Chapter 36: Respecting the Old and Cherishing the Young

Ye Nan unleashed his lightning ability, his entire body crackling with blinding sparks that emitted a sharp, rhythmic snapping sound. Ever since his ability had advanced to Level 2, his control over lightning had surpassed anything he had previously been capable of. Now, with just a mere thought, he could manipulate electricity at will.

Boom!

Lightning struck, shattering the ground. Ye Nan remained cautious, however; if he were to accidentally puncture the oil tanks, it would be a disaster. If he carelessly caused an explosion, there would truly be no place to appeal to justice. Fortunately, it didn't take long for him to finish. He disconnected the tanks and stored the entire collection directly into his Lightning Tower.

Su Tao watched this scene from the sidelines, deeply shaken. Although she knew Ye Nan was an esper capable of extraordinary feats, seeing it with her own eyes was still inevitably shocking.

"Let’s go to the power generator plant," Ye Nan said, leaping out from the pit and climbing into his Hummer.

Su Tao remained standing where she was, still lost in thought.

Ye Nan called out again, "Let’s go. Stop staring."

"Oh, right." Su Tao responded and climbed into the car.

The journey was uneventful, and Ye Nan soon arrived at the generator plant. The people he had encountered earlier were indeed correct; there were massive quantities of generators here, both solar-powered and fuel-burning. From now on, there would be no need to worry about power outages.

"I’m so lucky. These generators are of excellent quality, true treasures on the market. This haul is a massive win," Ye Nan said, his gaze sweeping over the generators as if he were admiring peerless beauties.

Su Tao was also delighted, smiling as she said, "Perhaps you are a person of great fortune. Out of so many survivors, you were the one to awaken an ability. Now you’ve found this generator plant; there’s no need to worry about power anymore. Compared to everyone else still struggling to survive, you’re already living a wonderful life."

Ye Nan replied, "Indeed. Do you see the benefits of sticking with me now?"

Su Tao said, "I was so foolish, truly. Had I known my ex-boyfriend was that kind of person, I should have abandoned him sooner and thrown myself into your arms, sparing myself the suffering I endured from the start of the apocalypse until now."

Ye Nan said, "It’s not too late now."

Su Tao giggled, "That’s true."

After a busy spell, Ye Nan finally finished storing all the generators into the Lightning Tower. Just as they were about to leave, Su Tao suddenly exclaimed, "My god, there are three more huge drums of oil here!"

Ye Nan walked over and saw that they were indeed three drums of diesel, perfect for running the generators. Without a moment's hesitation, he stored them in the Lightning Tower.

Su Tao suggested, "Let’s look around a bit more to see if there’s anything else we need."

"Alright." Ye Nan nodded and began searching through the plant. It was quite large, and although he spent a long time looking without finding anything else of note, the overall harvest remained immense.

"Let’s head back," Ye Nan said, taking Su Tao’s hand as they walked out of the plant.

"Where are we going next?" Su Tao didn’t pull away. Though she had only known Ye Nan for a short time, she didn't know why, but every time he made such an intimate gesture, her heart would race uncontrollably. Perhaps this was what falling in love felt like. Compared to when she was with the bespectacled man, she had never felt this way before.

Ye Nan turned his head to look at her, his voice gentle. "We’re going home."

Su Tao asked, "It’s still early, shouldn't we look around a bit more?"

Ye Nan smirked wickedly, "It’s not that early. Last night was our first time, by the gate, and earlier we were in the Hummer. If we get back early, we can rest early. Hehehe, tonight I intend to make up for everything."

"You’re so annoying!" Su Tao shot him a coquettish glare. The sheer allure in her expression made Ye Nan’s heart race, and he nearly couldn't resist taking her right there. This seductive fox spirit was becoming more intoxicating by the day.

"Get in the car." Ye Nan suppressed his rising agitation and gave Su Tao’s peach-like bottom a playful slap, producing a crisp sound. The sensation was absolutely exquisite.

Su Tao’s face turned crimson, feeling a mix of indignation and shyness. This guy was always finding ways to take advantage of her. Yet, recalling the scenes in the Hummer earlier, she couldn't help but lower her head, her face burning with heat.

...

Ye Nan started the car and returned to the auto repair shop, moving out a few generators and leaving behind a drum of fuel. He then visited the Donglin Hotel and Safe House No. 2, similarly leaving behind generators and fuel so that You Dehai, Chef Huang, and Liu Yue’s lives wouldn't be affected by power outages.

Once everything was handled, Ye Nan drove back to the residential complex at a leisurely pace. Just as he reached the entrance, he found several railings blocking his path. Ye Nan frowned slightly. Who was causing trouble now?

He truly regretted clearing the zombies out of the complex. While there were no zombies left, these survivors weren't out scavenging for food; instead, they were busy concocting schemes to prey on their own kind. It was laughable.

Ye Nan honked his horn. Immediately, several elderly people emerged from the security booth. A short, stout woman spoke up, "Young man, you’ve been out for so long, you must have collected plenty of food. How about sharing some with us? We don't want much, just half will do. Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a traditional virtue of our culture. You have all your limbs; surely you have the ability to ensure us old folks live comfortably, don't you think?"

Ye Nan almost laughed out of anger. To speak with such high-minded pretense—did she have no shame at all? It was truly speechless.

"Sorry, my food was collected through my own hard work. I have no obligation to share it with you. If you don't move, don't blame me for being impolite," Ye Nan said impatiently. "And don't try to pull the 'respect your elders' act on me. I’m not buying it."

The short woman flew into a rage, pointing at Ye Nan and cursing, "What is wrong with you, young man? You have no consideration for the elderly at all! Did your nine-year compulsory education teach you nothing about respecting your elders? When this disaster is over, I will post you on the internet and let everyone see what a heartless beast you are!"

"Heh," Ye Nan sneered.

Beside her, an old man chimed in, "Young man, we are old and infirm. Just give us a little food; it’s no great loss to you."

Ye Nan asked, "If I give you some this time, what about next time?"

The old man replied, "You’re so fit, I’m sure you can scavenge more food next time. Just give us some more then, it’ll be fine."

It wasn't just Ye Nan; even Su Tao was furious. These elderly people were simply too shameless. In peaceful times, they would use moral kidnapping to force young people to give up their seats on buses. To think they were still playing this game in the apocalypse. Unfortunately, they had picked the wrong person.

Ye Nan was not someone to be trifled with. He said sternly, "I’ll count to three. If you don't remove the railings, I’m driving straight through."

"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"

When Ye Nan reached three, the group still didn't move. Ignoring them, he slammed his foot on the accelerator. The Hummer smashed through the railings with a loud crash.

"Young man, how can you do this! Damaging public property requires compensation!" the short woman screamed in rage. "Leave ten boxes of instant noodles or three bags of rice, or you aren't leaving today!"

As she spoke, she stepped forward to block the Hummer. Seeing this, the other elderly people swarmed forward, determined not to let him leave without giving up food.

Su Tao was on the verge of tears. In the apocalypse, she had truly seen the depths of human nature.

Ye Nan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. These people weren't worth his anger. "See? In the apocalypse, human nature is like this—it cannot withstand the test," Ye Nan said. "For a little food, they will do anything."

"Yes, I never expected it either," Su Tao sighed. "My ex-boyfriend always acted so honest and simple, but when the end came, he actually wanted to hand me over to Wang Nu as a bargaining chip to climb up. It’s ridiculous."

"To deal with despicable people, you don't use standard methods. If you don't make them feel pain, they will never learn," Ye Nan said. "Watch this."

Ignoring the group of elderly people blocking his path, Ye Nan started the engine.

"Young man, what are you doing? Are you trying to kill us? Do you have any morals left? Did a dog eat your conscience? How can you be so reckless—aren't you afraid of retribution?" the short woman shouted.

"Enough talk. If you want to die, I’ll grant your wish!" Ye Nan drove forward, looking as if he were ready to crush them.

When the car was only a few meters away, the group finally panicked, realizing that Ye Nan wasn't joking—he was truly prepared to kill them.

"Get out of the way! This beast has no humanity, he’s going to run us over!"
"Move!"

The group scrambled to the side, but in their haste, they tripped over one another and tumbled to the ground, crying out in pain. The Hummer grazed past them, the tires missing them by mere inches.

...

This scene terrified them to their core. Ye Nan glanced back with a faint smile. They were indeed a bunch of cowards who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Behind him came the angry curses of the old people, but Ye Nan ignored them and drove straight away.

Just as he entered the safe house, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, and fat raindrops began to fall.

"It’s raining." Ye Nan looked out the window, his thoughts drifting. This was the first time it had rained since the apocalypse began. He had previously worried about the tap water being contaminated by the zombie virus, but after obtaining the Lightning Tower and collecting countless bottles of mineral water, he was no longer short of resources.

However, for ordinary people who hadn't awakened abilities, collecting water was an especially difficult task. Unlike food, which one could endure a little hunger without, one could not survive without water. Thus, this rain was exceptionally precious.

Looking out the window, Ye Nan saw many residents of the complex outside with buckets and basins, catching the rain. Their faces were filled with excitement, their bodies trembling. To survivors who were dying of thirst, this rain was like a blessing from heaven.

"My god, after so many days, it finally rained!"
"Everyone, get your basins! It’s not easy to catch rain; if we miss this, who knows when the next time will be."
"We must collect as much as possible, otherwise, we’ll have to risk our lives fighting zombies to get water later. How dangerous that is!"
"It’s true, it’s true."
"Good thing we live in a detached villa with a swimming pool in the yard. Honey, wash the pool out, then fill it up! This rain shouldn't stop for a while."

The survivors in the complex were buzzing with excitement, all busy trying to store water.

Gong Wanru walked over, looking at the crowd outside, and sighed, "I’m so lucky to have a man like you who has awakened an ability. I don't have to go out and collect water like the others. I suddenly feel so happy."

"Me too," Li Siqi said with a smile.

"And me," Yan Ruoliu added, her smile as bright as blooming flowers.

Ye Nan asked, "Do you see how amazing I am now?"

Gong Wanru laughed, "Yes, yes, you really do glow when given a little sunshine."

Ye Nan pointed to Su Tao, who was standing to the side, and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Su Tao, my new girlfriend. You met her last night."

Then, Ye Nan introduced the three women to Su Tao, and they greeted each other.

"Nice to meet you, sisters," Su Tao said. However, thinking back to the intimacy she had shared with Ye Nan by the gate while they were watching, and how she had acted out of revenge against her ex-boyfriend, she felt incredibly embarrassed. She lowered her head, blushing, and dared not look them in the eye.

"Sister Su Tao, you have such a great figure," Yan Ruoliu said, gracefully taking Su Tao’s hand. "You must practice yoga often. I wonder how many men this pair of peach-like hips could captivate."

Su Tao shyly replied, "I do practice yoga, but Sister Yan, your figure is even better than mine. People say that a voluptuous beauty is the ultimate, and they are talking about you."

Yan Ruoliu sighed, "Pity that it’s all gone to someone else."

Li Siqi added, "Exactly. Our house is full of beauties; in peaceful times, any one of us would have been a high-and-mighty goddess, but now we’ve all become someone’s lovers. In the past, I wouldn't have even dared to imagine this."

Gong Wanru said, "Forget it, let’s not talk about that. Come, let’s go cook. Let’s make a few extra dishes tonight to welcome Sister Su Tao."

"Right, right! I’ll cook personally tonight," Li Siqi said, waving her small fists excitedly. "I’ve been learning culinary skills from Sister Gong and Sister Yan for days, and now I can finally put them to use."

As the four women went to cook, Ye Nan returned to his room. He took out the crystal core he had obtained from the Level 2 zombie at the auto shop, intending to absorb it. But the moment he saw the core, he was suddenly stunned.