Chapter 51: Saving a Life

Chapter 51: Saving a Life

Today, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng went to several trading spots to exchange for gold. They visited others first and arrived at the one associated with Shi Liang last, as having ample time meant they could chat a bit more.

However, when they reached the trading post near the psychiatric hospital, Shi Liang was nowhere to be found. When they asked someone nearby, they were told Shi Liang had gone home to retrieve something an hour ago and still hadn't returned. Previously, it took him at most half an hour since his home was close by.

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng exchanged glances, feeling uneasy. They inquired about Shi Liang's address and hurried toward his apartment.

Just as they reached the hallway, they heard the sounds of a struggle and rushed up the stairs.

Finding Shi Liang's door open, they drew their guns and stepped inside.

Inside, two men armed with machetes stood over Shi Liang, who had already been injured and knocked to the ground. Just as one of the men was about to bring his blade down on Shi Liang, his wife threw herself over him to block the blow.

Lu Ruisheng reacted with lightning speed, shooting the attacker who had targeted Shi Liang. The descending blade merely grazed Shi Liang's down jacket, sending a flurry of feathers instantly filling the room.

The other robber raised his hands in terror, crying out, "Don't kill me! I was forced into this!"

Gu Pan did not give him a chance, firing her weapon as well. Forced into it? What kind of nonsense was that? They had already reached the point of killing people; what good was sophistry? Furthermore, these two men now knew she was acquainted with Shi Liang, and leaving them alive would pose a future threat. In the apocalypse, it was either kill or be killed; there was no room for soft-heartedness.

As both men collapsed, Gu Pan kept watch by the door while Lu Ruisheng checked each room to ensure the area was secure. Only then did they close the door.

Shi Liang and his wife had been paralyzed with terror, convinced they were dead. But suddenly, gunfire had rung out. Not recognizing the armed individuals, they initially assumed reinforcements for the robbers had arrived. Clinging to each other, they had prepared to face their end together. Yet, after a long moment, they remained unharmed, and the two robbers were dead.

When Shi Liang recognized Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng, he was stunned. "Respected benefactors? What brings you here?"

Gu Pan replied, "We came looking for you. When we heard from others that you went home to get something and had been gone an unusually long time, it didn't feel right, so we came to check. We never expected to run into this."

Shi Liang looked at them with gratitude. "I was being followed, but I never thought they would track me all the way home. Thank you. You truly are our saviors."

Shi Liang's wife suddenly dropped to her knees before them. "Thank you both for saving our lives. We truly don't know how to express our gratitude."

Gu Pan helped her up. "It's all a matter of fate. Please, don't do this."

Lu Ruisheng squatted beside Shi Liang to inspect the wound on his leg. "The injury is quite severe. We need to treat it right away."

Gu Pan also came over to take a look, then turned to Lu Ruisheng. "This is too serious. If we bandage it ourselves, it might leave him disabled. Shall I go back and bring Doctor Feng over?"

Knowing there was no other choice and trusting his wife's spatial ability—meaning a quick trip back carried little danger—Lu Ruisheng agreed, "Alright, be careful on the way."

Gu Pan acknowledged, and casually dragged one of the corpses outside.

Once downstairs in a secluded spot, she took out the snowmobile, rode back to fetch Feng哲凯 (Feng Zhekai), and returned with his medical kit.

By the time Gu Pan and the doctor arrived, Lu Ruisheng had already cut away Shi Liang's trousers, cleaned around the wound, and disposed of the second corpse.

Thus, upon arrival, Feng Zhekai immediately administered anesthesia, disinfected, and began suturing, finishing the procedure swiftly.

During the conversation, they learned that Shi Liang's wife was named Deng Fang, and the two had married earlier this year.

Deng Fang was a pretty and devoted woman, and today's events clearly showed she was willing to lay down her life for Shi Liang.

It was no wonder that in their past life, the first time Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng met Shi Liang, he had exuded such profound sorrow.

Once the bandages were applied, Feng Zhekai left them with anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.

Gu Pan gave Shi Liang's wife a bag of powdered milk and two packs of compressed biscuits, telling them to rest well and promising to check on them in a couple of days. Since they had suffered such a severe shock today, it was not the time to expend energy hosting guests, and they needed peace, quiet, and time alone to recover.

Deng Fang showered Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng with endless thanks, escorting them all the way out.

Watching them walk away, Shi Liang and his wife embraced and wept. The feeling of surviving death was wonderful; they were both still alive, and Shi Liang's leg had escaped bone and tendon damage, meaning it would heal after a period of rest.

Weeping, Shi Liang said to his wife, "I never could have imagined those two benefactors would come and save us. We must have accumulated immense virtue in our past lives."

Deng Fang nodded repeatedly. "I thought I was a goner. Who would have thought they'd show up? Liangzi, when did you make friends with people so capable and kind-hearted?"

Shi Liang scratched his head. "Actually, I don't really know. When they first came to me for trade, they said they were referred by a friend. After that, they gave me a huge order—the twenty catties of grain from a few days ago. This was only the third time I've ever seen them."

"Then we truly met our benefactors. Putting everything else aside, if they hadn't brought a doctor, your leg would have suffered terribly, and you might even have lost your life over this injury."

"Exactly, they are truly our saviors. This kindness is something we can never repay in a lifetime."

"They even left us food and medicine—things money can't even buy right now."

"Yet I didn't even ask their names."

"We'll definitely ask next time. As long as we stay alive, we must remember their goodness."

Back inside, the couple repeatedly talked about Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng. Meanwhile, Lu Ruisheng had first ridden the snowmobile to take Feng Zhekai home before returning to pick up Gu Pan.

Feng Zhekai hadn't asked many questions; Gu Pan had simply told him a good friend who had helped her out in the past had been injured.

Riding back together on the snowmobile, the two of them felt a lingering fear when discussing today's events. If they had arrived even a moment later, saving Shi Liang's wife would have been impossible.

How they had fought back and kept Shi Liang alive in their past life remained a mystery; perhaps the thugs had taken the loot and, seeing Shi Liang injured, assumed he wouldn't survive, thus sparing themselves the trouble of executing him. Regardless, those details no longer mattered.

Seeing the moment Deng Fang had blocked the blade for her today reminded Gu Pan of the moment Lu Ruisheng had done the exact same for her in their past life.

She hugged Lu Ruisheng tightly. "Husband, do you know? In our past life, you protected me just like Deng Fang did."

Lu Ruisheng stroked Gu Pan's face. "Yet you still didn't survive."

"Three years into the apocalypse, things were different from now. Back then, there wasn't a shred of life left in the world. Can you imagine a world without a single hint of green for three years? Can you imagine people eating people? My only reason to live back then was you. Once you were gone, what reason did I have to go on?"

"Even though the apocalypse is already here, just hearing you describe that kind of cannibalism makes my skin crawl. Wife, in this lifetime, let's strive to live a little better."

"With the spatial ability and our foresight in this life, we definitely will. We must stay alive and see the day the apocalypse finally ends."

"Mm. That's why we must remain vigilant and tread even more carefully."

The two of them sighed with deep emotion. Although this lifetime was different, a different path naturally brought different dangers. In the apocalypse, risks were ever-present, so only by exercising the utmost caution could they hope to survive and thrive.