Chapter Six: I Do Not Wish to Be a Hero

Xu Hanfeng never fully trusted me.

I furrowed my brows and instinctively lifted my head, maintaining composure as I said, “Yes, big brother—I really came looking for my parents. I’m not lying to you.”

Xu Hanfeng nodded but didn’t press further. Yet, his gaze still held a trace of scrutiny. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief but remained on guard.

“Our journey ahead is still long. I hope you can maintain this kind of behavior,” Xu Hanfeng said, standing and patting my shoulder.

I nodded proudly, careful not to show any weakness. “Thank you for your compliment, Brother Xu. I will not fail this mission.”

Inside, I thought, “You old fox, trying to test me. You’ll never get anything out of me, no matter what! Hmph!”

——————

Night fell, and the post-apocalyptic wilderness was shrouded in thick darkness. I lay inside a makeshift tent, my heart restless. Although we had won the battle during the day, Xu Hanfeng’s suspicion was like a thorn still embedded in my heart. I kept wondering if those inexplicable events were somehow my fault.

Under cover of night, I quietly slipped out of the tent, trying not to make a sound. The campfire had long since died out; only the occasional night wind and distant groans of zombies echoed. I carefully circled the camp and headed toward the nearby woods.

In the forest, several zombies roamed. Their forms were especially grotesque under the moonlight. I took a deep breath and slowly approached. Indeed, even at close range, these zombies made no attempt to attack me; they continued to wander aimlessly. A thought struck me—perhaps this was my “superpower”—immunity to zombie attacks.

Recalling the day I saved Luo Yucheng, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate, reaching out mentally to these zombies. A faint connection flickered in my mind. Suddenly, a strange force surged from within me, seemingly establishing some link with the zombies. To my astonishment, not only was I immune to their attacks, but I could also control their movements.

Excitement surged in my chest. This was exactly like the heroes in novels or movies. I secretly reveled, “If the heavens didn’t give birth to me, Li Linyu… uh, I don’t remember the rest, but basically, I’m awesome!”

“Keep it low-key, keep it low-key,” I murmured, placing both hands down slowly, exhaling deeply to calm my racing heart.

Then, I eagerly began experimenting with controlling the zombies.

One, two, three... I successfully commanded five zombies to follow my orders. However, when I attempted to control a sixth, dizziness overwhelmed me, and my body nearly collapsed. It seemed my ability had limits—five zombies at once was the maximum I could handle.

Sitting on the ground, gasping, confusion filled my mind. My power was decent, but how could I enhance it? Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head. Of course! Novels always have some kind of system. Quietly, I tried calling out, “System? System?”

——————

There was no response. I swallowed hard. No golden finger? That couldn’t be right—I had woken up wearing only a thin hospital gown, completely empty inside. So, I couldn’t level up? Although I wasn’t technically transmigrated, this was more like a rebirth. Why no hint or prompt?

Lost in thought, a faint noise came from behind me. Startled, I turned quickly. Luo Yucheng stood not far off, eyes wide with shock and disbelief. She had clearly witnessed the scene of me controlling the zombies, her face etched with surprise and fear.

My heart tightened, and I hurried over to explain, “Yucheng, don’t be afraid. I was just experimenting.”

“You… you’re not Wang Gang. Who are you really?” she took a cautious step back, warily watching me.

“I am Wang Gang, truly. I just discovered I have some special abilities and wanted to see if I could use them to help everyone,” I smiled wryly.

Her eyes flickered with hesitation and fear.

“Yucheng, please don’t tell anyone yet, especially Brother Xu, okay? I really want to help. Look at this handsome face—you can tell I’m a good guy.” I struck a somewhat vain pose.

Finally, Luo Yucheng nodded.

Relieved, I looked at her gratefully. “Thank you. I knew you were the kindest person in this team—no, you’re an angel.”

We exchanged smiles, and the tension eased slightly. I accompanied her back to camp, but unease still gnawed at me. I knew this secret, if leaked, would bring disastrous consequences.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, I was abruptly awakened by a commotion. Opening my eyes, I saw chaos in the camp—everyone surrounding me, faces filled with anger and suspicion.

“Who exactly are you? Why won’t you tell the truth?” Xu Hanfeng’s voice was tinged with anger and disappointment.

Alarmed, I hurriedly sat up, trying to explain, “I… I’m Wang Gang, Brother Xu. Have you lost your memory?”

“What are you hiding? Could you be… Li Linyu?” Jiang Hanchuan stepped forward, his tone accusatory.

Panic surged within me as I continued to defend myself, “No, no, I’m definitely not that Li Linyu. My name is Wang Gang. Don’t slander me. I warn you, falsely accusing someone is illegal.”

Yet, my protest seemed futile. Xu Hanfeng’s gaze hardened with resolve as he suddenly stepped forward. I instinctively raised my hand to block, fearing a blow. Instead, he grabbed my right wrist and rolled up my sleeve, revealing a large bite scar.

“That's it, that’s it—this is the end of the line for you,” I thought, feeling a strange relief despite being exposed.

Xu Hanfeng spoke sternly, “That infected person has a bite mark on their arm. How do you explain this? Will you still deny it, Li Linyu?”

Luo Yucheng, catching on, looked at me and said, “So many have died in this disaster. The remaining humans are counting on you. How can you be so selfish?”

My heart sank, knowing it was too late. Luo Yucheng had betrayed me after all. I silently accepted the outcome, filled with helplessness and disappointment.

Raising my voice defiantly, I tried to argue one last time, “I don’t know your true intentions. I want to be a hero too—but not the kind who lies helpless in a lab, hooked up to tubes. Selfish? I don’t even know why this happened to me. Do you think I want this? Besides, their lives are none of my concern!”

After my outburst, everyone stared at me in shock and anger. I realized my words were harsh, but the truth was as bitter as portrayed. It was like the protagonist in that movie Widow—arriving only to be doomed from the start. Who would want that?

“No matter what you say, we won’t trust you anymore. Whether you like it or not, you have to go. This is our last hope, and you can’t refuse,” Xu Hanfeng said viciously.

Then, they bound me tightly, hands and feet restrained, unable to move. Xu Hanfeng and Jiang Hanchuan flanked me, eyes wary as if I might flee at any moment. Luo Yucheng followed at the rear, her expression tinged with guilt and unease.

We pressed on, the atmosphere heavy with tension. Anger and confusion churned within me—why had Luo Yucheng betrayed me? Could she really not keep a secret?

“What exactly is your ability? Why won’t you tell us?” Xu Hanfeng suddenly asked, his tone grave.

My heart tightened, and I fell silent. I knew if I revealed my power, the consequences would be disastrous. I chose to keep quiet, hoping we wouldn’t reach that secret laboratory. Perhaps then, I might still have a chance at survival.

We journeyed for several days until we arrived at a ruined town. Once a small settlement, it was now devastated beyond recognition by zombies. We carefully picked our way through the rubble, searching for supplies and survivors.

As we passed a collapsed building, Luo Yucheng suddenly stopped, eyes wide with surprise. “Look, there’s an entrance to a basement.”