"Ding Ning!"

The door to the monitoring room wasn't closed, and Ding Ning inside could see Gray Bear coming in, so Gray Bear didn't knock. He just pushed the door open and entered.

"Gray Bear!"

Ding Ning turned to look at Gray Bear, nodding lightly. It was clear his spirits were still low.

Gray Bear grabbed a chair, sat beside Ding Ning, and asked softly,

"Ding Ning! What are your plans for the future?"

"The future?"

Ding Ning was taken aback, a look of confusion in his eyes. Then he saw the surveillance monitor showing the dormitory.

Ever since he'd returned that day, he had cut off the dormitory's surveillance feed, because he was afraid of hearing gunshots. Even after he finally mustered the courage to use the warden's key to open the armory, get weapons and ammunition, and clear out the zombies in the prison, he still hadn't dared to turn the dormitory surveillance back on.

He just desperately moved bodies, desperately dug pits, using constant work to keep himself from thinking about those things. But he had ultimately failed. Whenever he had free time, the images from the surveillance footage, as well as Uncle Zhang and Xiao Gang's voices, would appear in his mind, incredibly clear...

And today, after seeing Gray Bear and Li Chenzhou, Ding Ning didn't know what he was thinking. He'd inexplicably turned on the dormitory surveillance, but only the one at the entrance, the one where he could see his comrades lined up.

Looking at the empty doorway, Ding Ning wanted to rush in several times, but he never actually did it, until Gray Bear arrived.

"I... I'll continue my shift, until they come to relieve me!"

Ding Ning said stubbornly.

"Have you ever considered that they might already be..."

Gray Bear sighed.

"No! They're not dead! They're still alive. Uncle Zhang is still waiting for me to return and deliver the mission. He can't be dead!"

Before Gray Bear could finish, Ding Ning stood up and roared at him.

Gray Bear immediately stopped talking, just looking at Ding Ning quietly.

"They... they're not dead!"

Looking at Gray Bear's eyes, Ding Ning finally seemed to have all his strength drained away. He slumped weakly back into the chair, looking at the dormitory surveillance and muttering.

"Ding Ning! Whether they're dead or not, you have to deliver the mission once it's complete. It's your duty, and it can't be changed by anything!"

Seeing Ding Ning finally quiet down, Gray Bear spoke again.

"But I haven't completed the mission yet!"

Ding Ning was still staring at the monitor.

"You've cleaned out the zombies in the prison and buried them. The prisoners didn't escape. Plus, you waited for rescue. Why do you still say you haven't completed the mission?"

"Rescue?"

Ding Ning finally moved his gaze from the screen and looked at Gray Bear.

"Are you saying... you guys?"

"That's right! It's us!"

Gray Bear nodded emphatically, pointing to the screen showing the prison yard.

"We brought out over a thousand survivors. Doesn't that count as rescue?

Besides, we received the USB drive. You basically completed everything Xiao Gang asked you to do. So, you need to deliver the mission."

"But... but I..."

Ding Ning said hesitantly, not knowing what to say.

"But you don't dare to go. You're afraid of seeing your comrades' bodies. You think that as long as you don't enter the dormitory, as long as you don't see their bodies with your own eyes, you'll always have a glimmer of hope, right?"

Gray Bear stated Ding Ning's thoughts mercilessly.

"This glimmer of hope might be the motivation that allowed you to rush into the prison, kill all the zombies, and persevere until now. You're afraid that after this hope is shattered, you won't be able to hold on anymore, and might even fall into complete despair, isn't that right?

But have you ever thought that right now, your comrades' bodies are lying on their beds, gradually decaying? Maybe flies have already laid eggs on their bodies, and maggots are wriggling around inside them. Is that the ending they would have wanted?

You even buried the bodies of the prisoners, allowing them to at least rest undisturbed in death. But your comrades, those heroes, their bodies are left there, unattended. Because of the glimmer of hope you want to hold onto, they're being treated like this. Do you think that's fair to them?"

"I..."

Hearing Gray Bear's words, Ding Ning was struck by lightning, his body trembling violently, large tears falling.

"Ding Ning, you're a young soldier, and you have the excellent qualities that a soldier should possess. But right now, you're running away!"

Gray Bear didn't stop because of Ding Ning's weeping. He continued,

"Actually, it's not your fault. It's just that you're the only one left in this prison. You have to face everything alone, but you weren't prepared. Not only weren't you prepared to face the zombies, but you weren't prepared to face the deaths of your comrades!

But... we are soldiers. We must be prepared at all times!

So, are you ready now to face your former comrades, to tell them that you've completed the mission, and to bury them, so that they can rest in peace forever, no longer tormented by this world?"

"Be prepared at all times!"

Ding Ning immediately stood up, his body ramrod straight, his voice trembling as he said.

"Let's go! I'll go with you to see our comrades!"

Gray Bear also stood up, patted Ding Ning on the shoulder, and said.

Ding Ning didn't answer, but took a deep breath and walked out of the monitoring room. Gray Bear looked at the surveillance screen and followed.

"Boss! Prepare some manpower. We're going to bury those soldiers in this prison! And we're going to erect a monument with all their names on it!"

Walking out of the prison, Gray Bear immediately went to Li Chenzhou and said to him quietly. Then, he chased after Ding Ning.

"Xiao Lei, prepare manpower and tools. We're going to dig pits to bury those soldiers!"

Li Chenzhou immediately called Duan Lei over and said to him.

It wasn't that he didn't want to call people himself, but Li Chenzhou had always been leading the charge, responsible for clearing out zombies. Everyone else was about the same. Only Duan Lei was familiar with the entire team.

"Bury which soldiers?"

But Duan Lei hadn't seen the video. He asked, puzzled.

"Just prepare. We'll probably bury fifty or sixty people. Also, find a stone that can be used as a tombstone, and we need to engrave words on it!"

Li Chenzhou didn't explain. He said directly.

"Okay! I'll arrange it right away!"

Duan Lei hurried away. It was easy to arrange manpower, but a tombstone... his team definitely didn't have one, so they'd have to find one!

And Li Chenzhou, after handing things over to Duan Lei, quickly ran towards the dormitory, intending to see what the situation was like inside...