While Chen Ye and the others were still watching the fireworks, Gong Yong had already returned to camp. After coming back, without another word, Gong Yong went straight to his small workspace.
Of course, Gong Yong absolutely wasn't trying to study hard after being humiliated by Chen Ye, determined to build something impressive and blind Chen Ye's dog eyes.
He had other motives.
He switched on the desk lamp and pulled a black notebook from the drawer beside him.
On the black notebook were a few large characters: Grudge Book.
The notebook was locked with a black lock.
And it was a fingerprint lock at that.
He pressed his finger against the fingerprint lock, and with a soft click, it popped open.
He flipped past the first few pages.
Dense writing covered them, resembling diary entries.
“November 12, 2031. Sunny weather.”
“Chen Ye saw an egg left in my bowl and assumed I wasn’t going to eat it.”
“That bastard just took the egg from my bowl with his chopsticks.”
“I’m so angry!”
“When did I ever say I wasn’t going to eat it?”
“That was an egg! I haven’t had one in ages!”
“That scumbag!”
“But I’m too timid. I didn’t dare to fight back!”
“After all, Chen Ye looks pretty terrifying.”
“God, what kind of person looks like that?”
“I just kept my head down and said nothing, but I was furious inside.”
“I remember this. When I’m strong enough, I’ll get my revenge!”
“November 21, 2031. Sunny weather.”
“Another meal time.”
“This time, I learned my lesson. When Chen Ye asked if I ate meat, I quickly nodded and firmly told him yes.”
“And then…”
“That shameless bastard took my egg again!”
“And ate it right in front of me!”
“He just ate it! Without a shred of guilt!”
“Bastard!”
“I said I eat meat, but I didn’t say I don’t eat eggs!”
“You have to understand, eggs are rationed in the convoy now. Everyone gets very few.”
“Even the Superhumans don’t have a lot.”
“And yet he didn’t even ask me.”
“Isn’t that going too far?”
“Don’t you think that’s going too far?”
“How could anyone in this world be like that?”
“Absolutely infuriating!”
“When I’m strong enough, I will get revenge!!!”
“December 18, 2031. Sunny weather.”
“I’m already Sequence 4 now. I’ve proven my worth in the convoy.”
“I thought Chen Ye would finally show me some respect.”
“But this guy treats me exactly the same as before.”
“Damn it. I’m Sequence 4.”
“You’re Sequence 3.”
“Don’t you know who’s who?”
“Today, Chen Ye asked if I eat meat. I said yes, and then added, ‘And I eat eggs too!’”
“He didn’t say anything.”
“I thought he was out of tricks.”
“But tonight’s dinner had no meat and no eggs. All we had was braised potato rice.”
“Damn it…”
“Chen Ye, just you wait!”
“When I’m strong enough, I’m not letting you off. I remember this grudge.”
“January 20, 2032.”
“Something happened today.”
“Squad Leader Chu Che Chu actually went with Chen Ye to steal a sheep from the Shepherd Convoy.”
“Oh my god!”
“I never thought I’d see the day.”
“I always believed Captain Chu was an upright and honorable man.”
“Who would’ve guessed he’d do something like that?”
“If Chen Ye did something like that, I could understand.”
“After all, Chen Ye’s no good.”
“But… Captain Chu actually…”
“He actually…”
“Captain Chu’s image has crumbled in my heart. I can never look at him the same way again.”
“But honestly, that mutton was really delicious, hehe…”
“I’ll set aside the grudges Chen Ye owed me for now.”
“Tonight’s mutton can count as his apology to me.”
“January 25, 2032.”
“Damn it. Today, Chen Ye called me, a Sequence 4, a waste.”
“Unacceptable!”
“The goodwill from that one meal of mutton is officially null and void!”
“I will never forget the grudge against Chen Ye!”
“Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west—don’t bully the young and poor.”
…
Gong Yong had always been socially anxious by nature.
So when dealing with people like Chen Ye and Chu Che—
Especially with some of Chen Ye’s behavior, it was easy for Gong Yong to “hold a grudge.”
His sensitive heart, in an apocalypse like this, had already stored far too much.
Sometimes, just a casual remark from Chen Ye
Would make Gong Yong dwell on it for a long time.
But he didn’t realize that the more time he spent around Chen Ye and Chu Che,
His socially anxious personality was slowly beginning to change.
In Gong Yong’s Grudge Book, the name that appeared most often was “Chen Ye.”
It recorded many, many “small things.”
Like what happened back in the Doomsday Convoy.
Or things that happened after joining the Fair Convoy.
Back in the Doomsday Convoy, Gong Yong was a total wallflower. No one bothered him, but no one cared about him either.
He couldn’t say he liked that kind of life, nor could he say he disliked it.
It was just… surviving.
The atmosphere in the Doomsday Convoy wasn’t great.
The captain and his wife had a good relationship, which was enviable.
But they didn’t seem to care about the rest of the convoy.
That convoy had a very heavy apocalyptic atmosphere.
Everyone moved like the walking dead.
If it weren’t for his identity as a Mechanic Superhuman, he’d probably have ended up like the ordinary survivors.
In fact, Gong Yong even felt that his life back then was the same as before.
Just waiting for the day he would die at the hands of some Anomaly, or become part of the Anomalies himself.
Or perhaps, while scavenging supplies, he would be left forever in one of the Uninhabited Forbidden Zones.
Back in the Sea of Trees during the Eternal Night, Gong Yong even thought dying wouldn’t be so bad.
Later, when he joined the Fair Convoy,
Gong Yong didn’t feel much of a stir inside either.
He thought this convoy would be just like the Doomsday Convoy.
But the more he interacted with the people in this convoy, the more he realized how different they were.
Iron Lion was simple and honest, a good person. Whenever Gong Yong had a problem, Iron Lion was always enthusiastic and sincere in helping.
When he met Iron Lion, Gong Yong felt a glimmer of light in this convoy.
Ding Dong was also a good person, but she was very cold, seemingly only caring about her Ideal Grain Seeds.
Sun Xixi wasn’t bad either. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also hardworking. She carried a youthful energy rare in the apocalypse.
Little Fish was lively too, though when she wasn’t talking, she seemed a bit aloof, like she wasn’t easy to approach.
But once you interacted with her a little, you’d find that Little Fish was actually very nice.
Aside from being a bit short.
Of course, Gong Yong would never dare say that in front of Little Fish.
And Xu Lina… hmm… it seemed like he hadn’t interacted with her much, but he always felt she had something on her mind.
And Captain Chu Che. He was a very good captain. He was very suitable for the role.
But later on, some things Chu Che did really shattered Gong Yong’s worldview.
And Chen Ye…
…
Gong Yong flipped the Grudge Book to the latest page.
He picked up his pen and started writing.
“January 27, 2032.”
“Arrived at the base today.”
“Saw a lot of ‘old friends.’”
“Though I didn’t know these old friends, it was quite interesting.”
“I never expected Chen Ye and Chu Che to know so many people.”
“Lin Qingge’s singing is really amazing, even better than the singers from before!”
“She must be Sequence 4. I saw her domain!”
“Both of us Sequence 4, but she’s so strong while I’m so weak. All I can do in the convoy is fix cars!”
“And that Insect Breeder Sequence guy. When he showed up, I thought he was a bad guy!”
“But turns out, Auntie Zhao’s slap was his natural enemy.”
As he wrote this, Gong Yong’s face lit up with a grin, as if he was recalling how the terrifying-looking Insect Breeder was no match for a single slap from Auntie Zhao.
“And Dantai Bie. That guy still talks too much.”
“And Chen Ye…”
“Damn it. Today he asked me again, ‘Why are you such a waste when we’re both Sequence 4?’”
“And he mocked me for being useless at everything, telling me to work harder.”
“Heh…”
“Now I finally understand why no one wants to talk to him.”
“That’s right, I actually finished saying that line.”
“And then I ran away.”
“Chen Ye didn’t chase after me.”
“I actually dared to talk back to Chen Ye to his face!”
“Oh my god, he’s so terrifying!”
“But… it seems like the more I look at him, the less scary he becomes.”
With that, Gong Yong closed the “Grudge Book.”
Thinking about how Lin Qingge was so strong at Sequence 4 while he could only fix cars,
Gong Yong felt a bit dejected for a moment.
Chen Ye wasn’t wrong. He really was kind of useless.
But then Gong Yong suddenly realized something.
Even when Chen Ye called him useless, he didn’t feel that sad anymore.
Just a little down.
Dejected, just in a bad mood.
Could it be… that he’d been called useless so many times by Chen Ye that he’d gotten used to it?
No, no. That bastard Chen Ye…
One day, when I’m strong enough, I’ll make him pay.
Gong Yong stared at the microwave oven on his desk.
His gaze went distant.
Yeah, if he could really build a machine that could make mutated, spoiled food safe to eat,
Then that would definitely blind Chen Ye’s dog eyes.
Chapter 576: Gong Yong’s Grudge Book
8 min read