Chapter 112 - 078 What am I protecting, what am I expecting, and what am I pursuing_6

Words : 1624 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 112: Chapter 078 What am I protecting, what am I expecting, and what am I pursuing_6 Walking in the supermarket, the boy looked around fearfully. Lin Fan seemed relaxed and wasn’t afraid of the surrounding environment at all. After a brief conversation, he learned the boy’s name, Gu Zicheng, a nice name. Suddenly, he remembered that the young and handsome owner of Xinfeng Real Estate also had the surname Gu. Unfortunately, that handsome owner turned into a zombie and was killed by him. Of course, he handled the aftermath well, carrying him and putting him in a trash can, sending it to the dump, ultimately preventing the body from being exposed in the wilderness. It was indeed a decent way to honor the friendly owner. "Do you know what I do?" Lin Fan asked with a smile. Gu Zicheng shook his head. "I am a security guard and part-time real estate agent for house rentals. You said your grandfather is at home, right?" Lin Fan said. "Yes, my grandfather and I are there." Lin Fan smiled and didn’t say much. He thought that it was better to discuss these things with adults; no matter how much he spoke with a child, the child couldn’t make decisions. That’s how work goes: you have to get out there and run around. As you do, you might just find business. This is a pleasant thing for anyone in sales. Unexpected success comes with unplanned actions. Lin Fan followed and found that the place Gu Zicheng lived with his grandfather was right next to the supermarket, tightly adjacent, and even the floor was the same height. The residential area was old, probably from the same era as Sunshine District. The elevator was added later on the outside of the building, which means this building was even older than Sunshine District. They lived on the second floor. Gu Zicheng carefully took out the key, unlocked the security door, and quickly led Lin Fan into the house. Lin Fan looked around the inside of the house. It was modest and simple, even simpler than his own place and quite small in size. The walls had cracks, and the floor tiles were very old, at least several decades old; even the TV was the only old-fashioned bulky one. Lin Fan’s first impression was still that it was modest. "Grandpa, I’m back," Gu Zicheng said happily to an old man sitting in a wheelchair in the living room, who had been waiting there the whole time. The old, anxious face relaxed fiercely when he saw his grandson return. Gu Zicheng opened a plastic bag, "Grandpa, I found a lot of food at the supermarket, like bread and noodles." The old man patted his grandson’s head, looking at Lin Fan with a mix of confusion and caution. Previously, they had food, but it was stolen by a neighbor; when his grandson answered the door, who could have expected the neighbor to come in and take all the food? The grandfather was paralyzed in a wheelchair and his grandson too young to match an adult. So seeing a stranger, the old man was genuinely worried. Fearful that such an incident could happen again. Lin Fan sensed the old man’s thoughts and gently said, "Old sir, I’m not a bad person. I met your grandson in the supermarket and, seeing the danger outside, escorted him back here." He had initially wanted to promote some real estate to the old man but, after entering the house and making some brief observations, he decided to wait. The old man looked toward his grandson. Gu Zicheng said, "Grandpa, this big brother saved me. He’s very powerful, and many zombies are no match for him." Lin Fan just stood there smiling; he had no other intentions but to let them know that he, Lin Fan, was not a bad person. "Young man, thank you for saving my grandson," the old man said gratefully. Lin Fan replied, "It was no trouble at all." At that moment, he noticed many certificates on a wall and walked over to take a closer look. They were all for being an exemplary student and outstanding Young Pioneer. "Your grandson is very outstanding," Lin Fan said. When his grandson came up, the old man’s face lit up with pride: "The child is excellent, does well in school, performs well, and all these certificates are from his teachers." "What about his parents?" Lin Fan asked. The old man sighed, "My grandson has had a hard life; his father died a few years ago trying to save someone from drowning, his mother remarried and completely abandoned him. I was paralyzed early and of little use. It’s always been my grandson looking after me. He truly is a sensible child. Not only does he look after himself, he takes care of me too and has never been a bother. These years, we’ve only survived thanks to government aid and the help of kind-hearted people, which has kept us from starving and provided us a place to stay." "With what’s happening outside now, our food got stolen. My grandson said he wanted to go out to find food. If he hadn’t met you, I fear my grandson might have..." Speaking, the old man began to wipe away tears. Gu Zicheng held his grandfather’s hand, "Grandpa, don’t cry. I’m practically an adult now." Watching the grandfather and grandson before him, Lin Fan felt an indescribable emotion. The real estate pitch he knew by heart remained unspoken, seeing that Gu Zicheng was only twelve years old. Years ago, he had to start taking care of his paralyzed grandfather, as well as himself. The meaning was clear; besides studying, he also had to take care of the elderly. These days were not something ordinary children could endure; let alone children, even adults might not be able to withstand it. Perhaps they could hold on for a while, but if it were for years, definitely not everyone could manage. In Lin Fan’s opinion, even if the apocalypse had not arrived, this grandfather-grandson duo already had a hard life. But now the apocalypse had come. Life became even harder. The grandfather was paralyzed. Young Gu Zicheng had to venture out to find food. What does a good youth, a good child mean? The one before him was just that. Just at that moment. The elderly man struggling to rise from his wheelchair, trying to get down, Lin Fan, quick to react, supported him, yet the old man tightly grasped Lin Fan’s hand, lifting his head, his cloudy eyes filled with a plea. "Young man, can I ask you something? I can tell you are a capable person, and my grandson has also told me about the things happening outside. Perhaps my request is a bit too much, but I hope you can take my grandson away, I do not ask you to take care of him in any special way, only that you keep him alive and give him a bit of food, just enough so he won’t starve." "He’s very obedient, very sensible, he definitely won’t hold you back." "Don’t worry, I won’t go with you. I will stay here, this child is really too pitiful, too pitiful." The old man gripped Lin Fan’s hand, his head bowed, his voice filled with tears, pleading, abject. "Grandpa, I won’t go, I want to stay by your side, I won’t go, big brother, thank you for bringing me back. I’m okay here, you can go. I can take good care of myself, and I can take care of Grandpa as well," Gu Zicheng said. Gu Zicheng attempted to push Lin Fan away, understanding his grandfather’s intention, and at the same time, he was not an ignorant child. He didn’t ask the other to take both him and his grandfather with him. His grandfather was immobile, paralyzed. He knew those outside were zombies, and that it was the apocalypse. No one wanted to carry a burden. Staying at home, under his care, his grandfather could be safe and alive. Lin Fan looked over the situation before him. He thought... not about whether to take them or leave them, but he wondered why he had never noticed these things before. Was it because in times of peace, all we see is beauty, easily overlooking those struggling in the muddy corners of every city? A burden? In his eyes, there was no such word as ’burden.’ Are zombies frightening? Apparently not. He was very willing to help those filled with kindness and hope. There were many good people in peaceful times; there were even more devils in the apocalypse. Finding hopeful people in the apocalypse was difficult. But whenever he met one, it was uplifting, adding much brilliance to the murky, tainted apocalypse. From Gu Zicheng, he saw the spirit that the youth of today should have. Strong, brave, filial. Not letting despair bow his head, determinedly striving and contending with hopelessness. If he was reluctant to help such a child, then what was he protecting in the apocalypse? What was he looking forward to? What was he pursuing? Lin Fan gently touched Gu Zicheng’s head, looking sincerely at the old man. "Old man, you are his family, his only family. Surely you don’t want him to lose his last kin." He understood the pain and loneliness of having no family. Sadness kept for himself, happiness given to others. He didn’t wish for such things to happen. He had been through that suffering, that loneliness, that helplessness. Only those who’ve experienced it know how truly desperate it is. He wished to be a guide to future hope. Willing to be a promoter of hope.

Chapter 112 - 078 What am I protecting, what am I expecting, and what am I pursuing_6

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