C104 Everyone Shouted in Unison to Relieve the Pressure and Tang Bing Exploded!(2)

"What are you trying to say?" Qin Mengli's own anxiety mounted as she noticed his earnest demeanor.

Tang Bing held her gaze, silent for a beat before letting out a gentle sigh. "Since I've known you, we've been through a lot. You might not think much of it, but those four years are my most cherished and happiest memories. Yet, it seems we're destined to walk different paths. Those years were precious and joyful for me, but for you, they might have been nothing but agony. And let's not forget, the first person you ever truly cared for died by my hand. That night, your desire for revenge made your feelings crystal clear to me. Now, due to your mistake, we're faced with these consequences. Let's call it even; neither of us owes the other anything."

His words sent shockwaves through Zhao Dagang and Liang Hui, who turned to stare at Qin Mengli. The thought that she had once contemplated killing Tang Bing was bewildering. What exactly was happening?

Qin Mengli was more astonished than anyone. Had he been feigning sleep that day? And what was his speech all about? He was laying everything out so openly; was he suggesting they go their separate ways?

Turning to Liang Hui, Tang Bing continued, "I owe you and Teacher Lin an apology for today's incident. But if it were to happen again, my decision would remain the same. I'd rather sacrifice the few to save the many. You and Teacher Lin might seem fine on the surface, but I know you probably despise me. That's alright. Consider it a wash with the time I saved you before. Let's leave it at that."

"Bing, you..." Liang Hui was visibly bewildered.

"Everyone's aware," Tang Bing addressed them, "that after the apocalypse, I became different from the average person, gaining an extraordinary ability. Even though it's unspoken, you've all sensed it, and today, you've seen it firsthand. But don't bother asking about the origins or functions of this power. I won't reveal a thing. This secret will die with me."

"Are you planning to leave?" Qin Mengli blurted out, concern lacing her voice. "If you're thinking of going because we've discovered your superpower, you don't have to! We can keep this secret to ourselves, never to be mentioned again. Just act as if you're one of us. I give you my word!"

"Yeah, Bing, you have my word!" Zhao Dagang chimed in eagerly.

"Bing, we don't hold today's events against you," Liang Hui assured him, her gaze steady. "Your secret about having superpowers is safe with us. Please, don't go. Stay with us in the team. We rely on you; without you, how would we make it?"

"Bing, I'm not strong enough to protect them," Zhao Dagang pleaded, gripping Tang Bing's arm tightly. "You can't leave us. What will we do without you?"

"Enough," Tang Bing said, easing Zhao Dagang's grip off his arm. "I've made my decision. I need to release the past and these burdens that aren't mine to bear. Truthfully, I'm not obligated to look after you. You're responsible for yourselves. From the start, I never wanted to lead a team; I just wanted to make it on my own in this world. But as things spiraled out of control, I ended up bringing you all together. I convinced myself that maybe it was better than being alone. However, today's events have shown me I was overthinking it."

"Bing..." Zhao Dagang's face twisted with turmoil.

"Call me selfish, call me a jerk," Tang Bing exhaled softly, "but I just want to live a good life. Rest assured, I won't take any of the supplies we've gathered. They're all yours. If that's not enough, I'll add more. You're equipped with full sets of scrap iron armor, Wolf Fang clubs, fire axes, iron swords, and a couple of handguns for protection. Ordinary zombies are no match for you. Just get out of the city center, head to the quieter suburbs, and be cautious about other survivor groups. You'll be fine. As for me, I'm going to find a place to be on my own, relying on my own strength to survive. Let's part on good terms and cheer each other on."

"Bing!" Zhao Dagang's fingers tightened, as if fearing that letting go would mean losing Tang Bing for good. "I don't want you to go! We realize our mistake—please, don't leave! From now on, we'll follow your lead without question. Nothing like today will happen again. I swear it on my life!"

"I said, it's not about what happened today!" Tang Bing asserted, "Today's incident was merely the last straw! I genuinely dislike the so-called team; I just want to live in this world on my own!"

"Tang Bing, you're being incredibly selfish!" Qin Mengli couldn't contain herself and shoved Zhao Dagang aside, "You know full well that everyone in this team, myself included, is vulnerable! Even armed with guns, we can't defend ourselves! If you walk away, you're basically sending us to our deaths! You're heartless!"

"Yes, I am selfish!" Tang Bing locked eyes with her, his voice tinged with frost, "I don't want to be dragged down by you, I don't want to be killed because of you! Nobody starts out strong enough to protect themselves, let alone others! Before the apocalypse, I was nearly beaten to death by two of Zhang Tao's men! Tell me, did you ever call them cruel? When you were set on killing me to get revenge for Zhang Tao, did you ever consider if they were cruel? I've harbored feelings for you for over four years, more than four years! I would've done anything for you! Alright, you reject me, find me a nuisance, and want me gone—I won't argue. You have every right to choose who you like and reject who you don't! But after more than four years of knowing each other, if not love, shouldn't there at least be some camaraderie? I nearly died at their hands, only saved by a freak meteorite. Zhang Tao took the woman who meant the world to me! The most important! And then he nearly had me killed! I survived! I got my revenge! Yet you overlook it all because he's in your heart, and I'm not, and you want me dead! How is that not selfish?!"

Tang Bing's explosive tirade left Qin Mengli speechless, unable to utter a single word.

"Qin Mengli, I've given up on expecting anything!" Tang Bing's emotions surged, his chest rising and falling rapidly, "But I truly can't keep going on like this! So for once, I'm choosing to be selfish, is that so wrong?! What do I care if you live or die?! Who are you to me? I don't know any of you! Why should I risk my life to scavenge for food for you strangers? Why should I protect you? Get out of here! What connection do we have? Do you think calling me 'Bing' makes us family? That's complete nonsense!"

As he spoke, Tang Bing suddenly erupted into a tirade of curses, spewing out expletives he'd never uttered before. Qin Mengli, Zhao Dagang, and Liang Hui were all taken aback.

In that moment, they truly grasped the extent of the pressure and fury Tang Bing had bottled up. With each frustrating event piling up, today's incident was the last straw that set off the explosion.

Rooted to the spot in shock, none of them knew how to console Tang Bing. They were at a loss for words, as there was no denying the truth in his outburst.

Overwhelmed by emotion, Tang Bing let everything in his heart roar out, which brought him a slight sense of relief. He glanced at his three dumbfounded companions, inhaled deeply, and declared, "Tonight, let's have one last dinner together. After I wake up tomorrow, I'm leaving the team. Don't hold it against me; I just can't keep going like this. Let's part on good terms, and I hope you'll find the strength to carry on. That's it. I'm going to rest for a bit. Call me when dinner's ready."

With that, he didn't spare anyone a second glance and headed straight upstairs.

After Tang Bing's departure, the trio remained frozen in place, struggling to snap back to reality.

Time passed before Zhao Dagang, in a sudden burst of fury, whirled around to point at Qin Mengli, his finger shaking with rage. "You, you..." But the words wouldn't come, and he swallowed them, sighing deeply. Casting a glance at Liang Hui, he then hurried into the building.

Liang Hui gazed at Qin Mengli in bewilderment before finally mustering the words, "Mengli, did you really want to kill Bing?"

"I didn't lay a finger on him, did I?" Qin Mengli crouched down, her head buried in her arms as tears streamed down.

"Oh my god!" Liang Hui clutched her head, feeling on the verge of collapse. "This is it! We're done for! Without Bing, how are we supposed to survive? Mengli, we're truly finished!"