C102 They Cleaned the Corpses and They Took out the Bullets for the Operation(2)

She couldn't bring herself to meet Tang Bing's gaze, haunted by the memory of how he had coldly disregarded her and her mother's lives, treating them as nothing more than hostages, and ruthlessly eliminated their captors, which ultimately led to her mother being stabbed.

Had it not been for his incredible medical kit that saved her mother from bleeding out, Liang Hui doubted she would have exchanged even a single word with him.

It was only due to Zhao Dagang's intervention that Tang Bing was stopped from potentially killing her in the heat of the moment. Despite the ordeal leading to a major crisis, they had all emerged unscathed, hadn't they?

Tang Bing could glean Liang Hui's general thoughts just by looking into her eyes. After a glance at Sun Meng and Qin Mengli, he remained silent, turned, and retreated to his room, firmly locking the door behind him.

His aloof demeanor cast a pall over the team, prompting uneasy glances among them as they began to long for the more relaxed camaraderie they once enjoyed.

Still concerned for Zhao Dagang, Liang Hui quickly went to check on him.

Previously, she had dismissed Zhao Dagang, overlooking his kindness toward her. But this time, she truly felt protected and, having lived through such a harrowing experience, she had grown wiser.

Qin Mengli supported Sun Meng to the bathroom to freshen up, soothingly patting her back to comfort her. "Mengmeng, are you okay?" she asked gently.

After a bout of nausea, Sun Meng felt a bit better. With Qin Mengli's assistance, she washed her face and caught her breath wearily. "Thank you..."

Qin Mengli escorted her back to the room and urged her to rest on the bed. "You lie down for a bit; I'll go check on Zhao."

"He's okay..." Sun Meng interjected quickly, "Let Liang Hui have some time alone with him."

"Okay!" Qin Mengli agreed, sitting down at the bedside. "So tell me, why did the surgery take so long? Was it that difficult?"

"Yeah," Sun Meng exhaled heavily. "It was my first time performing surgery, and I was incredibly nervous! I lacked confidence and hesitated for over half an hour before starting. Then, I made several mistakes that nearly cost Brother Zhao his life. Thankfully, Bing was there. He used up a lot of miraculous medicines and bandages to correct my errors, and we finally managed to remove the bullet! Honestly, if it weren't for Bing, Brother Zhao might not have made it."

"Don't talk like that," Qin Mengli gently chided, "At least you've managed to save Brother Zhao now!"

"It was Bing who helped me save him," Sun Meng sighed. "The bullet was lodged in Brother Zhao's appendix. If we hadn't removed it, I can't even imagine the consequences! I nearly passed out several times; my nerves just aren't strong enough. It was Bing's support that kept me going."

"Well, the important thing is that he's been saved. We can all breathe a sigh of relief," Qin Mengli spoke softly, then added with concern, "But Tang Bing seems to be upset."

"Of course he is," Sun Meng replied, her voice drained of energy. "Before he left, Bing made us promise not to open the door for other survivors, remember? We didn't listen, and look what happened. If it weren't for Bing's almost magical abilities, we might have been responsible for his death!"

Qin Mengli's face darkened, "How was I supposed to know those survivors had ill intentions? Are we expected to turn our backs on all survivors from now on?"

"Bing is definitely angry, and this is going to complicate things," Sun Meng sighed heavily. "Mengli, I'm exhausted. I need to sleep. We can talk about the rest when I wake up."

"Alright, you get some rest. I'll go apologize to Tang Bing," Qin Mengli said, her face etched with discomfort, but she acknowledged her own responsibility and knew she couldn't shy away from it.

"Bing is still fuming. Maybe it's best to let him cool down first," Sun Meng suggested quietly. "A good sleep might just calm him down."

Qin Mengli nodded, stepping out of Sun Meng's room and gently closing the door behind her.

She felt adrift, recalling how in the four years Tang Bing had pursued her, she had never seen him angry. Except, of course, for the day before the apocalypse when she had finally found the courage to break things off with him.

Now, facing this unfamiliar side of Tang Bing, she felt at a loss, unsure of how to help him get back to his usual self.

"Mengli?" Liang Hui's voice pulled her from her reverie as she emerged from Zhao Dagang's room.

"Huihui," Qin Mengli asked immediately, "How's Brother Zhao doing?"

"He's doing really well!" Liang Hui nodded. "Bing is like someone with superpowers; Brother Zhao doesn't even have a scar. I can't wrap my head around it. How can those ordinary medical kits work miracles like that? It's like something out of a sci-fi story. I'm starting to wonder if this is all just a dream. Mengli, can you explain what's happening? Or are we all just dreaming?"

"Do you really think those man-eating monsters on the streets outside are just a figment of our imagination?" Qin Mengli clutched Liang Hui's hand.

Liang Hui bit her lip and gave a slight shake of her head.

"See? I've read online that besides the regular zombies, there's a whole variety of mutants. Zombies that breathe fire, spit poison, fly, burrow—you name it!" Qin Mengli whispered, "If zombies can evolve to have superpowers, isn't it possible there are exceptions among us humans too? I have a hunch that Tang Bing might just be one of those lucky few who gained superpowers."

"You've got a point!" Liang Hui agreed, "Otherwise, how could we explain all these phenomena that defy science? So, what do you think Bing's superpower could be? I can't figure it out."

"What his superpower is doesn't really matter," Qin Mengli tightened her grip on Liang Hui's hand, "What's important is that he's keeping us safe. Without him, we might've been long gone by now. Or worse, ended up like those women in other survivor groups—humiliated and stripped of their dignity."

"You're right!" Liang Hui gripped Qin Mengli's hand back, meeting her gaze, "I get it. But he was so close to abandoning my mom and me. If Zhao hadn't intervened, we might not have made it."

Qin Mengli remained silent.

After a few minutes of holding each other's gaze, they let go of their hands.

"Huihui, you have to understand," Qin Mengli sighed, "Tang Bing had no choice. If he hadn't made a decision, it wouldn't have been just one or two people at stake. Both he and Zhao could have died, leaving us in a fate far worse than death."

"I know!" Liang Hui's eyes darkened, "But it was my mom and me he was willing to sacrifice. Even though I understand his reasons, it doesn't stop us from feeling hurt."

"I'm at a loss for what to say to make it better..." Qin Mengli nibbled on her lip, her face etched with turmoil.

"It's okay," Liang Hui whispered, "Blame this cursed world. But don't worry! My mom and I, we grasp the gravity of our situation and the urgency of it. We know the group's survival depends on Bing. It's hard to swallow, but we have to come to terms with this harsh reality."

"It's a relief to hear you say that!" Qin Mengli exhaled, "Now, hurry and look after Teacher Lin!"

"Got it!" Liang Hui gave a slight nod, eyeing Qin Mengli thoughtfully, "By the way, Bing seems off. I think our actions might have really upset him."

"I'm aware," Qin Mengli murmured, "I've known him for years and it's rare to see him angry. He's always laughing, seemingly without a care in the world. But it's exactly that kind of person who can be terrifying when they're angry. I harshly rejected him recently, ending a relationship that had been tangled up for over four years. Then, to make matters worse, Zhang Tao had someone beat him up behind my back. Do you have any idea what he did in his rage?"

Liang Hui shook her head.

"He became a completely different person after the apocalypse hit," Qin Mengli said with a wry smile. "He rescued us at the company first. Then, in front of everyone, he tricked Zhang Tao and his two goons into a fire truck and burned them alive!"

"Ah?!" Liang Hui's eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth.

"He's only grown more merciless since," Qin Mengli continued with a sigh. "As you've seen today, he's responsible for all these deaths! Even though they had it coming, I can't help but feel responsible for the change in him. It's like I'm the one who turned him into what he is now..."

"Mengli, I don't believe someone's true nature can change that easily," Liang Hui countered, looking at her earnestly. "Maybe Bing was never the nice guy you thought he was. Perhaps he's always been ruthless, like a fierce beast caged up, and you just happened to be the key that unleashed him."