Chapter 257 That’s exactly what I love doing!

“I am Nick.”

One of the survivors stepped forward, followed closely by the other two men.

“And these are Louis and James. We’re all student doctors, already in our final year before the apocalypse began.”

“And we promise to do whatever you want us to do as long as we get shelter and food,” Louis, the one with the bald head, chimed in eagerly.

“Exactly!” James also chimed in as he offered a deep bow, his silky white hair falling forward as he lowered his head.

“Huh? Doctors?” Darren raised an eyebrow, murmuring under his breath. “We really need those in the base, don’t we?”

“We’re friends. Good friends,” one of the teenagers, a female, spoke up as she stepped forward, holding tightly onto the boy beside her. “The apocalypse took our parents and other family members away from us. I’m Stephanie, and he is Stephen.”

“And I am just an old man, popularly known as the ice cream man by the students, since I used to sell ice cream to them before the apocalypse started,” the old man introduced himself. “I don’t mind joining your base. I’m too old to be going up and down anymore, running away from monsters. I don’t mind being part of a base, living peacefully and getting buried properly when my time comes rather than being eaten by monsters or turning into one of them.”

“It’s nice meeting all of you. And since you’ve all decided to join my base, then you’re already a part of Hope Base,” Ivy revealed with a warm smile, causing satisfied expressions to appear on the survivors’ faces.

“Now, let’s head back to the base,” she added.

Afterward, Ivy climbed into the truck, followed by Darren and the six survivors, who were filled with excitement at the thought of finally having somewhere safe to stay.

They also brought back all the supplies they had collected from Professor Thomas’s institute. There were more than enough supplies to support the construction and operation of the polymer greenhouse, with plenty left over for other needs within Hope Base.

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Meanwhile, the young couple who had refused to join Hope Base continued wandering through the forest, using the map Ivy had given them as their guide.

“Just where exactly are we going right now?” the woman asked, exhaustion evident in both her expression and her voice. “We’ve been walking for what seems like forever.”

“I feel like everyone should have gotten used to walking long distances by now. This is the apocalypse, after all. You can never predict when a monster might suddenly appear out of nowhere, forcing you to run for your life. If you want to survive, you have to be prepared to run long distances,” a man with long white hair that fell past his shoulders replied seriously.

He wasn’t actually old. He was a young man in his early thirties, but he had deliberately dyed his hair white. As a result, anyone who saw him from a distance would probably mistake him for an older man without knowing his actual age.

“If I come across a base, I’ll join it immediately,” he added with a heavy sigh. “I’m tired of having to do everything by myself.”

“We actually came across one already, but we refused to join that base,” the husband explained. “We’ve heard a little information about it, and trust me, you’ll have to work your ass off if you want to live in that base. Besides, the base is being ruled by a woman.”

His words were directed at the white-haired man, although his gaze remained fixed on the map in his hands.

“You’ll be asked to rear pigs and farm. Even the children have to work. It’s completely different from Fiercehunter Base, where you can live comfortably.”

“Farming? Rearing pigs?” The white-haired man murmured under his breath, and a satisfied smile slowly appeared on his face.

“That’s exactly what I love doing, though. Unlike Fiercehunter Base, where you apparently won’t even be allowed to work.”

“I’ve heard about Fiercehunter Base being a paradise in the apocalypse,” the woman said excitedly. “Why should I choose Hope Base when Fiercehunter Base exists? I can’t wait to get there and finally relax.”

“I guess we’re there, honey!” the husband suddenly announced, his eyes widening with excitement.

His wife immediately looked ahead.

“There!” he exclaimed, pointing toward the massive structure in the distance. “The name of the base is hanging above the wall. Fiercehunter Base!”

An excited smile immediately appeared on the woman’s face. However, just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.

The same thing happened to her husband’s expression.

The two of them stared at the sight before them in utter disbelief.

“Are there perhaps two bases bearing the name Fiercehunter?” the woman asked, confusion and disbelief etched across her face.

Her husband looked equally stunned, his mouth slightly open as he stared ahead.

The white-haired man, however, remained completely expressionless. He simply stood beside them with his arms folded across his chest, silently observing the strange sight before them.