to the apocalypse.
Since the apocalypse broke out until now.
Over a billion people in the country, several billion people worldwide.
Within such a massive base number, some special cases would definitely appear. For example, the current situation of this little girl had already surpassed the understanding of apocalyptic survivors.
How could one not turn into a zombie after being bitten? Even if she didn't turn into a zombie, still having a high fever was even harder to comprehend.
Lam Pham watched quietly.
If this little girl was the key factor in resolving the apocalypse, he would protect her well even if it meant risking his life.
This was the hope for humanity's future.
Thinking of this, Lam Pham couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. To think that he, Lam Pham, was just an ordinary Hoang City citizen, leading a group of people to survive well in the apocalypse, living an ordinary life, yet he had never thought he could be so great, as if wanting to become a savior in the apocalypse.
In fact, greatness was not something exclusive to any particular person.
Everyone is truly great; everyone has a broad perspective and understanding of the bigger picture, everyone has patriotic sentiments. When the motherland and the people need it, they will all step forward義不容辞 (without hesitation for a just cause), unconditionally sacrificing personal interests for the greater good. Occasional dissatisfaction is just a few grumbles; their actions, however, have never been tardy.
This too is the greatness of every person.
He slightly narrowed his eyes, resting. His current mental state and physical strength were such that it was normal even if he didn't sleep. But as an ordinary person, if he didn't sleep, could he be considered an ordinary person?
Suddenly.
He sensed a movement in the room.
Lam Pham abruptly opened his eyes. The little girl lying on the bed had a contorted expression, as if having a nightmare, her body trembling slightly.
He wanted to check the situation.
Suddenly.
He felt, with the little girl as the center, a burst of energy, invisible to the naked eye, spreading out. The small objects placed in the room levitated, while larger objects trembled slightly, floating a few centimeters off the ground.
"This is mental energy, also can be called telekinesis."
He was not shocked by this situation.
Among the zombies he had encountered.
Psychic-type zombies possessed this kind of ability, but that was an ability only evolved zombies had. For this little girl before him, who was human, to exhibit this kind of situation, it truly was a first case.
This situation did not last for too long.
The levitating objects slowly fell to the ground.
"She was bitten by a zombie, didn't turn into a zombie, but instead gained psychic telekinetic abilities. Is this a genetic mutation?"
He thought of movies he had once watched.
In one of them, Alice was injected with the T-virus, thereby gaining various abilities.
Touching the little girl's forehead, the temperature had dropped, returning to a normal person's body temperature. Clearly, the high fever situation had vanished. Such a young girl might be about to wake up. It seemed the high fever situation was the body entering a protective mode.
...
Early morning.
When Lam Pham carried the little girl downstairs, Dai Hung rubbed his eyes, overjoyed to the point of tears as he hugged the little girl. During this period, he had truly been too tense, too tormented, as if the entire sky had collapsed.
Now, seeing his daughter perfectly fine before him, he truly didn't know what to say.
"Thank you for saving my daughter." Dai Hung's eyes were filled with immense gratitude.
Lam Pham said, "It wasn't my ability; it was your daughter who persevered on her own."
Dai Hung didn't believe Lam Pham's words at all. He had heard Co Hang tell him that their Duong Quang Complex relied on Lam Pham's protection; he was their Guardian here, possessing unimaginably extraordinary abilities, and at the same time, he was very good to every single one of them here, usually also very modest.
Therefore, to him, this was Lam Pham being modest.
"Daddy, the wound on my arm is really ugly," Dai Van Van pointed to the wound on her arm, complaining to her father with a wronged expression.
A piece of flesh was missing from her arm, forming a crescent moon shape.
"Daddy will blow on it, and it won't be ugly." Dai Hung, as usual, lovingly blew on it. Dai Van Van giggled.
The scene before him made Lam Pham smile.
Co Hang said softly, "Little Pham, how did you do it?"
Lam Pham said, "It really wasn't me. It was this child who woke up on her own. She possesses abilities that ordinary people don't have. I think her genes have undergone a change; she has gained telekinetic abilities."
"Telekinesis?"
Co Hang's mouth hung open. He increasingly felt that the world was becoming more and more fantastical. Although Lam Pham could chop zombies like vegetables – that could be said to be him cultivating peerless techniques, able to jump and chop – but involving telekinesis felt a bit like superpowers.
Lam Pham said, "That's right. Mental power transformed into telekinesis, super-controlling objects, just like the psychic-type zombies I've encountered before. For humans to exhibit this kind of ability is an extremely miraculous thing. It's just a great pity that I have no research in this area and find it very difficult to understand."
Co Hang listened to Lam Pham's words, his gaze towards Dai Van Van filled with shock. He didn't doubt whether what Lam Pham said was true or not, but rather wondered what the reason was for her having such abilities at such a young age.
Could it be that Dai Van Van herself had some unusual mystery? After being bitten by a zombie, she didn't turn into one but instead gained extraordinary abilities. In his understanding, this might be a genetic mutation.
"Does my daughter have any other problems?" Dai Hung looked nervously at Lam Pham, as if he had placed extreme trust in Lam Pham; as long as you say it, I'll believe it.
Lam Pham was very helpless. He knew Dai Hung had attributed his daughter's recovery to him.
But he really hadn't done anything.
No way around it.
If you want to think so, then think so.
"No other problems, everything is very good, very healthy. It's just that Van Van's body contains a kind of ability that ordinary people find hard to possess. You can think of this as a superpower."
While Dai Hung was still in a daze, Lam Pham picked up a small stone from the ground, walked up to Dai Van Van, and said softly.
"Van Van, concentrate your mind, make this little stone float up."
Dai Van Van looked at Lam Pham doubtfully, "Uncle, I don't have superpowers. That's all deceptive stuff from anime."
Lam Pham smiled and said, "It's okay, be good, give it a try."
"Oh."
Dai Van Van stared with her bright eyes, focusing on the small stone in Lam Pham's palm, muttering to herself.
Float up, float up.
Second by second passed.
The small stone remained motionless.
Dai Van Van's little face was already flushed red from exertion.
Dai Hung wanted to say something but hesitated, perhaps wanting to say, "My daughter is just an ordinary person, how could she achieve such a thing? It must be an illusion."
Co Hang believed what Lam Pham said. This was trust built from their time together. Even if it didn't succeed, he still believed.
"Uncle, it's not moving at all," Dai Van Van finished speaking.
Lam Pham patted her head, "It's okay. If it doesn't move, it doesn't move. We'll take it slow in the future. You must believe in your special characteristic. If one day, by some chance, you discover you can control a certain object, don't be afraid, don't be terrified, don't think of yourself as a monster, because that is a blessing bestowed upon you by heaven."
Dai Van Van blinked, looking bewildered. She understood what she heard, but she was just very confused.
"Phi Phi," Lam Pham called out.
Phi Phi and Dinh Dinh were playing with the children. Hearing Uncle Lam's voice, they happily ran over.
"Uncle Lam, is something wrong?"
Phi Phi felt that usually Uncle Lam was the best. But when he wanted to reward someone, or when he had an idea, he became really terrifying, like a terrifying Great Demon King from a cartoon, who would speak with a horrifying smile...
"Little friend, let me give you a few sets of test papers."
Just thinking about it felt very scary.
Lam Pham introduced, "This is Sister Van Van. She just arrived at our complex. You all play with her together and take good care of her, understand?"
"Rest assured, Uncle Lam, I will take good care of Sister Van Van." Phi Phi's eyes lit up when she saw Dai Van Van. Another younger sister had arrived! Finally, she could gain a sense of achievement as an older sister with this new younger sister. A younger sister like Dinh Dinh was uncontrollable, making the team hard to manage. A new younger sister's joining was just what was needed.
Dinh Dinh said happily, "I'll go buy bread for Sister Van Van right now."
Lam Pham smiled, looked at Dai Hung and said, "You all just stay here. The child will have children to accompany her; it's no problem."
"Thank you." Dai Hung was very grateful. If there could be a stable point of protection, who would be willing to run around everywhere?
Lam Pham looked at Van Van in the distance. Telekinesis did exist. Perhaps that scene in the early morning was an unconscious, uncontrolled outburst of her telekinesis. It was just that she hadn't mastered it yet. But it was okay; knowing about it was good enough. Whether she could control it or not would come slowly.
He thought of what Grandma Tu had said: if Professor Ha could know about this matter, it would surely be beneficial.
Things might be researched from her blood.
He knew about the Three Major Bases.
However, he didn't know their locations. Going out to search was definitely not a wise choice.
He could only instruct Ma Duy Vien that if the radio could make contact with the bases, to inform him immediately.
Residential complex, simple reading room.
Phi Phi was showing Van Van around, "Sister Van Van, this is where we usually read. Uncle Lam bought all these books. There are children's books, poetry, and famous works. Recently, I've been reading the children's literature classic 'The Adventures of the Bragging King.' This book talks about an adventurer's various marvelous and magical experiences. You can take a look. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."
Van Van took the book, flipped it open to look. As her eyes fell upon it, she discovered her brain was rapidly recording the content. With just a glance, she could commit the entire first page's content to memory.
Van Van gently scratched her head, "Sister Phi Phi, I looked at it for a bit, and I can recite the content of this page."
"No way!" Phi Phi's eyes widened, her expression very shocked. "Sister Van Van, as children, we can't tell lies."
Dinh Dinh said, "Sister Phi Phi, I don't think Sister Van Van is lying. I believe Sister Van Van."
Phi Phi: ... ?
She herself was reading "The Adventures of the Bragging King," but Sister Van Van's appearance and words made her think, perhaps this was "The Adventures of the Bragging Van Van."
Van Van opened her mouth, reciting the content of the first page word by word. Phi Phi, astonished, held the book. As Van Van continued to recite, Phi Phi's mouth gaped wider and wider. Compared to the first page, there really wasn't a single mistake.
"Wow, Sister Van Van, you're so amazing!" Dinh Dinh exclaimed, little stars sparkling in her eyes.
Van Van was very puzzled, "I wasn't this amazing before."
Phi Phi blinked, looked at Van Van, then at the book in her hand, pulled Van Van's hand and said, "Sister Van Van, now is not the time for reading. I'll take you for a stroll around our residential complex. There are many fun things here, you know."
...
Prison.
Ha Minh Hien was ostensibly the second-in-command, but only he knew he was just a fool being manipulated. The safe survival of Mieu Yen and her younger sibling was his only solace now.
He knew Ton Nang kept Mieu Yen and her sibling alive, which was actually a kind of warning and threat to him.
The meaning was very clear.
If he wasn't obedient, whether this sibling pair could survive would be hard to say.
It was just that he was also somewhat worried now, whether Ton Nang would feel he was too clingy and kick him away. If he was really kicked away, then he would be a worthless plaything.
At that time, let alone Mieu Yen and her sibling, even he himself might be disposed of.
Thinking of this.
Ha Minh Hien clenched his fists, feeling he was truly despicable. He was clearly disgusted to death, yet he was worried about being seen as clingy and kicked away. The more he thought, the more he felt he was a disgusting person. How could he have such thoughts?
At this moment.
"Brother Ha, there are survivors outside who want to seek refuge. Come take a look."
The patrolling person saw survivors appear outside. He didn't have the authority to make such decisions. Seeing Ha Minh Hien, who was currently a favored person by Ton Nang's side – others couldn't make the call, but he could.
Everyone despised Ha Minh Hien, feeling his actions were truly disgusting.
But everyone also envied Ha Minh Hien, eating well and drinking well in the apocalypse. His life was truly enviable.
Walking up to the guard tower, looking at the situation below, there were a total of two survivors: one was a burly man, the other was just a frail old woman, thin as a stick.
"Who are you?" Ha Minh Hien asked.
The strong man said, "Big Brother, my name is Phung Kiet, this is my mother. Can you open the door and let us take shelter? It's too dangerous outside now; there's nowhere to hide."
Ha Minh Hien assessed them. The strong man was carrying the old woman on his back; that flustered and eager expression didn't seem fake. Moreover, in the prison, the hierarchy was already very clear. Wanting to cause trouble in the prison was impossible.
"Let them in."
Ha Minh Hien finished speaking.
Phung Kiet was very grateful. It was truly very difficult for him to survive in the apocalypse with his old mother.
Open the door.
Phung Kiet carried the old woman in. Seeing Ha Minh Hien, he said gratefully, "Big Brother, thank you, thank you so much."
Ha Minh Hien said, "It's nothing. We are all pitiful people living in the apocalypse."
If he hadn't experienced these things, then upon seeing this situation, he would absolutely be gloating. "I just won't let you in, I just won't. What can you do to me? If you're not convinced, come hit me, nya nya nya..."
But now, his mentality had quietly changed; his way of doing things was no longer the same as before.
Arrogant?
Rampant?
Haha, did he still think it was the era of peace where verbal sparring reigned supreme? Times have changed, the era has changed. The era will change you; you cannot change the era. When you are unwilling to change, then this era no longer needs your existence.
Phung Kiet said, "Big Brother, what are the rules here? I can abide by any rules. Even going out to find supplies is fine. I just hope now you can give my mother a little something to eat. My mother hasn't eaten anything all day."
"It's okay, I'll arrange it for you," Ha Minh Hien said.
Just as he was preparing to take the two survivors inside, a voice came.
"Ha Minh Hien, what are you doing?"
Hearing the voice.
Ha Minh Hien's expression changed slightly. He said softly to Phung Kiet, "He is our leader here. Don't speak."
Then he looked towards Ton Nang.
"They are survivors, seeking refuge in the prison. I let them in."
Phung Kiet bowed and scraped to Ton Nang, who was standing on the second floor, appearing utterly common, only hoping he could stay here with his mother. As a boxing coach, he had the physique, the courage, dared to fight and struggle. But when his old mother was by his side, to get others to take them in, he was willing to do anything.
Even the most unyielding man, when seeking a way out for his old mother, would also become servile, becoming the existence he once despised the most.
Ton Nang sized up Phung Kiet, his gaze shifting to Ha Minh Hien. That cold, gloomy gaze, as if tangible, stared at Ha Minh Hien until his whole body broke out in a cold sweat.
"Do you think this is a reception center, or a charity? He can stay. This old hag staying here, is she going to eat and drink for free, waiting for us to support her?"
Ha Minh Hien said, "This is his mother. He can go out to find supplies and support his mother."
Phung Kiet was very nervous, originally thinking he would definitely be driven out. After all, no one would be willing to take in an old person who was no longer useful.
But he didn't expect this chubby big brother to actually speak up for him.
He looked at Ha Minh Hien, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Ton Nang sneered, "Support? With what? Only one can stay. Either both go, or throw this old hag out for me. We don't support useless people here."
Ha Minh Hien frowned, thinking to himself, "Has this damned pervert's brain short-circuited today? He already said the person is willing to go out and find supplies. Why insist on one staying or both leaving?"
He had never seen such a rule before.
As long as people were willing to come to the prison, they were all taken in.
Phung Kiet's eyes held a hint of despair. He sighed, "Big Brother, I think my mother and I should just leave. Thank you for your kind intentions."
Ha Minh Hien looked at him, then at the frail old woman. The grievance and unwillingness suppressed in his heart seemed to erupt instantly. He looked directly at Ton Nang.
"What do you mean? Didn't he say he's willing to go out and collect supplies? If you're afraid of wasting food upfront, I'll give half of my food to them."
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Ha Minh Hien looked down, horrified at the smoking hole in the ground at his feet. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He hadn't expected Ton Nang to actually open fire.
"You talk to me like that?" Ton Nang narrowed his eyes, his voice cold.
Ha Minh Hien looked up, his glasses glinting. One could feel the terrifying cold light held in the eyes behind those glasses.
The surrounding survivors watched the current situation in shock.
They hadn't expected Ha Minh Hien to be so bold, to actually stand up to Ton Nang for two insignificant survivors who had just sought refuge. It truly exceeded their imagination.
At the same time, their gaze towards Ha Minh Hien changed.
Perhaps it was shared suffering; they, like Phung Kiet, were all bottom-tier survivors. If someone could stand up and speak for them, they would be very grateful to that person.
Following Ton Nang's shot.
Ha Minh Hien's tone clearly softened a bit, "No... No."
Ton Nang said, "If you want them to stay, that's fine too. But you kneel down for me now, admit your mistake to me, and deeply reflect on your error just now."
Hearing this, Ha Minh Hien truly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He had thought it would be some kind of punishment; he didn't expect it to be just this... Having lived from the apocalypse until now, what hadn't he experienced? What was merely kneeling and admitting a mistake?
Thump!
"I was wrong. I shouldn't have violated your orders. I was wrong..." Ha Minh Hien finished speaking, directly burying his head, kowtowing on the ground.
Then he looked up, observing the expressions of everyone around. No other meaning, just wanted to see if doing this made him lose even more face in their eyes. Looking at those contemptuous expressions was what allowed him to feel he was still a normal person.
It was just that...
What happened?
Phung Kiet's eye sockets were red. He clenched his fists, his gaze towards Ha Minh Hien extremely fervent.
Not a single one of the surrounding survivors showed a contemptuous expression. Instead, vaguely, it seemed like they were showing respect.
"Haha."
Ton Nang laughed coldly. The moment he turned around, his expression was calm. He thought to himself, "Truly an idiot." Then he walked inside.
Watching him leave, Ha Minh Hien stood up, habitually stooped to pat the dust off his knees, then looked at Phung Kiet and said, "It's okay, you two just stay in the prison. However, you can only move around on the first floor; the second floor is off-limits."
Clasp!
Phung Kiet grasped Ha Minh Hien's hand and said sincerely, "Big Brother, from now on, I, Phung Kiet, will absolutely follow Big Brother's orders as if they were thunder from heaven. If there's anything, just give the order, I guarantee I'll complete it for Big Brother."
Ha Minh Hien was surprised, then smiled, "It's nothing. I'll go prepare some food for you."
The surrounding survivors discussed animatedly.
"Actually, I find that Ha Minh Hien is really not a bad person."
"Mm, before I felt he wasn't good, but recently, during this period, he has been very friendly and extremely tolerant towards us."
"Ai, if the prison was managed by him, our days might be a bit more comfortable."