Chapter 668 Smith

With the crisis resolved, the entire city returned to its original tranquility once again - a tranquility that is unique to this post-apocalyptic period. Although men, women, young and old in this city are all busy, they all have an undisguised sense of ease on their faces. No matter how tiring or how much work they have, they never complain.

"Smith, where are you going today?"

A soldier smiled and greeted Smith who had just walked out of the tent. Smith is a middle-aged man, his skin has been tanned by the long-term exposure to the wind and sun, and his eyes reveal determination and wisdom. He is dressed in simple casual clothes, with an old-fashioned kettle and a shiny dagger hanging around his waist, looking particularly capable.

Smith stopped and responded with a smile: "Oh, it's John. I plan to go to the west today. There is an abandoned warehouse over there. I heard that there may be some usable supplies in it. You know, although the supplies in our base are not tight, it is always good to stock up more."

John nodded and agreed: "Yes, it's always right to stock up more supplies. Then are you going alone? Or should I take a few brothers with you?"

Smith waved his hand and smiled: "No, John. I can do it myself. Besides, I also want to take this opportunity to walk around outside the city and see what changes have taken place in this post-apocalyptic world."

When John heard this, a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes: "Okay, then you be careful. Although the zombie threat has been lifted, the outside world is still full of unknowns."

Smith patted John on the shoulder and expressed his gratitude: "Don't worry, I will. But you, take care of yourself, don't always work so hard."

After that, Smith turned and walked west, his steps firm and powerful. He knew that this trip was not only to find supplies, but also to explore this new world and find hope for rebuilding human civilization.

However, when Smith walked out of the base and stepped into the ruins that had been ravaged by zombies, he suddenly found that everything around him had become unusually quiet. Even the most common birds and insects seemed to have disappeared without a trace, leaving only the whimpering sound of the wind blowing through the ruins.

Smith felt a little uneasy, but he suppressed it and continued to move westward. Not long after, he came to the abandoned warehouse. The door of the warehouse was half-closed, as if some force was silently inviting him to enter.

Smith pushed the door open cautiously and stepped into the warehouse. The light in the warehouse was dim, with only a few rays of sunlight falling from the cracks in the broken roof, barely illuminating an area. He carefully shuttled through the piles of waste materials, looking for items that might still be valuable.

Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable chill coming from behind, as if something was peeping at him in the dark. Smith turned around abruptly, but found nothing. But he knew that his feeling was not wrong, and there must be some unknown danger hidden here.

Just as he was about to leave the warehouse, a low roar suddenly sounded from deep inside the warehouse. The sound was full of wildness and ferocity, which made Smith shudder. He immediately realized that he might have been targeted by some creature.

Smith quickly pulled out a dagger from his waist and held it tightly in his hand, ready to deal with the impending threat. He pressed against the wall and approached the depths of the warehouse step by step. As the distance shortened, the chill and roar became stronger and stronger.

Finally, in the chaotic shadows, Smith saw a huge figure - it was a mutant beast, with red eyes flashing and sharp fangs at the corners of its mouth. Its body was covered with hard scales and looked indestructible.

Faced with this sudden crisis, Smith took a deep breath and suppressed all his fear and anxiety in his heart. He knew that he could not retreat, otherwise he would only become food in the mouth of this beast. So, he clenched his dagger and launched a fierce attack on the beast...

(Continued)

Smith's movements were swift and precise. He used the intricate obstacles in the warehouse as cover and flexibly shuttled around the beast, trying to find an opportunity to kill it with one blow. The beast was obviously enraged by this human who dared to challenge it. The roar was even more deafening, and every attack was powerful enough to tear steel.

However, Smith was not an ordinary person. He was a veteran in the world before the end of the world. He had experienced countless life and death tests and had developed excellent fighting skills and psychological qualities. He took advantage of the beast's weakness of turning around and constantly lured it to make large movements to consume its physical strength. At the same time, he also paid attention to the surrounding environment at all times to ensure that he would not fall into a desperate situation.

After a fierce round of maneuvers, Smith finally found a perfect opportunity. He jumped suddenly, using a broken beam in the warehouse as a springboard, and shot at the beast's head like an arrow from a string. At that moment, time seemed to freeze, and the air was full of tension and expectation.

"Shua!" The sound of the dagger cutting through the air was crisp and loud. It pierced the beast's eye accurately and went all the way to the handle. The beast let out a shrill scream, and in the severe pain it waved its claws wildly, trying to throw Smith away. But Smith was already prepared. He used the beast's struggling force to quickly adjust his posture, pulled the dagger out of the beast's eye socket, and slashed it towards its neck.

This blow was fatal. The beast's blood gushed out like a fountain, staining a corner of the warehouse red. It struggled for a few times, and finally fell to the ground with a bang, unable to move anymore. Smith stood there, panting, sweat sliding down his cheeks, dripping on the ground, intertwined with the beast's blood.

He knew very well that the victory in this battle was not accidental, but the result of his experience and wisdom accumulated from countless times of wandering on the edge of life and death. He slowly walked towards the beast's body, with both the joy of victory and the awe of the unknown world in his heart. He knew that this was just a small episode in the doomsday world, and there would be more challenges waiting for him in the future.

After confirming that the beast was completely dead, Smith began to search for supplies in the warehouse. He found several boxes of unopened canned food, several bags of dry food, and some wood that could be used as fuel. These supplies are undoubtedly a valuable asset for the base. He carefully packed them up and prepared to take them back to the base.

However, just as he was about to leave the warehouse, a subtle noise caught his attention. He immediately became alert, held the dagger tightly, and slowly walked in the direction of the sound. After some searching, he found a secret passage hidden in the corner of the warehouse. The entrance of the passage was blocked by a pile of debris, and it was difficult to find without careful observation.

Smith hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to enter the passage to find out. He carefully pushed away the debris, bent down and entered the passage. The passage was dark, and he could only rely on the flashlight in his hand to illuminate the front. As he went deeper, the air around him became more and more humid, as if he was in a huge underground cave.

Suddenly, the light of the flashlight shone on a closed iron door. The iron door was covered with rust and moss, and it looked like no one had opened it for a long time. Smith was filled with a strong curiosity, and he wanted to know what secrets were hidden behind the iron door. So he pushed the iron door hard and found that it was not locked.

The iron door slowly opened, and a cold breath came to his face. Smith took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to step into the world behind the iron door. He was surprised to find that this was actually a huge underground laboratory! The laboratory is filled with various advanced instruments and equipment. Although most of them have been damaged or failed due to long-term lack of maintenance, there are still a few machines flashing weak lights.

Smith explored around the laboratory, trying to find some useful information or supplies. He noticed several huge maps and charts hanging on the wall, marked with some symbols and marks he had never seen before. He guessed that these might be related to the research content of the laboratory, but he had no idea what they were.

Just as he was about to give up exploring, his eyes were suddenly attracted by a diary on a table. The cover of the diary has turned yellow, but the handwriting on it is still clearly visible. Smith carefully opened the diary and began to read.

The owner of the diary is a scientist named Alison, who recorded the laboratory's research process and findings in detail. It turned out that this laboratory had existed for many years before the end of the world, and had been committed to studying a super virus that could cure all human diseases. However, when the virus was about to succeed, the end of the world suddenly came, the laboratory was forced to close, and all the research results were sealed in this underground space.

In her diary, Allison expressed her despair about the future and her concerns about the fate of mankind. She wrote: "If we had succeeded earlier, perhaps this disaster could have been avoided. But now it's too late to say anything. I can only leave my research results to future generations, hoping that they will come in handy one day."

After reading the diary, Smith couldn't calm down for a long time. He realized that the diary in his hand might contain key information that would change the fate of mankind. He carefully put the diary away and prepared to take it back to the base to let more people know about this discovery.

On the way back to the base, Smith was full of hope and determination. He knew that the road ahead was still full of unknowns and dangers, but he was ready to meet all challenges. He believed that as long as mankind united, there would be no difficulties that could not be overcome. And he will continue to move forward with this belief to find the light of hope for rebuilding human civilization in the post-apocalyptic world.

Smith walked through the familiar and heavy city gate with heavy steps and returned to this once prosperous but now devastated city. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled weakly on the ruins, coating this dead world with a layer of light golden glow, but it could not warm people's hearts. He held the diary brought back from the underground laboratory tightly in his hand, his heart full of expectations for the future, but he didn't know whether this hope was too slim.

Back to the base, Smith did not stop for a moment and walked straight to the office belonging to Bai Ye, the symbol of wisdom and decision-making in the base. The door was gently pushed open, and a mixture of bookish air and engine oil smell rushed towards him. It was a unique breath belonging to Bai Ye, which was both ancient and full of exploratory desire.

Bai Ye was sitting behind a table piled with drawings and books, frowning, and seemed to be in deep thought. Hearing the door open, he looked up at Smith, and a subtle expectation flashed in his eyes.

"Smith, are you back?" Bai Ye's voice was low and powerful, revealing an unquestionable authority.

Smith nodded, walked quickly to Bai Ye, and carefully placed the diary in his hand on the table. His voice trembled slightly with excitement: "Bai Ye, I found this... I think it may be very important to us."

Bai Ye's eyes were instantly attracted by the yellowed diary. He reached out and gently stroked the cover, as if he could feel the warmth and persistence of his predecessors. Then, he slowly opened the diary and read carefully page by page.

At first, Bai Ye's eyes were still shining with curiosity and hope, but as he read deeper, those lights gradually dimmed. His brows were getting tighter and tighter, and the corners of his mouth slowly pursed into a straight line. Finally, after reading the last page, he gently closed the diary and looked up at Smith, his eyes full of complex emotions.

"Smith, I understand your feelings, but..." Bai Ye's voice was a little difficult, "These materials are almost useless to us now."

Smith was struck by lightning when he heard this, and the whole person froze in place. He couldn't believe his ears, and he was even more unwilling to accept this cruel fact. He stood up suddenly, clenched his hands into fists, and his nails were deeply embedded in his palms, but he didn't feel any pain at all.

"Why? How is this possible? She clearly said..." Smith's voice became hoarse due to excitement. He tried to find a glimmer of hope from Bai Ye, even the smallest hope.

Bai Ye sighed, stood up and walked to the window, looking at the desolate world outside, and said slowly: "Smith, you and I know how difficult our situation is now. Food shortages, water pollution, rampant diseases... and those threats that may reappear at any time. And the research recorded in this diary is about a super virus, which was originally intended to cure all human diseases. But the problem is that the research on this virus was forced to be interrupted before the end of the world and was not completed, let alone replicated or improved in the current environment."

"Moreover," Bai Ye continued, "even if we can really revive this research, who can guarantee that it will not bring greater disasters? After all, tragedies caused by scientific experiments out of control are not uncommon in history."

Smith listened to Bai Ye's words, and the hope in his heart was like an extinguished candle, dissipating little by little in the cold air. He felt an unprecedented despair and powerlessness, as if the whole world was pressing on his shoulders, making him breathless.

He sat down slowly, his hands hanging weakly on his knees, and his eyes looked forward with empty eyes. After a long time, he spoke in a hoarse and low voice: "I was too naive... I thought... I thought this could change anything."

Bai Ye walked to Smith, patted his shoulder gently, and gave him silent comfort: "Smith, we all have such a dream, hoping to find the key to save the world one day. But reality is often more cruel than dreams. However, this does not mean that we have to give up. At least, we are still alive and struggling for survival. As long as we don't give up hope, we will find a way out one day."

However, Smith's heart was filled with deep frustration. He understood that Bai Ye's words made sense, but he also knew that this frustration might accompany him for a long time, and might even affect his views and actions in the future.

As night fell, the lights in the base were dim, but Smith's heart seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds, and he could not see a trace of light. He sat alone in the dark, holding the diary tightly in his hands, with mixed feelings in his heart. He didn't know what the future would be like, and he didn't know if he could still maintain his original faith and courage. But no matter what, he had to face reality, keep moving forward, and find his own path in this post-apocalyptic world.