Chapter 154: Decision |
One large and one small figure disappeared up the stairs and into the darkness.
Bai Mu sat down at the workbench, dismantled the firearms into parts, and oiled them for maintenance.
A stifling atmosphere permeated the underground shelter. Katie and Sam looked uneasily at the closed iron door. They pursed their lips and glanced at Bai Mu, who was entirely focused on his task, not daring to speak or make a sound.
They had no way of knowing what Anton and Leon would encounter outside, or even if they would return safely. Bai Mu didn't sneak out after them like a worried parent unable to let their children walk to school alone; he simply did what he could.
The remaining time on the quest log was less than twenty-four hours. By nine o'clock tomorrow morning, his Main Quest would be completed, and the Script would end for him. Bai Mu had done his best to teach them everything he knew. Even though there were many things they could only experience for themselves through survival and practice, out of the four of them, he acknowledged that Anton and Leon's team was fully qualified to head outside.
Katie was too timid, and Sam lacked the independence to handle sudden emergencies. However, Anton had military experience, and Leon's willpower and constant self-reflection had successfully earned Bai Mu's approval.
He believed that even without him, those two could do what needed to be done.
Time passed, and it was soon midnight.
On previous nights, Bai Mu would usually return to the base with the scavenging team around this time.
Anton and Leon were long overdue. The silence in the room was unnerving. The dim yellow lights illuminated the small space, and the radio, left on standby, emitted a continuous crackle of static, making the situation feel even more unsettling.
Bai Mu finished assembling the last gun. Katie and Sam approached him, looking up with almost pleading eyes. Having lost their parents and their home, the two children treated Bai Mu as their sole pillar of support. It seemed that as long as he was there, any problem could be solved.
But Bai Mu did not leave the room. You couldn't always expect a hero to make a grand entrance.
Some things had to be overcome alone.
There wouldn't always be someone in this world who just happened to swoop in like a savior to pull you from peril every time you encountered a hardship.
The only person who could save you from the fire was yourself.
Even if he went out tonight and rescued those two, what then? There were so many days left in their future, and tomorrow they would have to face the reality of Bai Mu's departure.
Furthermore, he believed Anton and Leon would return safely. They possessed everything they needed to survive.
They had guns, plenty of ammunition, incendiary grenades, and a map of the surrounding area. They even had the hardest thing to obtain: survival experience. They had fought Doppelgangers, knew their fatal weakness to fire, and possessed a sheer willpower strong enough to overcome their own fears.
Bai Mu trusted them as much as he trusted himself. Thus, he simply patted Katie and Sam on the head and said in a calm tone that all they needed to do was wait right here for them to return.
Soft blonde hair framed Katie's chubby little cheeks. She gazed up at Bai Mu's face, an indescribable emotion swirling in her eyes—something that steadied her nerves and washed away her anxiety.
Sam pursed his lips, still deeply concerned. He said he wanted to go out and look for Anton and Leon, thinking he might be able to help.
"If you truly feel they have encountered a problem they cannot solve on their own, you should grab a gun and head straight out the door, rather than asking me." "Sam, you can actually decide what you want to do yourself, instead of always asking me."
"But if you are only coming to me for advice, then my suggestion is to stay here and wait for them to return."
Sam froze. Ever since he moved into Bai Mu's place, he had grown accustomed to following his orders without question.
When to eat, when to drink, and even when to use the restroom—he had to report everything to Bai Mu. Only after receiving permission would he slip into the bathroom. It was the same even when he followed Bai Mu outside; he stayed glued to his side, practically inseparable. He acted less like a living person and more like an unthinking tool.
But right now, Bai Mu was telling him that he could make his own decisions.
Bai Mu placed Sam's "loot" into the boy's hands—a semi-automatic pistol with relatively low recoil.
Sam stood there in a daze for a long time. He stared at the gun in his hand, his eyes filled with confusion.
His heart was swamped with panic. He had assumed Bai Mu would solve everything, perhaps even taking him outside to bring Leon and Anton back like a mighty hero.
Yet Bai Mu was telling him that he had to decide for himself.
He couldn't stop thinking about those charred corpses and the raging fire that had burned down his home. He was terrified that Leon and Anton would end up exactly the same way. A suffocating fear of losing everything pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.
At this moment, the absolute rules he had relied on became invalid.
"Uncle, are you saying we shouldn't go out and look for Leon and Anton?" Sam asked again, unwilling to give up.
"Sam, that is merely my advice," Bai Mu replied. "But my judgment can be wrong too. I've made mistakes in the past and almost died." "No one can guarantee that their decision is absolutely right. You don't need to ask what I think, and you don't need to act according to my ideas. You should think for yourself. If you believe Leon and Anton cannot handle the situation they are facing, and that your involvement could improve their circumstances, then you can go out and find them."
"Then, Uncle, will you... will you go with me?" Sam asked.
Bai Mu didn't answer the question. He turned his head away, buried himself at the workbench, and resumed writing his unfinished notes.
Sam sat dazedly on the mattress, as if completely drained of energy.
Katie sat beside him to offer comfort, but he only knew that his younger sister was murmuring in his ear; he had no idea what she was actually saying.
Looking at the gun in his hand, the image of Bai Mu helping him correct his shooting stance floated subconsciously into his mind.
The sting in his palms when he fired his first shot, the aches and repeated falls during combat training, the sour bile he vomited upon seeing a corpse and smelling that decaying stench for the very first time...
Those visceral experiences surged through his body, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. His sister's soft whispers muddled his thoughts even further. He didn't know what to do, until his gaze finally locked onto the well-oiled pistol in his hands.
It happened in an instant. Suddenly, his mind grew as calm as still water, and he stood up.
"I... think, no, I have to go find them," Sam declared.
The confusion vanished from his eyes, replaced only by a fearless resolve to face death itself.
"Even if I advise you to stay here, you still want to go?" Bai Mu asked. "You know, I never do things I consider to be a mistake." The implication was clear: he would not be going out with Sam.
But Sam nodded anyway. He had made his own decision, and he felt no fear or regret over it.
"Then let's go." Bai Mu then hoisted his rifle onto his shoulder. "An expedition team must have at least two people. That was the rule we set from the very beginning." "We also need someone to guard this place, otherwise there will be no one to open the door. Katie, can you stay by yourself?"
"Mhm," Katie nodded earnestly. "I'm not afraid. I will wait for you to come home."
"Home, huh..." Bai Mu froze for a moment, then shook his head and stood up from his seat.