Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Philosophical Questions
"Brother Hu, what are you busy with?" Leaning against the wall, Tang Xiaoquan slowly sat down, trying his best to keep his body out of the scorching sun.
"Sharpening a knife," Hu Xiaodong replied casually.
He raised the cleaver in his hand and looked at it from side to side under the blazing sun. Seemingly not satisfied with the result of the sharpening, he put it back down and continued to grind it with the whetstone.
"Haha, Brother Hu, take a break. It’s noon, the sun is at its highest. Look at how sweaty you are, be careful not to get heatstroke," Tang Xiaoquan said, showing a worried expression, sounding a bit like a nagging mother.
Hu Xiaodong shook his head nonchalantly, his gaze fixated on the cleaver in his hand: "It’s fine, once I’ve taken good care of it, I’ll go rest. Otherwise, this guy will get temperamental with me, and I definitely don’t want any mishaps when facing enemies in life-or-death situations."
He grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, and Hu Xiaodong smiled like a child.
It seems Wu Chao was right, this Hu Xiaodong, although serious and cautious in battle, is very approachable in everyday life.
Tang Xiaoquan chuckled awkwardly in agreement, stopping his persuasion. After all, forcing someone into something is not ideal. Besides, he didn’t come here under the blazing sun just to exchange a few pleasantries.
Sitting silently with his face up, Tang Xiaoquan appeared to be enjoying a sunbath at a resort, but his constantly darting gaze deeply betrayed him.
So what was he really doing? He was waiting.
Waiting for what? Waiting for Hu Xiaodong to finish his work.
Because he understood that at this crucial moment, asking someone something abruptly would not only be rude but also unlikely to get a serious response.
So, he chose to wait.
Wang Qiang and the others had already gone back to rest, and the vast rooftop was left with only Tang and Hu sitting side by side.
Hu Xiaodong continued to mechanically hone the chipped edge of the blade, and the "swooshing" sound it made with the stone mixed with the snoring of those asleep, forming a rhythm-like percussion that leisurely echoed across the rooftop.
After about 10 minutes, Hu Xiaodong finally put down the whetstone. He raised the cleaver again, and the smooth blade emitted a cold, harsh gleam under the sunlight.
This time, Hu Xiaodong showed no unusual expression; he was very satisfied with the result of the sharpening, and a slight curve appeared at the corners of his sensual lips, influenced by his joy.
The opportunity had come! Tang Xiaoquan’s somewhat weary eyes suddenly lit up. Without waiting for Hu Xiaodong to make any moves, he quickly sat upright and praised: "Wow, Brother Hu, great skills! This knife really looks brand new after your work! Impressive, impressive!"
No one dislikes hearing praise, and Hu Xiaodong was no exception. When he heard his work praised, he felt incredibly pleased.
"By the way, Brother Hu, are you a soldier? I see you can sharpen knives and shoot arrows. You must have trained, right?" Tang Xiaoquan continued to probe, guiding Hu Xiaodong towards the topic he wanted to discuss.
"Haha," Hu Xiaodong waved his hand vigorously and then laughed twice: "Xiao Tang, you flatter me. With my limited skills, how could I compare to a real soldier? But yes, I did train in archery. To be honest, I was a member of the City Archery Team a few years back. Unfortunately, later on, I had a back injury, so..."
"Sigh~" Seemingly reminded of those past events, Hu Xiaodong heaved a despondent sigh, and his dark face instantly turned gloomy.
Seeing such a desolate expression on his face, Tang Xiaoquan couldn’t help but frown slightly, clearly not wishing Hu Xiaodong to dwell on this, as he had more important matters he needed the latter to verify.
Without any hesitation, Tang Xiaoquan immediately changed the subject: "Brother Hu, you must have killed quite a few zombies lately. Look at the chips on your previous blade, tsk tsk!"
Clicking his tongue twice subconsciously, Tang Xiaoquan recalled the densely chipped edge of the cleaver he saw earlier, causing his body hair to stand on end.
"Haha, to be honest, I indeed have... killed quite a few zombies," Hu Xiaodong laughed self-deprecatingly, a hint of sadness and helplessness in his laughter.
"Don’t laugh at me, Xiao Tang. I often remember the faces of the zombies I’ve killed. I wonder if what I’m doing is right or wrong. Although killing them is for self-preservation, they were once living people. They had families, parents, kids. Although they’ve become bloodthirsty monsters because of the virus, do we really have the right to just end their lives with a slash?"
The hands gripping the knife handle trembled incessantly. Hu Xiaodong’s whole body tensed up, and his heavy breathing revealed his agitated mood at that moment.
Tang Xiaoquan took a silent deep breath in response.
Undoubtedly, what Hu Xiaodong just mentioned was a heavy topic, one that even the most learned philosophers might not have an accurate answer to.
The atmosphere on-site instantly fell silent. Tang Xiaoquan felt he should say something. After slightly bowing his head, he slowly lifted it and said: "Brother Hu, I’ve thought about what you said too. I see it this way: every species has the right to survive, but this right shouldn’t be built on the destruction of another species."
"But the zombies clearly don’t follow this principle. Their only rule is to eliminate or assimilate all living species on Earth."
"So, I believe the killings we’re doing now aren’t just for our own self-defense. In the long run, we’re fighting for the survival of all of humanity, for all the living species on Earth, and for those once-human beings forced to become zombies."
"In this battle, we will lose a lot, and perhaps even become what they call executioners, but for survival, for the continuation of humanity, for us to see the sunrise of tomorrow, there are things we must do, because we have no choice."
"Law of the jungle, haha," after hearing Tang Xiaoquan’s discourse, Hu Xiaodong faintly uttered these four words, then looked up at the blazing sun, muttering with emotion: "If I don’t go to hell, who will? So be it, so be it..."