C113 Qin Mengli's Sincere Words Shocked the Ghosts(1)

"You haven't encountered even a single zombie in five days?" Tang Bing's expression was stoic as he stood before them, betraying no emotion.

He couldn't let on how happy he was to be back because it was his own decision to leave. Yet, after a mere five days, he couldn't stand the solitude and found himself returning to this place!

He was mortified.

He had believed he could make it on his own, but reality had dealt him a stinging blow.

He was afraid of being alone.

The team members seemed genuinely pleased to see him, clearly welcoming Tang Bing's return with open arms.

"Bing, the truth is..." Zhao Dagang approached him sheepishly, "We've been holed up at home for the last four days! Today, we couldn't stand the thought of sitting ducks any longer, so we decided to venture out for supplies. You arrived just after we had set out!"

Such timing? Tang Bing was taken aback and glanced at the four female survivors behind Zhao Dagang. "And them...?"

"After you left..." Qin Mengli stepped closer, "we gave it a lot of thought. We've been leaning on you all this time, with the weight of the whole team on your shoulders. We took it for granted that the strongest among us should look after the rest. But once you left, we had time to reflect and realized the immense pressure we were putting on you. If things kept going that way, our team would've surely crumbled. Despite our fears, we decided to step up. Tang Bing... you were the wake-up call we needed!"

He hadn't expected Qin Mengli to have such clarity. Tang Bing was about to respond when she sighed, gently took his hand, and looked into his eyes. "Tang Bing, I owe you a sincere apology."

Qin Mengli's hand was soft; Tang Bing had only brushed against it by accident before. But now, she was reaching out to him, a stark contrast to their past interactions, and it left him momentarily paralyzed.

"I know," Qin Mengli tightened her grip on his hand, her voice heavy with emotion. "You're probably still mad at me. Clearly, you didn't come back for my sake. Our relationship soured that day at the company. You risked your life to save me, yet I resented you deeply for Zhang Tao's death. I even joined this team looking for a chance to get revenge on you for him! It's understandable if you hate me."

Hearing her speak so candidly, a twinge of pain flickered through Tang Bing's heart.

Qin Mengli took a brief pause before continuing, "Honestly, before you rescued me, I was deeply disappointed with Zhang Tao! Beyond his looks and family background, which ticked all the boxes on my list, his behavior in the post-apocalyptic world was anything but manly! Yet, despite my disappointment, my initial feelings for him were genuine. You killed him right before my eyes. Imagine if the person you cared for was killed in front of you. What would you do?"

Tang Bing was unsettled, yet he couldn't argue with Qin Mengli. If Qin Mengli were killed before his eyes, he knew he'd be driven to seek vengeance, even after she had rejected him face to face...

Once someone has a place in your heart, it's difficult to let go of those feelings, no matter how let down you feel.

"Tang Bing," Qin Mengli said, pressing her finger with emphasis, "I've done a lot of thinking while you were away. From the moment we first met at university to the day you left without a backward glance. I've replayed everything that happened between us. And then I realized why I couldn't bring myself to act that day... I just couldn't! Maybe I was scared, or maybe I was weak, but perhaps... I had overvalued Zhang Tao's place in my heart and undervalued your presence."

What was she trying to say? Tang Bing gazed at Qin Mengli, his head spinning.

"Tang Bing..." Qin Mengli began, but her words were cut short as Sun Meng stepped in between them, forcibly separating their hands.

Qin Mengli shot Sun Meng an irritated look for the interruption.

Yet Sun Meng acted as if she hadn't noticed and pushed Tang Bing back a couple of steps, putting distance between him and Qin Mengli. "Bing, we're all thrilled you're back! But this is no place for a heart-to-heart. We're in the middle of the street, and if a zombie shows up, we're in big trouble!"

Qin Mengli, though annoyed, couldn't counter Sun Meng's point and turned away, sulking.

"Exactly!" Zhao Dagang chimed in eagerly, "Bing, it's too risky out here. Let's head back to the factory and we can talk things over properly."

"Yeah," Tang Bing glanced back at the streets, a sense of unease nagging at him. "Doesn't the vibe here seem off to you guys?"

"The vibe?" Zhao Dagang furrowed his brow in confusion. "I'm just wondering why we haven't seen any of the usual zombies today. Could they have all vanished?"

"That's impossible," Tang Bing countered, shaking his head. "On my way here, I must've passed through countless hordes. But once I got to the city center, especially this area, it's like they disappeared!"

"We haven't run into a single zombie today either," Zhao Dagang added, scanning the surroundings. "No clue what's going on. But no zombies is a good thing, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily," Tang Bing thought, his senses confirming the eerie absence of any zombies, not even a trace in the shadows.

"Bing, let's head back to the factory," Liang Hui suggested quietly, pointing to the pickup truck. "Is that your ride? I'll open the gate; let's back the truck inside."

"Exactly, Bing! To celebrate you coming home, I'll whip up something tasty," Sun Meng said, beaming as she clung to Tang Bing's arm. "Just tell me what you're craving!"

Tang Bing's gaze swept over the deserted street again, a creeping sense of danger unsettling him. His team was urging him to take a break in the factory, but his gut screamed danger. It wasn't anything specific—just a gut feeling. The absence of zombies was not normal. It seemed like they stopped following them once they reached a certain point in the city center. Something was definitely amiss.

"Bing, Bing?" Sun Meng's gentle shake brought him out of his thoughts. "What's up, Bing?"

Snapping back to reality, Tang Bing surveyed them briefly. "No! We need to get out of here, now!"

"Ah? Why?" The team's faces were a mix of confusion and concern.

"Don't ask, just move!" Tang Bing's voice was firm, the sense of looming dread growing stronger. "Either stay behind without me, or let's leave together—now!"

The group exchanged puzzled looks, unable to grasp why Tang Bing had suddenly made such a statement. Yet, after a silent consensus, they all fixed their gazes on him with resolute expressions.

"Bing, I might not get what's going on," Zhao Dagang said, "but I'm with you all the way! Your word is law!"

"Absolutely! Tang, you're our team leader. We've got your back, no matter what," Lin Leyan added, her voice tinged with concern that Tang Bing might take off again.

"We're all ears, Bing!" Sun Meng and Liang Hui declared in unison.

"It's your call," Qin Mengli murmured after a brief pause.

With everyone on board, Tang Bing felt a lift in spirits. "Let's get that door open. Ladies, hustle and move everything you can from the building onto the bus. Dagang, you're with me. We need to get these doors and windows from the pickup onto the bus roof! And let's strip some more from the factory while we're at it!"

"You got it!" Zhao Dagang responded eagerly.

The women sprang into action, and Tang Bing positioned the pickup next to the bus. Climbing atop the vehicle, he and Zhao Dagang worked in tandem to arrange the iron and wooden doors on the roof, securing them with ropes.

The windows, which could have been stowed in the virtual backpack, were simply collected. Tang Bing, with a surprised Zhao Dagang in tow, went up and down, removing doors and windows.

Together, the team made quick work of it, relocating all the materials in under an hour.

In the studio, Tang Bing wielded a wrench to dismantle the workbench and furnace, salvaging some of the materials.

Once everything was set, everyone boarded the bus at Tang Bing's direction, and they slowly made their way through the factory gates onto the street.