Chapter 120.2 – Life-and-Death Marathon (11)
◎ Song Ke = White-Eyed Wolf? ◎
After leaving District F177, Oldman Cheng’s feverish son mutated into a zombie on the starship and was killed by other passengers. His daughter-in-law, upon reaching District C, ran away with the money and grandchild when he wasn’t looking. Fortunately, Oldman Cheng had already moved his funds. He had planned to retire peacefully in District C, but soon after settling down, the zombie tide arrived, destroying the city where he resided.
Having fallen into despair and near the vicinity of Greenwater City, Song Ke’s appearance reignited hope within him.
“No, no,” Song Ke slowly shook her head, resolutely pulling her hand away. Indeed, her wrist was red from his grip. “I still need to… compete.”
Oldman Cheng’s expression turned cold in an instant. “Why not? Don’t you want to help Grandpa?”
Song Ke sighed inwardly.
Oldman Cheng still saw her as that naive girl from District F, wanting her to abandon the competition, leave her companions, and abandon the Zombie King that could threaten the next city, just to take him to a safe place.
How could someone be so selfish?
Song Ke’s reluctance to dwell on the past didn’t mean he could manipulate her again.
She didn’t bother saying more; she turned to leave. A passerby accidentally bumped into Oldman Cheng’s back, causing him to stumble. At that moment, a surveillance drone flew by, capturing a close-up shot of the two.
Oldman Cheng suddenly leaped up, his aged face directed at the camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The screen flickered, displaying his extreme indignation. “Song Ke, you white-eyed wolf! I’ve raised you with hardship. I’m your grandpa, yet you’d watch me die, you’d watch me die in front of you!”
The refugees in Greenwater City were busy escaping for their lives, indifferent to the spectacle before them. However, across the screen, Oldman Cheng’s actions stirred a commotion, not just among the viewers in the Eastern Alliance but also Ferrara, inciting outrage.
Anti-fans, standing on the moral high ground, pointed fingers:
“Even ignoring her own grandpa, didn’t expect Captain V587 to be this kind of person.”
“She seems strong, but her heart is so dark. Regretting voting for her.”
“Saving someone in passing, why can’t she be a bit kinder?”
“You’re not… my grandpa.” Song Ke halted her steps, her voice lowering to an icy point, each word enunciated.
She initially intended to shake him off and leave, but Oldman Cheng persistently brought up “grandpa,” poking at her pain.
“You don’t deserve to be my grandpa.”
She blamed herself for not noticing the messages left by Song Zhiyuan on the screen. Yet, Oldman Cheng deliberately concealed it, never mentioning it once. Song Ke swung the cold, sharp saw precisely, tearing Oldman Cheng’s collar and revealing the chilling expression on her face.
“Get lost.”
Oldman Cheng’s eyes darted around, completely abandoning any shame, clutching his chest, “Ai, ai, my heart! How could you, you little beast, you white-eyed wolf, are you trying to kill me, no, you want to kill me…”
Speechless, Song Ke turned away. Her actions were measured, not even harming Oldman Cheng in the slightest. Why was he spouting such nonsense? Oldman Cheng noticed her movement, suddenly exerting infinite strength, grabbing her trouser leg, falling to the ground, wailing incessantly, refusing to let go.
The drone captured the elderly man’s dehydrated and cracked skin, the prominent veins on his hand, and his pained expression, all recorded vividly.
The barrage of comments condemning her continued, and V587’s support rate plummeted rapidly.
“I can’t stand it! How could you attack an innocent old man! You’ll face retribution.”
“Poor old grandpa, he looks like he’s about to pass out.”
“Where did these holier-than-thou people come from upstairs? Maybe you should go be a saint in Rainbow Cloud City?”
“Exactly, this old man using moral manipulation.”
“The old grandpa is ill, and Song Ke is so strong, can’t she help a bit?”
“You’re just talking, why don’t you go and help?”
“I… I didn’t participate in the competition, it’s not my business!”
The comments in the barrage became chaotic, and AI administrators kept banning waves after waves of users.
Song Ke had never been this angry, yet she couldn’t actually kill Oldman Cheng. It would complicate things beyond explanation! Some people are naturally bad at arguing; when emotions run high, their language system goes haywire. That was Song Ke’s case. Coupled with her stuttering issue, she ended up muttering, “I #％&* you…” for a while, unable to muster a complete sentence to hurl back.
“Hey, you rotten old man! You’ve been on my nerves for too long!” Lin Youyou, wearing a mask, suddenly rushed from behind the two, her tone rattling like a machine gun. “You embezzled money from others, treated a child coldly, and yet have the nerve to fake emotions here?”
“Heart trouble? I’m a doctor, let me have a look.” Fang Zhixu stepped forward without hesitation, holding Oldman Cheng’s arm for a check-up. Oldman Cheng struggled desperately, but Fang Zhixu, despite looking fragile, being an awakener, had no trouble restraining him.
“The old man is vigorous and in excellent health, stronger than the average person, no ailments whatsoever,” Fang Zhixu said coldly.
“Song Ke has a real grandpa; what kind of ‘grandpa’ are you, you shameless one? Embezzling money, abandoning a child to fend for themselves, or when the apocalypse came, kicking her out, abandoning her to the zombie tide? If I were you, I’d kneel down and apologize to Song Ke. You still morally manipulate her, expecting her to save you? Disgusting!” Lin Youyou’s firepower was at its peak, relentlessly firing.
Lu Xiaoyu’s fingers flew, adding in, “Up until April 5th, New Calendar year 47, Cheng Aiweng illegally seized Song Ke’s assets totaling over 1.2 million and refused to return them. The amount reaches the highest sentencing standard, and as her legal guardian, he committed abandonment…”
He hacked into Oldman Cheng’s personal account, tracing it back to the day Song Zhiyuan sent money. Every financial transaction was crystal clear, even snapshots of his proud face while swiping his card, like a public execution.
The drones filming caught wind of the big scandal, immediately zooming in on the screen, capturing irrefutable evidence.
The anti-fans who had just rallied behind Oldman Cheng, condemning Song Ke for her lack of conscience, vanished into thin air, mouths sealed shut.
Zhuang Qingyan patted Song Ke on the back, comforting her softly, “Don’t mind them. People are often stupid. With a bit of cheap sympathy and tears, they easily overlook the provokers and instead criticize those who react in anger.”
Song Ke glanced lazily at him, not really paying attention, but she lowered her voice, genuinely musing, “So much money.”
Zhuang Qingyan: “…?”
Having lived through the post-apocalyptic struggles, especially worrying about earning money for the team (mainly for Lu Xiaoyu), Song Ke realized for the first time just how wealthy her grandfather was. She had missed the chance to become a little rich lady!
Cheng Aiweng, having been thoroughly scolded by Lin Youyou and exposed by Lu Xiaoyu, found himself unable to save face. His retreat, despite his insults of “Little beast, white-eyed wolf…”, couldn’t hide the defeat in his eyes. He walked away, seemingly unperturbed.
Zhuang Qingyan’s eyes flashed and Oldman Cheng’s hunched figure stiffened for a moment before he nonchalantly continued on his way. These insignificant details went unnoticed by others.
Song Ke looked at her allies who had stood up for her, feeling grateful but a bit lost, “Thanks, every…wah?”
Lin Youyou reached out, pinching and squishing Song Ke’s cheeks, “You! If you can’t handle it, just call for us.”
Song Ke mumbled unclearly, “You, you, don’t… squish me… Ah.”
Lu Xiaoyu opened the terminal and displayed footage from the drone, announcing, “Stop kidding around; there’s bad news.”
On the thermal imager, a large green radiation zone was closing in on Greenwater City, less than five kilometers away.
“The real zombie tide is coming.”
Song Ke pushed away Lin Youyou’s hand and shouted at the team, “Check-in point! Quickly!”
She bounced away, running swiftly.
Lu Xiaoyu glanced sideways at the silent Zhuang Qingyan. “Why didn’t you say something? Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”
With Zhuang Qingyan’s mental abilities, he must have sensed the approaching zombie tide but had not warned anyone.
“You did something.” Lu Xiaoyu sounded certain.
Zhuang Qingyan raised an eyebrow. “I always retaliate when provoked.”
…
Oldman Cheng’s eyes were confused, and he stood bewildered at the city gate, momentarily forgetting what he was supposed to do.
“Why am I here?” He muttered, puzzled.
His plan to leave with Song Ke’s help shattered. He needed to think of another way. Oldman Cheng accessed his terminal, wanting to check the balance in his account. Even though money had minimal value during the apocalypse, having money was still preferable.
But soon, he froze. There was nothing in his personal account.
His money, all of it, was gone!
Oldman Cheng lifted his head in disbelief, his dilated pupils reflecting the distant, undulating black tide.
“Wh-what… what’s that?” His face showed horror, his voice lost.
Oldman Cheng tried to escape, but his limbs felt frozen in place, unable to move.
A continuous wave of zombies surged towards Greenwater City, breaking through the seemingly nonexistent defense line and instantly overwhelming Oldman Cheng.
In the fleeting moment before losing consciousness, Oldman Cheng had a vague feeling that the zombie, baring its fangs, bore some resemblance to Song Zhiyuan.
