Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 564 554: Some Strange Young People (Part 1)

However, just as the survivor group was "battling against drowsiness," a major event occurred at Liu Fugui's factory, a hundred kilometers away.

"Report to Mr. Liu, the team that went out on the mission captured someone." Huang Yong rushed upstairs and hurriedly reported the news he had just received to Liu Fugui.

Seeing Huang Yong's anxious demeanor, Liu Fugui knew that he seemed to take the matter very seriously. However, Liu was not too concerned; he lightly nodded and responded, "Hmm, got it."

This somewhat took Huang Yong by surprise. To be honest, he appeared in such a fluster not because the captured person was special. On the contrary, he seemed like "trash" to Huang Yong.

But considering that this action was carried out under Liu Fugui's explicit instructions, Huang Yong didn't fully understand the reasons behind it. Based on He Lei's previous situations, Huang Yong knew this mission was likely a test from Liu Fugui.

So, having captured someone now, and with Liu Fugui having previously mentioned the shortage of manpower in the warehouse, Huang Yong thought he should report it. Perhaps Liu Fugui could use him, and it would also be a chance for Huang Yong to claim some credit.

Seeing Huang Yong standing there dumbly without any action, Liu Fugui inexplicably asked, "What, do you have anything else to say?"

"Oh," startled, Huang Yong quickly bowed and replied, "No, Mr. Liu~ um, do you want to see the captured person?"

Seeing Huang Yong so insistent did pique Liu Fugui's interest a bit. He gestured and said lightly, "Alright, then bring him up and let me have a look."

With Liu Fugui's approval, Huang Yong immediately used the hand-held radio to call his comrades down below to bring the captured man to the office building.

Soon, two men in black escorted a young man, tied up thoroughly, into the chairman's office.

"Smack!"

"Kneel!" One of the subordinates viciously kicked the young man's knee, causing him to collapse to the ground with a yelp.

"Tell me, where did you encounter this guy?" Liu Fugui glanced at the young man on the floor, then turned his gaze to the two subordinates behind him.

The people in the factory rarely had the chance to converse directly with Liu Fugui. Frankly, their identities and status didn't qualify them for such, as most matters were managed directly by Huang Yong or He Lei.

This was also Liu Fugui's way of doing things; he wanted to maintain a sense of mystery among his subordinates.

The more mysterious he seemed, the more uncertain he appeared, and this fostered a sense of fear among his underlings.

This is extremely important in the post-apocalyptic world, as opposed to a civilized society, where human's inner demons are greatly magnified by the stress of survival.

Thus, Liu Fugui needed to create an aura of power in this way, leaving his subordinates unsure of his thoughts, making them too afraid to rebel.

Judging by the current effects, the factory's situation was relatively stable.

Sure enough, the two subordinates were anxious about this rare opportunity to face Liu Fugui, making them stutter nervously as they spoke.

"Mr. Liu... it's like this, we ran into the guy flipping through trash bins while we were out gathering supplies. Initially, we thought he was one of the zombies, and when he saw us, he took off running. Damn it, how could he outrun our car with those two legs? Within two or three strides, this fool was caught by us. That's basically the story."

After hearing their account, Liu Fugui silently examined the young man kneeling on the ground again.

His hair was disheveled, and he reeked of a rotting stench, it was uncertain when he last had a bath.

Clearly, he frequently hid and escaped outside. Judging by his sallow face and extremely thin frame, it indicated that his living conditions were very poor.

Could such a person be of any use to him? Liu Fugui clearly wasn't very interested, yet he still asked mildly, "Are you surviving alone out there?"

The young man, who had been unceasingly berated and beaten by Huang Yong's subordinates, was too stunned to answer for a moment.

One of the subordinates then slapped him across the face.

"Smack!"

"Damn it! Our Mr. Liu is asking you a question, why are you playing dumb!"

"Speak up, are you alone out there?"

"Yes, yes, yes... I'm alone out there." The slapped young man hurriedly replied, fearing that a delay would bring more trouble.

Yet, when he spoke, his voice was weak, as if he might stop breathing at any moment.

Noticing his sickly appearance, Huang Yong frowned slightly, realizing that it was all over.

This person staying at the factory would only waste food, serving no other purpose. It seems his only use might be as bait for zombies.

However, after hearing this, Liu Fugui's mood underwent a subtle change.

Though the young person before him appeared on the verge of death, he had managed to survive among the zombies until now.

In this harsh post-apocalyptic world, surviving amid such peril, constantly threatened, was a miracle in itself.

In different terms, while the young man may currently be of little use due to his physical condition, once recovered, his extensive survival experience would be exactly the kind of talent Liu Fugui needed.

Considering this, Liu Fugui immediately suppressed his previous sternness, letting a faint smile surface: "By the way, young man, where are you from?"

"Me? I'm from JZ County," the young man replied cautiously, not daring to hesitate.

Upon hearing this, Liu Fugui's mind immediately recalled the refuge mentioned by Xu Renjie earlier, and he quickly followed up, "JZ? You're from JZ?"

"Yes, yes!" The young man replied, bewildered and startled.

"So, do you know of a refuge in your county?" Liu Fugui didn't give him any breathing space and pressed with another question.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Liu Fugui's question, the young man's eyes widened: "Refuge? What refuge? I... I don't know, I don't know, I don't know anything. I'm not acquainted with them, p-please don't kill me, I truly know nothing."

His body lowered more and more, and the young man suddenly became hysterical, trembling uncontrollably as if he had seen a ghost.

This couldn't help but leave Liu Fugui greatly surprised. He glanced at the young man and then at the two subordinates behind him, finally fixing his gaze on his trusted aide Huang Yong. (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)