On the RV’s roof deck, Husky lay at Ginny Kane’s feet, looking up at her as she stared blankly into space.
On the first floor, everyone exchanged glances. Cecilia Sinclair whispered, "Captain Grant, why don’t you go up and take a look?"
Caleb Grant hesitated. He wanted to go up, but Ginny hadn’t said a word earlier and seemed to be avoiding him, making him shrink back a little.
"Sean, you go up and take a look. It’s more appropriate for you to go in this situation." It wasn’t clear if Caleb was explaining this to the group or to himself.
Sean Kane had also been worrying about his sister. However, he had always been relatively mild-mannered. Ever since the apocalypse began, his sister’s dominant behavior made him a bit intimidated by her when she was angry.
"Then... I’ll go up and take a look."
With that, he climbed up the stairs. Watching Sean’s expression—like he was marching to his death—Vincent Sherman couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Is she really that scary?"
Luna Yarrow whipped her head around. "SHH... otherwise, you’ll be trained to death."
Vincent covered his mouth and nodded to show he understood, thinking to himself that this group of people was getting more and more interesting.
As soon as Sean reached the roof, he saw Ginny sitting at the front edge, looking down at the zombies around the RV. The expression on her face was somewhat lonely and lost.
"Ginny, what’s wrong?"
Seeing her concerned brother, Ginny wanted to shake her head and say she was fine. But before the words could leave her mouth, tears started to fall.
This instantly sent Sean into a panic. When had his sister ever cried so helplessly? Her tears completely flustered him.
"Ginny... Ginny, don’t... don’t cry. What happened? Tell me, okay?" Sean stepped forward, pulled Ginny into a hug, and gently patted her back.
Ginny felt that, from her rebirth until now, this was the only moment she felt truly at ease. She had taken care of her parents’ enemies and eliminated Gideon Lynch, the man who had caused her death.
At this moment, she finally felt like she was truly alive.
"Sean, I’m... HICCUP... I’m fine now. Really, I feel so relaxed."
With that, Ginny jumped off the roof of the cab, a relieved smile on her face. Seeing that his sister truly seemed fine, Sean finally relaxed a little.
He patted Ginny’s head. "Ginny, no matter what happens, remember that you still have me. Even though my combat power isn’t as high as yours, I will still do everything I can to protect you."
Ginny nodded vigorously and smiled. "I know, Sean. Thank you!"
"Silly girl, what are you thanking me for? I’m your brother. Remember to tell me if anything happens; don’t bear it all alone."
"Yeah, I know. Man Kane, if you keep nagging, be careful Cecilia might dump you. HMPH!"
Hearing Ginny’s words, Sean immediately blushed. Looking unnatural, he said, "You girl, what nonsense are you sprouting? Don’t ruin a girl’s reputation."
"Uh-huh, yeah, right. I’m telling you, Sean, if you don’t make a move soon, she’s going to slip right through your fingers."
Sean’s face darkened with exasperation as he flicked Ginny’s forehead. "What nonsense are you talking about? Slip through my fingers? What does that even mean?"
"Okay, okay, my mistake. Your future wife, then?" She then dropped the joking tone and looked at Sean. "Sean, Cecilia is great. If you really aren’t interested in her, don’t string her along."
"I know. It’s just not the right time yet. Let’s wait until things stabilize a bit more."
Considering they couldn’t even guarantee their own safety right now, let alone talk about romance. Who knew when they might lose their lives. But Sean didn’t say these words out loud. After all, he was Ginny’s only remaining family. What would happen to her if something happened to him? He didn’t even dare to think about it.
Hearing him say this, Ginny felt a bit more reassured. "Sean, I understand your concerns, but it’s best to be clear with Cecilia. Don’t leave her guessing what’s on your mind."
"Alright, I’ll talk to Cecilia when I get the chance. Has my little sister grown up so much that she’s teaching me how to date?" He looked at Ginny with a teasing expression.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Anyone with a shred of emotional intelligence knows that!..."
"Hey, woman, did you forget that the King of Dogs is still here? You’re completely ignoring me! HMPH." Her sentence was cut short by Husky’s dissatisfied voice.
Ginny looked down at Husky by her feet and gave the dog’s head a vigorous rub.
"I’m fine now, Sean. I just needed a moment to think things through. I’ll play with Husky for a bit and then head down."
"Alright, I’ll head down first."
Ginny smiled, sat in a chair, and started petting Husky’s fur.
"Hey, are you really okay?"
Hearing Husky’s highly skeptical tone, Ginny nodded and asked, "I’m fine. Can you contact the base right now?"
Husky rolled his eyes. "What do you think? How am I supposed to contact them? Telepathy? What are you thinking?"
"You’ve been acting pretty arrogant lately, Husky, huh?"
"Just joking, just joking! HEHE!"
Ginny finally let Husky off the hook. Then, looking at him with a solemn expression, she asked, "Are you sure the zombie dogs will always follow the commands you give them? What if a zombie dog of a higher Level than you appears?"
Husky looked at Ginny. After a long pause, he said uncertainly, "Maybe... probably... most likely... there aren’t any zombie dogs with a higher Level than me? After all, they don’t have you as a cheat code."
Ginny noted that his uncertain tone completely exposed his lack of confidence. After making that mental jab, she started to worry about the base. She had promised herself not to be a bleeding heart in this life, yet she had still picked up so many people she couldn’t let go of, and so many responsibilities.
She just couldn’t turn a blind eye to everything outside her own bubble!
"I’m going down. You stay here by yourself. If you get bored, just hop off and run alongside the RV, but stay safe."
"Yeah, I got it. Go on, shoo."
When Ginny went back inside the RV, the group didn’t swarm her with questions. They continued doing their own things. Cecilia and Luna Yarrow, who were playing Gomoku, even called Ginny over to watch.
Ginny shook her head. "No thanks. Turn on the base’s radio channel. Let’s have a listen."
Knowing that Ginny was worried about the base’s safety, Mason Ryder turned on the radio next to him and tuned it to their base’s frequency, 87.9 FM. When he turned it on, it was broadcasting the base’s latest mission: seeking a neonatologist.
Luna stood up first, listening intently. "Captain Kane, is this... is this about Mindy..."
There was only one pregnant woman Ginny had rescued who had recently given birth. The fact that they were looking for a neonatologist now meant there was a high probability that Mindy Walsh’s baby was in danger.
"Let’s finish listening first."
Ginny thought the situation shouldn’t be too critical. After all, she had left almost thirty bottles of diluted Spiritual Spring Water with Oscar Lynch before she departed. If the situation was dire, he would definitely use the Spiritual Spring Water.
Meanwhile, Oscar Lynch was currently leading a group of over thirty people, discussing how to break out of an encirclement.
They had been surrounded by two rival gangs while scavenging for supplies. The enemy had over a hundred people. Although Oscar’s own Level was quite high, a third of the people he was leading had just joined the base. Most of these newcomers were only at Level 2, with only two at Level 3.
He didn’t dare to act rashly.