Zuo Feng was silent for a moment, his gaze complex as he looked at A Mao.
An unspeakable emotion welled up in his heart.
Survival in the apocalypse was already difficult, and there were undoubtedly many people like A Mao who had suffered misfortunes.
Her helplessness and despair were like a mirror, reflecting the cruelty and mercilessness of this world.
There were countless people like A Mao in the apocalypse, and Zuo Feng couldn't save them all.
Zuo Feng was unsure if A Mao's experimental after-effects could be cured even if she was sent to Firefly, but at least Firefly had medical resources and a research team, which might offer a glimmer of hope.
Meeting her was fate, and Zuo Feng decided to give her a chance.
Zuo Feng sighed softly, his voice tinged with sympathy:
"A Mao, I know of a base where medical equipment is advanced and the research team is experienced. They might be able to find a treatment for you. While I can't guarantee a cure, it's better than waiting to die here. Are you willing to come with me to try? The environment there is relatively safe; at the very least, you'll have a place to stay."
Upon hearing this, A Mao suddenly looked up, a glimmer of disbelief flashing in her eyes: "What did you say? I... I still have a chance?"
But then her gaze dimmed, and she said in a low voice: "But, will they save someone like me, who has nothing?"
If she could live, A Mao didn't want to die.
However, she also knew very well that whether she could be saved was one thing, and whether others were willing to save her was another.
In this apocalypse, for someone like her who had nothing, let alone treatment, even basic sympathy was hard to come by.
Zuo Feng nodded: "As long as you're willing to go, I'll do my best to help you. I have some connections there, and they'll give me some face.
However, you need to be mentally prepared; I'm not sure if they can cure your illness.
Also, I have something to do in E City for about half a month, so I can't take you there immediately."
According to A Mao, she had nearly a month left to live, and Zuo Feng couldn't be sure how long the current A Mao could survive. The sooner A Mao was sent to Firefly Base, the better.
But his time was also extremely tight; the outbreak of the new symbiotic zombie virus was still imminent. He wouldn't delay his plans for an A Mao. He could only let nature take its course. As for whether A Mao could last until he took her to the base, that would depend on her luck.
A hint of struggle flashed in A Mao's eyes; she was clearly hesitant about Zuo Feng's suggestion.
She wanted to live, but in this apocalypse, did such a thing as compassion truly exist?
She couldn't be sure if what Zuo Feng said was true or false.
However, what the person in front of her offered was her only hope; she had no other choice.
If she didn't believe him, she would only wait for death, and as someone about to die, what more could she lose?
A Mao took a deep breath, her gaze gradually firm: "I'll go with you. Even if there's only a sliver of hope, I'm willing to try."
Seeing this, Zuo Feng nodded slightly: "Good, go pack your things first, then come with me to E City later."
A Mao was just an ordinary person, and Zuo Feng naturally couldn't let her continue to live alone in this abandoned town; otherwise, by the time he returned, she would probably have met with misfortune.
A Mao nodded silently and turned to walk toward her simple dwelling, her heart filled with both fear of the unknown and a yearning for survival.
A Mao had nothing much to pack: a few worn clothes, a yellowed diary, and a dagger she kept tucked at her lower back. These were her only remaining possessions and means of self-defense.
She carefully stuffed them into a tattered backpack, her heart a mix of emotions.
Although she was uneasy about the road ahead, she knew this was her only chance at life.
Soon after, A Mao, carrying her worn backpack, walked up to Zuo Feng and asked softly: "I'm ready. When do we leave?"
Zuo Feng thought for a moment and replied: "We'll leave after a short rest. Oh, have you ever heard of a Variant Mutant?" Zuo Feng's most important goal on this trip was the Variant Mutant. Although the probability of A Mao, as an ordinary person, knowing about it was small, he still wanted to confirm.
A Mao shook her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes: "Variant Mutant? I've only heard of Mutants. Is that what you mean?"
Zuo Feng frowned slightly and explained: "Variant Mutants are more dangerous than Mutants. They are somewhat similar to Mutants, but the difference is that Variant Mutants are ethereal beings, more powerful than Mutants of the same level."
After hearing this, A Mao shook her head: "I haven't seen them, nor have I heard of them. However, if you have loss crystals, once you enter E City, you can post a bounty. As long as you offer enough loss crystals, countless Mutants will help you search for Variant Mutants."
Zuo Feng nodded, secretly pondering that loss crystals were indeed an effective means to attract Mutants.
However, Zuo Feng hadn't expected that E City's two major powers would have such a bounty system. He had quite a few loss crystals in his possession, and since he could post bounties, it would save him a lot of trouble.
As long as he offered loss crystals, countless Mutants would help him search, which was convenient and fast, and he only needed to lie back and wait for news.
A glint flashed in Zuo Feng's eyes as he asked in surprise:
"A Mao, tell me how to post this bounty."
Upon hearing this, a thoughtful look flashed in A Mao's eyes. She organized her words and slowly said: "The two major powers in E City that I mentioned to you earlier—Mo Wen Tianya and Jun Ling Tianxia—control the right to post bounties in E City.
Both factions have a Bounty Hall, and although they constantly compete in secret, they maintain a cooperative relationship openly.
And for Mutants, as long as they meet the bounty conditions, they can accept bounties posted by either faction.
You just need to prepare enough loss crystals, go to any Bounty Hall, describe the characteristics of the Variant Mutant and the bounty amount in detail, and someone will naturally accept the task."
After hearing this, Zuo Feng continued to ask: "For example, if I post a bounty for information on the location of a Variant Mutant, and after it's successfully posted, someone accepts the information and provides feedback, how do I confirm the authenticity of the message? What if there's too much feedback, I can't verify each one, or if two or more people give the same correct information, I can't give everyone the same reward, can I?"
A Mao smiled slightly and replied: "You don't need to worry about this. Since the two major powers control the right to post bounties, they will naturally establish a reasonable set of rules.
For the authenticity of bounty information, both major powers have specialized personnel to verify it, ensuring the information is genuine.
If the feedback is false, the poster can not only refuse to pay the reward but also hold the person who provided the false information accountable."
"As for your scenario of multiple people providing the same correct information, the rules generally state that the person who provides the correct information first takes precedence.
Of course, if the poster specifically states during the bounty that multiple people are allowed to receive rewards, then it can be negotiated separately. However, this situation is extremely rare, as the bounty amount is limited, and if multiple people share it, the reward each person receives would be pitifully small."