Rotting Land: Survive

The man’s fierce resistance took everyone by surprise, but he quickly paid the price for his actions.

The tall and skinny guy kicked the man with a flying kick, and the struggling man had barely stood up before he was firmly kicked back down.

Though he was skinny, the tall guy’s kicks were powerful, and hitting the man in the **** was especially effective, causing the latter to choke and fall face-up onto the ground.

However, his ordeal was not over yet. As soon as he fell, the gang members surrounded him.

In an instant, punches and kicks rained down, leaving the man helpless against the group beating, as the gang released their anger born of the recent scare.

Watching the gang’s brutality, Lei Tong’s eyes narrowed, and his fists clenched tightly.

As a soldier, seeing the defenseless civilians being beaten up was something he found hard to accept.

Even more furious than Lei Tong was the fifteen or sixteen-year-old child. Since the moment the man was kicked down, he had been struggling to protect the man with his small body.

Unfortunately, at such a young age, he was no match for Chao Ge, who knocked him out with a single punch.

"Enough!" Chao Ge drew out the word, raised his hand, and ordered his men to stop, then handed the boy over to one of the gang members nearby.

Then he walked over to the man, spat, grabbed the man’s hair, and pulled him up forcefully.

The man’s face was now covered in blood, and his body was stained with dirty shoe prints.

Chao Ge looked over the half-dead man, then glanced at Old Xu: "See that? That’s what happens to trash! Thinking of protecting others in the apocalypse? Idiot!"

Chao Ge released the man’s head with effort and stood up again: "Alright, raise your gun, aim at the kid’s head, and pull the trigger. Kill him, and you can join us!"

What an absurd test method; even though Old Xu had expected Chao Ge to give him a gun to kill someone, he hadn’t anticipated the target would be a child.

Beasts! Truly beasts! How can you be so heartless to do such things?

For the first time, Old Xu felt the weight of the gun in his hand. To him, guns had always been friends, comrades.

His gun had saved his life countless times in life-and-death situations, and Old Xu had used it to complete many important tasks for his country.

Though he dared not claim that everyone he killed in the past was evil, he had never killed a child.

But now, the choice given by Chao Ge was clear. Although he didn’t say it openly, the fierce light in his eyes made it clear to Old Xu that if he didn’t follow Chao Ge’s order to kill the child...

Then Chao Ge would certainly execute him and Lei Zi on the spot.

Moreover, the man and child would inevitably face death as well.

Is it really necessary to kill the child to stay alive? This is a very difficult choice.

Ordinarily, in the apocalypse, killing someone isn’t a big deal.

After all, the moral and legal system has collapsed, and even if you kill someone, no police will come to your door.

Besides, your own life is at stake.

Isn’t there an old saying? It’s better to live dishonorably than die, so clearly, it’s easier for others to die than for yourself.

But the problem is, even without legal restraints and police capture, killing a child is inherently difficult.

Not to mention, first, you must overcome your moral boundaries.

Of course, for Old Xu, who had killed many and seen much blood, these internal barriers didn’t exist.

But he still hesitated, why?

Firstly, Old Xu couldn’t kill civilians.

Secondly, he didn’t think Chao Ge would be foolish enough to hand him a loaded gun.

In other words, based on Old Xu’s years of judgment from walking the knife’s edge, the gun in his hand was likely unloaded.

Chao Ge was merely using this to test their intentions.

If Old Xu killed the child, then everything would be fine, because as long as Old Xu made a move, Chao Ge could confirm Old Xu was one of them.

If Old Xu had other motives and shot at Chao Ge, the empty gun would immediately expose his intentions.

Thus, this seemingly simple trial by Chao Ge was quite clever with its intricacies.

So for Old Xu, with his analysis, the most correct action was to follow Chao Ge’s instruction and pretend to shoot the boy.

But what if his judgment was wrong, and the gun was actually loaded?

In a matter of seconds, Old Xu’s mind was continuously deliberating between risking firing the gun and blatantly refusing.

"Heh, what’s the matter? Can’t do it? Or are you regretting?"

Chao Ge’s words pulled Old Xu back to reality from his confusion. He looked at Chao Ge, then back at the child in front of him.

Ultimately, he raised the gun in his hand and simultaneously gave Lei Tong a look.

Lei Tong had long been working outside on missions with Old Xu, their tacit understanding was unmatched, they were intimately familiar with each other’s features, from a large movement to a small glance, they could perceive each other’s intentions.

From the solemnity in Old Xu’s eyes, Lei Tong understood that his captain intended to act.

Although he didn’t think it was a wise decision, given the course of events, there seemed to be no other viable option besides force.

Glancing sideways at the slim guy leaning against the wall with a gun, Lei Tong was confident he could take him down the moment Old Xu initiated an attack.

However, ensuring the child’s safety would certainly be a challenge.

After all, the number of enemies surpassed them, and the back hall wasn’t large. The knives in the enemies’ hands could easily be put to use.

If they swing randomly, the child could likely be hurt.

Undoubtedly, that’s not a situation Lei Tong wanted to see; nevertheless, when the arrow is on the string, it has to be released. In missions, perfect conditions are often unattainable.

So, Lei Tong and others, who had been deep behind enemy lines for years, understood one principle: the success or failure of a mission ultimately depended on having a meticulous plan and good execution, but also critically on one other thing: luck.

Yes, combat itself is a battle of luck, which is why phrases like "timing, location, and people harmony" exist in ancient sayings.

To make everything seem more authentic, Old Xu feigned nervousness with trembling hands, his slowly lifted arm swaying like a hundred-word jitter.

Seeing Old Xu’s timid demeanor, Chao Ge laughed with disdain: "Damn it, you’re the one killing him, not him killing you, what are you frightened for?! With such little bravery, you want to join us? Be a man, aim at his head, squeeze the trigger, finish him!!"

The slightly coaxing words seemed to suggest the boy on the ground was not human but a beast at their disposal.

Listening to Chao Ge’s reckless words, anger flared within Old Xu. His dignity as a soldier was igniting bit by bit.