When the door was opened, two middle-aged men with gloomy faces were standing outside. The former was bald, had a mustache, and a big belly. He was obviously a successful man as he could maintain such a body shape in the doomsday. The latter was bald and had a face full of flesh. The most eye-catching thing was his height. He was about 1.9 meters tall and had strong muscles. He looked like a tiger and glanced at Yang Shuo.
Big and small king.
The famous hooligans in the neighborhood, the slums are also divided into territories, and there are many factions among them, and the big and small kings are one of them. The former is good at conspiracy and calculating, and can get along with everyone, while the latter is proficient in fighting. It is said that in peacetime, he was a real boxer. The two of them, one literary and the other martial, are also remarkable figures.
Wang Hao, Wang Ming.
The two brothers were rampant and relied on Wang Ming's muscular body to bully men and women. In addition, within the area under their jurisdiction, they had to offer some food every two weeks, which was more like tribute than rent.
Even a small amount of money is meat. For Wang Hao and Wang Ming, collecting rent every week is one of the few pleasures in their boring lives.
"Big Brother Wang, Second Brother Wang, this is the rent for this week." Yang Shuo opened a cloth bag with a smile on his face. Inside was an unopened loaf of bread, a can of food, and a bottle of milk.
Originally, the ingredients didn't need to be so extravagant, but last month, Yang Shuo's income was too poor, so he was beaten up by the other party and had his rent waived for one month. If he couldn't think of a solution this month, the other party might turn against him on the spot.
Very expensive food.
Yang Shuo spent a lot of time looking for these foods. The saddest thing was that although they had enough food to fill their stomachs, they were forced to go out and continue looking for ingredients because of paying rent.
They can't touch this food!
This is rent, but it is also a tribute for self-protection!
Nuo Nuo was very sensible and never asked for the tributes that had been prepared long ago. On the contrary, just to share the burden with Yang Shuo, she took the risk and went out to search, where she encountered zombies and suffered serious injuries!
Otherwise, Nuo Nuo wouldn't have to risk her life to search outside just to relieve herself of the pressure.
"Hehe, you little bug are really capable. You even got a bottle of milk. Okay, let's forget about the last time you offended me." King, Wang Hao shook the food in his hand, revealing his yellow teeth.
Yang Shuo didn't mind being called a termite. During his three years in the slums, he had heard even uglier names. At this moment, he just wanted to get rid of these two plague gods.
"Oh, your sister has grown so big?" Wang Ming held the milk and glanced casually at Nuo Nuo behind Yang Shuo.
On the other hand, Nuo Nuo, as if being stared at by a wolf, hid behind Yang Shuo timidly, with both hands grabbing Yang Shuo's clothes, looking extremely nervous.
"You don't even have anything to eat, and you still have a burden with you? If I were you, I would have sold her for food long ago." Wang Ming curled his lips and said sarcastically.
Yang Shuo's smile froze, he raised his head and said, "Brother King, you are joking. My sister and I are the only ones who depend on each other in this world. It's impossible."
"Pah!" Wang Ming spat directly onto Nuonuo's blanket and sneered, "Do you still care about friendship in this world? Your neighbor Wu Lao San was a famous romantic a few years ago, but what about now? Isn't he bent over to make a living?"
Human nature is distorted.
Hunger and despair can sometimes make people less like human beings.
"Let's go to the next one." Wang Ming accepted the benefit, waved his hand, and walked out of the narrow room with Wang Hao. From beginning to end, the muscular man never said a word.
"Second King, that little girl is pretty, don't you think?"
"Brother is right."
“Boom boom boom!”
"Open the door, Wu Laosan, what's the matter? Don't you have anything to pay the rent today?"
The noisy voices had gone away, but Yang Shuo's smile was still on his face, like a clown covered in oil paint. Behind his smile, one could not see his true thoughts.
Yang Shuo is not a child, so he would not want to kill the local tyrant just because of a few insults. However, the other party's seemingly joking words made Yang Shuo have other thoughts.
Nono is still young.
Maybe the other party was just joking. Yes, they were just two adults, telling some harmless jokes, but as a brother, as a knight who swore to protect his last loved one,
Yang Shuo swore that no one could bully Nuo Nuo because she was his only relative in this world.
There is always a bottom line in everyone's heart that cannot be crossed.
That bottom line has a standard. No matter who it is, no one can cross that fatal bottom line. If you cross it, the fight will end to death!
Nuo Nuo is like a treasure in Yang Shuo's hand. He put it in a safe in the past for fear that it would be damaged. But at this time, someone suddenly tells you that he is curious about your treasure. One day in the future, he will pry open the safe, take away the treasure, and then throw it on the ground, turning it into garbage.
Yang Shuo's smile slowly withdrew. He looked at the half-open door, his eyes becoming gradually gloomy. He knew that he should probably do something.
For example... killing the other person
Fighting is the most common form of communication in the world. If Yang Shuo takes off his clothes, his scarred skin will be exposed. He needs to feed Nuo Nuo, so he naturally needs more food. In this case, fighting, brawling and snatching food has become a part of his life. For a steamed bun, he once killed a snatcher with his own hands.
At that time, Yang Shuo and Nuo Nuo had been hungry for a day and a night, and they needed food. So when someone else also set his eyes on the steamed bun, Yang Shuo picked up a stone and smashed it hard on the other person's head.
In this world, there is no need for a reason to kill.
Just like the big and small kings, do they need a reason to be a bad guy? As long as they like, they can bully anyone at will. On the other hand, if Yang Shuo can feel comfortable killing the other party, then there is no one or so-called morality in this world that can stop him from doing so.
If it was before, Yang Shuo might have waited patiently for a while, but now, he had his own trump card, healing? A special ability that could restore vitality.
Being a professional doesn't mean you don't need food.
The big and small kings have been running rampant here for some time. If they can be defeated, the supplies they gain alone might be enough to resolve the current predicament for themselves and Nono.
After much thought, perhaps becoming an enemy of the other party has become the most correct and appropriate thing to do right now!
Yang Shuo clenched his fists, feeling the warmth in his palms, he smiled again and sighed, "You guys... are really looking for death!"
At this time, Yang Shuo had not yet noticed that when he was speaking, an inexplicable flash of blood light flashed in his eyes. The lingering blood light was like a terrible murderer, which made people feel afraid.
Unconsciously, some changes had taken place in Yang Shuo's body.
Yang Shuo and Nuo Nuo enjoyed a simple breakfast. The irony was that they had just delivered a bottle of milk a few days ago, but today what they drank was tasteless boiled water.
However, Nuonuo did not show any dissatisfaction. She was a sensible child. She knew how hard it was for her brother to find food. She did not mind what the food tasted like or even whether it was expired. She only hoped that her brother would return home on time.
In this gloomy environment, what is more unbearable than material life is loneliness.
Nuo Nuo's body recovered well. Three days had passed since he became a professional. During these days, Yang Shuo performed two more healing spells on Nuo Nuo.
He did not faint like before, but after finishing the performance, Yang Shuo fell into a state of extreme weakness, as if he had stayed up all night, his whole body was limp and he urgently needed sleep.
After performing the treatment three times, Yang Shuo discovered some patterns. The first time, because Nuo Nuo was seriously injured, he lost consciousness immediately after the treatment. After sleeping for twelve hours, he slowly woke up. In the next few times, Nuo Nuo's injuries were alleviated, and he did not faint after the treatment. He just felt a little sleepy and had a slight headache. Although he did not faint, he still needed three to five hours of sleep to relieve the headache.
"It seems that healing is linked to the severity of the injury. Too severe an injury will cause mental fatigue, while a minor injury will cause fatigue."
"The consciousness in my head said that healing skills can even regenerate limbs when used to their full potential. However, just healing Nono's wounds has already made me feel weak. If I forcefully heal more serious injuries, it may have a certain impact on my body."
After breakfast, Yang Shuo sat in a chair and began to think about the changes in his body, while Nuo Nuo was cleaning the house.
The small girl lingered in the dilapidated house, holding a rag in her hand. Even though it was just a basement and did not even belong to her, Nuonuo still treated it as a warm little house. She looked serious, perhaps because she was in a good mood, there was even a faint smile on her face.
She is still a child.
She doesn't have a very clear concept of life. For her, it is enough that she is still alive and can be with her brother.
I have to say that the healing technique is indeed magical. Three days ago, Nono looked like he was about to die, but now, he is able to clean up the room. This may be the power possessed by people with special abilities.
A power that no mortal could possibly reach.
Looking at the scene in front of him, Yang Shuo's mind fell into tranquility. A place with people is a home, and a place without people is just a room.
Even though life has brought Yang Shuo countless pains, he still thanks God for leaving him a little angel. It is because of Nono that he did not truly fall into darkness and become a beast in human skin.
Nuo Nuo is the only beam of light in Yang Shuo's endless darkness. It is the last ray of hope that supports him and helps him get out of the predicament. If someone wants to extinguish this beam of light, no matter who it is, Yang Shuo will choose to end the other person!
Good times are always short. When the sun sets and the first ray of darkness covers the ground, Yang Shuo has already put on everything and is standing at the door.
He is a scavenger.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of the day, night is undoubtedly more suitable for the job of scavenging.
"Don't go out again. Be obedient. Don't open the door when anyone knocks, okay?" Yang Shuo squatted on the ground and patted Nuo Nuo's head.
"I will be obedient, brother. You must come back safely." Nuonuo nodded, with some reluctance in her eyes, but she did not stubbornly keep Yang Shuo by her side. She knew that the two of them needed to live, and they needed food and other supplies to survive the coming winter.
Nuo Nuo walked up to Yang Shuo and hugged him, then stepped aside.
"Crack..."
The door is closed.
At the same time, Yang Shuo's face, which was gentle a few minutes ago, was now replaced by indifference. From the moment he walked out of the house, the so-called warmth should be put away, because he is now stepping into a bloody, dangerous and immoral land.
Anyone can betray you.
Anyone can kill you.
Anyone can become a demon.
Yang Shuo was like a strange cultist. He recited all of this silently in his mind. Three years of doomsday experience made him realize that being cautious will always help one live longer than being reckless.
Pushing open the door of the basement, a cool breeze blew around, which made Yang Shuo shrink his neck. Autumn has come, and people can already feel a little cool at night.
The night enveloped the earth, and everywhere was a desolate and dilapidated scene.
Buildings collapsed and huge cracks appeared on the ground. Earthquakes were extremely frequent in the doomsday, especially in the first few years. Some houses would collapse almost every month. The original office buildings, residential buildings, and shops selling goods had long lost their former appearance and turned into a pile of stones scattered on the ground.
Through the moonlight, you can vaguely see human figures flashing in some dilapidated houses. They are also residents of the doomsday, but no one will choose to light up the houses.
One reason is that there is no electricity in the slums and there is no light at all. The other reason is that the light will attract too many people's attention. Candles are considered a luxury. In the dark world, a room with light will become the focus of everyone's attention!
Yang Shuo walked quickly on the street. He did not go to the tenth district which would be chosen by all scavengers. Instead, he walked in the opposite direction and headed towards the eighth district.
The Eighth District is the only place for entertainment in the slums, where there is an arena, a casino, and a tavern open until midnight.
There are different classes everywhere. Those who can enjoy themselves in District 8 are considered thugs by the rich in the slums as well as by the honest people.
These people use the materials obtained by extorting the poor to enjoy and consume here, just like the kings and queens. Ninety percent of the customers who can consume here are engaged in extortion and bullying.
The remaining ten percent are the real rulers of this slum. In the eyes of the city's bigwigs, they are running dogs, and in the eyes of those thugs, they are terrifying characters that make people shudder.
Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimps.
Just as District 10, which is used to dump urban garbage, is a paradise for the poor, District 8 is a utopia for the wicked!
And today, as a poor man with cleaner pockets than his face, Yang Shuo came here not for entertainment, but to... kill people!
Yang Shuo had already developed murderous intentions towards the two Wangs. Ever since they spoke rudely, there had been a voice in Yang Shuo's head, a voice that had been tempting him to kill the two thugs.
And today, Yang Shuo is finally ready. He has only one goal, and that is to become the king!