Chapter 41 Favors

Chapter 41: Human Favors

Everyone understood that it was better to help in an emergency than to sustain poverty, so nobody raised any objections to taking in Dong Mingyue for these past few days.

This was because they all trusted Gu Pan. She was not someone who acted without a plan; if she wasn't certain of safety, she wouldn't have let anyone stay. Besides, Dong Mingyue was staying in apartment 902, not on the seventh floor.

Once Gu Pan confirmed that everyone was fine with it, she took Dong Mingyue to the neighboring apartment 902, just the two of them.

Upon reaching 902, Gu Pan rummaged through Li Aixue’s wardrobe, found a down jacket, and told Dong Mingyue to put it on first.

After changing into the warm clothes, Dong Mingyue looked at Gu Pan and vowed, "Panpan, if I'm ever that brainless again, let me freeze or starve to death."

With that, she grabbed Gu Pan's hand. "Thank you for taking me in at a time like this. This kindness of saving my life is something I will never forget. Don't worry, once I have the ability to fight back against them, I'll take my apartment back and survive in this apocalyptic world relying on my own abilities. You've always helped me in the past, and I hope one day I can help you, too."

Hearing Dong Mingyue speak this way, Gu Pan smiled. "I feel relieved hearing you talk like this. Honestly, before this, I really thought you were beyond saving."

Dong Mingyue scratched her head. "Looking back now, I think I was beyond saving, too. Fortunately, I'm still alive, and I've finally woken up."

"You'll stay here for the next few days. The lock is broken, but I'll help you install a new one shortly, and I'll bring you some food. Our building is still quite safe right now. Because we killed people before and the whole neighborhood knows about it, ordinary people don't dare to come in."

"You killed people?" Hearing such a blunt expression, Dong Mingyue was startled for a moment, but she quickly came to terms with it. How many dead bodies hadn't she seen by now? Wasn't she almost killed herself today? Even if it wasn't with a knife or a gun, how was it any different from being murdered?

She continued, "In this apocalyptic era, killing is normal. Maybe I'll be the one to kill that beast Wang Bin in the future."

Gu Pan smiled. "Alright, as long as you understand all of this, I can rest easy. I'm going home to grab some things and I'll come back up later. You should tidy this place up a bit first."

Dong Mingyue agreed, and Gu Pan left, calling Lu Ruisheng to return home with her.

The apocalypse truly tests human nature and can change a person at any moment. This was why Gu Pan didn't easily trust others. In the apocalypse, many people's values could shift overnight because of a single incident. Therefore, she couldn't take unnecessary risks. She would only form cooperative agreements within appropriate boundaries, without ever completely turning her back to anyone—except her husband, Lu Ruisheng.

Back home, Gu Pan retrieved a gun and a hundred rounds of ammunition from her spatial dimension. The gun and bullets had previously been 3D printed by Zhuang Jie, completely different from the ones they had brought back from the club. This was Gu Pan's deliberate way of letting others see that the resources she provided to her friends did not come from their shared public stockpile.

She also gathered some charcoal, some food, and a new door lock, then headed back to 902.

While Lu Ruisheng installed the lock, Gu Pan taught Dong Mingyue the mechanics and operation of the firearm.

They wouldn't be able to visit the black market dealers today anyway, but a few days wouldn't make much difference, so they would wait a couple of days. Those two days would be spent giving Dong Mingyue crash training.

Over the next few days, Dong Mingyue stayed closely connected with the group. Gu Pan taught her numerous survival essentials for the apocalypse: how to pick locks, scavenge for food, determine which supplies were absolutely necessary to carry, and how to protect herself in critical moments.

Having experienced life and death, Dong Mingyue had genuinely changed. She listened very carefully to Gu Pan's instructions, sleeping only a few hours each day while spending the rest of her time practicing.

She understood that going back for revenge wasn't the end goal; the real goal was to hold onto that home after getting her revenge, to protect her parents, and to lead them through the apocalypse alive.

She knew that Gu Pan's team consisted of young, able-bodied individuals, each with their own specialized skills. She truly couldn't bring her parents along to drag them down, so she needed to find a survival method suited for taking care of elderly people.

Gu Pan had already helped her more than enough. In the apocalypse, providing food, water, and weapons—such deep gratitude could not be expressed in mere words. Perhaps she lacked the capability right now, but once she had the ability in the future, she would definitely repay her.

During these past few days, observing Gu Pan's small team also made her think about how she should form alliances when she returned, and how she could secure a foothold for herself within that team. When she went back, she would have to practice her skills even harder.

A week later, Dong Mingyue found Gu Pan. "Panpan, I think I can go back now. Guns and ammunition are extremely precious, but I have to take them. I'll use them sparingly."

Gu Pan nodded. "Alright. Your return this time is also a new beginning. Take good care of your parents and live well."

"I will. You and President Lu should stay safe, too. When the apocalypse passes, we'll have a massive celebration."

"Mhm, I hope that day comes soon."

"I'm going to 901 to say goodbye to everyone. They've all taken such good care of me lately."

"Go ahead."

Gu Pan accompanied Dong Mingyue to 901 and announced that Dong Mingyue was leaving today.

Everyone urged her to wait a moment, saying they had prepared gifts for her, and then rushed home to get them.

In no time, they returned holding various items.

Chen Shaonan's family brought something relatively high-tech: an upgraded anti-wolf spray capable of instantly incapacitating anyone at close range. They wanted her to carry one to save her life at a critical moment. They also provided her with a modified dust mask featuring a special internal filtration layer to prevent her from being poisoned.

Cheng Yang offered a dagger that could be tucked inside a boot, serving as a last-resort life-saving weapon during an escape.

Feng Zheikai and his wife provided a selection of emergency first-aid medications, which were essentially lifesavers.

Looking at these items, Dong Mingyue's eyes grew moist. Holding everyone's gifts, she bowed deeply to them. "Thank you. I... I truly thank you all. Aside from expressing my gratitude, I don't know what else to say."

Gu Pan patted her shoulder. "Then don't say anything. Just live well. In the future, you must let us know that you're living a good life, so that everyone's help won't have been in vain."

Dong Mingyue nodded vigorously, continuously wiping away her tears.

Gu Pan handed the bag Lu Ruisheng had brought over to Dong Mingyue. "There are some daily necessities and food in here."

Dong Mingyue took it. "I know, I'll be extremely careful. I won't carry all the supplies on my body at once; I remember everything you told me."

"Good. I'll walk you downstairs." Gu Pan didn't ask anyone else to tag along; she escorted Dong Mingyue out herself.

Downstairs, Dong Mingyue tightly hugged Gu Pan. "Panpan, we both have to live well—live until the apocalypse is over."

Gu Pan nodded. "Mhm, we definitely will."

Dong Mingyue took a deep breath, fighting back her tears so she wouldn't cry—it was so cold that crying would freeze and damage her skin.

Then she patted Gu Pan's back, said nothing more, shouldered her pack, and walked away.

Watching her figure recede into the distance, Gu Pan returned upstairs, found Lu Ruisheng, and the two of them hopped onto a snowmobile to follow Dong Mingyue toward her home.

Since Dong Mingyue was facing her first time killing someone, they needed to provide some backup just in case—after all, it was a first.

Of course, if she allowed herself to be suppressed by Wang Bin and his mother all over again, there would be no point in saving her, because someone you save once cannot be saved for a lifetime. In that case, they would simply retrieve their weapons; otherwise, they would go to waste. Though they weren't lacking in weapons, they shouldn't be squandered either.

Thank you to all the dear readers for your tips and votes, as well as your comments and discussions. Love you all~