Chapter 57: This Can Also Be Considered a Moral Issue

He really was completely useless. When disaster struck, he had been as helpless as a wet noodle. At least a noodle could twitch its shoulders a bit, but he hadn't moved an inch.

Xiao Guang stroked the metal barrel of the shotgun, unable to resist bringing it up to press against his cheek. With you around, I'm not a total failure anymore, at least I have the ability to fight back.

Bae Joo-hyun saw Xiao Guang's action, and a smile seemed to appear on her face once more. She did not quite understand why Xiao Guang was doing that, but his expression made her feel happy.

Just moments ago, Xiao Guang had suddenly hugged her and kissed her repeatedly. Bae Joo-hyun knew that was a sign of affection, but she preferred being at home; going outside meant there was work to be done. When she saw the truck earlier, Bae Joo-hyun had wanted to seize it, she just hadn't expected that man to walk right up to her. What a coincidence.

Xiao Guang had no idea what Bae Joo-hyun was thinking. If he did, he would surely try to reason with her from a human perspective—something like, you cannot plan to kill him, otherwise no feeding time for you.

As for whether Bae Joo-hyun would listen, judging by her striking speed, Xiao Guang figured that after she dispatched a human, he would probably need to give her the cold shoulder for a few days.

That problem did not exist right now. Xiao Guang could never have imagined that the other party would pull out a gun and open fire without the slightest hesitation, and his reason for doing so was utterly absurd: he just wanted to play with some chicks.

That headless fellow on the ground was named Lee Byung-hun. When he still had his head, Xiao Guang hadn't recognized him, but the guy actually had his identification cards on him. No wonder he looked a bit familiar; such a major actor, and yet he could draw his gun and shoot at him with such decisive cruelty. Was that something practiced from acting too many roles?

Who knows what he had been through? Such a famous award-winning actor, and after the virus outbreak, he didn't even have a single woman by his side. Xiao Guang quickly moved the supplies from his own delivery truck into the actor's vehicle. The smell of blood was too strong now that a human was dead, and Xiao Guang couldn't quite stomach it.

He had to admit, this trip had been immensely rewarding. Sure enough, business without capital was always the most profitable. Looking at the supplies inside Lee Byung-hun's car, Xiao Guang felt thoroughly ashamed. Whenever he went out, his eyes were mostly fixed on food, but look at what this guy had in his vehicle: several rifles and boxes upon boxes of ammunition. Had he just come back from a military camp, or were supplies simply that abundant in every single vehicle?

Xiao Guang desperately wanted to visit Lee Byung-hun's base, but he knew he didn't have the tracking skills for it. A blessing in disguise—he now possessed a ranged weapon, and Xiao Guang was utterly in love with it, refusing to put it down.

"Touch and drink milk."

Hye-won's two big mounds bounced right in front of him. Xiao Guang looked at Hye-won's expression, then checked his watch. He had been playing with the gun for so long. Reluctantly, he put the weapon down; it was afternoon tea time.

First, he helped Hye-won check the developmental status of her mounds. Excellent, very firm, seemingly a bit larger than before. He kissed Hye-won on the cheek, and she happily scampered back to the living room. Xiao Guang followed behind and saw that Bae Joo-hyun and Min-ju were both hugging their cups to their chests. As for the expressions on their faces, well, they were passable—just a hair away from throwing a tantrum.

They were even more punctual about eating than he was. Xiao Guang really scratched his head in helplessness. Three meals plus one milk snack; Xiao Guang felt they were the most pampered infected beings in the apocalypse.

Still, today's serving of milk was an absolute must, and he even had to increase the portion for Bae Joo-hyun's sake. Xiao Guang went upstairs, took out a can of powdered milk, thought for a moment, and grabbed a second can.

The eyes of all three female zombies lit up instantly. When they saw the two cans of milk in Xiao Guang's arms, they subconsciously hugged their cups even tighter. This little action didn't escape Xiao Guang's notice, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's right, today there's all you can drink. We need to thank Miss Bae Joo-hyun for her decisive action. She helped me out, and this is her reward."

Xiao Guang felt he should provide an explanation. While their cognitive faculties were not yet fully developed, he needed to make them understand the meaning of living together. He couldn't be their babysitter forever. The day they learned to forage for supplies on their own would be Xiao Guang's ideal state.

As for whether he should still look for other survivors to live with, Lee Byung-hun's incident made Xiao Guang completely abandon that thought. Unless soldiers speaking his native tongue appeared, Xiao Guang had no intention of associating with any living human beings.

Xiao Guang didn't think his IQ was superior to other humans. He hadn't even truly entered society yet, so how could he talk about life experience? In the apocalyptic films and television shows he had watched, humans were far more complicated than zombies.

Since he said they could drink their fill, the three of them drank so ungracefully that milk was soon dripping down the corners of their mouths. Xiao Guang had the urge to touch their stomachs to check, but seeing the three of them tilting their heads back, he decided against it. There was still a bit left at the bottom of the small basin; Xiao Guang hesitated for a moment, picked it up, and drank it himself.

Not going to lie, it tasted pretty good, but it certainly wouldn't reach the level of a favorite or an addictive obsession.

The girls were truly playing dead on the sofa this time. Xiao Guang had no intention of working for the rest of the afternoon. Since he finally had a firearm, he had to practice with it. Prior to this, let alone firing a gun, he hadn't even touched a real firearm in his life. He had heard that shooting required disengaging the safety first.

Xiao Guang had a great time playing in the backyard. The three girls on the sofa slouched like couch potatoes for a while before Bae Joo-hyun looked at Hye-won and Min-ju.

"Threw it away?"

"Threw it away."

"Very far."

Hearing the replies from Hye-won and Min-ju, Bae Joo-hyun turned her head to look at Xiao Guang, who was sitting in the backyard tinkering with the gun. She seemed to ponder for a moment before continuing,

"Don't let humans get close."

This time, Hye-won and Min-ju did not answer immediately, instead gazing at Bae Joo-hyun. Bae Joo-hyun hesitated for a second and repeated,

"Don't let humans get close."

Hye-won and Min-ju nodded. Min-ju took the small marble out of her mouth and handed it to Bae Joo-hyun. Bae Joo-hyun shook her head, so Min-ju happily popped it back into her mouth, pushed the marble against her cheek with her tongue, and suddenly said,

"Oppa is human."

Bae Joo-hyun looked at Min-ju, then turned her gaze back to Xiao Guang's retreating figure. She said nothing, only nodding to herself, though nobody could guess what she was thinking.

~~~~

What other people felt when holding a real gun, Xiao Guang did not know. When Xiao Guang aimed his gun at a target, besides the natural fascination men have for firearms, he felt a bit afraid—perhaps it was fear, perhaps cowardice.

This kind of fear was somewhat difficult to explain. As someone who grew up under the red flag, apart from fondness, he held a natural resistance toward firearms, as if holding this object in his hands was a sin.

With great effort, he detached the magazine, only then daring to pull the trigger. Listening to the crisp, echoing click, Xiao Guang tried shifting his target from the excavator to the vegetable patch.

This was the apocalypse, a very realistic situation. Although a tumult of emotions raged within his heart, Xiao Guang knew that when real danger struck, he would pull the trigger without hesitation. He was no bleeding-heart saint, and he knew precisely what needed to be done. This was also an influence carved deep into his bones—as a descendant of the dragon, he never lacked courage.

Xiao Guang decided that tomorrow he would place some relatively fresh vegetables near the backyard's small side gate; he needed opportunities to practice shooting, and wild boars made for excellent targets.

With the thought of target practice in mind, he set the gun down. To be completely honest, the weapon was heavier than he had imagined. At least he couldn't manage to swing a shotgun up with one hand and reload it like Schwarzenegger; a T-800 was purely a fantasy.

Putting the gun aside, Xiao Guang once again recalled the entire process of his encounter with Lee Byung-hun today. This was the first time he had ever met a survivor, and for it to end in such a manner completely shattered Xiao Guang's worldview.

He had no idea what Lee Byung-hun had been through to make him act so recklessly and ruthlessly toward one of his own kind. Yet, recalling the words Lee Byung-hun had spoken, Xiao Guang felt a chill run down his spine. If not for Bae Joo-hyun...

Why hadn't he grabbed Bae Joo-hyun to use as a human shield and taken the opportunity to get out of the vehicle?

A sudden thought popped into Xiao Guang's head. Bae Joo-hyun was an infected being, a type of zombie—why hadn't that thought crossed his mind at the time?

If he encountered a similar situation again, would he do that?

Xiao Guang was suddenly stumped by his own question. Suppose that today, the one who had gone out with him wasn't Bae Joo-hyun, but Min-ju or Hye-won—what would the outcome have been?