Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess
Chapter 202

Chapter 202: 202

Haoyu went to find Sun Zi Mo, since they were the one who usually handled these kind of thing.

"Since we’re picking 50, we’ll divide it, 24 men, that’s including 4 injured men, 15 women that’s including 3 injured women. We’ll take 6 teens, that’s including 1 injured teen and 5 children, that’s including 2 injured kid. Sum it up and it’s equal to 50, if we include ourselves we’re left with 53 people in total."

Haoyu sighed and nodded, it was picking out the 50 out of the 150 plus that was the issue.

He stood up tapping his face twice before heading to the crowd.

"Alright, everyone there has been a new development. This zone is now, no longer fit to live him, we’ll be moving to the next zone and only 50 people are allowed to follow us. Please don’t panic, a new leader will be selected for you and you’ll be given the second bus so you can all find a different zone."

A ripple moved through the crowd.

He continued, unflinching. "You’ve all had your names recorded during the buses during our drive to the center. The selection has already been made based on capacity, supplies, and clearance from brother Feng. This was not a lottery. We picked who could move the quickest, survive the journey, and help rebuild."

The murmurs grew louder. Some people began crying. Others clutched their families tighter.

Sun Zi Mo stepped up beside him. "Those who are not chosen will not be left with nothig. Brother Feng has secured a new route. The remaining hundred will be transported to Zone 3. Ive already gotten the coordinates. The second bus will take you there. You’ll be given supplies and weapons for the road."

A man shouted from the back, his voice sharp. "So what, you’re just dumping us on another zone? How do we know it’s safe?"

"Zone 3 is intact, I’m not saying it’s safe. There isn’t a zone right now, that is safe" Sun Zi Mo said. "It’s your best chance. We’re heading to Zone 4 on a different path, so we can’t take you all. But we aren’t abandoning you."

Haoyu unfolded the list and started reading names. The air grew heavier with every word.

"Zhang Wei. Liu Ning. Chen Rong. Li Shan. He Dandan..."

Every name called brought a reaction. Some sank to the ground in relief.

Others screamed in heartbreak. Children clung to their parents as names rolled out one by one.

The crowd was being cleaved apart, some survivors were chosen, while some were left behind.

When Haoyu reached the last name, he folded the paper and stepped back.

"If your name was called, proceed to the first bus immediately. We’ll leave in ten minutes."

People moved, some fast, others dragging their feet. More than one scuffle broke out, quickly separated by the fierce intervention Feng Yizhou made.

"I’m not against taking lives anyone who cares to cause another scuffle, I’ll directly end your life."

The chosen fifty were quickly loaded onto the first bus. Inside, they were silent. Haoyu checked the fuel and climbed into the driver’s seat. Sun Zi Mo handed over the manifests.

Feng Yizhou’s orders were clear, get to Zone 4 without delays.

Back outside, the second group was already being issued ration packs, and hastily assembled kits of weapons and water.

Sun Zi Mo approached a tall woman in dusty combat boots, handed her the manifest. "You’re in charge now. Coordinates for Zone 3 are marked. Don’t delay, yourselves"

She nodded wordlessly, already moving toward the second bus.

Ten minutes later, the engine of the first bus roared to life. Sun Zi Mo didn’t look back as he pulled away from the fifth zone. The weight of the hundred left behind pressed into the silence like a second burden.

Next to him, Haoyu sat with a pen in hand, crossing out names and preparing for the next phase.

Behind them, the people of the fifth zone faded into smoke and ash.

They were on their way to the fourth zone.

Feng Yizhou tapped his fingers against his knee, he guessed he would be given more work to do in the 4th zone.

[[Yes. You’ll be given more missions that you can count and the stakes will be high. Zone 4 isn’t safe and zone 3 is even more dangerous, only 2% of survivors in the bus heading there will survive.]]

"..."

"Why are you saying this now??"

[[Because people will die. You can’t save everyone Yizhou, not even yourself.]]

Feng Yizhou’s fingers stilled. The rhythmic tapping ceased as Caocao’s words echoed in his mind.

Not even yourself.

The bus vibrated beneath him as it cut through the ruined roads, groaning over cracked pavement and swaying with each sharp turn. Dust from outside had begun to creep in despite the taped windows, mingling with the quiet breathing of the passengers. No one spoke. No one dared. frёeωebɳovel.com

He closed his eyes for a second and leaned his head against the cold pane of the window.

"How many times are you going to say that?" he muttered under his breath.

[[Until you believe it. You keep thinking survival is math, that if you make the right choices and minimize risk, the outcome will change. It won’t. You’ve just bought them more time. Nothing more.]]

Feng Yizhou didn’t respond. His gaze moved to the side mirror. The image of the fifth zone had long disappeared, but he still imagined the faint outline of buildings breaking into ruin, the black skeletons of homes swallowed by smoke. That place was dying. Had already died.

And he’d made the call to leave them.

"There’s always a cost."

[[And it’s always yours to bear.]]

Haoyu didn’t’t speak much during the drive. He had his head tilted back, eyes closed but clearly awake.

His hand tapped occasionally against his thigh, as if counting seconds. Sun Zi Mo, in contrast, sat behind the wheel like he’d turned to stone. His hands gripped the steering wheel even when the road straightened. His shoulders were stiff, and once in a while, his jaw worked as if chewing over words he couldn’t say.

No one needed to talk about it. They all felt it, the weight of the ones left behind.

Children had cried. Parents had begged. Someone had tried to grab the list from Haoyu’s hand. Feng Yizhou had stepped in before it could escalate, but his voice had sounded colder than usual.

He hadn’t apologized for it.

He wouldn’t.

Behind them, the second bus rolled east toward the zone Caocao had confirmed was Zone 3, with the lowest survival odds out of the five.

Feng Yizhou had seen the odds flash before his eyes. But he hadn’t reacted.

He’d merely told Sun Zi Mo to delegate leadership and give coordinates. The woman in the boots looked like she had once been in the military.

She could keep them alive long enough.

That was all he could do for them.

"You think they’ll make it?" Haoyu asked quietly.

The question surprised him. It was the first thing Haoyu had said in over an hour.

Sun Zi Mo didn’t answer immediately, he turned to glance at Feng Yizhou who was behind Haoyu, but he looked like he had no intention of joining the conversation.

Sun Zi Mo sighed and focused back on the road.

"They might. A few, at least," Sun Zi Mo said, staring out the front window. "They’ve got supplies. A route. And a leader. It’s more than most get."

(Only 2% will survive that zone kid. They’ll lose about 50% before they even get there, zone 3 is a big hell hole to survive and the survivors there are, how would I put this...they are not right in the head.) This was the first time Lotus has spoken to Haoyu in a while, he has also began to forget he had a system as well.

Haoyu clenched his fists, so why did Feng Yizhou send them there?

(He doesn’t have any choice, they would all die if they stayed in the fifth zone.)

"Then why didn’t he let them come along with us"

("...")

(Haoyu, let me ask you question. On the journey of survival, what have you done to assist Feng Yizhou? You all have left so much burden for him to carry and placed your lives in his hands to protect. You don’t think about food or safety because he’s the one who brings it. That is why you can, you wanted them to follow this route as well, knowing well that they’ll cling to Feng Yizhou, the second they get a chance)