Flowers Blooming in the Wasteland

"Don't worry, you still have me." Fu Yunlan rubbed his head again, and he found that the child's hair was unexpectedly soft and clean, reminding him of the ginger-colored one raised by the director of the orphanage when he was a child Cat, "I said that I treat you as a family member. This is not a comforting or superficially polite word. I don't know how to take care of people, but if you need anything, you can tell me, and I will try my best to satisfy you."

"I don't need anything," said Thurlist.

"Even in ill-fitting shoes?"

"Shoes are not necessary," Thurlist said. "Everyone's life is so difficult. I just wear a little bigger shoes, which have no direct impact on survival."

"It's not that you can only mention things that are serious enough to affect your survival." Fu Yunlan felt a little troubled by the child's strange thoughts, "Or let's put it this way, not only what you 'need', but also what you 'want'. You can mention it to me, whether it is for food, use, or play, even if it is an unreasonable request, it doesn't matter, I won't be angry."

"Do you have to mention it?" Celeste looked at Fu Yunlan who insisted on making a request in confusion.

"Everyone has what they want, no matter who they are." Fu Yunlan believed that this state of wanting nothing and wanting nothing must not be Celeste's nature, and he didn't know how to resolve the child's psychology No problem, decided to start by satisfying one of his requests, "Tell me, what do you want now."

"...candy," said Thelister. "I want candy."

"Sugar..." Fu Yunlan hesitated for a moment. In the wasteland where people are exhausted just for the food they need to survive, sugar is a luxury that is really not easy to get, but he still agreed, " OK, I'll keep an eye on it. Let's go, practice with the gun first."

---

The playground that used to be a school has now been converted into a shooting range for the mercenary regiment. The mercenaries put some targets on a brick wall that has been knocked down halfway. There are shriveled and rusty cans, half-broken glass bottles, Discarded rag dolls, as well as stones and clods.

Fu Yunlan explained the posture of holding the gun and the key points of shooting to Celeste hand in hand, and a few mercenaries watched on the sidelines when they had nothing to do.

Celeste clenched the gun a little harder, but he still couldn't control his fingers well, but for some reason, that strange feeling reappeared.

He knows how to hit the target more accurately, even in more detail than what Fu Yunlan said. The muzzle of his gun was shaking because he couldn't control his hands well, but he knew clearly that if he shot, he would hit the target. where.

Thurlist fired, and the first vial shattered.

"Nice shot." Fu Yunlan didn't expect Celeste to hit the target with the first shot, he encouraged, "Go on."

The few mercenaries around were also whistling and coaxing, expressing that they couldn't see that the little guy was still a genius.

Hearing these words, Celeste thought carefully: if a person who has never touched a gun before shoots with a hundred shots, others will feel very strange.

That strong thought popped up again - I can't expose my abnormality, otherwise it will be dangerous.

Thinking of this, Celeste's muzzle moved down a little, and he fired a second shot at the brick on the earthen wall.

"Don't be discouraged, continue." Fu Yunlan said, "Steady the gun and don't rush to shoot."

Thurlist continued to shoot, and he hit two of the seven rounds.

"You played well." Fu Yunlan was quite satisfied with the result, "Does your hand hurt?"

"It hurts." Celeste opened his hand to show him, the tiger's mouth was already red from the recoil of the shooting.

"Fortunately, it's not serious." Fu Yunlan said, "Go back and have a rest, and continue practicing tomorrow."

The cowboy smiled and said: "Boy, the bullets are very expensive. If you miss it tomorrow, you will be spanked."

Celeste looked at Fu Yunlan, Fu Yunlan said, "Don't listen to his nonsense, there are plenty of bullets, go back."

Celeste left obediently, and Heita asked Fu Yunlan curiously: "Speaking of which, how did you convince One-Eyed Tuke to pluck that iron rooster? You gave us a car and bullets, and didn't charge us a cent." Money, I almost washed my daughter and put it on your bed."

"You think he didn't send it? He did, but the boss refused." Bomber, who had already heard all the content in the recorder, broke the news.

"Why do you want to refuse?" Mole bluffed in a fuss, "That little beauty is protruding, what's wrong?"

Heita suggested very earnestly: "If you want a child, Miriam is indeed an ideal object. Not only is she beautiful and rich, she also has four strong older brothers at home. Even if something happens to you, you can rely on her You can also take care of the children-of course, if you are really not interested in women, that's another story."

"Don't talk too much, if you're so free, go to work." Faced with the discussions among his subordinates, Fu Yunlan didn't want to pay any attention to it, so she packed up her gun and left.

In fact, I don't blame them for gossip. Rejecting a beauty like Miriam will indeed make people imagine, but Fu Yunlan doesn't think he is gay. In fact, he is not interested in the same sex or the opposite sex.

There was a time when he had a crush on a certain type of people - men, Asians, older than him, mature and wise, but it was only a crush, he never developed any intimacy with anyone Relationship.

Because he is always inexplicably disgusted by other people's touch. The contact through clothes or gloves is better. If it is direct skin contact, he will feel awkward or even disgusted just thinking about it, and he can't wait to touch others. The uncomfortable feeling can be eliminated by repeated washing with soap several times.

This may be partly due to his cleanliness, but it is certainly not entirely due to this reason. He does not intend to explore the physical or psychological reasons behind this disgust. It is not a big deal to be celibate all the time. After all, survival is the first priority. He didn't want to waste too much energy on this kind of thing.

The cowboy followed and said in a negotiating tone: "Lan, I think Celeste is very suitable for joining the mercenary group. We can train him. I just need an observer."

"No, he should become a mechanic." Fu Yunlan said, "Many people can be mercenaries, and the mechanic is the one most lacking. Or it would be good to become a doctor. Coulson would be happy to accept a student."

Fu Yunlan had thought about it before. Hunter of the hydropower station was old and in poor health. He had always wanted to find a smart young man to learn to repair the equipment of the hydropower station. Not only could Celeste be literate, but he had been with him since he was a child. It would be a good candidate to help in the mother's laboratory.

There are already enough people living on destruction and killing in the wasteland, not bad for this one, he always feels that Celeste should do something better, such as creation and protection, he hasn't asked Thurley yet Astor thought, but he hoped so.

"Actually, you just don't want him to go to the battlefield, right?" The cowboy complained disappointedly, "A sniper is incomplete without a spotter. How long do you plan to let me fight alone?"

"I will find someone else for you." Fu Yunlan said.

---

After dealing with some mercenary affairs, Fu Yunlan brought Celeste to the hydropower station.

This small hydropower station built before the war is the source of electricity for the entire Hummingbird Town. Although due to the decrease in precipitation, the water storage capacity of the reservoir is less than half of what it used to be, and only two of the six generating units of the hydropower station can still operate normally. The wasteland where electricity is the main energy source is still a very enviable and precious resource.The fundamental reason why Hummingbird Town can develop after the war is not because of the city walls or the protection of the mercenary group, but because of the hydropower station. Similarly, if any force decides to attack Hummingbird Town, it must be Chong Coming from the hydropower station.

However, such an important device can only be maintained by the old Hunter.

Hunter Sr. was one of the few people in town over the age of 50, which means his entire teenage years were spent before the chaos began.He finished college completely, his grades were not as good compared with those of his classmates back then, and he did not major in mechanical maintenance, but in the post-war years, he was considered a rare technical talent.

Over the years, he has been relying on the books and drawings left in the hydropower station to maintain the normal operation of the hydropower station. Although he also brought a few so-called "apprentices", these apprentices were too young. When the zombie virus started When the outbreak broke out and the world began to enter chaos, they were not even old enough to go to school, and they hadn't even received the most basic education.Normally, Old Hunter only dared to ask them to help with odd jobs. If he really asked them to repair the machine, basically he would break it wherever he bumped into it. One can imagine how difficult it is for a semi-literate person who has not even learned common words to understand and learn to maintain hydropower station equipment in principle.

When Fu Yunlan brought Celeste to Old Hunter, Old Hunter hesitated and said, "You know, I have enough students."

Fu Yunlan said: "The Lister is different from others. He grew up in the laboratory and knows a lot, so he doesn't need to learn from scratch."

"I believe this, but I have also heard about his experience, saying that he is not in good health. I am worried that I spent a lot of time and energy teaching him, but in the end he died before me."

"He's just a little bit out of balance, he's healthy in other respects, you don't have to worry about that."

Old Hunter looked at Celeste's expression. While they were discussing Celeste's future, the child just stayed aside without saying a word. He looked very well-behaved and didn't seem to be in poor health. Looking like he might die at any moment, Old Hunter thought about it, and called an assistant: "Take him around and familiarize himself with the equipment."

Celeste followed Hunter's assistant and left before Old Hunter said to Yun Lan, "Is your mission this time very dangerous?"

"Danger always exists." Fu Yunlan avoided this question in a serious manner.

"So you want to solve your worries first?" Old Hunter sighed, "It's unnecessary for me to say something. You used to be the captain, and it was your duty to lead the way, but now you are the captain, and there are actually many things that don't need to be done by yourself. Do it. You should be clear that if something happens to you during the mission, neither the Mercenary Group nor Hummingbird Town will be able to withstand such a blow."

"I understand." Fu Yunlan said, "But the mercenary group is too small now. The success or failure of this mission is also crucial to the survival of the mercenary group. I must go in person."

"... Well, since you have already made up your mind, try not to die." Old Hunter said, "I will take care of that child. As long as I am still alive, I will not let him go hungry."

Fu Yunlan smiled: "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I know you have done a lot for other people, but you have to endure their criticism at the same time. This is not something ordinary people can do." Old Hunter sighed. Like the mayor Li Jiesi, he He is also one of the few sensible people in the town, "I can only help you so much."