178 I’m Used to Being Unscrupulous, I Don’t Want to Be Restrained Anymore
It did not take long for the people who went out to look for supplies to return. At the sight of over 100 people squatting beside the ruins, many glanced at them out of curiosity. However, they did not say anything and hurriedly returned to their vehicles. Almost every one of them was holding something in their hands. It seemed that this trip was not in vain.
After waiting for almost half an hour, Zuo Mingdong finally returned with his men. There were only a few of them when they left, and now when they returned, it was still the same few. They did not manage to find any survivors. When Zuo Mingdong saw the people squatting beside the ruins, he was stunned for a moment. Then, he called Lu Lin over and asked what the situation was.
Lu Lin told him everything that had happened just now without missing a word. After Zuo Mingdong heard it, his face turned a little ugly. They had spent so much effort, but they still could not find any survivors. Zuo Mingdong thought that there were no more survivors in the city. He never expected that his first meeting with the survivors would be like this.
Zuo Mingdong walked toward the survivors. “Do any of you want to go back to the base with us? You won’t be able to lead great lives in the base, but we’ll be able to feed all of you. As long as you’re not lazy, you won’t have to worry about going hungry. If there’s anyone who wants to go back with us, just follow us. We’re going to set off now.”
After Zuo Mingdong finished his words, he was answered by endless silence. No one responded to him, and it was clear that no one was willing to go back to the base with them. Zuo Mingdong would not force anyone. Since they did not want to leave with them, he ordered his men to leave them some food and water. However, it was not much. After all, they did not expect such a thing to happen.
Du Yue and He Xing did not say a word. They did not discuss why these people would rather stay and starve than follow them back to base. They all knew that these people had long gotten used to the life outside the base. There was no one to restrict them outside, and they did not have to work in exchange for food and lodging. As long as one’s fist was strong enough and one was not afraid of death, one could become a leader. Everyone would have to bow down to the leader and listen to their orders. If they stayed, they could do whatever they wanted to do. However, if they went back to the base, they had to follow the base’s orders. They had to go to work on time and eat the food prepared by the base.
The road in front was blocked, and if they wanted to return, they could only turn around from the car at the back. Even after the convoy had driven quite a distance away, Du Yue could still see from the rearview mirror that the hundred or so people were still squatting by the ruins. No one stood up, but each and every one of them had turned their heads to see the convoy off.
People who were used to being unscrupulous would not be able to stand restrictions. Therefore, they would rather live in these ruins, living a life without seeing the sun.
When Du Yue and the others returned to the base, the sky outside had not completely darkened. It was only because the weather was good now and there was no snow on the road that the speed of the convoy was much faster than before. Thus, they could rush back so smoothly. As soon as the convoy entered the base, a group of people ran up to them and surrounded the convoy.
The convoy could not move forward, so they had to stop. Zuo Mingdong did not even need to show his face. Those who went with him had already gotten out of the car and told him what they had seen and heard. Many people even took photos of the ruins with their mobile phones, which were now useful. After all, seeing was believing. Now, everyone had to believe it.
The people who had been waiting for them to bring back good news were either crying or dejected after seeing those photos. The gate of the base was in a mess. In the end, Zuo Mingdong got out of the car and brought people to maintain order. Then, he asked people to make way for the convoy to continue driving in.
After following the convoy for a while, He Xing sent Zuo Mingdong a message and left the convoy. He drove back to their courtyard. The car drove straight into the courtyard, and they closed the gate. Finally, the noisy sounds were isolated outside, and their ears finally regained their peace.
Du Yue rubbed her temples and said to He Xing, “Take a shower first. After that, we’ll have dinner and go to bed early. We’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.” Other than the living room, there were two rooms on the left and right. Du Yue placed a bathtub filled with water in each room, and the two of them closed the doors to take a bath.