"Hoang City Sunshine Shelter, Lam Pham."
Ly Long enunciated each word, fighting to still his trembling body and suppress the fear rising within him.
He had never seen him in person, it was true.
But the contents of the "Zombie Illustrated Guide" were very clear—the photos, the text—anyone who wasn't blind would understand.
"Hello. I'm very sorry. They attacked me first. When my attempts to persuade them failed, I had no choice but to retaliate in self-defense, so their deaths have nothing to do with me."
Lam Pham explained, to avoid being seen as a crazed killer.
The pilot: ...
The man in black: ...
Completely unnecessary. If you want to kill, just kill. Why bother making up such meaningless excuses?
Is there anyone who can even blame you?
Ly Long looked straight at Lam Pham, "What do you want?"
From the moment Lam Pham had appeared outside the base, his heart had turned to ice.
Lam Pham shook his head and said, "It's not about what I want. You should be asking yourself what you've done in this apocalypse."
He stared into the other's eyes, peering into his soul, and could see the tyranny, cruelty, and viciousness within.
In this apocalypse, the other man had done many evil things.
Innocent survivors, thinking they had entered a base and would finally have a safe life, had in reality only jumped from one fire pit into an even more dangerous one.
And they were killed by the very countrymen they trusted.
"What have I done? I haven't done anything. I'm just trying to survive in this base. But you, you come here and start a massacre against us who are barely hanging on. I should be asking, what do you want?"
Ly Long glared at Lam Pham, as if venting all his grievances, shifting all the blame onto Lam Pham's shoulders.
Lam Pham was a little dumbfounded.
He had considered all sorts of possibilities, but he had never imagined the other party would say something like this.
Even the two members of Qin Ling's organization stared at Ly Long with their jaws agape. What kind of brain did you need to say something like that?
"Are you treating me like an idiot?"
Lam Pham felt this was a strong possibility. Thinking back on his actions so far, he had been very gentle with everyone. Perhaps this behavior had led some people to think he was easy to deceive.
Ly Long explained, "No, I'm only telling the truth. Turn around and look at those people in the corridor. They just want to survive in the apocalypse. What wrong could they have done? The apocalypse is inherently cruel. Who knows who to trust? You think everyone is trustworthy?"
"So you deceive a few survivors, sell them to Qin Ling's organization, and provide them for research, right?" Lam Pham asked.
Many survivors didn't die in the mouths of zombies, but at the hands of their own people.
It shouldn't be this way.
The apocalypse was indeed terrifying, but if the living could unite, then hope would always exist. They would absolutely not reach a point of desperation.
But it was a great pity that very few could achieve this.
Ly Long laughed, "What are you talking about? What research? We were just sending them to a safer place. You can't just say things like that. Other people might not be trustworthy, but how could we not be?"
"Sigh." Lam Pham shook his head and pointed to his own eyes. "I believe my eyes, and I also believe the information your eyes are conveying to me. Come with me. I think your destination has been decided."
With that, he took a step towards Lam Pham.
"Stop right there!" Ly Long roared, the serum in his hand already pressed against his arm. "Damn it, I know you're powerful, but I, Ly Long, am not someone who gives up easily. For you to find me here, I guess it's my bad luck. I've always heard you're powerful, and I want to see for myself just how powerful you can be."
"Professor Kim, I'm putting my faith in you to give me strength!"
"Ah..."
With a low growl, he fiercely plunged the serum into his arm.
The liquid from the spiral tube flowed in.
Lam Pham frowned. He knew a little about these serums. Ever since Professor Ha had extracted something from the bodies of Awakened and zombies, the situation had quietly changed.
Some humans no longer wanted to walk the path of the Awakened, but instead sought shortcuts to gain greater power. It was just that this path was very dangerous. Like those few guys who caused trouble at the Sunshine Shelter, they eventually lost their human form and completely turned into monsters.
"Do you know the consequences of injecting that serum? Are you going to throw away your very identity as a human?"
Lam Pham found it very difficult to understand what the other was thinking, watching Ly Long leaning on his hands, his face contorted in pain. He truly didn't know what was going through his mind.
"Haha." Ly Long threw his head back, the color of his irises changing as red veins began to appear in his eyes. He stared ferociously at Lam Pham. "Would you give me a chance? The moment you found me here, I already knew what the result would be. But that doesn't matter anymore. Maybe I can still survive."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Ly Long's body began to swell.
"Power, I want power! A boiling, surging power is coursing through my body..."
Ngo Dong Luong, at the side, was so frightened by the changes in Ly Long's body that he retreated. This was no longer a change a normal person could undergo.
Pfft!
Ly Long's arm transformed. The skin on his hand tore open, revealing raw flesh and tissue, its toughness doubled from before. His fingernails also changed into sharp claws.
Gradually.
Not only did the skin on his arms peel off, but the skin on his body also began to flake away.
A strange, low growl roared from Ly Long's throat. "Power, I want more power! It's not enough, it's far from enough!"
For Ly Long, he was an Awakened, and one who had reached the third stage. He could indeed maintain his human appearance, but he could clearly feel a door inside his body. Behind that door seemed to be an unimaginable power.
He just needed to push open that door to obtain it.
Therefore, Ly Long stopped thinking about it. He only wanted to push open that door and obtain the power that could change everything.
If Thoi Tieu Phi saw this situation, he would definitely say that he was a true madman, actively allowing his genes to undergo an irreversible mutation. Although doing so could indeed grant terrifying power.
But it was a one-way trip, and he would completely become a different species.
Scrape!
Scrape!
Sharp claws scraped against the ground, leaving behind scratch marks.
"Why bother? Power isn't everything. Only a heart full of positive energy is truly formidable, so formidable that even I would have to respect you immensely."
Lam Pham shook his head. He wasn't really clear on how far his own power had come. The only thing that could represent it was that cold number.
The only way to truly defeat him was to have a heart full of positive energy.
Like Officer Hoang, for example. Even when he didn't want to talk to him, Lam Pham still respected him greatly and even worried about him everywhere.
What a pity... too many people chose the wrong method.
They always thought they could crush him with force.
This was a very unwise action.
A moment later.
Ly Long stood up, at least twice as tall as before. The exposed flesh and tissue were filled with a ferocious, explosive power. Anyone who saw it would tremble in fear.
"Such immense power."
He clenched his fist, a crackling sound erupting. He stomped his foot hard, and with a bang, the metal floor cracked, sinking into a deep pit. Then he swung his arm, and the air itself seemed to explode.
"Do you feel it? This is power!"
An eye grew on Ly Long's shoulder, like a tumor, but this eye was alive, rolling around, looking at Lam Pham as if he were prey.
Lam Pham observed the other party, then very helplessly took out his camera and took a picture of his appearance.
Perhaps it was a human habit when it came to having their picture taken, but Ly Long very cooperatively struck a pose.
Then he extended his hand, sharp claws aimed at Lam Pham.
"Feel that? Next, enjoy the pleasure I'm about to bring you."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Ly Long instantly vanished from his spot, appearing violently in front of Lam Pham. His explosive fist flew towards Lam Pham's head. The fist hadn't arrived yet, but the shockwave it carried could already be felt.
"Die! Die at my hands! In the face of such blood-boiling power, what can you do?"
BAM!
In an instant.
The scene was extremely quiet.
Ly Long stood in front of Lam Pham, maintaining his previous posture, but he hadn't made contact. With a soft thud, a powerful force impacted his back, which instantly exploded, splattering thick blood all over the ground.
One could only see that Lam Pham had punched him in the abdomen.
There was no imagined scene of his abdomen exploding. Instead, that force pierced through his abdomen and erupted from his back.
The injury was very serious. In fact, it wasn't a matter of seriousness anymore; it had already taken Ly Long's life.
"Haha..."
Ly Long let out a laugh that sounded like self-mockery, as if he were laughing at his own actions.
"As expected, I was overthinking it. Even after becoming like this, in front of you, I'm still just a clown, right?"
He muttered to himself.
As he spoke, his arms hung limply, and he tilted backward.
Thud!
He fell to the ground, without another sound.
Lam Pham looked at him and said no more. It was better that he was dead. As the person in charge of the base, who knew how many people he had harmed during the time Lam Pham was searching.
If Officer Hoang saw him, he would definitely use the harshest methods to take his life.
"Are you going to shoot me too?" Lam Pham looked at Ngo Dong Luong on the side. The unfamiliar man's hand was trembling as he held a pistol, aimed at Lam Pham.
He didn't have the courage to shoot.
He didn't even have the thought.
"You... you." Ngo Dong Luong managed to say, "Are Mo Lam and Truong Hao okay?"
Hearing these words, Lam Pham looked at him with a surprised expression, as if he had thought of something. "You're Ngo Dong Luong..."
"You know me?" Ngo Dong Luong didn't expect the masked Lam Pham to say his name in one go. This made him very confused.
After learning that the other person was Ngo Dong Luong, Lam Pham's expression quietly changed.
"You know Mo Lam and Truong Hao, so you must be the Ngo Dong Luong that Mo Lam often mentions to me. They often talk about you in front of me, saying you were a very good person, a trustworthy teammate. In their hearts, you were a trustworthy big brother, willing to sacrifice your own life to protect other survivors..."
Lam Pham was telling the truth. That was what Mo Lam had told him before.
Ngo Dong Luong listened to what Lam Pham said, standing there dumbly, his expression changing drastically. The man they had once trusted so much had now changed. The man who had been shrouded by the apocalypse was no longer the man he used to be.
"Haha..."
"So my best side still remains in some people's hearts."
Ngo Dong Luong smiled, his expression softening a lot.
He knew that Mo Lam and Truong Hao were living well, and that was all that mattered. Some things could not be undone.
"Can you do me a favor?" Ngo Dong Luong asked.
"Go ahead."
"Can you not tell them you met me?"
"What?"
Ngo Dong Luong smiled, said nothing more, and quickly pressed the gun in his hand to his temple. With a bang, a bullet pierced his head. He maintained a smile as he collapsed to the ground. A deathbed realization was still a realization, but everything was already too late.
Lam Pham walked over to his face. "Alright, I promise you. Although you were an accomplice and went down the wrong path, your good side will be forever preserved in their hearts. It will not change."
Perhaps Ngo Dong Luong heard Lam Pham's words, as his wide-open eyes slowly closed.
"A wrong choice. When you want to turn back, it's already too late."
Lam Pham said to himself.
...
Outside.
The innocent survivors waited in a daze.
When they saw Lam Pham, they all surrounded him.
"Big brother, thank you for saving us."
"Big brother, please be a good person to the end and take us with you. We were tricked into coming here and almost lost our lives."
"The apocalypse is so scary. If I didn't have a strong heart, I might not have been able to hold on."
They looked at Lam Pham with pleading expressions, hoping so much to hear good news and return to a normal life.
The trust between people had completely collapsed.
They didn't know who to trust anymore.
Lam Pham comforted their restless hearts. "It's okay, it's all okay. Everything will be fine. My name is Lam Pham, from the Hoang City Sunshine Shelter. I will take you to a safe place. You can rest assured. Once you get there, life will be like normal, without any danger."
He could understand their inner terror.
Words of comfort were still quite effective.
They could soothe their restless hearts.
With Lam Pham's comfort, their emotions gradually stabilized, no longer as anxious as before, replaced by a sense of stability.
They felt a kind of gentle emotion from Lam Pham, which infected their restless hearts.
The two members of Qin Ling's organization removed the collars from the necks of these survivors.
They were terrified, with an indescribable sense of panic.
"Can you tell me where your organization is?" Lam Pham asked.
The pilot said, "Big brother, we really don't know. Even we have never been to the organization. It's always been our guide who leads us to a sub-organization, and then the sub-organization transports the survivors. And there's a bomb on the helicopter. If anything goes wrong, it will be detonated. So we really don't know."
Lam Pham knew they were probably telling the truth.
Just like before.
It was also a suicide mission.
"Do you want to go back?" Lam Pham asked.
Thump!
The pilot and the man in black knelt directly in front of Lam Pham.
"Big brother, we are just ordinary people. We were ordinary people before, too. It was only after the apocalypse that we were coerced, just to survive. Although we did many wrong things, I swear to God, we never killed anyone. They were the ones who did it."
"If we could have a safe life, who would be willing to wander outside, going against their own conscience?"
They said with solemn oaths.
Lam Pham smiled and patted their shoulders. "It's okay, don't be nervous. Everything will be fine. You guys wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."
After speaking, he looked into the distance. There was someone there.
It should be the person he was thinking of.
Sun Nang saw Lam Pham come out with the people and knew it was resolved.
"Hieu Hieu, let's go." Sun Nang waved his hand, stood up, and left with Hieu Hieu.
But just then.
A voice came from behind.
"Sun Nang, hello."
Hearing the voice, Sun Nang turned to see Lam Pham's figure, shook his head, very helplessly, "You can even find me like this?"
Lam Pham smiled, "I sensed you. Counting this time, this can be considered our second meeting. I remember the first time you told me your name was Sun Hien. I didn't expect your real name to be Sun Nang."
"Yes, I'm sorry. The first time we met, I gave you a fake name," Sun Nang replied with a smile.
Lam Pham said, "Thank you for providing me with the existence of survivors all this time. I'm truly grateful."
Sun Nang said, "The first time we met, you said one thing to me: to be a good survivor and not harm ordinary people. If I encountered other survivors, I should tell them about the existence of the Sunshine Shelter, and you would thank me properly. I have always kept that in mind."
Hearing these words, Lam Pham's expression was slightly startled, then he smiled, "Yes, I didn't expect you to still remember. Then I'm truly grateful for your help. Because of your assistance, more survivors were able to come to the Sunshine Shelter. They should really thank you."
"It's nothing, it's a very normal thing. Your actions are the ones worthy of admiration. If it weren't for you, I think that Sunshine Shelter wouldn't have been able to stand firm in the apocalypse." Sun Nang was speaking the truth. How terrifying the zombies in the apocalypse were was as clear as day, and it was no joke.
Even for him, there were zombies he couldn't deal with.
There was even a possibility of being instantly killed upon encounter.
Lam Pham said, "I'm at most just a pillar, and they are each pillars, uniting together to support this area and create a prosperous shelter. Only when everyone works hard can there be a better future."
He wouldn't attribute all the credit to himself, but hoped that everyone would unite and work hard together to create a beautiful home.
Sun Nang knew he would say that.
Although they hadn't met many times, from the "Zombie Illustrated Guide," one could still see his character.
If he were the kind of dictatorial existence, for the survivors who came to the Sunshine Shelter, it would truly be a disaster. Surviving would just mean being a slave to someone else.
Fortunately, he wasn't.
"This child is?" Lam Pham looked at Han Hieu Hieu, who was staying by Sun Nang's side. A little girl following him, wandering through the apocalypse, was not an unheard-of combination, but this was the first time he had seen it.
Sun Nang said, "I met a child on the road. She was all alone, so I kept her with me."
"Does she want to go to the shelter? There, she can receive a good education and study with a group of children," Lam Pham asked.
If Phi Phi knew this little older sister was here, she would definitely have a talk with her.
Sister, we want freedom, not studying! Studying is so scary!
"I'm not going anywhere. I want to follow my big brother," Han Hieu Hieu said, leaning behind Sun Nang and looking cautiously at Lam Pham.
Sun Nang helplessly spread his hands, "There's nothing I can do. This child just wants to follow me. I've told her many times, but it's no use."
"It's okay. Although going to the Sunshine Shelter might be a very wise choice, I think this child is closer to you. With your ability, you can definitely protect her well, so it's the same whether she goes or not," Lam Pham said with a smile.
Sun Nang thought about his journey through the apocalypse.
He had originally thought the stage of killing zombies to enhance his own abilities would be very boring, but who would have thought he would meet a dog and Han Hieu Hieu on the way.
The journey didn't seem so boring anymore.
From time to time, it was filled with laughter and chatter.
This made Sun Nang feel that the journey through the apocalypse wasn't so boring after all.
"Can I ask you something?" Sun Nang asked.
"Okay, go ahead."
Lam Pham knew that the Sun Nang before him had his own ideas. If he were willing to go to the Sunshine Shelter, perhaps he wouldn't even need to say anything; the other would have already suggested it.
And if he didn't want to go, it wouldn't matter what was said.
Just like Gui Thu Nguyet, they all had their own ideas, wanting to look around in the apocalypse, searching for everything they wanted to know.
"Is Ha Minh Hien okay?"
Ha Minh Hien...
That was his former client. It was just that his changes in the apocalypse were a bit drastic compared to before. "He didn't come to live in the shelter, but is living his own life in Hoang City. I haven't seen him for a while. I invited him to the shelter, but he didn't agree. I heard from them that back in the prison, it was Ha Minh Hien who protected them..."
After saying this, Lam Pham thought about how the person in charge of the prison later on was Sun Nang.
Sun Nang smiled, "It's just as I thought. Not much skill, but a big temper. He still hasn't changed."
For some reason.
Lam Pham noticed that when Sun Nang mentioned Ha Minh Hien, the smile in his eyes grew wider.
A strange thought popped into his mind.
Thinking about it, it should be impossible.
But no one could say for sure; the ways of the world were hard to predict.
Lam Pham said, "If you want to see him, you can go back to Hoang City with me."
"No, it's too far."
"It's not far. I'll take you back, and then bring you back here. At my speed, it's very fast. It won't take long at all."
"That's true. Your speed is really beyond ordinary people's comprehension."
Sun Nang didn't refuse.
This showed that he wanted to go back and take a look.
...
Hoang City.
"Just here?"
Lam Pham asked curiously. Sun Nang didn't let him take him to the shelter. In Sun Nang's words, it would easily lead to unnecessary misunderstandings. Some of the survivors living in the shelter had once been in the prison.
"Yes, right here," Sun Nang nodded, then patted Han Hieu Hieu's head and said, "Hieu Hieu, you go with this big brother to the shelter and wait for a while. When it's time to go, I'll come and get you."
"Really?" Han Hieu Hieu looked at Sun Nang, worried that he would trick her.
"Of course, I won't lie. Liars are little dogs."
Woof woof...
Little Ha, at the side, wagged his tail and barked a few times.
Han Hieu Hieu was a sensible child. She nodded, stayed by Lam Pham's side, and waved to Sun Nang.
Sun Nang walked towards the familiar city.
He was very familiar with Ha Minh Hien's scent. Although he didn't know where he lived, by sniffing his scent, he could find his location.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing the expression on his face when he sees me."
At this moment.
In a residential building.
Ha Minh Hien was cooking instant noodles in the kitchen, living a very leisurely life. Having chosen not to go to the Sunshine Shelter, he still felt that life was very enjoyable.
"Add a sausage."
"And some seaweed."
These things were all from the supermarket downstairs.
The shelf life of these foods was relatively long. Even after a year, they wouldn't spoil. Although it was hard to eat fresh fish and meat, he was still relatively satisfied eating these things now.
If it were the Ha Minh Hien of peaceful times, he would definitely complain about the injustice of life, that he could only eat these things.
But now, he had no such thoughts.
Knock knock!
A knocking sound came from the door.
"Coming, coming, who is it..." Ha Minh Hien wiped his hands and walked towards the door. But when he reached the door, he froze slightly.
This was the apocalypse. Who could possibly be looking for him?
Suddenly.
Ha Minh Hien thought of the Mieu Yen siblings. He felt a bit helpless. Had they finally found him?
But... he really didn't want to interact with other people right now, nor did he want to go to the Sunshine Shelter.
Everything was already over.
Seeing acquaintances would make him think of his terrible past, like a nightmare, constantly haunting his mind, causing great mental distress.
Sigh.
He had to make things clear in the end.
He opened the door, and just as he was about to speak, he saw the person standing at the entrance, and his expression changed drastically. His eyes went wide, and he stared blankly ahead, as if he'd seen a ghost. He raised a hand, pointing at the person in front of him.
"You... how are you here?"
Ha Minh Hien had thought of everyone who might come, but he had never imagined that it would be Sun Nang appearing before him.
He slapped his own face hard. The pain that followed told him it wasn't a dream, but reality.
Sun Nang said nothing, his gentle eyes watching the flustered Ha Minh Hien in front of him, all sorts of disbelief flashing across his face. They had been apart for a long time. When they met again, the emotions the other showed were the most genuine.
"What? Do I scare you that much?"
Ha Minh Hien's breathing gradually became ragged. The image of being controlled and suppressed appeared in his mind.
He had already retreated until his back was against the wall.
He could retreat no further.
"Ha Minh Hien, seeing me..."
Woof Woof!
The dog, Little Ha, who had followed Sun Nang, heard its master call its name and barked happily.
In front of Ha Minh Hien, Sun Nang squatted down and patted Little Ha's head. "Be good. I wasn't calling you. He's also called Ha Minh Hien. Your name is the same as his."
Ha Minh Hien's eyes widened. He looked at the dog. Well, damn. He even keeps a dog named Ha Minh Hien.
The dog, Little Ha, tilted its head, looking doubtfully at the human Ha Minh Hien. Its rolling eyes seemed to say... Such a fine human, why would he use my dog name?
So strange.
From the dog's eyes, Ha Minh Hien detected a hint of contempt.
But now was not the time to care about these things. Facing Sun Nang, he didn't dare to breathe too loudly. That sense of oppression was extremely real.
Sun Nang ignored Ha Minh Hien and walked into the kitchen. Seeing the instant noodles cooking in the pot, he said slowly, "When I'm not around, do you just eat this every day?"
Ha Minh Hien obediently shrank there, not daring to say a word.
Sun Nang turned off the fire under the noodles, then poured them into a bowl, placed it on the floor in a corner, and let Little Ha eat. Then he returned to the kitchen.
"I came back with Lam Pham to take a look. I didn't expect you to have some backbone, not living in the shelter but returning to your own home."
"Back in the prison, you probably never tasted my cooking, right? But it's okay. I happened to pass by a supermarket on the way here. There are still some dried vegetable packets inside. Let me prepare a lunch for you."
Sun Nang was busy in the kitchen, talking to Ha Minh Hien who was standing outside.
But this conversation felt more like a monologue.
Ha Minh Hien was already so scared by Sun Nang that he didn't dare to say a word.
He looked at the busy figure in the kitchen, then at the open door. He had the urge to run, but just as he had that thought, a voice slowly reached his ears.
"Dare to run, and I'll break your legs."
Ha Minh Hien, who was just about to stick half a leg out, instantly stood up straight again, wanting to cry in his heart. He's threatening me again, he's intimidating me again, just like before, always wanting to bully me.
Sun Nang continued to talk while cooking.
"I used to think you might be able to stand on your own two feet, but now it seems, luckily you weren't so spirited back then, otherwise you might not be living this life now."
Sun Nang brought out the first dish.
It was a portion of pasta.
Then he brought out several more dishes.
With the current food, it was a bit difficult to make a rich meal, but for survivors living in the apocalypse, being able to eat these foods was already a kind of enjoyment.
Soon.
Sun Nang came out of the kitchen, walked to the dining table, sat down, and looked at Ha Minh Hien standing in the corner, beckoning with his finger.
"Come, sit."
Ha Minh Hien swallowed hard. He didn't know what Sun Nang was up to, but he was already terrified.
Sun Nang said, "I don't wish to repeat myself."
Clatter!
Without thinking, Ha Minh Hien quickly pulled out a chair and sat properly opposite Sun Nang, his movements very stiff, not daring to be the least bit presumptuous.
Sun Nang put food on Ha Minh Hien's plate, then lowered his head and ate.
The atmosphere was extremely quiet.
Apart from the sound of chopsticks, there wasn't a single other sound.
Ha Minh Hien didn't dare to move his chopsticks, staring at the food on his plate.
"Eat."
Sun Nang said softly. It seemed like he spoke very lightly, but the power of those two words was immense, scaring Ha Minh Hien into immediately moving his chopsticks, without a moment's hesitation.
To Ha Minh Hien, Sun Nang was like a terrifying great demon king.
If he didn't listen to what he said.
He might really get beaten.
At least in the prison, Sun Nang's unpredictable personality had already made him very anxious.
This meal was a rich one for Ha Minh Hien.
But it was also relatively torturous.
Not long after.
The meal was over.
Sun Nang stood up to clear the bowls and chopsticks. Ha Minh Hien wanted to take the initiative to help—doing more would definitely not be a bad thing—but he was stopped by Sun Nang's sharp command to sit back down in his original seat.
In the kitchen, Sun Nang washed the bowls, as if talking to himself, and also as if talking to Ha Minh Hien.
"I used to long for a life like this, with a family atmosphere, with the breath of life. Unfortunately... it seems heaven has always been dissatisfied with me, never letting me truly experience it."
As he spoke, Sun Nang himself let out a bitter laugh. Seemingly cold and ruthless, his heart was relatively soft. It was just that the world didn't need people who showed their softness.
Ha Minh Hien sat at the table, his head always lowered, thinking of mustering the courage to say something, but in the end, he lost his nerve.
"You're really stubborn. The Sunshine Shelter is the best place for you to go, yet you want to live outside. Tell me, aren't you just asking for trouble?"
As expected...
Ha Minh Hien knew Sun Nang was going to scold him again.
In the kitchen, Sun Nang looked through the glass at him sitting there with his head down, like a child being scolded for making a mistake. He sighed in his heart, washed all the bowls and chopsticks, and wiped the water from his hands.
He left the kitchen, stood behind Ha Minh Hien, and placed his hands on his shoulders.
As his hands descended, Ha Minh Hien's body couldn't help but tremble.
This was a fear etched into his heart.
Sun Nang could naturally feel this as well.
"Alright, don't worry. I won't hit you, and I won't scold you. From now on, live your life well on your own. Let's go."
"Ha Minh Hien, let's go..."
Sun Nang walked towards the outside.
Ha Minh Hien, sitting there, abruptly stood up, thinking he was being called to go, until a dog passed by him, raised its head, barked once, wagged its tail, and eagerly followed Sun Nang out.
At that moment, he finally knew... he was calling that dog, not him.
He sat down powerlessly.
He wanted to say something... but in the end, he didn't. He had always thought he had escaped that fear, but only now did he understand that the fear had always been there, never having disappeared.