Chapter 310: Chapter 212: Stance
Paige Summers looked coldly at The Power Corps member who had spoken up. Before she could answer, Heath Hughes’s face contorted with anger. He strode rudely toward the man and said condescendingly, "Of course we can tell. Just like I can tell you might look human, but you’re acting like a damn mutt! So what? You have a problem with what our vice-captain said?!"
The young man’s face flushed with anger at the insult. "You... how can you talk like that! What if I have a problem with it? Am I not allowed to? That’s a Zombie! How many of our teammates have Zombies killed? Why should we protect a Zombie?! Even if he’s not..."
Suddenly, his words were cut off. Heath Hughes’s hand was halfway to his throat when another hand shot out from behind, clamped over his mouth, and dragged him back two steps.
It was the same man who had hung his head in shame earlier.
It was clear he wasn’t holding back. The man whose mouth was covered struggled frantically, his face turning beet red, but the other man had no intention of letting go. He just looked up at Paige Summers with a sincere expression, then turned to Heath Hughes. "I’m sorry! He’s not thinking straight, just spouting nonsense! We all know that if Bro Penn hadn’t warned us, we wouldn’t have even found this place. We’d still be lying in ambush over there, waiting for Zombies. Needless to say what the outcome would have been—definitely much worse than last time! The reason we’re all still alive and standing here is all thanks to Bro Penn. Even if he’s a Zombie, he’s a good Zombie! People can be good or bad, so can’t Zombies be the same? What do you say, Brother Hughes?"
Heath Hughes withdrew his hand and crossed his arms, watching the man. Though his words were a bit slick, the kid did have a point.
’Indeed,’ Heath thought. ’Just like he said, Bro Penn is definitely a good Zombie!’
Considering he himself had been shocked when he first saw what Bro Penn looked like now, and it had taken him some time to come around, it was impressive that this guy could make such a reasonable argument.
He finally relented. "You’re right. Everyone has seen how bravely Bro Penn fights Zombies. There’s no doubt he saved us. Even if he’s a Zombie, he’s not like the others. Forget the vice-captain—if I, Heath Hughes, hear anyone bad-mouthing him, I won’t let it slide either!"
"I understand! A life debt must be repaid. Of course, Bro Penn wouldn’t care about us repaying him, but what I mean is, while we might not be able to repay him, we’ll never cause him trouble when he’s in danger. You can rest assured on that! My teammate... he’s a bit of an idiot and he’s young. He doesn’t know any better, so please don’t hold it against him. I promise I’ll have a good, long talk with him. I’ll make him understand, no matter what. How can a person be so ungrateful? Right, Brother Hughes?"
Heath Hughes stared at him for a long moment, as if gauging his sincerity. Finally, his expression softened, and he clapped the man’s shoulder. "You kid... you’ve got a silver tongue. I hope what comes out of it is the truth, or else..."
"No ’or else’! I’m serious! Actually, it’s not just my tongue that’s good, I’m a good guy too..."
The guy’s cutesy act was so over-the-top it almost made Heath’s face cramp. He gestured for the man to stop talking and walked straight back to the Bloodfall group.
Paige Summers had listened to the entire exchange. She glanced at the team member and suddenly asked, "What’s your name?"
"Reporting to the vice-captain, my name is Evan Carter."
Paige Summers nodded slightly. "I remember now. You’re his squad leader, aren’t you?"
Evan Carter was suddenly thrilled. He puffed out his chest and shouted, "Yes!" ’This is amazing! My idol actually remembers I’m a squad leader!’
"Your words must be your actions, and your promises must be kept. I trust you understand this principle." She paused, then added, "Also, you’re quite impressive. If there’s a chance in the future, I hope to see you at the Bloodfall Base."
Evan Carter froze, then it dawned on him. His heart immediately started racing again.
’My idol is trying to recruit me! This is so exciting! So exciting!’
Without a second thought, he immediately said, "Yes!"
Only after speaking did he realize something was wrong. He sneakily glanced left and right and saw that no one seemed to have noticed the true meaning of his response. Instead, everyone’s attention was focused below his neck.
Following their gaze, he looked down and suddenly realized his hand was still clamped over someone’s mouth. The unlucky guy’s face had turned blue, and his head was limply lolling against Evan’s chest...
’He’s not dead, is he?!’
Panicked, he instantly let go.
The man immediately crumpled to the ground but soon began to cough painfully. Only then did Evan Carter let out a sigh of relief, lift his head, and stand up straight.
The Power Corps members around him also breathed a sigh of relief... ’As long as he’s not dead, it’s fine...’
On the other side, some members of The Power Corps were spurred on by Evan Carter’s declaration. Seeing that Paige Summers had finished speaking with him, one eagerly stepped forward. "Vice-Captain! Rest assured, I, Norman Ross, swear that I will never leak a word about this!"
Paige Summers turned her gaze and looked at him seriously. "I’ve received your promise."
The other quick-witted ones chimed in, "Us too!"
Over with Mason Hayes’s group, several of the captains exchanged glances.
To be honest, they had long suspected something about Ben’s situation, but the truth was still somewhat shocking.
But judging by his behavior, he was clearly harmless to the group.
It wasn’t like they had nothing better to do; they certainly weren’t going to go around spreading rumors about this.
That was one thing. Furthermore, after fighting alongside her for this period of time—though it wasn’t long—Paige Summers had already won their conviction with her strength and character.
Although it hadn’t been explicitly stated, they had already cast their lot with her.
Bloodfall was going to establish a base here, and they would definitely need a lot of people.
As people who were getting involved from the very beginning, they would be considered founding members in the future!
To secure a position in a powerful base... why wouldn’t they take such a great opportunity?
’We used to be the boss’s people, and now we’re the boss’s lady’s people. Not much of a difference!’
Although Paige Summers was nominally just Bloodfall’s vice-captain, the importance and respect Claire Chapman showed her had already placed her in a position equal to his own.
In other words, Paige Summers could call at least half the shots in Bloodfall.
This was something these shrewd people could all figure out.
No matter how they looked at it, them joining Bloodfall was a foregone conclusion, so of course they had to side with their own people.
That being the case, it was even more important to take this opportunity to declare their stance!
The captains exchanged a few meaningful glances, once again pushing Mason Hayes forward.
"Vice-Captain, I have something to say."
Paige Summers nodded knowingly. "Go ahead."
"We all request to join the Bloodfall Hunters! From this moment on, we will put Bloodfall’s interests first, swear to defend Bloodfall’s secrets to the death, and never do anything to damage Bloodfall’s reputation! We will do our utmost to contribute to the construction of the Bloodfall Base! Please, accept our sincerity!"
This resounding declaration left Paige Summers stunned for a moment. Then, a faint smile touched her eyes as she turned her head to look at the man beside her.
Claire Chapman nodded and stepped forward. "Bloodfall welcomes you!"
The original members of Bloodfall had gotten along well with Mason Hayes’s people, so they were also happy to hear this.
The heavy atmosphere finally dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief.
With all the different parties having stated their positions, Paige Summers was also relieved.
As for Sean Raines, Rhonda Rhodes, and Zephyr Mercer, the three who didn’t belong to any group and had remained silent, she didn’t deliberately press them. All three were decent people and had no reason to use this matter to cause her trouble.
In truth, if Ben were fine, she wouldn’t be afraid even if the news of him being a Zombie got out.
But he was unconscious now, and Bloodfall was at a critical juncture in establishing its base... She worried that if this was leaked, people would come looking for trouble. It wasn’t that she lacked confidence in herself, but nothing was ever certain. If it came to it and she couldn’t protect him...
Rather than face those potential consequences, it was better to lay down the law now.
Even if not everyone was good at keeping secrets, at least they would have to think twice before talking, and consider whether they could withstand her retaliation!
Finally, Claire Chapman once again emphasized Ben’s importance to Bloodfall, his sharp gaze sweeping over almost everyone before he finally told them to find a place to rest.
With the Zombie Leader dead, the Low-level Zombies in The Foundry had all vanished for the moment. It was unclear if they were hiding or had fled.
In any case, the place was now very quiet.
Everyone left the blood-soaked area and found a clean spot.
The first order of business was to take turns having a Water Ability User create some water so they could clean up, change clothes, and so on.
Paige Summers was no exception.
But the first thing she wanted to do was get Ben cleaned up. He was covered in blood and would definitely need a change of clothes, but she hesitated for a moment.
Seeing this, Claire Chapman quickly said, "Let me handle this. Come on, go get yourself cleaned up first. I promise I’ll have Ben all taken care of by the time you get back."
Paige Summers looked at him, silent for a good while at his rare display of gentleness. "You don’t have to be like this. I’m fine."
Claire Chapman, who was holding a cloth and about to wipe Ben’s face, paused. He let out a breath and turned to her. "It’d be better if you were really fine. I can’t stand seeing you look so lifeless."
Paige Summers slowly lowered her gaze. "You should understand. It’s just that... it’s hard for me to accept..."
"I know."
Claire Chapman sighed. Even with a dog you’ve raised for a long time, you’d develop feelings for it; it’s hard not to be heartbroken by sudden bad news. Besides, despite Ben’s condition, Paige Summers had never treated him like a pet. She always spoke to him as an equal. The reason the Bloodfall members hadn’t discovered they had a Zombie among them for so long was, in part, due to her behavior.
This woman could be incredibly cold at times, but she was fiercely protective of those she accepted.
Wasn’t she the same toward him? She knew he wouldn’t mind her taking charge of team affairs, yet in front of the members, she always meticulously maintained his unique image as captain.
How could he not understand her efforts?
Wasn’t it all because she didn’t want anyone in the team to get any funny ideas?
’But, doesn’t she get tired, worrying about this and that?!’
’Can’t she just let herself rest for a bit?!’
He clenched his jaw and finally voiced the decision that had been circling in his mind, the one he was reluctant to say. "You... you should go back to Central City. Get Andy and Nadia to take a look at Ben!"
