The off-road vehicle rumbled over the damaged road and bumped its way into the small town. The scene that greeted them was one of devastation. Many buildings were destroyed, houses had collapsed, and trash cans were overturned in the streets, littering everything. Shop doors had been smashed open, making it look as if the town had recently undergone a thorough looting.
Leading the group was a soldier in his early twenties, rumored to be a special forces operative. He was tall and burly, holding a rifle. Even as the vehicle jolted, he sat steady, exuding a sense of reliability.
Recalling the ferocity with which he had gunned down zombies earlier, Zhuo Ling decided to discard the word "sense" from her thoughts. This man was indeed quite dependable.
"Captain, where are we going?"
"The map indicates a shopping mall two kilometers ahead. Let's head there first."
"Understood."
They drove through the dilapidated streets. Seeing the once-prosperous human dwellings reduced to their current state brought a pang of sadness to many.
Zhuo Ling was among them.
She thought of the world where her system resided, a world with such advanced technology that, under the invasion of aliens, still succumbed to ruin step by step.
The fate of humanity.
Where should they go from here?
She also thought of Luan Yu, who should be going from world to world, closing the portals and sending those monsters back.
As they passed an intersection, Zhuo Ling felt something. She looked out the car window and exclaimed in surprise, "Stop the car!"
Not far behind them, a young boy was running towards them, with several people chasing him.
Seeing a survivor, the driver stopped the car. Zhuo Ling immediately opened the door and ran out, heading towards the pursuers. The others also disembarked, their weapons at the ready.
Zhong Yan ran towards the person he sensed, with others hot on his heels. He wasn't running very fast and was soon caught. The middle-aged man lunged at him. Zhong Yan dodged, watching the man fall to the ground. He stuck his tongue out at the man triumphantly.
"You old fool! Serves you right!"
Several young men and women also caught up and surrounded Zhong Yan. "Why are you running?"
A middle-aged woman said sternly, "Come back with us."
"I won't!" His head shook like a rattle. "You're all bad people. My wife is here! I'm leaving with her!"
"You're not even married. Where did you get a wife? Hurry up and come back with us. Miss Yin likes you, and it's your good fortune. If you continue to be so ungrateful, don't blame us for being impolite."
"Why waste words with him? Just take him back!"
The man lunged at him again and grabbed him tightly. Zhong Yan bent his body forward sharply, performing a somersault that landed the man on the ground. He flipped over him and hooked the woman's leg, tripping her. He then looked at the young woman not far away and stuck his tongue out at her.
"Pah! A toad wanting to eat swan meat!"
With that, he turned and ran towards Zhuo Ling.
He ran into Zhuo Ling's arms and said with a wronged look, "Why are you so late?"
Zhuo Ling patted his back. "Sorry, I'm late again."
"Again?" The young man looked up at her, his eyebrows furrowed with a hint of spoiled petulance. "Do you even care about me? I was almost captured by that ugly woman to be her husband?"
Zhuo Ling: "..."
She tentatively asked, "Did you forget again?"
Zhong Yan looked confused. "Forget what?"
"Who am I to you?"
"You're my wife." He looked at Zhuo Ling as if asking if she was foolish.
Zhuo Ling was a bit bewildered.
Had he forgotten, or not forgotten?
"Hey, they're catching up. Let's run."
Zhuo Ling looked at the two people not far away. "Who are they?"
"They're my parents. They want me to marry that bad woman. Let's run!"
Zhuo Ling had no choice but to turn and run with him.
After running a short distance, the young man surnamed Zhou looked at her with a calm expression. "Comrade, who is this?"
"I'm her husband."
Zhuo Ling rubbed her forehead. "My boyfriend, he's a bit of a drama queen."
The young man was instantly confused. He remembered they were out looking for supplies, but now it seemed like they were looking for a boyfriend for her.
"And what about those people behind us?"
"They want me to marry an ugly woman. It's forced marriage, a transactional marriage, so I ran."
He said this with a hint of pride.
As they spoke, the two pursuers caught up, looking at them with hostility. The middle-aged man glared at Zhong Yan, his face dark. "You ungrateful brat! We raised you for nothing!"
Zhong Yan stuck his tongue out at him. "Blech."
The man instantly flew into a rage.
"Comrade, arranged marriages are illegal."
"Who are you?!"
Although the young man was bewildered, he stepped in front of them, his expression serious, and educated the man. "I'm from the XX Military Region. Please respect national laws."
It had only been a few days since the apocalypse, and these two thought they could give away their son for food. Unexpectedly, he had a change of heart and refused to comply, even playing them for fools. Now, facing this tall and strong soldier, they were hesitant to act.
The middle-aged woman cried out, "What arranged marriage? I'm his mother. Isn't it natural for me to find him a wife? Marriage is inherently decided by parents and matchmakers."
"That's how it was in the past. Now, we advocate for free love and free marriage."
"Yes, freedom!" Zhong Yan stood beside Zhuo Ling, supporting her.
The couple glared at him fiercely again.
The woman from a distance also walked over. "Uncle, Aunt, Ah Yan, if you don't like me, just tell me. I won't force you. How could you knock Uncle and Aunt to the ground? They are your parents after all."
"What's it to you!" Zhong Yan showed no good will towards her. "If it weren't for your meddling, would they have tried to lock me up? You're ugly and troublesome, hmph!"
The woman was actually only in her early twenties and not unattractive, but she looked mature. Standing next to Zhong Yan, who had such a youthful aura, there was at least a twenty-year age gap.
Hearing him say that, her expression was also unpleasant.
"Three comrades, marriages formed against someone's will are invalid. Comrade Zhao, do you want to take your boyfriend with you?"
"I want to be with her," Zhong Yan said loudly, holding Zhuo Ling's hand.
The couple immediately became displeased. "No, you can't go. You're our son. We raised you for so many years. If you leave now, who will take care of us?"
"You two aren't missing limbs, so why should I take care of you? You can talk about me supporting you when you reach retirement age. Don't worry, when you reach retirement age, I'll take care of you."
It was a joke. In this world, even going to the restroom could result in a permanent separation. Whether they would even live to see retirement age in over a decade was a question, let alone anything about care or visits.
This was the apocalypse. Some people still held onto laws and morality. In a little while, a true era of lawlessness would arrive, where even murder would go unpunished, let alone not supporting the elderly.
Morality and law were built on the foundation of a civilized society.