Free Web NovelChapter 42: Rex
Leo grabbed a protein bar and a few packets of biscuits.
Just the thought of cooking stirred memories of William and his family.
After filling his stomach, he looked around the compartment once more.
The broken furniture and scattered debris were still lying everywhere. However, he wasn’t in the mood to clean up the mess he had created last night.
Shaking his head, he decided to get some fresh air.
Stepping out of the truck, the afternoon heat greeted him.
The survivor camp was bustling with activity.
Leo had barely taken a few steps when a young man walked straight toward him.
The man looked to be around twenty-four years old. He had short black hair and a lean build that wasn’t particularly imposing, yet he carried himself with an unusual confidence.
A pair of black sunglasses rested on his face despite the sun already beginning to set.
A carefree smile hung on his lips, but for some reason, it felt fake.
It was the kind of smile a seasoned con artist would wear while emptying your pockets.
His movements were relaxed, almost lazy, yet Leo had the feeling that the man was constantly observing everything around him.
Just from his attitude alone, Leo instinctively judged him as the type of person who couldn’t be trusted to keep his word.
Yet the stranger walked up to him as though they were old friends meeting after years apart.
Stretching out his hand, the man grinned.
"Yo, dude. How’ve you been?"
His hand remained hanging awkwardly in the air.
Leo didn’t bother shaking it.Instead, he frowned slightly.
"Do I know you?"
The man awkwardly withdrew his hand and scratched the back of his head before letting out a dry laugh.
"Oh... my bad. Hello, my name’s Rex. I belong to the Freedom Convoy."
"So?"
Rex blinked.
"...Shall I congratulate you or something?"
The smile on Rex’s face stiffened for a moment before he laughed again.
"Seriously, man, you’re pretty blunt. With that attitude, you’ll never make any friends."
"So be it."
Leo replied indifferently.
"It’s none of your business."
Having said that, Leo turned around and started walking back toward the truck.
"Hey, wait..."
Before Rex could finish his sentence, a commotion suddenly broke out nearby.
A woman carrying a little girl, who looked no older than two years old, was desperately holding onto a young man around twenty-six or twenty-seven.
The young man gripped a heavy meat cleaver in his hand.
"Danny, please stop. Don’t go into the city. So many people who went inside never came back. Think about what Lily and I will do if something happens to you."
The woman was clearly his wife. frёewebnoѵēl.com
Danny looked at his tearful wife before lowering his gaze to the little girl in her arms.
"I have to go. Neither you nor Lily has eaten anything for two days. The only way left is to enter the city, kill a few zombies, and exchange their crystals for supplies from the military."
"We’ll think of something else... but please don’t go. It’s too dangerous."
The little girl, who had been sleeping peacefully, was startled awake by the argument and began crying.
The moment Leo heard the child’s name...
Lily.
No matter how hard he tried to suppress them, memories surged into his mind.
Lily’s shy, innocent smile. Her cheerful laughter as she played with the bunny doll. The way she squinted her eyes every time she ate something sweet.
One memory after another surfaced before him.
Before long, William, Elena, and Lily slowly overlapped with the family standing in front of him.
The husband was willing to risk his life to protect his family.
The wife was willing to go hungry if it meant keeping her husband safe.
Neither of them was willing to let the other suffer.
The little girl couldn’t understand why her parents were arguing.
She only knew that her mother was trying to stop her father from leaving.
Perhaps sensing the sadness in the air, she gradually stopped crying.
Instead, she stretched out her tiny arms toward her father, asking him to carry her.
The couple understood their daughter’s meaning immediately and tears quietly welled up in both their eyes.
The child’s action became the final nail in the coffin.
Looking at the family before him, Leo felt a sharp pain stab through his chest.
Before he realized it, he had already shouted,
"Oi, you. Come here."
Danny was startled by the sudden voice.
He hesitated for a moment before cautiously walking over.
"Wait here for a bit."
After saying that, Leo turned around and entered the truck.
About five minutes later, he came back out carrying a large cardboard box.
Without saying a word, he dropped the box onto the ground with a heavy thud.
"There is enough food in there to last your family for a while."
Danny froze.
His mind went blank for a few seconds.
When he finally realized what had just happened, his eyes reddened, and tears threatened to spill.
Standing nearby, Rex watched the scene unfold with an amused smile.
When Leo noticed the expression on Rex’s face, he frowned in irritation.
He looked back at Danny.
"Don’t look so touched. This isn’t free."
As he spoke, Leo noticed Danny’s wife staring nervously from a distance.
He waved his hand at her.
"You. Come here."
The woman stiffened.
Her heart skipped a beat as countless terrible possibilities flashed through her mind.
During the apocalypse, it had become common for women to exchange their bodies for food and supplies.
Seeing a stranger suddenly calling her over while offering such valuable food...
Her thoughts naturally wandered in that direction.
Danny was still overwhelmed by the unexpected supplies and failed to notice the fear on his wife’s face.
The woman bit her lip before seemingly making up her mind.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked over.
"H-Hello... sir." frёewebnoѵēl.com
Leo looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
He pointed at the cardboard box.
"Take some food out first and fill your stomach."
The woman lowered her head in embarrassment.
"After you’re done eating, hand the child over to your husband..."
Leo pointed toward the truck behind him.
"...then get inside the truck."
Before he could explain any further, the tears she had been holding back finally burst from her eyes.
