《Apocalyptic Reincarnation: Start with a 30-million Bonus》


 Chapter 1 - 1: 180 Days Until the End of the World

    On a distant planet, stars shimmer, and a meteor plummets down.


    Li Yu wakes up from his dream with a start, his hand reflexively clenching the short dagger at his chest.


    But he finds in his hand an iPad instead, playing a movie.


    A loud "bang!" of a gunshot makes Li Yu spring up from the sofa, looking around somewhat neurotically for the source of the sound.


    Another gunshot draws Li Yu''s attention to the iPad that had slipped onto the carpet, with the sound emanating from it.


    "Where is this?" Li Yu is a bit confused. He distinctly remembers being in a basement of an abandoned house.


    Looking around, the bright room with its natural wood decor, clean and tidy, made Li Yu feel somewhat bewildered.


    Isn''t this the house I rented in M city before?


    Excitement grips Li Yu as he picks up the iPad to see that it still displays May 2022.


    He roughly estimates that there are still 6 months until the end of the world.


    ???


    I...


    Have I been reborn? Reborn from 2027 back to five years ago.


    Li Yu had fantasized more than once in the apocalyptic world, if he could be given another chance, he certainly wouldn''t choose to stay in M city.


    Each time he thought of the relatives he failed to see again because he had not decided to return to his hometown in time, he blamed himself more than once, crying in the depths of many nights.


    Without the support of his family, every day for Li Yu in the apocalyptic world was like being among the walking dead, living in a daze.


    With that thought, Li Yu''s eyes reddened, and clenching his fists, he silently vowed: This time, I must make up for my regrets.


    Back then, due to various reasons, he didn''t return home before the apocalypse erupted.


    And the coming of the apocalypse showed him it was a terrifying era,


    An era that could truly starve many people to death,


    An era where order was completely in disarray,


    An era where a piece of bread could trade for a human life.


    When the real apocalypse arrived, in the first few months, order had not yet collapsed, but with the continuous expansion of the zombies and the relentless depletion of resources, it finally descended into absolute chaos.


    Li Yu looks at the time displayed on the iPad. It''s still early, but he needs to hurry and buy a ticket to return home.


    With that thought, Li Yu shakes his head and immediately opens the ticketing app, only to find that getting a ticket is extremely difficult.


    Through a scalper, paying triple the price, he finally snags a train ticket for 23:00 tonight.


    Not wanting to waste time, Li Yu quickly packs his luggage, as he had just graduated a year ago and did not have much.


    Soon, Li Yu has everything packed.


    Looking at the stockpile of food in the refrigerator, Li Yu swallows hard.


    Five years, do you know how Li Yu survived these five years?


    Spending two hours, Li Yu indulgently turns all the ingredients from the refrigerator into an array of delicious dishes.


    Looking at the seven dishes on the table: braised pork, scrambled eggs with chives, stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts, braised chicken in soy sauce, stir-fried spinach, stewed eggplant, and spicy shredded potato.


    Gazing at the feast before him, Li Yu can''t help but smile bitterly. He admits his culinary skills are decent, but after the apocalypse, he never had the chance to show them.


    Like a whirlwind sweeping through leaves, Li Yu quickly devours the food before him.


    Patting his belly, he fishes out a cigarette from his pocket, greedily smells it, and takes a deep drag.


    Now this is life!


    For all these years, this is the most delicious meal he has had.


    Such bliss.


    Checking the time, it reads 18:00.


    Not much time is left, Li Yu thinks to himself.


    Maybe first he should call home.


    With that thought, Li Yu opens his contacts.


    Seeing the familiar numbers on his contact list, his throat tightens a bit. Five years.


    His hand trembles as he dials the number.


    "Hello, Mom..." Li Yu begins with a choked voice.


    Hearing the sob in her son''s voice, Liu Fanghua speaks, "Yu, how are you doing over there? Are you short on money? I heard things have been much better there lately."


    "No, it''s okay... I just miss you guys, and I want to come back," Li Yu says.


    Silence hangs for a moment...


    Liu Fanghua sighs with mixed joy and concern, "We always told you not to go so far away for university and work. Your father and I don''t expect you to make a lot of money, we just want you to be happy!"


    "We''re all worried about you, come back soon."


    "And hey, make sure to bring your things with you, don''t leave anything behind. Your ID, charger, check everything before you leave, and have you canceled your rental and all that..."


    Listening to his mother''s familiar yet unfamiliar nagging, Li Yu doesn''t block it out rashly or get irritated as he did in the previous life. Instead, he listens quietly, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness inside.


    Liu Fanghua spoke for quite a while and noticed that Li Yu didn''t hang up impatiently like before.


    She asked a bit strangely, "Yu, are you still listening?"


    "I''m listening, I got it all. I''m taking the train tonight at 23:00, should arrive tomorrow morning." Li Yu said.


    "Be careful with everything. ��.."


    ...


    After hanging up the phone, he checked his balance. Besides the 1200 spent on the train ticket, he had less than forty thousand left.


    Li Yu made a direct call to the company leadership. The company where Li Yu worked wasn''t large, just a few people, and his leader was the company boss.


    Li Yu spoke concisely, saying straight that he wanted to resign.


    The company leader was a middle-aged woman going through menopause, and there were endless nuisances at work.


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s resignation, she instantly flared up at him: "Quitting? Don''t want your salary anymore? Did you finish the work I asked you to do this morning?"


    ...


    After a barrage of ranting, Li Yu remained very calm inside. Salaries were normally paid on the 20th of each month; the smaller the company, the more disgusting it tended to be.


    Li Yu didn''t engage with the menopausal woman, but when he began to hear some ungraceful words spouting from her mouth,


    He hit where it hurt, saying, "I know you''re messing around with Xiao Han from the company. If you don''t give me my salary, I''ll tell Mr. Zhou."


    Mr. Zhou is the menopausal woman''s husband, and they opened this company together. Little did they expect, not only was there a plethora of petty issues despite the company''s small size, but the relationships among the personnel were even more complex.


    The menopausal woman was instantly silenced, like a duck caught by the throat, unable to speak.


    After a while, the menopausal woman said in a softer tone, "Uh... Li, don''t be rash. You''re talking about resigning, right? What are your plans?"


    "There''s no need to test me; I want to go back to my hometown to develop. Don''t worry, just give me my salary, and I''ll leave cleanly. I won''t blab," said Li Yu, exposing her mask directly.


    "Um... Okay, fine. Make sure you do as you say," the woman''s tone had a touch of uncertainty, but also a sense of relief after a narrow escape.


    "Rest assured, just transfer the money! Do it quickly. Oh, and I seem to have 40,000 yuan in expenses! You never gave me the thirteenth salary you promised! Plus, for several months my social insurance and housing fund haven''t been paid, turn all those into cash and give them to me!" Li Yu said all in one breath.


    Although he couldn''t quite remember how much he had for expenses, he was sure it wasn''t that much, but what he did remember clearly was the fact that social insurance and housing fund hadn''t been paid for several months.


    "Fine! I''ll transfer 100,000 yuan to you. We''ve got a deal, alright."


    When Li Yu saw the 100,000 yuan arrive in his bank account via mobile banking, he wasn''t the least bit anxious.


    Although his salary was normally less than ten thousand, this situation, even though a little fraudulent, was driven by his need for money now. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Li Yu wasn''t afraid at all, even if the menopausal woman sued him, he could counter-sue the company for not paying social insurance and housing fund on time. Besides, she was the one who offered 100,000 yuan. Furthermore, the apocalypse was nearly upon them.


    Who would be scared in such times?


    The amount of 100,000 yuan was also roughly what he had expected internally, given the small size of the company and their modest income. To avoid burning bridges and stirring up unnecessary troubles that could affect his preparations before the apocalypse.


    100,000 yuan was just right.


    Li Yu then made another call to his landlord, who was a good person. According to the lease, there was still one month left, but considering the early termination, it amounted to a breach of contract. Still, the landlord refunded half a month''s rent to Li Yu.


    So he said an extra word, advising the landlord to stock up on supplies at home, stressing that having supplies would mean more stability in case anything happened.


    He said it, but whether it was heeded or not was another matter.


    During the five years of the apocalypse, Li Yu''s heart had turned as cold as the fish trimmed at a supermarket for a decade.


    In this life, his kindness was reserved for his family alone. Beyond that, he no longer wished to trust anyone else.


    ...


    Embarking on his journey home, Li Yu gazed out of the train window, pondering.


    If he wanted to protect his family before the apocalypse, he had to build a strong base.


    Money!


    Even though money was useless during the apocalypse, it was useful now, very useful.


    Constructing a base, purchasing supplies, it all required money. With less than 140,000 yuan in hand, it definitely wouldn''t suffice, even if his family contributed. But what reason could he give them?


    Troublesome!


    He definitely shouldn''t tell, for explanations were too cumbersome and could lead to endless complications if leaked.


    Determined, with that in mind, he opened his Smartisan Notes.


    He proficiently entered a series of numbers: 12 15 20 26 30 33 16.


    Yes, these were the winning numbers for the double-color ball, the winning numbers for May 28th, in the 202nd year of the Cosmic Calendar.


    When the apocalypse came, Li Yu had dreamed more than once about going back to six months before it all happened, fantasizing about the preparations he''d make if he returned to the starting point.


    During those dark days without a glimpse of sunshine, what sustained him was the indulgence in his own fantasies.


    So, rebirth for him meant he had already made thorough preparations.


    He had even thought about which items to buy.


    Where to build the base.


    How to quickly get money to fund the construction of the base.


    So, during the last apocalypse, he had memorized these numbers.


    Never did he imagine that he would really be reborn half a year earlier!


    Thinking about a bunch of messy issues, his head started to ache, so Li Yu placed his bag in front of his chest, facing the aisle. He leaned on the bunk bed''s headboard and started to sleep.


    Years of habit allowed Li Yu to quickly enter a light sleep state. Adopting this sleeping posture was because it allowed him to wake up quickly in response to any sudden situations.

 Chapter 2 - 2: Winning 30 Million

    There are 179 days left until the end of the world.


    The recent incessant rains have darkened the skies.


    The rainfall in April and May accounts for 47% of the annual total.


    The drizzling rain never seems to stop; Li Yu stands outside the train station, breathing in the slightly cool, fresh air the rain brings.


    His tense muscles relax slightly.


    Li Yu sees a lottery ticket booth right outside the train station and dashes over in the rain.


    Getting straight to the point, Li Yu says to the lottery ticket seller, "Hello, I''d like to buy a Double Chromosphere ticket, triple the bet, red balls 12 15 20 26 30 33 and blue ball number 16; also, keep the red balls the same and bet on every number from 1 to 15 for the blue ball."


    Crash-bang. The seller busily enters the numbers, quickly getting Li Yu''s choices down.


    Li Yu pays 36 yuan by scanning a QR code. After checking the lottery ticket numbers in his hand and seeing no issues, he carefully tucks the ticket into the bottom of his backpack and turns to leave the lottery ticket center.


    It''s still drizzling outside, and Li Yu buys an umbrella next to the lottery ticket center.


    He hails a taxi by hand and takes a taxi straight home. Normally, there are regular buses in the county that are cheap, in contrast to a 30 yuan taxi fare, a bus ticket for five yuan is quite a bargain.


    But Li Yu is eager to return home and disregards these considerations.


    Raindrops streak against the window; Li Yu opens the window slightly, letting some of the rain hit his face.


    Gazing out at the fields already planted with early-season rice, his vision is filled with greenery.


    A thought strikes Li Yu �C he must make sure to reserve a plot of land at the base for growing rice. Considering the current timing, it seems he could only plant late-season rice now.


    Time flies by, and when Li Yu gets off the national highway, he sees a three-and-a-half-story house less than 30 meters away.


    A sense of trepidation upon approaching home.


    Li Yu opens his umbrella, dragging his suitcase and shouldering his bag, walking slowly.


    Pushing the door open, Li Yu habitually calls out ''Mom, Dad''. The inertia of the body is undeniably powerful.


    There are many forms of loneliness in the world, but when every time you return home, you are used to calling out to ''Mom and Dad'', only to realize that your calls will never again be answered.


    That is a loneliness that cuts deeply to the heart.


    Hearing his mother''s familiar response, then seeing mother Liu Fanghua coming out of the kitchen wearing an apron.


    Li Yu''s eyes well up as he sees his mother''s familiar face; he can no longer hold back and tears start streaming down.


    Liu Fanghua looks at her crying son, her heart aching unbearably, and wipes away his tears with a tissue, saying, "What''s the matter, oh dear, it looks like you''ve suffered."


    Li Yu, feeling embarrassed, wipes away his tears and then goes up to give his mother a tight hug.


    As Liu Fanghua hugs her child, who has not embraced her since growing up, she is filled with mixed emotions.


    At the dinner table, Father Li Hongyuan looks at his eldest son and after much thought, asks:


    "Are you planning on staying for good this time?"


    Li Yu replies, "Yes, I have some things I want to do this time, and I''ll be developing things at home from now on."


    Considering that his parents have their own social circle, and there are quite a few neighbors around the house, he still thinks it''s best to keep silent.


    Moreover, having returned from the apocalypse, he knows all too well the truth in the saying: there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.


    Not telling his parents is for their own good; it''s not that he doesn''t trust them, but the matter is of great importance, and he fears that any slip of the tongue could bring trouble. After all, for them, such matters would be very hard to believe.


    Li Yu weighs his options and plans to wait until there are signs of the impending apocalypse to brainwash them as an excuse.


    Resolute in his decision, Li Yu quietly reinforces his plan.


    Father Li, looking at his 22-year-old son, thinks for a bit before asking, "You''ve grown up and have your own ideas, but what are you planning to do at home?"


    Hearing this question, Li Yu tells his parents the excuse he had thought through before returning home: "My job was originally online, and I can just work from home. Besides, I might have some other arrangements later on. Just don''t worry about it."


    Li Yu majored in Chinese literature, and after graduating, he worked in copywriting, which his parents knew about.


    After hearing his son''s answer, Li Hongyuan doesn''t say much more.


    This eldest son has always been independent, living at the school''s dormitory since elementary school. He insisted on attending a university far from home, against the preferred choices his parents presented him.


    Father Li, in a fit of anger, had declared he wouldn''t financially support Li Yu''s education and living expenses.


    Unexpectedly, Li Yu proved to be capable. He worked two jobs during the summer of his senior year in high school and managed to save up enough for his tuition and living expenses. Throughout his university years, Li Yu continued to work and study simultaneously.


    Father Li later regretted his words, originally just wanting Li Yu to back down and choose an easier path, never expecting his son to solve all the problems himself.


    Father Li is quite assertive, but with this son, he feels helpless. Sometimes elders do consider issues more comprehensively and think longer term, but there are also limitations to this.


    But if one can earn their own money and solve their problems, all other difficulties seem to dissolve.


    The economic base determines the superstructure, and this saying is not without reason, at least for Li Yu, it grants him a measure of freedom.


    Hearing his son''s answer, Father Li doesn''t press further, thinking that if the boy encounters problems later on, he could find him a job, given his own connections after many years in his hometown.


    ....


    In the afternoon, Li Yu didn''t go out, as he had been on a train all night, and rested at home.


    The next day, Li Yu set out from home to visit Grandma. It had been a long time since he last saw her, and another aspect involved the most crucial part of Li Yu''s base construction: the land.


    Li''s family is a large clan with three uncles and one aunt. Along with the younger generation''s children, the entire family totals around twenty-some people. However, apart from the youngest uncle, they mainly developed their careers outside and were usually migrant workers, only returning home for the holidays and festivals to reunite.


    Grandpa and Grandma had been home all these years, and although they were older, they still couldn''t stay idle. They still had a considerable amount of land allocated to them from earlier times.


    Additionally, in the past two years, Li Yu''s father contracted Mountain Pond and two mountains that belonged to their family. Now, Chengzi trees are planted there.


    Li Yu''s trip to Grandma''s house wasn''t far, just a 10-minute walk. A cement road stretching straight from the national highway led directly there.


    One could not deny the benefits of living in a small town in the Southern countryside: beautiful scenery, clear streams, and fresh air. Grandma''s house was like a secluded paradise in the woods.


    It was hard to find their house if you didn''t pass by the concrete road.


    Moreover, it was only a twenty-minute drive from the county. So, to Li Yu, this place was simply too good.


    Firstly, there were mountains, water, and plains. The conditions for planting were good and sustainable for development.


    Secondly, the place was conveniently located, hidden but not remote. If someone came out from the city, they would hardly notice this rural road.


    Thirdly, Grandma''s family alone had dozens of acres of land and a few small ponds. And the largest patch, over ten acres, was right next to the mountain contracted by his father.


    After Li Yu arrived at Grandma''s house, he found that she wasn''t home, so he went straight to the field to find her.


    Grandma was delighted to see Li Yu, her hair silver-grey and at the age of 65, her body was still very robust.


    Grandma broke off a cucumber from the field and told Li Yu to wash and eat it. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Grandma still so healthy and cheerful, Li Yu felt boundless joy in his heart.


    So he said to Grandma: "Grandma, I''m not going out this time. I plan to set up a tourism ecological farm at home."


    Grandma looked at her eldest grandson with confusion and asked, "What''s a tourism ecological farm?"


    Li Yu didn''t elaborate much, just talked to Grandma about wanting to use the family''s land to start a business at home.


    Grandma was very happy and said, "When I gave land to your uncles, none of them wanted it; they all insisted on moving out and living in the city. But my eldest grandson is different. Okay, I''ll talk to your uncles when the time comes."


    With the land issue resolved, the biggest problem became construction.


    Time flew by.


    .....I am the separator line


    May 28th, there were still 177 days until doomsday. Zero days left until the lottery draw.


    Li Yu checked the information on his phone after the lottery draw and found that as a butterfly, he had not affected the lottery numbers.


    According to his purchased tickets, the first prize was 11 million, tripled to 33 million, plus the second prize of 400,000, 15 times, totaling 39 million yuan. After deducting 20% tax, the total was 31.2 million yuan.


    Early the next morning, Li Yu took a taxi to the Provincial City to claim his prize money.


    In a hurry, Li Yu didn''t dress up too much but bought a hat and a pair of sunglasses from the roadside on top of wearing a mask.


    When receiving the prize money, the staff hinted several times at Li Yu to donate. Originally, Li Yu didn''t want to donate. Who knows where the donated money would end up?


    But after several repeats from the staff:


    "Look sir, getting this prize is a blessing. That''s why many winners donate~" The speaker was a sharp-faced, monkey-cheeked 30-year-old man in a suit, looking sleek but somewhat balding.


    A seemingly senior staff member also spoke up, "It''s for your own good, sir. To donate a little, to help the welfare cause~, don''t you agree, Mr. Li?"


    Li Yu''s eyebrows narrowed - what does this mean, if I don''t donate, are you going to reveal my information?


    Li Yu, unafraid, stared fiercely at the official. Such a stare could only be honed from killing countless people in the apocalypse.


    Cold as ice.


    The lottery center official was startled and dared not meet Li Yu''s gaze.


    However!


    There were many people around, and the atmosphere was heated. It seemed hard to leave without donating.


    He wasn''t afraid of trouble, but was too lazy to deal with such annoying trifles.


    Constructing the base was what was important!


    He was truly reluctant and impatient, symbolically donated 50,000 yuan. The staff seemed to look down upon this amount as too low and wanted to fuss over it further.


    Li Yu spoke harshly, "If you hassle me further, I won''t donate a single cent."


    With that, Li Yu pushed through the surrounding staff, and nobody stopped him again.


    Li Yu, holding the transfer cheque, directly took a taxi to the designated bank 2 kilometers away. Seeing the arrival of 31.15 million yuan in his account, Li Yu felt an undeniable excitement.


    Stable!

 Chapter 3 - 3: Building the Base

    Returning to the village, Li Yu thought that if he wanted to build a base, he definitely couldn''t bypass his parents.


    So he thought of giving them a reassuring reason: constructing a rural tourism park.


    Creating a comprehensive rural tourism park that combines fishing, fruit picking, tourism, and countryside cooking, and besides, it wasn''t too far from the county. If it wasn''t for the impending apocalypse, perhaps building such a place would attract many city dwellers to spend their money.


    Li Yu was frank at the dinner table that evening.


    His parents were stunned for a moment and somewhat confused.


    His father lit a cigarette and took a slow drag.


    Leisurely, he said, "I support you in returning to start a business here. I''ve saved some money over the years, meant for your future wedding. But based on the scale you''ve just described, this money certainly won''t be enough."


    Upon hearing his father''s response, Li Yu anticipated this and immediately took out the photos of the lottery tickets he had purchased and the prize money he had collected.


    Liu Fanghua and Li Hongyuan were shocked by Li Yu''s words.


    They stared blankly at the balance in Li Yu''s mobile bank account: 31 million.


    Having convinced his parents, the next day Li Yu brought his father to meet with the Village Chief to get the land approval procedures for the renovation.


    The Village Chief was delighted to hear that Li Yu wanted to start a business, which would certainly drive local income.


    They also took the opportunity to lease the land next to the Li Family''s, which was publicly owned by the village and had been lying fallow. The Village Chief, seeing that Li Yu was starting a business and seeking development for the village, rented it to him at a bargain price.


    Snap! The Village Chief was swift and the official seal was stamped. After all, most of this land was allocated under Li Hongyuan''s household registration.


    Back when Grandpa''s family divided up the property, the three uncles'' families and Li Hongyuan''s together had 50 acres, with nearly 10 acres going to Li Hongyuan''s family, located near Mountain Pond.


    With the procedures settled, Li Yu began the construction of the base.


    Li Hongyuan himself had a background in construction and still ran a small workshop in town. He had transitioned to specializing in culvert production in recent two years, but his decade of expertise was not to be underestimated.


    When Li Hongyuan saw the rough sketches Li Yu had drawn up, he was taken aback, nearly spitting out a mouthful of old blood.


    "Are you building fortifications? For a rural tourism park, do you need walls over 6 meters high?


    And electrified fencing?


    And an Observation Tower 10 meters high?" Li Hongyuan said, almost in disbelief.


    Seeing his father''s astonishment, Li Yu felt a bit prickly but knew he still had to persuade Father Li to take charge of this, as he couldn''t trust outsiders to be responsible for it.


    Moreover, in the construction industry, cutting corners was a common issue. Having his father supervise the work would ensure the base would be built more solidly.


    Li Yu replied, "Building it higher is to prevent people from trespassing. Just build it according to my specifications."


    Li Hongyuan wanted to say something, opened his mouth, looked up, then lowered his head again.


    Then he saw another part of the plan and couldn''t help but ask again, "What''s with this 2,000 square meter underground garage?"


    Li Yu patiently replied, "We can park underground, Dad."


    Li Hongyuan asked again, "And why are there five villas and two rows of three-story buildings?"


    Li Yu answered, "Guests can stay over in the future, and we can also move in."


    Li Hongyuan then asked, "What about these 100 surveillance cameras?"


    Li Yu replied, "To prevent vandalism..."


    ......


    And so, back and forth, Li Yu gradually answered his father''s questions. Of course, those challenging to answer were simply skipped. Father Li couldn''t be bothered to ask any more; after all, Li Yu had all sorts of excuses and reasons.


    After the talk with Father Li concluded, Li Yu, with a grave expression, earnestly said to his father,


    "Dad, I know you have many doubts, but please trust me, okay? During the construction process, if you have any questions, feel free to discuss them with me. Don''t make any changes on your own. If there''s something we need to alter, consult me first."


    You see, parents often want to do what they think is best for their children.


    But in the current situation, Li Yu was very afraid his father might alter his designs for the sake of saving money or other considerations.


    The design in front of Father Li was the result of countless reflections and considerations Li Yu had made.


    Additionally, Li Yu had hired professional personnel to create the formal architectural blueprints.


    Li Yu was slightly relieved to see his father seemed to take it in.


    Though their relationship wasn''t that close, his father had fulfilled most promises he made to him from childhood to adulthood.


    He checked the time; there were 175 days left until the apocalypse.


    So he asked his father, "Can we complete the entire project in three months?"


    Father Li looked at Li Yu with disbelief...


    Three months... This included two mountains, Mountain Pond Lake, and 15 acres of land.


    In three months, they needed to surround two mountains, Mountain Pond, and over ten acres of plains with high walls.


    Altogether, it amounted to nearly several tens of thousands of square meters, with the wall alone stretching for a few kilometers, assuming a thickness of one meter.


    Calculating the current market cost to build a 6-meter-tall wall, about 500 yuan per meter, those two meters thick will probably cost several times more.


    That is to say, just building these high walls would cost nearly five million yuan.


    Three months?


    What am I thinking?


    It seems he saw disbelief in Father Li''s eyes. Li Yu continued:


    "We can hire more people; transportation is convenient after all, and transporting materials is easy. Let''s try to get it done within three months."


    Li Hongyuan looked at his efficient son, and through the contact over the past two days, he felt a sense of strangeness towards him, faintly perceiving the son''s decisiveness and firmness. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He felt somewhat reassured inside: That''s how a boy should be.


    Li Hongyuan then rambled on: "Oh well, it''s the lottery money you won anyway. I''ll just help you with this. I told you to buy two apartments in the county earlier. You wouldn''t listen."


    Then he looked up again and said: "I''ll try my best with the timeline. But three months is a bit iffy."


    After saying this, he turned and walked out of the living room, immediately getting on the phone.


    "Hey, Zhang, does your team have any work right now? I''ve got a project coming up..." Father Li was clever, he didn''t specify whose project it was.


    One phone call after another followed.


    "Hello, Factory Manager Zhang, what''s the price of your cement these days..."


    "Hello, Director Liu, is your company working on any new projects lately?..."


    Watching Director Li get into work mode, Li Yu felt a bit amused and a bit distressed.


    This old man talked a lot, but worked with such ferocity.


    After all, in the earlier years of the big construction era, whether it was in rural areas or the county, the market for building houses and renovations was quite boisterous.


    Only in the past two years had the construction of houses slowly decreased, so Father Li had shifted to making cement culverts.


    Seeing Father Li seemingly return to that full-throttle state, for him, it was definitely the biggest project he had ever taken on.


    Li Yu ran to the mountains again to check and observe the terrain once more.


    Two contracted mountains, plus a 5-acre Mountain Pond.


    The Mountain Pond was surrounded by mountains, reflecting the beauty of the lake and the mountains, which were upside-down in the water, creating a pleasant scenery.


    Directly ahead was the 15 acres of flat land, with a small pond in the middle.


    Right in the center grew a camphor tree hundreds of years old.


    This camphor tree was registered, the government even gave it an "ID card".


    The scenery was nice.


    In Li Yu''s plan.


    There would be two layers of walls. The outer 6-meter-high wall with electric fence, and the inner layer, a 2.5-meter-high wall surrounding the residential area.


    Electric fences were a must for the walls, which needed photovoltaic solar power generation. The vast mountain top could provide ample solar energy.


    The solar energy from the mountain top would power the electric fence of the walls, and the photovoltaic panels on the roofs would ensure all indoor electricity needs.


    Additionally, three 10-meter-high Observation Towers would be set up on the highest parts of the two mountains and on the plain.


    Furthermore, on the 15 acres of flatland, it was certain that crops like rice would be planted, with initial plans to cultivate 4 acres, based on the current yield of one ton per acre, with an average annual consumption of 200 kilograms of food per person.


    Plus, two, or even three, seasons of crops could be grown in a year.


    That''s to say, one acre of land could support 15 people. This high yield was only possible in the warm South, combined with meticulous farming techniques.


    4 acres of land could support more than 60 people.


    Of course, this was just his ideal thought.


    In addition, fish should also be raised in the Mountain Pond; Father Li had already contracted the pond for fish farming.


    Most of the mountains are now planted with orange trees. In the future, other fruit trees need to be planted as well.


    Gardens.


    In Li Yu''s heart, he always felt the need to create a beautiful garden.


    It would be a sanctuary in the midst of a despairing apocalypse.


    Excellent for improving people''s spirits.


    Li Yu has always liked the Suzhou Gardens, so many aspects of the construction style bear a classical Chinese character.


    There happens to be a large Quarry not far from the Li Family''s home, just right for use in the base''s construction.


    Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.


    Regarding money, 25 million could leverage the value of several hundred million.


    ....

 Chapter 4 - 4: Loan of 20000000

    The day after Dragon Boat Festival, there were 170 days left until the end of days.


    The national economy began to enter a period of stabilization, with the economies of most places around the country effectively controlled and returning to normal work and life.


    In the south, in Xin City, within the forests of a surrounding village.


    A construction site was busily underway...


    Li Hongyuan came to Li Yu with professionally designed construction plans.


    Father Li said, "I''ve roughly calculated the construction budget, for the perimeter wall, it''s red brick combined with reinforced concrete.


    Five villas, two houses, plus some of the pathways and ground stabilization you mentioned..."


    "All these together will cost about 5 million. If the houses are to be decorated, it depends on how you want to decorate them," Father Li said.


    -------------------------------------


    Li Yu thought about the house decoration and worried about his father''s taste, so he made a phone call to a classmate who was engaged in villa design in M City. He asked her to help with the design, pricing it according to the market rate.


    Since there was no construction included, the design fee should technically be cheaper. But since this was effectively a private job for her, Li Yu did not want to take advantage of that fact, and ultimately offered her a normal market rate.


    Li Yu opened the electronic notebook on his phone, looking over the records of the past few days.


    He had been browsing various materials online in recent days, summarizing a list of essential survival supplies:


    1. Food: Priority is given to foods with a long shelf life, high energy, and portability.


    Includes: military cans, compressed biscuits, rice, noodles, oil, salt, sugar, water, nuts, instant noodles, white liquor, and so on.


    Items like milk, meat, and vegetables are to be replenished at any time.


    Some can be produced at home, such as bean sprouts, so some seeds should be prepared.


    2. Daily necessities:


    Clothes, hats, gloves, shoes, socks, soap, toothbrush/toothpaste, towels, paper, family planning supplies, hammock/sleeping bag, blankets, umbrellas/raincoats, sewing kits, plastic bags/cling film, and so on.


    Water purification equipment (like direct drinking filters) and purification tablets should also be on the list.


    3. Tool category:


    (1) Storage: cars/bicycles, backpacks, boxes, tents, kayaks, hammocks/sleeping bags, disassembly/repair toolkits, water bottles/tableware/lunchboxes/cups (metal), and so on;


    (2) Protection: knives, multi-tools, saws, military shovels, axes, sticks, nylon ropes, fishing lines/hooks/nets/spearfish, maps, slingshots...


    Scissors, pliers, rain boots, lifebuoys, fire blankets, helmets, breathing masks, inflators, and so on;


    (3) Energy: lighters, magnifying glasses, batteries, power banks, solar panels, hand-cranked generators, candles, fire extinguishers, and so on;


    (4) Communication: computers, USB drives/hard drives, tablets, mobile phones, walkie-talkies, radios, watches, compasses, location equipment, whistles, flashlights, drones, and so on;


    (5) Other: tape measure, mirrors, sunglasses/diving goggles, telescopes, maps, stationery (pens/paper), and so on.


    4. Medicine:


    Thermometers, masks, cold medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, anti-diarrheal medicine, bandages/gauze, Band-Aids, Yunnan Baiyao, alcohol, Wind Oil Essence, cooling oil, vitamins, antibiotics, Vaseline, tweezers, mosquito repellent/floral dew, and so on.


    5. Skills category: Outdoor survival knowledge.


    Such as: "Friend of Military and Civilian Dual-use Talents," "Wiseman''s Survival Manual," "Wilderness Survival Manual," "Barefoot Doctor Manual," and so on. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    (PS: The above excerpts from Zhihu are deleted due to copyright infringement)


    Not only that, but Li Yu also stockpiled some things that might be useful in the future, such as various seeds, fabrics......


    Having summarized the above, for Li Yu, owning several essential books was a must, especially "Friend of Military and Civilian Dual-use Talents" published by the Political Department of the Shenyang Military Region, which was essential for the apocalypse.


    It teaches you how to milk cows, how to build houses, even how to make braised pork, how to cut hair.....


    Even bolder, there was a sequel, teaching you tailoring, vegetable processing, making traditional Chinese medicine...


    According to this book, if survival in the apocalyptic world gets to the point discussed in the sequel, it wouldn''t really count as an apocalypse anymore.


    By that progress, it''s practically post-disaster reconstruction. It might even be getting close to an industrial revolution.


    Li Yu scratched his head, sighing: The task is heavy and the road is long.


    The revolution has not yet been successful and comrades still need to work hard.


    For this base construction, to be stronger, more suitable for survival.


    So Li Yu thought about increasing the budget. Once the idea came to him, he thought of taking out a loan. After all, once the apocalypse arrives, with the collapse of social order, money would just be a piece of paper currency.


    Get the money any way you can and just do it.


    He went straight to the bank with his bank statements, land use rights certificate, and construction site plans.


    He approached the bank to apply for a rural entrepreneurship loan.


    As the figures were quite substantial, it directly drew out the manager of the County''s business branch.


    Fortunately, Li Yu''s project is aimed at promoting the economic development of Xin City, and it concerns the tourism industry; additionally, he has both capital and land certificates. The loan process went relatively smoothly.


    But it was not that simple, after all, the amount involved was 20 million.


    So Li Yu took the bank staff to the construction site for an on-site survey.


    Since it was a mortgage loan, the process was expected to be a bit complicated, and the funds were anticipated to arrive two weeks later.


    After completing the loan procedures in the County, Li Yu returned to the construction site.


    There he met Lai Dongsheng, a worker from Li Hongyuan''s small workshop. At over 40 years old, Lai had been with Li Hongyuan for more than ten years.


    From the initial contract work to the subsequent manufacturing of culvert pipes, Lai Dongsheng had always worked with Li Hongyuan.


    He had been diligent and devoted for many years, showcasing the honest and simple character of a typical rural man.


    "Uncle Dong, are you also helping out here?" Li Yu said.


    Lai Dongsheng looked up to see it was Li Yu and replied, "Oh, it''s young Li Yu. Your dad stopped the work on the culverts and asked me to come over and help."


    "You''ve really made something of yourself, Li Yu. As soon as you come back, you''re undertaking such a big enterprise."


    Li Yu looked at this man whose skin had become dark due to years of working in the sun, and a smile appeared on his face. Uncle Dong had always been good to him.


    Lai was also reliable and honest. For all these years working for their family, he might not have earned much in the village, but at least he had a stable income.


    Li Yu said, "Uncle Dong, there''s a lot going on at the construction site. Please keep an eye on things."


    After a brief conversation, Li Yu walked towards the construction site.


    Seeing that the foundation for the perimeter wall was already laid, and the construction was moving upward, a rough outline of the wall, stretching a hundred meters, was starting to take shape.


    He felt a little relieved. But observing that there weren''t many people on the site, only about ten or so, he suspected the progress might be at risk.


    Therefore, he sought his father''s advice to hire more workers. The goal was to quickly complete the perimeter wall and to start construction on the buildings inside once that was done.


    Due to the scale of the activity this time, many villagers came to watch. Li Yu didn''t want outsiders to see the series of constructions inside.


    During the construction, there was even gossip among some villagers. Those of poorer character even called Li Yu a fool for spending so much money on this project.


    Li Yu, of course, ignored them all. He just watched these idle people, knowing they would cry when the doomsday truly broke out.


    Thus, he planned to begin the internal construction only after the perimeter wall was completed, so that outsiders could not see inside due to the high wall.


    Although Li Hongyuan was somewhat puzzled, he still followed Li Yu''s instructions, hiring more workers to expedite the construction of the wall.


    Ten days later, with the around-the-clock efforts of several dozen workers, they finally enclosed the two mountains and the mountain pond along with the plain.


    The perimeter wall, thousands of meters long and six meters high, looked from atop the mountain like a prehistoric giant beast.


    Luckily, since the land was a hilly basin and surrounded by many mountains, and the woods, thanks to government policies over the years, had remained untouched by illegal logging.


    So, with the two mountains acting as barriers, it was quite difficult for outsiders to get a clear view of the premises unless they stood at a very high vantage point.


    Li Yu mentally gave himself a thumbs up for his cleverness. It seemed that although the location was vast, it was sufficiently hidden.


    After the wall was completed, Li Yu made a phone call to his younger brother, Li Hang.


    Li Hang was two years younger than him. He was mischievous as a child, but he managed to get an associate degree, mainly in household appliance repair.


    He had just graduated not too long ago and was looking for a job in the city.


    Li Hongyuan and Liu Fanghua had three children in total: the eldest, Li Yu; the second, Li Hang; and the youngest, Li Yuan.


    That''s right, Li Hongyuan was quite casual with naming. After the country went into a space craze following Yang Liwei''s ascension into space last century.


    Li Hongyuan followed the trend and named his three children these names, to express his boundless hope for the motherland''s conquest of the stars and seas.


    Li Hang was recently having difficulty finding a job, and the kid was always hyperactive. His personality was exuberantly active.


    Li Yu called: "Xiao Hang, what are you busy with? I heard from dad that you had a conflict with the boss just less than a month into your internship."


    Li Hang''s response was noisy, probably because he was on a busy street.


    Li Hang replied irritably, "Bro! It''s not my fault. It''s all because the manager is an idiot. It''s not my fault, but I get blamed. Then they docked my internship pay; I didn''t even beat him up, and that''s already letting him off easy."


    Hearing his brother''s impolite response, Li Yu said, "Then come back. I''ve started some projects at home, and you can help me with them."


    Li Hang perked up upon hearing this. Being mischievous since childhood, but since Li Yu was two years older, he had often been on the receiving end of Li Yu''s beatings.


    Despite being roughed up, the brothers had always had a good relationship. As they grew, Li Yu became more stable, but Li Hang remained impulsive, often getting into brawls outside.


    "Alright, big bro, lead the way. I''ll buy a ticket right now," Li Hang responded without hesitation, not even asking what he''d be doing. In his mind, his older brother would never have ill intentions toward him.


    After hanging up, Li Yu thought about inviting Li Yuan back as well. But since the base was not yet completed, he decided to simply check in on her.


    Li Yuan was currently studying medicine at the Traditional Chinese Medicine University in the neighboring Provincial City, and she was in her sophomore year. Li Yu reminded her to come back for the National Day holiday without fail.


    Li Yuan replied okay. From childhood to adulthood, she always listened to her older brother. Unlike the second brother, she had never been beaten by him.


    Her courage was also completely different from Li Hang''s. Li Hang was bold and brash while Li Yuan was timid and gentle, with a soft temperament like water.


    Having briefed them on the situation, Li Yu began to prioritize purchasing supplies.

 Chapter 5 - 5: Crazy Shopping

    July 24, 2022, 120 days until the apocalypse,


    Li Yu ran five kilometers back to his home in the mountain forest and took a bath. His body, as it was before the apocalypse, couldn''t tolerate his current weak physique.


    Actually, Li Yu''s physical fitness was quite good.


    He was 183 cm tall, weighed 150 kg, and you could vaguely see his six-pack abs.


    But from the standpoint of Li Yu, who had been reborn, it still seemed rather weak, which prevented him from performing many complex movements.


    Therefore, since his rebirth, he had been focusing on improving his physical fitness.


    After bathing and eating breakfast, Li Yu went to the base to check on things.


    Seeing the already built basement and house in front of him, Li Yu felt somewhat pleased.


    The house was now at the decoration stage, and water and electricity had been installed.


    Moreover, Li Yu had spent 3 million RMB to purchase photovoltaic solar panels from Zhongke Photovoltaic because he feared maintenance issues later, so he bought a few extra sets.


    Also, he arranged for his younger brother Li Hang to learn throughout the installation process.


    Although learning on the fly is definitely not enough, the lifespan of photovoltaic solar panels is up to 30 years, so the few sets he bought, if well maintained, could last a long time.


    After the photovoltaic power generation system was set up, according to the power generation capacity of this set of equipment, it could generate nearly 100,000 kWh per year.


    After the basic construction was completed,


    There are some things that must be accelerated now.


    Stock up on supplies!


    Though Li Yu had already purchased some supplies online in the past two months according to the records in the manual he previously wrote, and bought some continuously.


    But he didn''t buy on a large scale, because there was nowhere to put them.


    Previously, the underground storage had not been fully constructed and was unelectrified, so he could only buy on a small scale.


    Storing the supplies in the three-story building where he currently lived was possible, but eventually, they would need to be moved to the base, which was too troublesome.


    So Li Yu had been waiting for the underground storage to be built before transporting everything in one go.


    It''s worth mentioning that the cement road near National Highway 319, which was about two kilometers from the location currently under construction.


    And for the base to connect to the village road, Li Yu built a cement path less than five meters wide, specifically choosing to build in an area with many trees for cover, so that it was virtually invisible from the village road.


    Moreover, this path had a few turns, making it even more concealed.


    On this path, 100 meters from the village road, one would face a gate made of fine steel double-layer panels welded together.


    The gate is about 5 meters high and 8 meters wide, with a thickness of nearly 30 centimeters and a double-opening design.


    The gate had not yet been grouted and capped, so even the tallest objects could be transported in.


    This size was also a comprehensive consideration by Li Yu, based on the size of the vehicles and some additional space.


    This gate alone cost Li Yu several hundred thousand RMB.


    Next to the gate, Li Yu also opened a small door only 2.5 meters high and 1.5 meters wide. The small door was also made of fine steel.


    Li Yu stood in the spacious underground warehouse, looking at the 2000 square meters of open space before him.


    His heart swelled with grandeur.


    Within two months, he wanted to fill this place.


    The meticulous Li Yu, according to the 2000 square meters of space, organized categories such as food, medicine, clothing, hygiene products, fuel, barter goods, tools, and so forth.


    He divided each area systematically. The organization was clear at a glance.


    Searching for items later would also be extremely convenient.


    According to Li Yu''s budget, a total of 30 million RMB from winning the lottery and a loan of 20 million, altogether 50 million RMB,


    He planned to spend 25 million RMB on the base construction and 25 million RMB on purchasing supplies.


    Opening the prepared list from earlier (see the previous chapter, the author is squeezed dry, not much fluff),


    o(���أ�o��)


    With a wave of his hand, tapping on his phone, he contacted various wholesalers! (Don''t ask why wholesalers, asking means saving money!)


    Starting the crazy shopping mode!!!


    Buy, buy, buy!


    All purchased survival supplies were calculated for a provision of 50 people for 20 years.


    He even made a special call to his younger sister, asking what were the 10 items she most wanted to buy.


    Then he purchased them one by one.


    It''s worth mentioning that Li Yu, along with his uncle Li Hongcheng and his brother Li Hang, specifically went to the 4S shop again and bought three Ford pickups and two six-seater SUVs.


    But they didn''t buy trucks because their family''s culvert business, including the delivery vehicles, already had two trucks.


    Of course, the five cars they bought were all purchased on the longest-term loans.


    Since it was the apocalypse, not taking advantage of this would be a waste!


    In Li Yu''s heart, there was only one voice: Take it!


    All purchased materials were bought on installment plans wherever possible, and loans were taken out wherever possible.


    Driving back, they happened to encounter their father on the village road.


    Li Hongyuan saw the convoy of cars and, hearing from Xiao Hang that these were all cars bought by Li Yu, was momentarily dumbfounded: "Yu, people usually buy cars one at a time; are you stocking up?"


    Li Yu didn''t elaborate much, as this was just the beginning, and later the tons of supplies coming in would probably be even harder for Li Hongyuan to accept.


    Instead, it was Li Hang who was quite excited, squinting his smart little eyes and cheekily saying to elder brother, "Big brother, did you buy anything for me in here?"


    Seeing Li Hang like this, Li Yu laughed.


    He said, "Yes, there''s something for you, that SUV is yours."


    Li Hang excitedly shouted, "Oh yeah, big brother is the best! I haven''t touched a car since I got my driver''s license."


    Watching his little brother''s happy expression, Li Yu reminisced about the times he used to beat him up when they were little.


    Internally he thought: Still such a child.


    Uncle Li Hongcheng, who came along, was also surprised to see so many cars, but he didn''t say anything.


    Li Yu handed a bottle of water to each of the car delivery staff at the 4S shop and then gave each of them 100 RMB red envelope. Although helping with car delivery was part of their job, giving them a bonus was a common courtesy.


    The staff happily accepted the money, praising Li Yu for his generosity.


    One of the staff asked, "Director Li, why are you buying so many cars?"


    Li Yu vaguely replied, "There are many people in my family, and we need to transport goods often, so I bought them together." Then he prepared to get into the car and drive it away.


    The staff seemed to realize that Li Yu was busy, so they quickly left after a few words.


    Indeed, Li Yu did not include these workers in the base, nor did he let them see the base here.


    The fewer people knew about the base, the better, to avoid others targeting this place.


    Li Yu, with his younger brother and uncle Li Hongcheng, drove the cars into the base in several trips.


    The next day, Li Yu and his party went to the city. Some "weapons" he had ordered before had contacted him in the last couple of days, saying they were ready for him to pick up.


    There was a shop that specialized in producing swords and crossbows. It took Li Yu a long time and some money to find someone willing to procure these items for him.


    They were people who conducted black market business, not afraid to break the law, just afraid of being underpaid.


    First was the king of counter-terrorism cold weapons��20 modern Compound Crossbows, priced at 19888 each, paired with 30 arrows.


    To meet Li Yu''s requests, the shop added another 270 arrows per crossbow.


    In total, 20 crossbows and 6000 arrows.


    They also purchased 40 pieces of Tachi, Yanling Saber, protective armor, and more.


    Despite persistent requests, the shopkeeper was still reluctant to sharpen the blades.


    Finally, Li Yu stated that he would not buy anything if they were not sharpened, slightly pressuring the seller.


    Then he quickly offered an additional 100,000 RMB as a sharpening fee��a big sweetener.


    In the end, the shopkeeper agreed to sharpen the blades.


    However, when Li Yu was paying, the shopkeeper looked at him as if he were insane.


    Just like a normal person writing a diary, what normal person would buy so many swords and even have them sharpened!


    Li Yu and his brother made several trips to the city and finally managed to load everything onto the pickup truck.


    They didn''t take the highway on the way back, nervously returning to the base.


    Fortunately, no police stopped them, as the situation would have been too difficult to explain under interrogation.


    The two brothers were drenched in sweat after moving all those items.


    His younger brother didn''t ask anything but instead looked quite excited. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu instructed him not to tell anyone, including their parents.


    His younger brother nodded understandingly and then shambled off to take a shower.


    Watching his brother''s behavior, Li Yu realized there was no need to explain further.


    What a numbskull.


    Looking at the purchased weapons, Li Yu stored them in a hidden corner of the warehouse and locked them up with a heavy lock. He kept the key on him at all times.


    .......


    That evening, Li Yu contacted several food suppliers he had previously researched, including suppliers of rice, cooking oil, seasonings, tea, etc.


    He scheduled visits with each of them.


    Then he turned on his computer and downloaded various types of available media, including TV shows, movies, documentaries, variety shows, etc.


    To download these files, Li Yu purchased 100 SSDs and 100 mechanical hard drives, each with a capacity of 10T, with a total of nearly 2000T of storage.


    If each media file was calculated at 1G, around 2 million media files could be downloaded.


    Of course, he also downloaded thousands of adult films, essential for a man.


    With his many years of bachelorhood, finding adult websites was no challenge. Downloading these was meant to cultivate his taste, occasionally watching famous Japanese adult films was beneficial for his mental and physical health.


    He also downloaded books ranging from nine-year compulsory education topics to various industry sectors like agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries.


    From history and humanities to geography, from chemistry and physics to political ethics, he paired these with Kindle e-readers.


    He also purchased some old VCDs from a nearly bankrupt music store, spending 150,000 RMB in one go.


    Looking at the five computers that were synchronizing downloads, and then at the neat rows of hundreds of computers and unopened new Huawei smartphones and tablets,


    He slapped his forehead, realizing this was a bit overwhelming.


    .....


    Li Yu made another trip to the used book store, hauling three truckloads of books in batches.


    By the way, after receiving the design from a classmate who had worked in interior design in City M, Li Yu made a few small safety and durability enhancements to the plans.


    The largest 300-square-meter villa had a nearly 30 square meter home cinema built in the first-floor basement.


    It also included a gym, a card room, and other recreational spaces.


    This set of houses was where Li Yu invested most of his effort, costing nearly 2 million RMB.


    The remaining four villas were simply renovated.


    Time passed quickly,


    and the construction of the base changed day by day.


    When nearly 40 heavy-duty trucks first entered the underground warehouse, it really surprised Li Hongyuan.


    He criticized Li Yu for wasting money.


    "Can you even eat this much?"


    Li Yu firmly told his father not to interfere, which made Li Hongyuan grind his teeth in frustration.


    Most of these materials were transported from other provinces.


    By raising the prices, Li Yu persuaded the suppliers to transport them here, along with laborers.


    This indeed cost Li Yu a large sum of money.


    This was to prevent people nearby from knowing what they were transporting; after the apocalypse, with the Emperor far away and the area overrun with zombies, it would be difficult for the drivers to find this place again.


    Even if they tried to find it, they would have to cross provinces,


    which would be a major issue during the zombie apocalypse.


    ....

 Chapter 6 - 6: Countdown to Doomsday

    With just two months left until doomsday.


    The entire world seemed to have entered a standstill, a picture of peace and prosperity. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Yet in a small mountain village in the Southern city, hidden amidst green mountains and blue ridges.


    A massive high wall encircled dozens of acres of mountainous woods and fields.


    If one were to overlook the 6-meter-tall wall and the three observation towers,


    From the mountains, it would still look quite like a rural tourist attraction.


    But if you saw the sturdy warehouse below, spanning thousands of square meters, you''d recognize it as a formidable fortress.


    The basic construction was essentially complete. In the four-acre rice paddies, golden rice bowed down the orange stalks.


    Adjacent to it, the garden was a riot of colors, with a 300-year-old Big Camphor Tree that five people could barely embrace together still lush and green.


    Orange trees on the mountains were laden with fruit, expected to be harvested in a month or two.


    Moreover, Li Yu had planted on the mountains pomelo trees, navel oranges, pear trees, peach trees, kiwi trees, loquat trees, papaya trees, persimmon trees, and more.


    Since they had just been transplanted, many of the trees hadn''t yet produced any fruit.


    Xin City, located in the subtropical Southern region, belongs to the evergreen broad-leaf forest bioclimatic zone.


    Virtually any fruit tree and plant that could grow at this latitude had been planted.


    Between the two mountains, there was a tranquil expanse of Mountain Pond, a beautiful scene indeed.


    By the edge of the Mountain Pond, Li Yu had even built three small fishing boats and planted many willow trees around.


    As it goes: Willow and willow drape across a fragrant year, catkins and petals charm the distant skies.


    He looked forward to seeing the weeping willows next March and April, the fuzz wafting through the air.


    Even in the apocalypse, Li Yu wanted to create an Eden.


    On the plain side, beside the Big Camphor Tree, five villas and a row of three-story bungalows were built, on the verge of completing decoration.


    The warehouse below was packed full. Li Yu had even built a small cold storage��this gadget used too much electricity, so he could only make it small.


    Whenever Li Yu looked at the 5-meter high and 2000 square meter underground warehouse, he felt an inexplicable sense of security.


    However, it wasn''t as wonderful from Liu Jianwen and Liu Fanghua''s perspective.


    Liu Fanghua, although silent during construction, was always worried about this.


    But when they stood on the Observation Tower atop the hill at dusk,


    Overlooking the entire base from the highest point, they sincerely admired the beauty of the scene:


    Seeing the beautiful garden and scientifically planned plantation of fruit trees in the mountains, which preserved aesthetics while cultivating a variety of fruits.


    Seeing the livestock grazing under the fruit trees, each content in their forest homes.


    Watching the old hen foraging with a brood of chicks under the trees.


    Seeing the four native Chinese dogs running about the hills.


    Admiring the beautiful scenery by the Mountain Pond, the wooden wharf, and the three quaint little boats.


    Seeing the villas, which in their eyes were luxurious, along with a large piece of lawn and a verdant bamboo forest, with even a small pavilion built in the middle of it.


    In the center of the pavilion hung two plaques, replicas of the ancient inscriptions from the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang: a tall horse expanding towards the sky, an outstanding dragon among men.


    Beside it, there were two boulders, four meters high brought from the Quarry.


    An atmosphere of ancient and classic elegance hit them face on.


    Not to mention the hundred square meter animal farm, also built in antique style, with planned zoning.


    The methane and manure treatment pools beneath made good use of the livestock''s manure.


    Seeing the water from the Mountain Pond slowly flowing out, forming a stream that meandered around the rice paddies, the heavy heads of rice swayed in the wind.


    There was a small square of hundreds of square meters with some amusement facilities.


    From 3 kilometers deep in the forest, a spring was dug out, and the water was piped underground to the side of the Bamboo Forest, forming a small and clear spring pool.


    Seeing the base that took tens of millions to build, Liu Fanghua and her husband Li Hongyuan felt in an instant.


    How wonderful! Perhaps this rural tourism base that their son Li Yu was making would really attract a lot of people.


    But why was the warehouse stocked up with so many supplies? They couldn''t understand it at all. Just these items alone, if it were to be used by their family of five, would probably last for ten lifetimes.


    Li Yu''s family was actually a relatively large one. Apart from his younger uncle Li Hangcheng, who had always stayed in his hometown and had recently been helping with construction at the base, his other uncles were all working away from home.


    The naming tradition was passed down from Li Hongyuan''s ancestors. Li Yu''s Grandpa gave a four-character idiom to the four boys: promising futures.


    The eldest, Li Hongyuan; the second, Li Hongda; the third, Li Hongqian; and the fourth, Li Hongcheng,


    The youngest was Li Yu''s aunt, Li Qingqing, the youngest in the family, only ten years older than Li Yu.


    Li Yu, being the firstborn grandson of the entire family, received the affection of all his uncles during his childhood. Grandpa Li Yushi often admonished the family to unite, to be as one, for harmony brings prosperity to the family.


    Under the governance philosophy of Grandpa, the family atmosphere was quite good. There were no issues like sibling rivalry.


    On the side of Li Yu''s maternal grandparents, his grandma had been a ''sent-down youth'' to the countryside and later met grandpa. The overall family situation was a lot better than that of Li Yu''s paternal grandparents.


    On Li Yu''s maternal grandfather''s side, there was an uncle, Liu Jianwen, who had always stayed in the county as a squadron leader in the Armed Police. There was another younger uncle who did business in the Northern region, and a younger aunt who was married and lived in Beijing.


    Although Li Yu''s maternal grandfather''s side didn''t have as many members as his paternal grandfather''s side, the family was not small.


    Since he was young, Li Yu had grown up in the country, climbing mountains and trees, swimming in rivers, until later he went to school in the county town. He still remembered how every week his big aunt would often bring him milk, fruit, and the like.


    His big aunt was gentle in nature and somewhat of a devout Buddhist in recent years, always treating Li Yu very well.


    So, recently, Li Yu had been pondering over this question:


    How could he get some of the relatives living away to come back?


    After a long time, he could not think of a good way.


    But he made up his mind; he absolutely would not reveal the fact that the apocalypse was imminent.


    It would only cause unnecessary trouble.


    After all, people weren''t fools. If they were told to stay at the base all the time, it was definitely impossible. It''s not like he could tell them the end of the world was coming soon and not to wander around.


    If they haven''t seen a Zombie, why would they believe it? One person might be manageable, but dozens of people would be very difficult to convince.


    Although Li Yu''s return home has caused quite a stir during this period, because he has repeatedly emphasized it with his parents, they haven''t revealed much of what Li Yu has been doing recently. However, given human nature, relatives from outside have heard some things, but they''re not sure what exactly Li Yu is doing at home.


    They only knew that Li Yu had started a business at home.


    There was just one more week until the National Day holiday. Relatives living away would come back to celebrate the festival and have a family reunion.


    After all, some relatives might have other plans and might not be able to return home in time.


    Thus, Li Yu thought of an idea, which was to use his own entrepreneurship, the Rural Tourism Park, as a reason to invite his family members to come back and visit, perhaps offer some suggestions.


    It would also be during the National Day period, so the two families could gather together.


    Therefore, after dinner, Li Yu talked to his parents about it at the dinner table.


    Li Yu looked at his father, who was smoking after dinner, and said, "Dad, this tourism base is almost completed. During the National Day, we could invite the uncles to come over for a visit, maybe they could offer some advice."


    Li Hongyuan looked at Li Yu, slowly taking a puff from his cigarette: "Okay, but when exactly will this tourism park open? Almost everything is built now, and so much money has been spent, sigh, no idea when we will break even."


    Li Yu saw the worried look on his father''s face and felt his father''s concerns. But there was nothing he could do; having returned to the past, he had already decided that no one could be told about the apocalypse because no one would believe it, and it would only bring unnecessary trouble.


    He had to keep it a secret to the end, and when the apocalypse arrived, they might feel fortunate for having built this base early.


    Time flew by, and before long, the National Day holiday arrived.

 Chapter 7 - 7: Omen

    A week before, Li Yu had called all relatives living outside, hoping they could come home for a visit.


    However, not everyone could make it back. His cousins in the far north declined due to other commitments. His Uncle, who holds a leadership position in the WJ team in the county, agreed to come for a visit.


    Additionally, from Li Yu''s father''s side, only the Second Uncle and Aunt were able to make a trip home, while the Third Uncle was away on a business trip and couldn''t return. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Facing this situation, Li Yu felt helpless, knowing that the apocalypse was imminent, yet he couldn''t reveal it, which made him feel miserable.


    Early in the morning, Li Yu drove an SUV to pick up his grandparents and bring them to the rural tourist park. As soon as Grandpa and Grandma got out of the vehicle, they were captivated by the beautiful scenery.


    While showing his grandparents around, they happened upon Grandma, who was fertilizing a vegetable garden near the rice paddy.


    Li Yu''s mother, Liu Fanghua, took over from Grandma, allowing the two elderly individuals to chat.


    Elsewhere, Grandpa found Grandpa by the Mountain Pond who was fishing, and the two elderly men chatted intermittently...


    When Li Yuan returned home and saw the grand scale of the rural tourist park, she was momentarily stunned.


    Especially when she opened the room and saw the gifts Li Yu had prepared for her, which he had mentioned during their phone calls, she was so delighted she almost jumped for joy!


    "Brother, did you become rich?" Li Yuan exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.


    For her, the surprise was too great. From the moment she entered the villa, she was so shocked that she couldn''t close her mouth.


    "I made a small fortune and will now settle down here. By the way, you can take a leave and stay home for a while, it''s a good time to spend with the family. Don''t go out for now," Li Yu said.


    "How can that be, I haven''t asked for leave yet," Li Yuan pouted.


    "Anyway, you can''t go anywhere during this time!" Li Yu said assertively.


    ...


    On October 2, the whole family reunited under the ancient banyan tree, setting up roughly three tables with nearly 20 people.


    At dusk, the banyan tree was lit by a huge light that made the surroundings bright as day.


    The family sat together, eating and drinking.


    Li Yu''s Uncle, Liu Jianwen, sipped his wine and then said, "Yu, your tourist park is quite large. It''s much bigger than I thought. When are you planning to open?"


    Li Yu, looking at his robust Uncle who often was busy due to regular duties and hard to find at times,


    finished the chicken wing he was eating in two or three bites, unable to deny that his mother''s cooking skills were superb.


    Even under high-intensity physical activities, Li Yu had gained five kilos since his return.


    Li Yu responded casually, "In a few days, there are still some areas that need to be improved."


    The family was gathered, and Li Yu originally wanted to encourage them to visit whenever they were free.


    But everyone was busy with their own affairs. Fortunately, at least this time everyone had returned home, and they would not be traveling far for a while.


    Second Uncle had to stay for a while due to family matters, and Aunt temporarily came home to take care of her children''s education.


    Grandpa and Grandma were attracted by the environment here and decided to stay for a longer term.


    Time slowly passed...


    At the end of October, Li Yu called his cousins and Third Uncle, who were far away, telling them that one of his elderly relatives in M city had a friend in the Government who hinted that something might happen soon.


    Just like before, he urged them to come back.


    But, just as Li Yu had expected, they didn''t believe him. Thus, Li Yu could only advise them to stockpile some supplies.


    On November 3, the day suddenly became extremely hot, the temperature during the cool November weather soared to over 38 degrees.


    Major television channels reported this bizarre event:


    "Our station reports, according to experts, the current high temperature is caused by a solar particle eruption, and this heat should soon pass."


    "In urban news, we see now, a family living in the Northeast, Ms. Xie told us, that normally at this time they would be preparing cabbages and other winter vegetables..."


    Southern Satellite TV interviewed a young man, the female host asked him, "Does this hot weather trouble you?"


    "Yes, this terrible weather is really bugging us, it used to be around ten degrees during this season, now it''s like the summer, can''t understand it."


    The bright sun remained in the sky for 16 hours, making the day as hot as if it were on the equator.


    After the high temperatures, came 16 hours of night, the temperature dropped rapidly to below -10��.


    In the following days,


    day and night became completely chaotic,


    sometimes 16 hours of daylight, sometimes 16 hours of nighttime.


    The temperature difference between day and night shifted from the previous dozen degrees to over fifty degrees.


    It was unpredictable.


    This brought many problems to the public, and suddenly, discussions about the apocalypse


    swirled everywhere.


    The Government also issued a notice, advising residents to buy food for about 10 days and try to stay indoors as much as possible.


    People had already begun to stockpile supplies early,


    but as the days and nights became more reversed and two weeks passed,


    while the country still maintained order, public transportation began to operate 24 hours, although less frequently than before,


    like a bus that previously came every 10 minutes now took about 20 minutes.


    Uncle Liu Jianwen became busier, and on November 20, he suddenly contacted Li Yu, asking if Li Yu knew something.


    Li Yu repeated his statement from the end of October, and mentioned the inside information from a friend in M city who is in a government position that some big events were about to happen.


    During the call, Uncle said, "I was at a meeting today, and the Government issued a notice that in three days, all transportation would be completely blocked, then advised us to stockpile more supplies."


    Li Yu smoothly suggested, "How about letting your wife and child come here? You''re too busy now, can''t go to work classes, and here Grandpa and Grandma are also here."


    Liu Jianwen, hearing this, was somewhat persuaded. So he planned to have Li Yu come the next day to pick them up.


    However, unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, he received a call from Uncle:


    "Li Yu, come to the city right now by car, and take your Aunt here. I just received a call, a whole village has been infected with a virus, turning into zombies like in the movies. I''m on my way to the scene now. This doesn''t seem ordinary..."

 Chapter 8 - 8: Did it Explode Early?

    Li Yu had just answered the phone, still half-asleep when he suddenly woke up after hearing what Uncle had said. He thought to himself, "Could it have started earlier?"


    Uncle, who was driving, didn''t hear clearly what Li Yu had said, so he asked, "What did you say? I didn''t hear you clearly.


    You should leave now. Who knows what might happen the day after tomorrow!"


    There was a noisy background, filled with the sound of police sirens.


    Li Yu came back to his senses and said to his uncle, "Let Xiao Lu and Auntie prepare the luggage. I''ll come over right now."


    "Alright! I''m going to hang up now." Meanwhile, he seemed to say to a team member next to him, "Is the Anti-explosion Suit all ready?"


    Li Yu quickly added, "Uncle, this matter seems unusual. Be careful, and come to my resort if anything happens."


    "Okay!" Uncle said and then hung up the phone.


    Li Yu quickly got out of bed, washed his face, and then woke up his younger brother, asking him to come out with him.


    His younger brother was in deep sleep and was suddenly woken up, somewhat unwilling.


    Li Yu didn''t care whether he was willing or not, he dragged him up and ran outside.


    "Wait, let me put on my shoes. Where are we going in the middle of the night..." Li Hang complained.


    "I''ll tell you later, go start a car. We''ll take one each," Li Yu said as he waited for him to put on his shoes and then headed outside.


    Halfway there, Li Yu seemed to remember something, went down to the warehouse, took two Mountain Blades with the keys, wrapped them in cloth randomly, and took them away.


    When they got to the front gate, Li Yu and Li Hang each pushed one side of the eight-meter-long gate open. Initially, the family didn''t understand why Li Yu wanted such a thick gate.


    Though it looked very secure, it was extremely heavy and thus very difficult to open.


    After pushing the gate open, Li Yu walked towards the car, telling Li Hang, "Uncle just called. There''s a village in our county where something abnormal happened. Everyone in the village is infected with a virus. They are like zombies. Also, traffic control is likely to be enforced in a few days. We should go pick up Auntie and them."


    Li Hang was stunned.


    "Ah? What virus? Is it related to the strange weather these days?"


    "I don''t know, let''s go. It''s still a while to get there."


    They started the car and drove off. They checked the time,


    November 21st, 3:00 AM.


    Driving on the national highway, the sky was pitch black without a trace of light, and there were very few cars on the road.


    They could only sporadically see a few cars.


    As they were approaching the county, more cars gradually appeared.


    Suddenly, Li Yu heard a loud roaring sound.


    Looking through the car glass, he saw two helicopters whizzing by.


    What''s happening? Helicopters are deployed here, in this small county?


    Li Yu was startled, wondering if it had really started early?


    No, he suddenly remembered, before his rebirth, he was in M City, and since he always stayed in the rented house, he had no idea what was happening outside.


    That meant, it didn''t happen early, nor it happened only on November 25th.


    Zombies had appeared earlier; he just didn''t know.


    Only after the heavy rain on the 25th did the situation become completely uncontrollable, as zombies spread very rapidly. Once bitten, it only takes three minutes for transformation.


    They sped along...


    As they passed by a supermarket, its glass doors were shattered, with some blood on them. There seemed to be two bodies on the ground.


    A police car was parked there, and some residents were gathered around the supermarket, discussing animatedly.


    "Holy shit, what happened, how come there are dead people?"


    "I heard that two people went to rob the supermarket and smashed the doors..."


    "I heard it''s the neighbor, Old Wang, who was caught cheating, and then her husband found out..."


    ...


    "Moved, they moved, they are pretending to be dead!"


    Just then, the bodies that were clearly lying on the ground slowly wriggled and then got up in an inhuman posture, their arms dangling as they slowly lifted a face.


    What a face it was!


    Blood covered the whole face, flesh blurred and mangled. The eyeballs seemed to have been yanked out, dangling in mid-air.


    It looked as if a chunk of flesh was bitten off the arm, the body covered in black and white spotted patches.


    Another nearby corpse also rose up.


    The people around uniformly stepped back a few steps, the previously noisy chatter abruptly stopped.


    "Scatter quickly, scatter now!" Three policemen just arrived disembarked from their police car.


    As soon as the words fell, the two zombies suddenly charged into the crowd.


    The crowd dispersed like a flock of startled animals.


    But an old man, probably due to his age, ran slow and was caught up to by one of the zombies.


    Crunch!


    The zombie bit straight into the old man''s neck.


    Spurt��a gush of fresh blood sprayed out.


    Those in front, running away while looking back, saw this horrifying scene and ran even faster.


    The three policemen quickly chased after them, not even getting the chance to check on the old man before the zombies turned and charged at the policemen.


    "Holy shit, what is this???" Li Hang witnessed the scene and shouted, his mind momentarily crashing.


    Li Yu, who also saw the scene, rolled down the window and yelled to Li Hang across the street, "Hurry, let''s go pick up aunt and the others."


    Li Yu was also nervous, not sure if this was an isolated incident or a wide-scale outbreak; all he could do was speed up.


    Hoping aunt and the others were alright.


    So, he called his uncle, only to find there was only one signal bar.


    Dialing...


    It took almost until the time out before the call went through.


    Li Yu quickly said to pack up because he was on his way...


    He wanted to tell them to wait at home, not to go downstairs, but the call dropped.


    Trying to call again, it did not connect. Checking his phone, the last signal bar vanished.


    Li Yu felt a sinking feeling in his heart and immediately switched into high-speed driving mode.


    Aunt''s house was in an old town area, next to a kindergarten, just around the corner.


    Realizing he was nearly there, Li Yu thought to himself:


    "It must have broken out earlier, we need to hurry, or it''ll be too late once it spreads."


    The two reached aunt''s building and didn''t even stop the car. They saw from afar that aunt was waiting downstairs with Xiao Hang.


    The two of them had at least a dozen bags.


    Seeing Li Yu, aunt showed a delighted expression and waved from afar, "Li Yu, over here, over here!"


    Seeing aunt and Xiao Hang safe and sound, Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief.


    He stopped the car, without wasting words, started moving the things while speaking to aunt, "Let''s hurry into the car!"


    Aunt, seeing Li Yu''s stern face and Li Hang in a daze as if he had seen something unbelievable,


    wanted to ask what had happened but before she could speak, Li Yu quickly said, "Don''t ask now, just move the things, I''ll explain later."


    "Xiao Hang, stop dazing! Hurry!" Seeing Li Hang still absorbed in the earlier scene after stopping the car, Li Yu shouted angrily.


    "Oh, okay, right," Li Hang, jolted by Li Yu''s shout, seemed to snap back to reality. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He quickly unloaded the luggage into the car.


    It took less than 5 seconds.


    "Aunt, Xiao Hang, get in my car," Li Yu looked worriedly at Li Hang.


    Patting him, he said, "Hurry up, follow behind me, don''t get distracted."


    With that, he took out a knife which he had brought with him from the car, and handed it to Xiao Hang.

 Chapter 9 - 9: Dont chop, stab!

    Xiao Hang seemed to walk out from the scene just now and said in surprise, "Big bro, when did you grab that? I didn''t even see it...."


    Ignoring Li Hang''s question, Li Yu seemed to hear something, raising his index finger to gesture Xiao Hang to be quiet.


    Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent.


    Listening intently, the sound of sirens could be heard non-stop around them, occasionally accompanied by a few screams; the screams sounded as if they had seen something unbelievable, shrill and hoarse.


    A few people exchanged glances and tacitly got into the car.


    The SUV started quickly, and Li Yu drove them towards the outskirts of the city.


    Passing by the supermarket they had just visited, Li Yu saw from afar two policemen lingering there. The headlights shone over, revealing two faces, expressionless and covered with black spots.


    Li Yu''s eyes slightly narrowed; he stamped on the brakes, stopping the car, and turned to Xiao Hang in the passenger seat, "Stay in the car, look after your mother. Don''t get out."


    Without time for more explanations, he got out of the car. Xiao Hang, who had just started college, was an 18-year-old youth, full of pride and vigor, but it was normal for him to panic under such sudden changes.


    A bit scared, Xiao Hang rolled down the window and asked, "Cousin, what are you doing?" S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing him roll down the window,


    Li Yu was quickly frustrated. After taking a deep breath, he managed to hold back his impatience, turned his head to Xiao Hang, and said, "Have you seen zombies in movies? Now, zombies have broken out. You are now a man. Got it?"


    From a distance, Xiao Hang saw the two wandering zombies ahead, saw those two terrifying faces, felt numb in his heart, but after hearing Li Yu''s words, he mustered the courage and nodded firmly.


    "Don''t roll down the window again. Without my orders, you are not allowed to open the door. Understand?"


    Looking at Li Yu, whose demeanor was completely changed from the norm, Xiao Hang nodded and rolled the window back up.


    Following behind, Li Hang saw Li Yu stop the car and stopped as well.


    He was about to get out of the car when Li Yu saw him and hurriedly said, "Xiao Hang, don''t get out."


    Li Hang took a knife from the side of the passenger seat and got out of the car, ignoring the advice.


    "What are you doing, Xiao Hang?!!" As soon as the words fell, he saw the two zombies formerly police officers slowly approaching them. One of them was even behind Li Hang.


    "Hang, watch out behind you!" Xiao Hang yelled from inside the car.


    Li Yu, like a cheetah, ran over with extreme speed.


    As soon as Li Hang turned around, he saw a zombie in a police uniform right behind him, less than 1 meter away.


    Click.


    Li Yu swung his knife from the side, blood splattering.


    Thud!


    The zombie''s head tilted and then heavily fell to the ground!


    Li Hang watched in shock as his older brother decapitated a head, to be exact, a zombie''s head.


    Ah!


    .....


    Li Hang screamed! The other zombie was also approaching, less than 5 meters away.


    Slap!


    Li Yu slapped Li Hang, flustering him.


    Then, disregarding Li Hang, he rushed towards the zombie and with another swing, another head flew into the air.


    He quickly searched the police zombie''s uniform and found a gun with three bullets left inside.


    And to his surprise, he also found three magazines!


    It''s known that typically, the police are only equipped with 5 to 7 bullets when on duty, but it seemed the Government was aware of the seriousness of the situation, so they had provided the police with more ammunition.


    Li Yu found the same gun and three magazines on another zombie policeman!


    In the apocalypse, there are a few most in-demand things: food, weapons, and medicine!


    Food and medicine had been stockpiled a lot two months ago. Staples like rice, flour, wheat, and even a lot of long shelf-life snacks had been hoarded.


    Various medicines had also been hoarded, such as antibiotics, cold medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, stomach medicine, and so on.


    Weapons had been prepared as well, but there was nowhere to buy firearms.


    Now that there was a chance to obtain them, of course, he had to take it.


    He still remembered that when they first arrived, there should have been three police zombies, but now there were only two in front of him.


    Search again! An opportunity missed is an opportunity lost.


    He glanced at Li Hang, who was pitifully looking at him with a slapped face, seemingly having recovered his wits.


    He surveyed Li Hang from head to toe to check for any bite marks from the zombies, and felt relieved upon finding none.


    But a surge of anger welled up instantly,


    So he said, "Didn''t I tell you not to get off the car? What the hell were you thinking coming down?"


    Li Hang replied with a tinge of grievance, "I wanted to help you."


    Looking at his younger brother who had always been mischievous since childhood, though occasionally disobedient, he realized that Li Hang got off the car just to help him! In these doomsday times, everyone is looking out for themselves, not bothering with others.


    Before he was reborn, Li Yu had even seen scumbags who, in their quest for survival, pushed their wives towards zombies.


    A wave of warmth flooded his heart.


    His tone softened in an instant, saying, "All right, it''s time you learned to fend for yourself." He thought that although his little brother had always been bold, facing zombies would leave anyone dumbfounded; Li Hang''s moment of stupefaction was totally understandable.


    In his previous life, Li Yu''s first encounter with zombies wasn''t any better than Li Hang''s.


    True to form, Li Hang, who had always been brave since childhood, seemed to have snapped out of it with that slap from his elder brother.


    He looked at his elder brother with an eager expression, as if saying, teach me.


    Li Yu chuckled and told him to grip the knife tighter - it was very sharp, so he had to be careful not to injure himself.


    He instructed him to follow close and they began searching the area for the missing police zombie.


    In the meantime, they encountered three more zombies which appeared to be bystanders from the supermarket earlier.


    Indeed, it''s better to stay away from trouble...


    With a step forward, he swiftly closed in, spun around, and with two swishes, he took out two zombies.


    He left the last one for Li Hang to kill.


    Li Hang mustered up his courage and shouted "Oli give!"


    The loud shout startled the zombie, causing it a moment''s hesitation.


    Such a loud noise had the zombie confused.


    "Damn idiot, hurry up, Auntie and the others are waiting!" Li Yu cursed loudly.


    Li Hang shouted "Oli give" again and swung down his knife.


    But the blade got stuck in the middle of the skull.


    ...


    Li Hang had probably thought that decapitating a zombie like Li Yu would look cool, but he hadn''t anticipated the skull to be so hard.


    The zombie, with a knife stuck in its head, continued to lunge forward.


    Li Hang faced the zombie, its ghastly and bloody visage almost pressing against his own.


    A stench wafted up to him.


    "Pull it out and stab, stab!" Li Yu yelled.


    Hearing Li Yu''s instructions, Li Hang yanked the knife out and plunged it into the zombie''s head, causing a spray of blood to shoot out.


    His freshly cleaned face was now splattered with blood, but the zombie collapsed to the ground motionless.


    Triumph shone in his bright eyes.


    "Don''t get cocky, hurry up and help me find a zombie in a police uniform," he said, seeing Li Hang''s boastful look.


    Finally, they found the zombie in a storage room inside the supermarket.


    "Let me do it," Li Hang said upon seeing the zombie, ready to try again and redeem himself from his earlier humiliation.


    But what he didn''t expect was that the zombie had already spotted them and was rushing towards them with teeth bared and claws flailing.


    This zombie moved much faster than the previous ones, nearly 1.9 meters tall with bulging, explosive muscles on its arms.


    Li Hang rushed forward, stabbing the zombie in the chest, but it didn''t stop the zombie''s advance.


    "Stab the head! Only a stab to the head will work!" Li Yu shouted from the side.


    But in that moment, the zombie erupted with great strength and flung Li Hang, who was about to withdraw the knife, to the side.

 Chapter 10 - 10: Uncle Lai is Quite Brave

    Thump!


    Li Hang fell to the ground.


    Seeing this, Li Yu quickly approached, blade in hand, and with a swift motion, he severed the zombie''s head.


    He helped Li Hang up and then searched the zombie''s police uniform, and sure enough!


    A handgun with five magazines��this one must have been some kind of leader.


    On the way out of the supermarket, Li Hang complained: "How come that zombie was so strong, and its speed was so fast, too?"


    Li Yu patiently explained: "I guess a zombie''s speed and strength are proportional to what they were when they were alive. You could tell that one was huge, obviously very fierce."


    He then taught him some zombie-killing techniques learned over 5 years of apocalypse:


    "Also, if you''re bitten by these zombies, you''ll turn in a few minutes and there''s no doubt you will die, so be very careful!"


    "For zombies of different sizes, you should note that their walking speed is actually the same as a normal person''s, and they can run when provoked. Try not to stir them up."


    "The main things zombies rely on are smell and sound; they''re blind, so you can use that to your advantage."


    "When stabbing a zombie, you should aim for the eyeball; it''s the softest and most vulnerable part, and your blade is less likely to get stuck."


    ...


    As he listened, Li Hang asked: "Big brother, how do you know all this?"


    Li Yu didn''t reply, and they quickly reached the car.


    Their eagerly awaiting aunt and Xiao Lue finally saw Li Yu and Li Hang''s figures, almost crying with excitement in the car.


    As soon as Li Yu left the supermarket, he saw a few zombies surrounding the car outside.


    Li Yu''s eyes tightened, and he quickened his pace to rush over.


    Li Hang, following him, also hurried to help.


    They quickly dealt with the zombies, and Li Yu told Li Hang to get in the car fast because he saw from afar a group of zombies approaching at the end of the street.


    They swiftly escaped the area.


    On the way back, their aunt couldn''t hold back and asked: "Xiao Yu, what was that outside the car just now? Was your uncle''s police duty yesterday related to this?"


    Li Yu looked at his worried aunt and comforted her: "Don''t worry, auntie, you know what kind of person your husband is, and since he leads the team with so many people, they should be fine."


    Though he said this, Li Yu wasn''t sure��after all, these were zombies.


    Zombies with no consciousness, not knowing fear of guns!


    He was afraid it would be difficult to protect against every threat...


    So he asked his aunt to try calling his uncle, but just like before, there was no signal.


    Auntie, sitting in the back, was so anxious she was almost crying, but Li Yu had no energy to console her.


    Li Yu had to concentrate on driving because occasionally they would see some zombies wandering aimlessly on the street.


    They sped along the road...


    Half an hour later, Li Yu had driven to the three small buildings they had lived in before, located next to the national highway.


    From one of the buildings next to the three-story building, a scream rang out; a man rushed to the second-floor window and saw Li Yu driving past.


    He was like seeing a savior: "Save me! Save me!" This middle-aged man never expected his two sons to become like demons, desperately lunging at him as if they wanted to eat him.


    Fortunately, he was fast enough to hide in the bathroom, but the constant banging on the bathroom door scared him terribly.


    Li Yu saw this middle-aged bald man and felt a surge of satisfaction��the man was a well-known pyramid scheme marketer in the village, who had swindled tens of thousands from his family while working outside the province.


    Luckily, in the end, they got the money back.


    But this bald middle-aged man was despised by everyone in the village, a nuisance to all.


    Just like a rat crossing the street, people loathed him.


    Save you?


    Dream on!


    Li Yu shifted gears, driving the car even faster.


    Li Hang, who was closely following behind, also saw this scene and immediately cracked a smile.


    Serves them right!


    Soon they arrived at the newly built narrow road, concealed within the trees, at first glance quite difficult to spot.


    After making two turns, they could see a bright light flashing from afar at the gate.


    Li Yu''s heart tightened. Was someone already targeting his base?


    The car roared as Li Yu instantly drove up to the gate, stirring up a cloud of dust.


    As the dust settled, what came into view was Lai Dongsheng''s family; his two daughters and wife stood by the door.


    Lai Dongsheng held a wood-splitting machete in his hand, covered in blood, while the two little girls trembled under the glare of the car lights.


    Seeing that it was Li Yu''s car, Lai Dongsheng ran excitedly to the car, "It''s madness, madness, everyone in the village has gone mad."


    "Li Yu, the people in the village have gone mad, it started with Er Gouzi from the supermarket, I don''t know why but he started biting anyone he saw, including his parents who tried to intervene. And then they started biting anyone on sight, biting anyone on sight."


    "Thinking of what you told me before, that I should come to your place if something happened, I thought the village was very dangerous, so I came to check. Now there are biting monsters all over the village, what''s going on?"


    Li Yu, seeing Lai Dongsheng in front of him, suddenly remembered the conversation they had last month, in which he had told him to come to his base if anything happened.


    In Li Yu''s heart, if he had to save one person in the village who wasn''t a relative, it would definitely be Lai Dongsheng.


    Lai Dongsheng had followed his family for more than a decade, and the two families had always had a good relationship, exchanging visits during holidays and festivals. Lai Dongsheng also often helped his father. In Li Yu''s mind, Uncle Lai, who watched him grow up from a young age, was like family.


    Not family by blood, but by bond.


    He still remembered the year he was eight years old, when he accidentally fell into a pond, and it was fortunately Lai Dongsheng passing by who saved him. Otherwise, Li Yu would have drowned long ago.


    Coincidentally, Lai Dongsheng''s eldest daughter was the same age as him and had been a schoolmate since childhood. The two had always had a decent relationship.


    Li Yu listened to Lai Dongsheng''s questions but didn''t answer, instead he asked, "Why didn''t you knock on the door?"


    Lai Dongsheng said embarrassingly, "Those biting monsters, when they hear me knock, they run over. I didn''t dare to knock afterwards, look."


    Lai Dongsheng pointed to two zombie bodies to the right of the gate.


    Damn...


    Uncle Lai is pretty capable, huh? Ordinary people would have run upon seeing zombies, but Uncle Lai not only overcame his instinctive fear, he also quickly handled two zombies.


    Look at those two zombie bodies, chopped up beyond recognition, nearly dismembered.


    Impressive.


    But it''s also understandable, after all, Uncle Lai usually earns his living through his physical strength, and his broad and stout figure already looks like it has good fighting power.


    Besides, with his two daughters and wife right by his side, if he didn''t muster some courage, who would protect them?


    Li Yu, looking at the massive aluminum alloy gate, felt a bit of a headache.


    He checked the time; it was already 7 a.m., but the sky was still pitch-black. Who knew how many hours this night would last.


    Although it had been night these past few days, relying on the sun from the previous days, the solar panels at the base had stored enough electricity. Plus, as of now, there was still a significant surplus of electricity.


    Li Yu got back into the car and started honking the horn. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beep~ Beep~ Beep~


    Several loud horn sounds tore through the entire night.


    From afar, rustling footsteps could be heard...


    Li Yu honked the horn a few more times,


    Di~ Di~ Di~


    Several zombies slowly emerged from the neighboring woods. Li Yu turned the car around, directing the headlights in the opposite direction of the gate.


    This made the zombies even more visible.


    Initially, there were only a few zombies in front, but after turning on the high beams, more than a dozen zombies were seen following behind.


    !!!


    In total, nearly twenty zombies were walking over this way...

 Chapter 11 - 11: Facing the Zombies

    Li Yu let Uncle Lai''s daughters and his wife get in the car first. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Hang got out of the car, feeling a bit nervous, but still mustered the courage to follow.


    When getting out of the car, the aunt originally wanted to say something to dissuade them.


    But seeing that Xiao Hang had already gotten out of the car, she ultimately didn''t say anything.


    Xiao Hang picked up a wooden stick from the ground. Following next to Li Yu, Li Yu looked at Xiao Hang with a bit of satisfaction.


    Not bad, there is some manliness.


    Thus, the following scene unfolded:


    From the far right, Uncle Lai was holding a big chopping knife for firewood, followed by Xiao Hang with the wooden stick.


    Next were Li Yu and Li Hang, each with a Long Knife.


    The four of them lined up, facing the zombie horde.


    At that moment, a voice came��


    "Xiao Yu, what are you all doing?" Li Hongyuan, from the Observation Tower, curiously asked as he saw the people below the wall.


    "Dad, turn on the searchlights," Li Yu said.


    When designing the Observation Tower, considering nighttime visibility, they installed two long-range searchlights, said to reach hundreds of meters.


    But they consume a lot of power!


    Li Hongyuan turned on the lights as instructed by Li Yu.


    As soon as it was turned on, Li Hongyuan saw nearly twenty zombies in the distance and was instantly stupefied.


    Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle, who had just come up to the tower, were also dumbstruck.


    The Observation Tower wasn''t large, under 10 square meters, but it was more than enough to accommodate three people.


    "Xiao Yu, are those people? They don''t seem to walk like it," Second Uncle asked.


    "Second Uncle, hurry and open the gate! Open the gate! Those aren''t people; big brother said they''re zombies! These things are all over the city now, attacking anyone they see!" Before Li Yu could reply, Li Hang eagerly answered.


    Li Yu glanced at Li Hang, then looked up towards the three people on the Observation Tower and said, "Xiao Hang is right, I just went to bring Aunt and the others over, open the gate first and let them in."


    His words just fell, and he was the first to rush towards the zombie group.


    No choice, a few of the zombies in the front were closing in at less than 10 meters away.


    If this group of zombies encircled them, it would be troublesome.


    Therefore, he had to charge first and deal with the ones in front so they wouldn''t be surrounded.


    "Xiao Yu!"


    "Brother!"


    "Yu!"


    Xiao Hang and their father and Fourth Uncle on the Observation Tower shouted one after another.


    Li Yu took the lead, knife rising and falling.


    Two zombies fell straight to the ground.


    He then turned around, slashing towards another two zombies.


    In that instant, these zombies were also cut down.


    Li Hongyuan, standing on the tower, was initially terrified as he saw Li Yu charge forward.


    But, when he saw this scene, he was suddenly baffled �C when did his son become so formidable?


    Li Hongyuan seemed to snap back to reality and immediately went down with Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle to open the gate.


    Outside the gate, at the same time.


    Lai Dongsheng and Li Hang also charged up, each targeting a zombie.


    Lai Dongsheng was incredibly strong, and his hefty chopping knife for firewood struck the neck of a zombie.


    The zombie''s head was chopped off by four-fifths, barely hanging by a sliver, dangling on the shoulder, dead beyond doubt.


    Li Hang too, seemingly spurred by Lai Dongsheng, stabbed right into a zombie''s eye socket.


    A single stab pierced through.


    The zombie fell to the ground, efficiently dispatched.


    At this moment, two more zombies ran at Li Hang from the side, moving exceedingly fast. Li Hang turned around and saw the two zombies charging at him, suddenly recalling the method his elder brother taught him.


    He first ran to the right side of one of the zombies, exploiting the sluggishness of the zombie''s movements, and instantly stabbed. After dealing with one zombie, the other reacted and rushed towards Li Hang.


    Li Hang backed away, utilizing the forward momentum of the zombie, and stabbed once again.


    But just then, more zombies caught up from behind.


    "Be careful!" Li Yu yelled urgently, taking three steps as if they were two, charging over.


    A swipe of his knife beheaded the three zombies that were charging at Li Hang.


    The knife, which is specially made of fine steel material, is also sufficiently long, and after being sharpened, it becomes incredibly sharp.


    On the other side, Uncle Lai gripped the Firewood Knife with both hands and swung it at the incoming zombies to his right. However, after chopping several times, the blade had dulled a bit, with its edge even slightly rolled.


    The zombies from behind kept catching up.


    Immediately after,


    Li Yu rushed into the remaining dozen or so zombies, slashing and chopping. Within a few minutes, he had dealt with them all.


    The only two left, whose legs he had sliced off, were tirelessly crawling forward!


    Handing the knife over to Xiao Hang, he pointed at the two zombies on the ground in front of them.


    At that moment, Xiao Hang, having witnessed the mighty performance of the three before him, could no longer contain himself.


    Throwing the wooden stick aside, he copied Li Hang''s maneuver and stabbed at one of the crawling zombies.


    He hadn''t anticipated that the zombie''s skull would be that hard; his stab only penetrated a few centimeters.


    Nevertheless, the zombie on the ground continued crawling forward, startling Xiao Hang, who immediately jumped backward.


    At the same time, the door was pushed open by Li Hongyuan and his Second Uncle, Li Hongda.


    Xiao Hang looked at Li Yu apologetically and lunged forward with the Long Knife.


    With a forceful thrust!


    Squelch!


    The zombie''s head burst open like a smashed watermelon,


    with blood and brain matter splattering everywhere.


    Li Hongyuan charged over after opening the door and, upon seeing all the zombies on the ground, looked at everyone with astonished eyes.


    The aunt, who saw from the car that the zombies had all been dealt with, also hurried down.


    She ran to Xiao Hang''s side, and seeing the boy, who was half-grown and covered in fresh zombie blood, immediately had tears welling up in her eyes.


    Li Hongyuan was about to ask Li Yu for details when he recognized some of the fallen zombies.


    Isn''t this Li Shanshui, the motorcycle repairman?


    And aren''t these Old Liu and Old Xie who lived near the market?


    What happened? With a mind full of confusion, Li Hongyuan turned his gaze towards Li Yu.


    Seeing Li Hongyuan''s look, Li Yu spoke gravely: "Dad, like I told you before. I have a friend in M City who warned me. Based on the current situation, it seems like a virus infection has turned them into zombies."


    "But they''re human, aren''t they?!"


    "Do they look human to you?" Li Yu responded.


    The aunt on the side chimed in, "Brother-in-law, these people have been infected and turned into monsters, just like what Xiao Yu said. They''ve become zombies. They bite people on sight, and just now we..."


    While she was speaking, the empty silence was broken, and other relatives of Li Yu from inside the house also came out upon hearing the commotion.


    Li Yu had originally not wanted his family members to see this, especially his grandparents and grandparents-in-law, given their old age. He was afraid of alarming them.


    But on second thought, considering the apocalypse had already arrived, he wouldn''t be able to protect them 24 hours a day.


    It was better for them to know what was happening.


    In case something happens in the future, everyone wouldn''t be caught completely off guard.


    Contrary to Li Yu''s expectation, the grandparents weren''t shocked.


    These elders, having lived through the hardships of the mid-20th century, were well-experienced, having faced hunger, hardship, and fatigue.


    What hadn''t they gone through!


    As long as they weren''t starving to death, it wasn''t considered terrifying.


    However, the younger ones couldn''t stand the sight and hid behind their parents after seeing it.


    After Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle took a closer look at the zombies, their expressions became grave.


    Grandpa and Grandpa asked Li Hongyuan for more details and after knowing what was happening outside, they lamented deeply:


    These are hard times we''re living in!


    And who knows how the faraway third son Li Hongqian is doing now...


    Upon saying this,


    Grandma and the other grandmas also began to worry about Second Uncle and the aunt''s family in Beijing.


    Ah! They should have insisted more adamantly that they come back!


    Now, unsure of what to do and with such a distance apart.


    And with such chaos outside!


    Li Yu''s mother and grandma both broke down crying, sobbing and worrying at the same time.


    The atmosphere on the scene immediately turned somber.


    ....

 Chapter 12 - 12: Listen to Yuzai!

    Everyone was grateful that Li Yu had built this base ahead of time, otherwise they wouldn''t know what to do now.


    Grandpa suddenly remembered that Li Yu had already mentioned that something big was about to happen.


    According to what he had said before, he learned from a friend in M city that something was going to happen soon.


    Though he didn''t mention zombies at first, it was a slight oversight.


    They feared that someone with ulterior motives might covet this knowledge!


    Although everyone present was family, they still feared trouble from those with ulterior motives.


    To avoid trouble.


    After discussing with Grandpa, Grandpa and Grandpa issued a gag order to everyone present.


    Even though there was no way to contact outsiders under the current conditions, it was still necessary to reiterate.


    When the two grandfathers spoke, being the most elderly and highly respected in the family,


    everyone obediently listened.


    No, Grandpa looked at Lai Dongsheng''s family next to him, his aged eyes slightly narrowed.


    Lai Dongsheng, who was holding a machete nearby, shuddered when he caught Grandpa''s gaze.


    Grandpa had seen Lai Dongsheng a few times but wasn''t very familiar with him.


    Seeing this, Li Yu quickly said, "Grandpa, Uncle Lai has been working for our family for over a decade, and his daughter is also my classmate, we have a good relationship."


    Grandpa also added, "Dongsheng is a good man."


    After listening, Grandpa then said, "Let''s go inside first. Who knows if more of those things, what you call zombies, will come later."


    From afar.


    A series of distant roars could be heard.


    Eerie, terrifying.


    Held in Li Yuan''s arms, the four-year-old Li Suxin, with her chubby little hands, pulled away the hand covering her eyes and looked with her bright, shiny big eyes at Li Yu''s blood-stained clothes.


    Pointing at him, she said in a baby voice, "Big brother, you''ve dirtied your clothes, you''ll get a spanking if you don''t clean them."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu looked at the youngest and most adorable member of the family, his mood instantly brightened.


    "I''ll spank you first!" Li Yu pretended to spank her.


    "Ah, no!" Li Suxin quickly covered her little bottom with her hands.


    With this exchange, the atmosphere on the scene relaxed slightly.


    After everyone entered through the main gate, Li Yu stood on the Observation Tower and turned on the searchlight.


    Seeing a group of dark figures passing by in the distance.


    Li Yu frowned, shining the searchlight over there, only to see it was a group of zombies.


    They''ve gathered so quickly? Li Yu thought to himself.


    Yet, he also breathed a sigh of relief, thankful they weren''t humans.


    In the current situation, humans can sometimes be more terrifying than zombies.


    He wondered how Uncle was doing. Whether he should go out and look for him.


    After thinking, he dismissed the thought for now. There were so many people inside the base, and they had just witnessed zombies.


    Under these circumstances, people''s hearts vary.


    For now, it''s best to stabilize the situation at home!


    "A family in harmony prospers in everything," first resolve internal conflicts before facing external ones.


    Although relations were good before, that was during peacetime!


    Now that the apocalypse has come, who knows how people might change.


    Therefore, Li Yu wanted to test it out.


    To see who would step forward under these circumstances.


    Next to the big banyan tree, in the central villa living room.


    A crowd of over twenty people was packed in. The entire living room was full.


    Grandpa asked Li Yu to explain thoroughly about what had happened outside.


    ....


    After recounting the events, everyone had a more comprehensive understanding of the outside situation, and their sense of gratitude deepened.


    Especially Second Uncle and Aunt, who after the National Day holidays, at Li Yu''s invitation, using the excuse of experiencing a tourist park, had stayed until now.


    Thus, they all praised Li Yu for his foresight.


    Li Yu did not respond, just quietly listened to everyone speaking.


    At this moment, the always astute Second Uncle stepped forward and said, "Given the current situation, there are some issues we need to face: We have so many people, and the houses we have are enough, but there''s still the issue of food..."


    Li Yu''s mother was about to say that there was plenty of food in the warehouse. Li Yu glanced at his mother, and she instantly seemed to understand something.


    So, she closed her mouth and did not answer any further.


    Regarding the underground warehouse, apart from his parents and Li Hang, Li Yu had not let anyone else know.


    Lai Dongsheng only lived there after its construction was completed. He might have seen many trucks entering the base, but the trucks were tightly wrapped and it was impossible to see what was inside.


    Everyone began to discuss:


    Some said that the late rice was just ready and could be harvested now.


    Others suggested going out to look for food, to stock up now before it becomes harder to find later.


    Some said it was too dangerous outside at the moment, better not go out yet.


    Uncle, Grandpa, and Grandpa remained silent.


    Watching everyone discuss, Li Yu quietly observed:


    Grandpa and Grandpa weren''t speaking, seemed to be pondering something.


    The two elderly men occasionally leaned close together for a quiet conversation, unclear what they were discussing.


    Second Uncle and Uncle were discussing how to solve the food issue.


    Grandma was still wiping her tears while Mother and Aunt tried to console her.


    The honest Uncle was counting on his fingers, seemingly thinking about what to eat for dinner.


    Lai Dongsheng''s family sat by the door, sitting upright, quietly listening.


    Li Hang was flaunting a knife to his cousins about how mighty he was outside just now.


    The cousins, all in their teens, looked up to him with admiration.


    The younger cousin was blankly staring at the distant wall, seemingly worried about his father.


    Uncle''s little son was picking his nose,


    and after he was done, he wiped it on his mother''s clothes.


    Oh gosh, this little rascal,


    really bringing down the house, exploding with filial piety like thunder...


    Little darling of the house, Li Suxin saw this and looked at him with disgust...


    Watching the spectacle, Li Yu thought to himself: Not bad!


    At least he did not have to witness a scene he didn''t want to see.


    Although Second Uncle was shrewd, he had been very kind to him since he was the firstborn grandson of both families.


    As a child, he was beloved by both families.


    Bang, bang, bang~


    Grandpa knocked on the table, and everyone immediately quieted down. S��arch* The Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandpa slowly said, "Enough with the noise. I''ve discussed with Li Yu''s Grandpa."


    There has to be a core in the house to make decisions.


    This base was built with Li Yu''s money, and thanks to Li Yu, we can all still sit here and talk.


    From now on, we''ll listen to Li Yu!"


    Grandpa also nodded in agreement, the two elderly men setting the decision firm.


    The others also expressed their agreement.


    During the time spent at home, everyone saw that Li Yu was different from before, just building this base must have cost a lot of money.


    In this situation, everyone was more willing to trust him.


    Li Yu''s father opened his mouth, about to say I am his father!


    Where does a father listen to his son...


    With a stern look from Grandpa, Li Hongyuan dared not speak.


    This kind of traditional Chinese extended family,


    has always maintained excellent traditions: hierarchy, respecting the elderly and loving the young.


    They are also quite united, almost every household has a motto embroidered:


    Harmony brings prosperity!

 Chapter 13 - 13: There are too many supplies!

    Li Yu saw that the time was about right and prepared to step forward to respond.


    Actually, to reassure everyone and prevent them from having wild thoughts, the food issue must be resolved first; otherwise, talking about anything else is pointless.


    What reassured Li Yu was that even though the food problem had just been exposed, everyone still appeared very united.


    Li Yu was very relieved.


    He hadn''t saved these relatives in vain!


    So he got up, stood in the center, and said, "Everyone, follow me."


    With curiosity, everyone followed him and saw what was hidden behind the villa.


    The rolling shutter door opened, revealing a deep underground passage.


    As the warehouse door was opened,


    everyone was stunned when they saw the densely packed supplies.


    This...this is way too much...


    Just the salt at the very front, there must be tens of tons.


    Various supplies were clearly categorized, piled up like mountains!


    Everyone instantly felt relieved; several younger brothers looked at Li Yu with admiring eyes.


    Everything was unspoken.


    Lai Dongsheng and his family were also there; since they chose to let them enter the base,


    it was because they trusted them enough.


    Rather than having the back of the warehouse discovered, it was better to show it off now.


    Li Yu kept one key to the warehouse and, to prevent loss, gave another to his mother Liu Fanghua.


    Everyone had no objections; after all, these supplies were all bought by Li Yu, so it was reasonable for Liu Fanghua to keep them.


    After everyone had gone up, Li Yu specifically stayed behind with Father Li and his brother Li Hang.


    Both were puzzled, not knowing what Li Yu was about to explain.


    The incandescent light in the underground passage shone on Li Yu''s face.


    Li Yu''s face, still stained with zombie blood, looked somewhat sinister under the light.


    Father Li looked at Li Yu, filled with many emotions.


    This son, he was becoming more and more elusive.


    Since coming back from M city, a series of actions, his decisive attitude, and his approach to dealing with some problems, all reflected his maturity and shrewdness. There were some things he still didn''t understand.


    But there was no need to think about it anymore; after all, this was his own son, his own flesh and blood.


    Li Yu then put down his backpack, which he had never set down before.


    From the backpack, Li Yu took out three handguns and eight magazines.


    Including the bullets already in the guns, there were less than 100 bullets in total.


    Seeing this, Li Hongyuan''s jaw dropped, pointing at the handguns and asking, "Where did these guns come from?" But then he thought: it''s the apocalypse now, and it doesn''t matter where the guns came from.


    Besides, having guns meant they could protect themselves better.


    Without looking up, Li Yu said, "Xiao Hang, tell Dad."


    After the nearby Li Hang finished explaining, Li Hongyuan sighed, "Oh, I didn''t expect the city to have turned like this..."


    "Not just the city, the whole world is like this now!" Li Yu said.


    "Here!" Li Yu handed two of the guns, with the safety on, to his father and brother.


    "Now it''s the apocalypse, take these guns for self-defense, and later I''ll teach you how to use them," Li Yu said.


    Both of them took the guns, touching a gun for the first time. But as a young man, Li Hang was immediately engrossed in examining and playing with the gun.


    "Be careful!" Li Yu told Li Hang not to touch the safety and briefly explained how to use it.


    He then gave each of them a magazine.


    After giving the guns to the two, Li Yu took his father to a small door at the edge of the warehouse.


    A lock hung on the door, which, upon opening, revealed an arsenal containing talismans, crossbows, and swords among other melee weapons.


    Father Li became somewhat numb upon seeing these preparations and hadn''t expected Li Yu to have made so many.


    But with everything that happened today, he was already surprised too many times.


    So upon seeing these cold weapons, although strange, he accepted them.


    Li Yu handed a spare key to Father Li for safekeeping. From now on, the use of these weapons would be his responsibility.


    In Li Yu''s plan, his mother would manage the warehouse while his father managed the weapons, giving him stable control.


    After explaining everything, the three returned to the villa''s living room.


    Everyone was still there, and Li Yu began to lay out some plans.


    There were over twenty people in the base, and with Lai Dongsheng''s family, nearly thirty in total.


    "Now zombies are everywhere, and although we have high walls, we must remain vigilant at all times.


    Father, Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Uncle Lai, Uncle, and Xiao Hang, the seven of us will take turns watching at the Observation Tower. Dad, go turn on the electric fence later. Also,"


    Li Yu paused, looked at his younger cousins, and said, "It''s the end of the world now! Even the youngest of you are 16. You have to start taking responsibility! Haoyu, schedule the times and take your brothers to the monitoring room. Report immediately if there''s any unusual activity!"


    Second Uncle''s eldest son, Li Haoyu, nodded. Like Li Hang, he had been following Li Yu around with a runny nose since childhood and had also been frequently disciplined by Li Yu.


    But the more he was disciplined, the deeper their bond grew!


    After saying this, Li Yu took out the walkie-talkies he had prepared earlier.


    He then said, "Mom, Aunt, Auntie, Aunt, and Auntie Xiumei, you take care of some household matters with these children. If there are any problems, ask Grandpa and the others."


    Then, seeing Li Yuan looking eagerly at him, Li Yu ignored her.


    ...


    After roughly explaining everything, there were no objections.


    Fair and just, especially since the base was built by Li Yu himself.


    Everyone dispersed to take care of their assigned tasks.


    Li Yu stood at the villa''s entrance, looking dazed and staring at the still dark sky.


    From the day before yesterday to today, it had been nearly 48 hours of night.


    Just then, he felt someone approaching from behind. Through his peripheral vision, he saw it was his aunt.


    He didn''t bother too much.


    His aunt, ten years his senior, had been his nemesis since childhood.


    With a tigress-like personality, she had always been bold and assertive, calming down a lot only after getting married.


    The aunt looked at Li Yu, her face furrowed with worry and feeling sorry for him.


    "Yu-er, you''ve matured a lot and can handle responsibility. But don''t put too much pressure on yourself," said the aunt with a teasing smile, yet filled with concern.


    "Ha-ha, don''t worry," Li Yu responded with a slight smile.


    "Don''t put too much pressure on yourself; relax a bit," his aunt knew Li Yu had grown up, but she still cared about him as before.


    ...


    The two chatted for a while, talking about the past, lightening the atmosphere quite a bit.


    She looked at Li Yu''s worried face, hoping in her way to help him relax...


    Their relationship was excellent, chatting intermittently on the steps nearby.


    Suddenly, it quieted down, time seeming to pause for a few seconds.


    The aunt slowly said, "Li Yu, we owe you a lot."


    Li Yu playfully patted his aunt on the head, smiling, "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of you well."


    "Are you asking for a spanking?" the aunt feigned anger, and Li Yu cleverly dodged.


    After the aunt left, Li Yu looked into the distance, where he could faintly see the outlines of two mountains.


    The night remained.


    According to memories from his previous life, the apocalypse was supposed to start on the 25th. But from the current situation, it should have erupted earlier, although he vaguely remembered that the Government only notified the public on the 25th. S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    November 25th, that massive storm killed many people.


    ...

 Chapter 14 - 14: Too Brutal

    November 22, sunny, no wind, stiflingly hot.


    The continuous nights of darkness, abruptly ended.


    It seems to have returned to the normal cycle of day and night, but unusually, the sun was intense, with temperatures reaching 36 degrees.


    Finally, the sun is out, Li Yu felt relieved.


    With no sun for so many days and the electric fence operating 24 hours, the previously stored electricity was significantly consumed.


    Looking at the late rice bent under the weight of the rice ears, Li Yu was considering whether to harvest it in the next two days.


    Before Li Yu could speak, Grandpa came over to discuss this matter.


    The sun has just come out, and heavy rain is due in a few days, better hurry and harvest it, and take advantage of these three days to dry the rice, so it won''t mold when stored.


    No sooner said than done.


    Apart from those on duty, everyone went down to the fields to harvest.


    Harvesting rice, threshing grains, binding rice stalks, with the effort of over twenty people, less than three hours were needed to harvest 4 acres.


    In the afternoon, the harvested rice grains were spread out on the constructed cement road.


    The sun is out for these three days, and the temperature is quite high.


    Judging from the situation, it seems possible to dry it before the storm hits on the 25th.


    Everyone was initially very fearful of the apocalypse, but after overcoming the fear,


    and recently not encountering any dangers, with food and clothing secured,


    they felt it wasn''t much different from before and the apocalypse didn''t seem so terrifying.


    But what they didn''t know was!


    Without this wall,


    without these ample foods,


    without this safe base,


    could they still live so comfortably?


    Since early November, with the reversal of day and night and changing temperatures, the Government advocated staying indoors and completely closed traffic a few days ago.


    Within twenty days, supermarkets, delivery services, convenience stores gradually shut down, those in rural areas were better off with more food at home, but in the cities, people had already started to starve!


    Before being reborn, Li Yu had just managed to stockpile some supplies, otherwise, he too would have struggled to survive the initial days of the apocalypse.


    November 24, Li Yu, accompanied by Li Hang, Second Uncle, and Uncle Lai, left the base to check on the situation in the village.


    Looking around, there were hardly any pedestrians on the road.


    Occasionally, they could see two zombies wandering aimlessly.


    Seeing this, everyone''s mood worsened.


    To avoid any accidents, after surveying the surroundings, Li Yu drove everyone back to the base.


    However, on the way back, they didn''t notice that a few figures were following them...


    The car arrived at the gate; today''s duty was Uncle.


    Seeing that it was Li Yu coming out of the car, he hurried down to unlock and push the gate.


    One person pushing the gate, could only push one side at a time, Li Yu upon seeing this prepared to help.


    Just as he approached the gate, suddenly, an inexplicable sense of crisis surged.


    This sense of crisis had saved him many times in the apocalypse.


    In a flash, Li Yu turned.


    His eyes fixated on a patch of woods behind the car.


    There was no movement from the woods, but Li Yu still kept his gaze fixed there.


    Second Uncle in the car saw Li Yu''s movement, quickly got out of the car and looked towards the woods, but after a while, found nothing and asked, "Brother Yu, what''s wrong, is there something at the back? Zombies?"


    Uncle Lai and Li Hang, hearing this, also got out of the car, each holding a crossbow arrow.


    "If it were just zombies, that would be great, heh!" Li Yu sneered.


    At the same time, he raised his compound crossbow and shouted, "Come out now, or I''ll shoot!"


    A breeze blew,


    Pine needles fell from the trees making a soft rustling sound.


    One second


    Two seconds


    Three seconds


    Finally, footsteps sounded, and a few figures appeared from behind the bushes.


    A balding middle-aged man appeared, wielding a butcher knife.


    Upon closer look!


    It turned out to be Li Yu''s next-door neighbor, Wang Maoniu!


    That damned multi-level marketer!


    How the hell is this guy still alive? Wasn''t he surrounded by zombies in the bathroom last time?


    He was accompanied by a few others, all some hooligans from the village, even including the Village Chief''s rotten son.


    A group of five people, each wearing several gold rings on their fingers.


    The hooligans, upon seeing Li Yu, called out, "Brother Yu," and came forward to greet him.


    "Li Yu, we mean no harm, we''re all neighbors after all." Neighbor Wang greedily eyed the base behind,


    then added, "There are so many monsters appearing in the village now, it''s terrifying. Can you let us into your tourist park...."


    "No way!" Before Wang could finish, Li Yu decisively refused.


    Second Uncle and the others glanced at each other, none spoke.


    The hooligans nearby, upon hearing this, suddenly became displeased,


    "Calling you Brother Yu is out of respect, you really think highly of yourself, huh?"


    "Yeah, hurry up, move aside, let us in!"


    "Don''t block the way, otherwise we''ll make you regret it."


    "Yo! Some people really have a death wish, believe it or not, I''ll kill you! Were you aware of what happened to Er Gouzi who tried to stop us yesterday?" one of the blond punks arrogantly said.


    "Got chopped by me! Hehe, his wife though... superb!"


    Next to him, the Village Chief''s son, stunned, stared at the blond punk: "You''re not bragging, you actually did it?"


    The blond punk looked down on him, raised his right hand, pointing at a watch: "Take this watch, it belonged to Er Gouzi.


    It wasn''t just me, these guys were even crueler, playing wilder than me, hahaha. We used to hang out with you because you were the Village Chief''s son. Now you''re nothing!"


    Hearing this, the Village Chief''s son incredulously said, "How could you dare! How could you dare!"


    On the other side.


    Second Uncle and his group looked displeased after hearing that.


    As for Li Yu, he seemed unsurprised by the conversation, as it was within his expectations.


    With the apocalypse here, using former moral standards to assess humanity seemed naive.


    Some people are innately kind but slowly deviate under the harsh realities of society.


    Others are inherently evil, and no amount of education changes that.


    When dealing with true evil, Li Yu has his own principles.


    Watching these hooligans talking while getting closer, Second Uncle was almost unable to restrain himself and was preparing to warn Li Yu.


    These hooligans, despite being cautious because Li Yu''s group had crossbows, weren''t very scared, as if they had something to rely on!


    They believed, Li Yu''s group wouldn''t dare shoot them! Because they are the good guys!


    Pfft!


    Right in the forehead!


    The hooligan''s head sported a crossbow arrow, his eyes full of shock even in death!


    Li Yu always believed: If it can be solved with actions, then don''t bother speaking.


    "Holy shit, that''s brutal!" Li Hang couldn''t help but blurt out.


    "So brutal, but that''s also so cool!" Li Hang immediately added.


    Second Uncle, speechless, glanced at him.


    Look at that, is this what people say? S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seriously thought you were criticising Li Yu...


    The hooligans behind were also stunned, something was off!


    Wasn''t the normal procedure to argue a bit, then they suddenly attack?


    Moreover,


    Although they were bad and had indirectly killed people before, they hadn''t been this cruel!


    Furthermore, it was Li Yu being cruel to them!


    How to not fear the bad guys?


    Be worse than the bad guys! That''s when the bad guys will fear you.


    The remaining hooligans immediately stopped in their tracks, trembling and retreating, with the Village Chief''s son''s legs giving out, scared stiff on the ground.


    The hooligans thought to themselves: You must be the bad one! Your whole family must be bad!

 Chapter 15 - 15: The Storm Hits

    Li Yu charged forward.


    One slash,


    Two slashes,


    Three slashes,


    Instantly transforming into a human-shaped Butcher.


    Three heads fell to the ground,


    This knife is really powerful! It''s worth every penny spent crafting it!


    Actually, it''s not that Li Yu has a hobby of beheading, he just got used to chopping off Zombie heads��it''s simple, fast, and efficient.


    And in the eyes of the blonde kid, this was nothing short of a psychopathic killer with a beheading fetish!


    Luckily, the blonde kid was at the very back, now frantically running towards the forest.


    While shouting, "Brother Yu, I was wrong, I was wrong! Don''t kill me!"


    Hearing this, Li Yu saw the blonde kid had already run 10 meters away.


    Slowly exhaling, he planted the knife into the ground.


    Taking the Compound Crossbow from Xiao Hang, he didn''t even aim properly.


    An arrow shot through the air, its feathers as if they had eyes.


    Whoosh!


    Thunk!


    Splat!


    The arrow flying accurately through the head, the blonde kid fell forward straight.


    The Village Chief''s son beside him was terrified,


    So brutal!


    Li Yu gave him a meaningful look, and suddenly, a yellow liquid flowed from beneath him...


    Li Yu didn''t speak again, nor did he move the bodies.


    "We are going back!" Li Yu said in a deep voice.


    Second Uncle, Uncle Lai, and Uncle, who came down to open the gate, exchanged glances, their eyes still carrying the shock.


    "Xiao Hang, collect the arrows, a crossbow only has 100 arrows, remember to recycle."


    "Okay." Li Hang obediently ran over and pulled them out.


    Then, cleverly, he collected gold rings, watches, and such from the bodies on the ground.


    In any era, gold is a valuable commodity.


    Li Yu watched Li Hang looting the bodies, feeling somewhat emotional; under these days of training, this kid wasn''t scared at all now.


    Looking at Li Hang''s excited expression while looting the bodies, Li Yu was a bit worried.


    Was this skill point oddly assigned?


    Is it because I''ve led him astray, Li Yu thought to himself.


    He shook his head and stopped thinking about it.


    Drive, close the door.


    Creeeak...the fine steel gate made an unpleasant sound.


    As Li Yu entered the base, he thought, having only one person at the gate wasn''t sufficient.


    First, it takes too long to open,


    Second, once they come down from the Observation Tower, there''s no one left up top.


    Thus, after returning to the living room, he held a brief meeting, asking three younger cousins and one other to come out of the surveillance room and join in the duty roster.


    Additionally, he arranged for Li Yuan and several female cousins, along with Uncle Lai''s daughter, to take shifts in the surveillance room.


    Due to the increased number of people, cooking became a significant task;


    So often, cooking alone would require two to three people.


    Outside the four-acre plot, there was also a one-acre vegetable garden. Since moving into the base, they had never run out of vegetables.


    Thinking of the upcoming continuous days of heavy torrential rain tomorrow, Li Yu had everyone harvest the vegetables.


    The excess they couldn''t eat straight away would be made into pickled vegetables or salted for preservation.


    November 25th. Torrential Rain.


    Starting from the early hours of last night, torrential rain began pouring down.


    The sound of rain merged into a roar, as if the sky had cracked open numerous mouths, and the rain cascaded down like waterfalls to the earth.


    Thanks to the well-built drainage system that Li Yu had insisted his father construct when building this base,


    And in the lower basement, considering these factors, an extremely meticulous waterproof layer was also installed.


    Furthermore, the Mountain Pond between the two mountains also has a water storage function.


    So even though the rain was heavy, there was no flooding disaster.


    Since a few days ago, when mobile signals were cut off, everyone''s network had gone down.


    No signals could be received!


    So during this time, no messages from the outside world could be received.


    But Li Yu knew that this time, the rain would last for a full 10 days!


    10 days later, many countries will be submerged.


    Initially, Li Yu had experienced such a heavy rainstorm, narrowly escaping death.


    The rain kept falling!


    Li Yu actually quite liked the rain, the sound of it pattering and pouring down.


    Inside the dry room, listening to the rain actually brought a sense of security.


    In this lifetime, there was no need to be displaced on the fifth day after the rainstorm like in the previous life,


    almost dying in the rain.


    Thankfully!


    The southern hill terrain, along with the higher elevation on their side, prevented water from accumulating.


    This rainstorm would really kill a lot of people.


    Due to the prolonged rainfall, people were afraid to go outside, and those already short on supplies suffered even more.


    Floods could drown people, but not zombies.


    Thus, this rainstorm also turned many cities into dead cities.


    Rainstorm, lack of supplies, and the threat of zombies!


    This also led to the world''s population being decimated after this rainstorm.


    During the rainstorm, it was inconvenient for everyone to travel.


    So apart from the duty personnel, everyone stayed indoors.


    Due to the sunny days before, they had stored enough electricity; during the 10 days of heavy rain, there was enough power. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were also some minors in the entire family.


    They continued to have classes, thanks to Li Yu who had downloaded 200TB of various materials a few months ago.


    This of course included materials from kindergarten to high school.


    He had also stockpiled a whole room of books, so the education of the younger children was not neglected.


    November 29,


    The fifth day after the rainstorm.


    The rain showed no signs of stopping.


    Everyone was getting a bit restless indoors.


    That day, Li Yu took everyone to the underground theater to watch the TV series "The Walking Dead".


    It was relaxation, but also a form of learning.


    For Li Suxin, the arrival of the apocalypse couldn''t be more splendid


    With a bunch of older brothers and sisters around, there was no worry about food or drink.


    And she could watch cartoons anytime.


    Of course, she would occasionally be scolded by her sisters and Li Yu.


    But days without school couldn''t be more awesome!


    Until that day, Li Yu said they should resume the children''s education.


    In Li Suxin''s eyes, there was a silent wail.


    In education, Li Yu also included a lesson on understanding zombies.


    ...


    When it rained, nothing much could be done.


    Everyone was stuck at home, and Li Yu had early on stockpiled hundreds of phones and computers.


    Many people copied various things using computers, previously downloaded onto hard drives by Li Yu.


    Including various games, movies, TV series, books, and so on.


    So, everyone''s time passed not too drearily.


    And after dinner every day, there was a collective meeting.


    Everyone summarized and reported on the current situation together.


    Through this period of living together, everyone''s relationships had also warmed up.


    Even Lai Dongsheng gradually integrated into this big family.


    Many younger children followed Li Yu, respectfully calling him Uncle Lai.


    After all, Uncle Lai looked fierce, but was actually a kind-hearted man.


    Speaking of Uncle Lai, Li Yu recalled his daughter.


    Uncle Lai''s eldest daughter, Lai Xiyue, was Li Yu''s elementary and junior high school classmate.


    The two grew up together, and were especially close in childhood.


    Li Yu remembered, back then many classmates raised silkworms, Lai Xiyue raised them particularly well.


    But Li Yu''s silkworms either starved or died from diarrhea.


    At that time, it was popular among classmates to show off their silkworms.


    Lai Xiyue gave the largest silkworm she raised to Li Yu unconditionally.


    This really made Li Yu quite popular.


    Li Yu''s family once ran a small shop, and Li Yu would occasionally bring some snacks to Lai Xiyue every now and then.

 Chapter 16 - 16: Uncle

    As time went by,


    The two of them gradually grew up,


    For some unknown reason, they drifted apart.


    Later, when it came time for college, they each headed off to different cities.


    Their communication became even less frequent.


    Youyou couldn''t help but feel emotional when Li Yu saw Lai Xiyue teaching the younger ones.


    Her face was like the yolk of a goose egg, her high ponytail and the youthful aura drifting through the air.


    Her jeans stretched tight over her slender legs, she now held a textbook,


    Radiating an intellectual charm from head to toe...


    Seemingly sensing Li Yu''s gaze, Lai Xiyue looked up and their eyes met.


    They nodded at each other, saying nothing more.


    During their time living together, no despicable acts of human nature occurred.


    Hunger tests humanity, but the base''s abundant food supply maintained moral standards.


    With mostly familial relations, the atmosphere remained harmonious.


    The rain kept falling, and Li Yu took this time indoors to teach everyone how to deal with zombies.


    Each person basically learned to use crossbows and swords.


    Even 4-year-old Li Suxin learned how to use a dagger.


    In the apocalypse, protecting children wasn''t about keeping them in a false sense of innocence,


    but to give them as much happiness as possible under the circumstances of adapting to the end times.


    The torrential rain had been pouring for 10 days straight.


    Today, the rain gradually lessened.


    From the roar of the downpour to a gentle drizzle.


    After the rain cleared, a rainbow hung above Mountain Pond,


    As if linking two mountains.


    Li Yu looked at the sky, which was hardly raining anymore, ready to go out for a bit.


    During this time, his aunt and mother had been worrying about their brother.


    In fact, other family members were still outside the base, like Second Uncle, his little aunt, and Third Uncle''s family.


    But they were all too far away, and the situation was unstable now �C too dangerous to seek them out.


    Not to put it too bluntly, in such a perilous apocalypse, exacerbated by the heavy rain,


    Who knows what might have happened now...


    But his uncle was on duty in a town just below the county, not far from here.


    So, Li Yu decided to go look for him.


    Additionally, he planned to stop by the county''s police station en route to see if he could acquire some firearms.


    This time, Li Yu planned to take more people with him.


    Originally, Father Li Hongyuan also wanted to go, but Li Yu managed to convince him to stay.


    His elderly father looked at his son with heavy sighs in his heart, but even more so with relief.


    Li Yu, Li Hang, Fourth Uncle, Uncle Lai, and Liu Jinglue.


    Li Yu hadn''t planned to bring Liu Jinglue along, fearing that if anything happened to his uncle, Liu Jinglue wouldn''t be able to handle it.


    But he couldn''t resist Liu Jinglue''s pleading,


    And finally agreed upon seeing that beseeching look in his eyes.


    Uncle Lai was almost always brought along on trips without any complaints.


    Everyone else was Li Yu''s kin, but his family had no blood ties with them.


    Although they were close, Uncle Lai felt he shouldn''t just live there without contributing.


    Otherwise, he''d feel uneasy, so he always volunteered first whenever there was an outing.


    Li Yu noticed, and although he understood Uncle Lai''s thoughts, he didn''t say much.


    After all, Uncle Lai was a fierce fighter, honest and loyal, and willing to follow orders.


    Having Uncle Lai with him made Li Yu feel more secure.


    They took two vehicles, a party of five.


    Before they left, Li Yu instructed Father Li and Second Uncle that no matter the circumstances or who they encountered, they must not open the door.


    When they opened the gate, a dozen meters away from the base, several corpses were already swollen from soaking in the water, stinking.


    The bodies were covered with swarms of flies.


    To avoid spreading the plague, Li Yu, wearing gloves, moved several corpses into the woods and hurriedly dug a pit to bury them.


    Their journey was fraught with disarray.


    Some of the unstable old houses had half of their walls collapsed.


    A scene of utter ruin.


    "Xiaol��e, did your dad go to Laowu Village?" Li Yu looked at Liu Jinglue, who was sitting in the backseat, and asked.


    "Yes! When he called, he talked about this place."


    After hearing this, Li Yu asked Uncle Lai to guide the way.


    Before his rebirth, Li Yu had always been away from home, only familiar with the surroundings of his home and the county.


    Uncle Lai had always stayed at home, helping Father Li deliver culvert pipes all over the county, so he was familiar with various places in the county.


    Uncle Lai looked over the paper map repeatedly, nodding with certainty after confirming the location, "This is it."


    "Go straight first, then....."


    Li Yu drove the car following the directions given by Uncle Lai.


    About fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Laowu Village.


    However, as soon as the car reached the entrance of the village, it could go no further.


    Gazing at the village submerged in water ahead, the group fell into silence.


    Laowu Village was one of the low-lying areas in the county and was among the first places where zombies broke out.


    It was likely that everyone inside was already dead.


    Looking at the vast expanse of water, only the roofs of a few elevated houses were barely visible.


    Xiaol��e instantly broke down, yelling towards the front: "Dad! I''m Xiaol��e, where are you?"


    The shouts echoed in the depression, reverberating throughout the valley:


    Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?...


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu quickly said, "Xiaol��e, stop shouting! Zombies might get attracted here!"


    His tone was a bit emotional due to anxiety.


    Right after Li Yu finished speaking, several zombies'' screams could be heard from a hundred meters away.


    Hearing this, Xiaol��e instantly calmed down and sheepishly glanced at everyone.


    "Sorry, I, I, I..." Before he could finish, Li Yu patted his shoulder,


    saying, "It''s okay, I understand, but don''t do that again."


    As the sounds of zombies grew closer,


    Li Yu hurried everyone to get back into the car and escape from this place.


    If the zombies from the surroundings swarmed them, it would spell trouble.


    The five of them wouldn''t be enough to feed them!


    Everyone quickly got into the car, and the roar of the SUV''s engine once again stirred the surrounding zombies.


    At the entrance of the village to the right, dozens of zombies chased after them, with even more vaguely following behind!


    And from the water ahead, several zombies had emerged!


    The SUV sped up in an instant, leaving the place behind.


    The pursuing zombies continued the chase but eventually stopped and howled in place when they couldn''t keep up.


    After driving over a kilometer, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Their hearts were pounding with lingering fears.


    The SUV moved along the road, with sparse zombies wandering aimlessly beside the national highway.


    Upon hearing the sound of the engines of these two vehicles, the zombies chased after them like mad.


    All the way, there were some stranded cars haphazardly stopped on the road.


    Some random debris on the ground blocked the path,


    Li Yu and Uncle Lai got out to clear the way, while the other three kept watch.


    In some cars stopped on the national highway, there were even zombies howling inside. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon seeing them, Li Yu and his group put them down with a single stab.


    This road was indeed difficult to travel; the heavy rain had washed a lot of mud onto the surface,


    rendering it extremely muddy.


    Stopping and starting, they finally made it into the county.

 Chapter 17 - 17: To Save or Not to Save?

    At the base, after Li Yu and the others had left, Second Uncle and Father Li stood guard at the entrance.


    Father Li lit a cigarette and casually tossed one to Second Uncle.


    The two men puffed clouds of smoke while chatting idly, killing time.


    "Big brother, I feel that Xiao Yu has changed a lot, and I''m a little worried about him."


    Suddenly, Second Uncle spoke.


    Li Hongyuan''s eyebrows twitched as he took a deep drag on his cigarette, his mood somber.


    "He''s doing all this for our sake. It''s the end of the world now, and you never know what other people are plotting. Just like that day, those ruffians clearly intended to force their way in. Would they have brought us anything good?" Li Hongyuan said in one breath.


    After speaking, remembering Li Yu''s decisive manner, he looked worriedly in the direction they had left.


    "I''m not saying what he did was wrong, I''m worried about the pressure he''s under. I''m afraid it will be tough for him. Being the elders, we should have been the ones to take on these responsibilities. Ah, let''s help him out more!" Second Uncle felt a pang of distress.


    "This damn world!" Second Uncle said resentfully as he flicked away the butt of his cigarette.


    Second Uncle had been working in Southern Province for many years, and in recent years had invested his savings to start a small circuit board factory.


    With years of experience, keen insight, and catching the market trend,


    Just as the business was about to take off,


    The apocalypse struck, and everything was gone!


    Yes,


    Once the apocalypse struck, everything was gone!


    What was left, was only family.


    Fortunately, most of the family was still there!


    Second Uncle felt somewhat consoled; it was a blessing within the misfortune.


    Although Second Uncle had become somewhat slick and shrewd from his years of doing business elsewhere,


    His heart was in the right place when it came to his family.


    Every time he came home, he would bring gifts for the younger generation.


    Including the computer Li Yuan used for college, the electric foot spa for Grandpa and Grandma...


    Li Hongyuan looked at his brother, who was three years his junior.


    He faintly remembered his little brother, always full of mischief from a young age; now he was already in his forties in the blink of an eye.


    As the two were talking, a group of people approached from the woods.


    Second Uncle noticed first and patted Li Hongyuan beside him.


    "Big brother, there are people coming," Li Hongqian, the Second Uncle, said.


    Li Hongyuan squinted his eyes, "It''s the Village Chief, and some of them look like folks from our village."


    Below the gate, the Village Chief and his group were approaching.


    They were in a sorry state, faces covered in dirt and grime.


    Their clothes were stained with mud and blood.


    The seven or eight people at the front were holding kitchen knives from their homes,


    Some had hoes, while others wielded fire pokers.


    Seeing Li Hongyuan on the Observation Tower, the Village Chief''s face lit up with joy.


    "Li Hongyuan, I knew you all would be alright!" the Village Chief said, with concern in his voice.


    "Village Chief, are you all okay?" Li Hongyuan, sensing the Village Chief''s worry, responded.


    "Not at all okay. Everywhere there are monsters eating people. Just the other day, there was a torrential downpour; never in my life have I seen such heavy rain! All of us here have nowhere else to go."


    "Just look at us, ah. Da Zhuang''s family is left with only her," referring to a lone girl.


    The Village Chief pulled forward a little girl, who looked to be no more than 8 years old. Her face was covered in dust, her eyes devoid of spirit, only despair remaining.


    All her family members were gone, leaving her alone and desolate.


    Her little bunny jacket appeared to be torn by something,


    And she had only one shoe left on her feet.


    Previously, the days and nights were reversed, followed by high temperatures.


    Then, after the 25th, there were 10 continuous days of torrential rain.


    Originally, in the Southern region, the temperature in December would also be about ten degrees Celsius.


    After the torrential rain, the temperature suddenly dropped, falling below 10 degrees.


    The little girl probably didn''t have a chance to change her clothes because of the zombie outbreak.


    She''s still wearing clothes for the cooler autumn season.


    Standing on the waterlogged ground, her entire body was shivering from the cold.


    Her bare feet, with the skin rubbed raw, were bleeding.


    She probably smeared some mud on the wounds to prevent the blood from attracting zombies and then wrapped them with a piece of cloth.


    She stood timidly in front of the wall, skinny and pitiful.


    "Her family is gone, it''s only because everyone''s been taking care of her these past days, otherwise..." The Village Chief said with a sigh, his tone full of sorrow that was heartbreaking.


    "Ah, I suppose it''s just us left in the village now," the Village Chief added.


    He then looked up to gauge Li Hongyuan''s reaction, seemingly with tears in his eyes, quickly wiping them away.


    Li Hongyuan looked at the little girl in front of him, his eyes full of pity.


    He had seen this little girl before when he visited Hongda''s home.


    Such a lively little girl she was, always smiling when she met people.


    And very polite too.


    Every time he went to Hongda''s house, she would call him Uncle Li, her large eyes always brimming with spirit.


    But now, her gaze was dull, and her white rabbit coat,


    The white rabbit had turned into a black one.


    An eight-year-old little girl, at an age where she is the apple of her parents'' eye.


    What a tragedy!


    "Maybe..." Li Hongyuan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but then he remembered Li Yu''s instructions and stopped himself.


    Second Uncle Li Hongda also showed a look of pity, but more one of vigilance.


    He had clearly seen that a few of the people at the front of this group were well-dressed and rosy-cheeked, apparently not having gone hungry.


    But those at the back were in somewhat tattered clothes, looking a bit pallid.


    Hearing Li Hongyuan speak, he couldn''t help but remind him, "Li Yu said that under any circumstances, no matter who we encounter, we must not open the gate!"


    Li Hongyuan nodded in agreement at those words and sighed, "Ah, these people are all from our village, from the days when we couldn''t avoid seeing each other. What to do with them now..."


    At the foot of the wall, the Village Chief saw the two of them talking but was too far away to hear their conversation clearly.


    Therefore, he tried to turn up the heat.


    "Hongyuan, Hongda, we''re all from the same village. I was the one who approved the permit for your base''s construction. Let us in, please. We haven''t had a good night''s sleep in days."


    Li Hongyuan seemed to be moved after hearing this, but in the end, didn''t respond.


    Second Uncle Li Hongda stood by with a stern gaze fixed on the Village Chief, not saying a word.


    For him, if one does not look out for oneself, heaven and earth will combine to destroy them.


    He didn''t have so much compassion to spare; he had been deceived enough during his early days of entrepreneurship.


    The Village Chief, seeing that they were unmoved, started to panic inwardly but maintained a calm demeanor.


    However, the Women''s Director couldn''t hold back, saying, "Li Hongyuan, the land is collective property of the village, not yours alone! Are you trying to claim the mountain as your kingdom? Not letting us in is tantamount to leaving us to die!..."


    After the zombie outbreak, they didn''t realize that the Government had already lost control and was in a state of disarray.


    They had entered into a state of anarchy.


    It was only because Li Yu had informed Li Hongyuan and the others in advance, otherwise they might have been trapped by this accusation.


    You''re resorting to threats since the gentle approach didn''t work, Li Hongda thought.


    The Village Chief, hearing the Women''s Director speak out, immediately got angry and yanked her hard.


    His eyes were filled with fury, and he thought furiously:


    Damn, this idiot ally! All my efforts to stir emotions were in vain! Do they think it''s like before? Now they''re the ones holding the power!


    Why can''t a zombie just bite her to death? If this woman wasn''t so attractively presentable,


    I wouldn''t even bother with her! sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ....


    Li Hongyuan and Li Hongda on top of the wall, upon hearing this, also had their faces turn sour.


    The question now before them: To save or not to save?

 Chapter 18 - 18: Armory

    Li Yu had arrived at the county.


    The county town was dead silent, as if devoid of life.


    Ever since they entered the county, they had slowed down the vehicle,


    to avoid making too much noise.


    It should be known that although Xin City is just a small city in the Southern region,


    it has a population of nearly a million!


    The closer they got to the city center, the more zombies there were.


    Eventually, Li Yu had no choice but to get out of the car, clearing the zombies that swarmed around him as he walked alongside the vehicle.


    His Fourth Uncle, Li Hongda, and Uncle Lai also got out to help clear the zombies.


    Li Hang and Xiao Lue drove the cars following behind.


    It must be said, after equipping Uncle Lai with a custom precise steel knife,


    and with his already immense strength,


    he cut through zombies as if divine helped him.


    Afterward, the group maintained such a formation:


    Li Yu leading the way,


    Fourth Uncle and Uncle Lai on either side,


    with the two cars closely following behind.


    They slowly approached the county police station,


    The doors of the police station were wide open,


    Inside the guard booth stood two zombies dressed in police uniforms.


    Everyone felt uneasy at this sight.


    Even the safest place in the county had been breached...


    Li Yu only glanced for two seconds, then decisively approached the guard booth,


    Open the door!


    Instantly, two zombies pounced forward.


    Li Yu''s Long Knife hacked at one zombie,


    Another zombie charged from the side.


    Li Yu pulled out a Nepalese dagger from the strap on his thigh, stabbing precisely into the temple of the zombie.


    Both blades retracted at the same time,


    Thud! Thud!


    The zombies hit the ground, clean and neat.


    The entire process was like flowing clouds and water, taking less than 2 seconds.


    "Gulp." Li Hang swallowed his saliva in the car:


    Damn, that''s too cool. I want to learn that.


    After killing the zombies, Li Yu searched the bodies and found two guns.


    The bullets were full, not a single shot fired.


    Then, Li Yu began to head inside the police station.


    He was not familiar with the police station, but Xiao Lue used to come often to visit his father, so he was very familiar with the place.


    Fourth Uncle took over driving from Xiao Lue, while Xiao Lue got out of the car to help guide them.


    In no time, they found the arsenal where the guns were stored.


    Inside, however, there were about a dozen zombies dressed in police uniforms wandering.


    And behind the zombies, a large silver door stood there.


    Xiao Lue pointed at the door and said, "It should be there, but I''ve never been inside, so I''m not sure."


    Li Yu looked around and estimated that the weapons were probably there.


    He left Fourth Uncle outside to keep watch, always on alert.


    If a large horde of zombies came, they could quickly get back in the cars.


    The rest of the four people went in.


    Li Yu in the lead, kicked the door with force, and the door flew open.


    Several zombies faced him and pounced, Li Yu slashing with his knife.


    Puchi!


    Three zombies fell backward, Uncle Lai and the other two followed closely.


    In just a moment, the ten-plus zombies were dealt with by the four of them.


    However, when they got to the silver door, they suddenly found that it would not turn��they needed a key. Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After searching the room, they could not find the key.


    "Check the bodies," Li Yu whispered.


    They searched the bodies on the ground, and finally found keys on a fat police officer.


    Using the keys to open the door, a row of Type 79 Submachine Guns came into view,


    They counted roughly, there were 6.


    In the weapons cabinet next to it, there were also 2 Type 95 Automatic Rifles.


    Everyone was extremely happy.


    Li Yu walked forward a few steps and found two Light Machine Guns on a table.


    "Holy crap! There''s so much!"


    Suddenly, a shout of surprise came. Li Hang immediately said, "Bro, come and take a look at this."


    Li Yu quickly went over, only to find that a weapons box was filled to the brim with handguns.


    Roughly counting, there were about 15!


    Everyone couldn''t help but grin from ear to ear.


    No one had ever been inside the police station''s armory before,


    They thought that the police station would have at most 10 handguns, which would be incredible,


    But today, they discovered that the police station had such an ample supply of firepower.


    Immediately after, the group searched the area and found some ammunition.


    But the amount of ammunition was not much, with only 200 rounds per handgun...


    However, this was beyond Li Yu''s expectations.


    The crew lifted all the guns and bullets onto the vehicle,


    the sight of which dazzled Uncle Si, who was guarding nearby,


    seeing that there was a lot to carry, he also joined in to help.


    While Li Hang on the side was particularly excited.


    He gazed at the two rifles with fervent eyes.


    Uncle Si, Uncle Lai, and Xiao Lue also looked at the firearms, eager to try.


    Li Yu thought for a few seconds, but in the end, hurried everyone to load the firearms onto the vehicle.


    He himself picked up a submachine gun, tried it briefly, and felt good about it.


    But he did not distribute the submachine gun amongst the others,


    because he knew that no one had used a gun before.


    Besides the brief introduction he had given to Li Hang, the others hadn''t even touched a gun!


    Now there was no time to teach everyone how to use a gun,


    To learn to use a gun, one must start from their first shot.


    And shooting would inevitably attract zombies.


    ...


    If he recklessly distributed the submachine gun to everyone now, without anyone to instruct them,


    it could very easily result in accidental injuries.


    Especially the recoil of the handgun, since handgun capacity is


    usually less than that of rifles with the same caliber, and the gun body is also shorter,


    therefore,


    the recoil produced by a handgun is directly absorbed by the arm,


    and for the average person, using a handgun for the first time would be startling,


    and it''s inevitable to shoot off-target.


    Moreover,


    due to recoil the muzzle tends to rise,


    if the grip isn''t held properly on the first shot,


    the gun might slip from hand, which is extremely dangerous,


    it''s like having fireworks explode in your hand.


    ....


    Although everyone was a bit puzzled, they trusted that Li Yu had his reasons,


    Ever since the apocalypse began, Li Yu''s performance had been enough to convince them,


    From building the base, solving the food problem, to dealing with thugs who wanted to break into the base,


    The decisions and actions made by Li Yu, not one failed to prove his correctness.


    Just as everyone had finished loading the guns into the cars.


    Suddenly,


    the wail of police sirens tore through the surrounding silence,


    like a droplet disturbing a still pond, zombies from all around started rushing towards the police station...


    The sound of zombie footsteps was like that of an army on the march.


    "Damn it!"


    Li Yu shouted loudly: "Retreat quickly!"


    Then he started the car and hurriedly fled the police station.


    But the zombies from all around seemed to have no intention of letting them go, as they closed in from every direction.


    "Xiao Yu, go through the back! Take the back!!" Uncle Si shouted loudly.


    He had just been on guard duty outside and knew that there was no obstruction in the rear pathway.


    And there didn''t seem to be as many zombies from the back either!


    Hearing Uncle Si''s words, Li Yu asked Li Hang, who was driving, to quickly turn around and speed off to the rear.


    Uncle Si, in the other car, closely followed.


    Unexpectedly, they were already surrounded from behind.


    The dense crowd of zombies was hair-raising to behold.


    "Keep driving, don''t stop!" Li Yu shouted to Li Hang who was slightly stunned,


    while sticking out his head, holding a submachine gun, and began firing forward...


    "Tap, tap, tap, tap"....


    "Pfft, pfft"...


    The sound of the submachine gun and the sound of bullets entering flesh continued,


    Xiao Lue, from inside the car''s slightly opened window,


    also jabbed at the rushing zombies.


    Following in the car behind, Uncle Si did not have as much pressure, just needed to follow the car in front.


    With Li Yu''s submachine gun firing, the zombies in front fell like harvested wheat.


    Finally, a bloody path was cleared.


    The car sped forward, and the zombies in front were visibly decreasing.


    Suddenly, the view opened up before them.


    Li Yu stopped firing his submachine gun,


    looked at the large number of zombie bodies that suddenly appeared ahead, Li Hang and he exchanged a knowing glance.


    Someone!!!


    They came to the police station by this way, so these zombies weren''t killed by them.


    Who could it be?

 Chapter 19 - 19: Lets Go Home! (First Update)

    Autumn breeze,


    Leaves were whisked away by the wind, layers of fallen leaves on the street, yet no one swept them away.


    It was late autumn, a slight chill brought comfort.


    However, the piles of zombie corpses ahead made Li Yu and his companions scratch their heads in puzzlement:


    Who killed them?


    At that moment, a gunshot rang out.


    It came from the front right!


    Li Yu had Li Hang hurry to drive the car towards that direction.


    While reloading the magazine of his submachine gun.


    Less than 200 meters driven, they saw a group of zombies gathered around a small building.


    From a distance, three figures were visible on the rooftop.


    As the car slowly approached, they saw that the person who had fired the shot was none other than his father.


    At this time, the zombies around the building, hearing the sound of the car behind, began to slowly walk towards them.


    Li Yu carefully observed the group of zombies, not too many, but there were still over twenty.


    Li Yu then looked back to ensure no zombies had followed them.


    He immediately got out of the car, and asked Uncle Lai and the others to get out and help.


    Xiao Lu in the car behind also spotted his father.


    He was about to shout, when Li Yu glared at him.


    Xiao Lu quickly shut his mouth, swallowing his words.


    "Damn it, let''s attack stealthily, no shooting!" Li Yu said in a deep voice.


    Following his words, he and Uncle Lai charged forward first.


    Reborn Li Yu had extraordinary combat abilities.


    He swiftly took down several zombies that approached.


    Zombie blood spurted from their necks, glowing red in the sunlight.


    Bloody, violent.


    Li Yu swung the long knife swiftly,


    dodging and weaving through the zombies.


    He seemed to embody the very essence of violent aesthetics.


    The three people upstairs were stunned,


    Uncle Liu Jianwen looked at his nephew in disbelief,


    as if seeing him for the very first time.


    Behind him, a man also clad in Armed Police uniform was blocking the rooftop door.


    Zombies behind the door were continuously growling and pushing.


    And beside Liu Jianwen, stood a beautiful woman in a loose tracksuit.


    The grey tracksuit, though loose, could not hide her slender figure.


    Long lean legs, clad in a pair of Hongxing Erke sneakers.


    Perfectly curved where it should, any more would be too much, any less would be too little.


    Pale skin, black hair casually tied into a ponytail.


    At that moment, her lips slightly parted, eyes wide in astonishment.


    Holding an axe, her face filled with surprise!


    While Li Yu was fighting the zombies, he inadvertently glanced at the beauty watching him. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She''s gorgeous!


    Immediately after, their eyes met, and the woman looked at Li Yu with eyes filled with surprise.


    Li Yu''s knife in hand didn''t slow down, continuously chopping at the approaching zombies.


    Uncle Lai and others who followed were not vegetarians either, striking down zombies one after another.


    In a few seconds, the people upstairs seemed to react.


    They opened the rooftop door, allowing the zombies circling on the second floor to flood in.


    This alleviated the pressure on the people downstairs.


    With the efforts of the eight people, the zombies ultimately fell in heaps.


    Li Yu saw the falling zombies, and before he could say anything to his uncle,


    He saw some zombies still crawling on the ground, so he delivered finishing blows to these zombies.


    Xiao Lu, however, rushed excitedly towards his father, wanting to embrace him.


    But he abruptly stopped as he approached.


    Liu Jianwen saw his son, who had also bravely fought the zombies,


    Felt a bit of relief, walked forward, and patted his shoulder.


    Following behind, Li Hang also walked upstairs, smiling and greeting the uncle.


    Uncle Four and Uncle Lai went back to the car and drove it over.


    After Li Yu went upstairs, he looked at the group.


    Without mincing words,


    he said directly, "There''s another group of zombies behind us, just shook them off, they could catch up at any moment, let''s leave first, we''ll talk in the car."


    Everyone hurried downstairs without wasting words, just as the car pulled up.


    They were just about to get in the car.


    "Wait," Liu Jianwen walked towards a riot car parked below, "Take this car as well."


    Li Yu looked at the riot car that resembled an armored vehicle.


    He nodded.


    Just as they drove out of the T-junction, they saw a horde of zombies chasing after them from afar.


    It looked like there were thousands.


    The three cars sped up, quickly escaping from there.


    In the car.


    Li Yu looked out the window and said, "Uncle, Aunt is at the base, we went to the old village but didn''t find you, so we came to the county to look, luckily, we found you."


    Uncle looked at Xiao L��, gratefully looking at Li Yu.


    Then, as if remembering something,


    he sighed and said, "We went to old village, everyone there turned into zombies, someone in our team was bitten, others tried to save them, but ended up being bitten too."


    "Later, after we left old village, it kept raining heavily, zombies were everywhere, we went back to the Government, but the Government was also overrun by zombies."


    During the heavy rain, we kept hiding, our bullets were almost gone, we lost many people. In the end, only Liu Weimin and I were left, I wanted to go straight to find you, but we were surrounded by zombies.


    And during those rainy days, the roads were also tough to navigate. I didn''t make it to your side in time. How''s the tourist park?"


    Li Yu nodded at the words, saying, "The walls are high, zombies can''t get in. Grandpa and Grandma are fine, it''s just Second Uncle and auntie, they haven''t returned from abroad, I don''t know how they are."


    Hearing this, everyone felt uneasy, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.


    Li Yu looked in the rear mirror at Liu Weimin in the riot car.


    He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Tell me about them."


    The beauty in the back car saw Li Yu looking their way, nodded as a greeting.


    Liu Jianwen followed Li Yu''s gaze to the two people in the riot car.


    He explained, "The one driving is from my team, been partners for nearly ten years. Xiao L�� knows him, his name is Liu Weimin, the one in the passenger seat is his daughter, we met her when we returned from old village, her name is Liu Huamei."


    Seemingly remembering something, Li Yu''s parents had been trying to arrange blind dates for him for the past two years.


    Previously, Liu Jianwen had wanted to introduce Liu Huamei to Li Yu.


    But at that time, Li Yu was far away in M City, and Li Yu intended to find a time for them to meet after he returned.


    Then the zombie outbreak happened, and they never got introduced.


    It must be said, the enthusiasm of the Chinese people in arranging blind dates for the younger generation.


    Even in such times of crisis, this enthusiasm can''t be stopped.


    Thus Liu Jianwen spoke, "Liu Weimin is a good man, a strong sense of justice. Liu Huamei was pursuing her master''s, she has a good personality."


    He paused, then added, "Single!"


    Then his gossipy eyes turned towards Li Yu.


    According to his memory,


    In the past, when Li Yu heard elders arranging blind dates,


    Li Yu would feel shy, even sometimes blush.


    But the reborn Li Yu was no longer that inexperienced rookie.


    Hearing Uncle Liu Jianwen''s words, he immediately understood the underlying hint.


    He didn''t respond immediately, ten seconds later.


    Li Yu casually replied: "Women, will only slow down my speed at drawing my knife."


    As soon as Li Yu finished speaking, Uncle, who was about to say something, paused.


    His throat felt choked.


    His mind whispered,


    This little brat...


    What are you pretending for in front of your uncle?


    Meanwhile, Li Hang, hearing Li Yu''s overwhelmingly cool statement,


    Felt as if his values had been washed away by the waves,


    An invisible wind surged around him...


    Damn, big bro is powerful!


    When can I, like big brother, speak such cocky words?


    His eyes shone like he was looking at an idol, brightly watching Li Yu.


    Li Yu, seeing his little brother''s gaze, felt awkward.


    So he slapped him,


    "Watch the road, drive properly!"

 Chapter 20 - 20: Let Us In Quickly (Second Update)

    Racing through the journey,


    Occasionally running over the corpses of zombies on the ground, emitting an unpleasant sound of bodies bursting.


    The zombies on the road still mindlessly charged forward.


    Thanks to the Hongqi HS5 SUV''s good anti-collision capability,


    And the use of high-strength glass from Fuyao,


    Had it been one of those lesser Japanese cars, it probably would have cracked after a few hits.


    All the while, Li Yu was thinking:


    What about Liu Weimin and his people?


    Should I let them into the base?


    But what if they have other motives? What then?


    Not letting them in? That''s not an option either.


    If Liu Weimin is not allowed in, Uncle will probably have some thoughts about it too.


    The base needs more people, and that woman is fierce!


    Sigh, it''s complicated.....


    Now the entire world has been taken over by zombies, they''re everywhere.


    In the years since being reborn, no significant organization has been established.


    The larger the city, the bigger the population, the more zombies there are.


    Hundreds of zombies can still be dealt with by manpower.


    Thousands of zombies can be cleared with a decent number of people and firepower.


    Tens of thousands of zombies, without a solid base, is very hard to withstand.


    What about hundreds of thousands, or even millions of zombies?


    M City had a population of 25 million, and with the disaster of torrential rain, zombies could even survive in water.


    Only a mere fraction of the survivors were alive.


    He had once escaped from M City, after the torrential rain, when sea levels rose and many cities were submerged.


    Many of the Government''s important strategic bases were also submerged in the endless ocean.


    Only some of the higher grounds in the north and south, like plateaus and hills, were relatively safe for the time being.


    After the apocalypse, human morality deteriorated, the relationships between people reduced to merely exchanges of interests.


    The lack of unity among people led to the continued failure to establish large bases.


    Social order collapsed in the post-apocalyptic world, and everything was in chaos.


    Perhaps there were some good people, but they were often easily stabbed, and in the end...


    Sigh...


    Once, he too was a kind person.


    To save the world? He thought:


    To save the world, one would need to expand manpower, enlarge the base, organize management...


    Learn that set of methods: Unite all the forces that can be united, defeat the enemy.


    But right now, the colossal mountain of zombies alone is enough to suffocate everyone.


    And the fundamental situation is different:


    The state ownership of land, through great innovation, solved the millennia-old problem of land annexation.


    Everyone was equal, with farmland to cultivate, with food and clothing.


    United as one.


    But now, even the most basic farmland had been so extensively submerged, with billions of zombies everywhere,


    Without secure land, without united people, there would be no food,


    Without sufficient food, what else is there to talk about...


    Plus, with everyone having different motives, the path to saving the world is truly difficult!


    Shaking his head, Li Yu decided not to think too much for now.


    For the time being, he just wanted to protect his family.


    In the days before his rebirth, life was worse than death without his family, struggling alone in the world.


    That kind of life wasn''t living, it was merely existing, and death might have been better.


    After a moment of thought, Li Yu shook his head and instantly cleared his mind.


    To hell with it, take it one step at a time, no use getting tangled up,


    Just keep an eye out, and if anyone tries to mess with us, chop them down!


    In these apocalyptic times, whoever dares harm his family will get the chop.


    The car kept driving on the road, and fortunately, they didn''t encounter any large zombie hordes.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the base, Second Uncle up on the high wall


    And the Village Chief below with a group of others found themselves in an awkward situation.


    To rescue or not to rescue? Li Hongyuan was caught in a moral quandary.


    Li Hongyuan was always kind to others; once he even kindly paid the fare for someone on a bus who didn''t have it.


    But Second Uncle had a very firm stance: No rescue!


    The Village Chief was still standing downstairs, glaring furiously at the Women''s Director.


    The little girl in front was timidly standing in the center.


    Like a daisy swaying in the storm.


    Her pitiful appearance made the two people upstairs feel somewhat distressed.


    At this moment, a young man with tattoos on his arm, holding a kitchen knife, spoke up: "Li Hongda, don''t think you''re something special because you''ve been out and about for two years. We''re all from the same village. If you don''t rescue us, you''re utterly heartless!"


    The people behind him echoed his sentiment one after another.


    Just then,


    The roar of car engines caught everyone''s attention.


    People began to look back in the direction of the noise.


    Coming towards them were two SUVs, followed by a police riot-control vehicle.


    Seeing the police car, some people cheered, but others had a strange gleam in their eyes as they shrank back.


    Especially the tattooed young man, who upon seeing the police vehicle, appeared nervous but still mustered his courage and said defiantly, "It''s illegal for you not to open the door to rescue us! Hmph!"


    The leading car saw the crowd but showed no signs of stopping.


    The Village Chief and the others felt a twinge of apprehension as the car didn''t seem to stop.


    As the car looked like it was about to hit people, everyone hastily made way.


    Eventually, the vehicle stopped beneath the main gate building.


    Li Yu unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car.


    Holding a submachine gun in his hand.


    One by one, others also got out of the vehicle.


    Uncle and others were watching the scene, not knowing what was happening.


    Liu Weimin, who had alighted from the riot-control vehicle, also got out.


    He looked around with a face full of confusion.


    Li Yu said nothing; from afar, he had already seen these people.


    Without needing to think, he knew what had happened.


    He had seen too much of this in the early days of the apocalypse before his rebirth.


    Seeing Li Yu getting out of the car, the Village Chief said happily, "Xiao Yu, there are monsters everywhere. We know you''re capable, you''ve built this resort. Look, we''re all from the same village. Can you let us in?"


    Li Yu did not respond affirmatively or negatively, staying silent for the moment.


    Seeing this, the Village Chief grabbed the little girl in front of him and pointed at her.


    He repeated what he had said to Second Uncle and the others.


    Seeing the little girl shivering in the cold autumn wind, wearing only one shoe.


    Upon learning that the little girl had lost all her family and was now alone and destitute. Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The newly arrived survivors from the cars felt heavy-hearted upon hearing this.


    Uncle Liu Jianwen''s spirits, which had been buoyed by the prospect of returning home, plummeted.


    Especially Liu Huamei, her eyes reddened instantly upon hearing the wretched tale of the little girl.


    Li Yu looked at the little girl, who was shoeless, gaunt, and wan. However, the leaders like the Village Chief were well-dressed and looked rosy-cheeked.


    Seeing this, Li Yu remained expressionless, not intending to say anything.


    Upon noticing Liu Weimin in his police uniform, the Village Chief had a thought.


    He choked up and said, "Xiao Yu, we really had no choice, you can''t just let us die and become food for zombies."


    The villagers behind him also spoke up:


    "Xiao Yu, save us, please."


    "Just let us in."


    ....


    At this point, Liu Jianwen and the Liu Family father and daughter seemed to have grasped the situation.


    Liu Weimin stepped forward and asked, "Why not let them in?"


    His eyes brimming with a strong sense of justice.


    Throughout his decades of experience, he had always been about aiding the weak and punishing the wicked.


    His sense of righteousness was overwhelming.


    Liu Huamei beside him looked at him with a very disappointed expression.


    She had thought that this man, so formidable in killing zombies,


    And who just an hour ago had rescued the three of them,


    Why would he risk danger to save them but refuse to open the gate for these people?


    She didn''t understand.

 Chapter 21 - 21: Fear of Public Opinion (Three Updates)

    Li Yu glanced at him but still remained silent.


    At that moment, the Village Chief heard Liu Weimin speaking up for them.


    His heart was filled with joy. He then asked, "Comrade police officer, what''s happening in the County? Will the Government come to save us?"


    Liu Weimin looked at him with hopeful eyes and sighed.


    He said, "The County has fallen, and in our Armed Police squad, only the two of us are left. We can''t even find anyone from the Government now, so I guess..."


    Upon hearing this, expressions of joy briefly flashed across the faces of some young people in the front.


    But soon, they put on sad expressions.


    They all sighed deeply.


    Uncle whispered to Li Yu who was beside him, "Are we really not going to save them?"


    Li Yu heard this and nodded his head.


    Uncle seemed like he wanted to say something, but then he thought of Xiaolue and their relatives at the base.


    He wanted to say something, but everything vanished in his sighs.


    Liu Weimin walked a few steps towards Liu Jianwen and said, "Captain! We should let them in."


    Liu Jianwen looked helplessly at Liu Weimin and then looked towards Li Yu.


    Seeing the situation, it seemed like Li Yu was the decision-maker of the base.


    So, he took a few steps closer and stood in front of Li Yu, saying, "You should let them in. They are the general public; we need to uphold the virtue of saving people. We can''t be cold-blooded just because of the current situation!"


    Li Yu, seeing Liu Weimin approaching, slightly raised his Submachine Gun.


    He said, "No rescue!"


    His words were few, as he was too lazy to explain.


    Until now, he hadn''t decided whether to let Liu Weimin in.


    In his principles of life, he always believed:


    Different perspectives lead to different conclusions,


    You don''t need to care too much about others'' opinions.


    Your empathy is actually a very precious quality.


    Li Yu, of course, knew that being kind was right.


    But in this world, the kind ones always die fast.


    So, for him,


    Kindness should be based on his own safety,


    If being kind results in injury to himself or his loved ones,


    That would be the biggest mistake.


    Moreover,


    Why should Liu Weimin be kind,


    Why should morality coerce me to be kind too?


    Li Yu''s refusal to save them was very firm, outright denying Liu Weimin.


    Seeing this, Liu Weimin angrily said, "How can you be so heartless?!"


    "I am."


    Behind them, Liu Huamei heard their conversation and also ran over, saying:


    "You''re heartless?!"


    "I am heartless."


    "You''re not kind!"


    "Right."


    "Why save us but not them?"


    "I didn''t plan to save you; I was saving my uncle."


    Liu Huamei, enraged, exclaimed,


    "You''re a bad person!" Her bosom seemed to tremble with her rage.


    Li Yu raised his eyebrows, intimidated by her bosom.


    He cleared his throat to cover it up


    And then said, "I am a bad person!"


    Liu Huamei looked at the man in front of her in shock,


    In her memory, she had never seen such a shameless person...


    He simply accepted that he was a bad person!


    Behind Li Yu, Li Hang took out a small notebook from his pocket.


    The cover of the notebook read: Bullshit Bible


    He flipped to page three and quickly jotted down:


    Article 3:


    How to attract a beautiful woman''s attention?


    First, make her angry and confront her!


    After recording, Li Hang nodded his head as if everything was clear.


    Satisfied, he put the notebook in his pocket, patted it, and confirmed it was secure. He couldn''t afford to lose it!


    Facing Liu Huamei''s questioning,


    Li Yu was quite calm. Moral kidnapping, huh?


    Ever heard of slacking off?


    Ever heard of slacking off in socializing?


    Presumably, Liu Huamei hadn''t seen it before,


    But today, she did.


    Extremely angry, but powerless.


    Liu Weimin was also very angry on the side.


    On the other side, the Village Chief and his group seemed to have lost their patience.


    Unable to hold back, they said, "Li Yu, if you don''t let us in and we get bitten by zombies, you''ll be cursed!"


    The Village Chief tore off his disguise and threatened. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu still appeared indifferent, expressionless.


    Liu Weimin stared at Li Yu, furious, about to say something.


    Then the people behind the Village Chief started saying:


    "Officer, look, they won''t let us in!"


    "Officer, they even tried to shoot us with crossbows just now!"


    "Yes, yes, yes, they just shot me, ah, my leg."


    "Yes, the guy next door, Er Gouzi, was killed by them, they won''t let us in!"


    "The tourist park is ours, they drove us out and fed us to zombies! Then they shot at us with crossbows."


    "It seems like they were the ones who caused this zombie outbreak!"


    ....


    Hearing all this, Li Hongyuan and the others'' faces darkened. Could slander be thrown around this wildly?


    "Li Yu took advantage of me, ate and didn''t acknowledge," suddenly, such words came out.


    After this, the scene suddenly went quiet.


    The one speaking was the Village Chief''s wife, Zhou Shuihua!


    Her face covered in moles, looking very odd.


    No one present would have expected Zhou Shuihua to say such a thing.


    Li Yu is 183cm tall, with a handsome appearance.


    Would he fancy you?


    The Village Chief''s face turned livid.


    Even Liu Huamei beside him looked at Li Yu skeptically.


    Could you please not look at me like that?


    Damn it.


    Rumors are horrifying to the utmost.


    But, is this the time for jokes?


    "Bang bang bang..." Li Yu fired towards the right side of the crowd.


    Almost hitting a few people.


    Li Yu said, "Continue talking."


    The crowd backed away, shell-shocked.


    Beside them, Liu Weimin''s expression turned severe, he slightly raised his almost empty gun, trying to intimidate Li Yu.


    Li Yu''s eyes sharpened, adjusted the position of his gun; he was sure he could shoot faster than Liu Weimin.


    Seeing this, Liu Jianwen hurriedly shouted, "Weimin."


    Upstairs, Second Uncle saw Liu Weimin raising his gun,


    Instantly raised his crossbow too, aiming at Liu Weimin.


    Li Yu''s companion, Li Hang, also drew his handgun, while Uncle and some others picked up knives.


    Tensions escalated!


    But, upon hearing Liu Jianwen''s words, Liu Weimin put his gun down.


    Depressed, he said, "I''m not shooting, I just wanted to persuade." His words carried a tone of misunderstood grievance.


    Then he glared at Li Yu angrily.


    Although he didn''t believe what the villagers said just now,


    It was true that Li Yu did not let them in, that the little girl was pitiful, and that Li Yu had fired his gun.


    The atmosphere fell into a strange silence.


    Li Yu, holding his gun, nonchalantly walked up to the little girl, his gaze warily watching the movements of those around him.


    Gently, he said, "You are Xuanxuan, right? We''ve met before."


    Li Yu had visited Da Zhuang''s house several times; this adorable girl was very polite,


    She even knew to bring him fruit when he visited their home.


    Little Xuanxuan in the center seemed not to hear, staring blankly ahead.


    Li Yu crouched down, gently touched her head.

 Chapter 22 - 22: The Crowd

    Xuanxuan felt a gentle touch on her head, the warm large hand seemed to awaken her.


    Her eyes seemed to focus, gradually showing some expression.


    Then, her eyes filled with tears.


    But she bit her lower lip tightly, preventing the tears from falling.


    Since the zombie outbreak and the death of her family, no one had touched her like this.


    All she encountered were disdainful glances, only picking up the crumbs left by others.


    And later, with the scarcity of food, not even crumbs were available.


    She had not eaten for days...


    At the age of 7, a little girl''s resilience is already low, coupled with not eating for days and standing in the middle for over an hour, she felt like collapsing.


    But the village chief behind her told her to stand, she dared not sit down, nor did she dare to speak.


    In this apocalyptic world, a little girl without a family surviving this long was already a miracle.


    During this time, she learned to be strong, sensible, silent, and to read people''s expressions.


    Even though she was despised, even nearly killed by people, she still followed the crowd.


    Because, on her own in a world overrun with zombies, she wouldn''t survive!


    Li Yu saw the tears brimming in Xuanxuan''s eyes, feeling a mix of emotions.


    Holding a submachine gun with one hand, he grabbed Xuanxuan''s small hand with the other.


    He walked towards the car, cautiously observing the others from the corner of his eye.


    He wasn''t the kind of person who''d casually turn his back to others.


    Beside him, Xuanxuan seemed to remember something, covertly looked back at the village chief, her large eyes filled with fear.


    The village chief, seeing Li Yu walking away with Xuanxuan, and noticing that Li Yu was ignoring them. sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Glared fiercely back at the peering Xuanxuan, his eyes filled with a murderous look.


    Xuanxuan shuddered vigorously, as if recalling something bad.


    She quickly turned her head back, as if worried that the hand holding hers would let go any moment.


    She then tightly grabbed onto Li Yu''s clothes with her other hand, gripping very hard!


    Feeling Xuanxuan''s action, Li Yu''s gaze focused.


    An intangible murderous aura burst forth, directed towards the village chief.


    The village chief with his fierce look encountered Li Yu''s fierce gaze.


    His expression changed in an instant, showing an awkward smile.


    But deep in his eyes, intense anger was still hidden.


    Li Yu spoke, "Xuanxuan can enter, you guys, cannot."


    "Why?" the tattooed young man behind the village chief exclaimed angrily,


    Then he added: "Why can she enter? Why can''t we? She''s just a little kid, a burden consuming food, while we are all able-bodied youths. We can help defend the base! What can she do?"


    Li Yu looked at the young man, his face showing a half-smiled expression.


    "Why? Because I want to!"


    Liu Huamei heard this, her eyes filled with disappointment! Li Yu ignored it.


    The crowd, upon hearing this, became intensely indignant, calling Li Yu selfish.


    Li Yu didn''t want to explain, nor did he feel the need to.


    Initially, when he built the base, these were the people who mocked him for being foolish,


    Now, they are the ones begging him.


    People, indeed are unpredictable.


    His experience of rebirth in the post-apocalyptic world told him these people were no good.


    A little girl nearly fainting from hunger, dragged out to gain sympathy.


    Their faces flush with color, why?


    Moreover, the leaders among them had bulging packs on their backs.


    Among this group, there were no elders, and the few in the front had a faint murderous aura,


    Li Yu knew, this was undoubtedly the look of someone who had killed living people.


    Selfish, ruthless.


    Just now when he spoke of not saving them, their true colors were immediately evident.


    All laying blame on Li Yu.


    This group, they are not the simple, honest farmers they once were, but a greedy mob.


    Letting them in, especially the village chief and the few leaders, they would surely seize power.


    Wouldn''t that be asking for trouble?


    You can save people, but not them.


    Li Yu held the little girl''s hand, slowly walking towards the car.


    He pointed to the car, telling the little girl to get in first.


    The Village Chief behind him had an ashen face, as if constipated.


    The development of the event was beyond his expectation, a loss rather than a gain!


    He had anticipated that Li Yu might take pity on Xuanxuan and save her.


    But he did not expect that Li Yu would risk everyone''s criticism and not let them in.


    Using the majority''s opinions to pressure someone to do something.


    This trick had always worked for him, but it failed in front of Li Yu.


    The Village Chief pinned his hopes on another police officer, Liu Weimin.


    So, he turned to Liu Weimin and said, "Officer, what should we do now? Who will protect us civilians?"


    Hearing this, Liu Weimin felt repulsed within, as he had also heard the crowd''s comments.


    He was aware that some of their words were definitely fabricated.


    But driven by a strong sense of justice, he looked at Li Yu angrily and said, "If they won''t help you, I will!"


    Upon hearing this, Liu Jianwen standing next to Li Yu immediately became anxious.


    He said, "Weimin, you shouldn''t. Li Yu didn''t say you couldn''t go in."


    After finishing, he suddenly remembered something and looked somewhat embarrassedly at Li Yu.


    With insecurity, he said, "Li Yu, Weimin is my longtime partner, you..."


    Li Yu remained expressionless, noncommittal.


    Meanwhile, as Liu Jianwen and Li Yu were discussing, Liu Weimin, enraged and embarrassed, said, "I don''t even want to go in there, I don''t want to become selfish and heartless like him!"


    "Also, Captain, we took an oath when we enlisted, how could you change like this?"


    Faced with Liu Weimin''s righteous words, Liu Jianwen fell silent.


    He opened his mouth, saying, "Weimin, you..., I..."


    But he didn''t say anything more and then sighed.


    Moreover, he was also somewhat displeased by the outrageous statements of these people.


    Confronted with the dilemma of choosing between loved ones and morality, Liu Jianwen was extremely troubled.


    Li Yu, after hearing Liu Weimin''s words, remained unmoved.


    In fact, he admired Liu Weimin for his sense of justice and kindness in these apocalyptic times which are invaluable.


    Liu Weimin had a sense of justice, rare indeed, but he sometimes failed to recognize the reality of the situation.


    Such people often die the fastest in the apocalypse.


    After all, people''s hearts are unpredictable!


    It''s not kindness that is wrong, but those who exploit it, and the times that are to blame.


    No longer thinking about it, he waved his hand, signaling Second Uncle and his father to open the gate.


    They had already wasted too much time outside the fence,


    because of the gunfire, zombies could now be heard approaching from afar.


    On the other side, he instructed Xiao Hang, some three uncles, and some other men to guard the gate,


    and to kill anyone who dared to force their way through.


    Li Yu, holding a Submachine Gun, stood at the gate, scrutinizing the crowd on the other side.


    Seeing the gate open, the crowd stirred.


    But seeing Li Yu, Li Hang, and others aiming handguns and crossbows at them,


    they dared not make a move.


    Second Uncle drove the car in, Uncle Liu Jianwen drove another car.


    Before entering, Uncle looked complexly at the Liu Family father and daughter and said, "Take good care of yourselves."


    Li Yu did not go in immediately but had Second Uncle close the gate first, then he entered through a smaller door.


    Bang! The small door also closed.


    Those who entered within the walls finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Whereas Li Yu was pondering another issue: what if next time we go out and come back to find outsiders besieging us, trying to force entry.


    What if there are more people next time, what then?


    After pondering for a while, he thought of two methods: setting up a hanging basket to return to the wall from the basket,


    but that poses a problem needing manpower, and if using electric power, it could be trouble if there''s an electrical fault, which is also why he didn''t use automated gates.


    The other method is to put another door behind the main gate, doubling the security.


    Fortunately, when the base was initially built, there were plenty of construction materials left, including steel and red bricks.

 Chapter 23 - 23: Regrets of the Past

    After the base gate closed, Second Uncle and Li Hongyuan continued to keep watch in the Observation Tower.


    Below the wall, the crowd watching the closing gate felt a touch of despair, but was completely helpless.


    The 6-meter-tall fence, as high as two floors, was also densely covered with high-voltage wires, which were different from the residential community fences they had seen before��these were genuinely electrified with high voltage!


    There was no way to forcefully break through!


    The people heard zombies seemingly surrounding them from behind and instantly panicked. Although they were numerous, without a core figure in a team, they were just a scattered bunch.


    That''s why Second Uncle Li Hongda, Lai Dongsheng, even the young Li Hang could face the zombies and fight courageously��it was because there was a fearless Li Yu leading them.


    A fearless leader can inspire many to become braver. But if the leader himself is scared to death, then those below will have even less confidence.


    Why is it that in battle, generals always face danger with composure, unaffected by even the greatest difficulties? It''s because if he holds steady, those under his command will have the conviction to fight.


    Once people have a core, once they have conviction, they become invincible and fearless.


    And Li Yu''s conviction lay in protecting his family in this dog-eat-dog apocalypse.


    Li Yu''s most admired idol once said: Self-reliance brings ample food and clothing!


    In this apocalyptic world, Li Yu hadn''t thought much further; he just wanted to earnestly, diligently protect his family and make up for regrets.


    He relied on no one else, so he would save himself!


    However, this group of people had differing motives. The Village Chief, who was also selfishly motivated before the apocalypse, was even more so after its onset.


    The zombies were slowly approaching. There weren''t many of them, just over twenty, but it was enough to scatter the crowd.


    Like someone seeing a savior, the Village Chief looked to Liu Weimin and said, "Comrade officer, hurry and shoot them with your gun!"


    While running to the riot control vehicle, the nearby villagers saw the Village Chief''s actions and immediately reacted, also rushing towards the riot control vehicle.


    Seeing this group led by the Village Chief, Liu Weimin instantly felt like damnation had befallen him.


    Li Yu''s group, composed of five people, could hack their way through a host of zombies, yet although they didn''t have such good weapons, they still had kitchen knives and hoes. sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One for each should do the job! Typical internal strife, yet weak against external threats!


    Glancing at the bullets remaining in his Submachine Gun, they didn''t seem to be plenty. As the zombies drew closer, Liu Weimin raised the Submachine Gun and swept fire towards them.


    Ratatat...


    The zombies fell like wheat before the scythe, but with no consciousness, they felt no fear. The sound of gunfire seemed to stimulate the zombies, who became even more frenzied and closed in.


    While firing, Liu Weimin saw his daughter holding an axe and shouted, "Quick, get on the riot vehicle!"


    But when he turned towards the riot vehicle, he discovered it was already packed to the brim!


    Damn!


    Liu Weimin inwardly cursed like mad, but the zombies in front of him would not wait.


    Because Liu Weimin was standing at the forefront, with Liu Huamei by his side, the other villagers had retreated back towards the vehicle, leaving only the two of them to face the zombies.


    Click...


    Liu Weimin''s heart sank��bad news, he was out of bullets.


    Looking at the remaining four zombies straight ahead, he breathed a sigh of relief; fortunately, not many were left.


    Facing a zombie charging directly at him, he forcefully smashed it with the bullet-less muzzle of the gun, splattering its brains.


    In that instant, he quickly pulled out a military knife from the holster on his thigh and stabbed at another zombie beside him.


    Pshh! It must be said, Liu Weimin''s combat ability is indeed strong.


    But two other zombies had already charged in front of Liu Huamei, with Liu Huamei swinging her axe at one of them.


    Yet another zombie from the side had already pounced!


    At this moment, as Liu Huamei''s axe was chopping into the zombie, her body couldn''t react quickly enough, and at the same time, Liu Weimin was stabbing towards a zombie with his military knife.


    In this critical moment, in the blink of an eye, that zombie was about to bite Liu Huamei.


    So close!


    Liu Huamei turned her head and saw the crowd still scuffling to get on the riot vehicle, a flicker of despair passing through her heart!


    "Huamei!", seeing this scene, Liu Weimin was on the brink of fury!


    The crowd around the riot vehicle was still noisy, arguing to get on!


    Swoosh!


    The sound of an arrow flying through the air!


    It was Li Hongda! He was seen holding a crossbow, shooting at the zombie.


    Psh! Thump!


    The zombie fell to the ground, and Liu Huamei was so scared that she stood frozen in place.


    Liu Weimin quickly stepped forward and after a brief examination, finding that Liu Huamei was unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief.


    He looked resentfully towards the crowd and then gratefully at Li Hongda on the wall.


    He felt some regret and also came to understand why Li Yu did not let these people into the base; these people had no conscience!


    But he couldn''t bring himself to lose face; at this moment, to go to Li Yu and ask to let them in.


    Moreover, Li Yu had not yet indicated whether he would allow him to enter.


    Ah! Forget it, it''s fine not to go in!


    Looking at the crowd, Liu Weimin sighed; how could the people have become so heartless? How did it become like this!


    Because of the continued gunfire just now, which was loud, it seemed that even more zombies were being attracted from afar.


    At this time, Liu Weimin was not being polite anymore, he pulled his daughter and ran towards the riot vehicle!


    At this time, the passenger seat of the armoured vehicle was occupied by the Village Chief, and a tattooed youth was sitting in the driver''s seat.


    At the back door of the vehicle, people were continuously dragged down and more rushed to get on.


    The two in the driver''s seats were planning to drive away, but as they were about to start the vehicle, they were dumbfounded; there was no key!


    The key was in Liu Weimin''s hands, and seeing Liu Weimin approaching, the Village Chief quickly tugged at the tattooed youth and pointed to the back, then got out of the car.


    "Police comrade, well done! Thank you for protecting us like this! Let''s hurry and leave this place!" he said as he yielded the passenger seat.


    Liu Weimin had clearly seen the two trying to start the vehicle without a key.


    Recalling that no one had come down to help him earlier, and the Village Chief who ran the fastest, his face darkened in an instant; he was just, he was kind, but he wasn''t stupid!


    He sat down in the vehicle without ceremony, placing his daughter in the passenger seat.


    Meanwhile, at the back door, the tattooed youth, prompted by the Village Chief''s gesture, had rudely parted the crowd and then dragged two people off their seats by the door.


    During that gap, the Village Chief agilely jumped aboard like a monkey. Then the tattooed youth also got in.


    One riot vehicle, with a limit of 8 people, was jam-packed with nearly 20 people. Only the front driving space was slightly empty, while people squeezed against each other in the back, face to face.

 Chapter 24 - 24: BBQ Party [Vote for Recommendation]

    Even though the riot truck was packed with people, some still couldn''t get on board.


    Below the truck, three people still hadn''t boarded, and the zombies were getting closer from afar.


    Liu Weimin, seeing the already full truck and then the three people behind, felt helpless.


    At that moment, Liu Weimin suddenly glanced at the roof of the truck, with the recent memory of these people not helping flashing through his mind.


    He didn''t want to speak, but decades of moral values reproached him. So, in the end, he said, "Get on the roof!"


    The three people swirling around below the vehicle, as if seeing a lifesaver, instantly understood and climbed onto the roof.


    Boom...


    The riot truck started and drove away, kicking up dust.


    ...


    Inside the perimeter wall, the aunt and Grandpa, among others, heard the sound of the vehicle entering and all ran out.


    Seeing their completely unharmed uncle, Grandma burst into tears, and Liu Fanghua, Li Yu''s mother, also secretly wiped her tears on the side.


    The uncle, seeing that his parents, wife, and son were all safe, felt a huge weight lift from his heart and he slowly exhaled.


    Li Suxin, seeing everyone surrounding Liu Jianwen and then noticing Li Yu holding Xiao Hang''s hand, felt a twinge of jealousy, humph! That was her big brother.


    But when she saw Xiao Hang wearing only one shoe, her white rabbit on the clothes turned gray, her sallow and thin appearance, timidly standing beside Li Yu, Li Suxin''s heart overflowed with sympathy.


    She thought to herself: This poor little sister, alright, you can borrow my big brother for now.


    Then, she slowly walked over and, with a hand smaller than Xiao Hang''s, took her other hand.


    Digging in her tiny pocket for a while, she finally pulled out a squashed big White Rabbit candy, her eyes full of sincerity, she said in a tender voice, "You eat!"


    Xiao Hang looked at the plump little face in front of her, but her eyes were big and extremely cute. Suddenly, the tears that hadn''t fallen before now started to drop.


    Li Suxin seeing Xiao Hang cry, suddenly panicked a bit, not knowing what she had done wrong, and quickly looked to Li Yu for help.


    Li Yu, seeing Li Suxin''s actions, felt the softest part of his heart being touched.


    He fondly tousled Li Suxin''s hair and gently said, "Suxin, she''s not crying because of what you said; she''s moved by your candy."


    "Our Suxin did great!" Li Yu said again, then introduced, "This big sister''s name is Xiao Hang, from now on you can call her Sister Xiao Hang, okay?"


    Li Suxin, relieved not to be blamed, took a deep breath like a little adult.


    Then, seeing Xiao Hang was alone, she asked, "Sister Xiao Hang, where are your mom and dad? Why are you alone?"


    On hearing this, Xiao Hang felt even sadder, and her tears flowed like a broken dam. Li Yu nearby explained, "Her family was all killed by the zombies outside."


    In Li Yu''s view, he advocates at home not to veil the reality, as a greenhouse environment only nurtures tender flowers, and that is fatal in this apocalyptic world.


    So even the youngest Li Suxin is learning how to use a Dagger and has even seen zombies from afar at the Observation Tower.


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, Li Suxin''s heart also became a bit saddened, and she whispered in a low voice, "I don''t have a mom anymore either; my dad said she passed away from illness, I don''t even remember what she looked like."


    Then, she quickly lifted her head and comfortingly said, "Sister Xiao Hang, don''t be too sad. Just like my dad said, my mom will always protect me from the sky, and your mom and dad will do the same."


    Seeing this much younger little girl standing there comforting her, listening to her childishly sincere words, Xiao Hang, who was already somewhat sensible, stopped crying right away.


    She widened her eyes and softly said, "Thank you."


    Li Yu patted the heads of the two, holding Li Suxin''s small hand with his other hand.


    Li Suxin instantly snapped out of her previously distressed mood, tilted her head back, and said to Li Yu, "Big brother, I want to eat barbecue!"


    Seeing Li Suxin, who had just made him feel a bit heartache, Li Yu''s emotions suddenly became disjointed.


    The change was abrupt, but understandable. Li Suxin was not even two years old when her mother passed away from illness. Her memories of her mother were too vague, and she was still very young now.


    Li Yu took a moment, looking at Li Suxin who now seemed carefree,


    and immediately laughed, saying, "Alright, let''s have a barbecue tonight!"


    ....


    Under the big camphor tree in the center, a bright lamp hung from a branch, illuminating the ground as if it were daylight.


    The ground was covered with four or five barbecue grills, one of which was currently grilling beef and lamb, sizzling as the charcoal cooked it.


    The oil from the meat dripped onto the charcoal, sparking bigger flames.


    On the other grills, various other items were being cooked: pork skewers, chicken skewers, chicken legs, chicken wings, chicken fillets, chicken necks, frankfurters, etc.


    For vegetables, there were lettuce, green beans, eggplant, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chives, enoki mushrooms, mushrooms, green chili peppers, lotus slices, tomatoes, onions, etc.


    Having your own vegetable garden is convenient, and it''s good to have stocked up on supplies in the warehouse. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Next to the barbecue, Li Yu had brought out two cases of ice-cold beer from the large refrigerator, and the table also held several bottles of homemade juice, along with tissues for wiping mouths. Indeed, Li Yu had considered a lot, stocking up on plenty of tissues.


    Li Hang and Xiao L�� along with a few cousins were excitedly grilling ingredients, their youthful faces reddened by the charcoal fire.


    Li Yuan had moved the indoor projector outside, setting up a screen on a stand. She, along with Lai Xiyue and other girls, were watching a Korean drama, occasionally exclaiming, "This oppa is so handsome."


    Meanwhile, the grandpas sat under the big banyan tree with a small table between them, deep in a game of chess. There were also Second Uncle, aunts, and other relatives watching.


    Viewed from above, the scene was lively with dozens of people laughing and playing, playing chess, eating sunflower seeds, watching movies, barbecuing...


    And of course, there was a little boy with a greasy mouth munching on food.


    He was his aunt''s young son. Seeing this rascal wiping his hands on his aunt as usual after picking his nose,


    Li Yu''s blood pressure instantly skyrocketed.


    Damn, this kid is going to be somebody!


    Beside them, Uncle Liu Jianwen and Li Yu were leisurely lying on loungers.


    With their hands behind their heads, fresh from a hot shower and dressed in clean clothes, Liu Jianwen felt incredibly comfortable, a stark contrast to his hellish experience over the past several days.


    Liu Jianwen said leisurely, "Xiao Yu, the perimeter wall should be fine, right?"


    Li Yu took a sip of the cold beer in his hand, a breeze passed, and a refreshing sensation travelled from his feet up to his head.


    He slowly replied, "My dad and Second Uncle were on duty at the main gate today, and the monitoring room is being watched by Uncle and the others. I''ve asked Xiao Hang to bring them some food."


    While sending Xiao Hang to deliver the cooked barbecue, he cautioned against drinking alcohol, worried it might lead to negligence.


    At this moment, Li Yu was very clear-headed; he had a high tolerance for alcohol, being able to drink over two kilograms of spirits and keep drinking beer endlessly.


    But as a core member, he needed to stay alert, so he just drank a little.


    Uncle looked at the beautiful scene in front of him and praised: It truly is a paradise.


    Wondering how Liu Weimin and the others were doing.


    ....

 Chapter 25 - 25: Escape to Rock Mountain

    Outside the perimeter wall, an explosion-proof vehicle was leaving along the path.


    But more and more zombies were flooding in from the country road, and Liu Weimin saw a few scattered zombies, about four or five of them, approaching from the front, while more zombies started coming out from the forests on both sides.


    Gritting his teeth, he yelled: "Hold tight!"


    The explosion-proof vehicle instantly accelerated, plowing through them.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Clang�� Clang�� Clang��


    At high speed, the three zombies in front were hit by the sturdy explosion-proof vehicle and were swept underneath it.


    The tires crushed over the bodies of the zombies. Although the vehicle didn''t flip over, it still vibrated considerably.


    The roof of the vehicle originally had no good handholds, and three people on the roof were rocking and swaying.


    Thump! Thump!


    The two people on the roof were shaken off due to the vibration.


    "Ah, save me, save me."


    "My leg''s broken, hurry and save me, the zombies are coming."


    Liu Weimin saw this scene from the rearview mirror and sighed inwardly.


    But he couldn''t stop. If he did, everyone would die here.


    The densely packed zombies from both sides of the woods had caught up.


    The people inside the vehicle watched as those two unfortunate souls were devoured by the horde of zombies.


    Watching the two fall from the vehicle, everyone felt a rabbit''s death as their own.


    The explosion-proof vehicle sped up again, bursting out of the path and onto the country road.


    "Where to? Where''s safer?" Liu Weimin turned and asked the people behind him.


    The Village Chief thought for a moment, then said, "We have a tourist spot called Rock Mountain; there are fewer zombies there, and it''s difficult for the zombies to get up!"


    Nodding, Liu Weimin drove in the direction the Village Chief had pointed. Along both sides of the national road, there were still some zombies, but they were mostly not in groups��just wandering aimlessly in twos and threes.


    With the appearance of the explosion-proof vehicle, the zombies would give chase for a while, and upon realizing they couldn''t catch up, could only growl in anger.


    The armored vehicle had driven 2 kilometers when suddenly the Village Chief said to turn right.


    Liu Weimin made a sharp turn, and the last person on the roof also nearly fell off.


    Luckily, he was the only one left on the roof and clung on for dear life.


    The armored vehicle continued driving forward, crossed a bridge, and arrived at Rock Mountain.


    At the foot of Rock Mountain, a few zombies were loitering around.


    But at least the terrain of Rock Mountain was steep and complicated, and a metal fence at the entrance blocked them.


    Liu Weimin drove the armored vehicle straight into the crowd of zombies, crushing a few of them.


    He reversed, then rammed again, back and forth several times, until only a few zombies were left standing.


    Then he stopped the car, looked back at the crowded people inside, who showed no intention of getting out.


    Liu Weimin sighed silently and looked at the people behind him, saying, "Hand it over!"


    "Wha-what?" The Village Chief didn''t quite understand what Liu Weimin meant.


    "Give me that Firewood Knife in your hand! Or do you want to go down and handle those few zombies?" Seeing their cowardly faces, Liu Weimin spoke irritably.


    "Don''t you have a gun? Shoot these monsters dead!" The Village Chief didn''t understand why he needed to hand it over.


    Liu Weimin sighed, "I''ve run out of bullets just now; surely I can''t just use a Dagger, right?"


    The Village Chief had a gloomy look, but seeing the zombies outside, he didn''t want to risk going out either.


    He hesitantly handed the Firewood Knife to Liu Weimin.


    After receiving the knife, Liu Weimin instructed Liu Huamei not to come out.


    He pushed the car door forcefully, knocking off the zombie that was leaning against the window.


    He then pulled out the Firewood Knife and swung it at another zombie, splosh��the zombie was chopped down!


    Immediately following that, two more zombies closed in. Liu Weimin, with 5 years of military and 8 years of armed police experience, had impressive combat skills.


    Facing the two charging zombies, Liu Weimin calmly struck one down, as the other zombie quickly approached.


    He then stabbed the zombie''s head with a dagger.


    The people inside the car watched through the windows as Liu Weimin took out all the zombies, their faces breaking into smiles of relief.


    Liu Huamei got out of the car and suddenly, she quickened her pace a few steps forward.


    She lifted an axe and chopped down the zombie that was crawling towards Liu Weimin!


    It was the one that had been against the door earlier, the one Liu Weimin had knocked to the ground!


    As the daughter of a policeman, she had always been braver than most, and her love for sports made her as capable as any grown man.


    Fortunate!


    Father and daughter exchanged glances.


    That''s when the rear car door opened, and the group streamed out like a line of fish.


    "How shall we proceed?" Liu Weimin looked at the Village Chief and others getting out of the car, feeling somewhat impatient. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All along the way, he felt this group was utterly unreliable, as helpful as pigs.


    The Village Chief led the way and, after everyone entered the scenic area, he closed the iron fence.


    This iron fence was the gate of the scenic area, previously used to block tourists trying to sneak in for free. Although it wasn''t exactly sturdy, it was better than nothing.


    The Village Chief pointed towards the scattered rocks ahead of odd shapes and said, "This way is Rock Mountain, it''s tough to traverse, but we have to climb up."


    While leading the way, he explained, "The path through Rock Mountain is difficult, but it also effectively blocks the zombies."


    Liu Weimin didn''t speak, and everyone began to climb upward.


    A few young men following behind Liu Huamei were restless with desire as they watched her rounded hips.


    Especially when Liu Huamei stepped on rocks to climb upwards, the outline of her attractive figure was fully accentuated.


    The young men behind her were staring fixedly at the beautiful curves of Liu Huamei''s rear.


    Feeling the searing gaze from behind, Liu Huamei slightly turned her head.


    Seeing the lustful eyes of the men behind her, she became instantly furious with embarrassment.


    "What are you looking at!?" she angrily exclaimed!


    She thought to herself: How shameless are these people, even more so than Li Yu, completely lacking morals!


    Yet, their behavior under the walls just now seemed so innocent and pitiable.


    The tattooed young man trailing closely immediately said with a chuckle, "Not looking at anything, move along. Don''t block the way."


    Liu Weimin, at the front, heard the conversation from behind and turned his head.


    The young men quickly lowered their heads.


    They remained quiet then on, and as Rock Mountain wasn''t high, they soon saw two old tiled houses halfway up the mountain, overgrown with grass.


    But as they were about to reach the houses, whereas they could have gone straight ahead, the Village Chief hesitated, mumbling about taking a detour.


    Liu Weimin looked confused and asked.


    The Village Chief quickly said, "It''s difficult to walk ahead, the front..." He seemed to be searching for an explanation, unable to provide an immediate answer.


    As if recalling something, he added, "Rock Mountain is a small scenic spot, on the right is an observation deck. The view is great, let''s go there to check if the zombies have come."


    Although the reason was a bit far-fetched, hearing about zombies, Liu Weimin still decided to go and check first.


    See if there were any new zombies coming from below the mountain,


    But with all that had happened, Liu Weimin somewhat knew these were not the honest farmers he was familiar with and remained alert to any hidden tricks they might pull during the night on this route.


    Reaching the observation deck, they saw several houses at the foot of the mountain, and a few zombies wandering, blocked by the fence and snarling outside it.


    Everyone reached the two tiled houses, and as night fell, the darkness grew.


    Fortunately, they had gathered a few patrol lights at the scenic area''s main gate earlier, or else they would have had to endure the night in darkness.


    The murky night deepened, and after a tense day of fleeing and chopping zombies, they had no opportunity to search for food.


    Liu Weimin and his daughter had not eaten much all day and were now suddenly overwhelmed with hunger.

 Chapter 26 - 26: When the Avalanche Falls.....

    The night was cool as water,


    December''s weather had turned a bit cold.


    Liu Weimin''s stomach rumbled with hunger, but at this time, the Village Chief and others across had already set down their packages, revealing some supplies: rice, instant noodles, soda crackers...


    But it seemed they had no intention of offering Liu Weimin food; after all, it was the end of the world, and food was scarce. Everyone was waiting for someone else to be generous to Liu Weimin, but since everyone was waiting for someone else, no one gave anything.


    Liu Weimin was too proud to ask them for food.


    But today, he had saved them, ah, how ungrateful people are!


    He then remembered the road the Village Chief had forbidden him to take and felt a vague sense of unease.


    He had to check it out!


    So he said to his daughter beside him, "I''m going out for a bit, to check on that road." Glancing at the dark and quiet night road, he thought for a moment and said, "I don''t know what''s going on over there, wait here for me."


    Liu Huamei, upon hearing this, was reluctant and wanted to go with him.


    But after Liu Weimin dissuaded her, saying, "I''ll be back soon."


    After he spoke, he left the tile-roofed house, and the Village Chief, who was eating cookies, tensed up when he saw Liu Weimin''s movement.


    But Liu Weimin was already out the door, and it was too late to stop him.


    The tattooed youth next to him, however, didn''t think so much. Seeing Liu Weimin go out, he became restless.


    He staggered over to Liu Huamei, leaned on the door frame with one hand, and said, "Beautiful girl, are you scared? Do you want to come into your brother''s warm embrace?" His tone was full of teasing.


    Liu Huamei looked at this person with disgust, didn''t say a word, and just stepped aside a few paces.


    But this retreat excited the tattooed youth even more. He began to grab at Liu Huamei''s arm, the youths nearby saw and started jeering, crowding around.


    Just then, the Village Chief came over, slapped the tattooed youth, and said in a low voice, "What time is it, and you''re still playing? Those women you played to death are just outside! That cop is gone! If he sees the bodies, he''s going to come back and make trouble; think about what to do!"


    The tattooed youth, upon hearing this, lost all interest, his gaze became murky as he looked towards the door and saw Liu Huamei, who had retreated to the edge of the door.


    Liu Huamei, standing far away, didn''t hear clearly what they were saying, but she vaguely heard the word "bodies". And through the interactions along the way, she felt these people were not good.


    The Village Chief and the tattooed youth exchanged glances, then the tattooed youth gestured, and everyone understood as if they had previous experience.


    The tattooed youth and a few others slowly surrounded Liu Huamei, and Liu Huamei just happened to look outside, wanting to see if her father was coming back.


    While Liu Huamei turned her head, and her gaze was not on them,


    They quickly grabbed Liu Huamei''s shoulders, the tattooed youth swiftly snatched the axe from her hands, and the Village Chief held her mouth tight, not allowing her to make a sound.


    Liu Huamei knew these people were not simple, honest farmers, but she didn''t expect them to dare to do this!


    How outrageous! How dare they!


    At this moment, the pitiful villagers from under the wall had turned into wolves!


    Liu Huamei struggled desperately, but against several adult men holding her down, she couldn''t break free!


    "What about that guy?" asked the tattooed youth as he looked outside, speaking eerily.


    The Village Chief didn''t even think before responding, "Then just like before, slaughter him." As if realizing they were short-handed,


    He then looked towards a dozen hesitant people behind him and said, "Everyone had dirty hands, we''re all going down if trouble comes! Zhang Tianhe, Tie Zhu, you''ve all handled a knife before!"


    The people behind him changed expressions upon these words.


    Some were silent, while others muttered softly, "You forced us to stab!"


    "Heh!" The Village Chief sneered, "Then didn''t you go through with it? Everyone is tainted, we''re all grasshoppers on a string. Heh, I saw how eager you were when dividing the food!"


    Then he shouted under his breath, "Come help!"


    How do you keep another person from telling if you''ve done something wrong?


    You drag that person into the mud!


    When an avalanche falls, no snowflake is innocent!


    After hesitating for a while, those in the back finally stepped forward to help. They took over from the tattooed youth, holding Liu Huamei down firmly so she could not make a sound.


    The tattooed youth and a few others secretly stood behind the door, ready to ambush Liu Weimin when he came in.


    Liu Weimin stepped outside and made his way down the road.


    He turned on the police multifunctional flashlight he carried with him, directing it towards that direction.


    Before he had covered the distance, he could already smell a foul stench, mixed with a faint scent of blood from several meters away.


    His heart skipped a beat, and he quickened his pace.


    The beam of light swept across, and the scene that met his eyes sent a chill coursing through him.


    Having been a policeman for many years, he had seen a lot, but he had never come across a scene like this.


    There, on that stretch of road, to the left was a small ditch, and in that confined space, lay a sprawl of human corpses.


    The faces of these people bore no signs of zombie transformation; they had died while still human!


    Some of their clothes had been stripped off.


    There were men, women, and elderly among them, but the women''s clothes were in disarray, clearly having suffered something before their death!


    And some of the men bore multiple stab wounds on their bodies!


    Not just from one stab! Numerous knife marks completely disfigured the corpses!


    The bodies must have been there for a few days already, their surfaces bloated, with several heads crawling with maggots.


    As the flashlight scanned, the scene became clear, extremely gruesome.


    Why did the Village Chief not allow me to come over just now? What do these have to do with them?


    Piecing together the events of the day, he had already vaguely sensed something was off about these people.


    "Not good!"


    The sudden thought of Liu Huamei still being at the tile-roofed house made him anxious.


    He hurried towards the tile-roofed house and soon arrived at the doorstep.


    Although he was deeply concerned for his daughter''s safety, years of police experience allowed him to retain some professional composure even in the gravest of crises.


    He approached slowly, noticing the door to the tile-roofed house was closed, with not a sound coming from inside.


    This abnormal quiet seemed to confirm some of his worst suspicions.


    Anxiety rose within him, accompanied by a surge of intense anger from deep within.


    Why!?


    It was as if the ideals he had steadfastly maintained for years were collapsing like an iceberg.


    The beliefs that had sustained him through countless difficulties,


    The enthusiastic spirit and high morale he had once held,


    The principles he had sworn to uphold with his life, S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, they were on the brink of collapse!


    With this all-consuming rage, Liu Weimin kicked the door powerfully, sending it flying off its hinges.


    Several people behind the door were knocked down by the force of it.


    Liu Weimin peered in with caution, his head feinting a movement before he stepped back.


    At that moment, a gleaming Kitchen Knife fell from the right side next to the door.


    Brushing past Liu Weimin''s face, it missed as he swiftly dodged; the quick blade carried a gust of wind with it.


    That was close, fortunate to have dodged quickly.


    Liu Weimin shifted to one side and slipped in through the other side of the door.


    As soon as he steadied himself, the tattooed young men surrounded him.


    Eager to rescue his daughter, Liu Weimin scanned the crowd.


    Seeing his daughter, Liu Huamei, being forcefully pinned to the ground by several people, her wide eyes filled with terror.


    The last shred of hope in Liu Weimin''s heart was utterly extinguished!

 Chapter 27 - 27: Why?

    "Let her go!" Liu Weimin''s voice was hoarse and exhausted. His daughter had lost her mother when she was young, and he had raised her alone.


    He often had to go out on duty, so he rarely spent time with her, and he always felt guilty towards his daughter.


    In Liu Huamei''s heart, although her father didn''t spend much time with her, she always believed that her father was her world!


    Influenced by her surroundings, Liu Huamei had also become very justice-driven.


    But the people opposite, after hearing Liu Weimin''s words, grabbed her even tighter.


    Liu Weimin furiously shouted: "Did you also cause those corpses outside?"


    The Village Chief, seeing that things had escalated, felt there was no need to hide anything.


    Smiling, he said: "The world is already like this, you said it yourself, the Government is gone, nothing to be surprised about."


    Seeing the Village Chief admitting it outright, Liu Weimin''s heart sank like dead ashes.


    All the years he had held his beliefs seemed like a joke now, and seeing his still struggling daughter made his heart wrench in pain.


    He immediately rushed over; there were no bullets left in his gun, and he only had a Dagger on him.


    Seeing Liu Weimin charging furiously, the tattooed youth panicked a bit and pulled someone beside him in front to block Liu Weimin''s charge.


    At this moment, Liu Weimin was on the verge of collapse, and he didn''t care who he was facing; he stabbed directly at the person''s neck.


    Pffft! Blood spurted out! Blood gushed like a fountain!


    The Village Chief had already stealthily moved to the back when Liu Weimin came charging in, and seeing Liu Weimin brutally kill a man made his heart skip a beat.


    Seeing Liu Weimin, who didn''t stop after killing a man, the Village Chief yelled loudly: "Stop him! Kill him, or we''ll all die!"


    As if waking up from a trance, the crowd surged forward; some held hoes, some held Kitchen Knives, and others Firewood Knives, and even someone with a fire poker....


    In Liu Weimin''s eyes, these people seemed non-existent; he just wanted to save his daughter!


    Alerted by the Village Chief, about four or five people quickly surrounded him; one swung a hoe down, but Liu Weimin easily dodged and quickly closed in on a person holding a Firewood Knife.


    With the Dagger, he stabbed again, hitting the neck almost reflexively.


    Since the apocalypse began, Liu Weimin and Liu Jianwen had survived among countless Zombies during torrential rains, and they had killed many Zombies, sometimes using knives to save bullets.


    Liu Weimin had turned the action of stabbing the neck into muscle memory.


    Now these people, in his eyes, seemed no different from Zombies, even worse!


    Right after Liu Weimin stabbed this person, he quickly snatched the Firewood Knife from his hand. The Dagger was sharp, but it was too short; as the saying goes, an inch longer, an inch stronger!


    Seeing Liu Weimin kill another person, those around him seemed spurred by the bloody scene. If they didn''t stop this man, it would eventually be their turn!


    So they started to charge; the leading tattooed youth rushed towards him, holding a machete, and signaled to a few others beside him as they all charged together.


    Liu Weimin was, after all, just one person, and even though he had been an Armed Police for many years, he was not a deity!


    Using the machete recklessly, he charged towards his daughter, killing two people, but also receiving two slashes on his shoulder, though as an Armed Police, he instinctively avoided vital spots.


    But his back was still slashed open twice, and blood started to seep out.


    Finally, when he neared his daughter, the two people who caught Liu Huamei seemed to react and wanted to put a knife on her neck to threaten Liu Weimin.


    But at that moment, Liu Weimin threw the Dagger, hitting one directly in the heart.


    Liu Huamei immediately fought back, knocking down the other person and rushing towards Liu Weimin.


    After reuniting, Liu Weimin breathed heavily and shielded Liu Huamei behind him.


    Liu Huamei looked at her father, his jacket soaked in blood, tears streaming down uncontrollably.


    Liu Weimin didn''t speak, secretly handing over the car keys and light to Liu Huamei, and whispered: "Go, find Liu Jianwen, Li Yu might not want to save you, but Liu Jianwen should save you for my sake!"


    His voice was soft, but the nearest tattooed man heard him, shouting loudly: "Don''t let them escape!"


    The crowd gathered again, Liu Weimin, supporting Liu Huamei, rushed towards the door, but there were people blocking the doorway; he charged, wielding the Firewood Knife wildly as if life didn''t matter.


    One person got slashed, another frantically dodged for their life.


    Liu Weimin pushed Liu Huamei out the door, but didn''t expect a slash aimed at his calf from behind!


    Thump! He fell to the ground, blood flowing from his calf.


    But he seemed to feel no pain, still leaning against the doorway.


    But the leg that was slashed couldn''t support him, and his whole body fell again, but Liu Weimin''s body firmly occupied the doorway.


    "Run!" Liu Weimin roared.


    Liu Huamei had tears covering her face, regretting immensely at that moment! Why did she try to save these people! Why didn''t she believe what Li Yu said!


    But there was no medicine for regret; she wanted to stay, but what use would there be? To die together?


    "Should I beg that person for help? Will that person save me? I don''t know, but I still cling to a glimmer of hope.


    I took another deep look at everyone, a viciousness in my eyes that had never been there before! These people, if there is a chance in the future, must die!


    Then I ran down the hill, the others wanted to rush out too, but Liu Weimin''s desperate way of fighting at the door stopped them.


    As Liu Huamei ran down the mountain on the rugged road, she fell several times, but she had no time to care for her wounds, afraid that the people behind would catch up.


    Finally, she reached the bottom of the mountain, and the car was right beside the iron fence!


    But under the iron fence, there were still two zombies. At this moment, Liu Huamei, eager to get back, was fearless.


    She directly took on the zombies, and one zombie was knocked down.


    The other one was also catching up, but Liu Huamei had already run into the car.


    Boom...


    The car roared, and Liu Huamei drove the car at high speed!


    On the night-lit passageway, zombies occasionally appeared in front of the car.


    Bang bang bang! The riot car on the national road was like a bulldozer!


    ...


    Eventually, she made it to the bottom of the wall.


    From afar, Second Uncle saw a light flashing in the distance, and when he saw it was a riot car, he immediately contacted Li Yu and Liu Jianwen through the walkie-talkie.


    Li Yu was sleeping. He had maintained a habit of light sleep before and after his rebirth and had never changed it.


    Upon hearing the first beep of the walkie-talkie, he woke up. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He got up, got dressed, took a submachine gun and a long knife.


    By the time he arrived, the car had already stopped under the wall, and because the riot car made some noise, two zombies had already gathered below.


    Second Uncle showed no expression, just quietly watched Liu Huamei talk from downstairs.


    "Please, save me! I was wrong, please!" Liu Huamei was crying inconsolably on the car below, but choked up as she tried to speak.


    Second Uncle glanced at her indifferently. Li Hongyuan was also on duty today. Listening to Liu Huamei talking downstairs, he wasn''t sure what to do, sighed, and said to wait for Li Yu''s arrival.


    Li Yu arrived, followed by his Uncle Liu Jianwen.


    Standing on the observation tower, seeing Liu Huamei downstairs, he was a bit surprised but didn''t speak; he wanted to hear what she had to say.


    But Uncle beside him was impatient upstairs, urging Li Yu and the others to open the gate to let people in.


    Li Yu refused.


    Second Uncle and Li Hongyuan maintained an attitude of detachment, showing expressions as if it didn''t concern them.


    Liu Huamei below the wall was crying uncontrollably, her words intermittent and thick with nasal sounds, unable to clearly express herself due to excessive grief.


    "Can''t speak clearly, right? 10 seconds, or I''ll go back to sleep."


    Liu Huamei, sobbing, took a deep breath, silently counted, and forced herself to calm down.


    The series of experiences today seemed to have made her grow up all at once.


    Soon enough, her emotions stabilized, and she quickly and accurately described what had happened.


    Then with eyes full of hope, she looked at Li Yu, her gaze filled with extreme pleading.


    She knew Li Yu was the decision-maker.


    Li Yu, hearing these words, saw his agitated Uncle who was about to go downstairs. He patted his shoulder and slowly passed him a cigarette.


    Then lighting another cigarette, slowly blew out the smoke.


    Then he looked down at Liu Huamei, his expression emotionless, calm, and objective,


    and said:


    "During the day,


    it was you who asked me to let them in,


    Now,


    you want me to kill them to save your dad,


    Also you,


    Why should I?"


    His words stated the facts, leaving no room for rebuttal.

 Chapter 28 - 28: Have You Ever Thought About It?

    Li Yu''s words were like a knife, each one slicing into Liu Huamei''s heart.


    If it were false, she might have objected, but what Li Yu stated were facts. Suddenly, she felt a wave of powerlessness rise from the depths of her heart.


    How good it would have been to listen to Li Yu at the beginning! How good it would have been not to have saved that group of people! If only...


    Unfortunately, in this world, there is no medicine for regret, and everyone must pay for their actions.


    "But, but we were just blinded by our kindness, our intentions were good!?" Liu Huamei screamed desperately, her voice filled with anguish.


    Aside from a few zombies, the sounds here had already attracted some of the zombies in the forest, who were slowly approaching.


    "What the hell does that have to do with me!" Li Yu spoke indifferently.


    "Then, we indeed made a mistake, please let me in, please save my father! Don''t you care that they are killing people?" Liu Huamei''s face was full of pain, as if she was enduring some immense suffering.


    "What the hell does that have to do with you!" Li Yu was sparing with his words.


    Liu Huamei had anticipated Li Yu might not come to the rescue, but when faced with reality, she still couldn''t accept it. Seeing Li Yu unyielding, she remembered her father''s words before she left, to beg Li Yu''s Uncle, who might save them.


    A flicker of new hope crossed her eyes as she turned to Liu Jianwen and said, "Uncle Liu, please, my dad has worked with you for so many years, for the sake of all these years, please help us?"


    Upon hearing this, Liu Jianwen trembled slightly, guilt flashing through his heart as he looked at Li Yu with a pleading expression: "Xiao Yu, maybe you should let her in and save Old Liu?"


    Seeming to think of something, he suddenly stopped and said, "Forget it, never mind what I said." His eyes and eyebrows were full of struggle.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu''s mood instantly darkened.


    His Uncle probably didn''t yet understand the hearts of people in the apocalyptic world, still had a sense of justice, and wanted to save his colleague of many years, which was understandable.


    After seeing more in the future, he might understand the reasoning behind Li Yu''s actions.


    But now, Liu Huamei was using his Uncle, putting him on the grill, trying to drive a wedge between him and his Uncle, a coup?


    Li Yu couldn''t stand threats. sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His complexion instantly turned ashen, his gaze coldly fixed on Liu Huamei, as if reminded of something.


    He said indifferently, "There''s a saying: He who gathers firewood for the people should not be frozen to death in the snowstorm. But this is the brutal apocalypse, and besides, you aren''t the one who''s brought me firewood. Instead, you threaten me, and now you''re trying to morally blackmail me?"


    "Don''t you think it''s funny? Or do I look like a fucking idiot to you?"


    "I save people, but only people worth saving, not idiots, not those who can''t assess the situation, not those who are of no use to me," Li Yu''s words floated into the ears of everyone present.


    Uncle seemed to have realized something too, and ultimately sighed. He turned his head away, refusing to look down at the wall anymore.


    Below the wall, Liu Huamei watched as Uncle turned his head away, her last glimmer of hope snuffed out, giving rise to boundless despair.


    And after despair, there was an extreme hatred.


    She hated, she hated everyone, she hated the Village Chief and his people, she hated Li Yu, she hated Liu Jianwen, she hated everyone.


    The transformation from justice to evil takes only an instant.


    Now, she wished death upon everyone.


    Suddenly, she laughed.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha, Li Yu, I curse you, may you die a horrible death! Liu Jianwen, you''re just a hypocrite, huh, nothing but a selfish scoundrel!" she yelled maniacally, unrestrainedly.


    The surrounding zombies, attracted by her laughter, surged forward.


    But Liu Huamei didn''t care about the zombies nearby, instead, she turned on the siren of the riot vehicle.


    Beep...


    The loud noise of the riot vehicle tore through the quiet night.


    F*ck! Li Yu watched this woman who seemed to have gone mad.


    Just as he was about to act, Liu Huamei drove the vehicle toward the gate, attempting to break it down.


    Thud!


    The riot vehicle slammed into the gate, making a massive noise.


    But how could this gate be so easily broken? When Li Yu built it, he had considered the possibility of an assault. Hence, he''d spent a lot of money to reinforce the gate. The surrounding walls had been thickened and reinforced with concrete and red bricks to an astonishing degree.


    Watching the gate stand unmoved, Liu Huamei backed up the car to ram it again!


    Swoosh!


    Without any hesitation!


    Li Yu grabbed the crossbow from Second Uncle''s hand and fired an arrow.


    The arrow struck Liu Huamei right in the head,


    a deadly shot!


    The vehicle came to a stop, but the horn continued blaring. Li Yu glanced at Uncle, who was also stunned by the sequence of events.


    Why did this person change so quickly! Just now begging for help, now seeking revenge.


    Thankfully she wasn''t let in!


    But what about the horn now? If it keeps sounding, it will attract more zombies. Although it''s almost impossible for zombies to break through, the thought of so many zombies constantly surrounding the walls is very troublesome!


    It must be turned off!


    Li Yu did not say another word and turned on the super-bright searchlight! Shining it towards the zombie horde.


    He directly descended from the Observation Tower, and as if jolted awake, Uncle hurriedly followed.


    "Second Uncle, you stay upstairs and shoot with the crossbow! Dad, you will help us with the doors later," Li Yu said when he saw them wanting to come down too.


    Fortunately, besides the main gate, there was a 1.5-meter-wide side door installed.


    Due to the consideration that it''s easier for doors to be breached, a small square passageway was built behind both the large and small doors using the leftover building materials, creating a door within a door with double doors for extra security.


    After the three of them opened the internal door, they approached the side door and looked up to signal Second Uncle; there were temporarily no zombies outside the side door.


    Instantly, Li Yu rushed out.


    Carrying a submachine gun and wielding two knives in his hands, he cut down any zombies in his path. Bullets were too precious, and there weren''t that many zombies; he didn''t want to waste them unless absolutely necessary!


    Uncle closely followed suit, chopping down zombies with great exertion. He had made this mistake and wanted to make amends!


    Second Uncle on the building continually shot at the distant zombies with the crossbow.


    It didn''t take long for the two on the ground to reach the riot vehicle. Li Yu got in the car, and Liu Jianwen slashed the approaching zombies on the side, while Li Yu quickly turned off the horn and then pulled out the car keys.


    This car was good, but it couldn''t be driven inside now, with too many zombies around. They would wait until there were fewer zombies before coming out to drive it in.


    After pulling out the keys, Li Yu leaped out of the car like a panther, slamming the car door shut with his foot.


    The two fought and retreated, quickly reaching the side door. Li Hongyuan opened the side door, and the two rushed in.


    Bang!


    Li Hongyuan quickly closed the door!


    Only then were they finally safe. Uncle''s face was drenched in sweat, dropping to the ground; what had happened in just one minute felt like an entire century.


    Extreme maneuvers, Uncle looked at Li Yu with admiration. Li Yu''s reflexes, movement, and even physical fitness were much stronger than anyone he had seen in reality.


    The night sky seemed to quiet down a bit, the zombies outside the walls initially let out furious roars, but without finding a target, they scattered quietly.


    Li Yu led Uncle into the internal door, then immediately sat down on the ground.


    Sweat soaked both their clothes, Li Yu took a cigarette from his pocket, handed one to Uncle, and lit it for him.


    Slowly exhaling smoke, drifting...


    The night seemed much quieter.


    All of a sudden,


    Li Yu suddenly said, "Have you ever thought about it?


    What would have happened if the Village Chief had been let in?


    What would have happened if that woman had been saved?


    What would have happened if the doors weren''t so sturdy?


    What would have happened if either you or I had been bitten just now?"


    Hearing this, Liu Jianwen, who had been keeping his head down since entering,


    thought of some consequences, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.


    The cigarette in his hand shook uncontrollably, unable to be held steady.


    "Xiao Lv would die, Aunt would die, Grandpa and Grandma would die, I would die, you would die, everyone might die!" Li Yu, without any mercy, starkly tore off that veil.


    As if completely ripping open a wound on someone''s body, showing it in all its raw and gruesome detail!

 Chapter 29 - 29: Home!

    Liu Jianwen felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his throat, rendering him speechless.


    "Li Yu, I, I don''t want to..." The atmosphere was exceptionally weighty, and Liu Jianwen couldn''t finish his sentence.


    Eventually, the head he had barely lifted fell heavily again.


    Sigh...


    A muffled sigh.


    Melancholy, regret, confusion, entanglement, fear after the event...


    A mix of emotions swirled together, making him feel as if he had lost all vitality.


    After a while.


    Li Yu pounded Liu Jianwen''s shoulder heavily with his fist,


    and said warmly, "Uncle, I''m here too! Together, we''ll protect our family! Survive this damned apocalypse, and make it through well!"


    Hearing Li Yu''s resolute words, a warm current surged in his heart, like a beacon illuminating his soul that was shrouded in fog.


    Yes! Now that the apocalypse has come, there are always precious things to guard.


    For instance, family!


    In the era before the apocalypse, as the internet developed, communication between people became increasingly convenient, but the distance between hearts grew further apart.


    With the influx of foreign liberal ideas, many people advocated for independence, and the concept of family weakened.


    Why, before his rebirth, during the apocalypse, did many people live in a daze, not knowing what they were living for?


    Because they had no beliefs! No reliance in their hearts! No confidence!


    The country.


    Why, before the apocalypse, did many soldiers, numerous passionate youths, brim with fighting spirit? It was because of the same fervor: China must be strong!


    Five thousand years of grandeur, those who offend our Huaxia, however distant, must be punished; those were the aspirations to drive chariots through Helan Mountain; those were the proud declarations that as long as Dragon City''s warriors exist, the barbarian horses would not cross Yin Mountain.


    It''s just a pity,


    Now in the apocalypse, the Government is gone, social order has collapsed, without country, without order, the entire world has lost its nations!


    What can be done then, is to focus on the word that follows.


    Home!


    The Chinese family atmosphere is much stronger than abroad, like planting vegetables, it''s a gene that flows in the blood. Many foreigners stop caring after their children turn 18.


    But in China, there is the concept of kin beyond generations, of parents toiling their whole lives to buy houses and wives for their children, there is��


    Valuing family, is an indelible, surging blood in the bones of our people!


    "Home is a harbor where you can lean freely without worry, and a place where you can gather courage in any moment of despair."


    Li Yu spoke as if he were an elder, rambling beside Liu Jianwen, as if speaking to Liu Jianwen, yet it seemed as if he was speaking to himself.


    Reconstructing the concept of family, the kinship of blood is inherently closer than with strangers.


    Compared to strangers, family members who share common interests and blood ties are more reliable.


    He wanted to rebuild the culture of family, the faith in family, so that everyone has something to rely on in their hearts; with reliance comes strength, and fearlessness makes one invincible!


    Liu Jianwen listened intently to Li Yu, his heart increasingly moved.


    He patted Li Yu''s shoulder firmly and said, "We are family!"


    Then as if making a vow, he declared, "Li Yu, I will protect our family well! From now on, I''ll listen to you!"


    Li Yu nodded lightly, and then suddenly smiled. Before his rebirth, no one could be trusted for years, many learned to disguise, and he was repeatedly cheated, which turned his heart colder each day, living in a haze.


    Now, he had a purpose in his heart. His family might sometimes be his weakness, but more likely, they would make him stronger!


    Feeling as if he had found a kindred spirit, Li Yu was very happy.


    He affectionately gripped his uncle''s shoulder, walking towards the villa like brothers.


    Liu Jianwen felt the gesture and warmed inside, smiling softly.


    ........


    Returning to the bedroom, Li Yu found that Xuanxuan had sneaked into his room to sleep again.....


    Ever since Li Yu brought her back to the base, Xuanxuan would follow him wherever he went.


    He patted little Xuanxuan''s cheek and said, "Xuanxuan, why are you sleeping here? Go to your room to sleep."


    Xuanxuan ignored him, instead turning over to continue sleeping.


    Seeing this, Li Yu decided not to wake her up. He left the bed quietly.


    Xuanxuan hadn''t had a good night''s sleep for a long time; she felt especially at ease by Li Yu''s side.


    To her, he was the only one she trusted!


    Li Yu had rescued her from despair, touched her head, and said, "Follow me!"


    It was Li Yu who provided her with a warmth she never dared to dream of after the apocalypse!


    From the moment Li Yu saved her, she was determined to repay him well; when she grew up, she would definitely protect Li Yu! S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xuanxuan slept very deeply.


    Li Yu watched the poor little girl who seemed to have taken him as her only family member!


    He felt a certain warmth in his heart.


    A slight smile appeared on his lips as he walked to the window sill, laid out a simple blanket, leaned against the window, and gazed blankly at the gradually sinking moon.


    He didn''t sleep, remembering what Liu Huamei had said today about what happened on Rock Mountain, he murmured to himself, "Rock Mountain... "


    Liu Huamei was dead, so what about Liu Weimin? How would the Village Chief handle these people?


    For Li Yu, he liked to nip troubles in their infancy.


    ...��


    The next day, Li Yu slept until noon.


    A meeting, setting off to Rock Mountain, he was about to undertake a significant task!


    First: military training, allowing the younger generation to recognize the cruelty of human nature, reality.


    Second: eliminating potential threats, the less known about the location of the base, especially by villains, the better.


    Third: creating a sense of crisis.


    He rallied his Uncle Liu Jianwen, Second Uncle Li Hongda,


    his younger brother Li Hang, younger sister Li Yuan, cousins: Li Haoxian, Li Haoran, Li Zhengping... cousins: Li Peizhen, Li Suxin, and Lai Dongsheng''s two daughters....


    and so on.


    There were nearly 20 males over 16 in the family, and nearly 10 females.


    A company of 15 people set out impressively.


    Father Li Hongyuan and Fourth Uncle, Uncle, and others stayed at home.


    The elders of the older generation initially disagreed, especially with taking four-year-old Li Suxin and the six-year-old nose-picker boy Zhang Zhixing.


    But Li Yu''s argument, "You can protect them for a while, but can you protect them for a lifetime?" eventually won them over.


    Before leaving, Li Yu handed a gun to Fourth Uncle and Uncle, asking them to protect the family well. When passing the guns, Li Yu looked at them earnestly, hoping they would cherish it!


    Then they set off, this time in three vehicles.


    Li Yu and Uncle each carried a submachine gun loaded with bullets, and Li Hang insisted on one too; Li Yu finally gave it to him, warning him to be careful of accidental discharge.


    The rest of the people carried various knives and crossbows, even four-year-old Li Suxin had a small dagger.


    This trip to Rock Mountain, Xuanxuan was exceptionally excited.


    Especially when she also received a small knife, she kept pleading with Li Yu to teach her how to use it.


    Ever since she got the small knife, she has been tirelessly practicing the moves Li Yu taught her.

 Chapter 30 - 30: Quickly Praise Me

    Li Yu looked at his family members, filled with boundless emotions. In his previous life, he was alone; this time, he was no longer solitary or fearful.


    Li Yu had been contemplating one thing, why no large-scale organizations formed after the apocalypse. The fundamental reason was the issue of farmland.


    With the scorching heat of doomsday followed by ten days of torrential rain, numerous cities and farmlands were submerged. The lack of arable land, with supply falling short of demand, made it hard to sustain large groups of people, compounded by the loss of human morals, making it difficult to unite once again.


    Li Yu enclosed the land with walls, providing a suitable environment for planting, and the warehouses were stocked with a vast supply of materials. Protected by blood-related family members, who shared common interests, glory for one was glory for all; a loss for one was a loss for all, surely making their unity stronger.


    After some thinking, everybody gradually got into the vehicle, opened the gate, and left.


    Under the wall, there were still a few zombies that hadn''t dispersed. Li Yu chopped off the legs of the zombies, controlled them, and then let his cousins Li Haoxian and Li Haoran try to handle them.


    For Li Haoxian and others, this was their first time seeing zombies up close, as they had only watched from afar from the Observation Tower before.


    "Haoxian, among you all, you are the oldest, you go and set an example!" Li Yu slowly said, his words tinged with encouragement.


    Li Haoxian tightened his grip on the Long Knife. Seeing the determined look in Li Yu''s eyes, he made up his mind.


    Holding the Long Knife, with Li Yu''s reminder echoing in his ears, the 20-year-old Li Haoxian finally mustered his courage, faced the terrifying zombie, and thrust the knife with all his strength towards the zombie''s head.


    Puchi! The zombie''s head was pierced by the Long Knife!


    Seeing the zombie''s head penetrated.


    In an instant, Li Haoxian''s face turned pale, devoid of any color.


    Li Haoxian stared blankly at the zombie in front of him, his hands trembling slightly, as if he was stunned.


    "They are zombies, not people." Li Hang said, snapping Li Haoxian out of his daze.


    Li Hang saw his cousin of the same age, arms folded across his chest, watching his reaction with a somewhat amused look. However, Li Hang seemed to have forgotten that his own first encounter with a zombie wasn''t much better.


    Unexpectedly, Xuanxuan was the second one to step up and confront the zombie directly. Watching the fearsome zombie, the little girl''s face showed no hint of fear.


    Li Yu, initially worried as he saw Xuanxuan approaching the zombie, started walking towards her, but before he got there,


    He saw Xuanxuan wielding a small knife. She quickly stabbed it towards the zombie''s eyeball.


    The eyeball burst, pierced by the knife!


    She pulled out the knife swiftly and efficiently.


    After grabbing the knife, Xuanxuan kept practicing the movement.


    Then, she turned around, no longer looking back, her gaze undisturbed.


    Everyone was startled by this scene; Xuanxuan was barely 8 years old, still a little girl. Compared to the 20-year-old Li Haoxian, Xuanxuan''s calmness was truly impressive!


    Xuanxuan wiped the knife on the ground, then sheathed it by her waist.


    Then, she walked over to Li Yu, tugged on his shirt, and looked up at him with big eyes full of desire for praise.


    Li Yu looked at her, stroked her head, and smiled, but said nothing.


    Seeing Li Yu''s smile, Xuanxuan, who seldom smiled, felt as if she had tasted the sweetest candy, her face also instantly beaming with a smile: You saved me, I must grow up quickly, to protect you!


    Li Suxin, who was 4 years old, was furious when she saw this scene.


    Wearing pigtail braids and with a determined yell, she grabbed her little dagger and charged at the zombie.


    Seeing this, Second Uncle Li Hongda beside her was scared out of his wits, fearing for the safety of the family''s little treasure. "What if something happens?"


    Second Uncle Li Hongda immediately picked up Li Suxin from behind. Feeling someone lifting her, Li Suxin angrily said, "Second Uncle, I want to kill zombies to protect you all!" Her voice was still childishly immature, filled with a desire to prove herself.


    Li Hongda looked at Li Yu, who nodded, and then put Li Suxin down but stayed close beside her, ready to help in case of any danger.


    The released Li Suxin, like a frustrated little calf, charged towards the kneeling zombie.


    Following Xuanxuan''s method, she aimed for the zombie''s eyeball, ready to stab! Just as she was about to stab, the fallen zombie''s hands flailed wildly and grabbed her shoulder.


    The onlookers were sweaty-palmed with tension, and right as Li Hongda was about to assist,


    Li Suxin remained calm, and with all her might, she stabbed the zombie right in its eyeball.


    Thud!


    The zombie fell to the ground, dragging Li Suxin down as well.


    Li Suxin quickly got up, her face unexpectedly devoid of panic, instead displaying excitement.


    Imitating Xuanxuan, she didn''t look back.


    Then she proudly looked at Li Yu, her tiny nose smeared with dirt, her face arrogantly spelling out four words: "Praise me now!"


    Seeing this, Li Yu smiled and gave a big thumbs-up.


    Seeing Li Yu not just smiling but also giving her a thumbs-up, Li Suxin couldn''t help but beam widely, then scurried over to Li Yu with a little wiggle.


    Standing beside Li Yu, Li Suxin gave a proud glance to Xuanxuan.


    But at that moment, the other younger cousins behind Li Yu, including two daughters of Uncle Lai, blushed with shame and embarrassment.


    Especially Li Haoxian, compared to these two exceptional young girls, his performance was utterly embarrassing.


    Suddenly, everyone seemed inspired, refusing to be outdone by two little girls.


    Li Hang near the vehicle felt somewhat relieved, grateful that his first encounter with a zombie wasn''t witnessed. Remembering the tall tales he once boasted and Li Yu''s teasing look, he could almost jokingly dig out an entire apartment with his toe.


    A group that has fearful leaders will disable the whole team. It''s the so-called ''like leader like pack''.


    Conversely, if the supposedly weakest members show unimaginable bravery, it stirs up the others, driven by shame, to be even more courageous, enhancing their fighting spirit.


    Li Suxin and Xuanxuan were like an invisible whip behind them, driving their rapid growth.


    Stimulated by the two young girls, others stepped forward, making their first kills. After the action, everyone felt that it wasn''t as terrifying as they imagined.


    Seeing this, Li Yu felt relieved in his heart. He didn''t mind protecting his family, but if they could grow and not rely on him, it made his protection even more meaningful.


    Restarting the vehicle, they headed towards Rock Mountain!


    (Please recommend and follow~)


    S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 31 - 31: Leave No Troubles Behind [Request for Monthly Ticket and Collection]

    The vehicles moved along the road, with zombies still lingering about, the car windows closed. Occasionally, some zombies would suddenly rush towards the glass, but the people inside did not panic.


    Once you start something and overcome the fear in your heart, even the most terrifying things can become insignificant.


    Soon, everyone arrived at Rock Mountain.


    Li Yu stood at the entrance of Rock Mountain, deep in thought. According to what Liu Huamei had said last night, they were in two tile-roofed houses on the mountain.


    Parking the car, there were still seven or eight zombies wandering about the gate of Rock Mountain.


    Before Li Yu could even get out of the car, Li Hang, along with Li Haoxian and a few other young men, excitedly got out of the car to actively kill zombies, as if that would redeem themselves from earlier.


    Li Yu saw this and did not stop them. Actively killing zombies was also a form of growth. This base needed everyone''s protection!


    Li Yu waited in the car until most of the zombies were dealt with, then directly rammed the off-road vehicle into the iron gate of Rock Mountain.


    Boom!


    The iron gate was directly knocked flying by the vehicle and fell to the ground.


    Li Yu, carrying a submachine gun and holding a large machete, led people up the mountain. Only Li Hang was left behind to watch the car, watching Li Yu reluctantly.


    Li Yu completely ignored him!


    Up the mountain!


    ...


    On the mountain!


    The Village Chief and the others were still inside the tile-roofed houses. There was no choice; they had barely escaped back here, and there were still zombies all over the mountain base, leaving them unsure of where else to go.


    "Should we run now? That woman went to seek help. If Li Yu comes and finds those bodies, he''ll definitely make trouble!" someone said.


    "Run? Where to? There are zombies all over the mountain base. Why don''t you go deal with them?" the tattooed youth said.


    "Li Yu is so selfish, since he won''t let them into the base, why would he come to rescue anyone?" The Village Chief bowed his head in thought for a moment, then slowly said.


    "But just in case," the Village Chief gloomily glanced at Liu Weimin and continued, "If Liu Huamei brings Li Yu and his people here, we still have a trump card in our hands!"


    Li Yu and his group quickly approached the tile-roofed house.


    But just as they were about to arrive, they could smell the stench of blood and rotting corpses from afar. Li Yu immediately thought of what Liu Huamei had told him, that the Village Chief and his people had killed many on the mountain.


    As they approached, they saw a ditch filled with corpses.


    These corpses were not like zombies; they had no black spots, no signs of zombification.


    Some bodies were unclothed, some stabbed dozens of times��it was a ghastly sight!


    Everyone was puzzled, curious about what exactly had happened here.


    "These people, they were all killed by the Village Chief and his group!" Xuanxuan stared straight at the bodies and suddenly spoke, shocking everyone with her startling revelation!


    No one could have guessed that the previously pitiful looking Village Chief and his people could do such a thing.


    Seeing firsthand what the Village Chief and others had done, everyone slowly understood why Li Yu didn''t let them into the base and realized just how cruel the apocalypse could be.


    In-fighting was fierce, while outside fighting was timid. This was a common occurrence even before the apocalypse; it''s always easier to squeeze the soft ones.


    "So, human nature!" Li Yu remarked thoughtfully.


    Uncle''s face was ashen, while Xuanxuan standing next to Li Yu seemed not too surprised.


    However, this field of corpses provided a stark lesson in apocalyptic human nature for everyone behind Li Yu! S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "In an apocalypse, you must be careful. Perhaps you have such principles, but don''t readily trust that others will hold to them too. Keeping your distance and staying vigilant is the only way to last," Li Yu explained to everyone.


    Just then, someone came out from the tile-roofed house, and upon spotting Li Yu and his group, their face instantly turned pale.


    Shouting loudly: "Li Yu and his group have arrived!" while hurriedly running into the tile-roofed house.


    Immediately, a crowd emerged from the tile-roofed house.


    The Village Chief and a tattooed youth, one on each side, dragged out Liu Weimin, who was already half-dead. Seeing Li Yu and his group wielding knives and guns, they instantly became nervous, eyeing Li Yu with a wary expression.


    Liu Weimin was covered in blood, his Achilles tendons had been severed, and his face was swollen, clearly beaten by fists.


    Liu Weimin, with his eyes swollen nearly shut, looked toward Li Yu''s group in front of the tile-roofed house, surprised with joy. However, as his gaze swept across, he did not see Liu Huamei, which confused him, and he glared hatefully at Li Yu.


    Just as he was about to speak, the Village Chief suspiciously asked Li Yu, "What? You want to save him? You wouldn''t let us in, and now that we have fled here, are you still looking for trouble?"


    Li Yu responded noncommittally, instead countering with a question, "Did you kill those people?"


    The Village Chief, as if hearing a joke, incredulously exclaimed, "Yes! But what''s that to you! Everyone is out for their own interests, aren''t you the same? Hah!"


    Li Yu looked at the Village Chief calmly, not retorting, just quietly observing him, and raised his crossbow. Uncle, although somewhat reluctant, also raised his gun from behind.


    Seeing Li Yu''s movement, the Village Chief was startled, panicking yet puzzled, and pulled Liu Weimin in front of him as if he had grasped a handle on Li Yu.


    Furiously, he exclaimed, "If you dare come over, I''ll kill him!"


    Li Yu looked at the Village Chief and said indifferently, "Go ahead."


    The Village Chief, having anticipated many scenarios, had not foreseen this possibility, suddenly unsure of what to do next.


    Then, it seemed he had an idea:


    Pretending to weaken to snatch victory? Li Yu certainly wants to save Liu Weimin but does not want to succumb to threats, hence he spoke so - actually, he is very concerned about Liu Weimin''s safety.


    Alright, think I wouldn''t dare?


    Hardening his heart, the Village Chief bit his lip and sliced Liu Weimin''s neck, drawing fresh blood.


    Li Yu remained unmoved, but Liu Jianwen, seeing this scene, twitched and seemed poised to act, but after looking at Li Yu, he remained still.


    The Village Chief, seeing that Li Yu did not react, felt that his actions were still not adequate, so he cut deeper with the knife.


    Li Yu looked at the Village Chief, then glanced at the sky; the sun was beginning to set.


    After lunch, he had rested for a while before coming out. Perhaps it was hunger that made him irritable, lacking patience.


    He raised his crossbow again, aimed at the Village Chief, and took aim.


    The Village Chief was right about one thing; Li Yu was also selfish. In these end times, how could one survive not being a little selfish?


    He liked to nip all troubles in the bud:


    The Village Chief held hostility towards them; what if outsiders came in the future, and the Village Chief brought them here to seize the base?


    If they were lucky, they could resist.


    If unlucky, either the base would be captured, and everyone would die.


    Or the outsiders would have some backing, leading to more trouble, killings, and recurring issues.


    Too annoying! To avoid prolonged troubles, better to eradicate them all and have some peace!


    While Li Yu thought this, he pulled the crossbow string...


    Seeing this, the Village Chief''s scalp tingled, furious!


    A knife slashed through, Liu Weimin was forsaken!


    Until death, not a word spoken, departing the world with confusion and bewilderment.


    At the same time, the Village Chief''s head was penetrated by an arrow.


    Suddenly, the tattooed youth, though furious, seeing Li Yu and his group with submachine guns, didn''t dare to overtly resist. He silently retreated, attempting to run towards the mountain.


    "Kill all these people!" Li Yu told his followers behind him.

 Chapter 32 - 32: Darkness Under the Light

    When the group encountered the corpses ahead, they knew the Village Chief and his cohort were responsible for these atrocities.


    Although filled with righteous indignation, when Li Yu said he wanted to kill all these people,


    many couldn''t bear it!


    This was the baptism Li Yu wanted to give them, a baptism of survival in the apocalypse!


    He didn''t have much time, nor the energy, to let them learn about human nature through repeated experiences.


    They had to understand that in this apocalypse, realizing this truth sometimes came with a painful lesson, or even the cost of a life.


    Li Yu wanted them to be able, not just to strike at zombies, but also to have the courage to act against some enemies!


    Li Yu fired the first arrow, hitting the brow of a man. For Li Yu, he adhered to one principle: save those who can be saved, and kill only those who are no longer human.


    Li Yu yelled, "Kill them quickly!"


    Then he urged the group to shoot their crossbows, though some, angry at the Village Chief, still couldn''t bear to kill them when it came down to it.


    Meanwhile, with the Village Chief''s death, chaos ensued among his followers; some, facing death, decided to fight back, charging with kitchen knives in hand.


    Others, seeing Li Yu''s side armed with crossbows and submachine guns, felt intimidated and began running towards the mountain.


    Seeing the group hesitating and dragging their feet, Li Yu flew into a rage, feeling a kind of exasperation akin to hating iron for not becoming steel.


    Just then, three men armed with kitchen knives charged towards them!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The sound of gunfire!


    Uncle, a captain of the Armed Police, fired his weapon with precise accuracy.


    With the sound of gunfire, the people behind Li Yu began to take out their crossbows and aim to shoot the opposing side!


    Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!


    Led by Li Haoxian, the cousins raised their crossbows and fired��some hitting shoulders, some eyes, and some escaped unscathed. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The opposing side was thrown into disarray, scattering like startled birds and animals.


    Some fell to their knees, pleading desperately, "We were wrong; we shouldn''t have listened to the Village Chief."


    "It''s all the Village Chief''s fault; he forced us to do it!"


    "We''re from the same village, why must you be so ruthless!"


    ....


    Resist? The first three had already demonstrated the consequences of resistance.


    With only kitchen knives and firewood knives, they could handle zombies, but against an opponent armed with long-range weapons, they were powerless to fight back.


    Since a decision had been made, it had to be carried out resolutely.


    As two more charged forward, Li Yu put aside his crossbow, drew his long knife, and swung, turning and killing another person.


    Then, Li Yu, with lightning speed, notched arrows and fired six consecutive shots, each arrow striking the head.


    Most of the opposition had fallen, with only a few stragglers running towards the summit.


    At the forefront, the tattooed youth ran the fastest, having sprinted over 20 meters.


    Li Yu readied his crossbow, took quick aim, and shot, hitting the back of the tattooed youth''s head. Bullets cost money, but crossbow arrows could be recovered.


    The dust settled, and not one opponent was left standing.


    The atmosphere suddenly became silent, with one or two sobs; Lai Xiyue stared blankly at her hands, muttering to herself, "I just killed someone, I just killed someone!"


    Then her gaze shifted to Li Yu in the distance, growing more complex��she was finding him more and more incomprehensible.


    "Pull out the arrows; they can be used again!" Li Yu said.


    No doubt this was another challenge they had to overcome��they had shot people at a distance, but now they had to confront them up close to retrieve the arrows.


    Although everyone moved slowly, they finally, obediently did as instructed. They were well-aware that Li Yu was honing them to adapt to the apocalypse swiftly, albeit through somewhat cruel means.


    Transport all the corpses into the tile house, close the door, and light the fire.


    Passing by the ditch, seeing the corpses within, filling soil to bury them, by the time everything was done, the sun had already set in the west.


    Evening, the setting sun was like blood.


    Time to descend the mountain!


    Everyone''s mood was extremely heavy, still immersed in the emotions of just having fought zombies and killed people.


    They had not expected to come out today to do these things.


    Feeling this atmosphere, Li Yu wanted to say a few words, but after a thought, decided to stay silent.


    Some things need time for them to digest on their own.


    Upon reaching the mountain''s base, they drove back to the base.


    Traveling on the national highway, the houses beside the road were overgrown with weeds, and after the torrential rain, many low-lying farmlands were submerged.


    What remained unchanged was that there were still some zombies wandering aimlessly on the road, in sharp contrast to the verdant roadside trees as ever...


    ...


    The evening glow remained beautiful, but the times had changed.


    The vehicles drove on the national highway, with the setting sun casting long shadows.


    At this moment, Li Yu suddenly spotted three figures by the side of the highway from afar��two males and one female, surrounded by a group of zombies.


    Li Yu immediately had Li Hang stop the car and turn off the engine. Using the walkie-talkie, he instructed Uncle and the others in the two cars behind to also stop.


    Li Yu, together with Second Uncle and Li Hang, got out of the car, armed with submachine guns, their long knives on their backs, and approached slowly.


    Getting closer, they first saw a silhouette, a tall and sturdy man with dark skin, nearly 1.9 meters tall, dressed in camouflage clothes, swinging two large hammers around,


    every zombie that got close had its head exploded, brutally bloody.


    On that small path lay a ground full of zombies, probably all killed by these few people!


    Li Yu was somewhat puzzled, why did this figure look so familiar!


    Immediately after, he looked at another person, about 1.75 tall, with a buzz cut and a square face, and possessing not bad combat skills, very agile.


    A stranger''s face, unfamiliar.


    He looked towards the last person, a girl with skin so fair it glowed, with sweat beads covering her delicate little nose, Li Yu was puzzled, why did she look so familiar!


    Just then, this super fair-skinned girl suddenly saw Li Yu and exclaimed with surprise: "Brother Yu! Brother Yu!"


    Memories flooded Li Yu''s mind in an instant, the black and white duo, isn''t this his childhood friend Yang Tianlong and his sister Yang Xiaozhu! They were full siblings, but the two children born had vastly different skin tones!


    He vaguely remembered that when they were younger, Yang Tianlong was mischievous and often liked to fight, but he had a pretty good relationship with Li Yu.


    He remembered that Yang Tianlong''s parents both died in an accident when he was in junior high school.


    That day was the first time Li Yu smoked, accompanying Yang Tianlong as they drank the night away.


    Since then, Yang Tianlong seemed to become more reckless, eventually dropping out of school.


    Where there is light, there is also darkness.


    In junior and senior high school, campus violence was rife with gangs, and Li Yu himself had been cornered at the school gate. At that time, Li Yu was a good student, did not provoke trouble, but after being bullied, he couldn''t fight back and was beaten up.


    He told his parents, only to be told��if you don''t provoke others, why would they bother you?


    He told the teachers, and they said��you need to behave, focus on your studies, isn''t it your own problem? Otherwise, why wouldn''t they find someone else and instead come after you?


    After Yang Tianlong learned about this incident.


    That day, Yang Tianlong brought two people, concealed a mountain blade under their clothes, and chased the bullies of Li Yu for three streets. Fortunately, there were no surveillance cameras at the time, and it didn''t blow up into a major incident. Since the bullies felt it was a loss of face to report to the police, the issue was ultimately left unresolved.


    But since then, no one at the school dared to provoke Li Yu, and their relationship grew even stronger.


    Until their senior year, when Li Yu went to M city for university and Yang Tianlong enlisted in the military. Afterward, due to distance, contact became much less frequent.


    With rebirth, Li Yu hadn''t seen Yang Tianlong for almost 10 years.


    Li Yu felt a twinge of guilt, although he had thought about reaching out to Yang Tianlong after coming back to life, perhaps because it was inconvenient to communicate from within the army, he had sent several messages on QQ without reply and then hadn''t bothered anymore.

 Chapter 33 - 33: Gathering of the Seven People

    "Brother Yu!" Another excited shout came through; it was Yang Xiaozhu.


    Li Yu returned to his senses from his reminiscing upon hearing the shout.


    All of a sudden, because she was so happy to see Li Yu, Yang Xiaozhu didn''t pay attention to her surroundings, and didn''t see the zombie that lunged at her.


    "Xiaozhu." Yang Tianlong, on the other side, saw this scene and his eyes brimmed with rage. S��ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whoosh...


    Li Yu fired the crossbow, striking the zombie right between its eyebrows.


    As it fell to the ground, Li Yu felt a surge of fear. Since she was little, Yang Xiaozhu had been hanging around, snot-nosed, following him and Yang Tianlong. Li Yu was a year younger than Yang Tianlong, and Yang Xiaozhu was six months younger than Li Yu.


    They used to play house when they were kids, and Yang Xiaozhu always liked to pair up with Li Yu. Later on, whenever she saw Li Hang and the others, she would insist they call her sister-in-law. In their parents'' eyes, this was funny, and they would tease Yang Xiaozhu.


    After firing the arrow, Li Yu didn''t say much else. He took Li Hang and Second Uncle and charged into battle.


    Help!


    Yang Tianlong turned his head and saw Li Yu and the others rushing toward them. Upon closer inspection and realizing who they were, his joy was beyond words.


    "Little Yu! Hahaha, I knew you''d be fine!" Yang Tianlong wielded two large iron hammers, spinning them with a whirlwind effect.


    Hearing that, a warm current flowed through Li Yu''s heart. He never expected that, after so many years, the first thing he would hear from Yang Tianlong would be these words, and the guilt in his heart deepened.


    Damn, to have been reborn and forgotten about his brothers! In life, there are three main affections: the thick blood of kinship, the lifelong companionship of love, and the fiery nature of friendship!


    After the apocalypse, there was no more friendship to speak of, but for Li Yu, who grew up with Yang Tianlong, who risked jail time to help him, that friendship could not be forgotten!


    Without any further nonsense, Li Yu, without responding, pointed at the zombies, indicating they should deal with them first.


    In a short while, with the powerful support of Li Yu and the others, all the zombies were taken care of.


    Yang Tianlong, laughing, approached Li Yu and said, "You''re quite something, kid! You were fierce killing those zombies just now!" After speaking, he hammered his large black fist against Li Yu''s chest.


    Acting on muscle memory, Li Yu tried to dodge quickly, but his body didn''t move an inch to avoid the blow.


    Thump, thump! He felt Yang Tianlong''s punches, filled with heartfelt care.


    Li Yu punched back, laughing and saying, "How have you gotten even darker��"


    The two looked at each other and smiled, their eyes conveying all that needed to be said; through this silent communication, they each realized that their friendship hadn''t changed.


    Yang Xiaozhu stood to one side, her demeanor shy and reserved, her eyes on Li Yu, a stark contrast to the hearty attitude she''d shown upon seeing Li Yu before.


    Li Yu smiled and looked toward another man in camouflage on the other side, squinting his eyes, and asked Yang Tianlong, "And who might this be?"


    "This is Zhao Dapao, a brother who was discharged from service with me. He''s not from our county, but he''s from our city. Originally, we wanted to find some work to do with Tiezi and the others, but then these monsters showed up, and that was that..."


    "Sigh, because of this disaster, Dapao lost his entire family and has come to join us. Oh, speaking of which, Tiezi and Gangzi brought their parents to find you. Have you run into them?"


    "Xiao Tie and Tiezi came back, too? My Third Uncle''s back as well?" Li Yu asked in shock.


    Li Tie and Li Gang, the twin sons of Third Uncle, were only three months younger than Li Yu. Back when Tianlong was enlisting, the twins also went for a military checkup, and coincidentally, all three of them were selected.


    Li Yu vaguely remembered, from late October he had contacted Third Uncle asking them to come back from the neighboring province, but Third Uncle hadn''t made it back in the end; however, Third Uncle definitely knew about the tourist park, so his return wasn''t out of the ordinary.


    Li Yu thought for a while and squinted his eyes, then asked in a low voice, "Did you all come back together?"


    Yang Tianlong rubbed his head and said, "Yeah, back then, Tiezi, Gangzi, Dapao, and I were all assigned to the same squad of recruits. I must say, we were lucky, haha, to have met up like this. Two months ago, after we were discharged from the military, we discussed finding a new job together and setting up a security company."


    Yang Tianlong then continued, "Who could have predicted things would change so fast? After the apocalypse broke out, Tiezi went to find his parents. Then, after meeting up with us again, Tiezi said they wanted to come and find you. I thought about it and felt that, with the world changing, it was good for us brothers to stick together, so I followed them back here."


    "This return trip almost cost us our lives. If it weren''t for the fact that all four of us had been soldiers and had some skills, we would all have been done for. Right after we got back to the county, there was a damn torrential downpour for over ten straight days! Otherwise, we would have gotten back much sooner." Yang Tianlong said with a grin.


    Li Yu looked at his childhood friend, who had become even darker after being in the military, and felt like he could weigh his trust.


    But the sight of Zhao Dapao next to him made him hesitate.


    He gave Zhao Dapao a brief look, observing his silent, square-faced demeanor.


    Zhao Dapao noticed Li Yu''s gaze and nodded amicably in response.


    Li Yu nodded back and then continued to ask Yang Tianlong, "So where are they now?"


    "They were just with us a moment ago. To be more efficient, we split into two groups," Yang Tianlong said.


    Li Yu nodded again. His Third Uncle and the others knew that he had started a business with a theme park, but probably didn''t know where it was located.


    Thinking it over and considering a few places where his Third Uncle might be, he took out his walkie-talkie and asked his Uncle to bring the cars over.


    On the other side, Li Hang looked at Yang Xiaozhu with a bit of fear; he had been picked on by Yang Xiaozhu since they were kids.


    In front of Li Yu, Yang Xiaozhu seemed a bit shy and awkward, but she had no qualms about showing her dominance in front of Li Hang. At the moment, she was pinching Li Hang''s ear and threatening in a low voice, "What''s wrong? Forgot how to call me sister-in-law? Think you''re too grown up now?" Then she turned to glance at Li Yu, afraid he might overhear, quite clearly betraying her own antics.


    Seeing this scene, Li Yu helplessly smacked his forehead.


    Sigh...


    The cars arrived, and Yang Tianlong was overjoyed to see Li Yu''s family members all still around, but also felt a bit surprised.


    Having grown up in the same village, Yang Tianlong often visited Li Yu''s home, especially when he saw Yang Xiaozhu. The stark contrast of black and white quickly let everyone know who they were.


    Li Yu told the three to get in the car and leave together.


    Yang Tianlong thought that although he didn''t know where Li Yu wanted to go, based on his trust in Li Yu, it wouldn''t harm him, and he was willing to go anywhere.


    They drove to the side of the national highway, near where Li Yu''s family used to live in a three-story building.


    Sure enough, at the entrance of the three-story building, Li Yu saw his Third Uncle''s family, who he hadn''t seen for a long time.


    "Third Uncle, Auntie, Li Gang, Xiao Tie!" Li Yu called out through the window from a distance.


    Third Uncle and the others turned back and saw Li Yu, their eyes filled with surprise. They waved vigorously, greeting Li Yu.


    Li Yu stopped the car, inviting the four to get on. It was fortunate that he brought the riot car, otherwise, it would be too crowded to fit so many people all at once.


    Just as Third Uncle and the others were about to speak, Li Yu saw the skies gradually darkening,


    The afterglow of the sunset was slowly fading away, and it''s known that from evening to nightfall, it gets darker and darker.


    Seeing Third Uncle and the others about to speak their minds, Li Yu said, "Let''s not talk now, let''s go home! Zombies become more frenzied after dark, and we can''t see clearly at night. It''s too dangerous. We''ll talk when we get back."


    Third Uncle immediately stopped asking and obediently got into the car.


    The three vehicles, in the fading light of the sunset, hurriedly made their way to the base.


    On the road, Li Yu''s Second Uncle leaned forward from the backseat, patted Li Yu on the shoulder, and looked at the car where Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao were sitting with Liu Jianwen, then lowered his voice and leaned closer to Li Yu''s ear.


    He quietly asked, "What are you thinking? I have no issues with Xiao Longzi, but what about that Zhao Dapao?"

 Chapter 34 - 34: Sincerity is a Blade [Seeking Recommendation Votes]

    Li Yu, upon hearing those words, pondered for a moment and said, "We''ll talk about it later. Let''s see how he behaves."


    Second Uncle, hearing this, refrained from saying more.


    Li Hang drove as Li Yu rolled down the window a crack, allowing the cool air to seep into the car, fluttering his hair. He gazed out of the gradually darkening window outside and fell into deep thought:


    Yang Tianlong and his siblings grew up together. Although they have been out of touch for a while, they know each other thoroughly. From the recent interaction, the two haven''t changed much, and it should be fine to let them into the base.


    As for Zhao Dapao, he served in the army with Xiao Gang, Xiao Tie, and Tianlong. Li Yu knows the steel brothers and Yang Tianlong, and since the four of them could hang out together, it suggests Zhao Dapao must be alright too; otherwise, given Yang Tianlong''s temperament, he probably wouldn''t have accepted him.


    However, Li Yu hasn''t had a deep interaction with him yet, so he shouldn''t rush to conclusions.


    But then, just relying on Uncle Lai''s family and other relatives might not be sufficient for the base. Should outsiders intrude in the future, naturally, the stronger his own strength, the better. Moreover, the farmland and supplies in the base can almost support more than 60 people now.


    It wouldn''t hurt to bring in some suitable people appropriately.


    Let''s have a look first. If he''s alright, keeping him is also a possibility, Li Yu thought and slowly let out a breath of relief.


    The convoy left the national road and then turned onto a country road.


    After driving for a while, they took a cement side road that was unremarkable from the outside. If one didn''t know to take this route beforehand, it would be easy to overlook it when driving.


    Surrounded by woods, it was hard for anyone to imagine that there was such a large base not far from this rural road, hidden behind the trees.


    It wasn''t until they drove up to the wall that Third Uncle exclaimed, "I thought you built a farm stay, damn, this is a fortress!"


    Li Yu did not respond but turned on the headlights, stuck his head out of the window, and waved his hand towards Fourth Uncle and Uncle in the Observation Tower.


    Fourth Uncle, who was on the Observation Tower, saw the headlights from afar and became alert, grabbing the Crossbow until he could see clearly that it was Li Yu''s convoy and relaxed.


    Fourth Uncle, feeling reassured upon seeing Li Yu''s wave, went downstairs and opened the inner gate, then slowly opened the main gate.


    Uncle escorted Li Haoxian and others out of the car. They dealt with several Zombies that were following behind the car one by one, and Yang Tianlong, having seen this, also went over to handle the Zombies.


    Li Yu looked back at his surroundings and told Li Hang to escort the younger family members inside first.


    Second Uncle, having dealt with the trailing Zombies, looked at Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao, then turned his gaze towards Li Yu as if asking what to do next.


    After Yang Tianlong finished dealing with the Zombies, he and Zhao Dapao stood under the wall, marveling in admiration.


    Li Yu always operated transparently and disliked beating around the bush. He preferred to make any unpleasantness clear upfront. If he promised something, he wouldn''t conceal it or drag his feet.


    Looking at Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao, Li Yu approached them with a smile.


    "Tianlong, there are some things I''d like to talk to you about first."


    Yang Tianlong and the others, noticing that Li Yu had something to say, immediately stopped discussing and quieted down to listen.


    Li Yu spoke directly, "On your way back, you must have realized what the situation is like now. The apocalypse has arrived.


    Zombies are terrifying, and sometimes people can be too."


    "Food and safety are the top priorities. I have to protect my family. For the safety of my family, I need to make some things clear to you beforehand.


    You know, Tianlong, my family and I are quite kind-hearted, but driven to this extremity by the apocalypse, I''ve had to consider some things."


    Yang Tianlong, hearing Li Yu say this, was at first unsure of what Li Yu was getting at.


    Yet, Li Yu, though smiling, spoke in a tone devoid of emotion, and continued objectively:


    "Tianlong, we grew up together. Although it''s been many years since we''ve seen each other, emotionally, I trust you; but from an objective, rational standpoint, it''s possible that there are changes in you that I don''t know about after such a long time, so I still hold a trace of caution."


    "Dapao, you''re Tianlong''s and Tiezi Gangzi''s brother, which makes us brothers too, but let me speak frankly��we don''t know each other well, so I can''t fully trust you yet."


    Upon hearing what Li Yu said, the two men felt sick at heart, especially Yang Tianlong, who had always considered Li Yu his brother!


    Following that, Li Yu added: "I don''t want to test each other''s humanity. Emotions can turn sour, and interests often drive people''s decisions.


    Humans are selfish, and I am no exception. My selfishness lies in wanting to protect my family.


    From my perspective, our base also needs some suitable people to join, and you guys, having served as soldiers, are without a doubt very suitable."


    "For you, now that the apocalypse has come, food is hard to come by, and human nature can sometimes be vile. Currently, there aren''t many places you can go to. I can offer abundant food, an advantageous environment, and safety!


    Tianlong, we''re fairly familiar with each other, so it feels safer to be together, and Xiaozhu would be safer here too. I''d be really happy if you could join."


    "Dapao, I''m not one for beating around the bush or probing. As long as you''re sincere about joining, I will certainly treat you fairly.


    But if I find out you have ulterior motives, I''ll kill you."


    "Also, I''m not currently looking to save the world because I don''t have the capacity. Everyone in the base is my family, and I can''t be bothered to take in people whose backgrounds are unknown. It''s too much hassle to manage, and there are risks involved.


    So, unless necessary, I''m not particularly inclined to save other strangers."


    "Lastly, for safety reasons, you might need to hand over your weapons temporarily. Are you willing?" Li Yu said.


    Li Yu had said a lot, which left Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao silent.


    But Yang Tianzhu, standing aside, seemed not to care at all. After handing over his weapon to Li Yu, he ran off to play with Li Yuan.


    Li Yu''s words might hurt, but they were better than hiding things and facing unthinkable consequences later on.


    Yang Tianlong looked at Li Yu with complex emotions, feeling saddened, but when he saw Li Yu''s family, he somewhat understood.


    Zhao Dapao was also surprised as he watched Li Yu; it was the first time he had met such a straightforward person. Li Yu laid out all concerns and interests meticulously in front of them.


    It''s kinda hard to handle...


    If it were someone else, they might not say anything but would still be on guard in secret.


    But Li Yu''s words, though objectively cruel and even merciless, sincerely and transparently articulated everything��cold-hearted but undoubtedly sincere!


    Sincerity is a knife; it cuts whoever it touches!


    They were both moved by Li Yu''s frank and sincere words.


    Yang Tianlong looked at Li Yu and then at Zhao Dapao.


    Thinking about how so many people have died in the world, one in ten remaining, and considering that even the Government is no more,


    thinking of all the couples he has seen along the way, men and women abandoning their partners without hesitation to survive, witnessed scumbags trading their wives for a packet of instant noodles... S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having served in the military for many years, he couldn''t help but feel lost: to protect the people, but if most of the people no longer seem human, is there a need to protect them?


    Seeing on the other side, Yang Xiaozhu was tugging Li Yuan''s chubby cheeks, which were being molded into different shapes, and Yang Xiaozhu looked thrilled.


    He sighed gently, well, we''ll talk about the future later.


    He handed over his two big iron hammers, and Zhao Dapao, unpretentious as well, passed on his Mountain Axe.


    Seeing this scene, Li Yu''s smile grew even brighter.


    Trust is mutual; since they are willing to take a step forward, of course, I don''t mind taking one too.

 Chapter 35 - 35: A Grand Banquet [Please Follow]

    The night deepened, the moon a blurry halo, stars sparsely sprinkled across the sky.


    After everyone had entered the base, Grandpa, Grandma, and others were overjoyed to see Third Uncle and his family.


    The reunion of loved ones always brings delight, especially in this post-apocalyptic world.


    A grand feast!


    Still, it was set under the central Big Camphor Tree, brightly lit.


    Second Uncle, accompanied by several lads, slaughtered a pig and roasted it on the grill.


    Li Yu, along with his brothers Li Tie and Li Gang, headed to the warehouse to fetch alcohol. As they arrived at the warehouse, Li Yu checked to make sure no one was around, then his face turned serious and he earnestly asked, "During these years in the military, were you serving with Yang Tianlong and that Zhao Dapao?"


    Li Tie and Li Gang were somewhat puzzled why Li Yu was asking about this, but they candidly responded: "Yes, we have been together these past few years."


    Hearing this, Li Yu continued, "What''s the background of this Zhao Dapao? What kind of person is he?"


    Li Tie replied, "He''s pretty decent, doesn''t talk much, but he is reliable. When we were heading back, we passed by their place. Alas, now he''s the only one left in his family..."


    Li Gang added, "Dapao, he used to be quite reserved in the army, but once you get to know him well, he''s actually quite quirky..."


    Li Yu nodded, and then inquired about Zhao Dapao''s preferences, and if he had done anything disreputable.


    After getting the brothers'' responses and combining it with his own impressions from earlier in the day, Li Yu roughly formed a judgment.


    He then opened the warehouse door - time to move the alcohol!


    It has to be said, Li Yu had made thorough preparations while stockpiling supplies earlier on. Since Grandpa was fond of drinking, and the Li Family members had quite a capacity for alcohol, Li Yu had amassed several tons of alcohol.


    Besides the sparser, costlier Maotai and Wuliangye, he also stocked a smaller amount of Luzhou Laojiao, Yanghe Classic, Xifeng Liquor, Fenjiu, JinHui Liquor, Hanker Soy Sauce Liquor, Xuan Liquor, Dong Wine, Red Star Erguotou, Niulanshan, Beidacang Wine, and so on.


    It included some regional alcohols: Guangfu''s Jade Ice Burn, Gansheng''s Four Special Wines, Zhanggong Wine, Yun Province''s Heqing Wine, Yanglin Fat Liquor, and others.


    Among the baijiu, he had stocked a variety of aromatic types, including strong aroma, light aroma, sauce aroma, Fuxiang Type, pure aroma, and so on.


    Apart from baijiu, he also appropriately stocked some foreign liquors, no more than the six basic spirits used in cocktails: Gin, Whiskey, Brandy, Rum, Vodka Tequila.


    In his past life, Li Yu had also been fond of drinking and enjoyed tasting various types of alcohol. When in the mood, he would mix his own drinks, not fancy mixed drinks, since the essence of cocktail making wasn''t difficult. For instance, a Long Island Iced Tea is nothing more than a third of the five basic spirits poured in, followed by two-thirds cola, a dash of Cointreau and lemon juice, shaken together and served with ice cubes.


    Those fancy bartending moves don''t make the drinks taste any better; they just make the drink more expensive.


    Remembering his life before the apocalypse, Li Yu looked at the full array of various alcohols and couldn''t help but smile bitterly; after the end of the world, he had had little opportunity to drink.


    When Li Yu and his crew finished moving the alcohol up, Grandpa, a keen drinker, couldn''t stay put any longer and came over to grab a bottle of Zhanggong Wine.


    He popped the bottle, poured a drink, took a sip, savored, and exhaled. He picked up a peanut and chewed it in his mouth, letting the fragrance of the wine mix with the taste of the food.


    Yang Tianlong also enjoyed drinking, but opportunities were rare in the military. He watched with envy as Li Yu''s Grandpa drank. Seeing Yang Tianlong''s longing look, Grandpa gave a smile and beckoned.


    An elderly man and a youth started drinking together on the bench, one with white and silver hair, the other bursting with muscles; yet, the scene looked surprisingly harmonious.


    Li Yu motioned for Zhao Dapao to sit down, eat, and drink, then went over to Second Uncle.


    He gave Second Uncle Li Hongda a pat, who was sizing up Zhao Dapao, and whispered, "See anything?"


    Second Uncle squinted his eyes and said, "I can''t tell if he''s acting or really is like that, kinda dumb and not much of a talker. Can''t read him, let''s observe some more."


    Li Yu chuckled and said to Second Uncle, "They say the nature of a person''s drinking reflects their character. It''s not entirely true, but there''s some truth in it. Later on, you and Xiao Hang should get Dapao drunk and see what he''s really like."


    Second Uncle pointed at Li Yu with his finger and looked at him meaningfully, saying, "It always comes back to you, doesn''t it?"


    Today, when Li Yu spoke with Zhao Dapao and the others, Second Uncle heard quite a bit. He too was touched by Li Yu''s sincerity.


    Indeed, it was sincerity.


    "..."


    Li Yu''s smile paused for a moment, and after a beat, he sighed wistfully, "This apocalypse..."


    Hearing this, Second Uncle also stopped smiling, feeling a bit bitter inside. The pressure on Li Yu was enormous��out of concern for his family''s safety, he had to consider everything from all sides.


    The roast pig in the center sizzled as it cooked. Li Yu''s mother rotated the stick skewering the piglet, sprinkling it with spices like thirteen fragrances, cumin powder, and chili powder,


    as well as their secret sauce while its skin turned golden brown.


    The unique aroma of the sauce and charred meat wafted through the air with the roast.


    Everyone salivated at the scent of the roasting pig. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Suxin, standing to the side, was particularly eager, wiping away drool and reaching out to grab some. But she was held back by Li Yuan. Right then, Li Suxin was just like a little monkey, chattering about when she could eat.


    Xuanxuan, standing on another side, wasn''t tempted by the roast pig. To her, Li Yu was much more important than any roast pig.


    After a while, Liu Fanghua announced that the roast pig, now beautifully crisped, was ready to eat.


    The crowd indulged, heaping praise on the dish. The pig''s skin was golden and crispy, the meat tender and juicy, fatty without being greasy.


    Seizing the moment, Second Uncle led Li Hang and the other lads over to Zhao Dapao and Yang Tianlong, saying, "Now that we''re all together, we''re family. Let''s welcome you guys��tonight, we''re not stopping until we''re drunk!"


    Yang Tianlong burst into a hearty laugh, saying, "Uncle, you''ve got a way with words. Alright, let''s not stop until we''re drunk tonight!" The dark complexion on his face flashed with a hint of red.


    He adored this atmosphere, this kind of life. Ever since the apocalypse started, what had he and his little sister been through, always living in fear? It''s great to have brothers!


    Zhao Dapao, on the other hand, didn''t think too much and said somewhat bluntly, "I''ll call you uncle too, and I''ll drink with you!"


    On hearing this, Second Uncle burst into a hearty laughter, "Good, good, good."


    Li Yu also came by during the feast to clink glasses, and Yang Tianlong tried to persuade him to drink together, but Li Yu joked in refusal, "I''m on duty tonight, and Fourth Uncle and the rest at the gate haven''t eaten yet. I''m bringing food to them."


    Yang Tianlong then let it go.


    A grand feast was set, with Second Uncle and Zhao Dapao and others continuously drinking.


    With the moon high in the sky, they had drunk well into the night.


    Second Uncle shook his slightly fuzzy head and looked at Zhao Dapao who was now sprawled all over, feeling like he had a pretty good measure of the man.

 Chapter 36 - 36: The Breeze Caresses the Hillsides

    The next morning at 6 a.m., Li Yu was woken by his biological clock. He put on his tracksuit and started jogging around the base.


    Emerging from the villa, after a simple warm-up, he ran towards the mountain. The morning breeze was cool, and the mist that met his face made Li Yu even more alert.


    Passing along the cobblestone path, he saw the garden built before, teeming with a tapestry of flowers and the evergreen trees still lush, accompanied by a faint fragrance of sweet osmanthus. Although the scent of the four-season osmanthus was not overwhelming, it had the advantage of blooming all year round.


    As he looked at the osmanthus flowers on the trees, Li Yu felt exceptionally serene and thought that in a couple of days, he could pick the flowers to make wine.


    The morning dew slightly dampened the hem of Li Yu''s trousers. He ran from the flat path into the forest, which was diverse in plant life and showed hardly any signs of withering, even in the subtropical climate.


    Li Yu manoeuvred through the woods, his running speed undiminished on the uneven ground.


    After passing over a hill and arriving at the Mountain Pond, he saw a figure.


    Slowing his pace, he moved closer and saw it was Grandpa Li Yushi, in his sixties, yet still robust. For someone of the older generation who had been busy most of his life, suddenly finding oneself idle could feel quite directionless.


    So Grandpa preferred to toil on his small plot of land. He must have gotten up very early, and now he was by the pond feeding the fish.


    As Li Yu ran by, he greeted, "Grandpa, you''re feeding the fish so early?"


    Li Yushi turned around with a smile on his face. Seeing Li Yu jogging had become routine; in recent months, Li Yu had come out to exercise every morning, except for those ten days of heavy rain when he had scarcely missed a day.


    Li Yushi nodded with a smile, without speaking, his eyes conveyed a sense of pride looking at Li Yu.


    Passing the Mountain Pond, he ran up another mountain. Upon reaching the summit, a slight sweat on his forehead, Li Yu looked over the entire base and felt very content.


    The breeze swept over the hills, between two mountains lay a lake.


    Building walls towering and uneven, isolating all the troubles of the world.


    In just a few decades, do not waste time idly.


    In Taoyuan, free time brings joy.


    Save the world? He had no interest. To aid and heal in the apocalypse? Too exhausting.


    Why not choose a secluded corner, hard to find by others, where one could farm when busy, and fish and drink on the lake in leisure? "Drunk and oblivious as heaven floats by, a boat full of dreams under a starry sky." Isn''t such life desirable?


    The dark forest law, survival of the fittest��Li Yu understood it, but the climb to the peak was too arduous. Moreover, as the tall tree attracts the wind, the higher one stands, the greater the risk, and the more tragic the potential fall. Besides, most people die on their way up.


    Perhaps it was an escape, but he hoped disaster wouldn''t come too soon. Yet at this moment, Li Yu already had an idea��the base didn''t need to be too large; unity among its people was most crucial.


    Hidden amidst the woods, showing strength from the outside, united on the inside.


    If one day, a very powerful enemy invaded, his first move would be to burn down the base to ashes, letting no one benefit from it, and then fight to the death for revenge.


    After all, to struggle for survival at the bottom of the post-apocalyptic hierarchy, selling one''s soul for a morsel, living a humble life, was not very appealing.


    Li Yu''s temperament was like a stone in a latrine; smelly and hard. With the courage to face any consequence, he naturally feared nothing and liked to upend the table��someone who has never been intimidated by threats, a true loner.


    Li Yu was selfish, yet at the same time, selfless.


    Shaking his head, Li Yu stopped pondering for the moment, deciding to live in the present.


    He ran back to the base of the villa, getting ready to enjoy a hot bath.


    Seeing Second Uncle who had just gotten up, he fell into contemplation and approached to inquire, "How did last night''s discussion go? Have you noticed anything?"


    Second Uncle frowned slightly, thought for a bit, and then said, "It''s not much different from what Yang Tianlong had introduced before. I don''t know if he''s disguised himself too well, or if that''s just his personality, but that Dapao seems a bit simple-minded."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu also fell into deep thought. On the other hand, Second Uncle continued, "But he probably has a good nature. Tianlong is still the same old self as before, they had no guard up when drinking last night, I''ll observe him more in the future."


    Li Yu nodded and said with a smile while looking at Second Uncle, "It''s about time for Haoxian and Haoran to start taking shifts, we should cultivate their skills more."


    After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Tomorrow let Uncle teach them how to use guns."


    Second Uncle had no objections to this. When Li Yu returned to his room and saw little Xuanxuan who had run to his room again, a black line formed on his forehead.


    Didn''t I tell her to go back to sleep last night?


    With a sigh, Youyou decided not to bother with it.


    ...


    At noon, Zhao Dapao and his group came out of those flat houses.


    Li Yu called them over for lunch, and when Yang Tianlong saw Li Yu''s family of over thirty people dining together, he was especially shocked to see what they were eating.


    It''s the end of the world and they still have so many vegetables, meats. And damn, there''s even fish!


    Yang Tianlong, who hadn''t had a good meal in a long time, helped himself to the food without being polite, not waiting for an invitation, and filled a large bowl with rice.


    Seeing this, Li Yu laughed and invited Zhao Dapao to join them at the table - here, there was no need for formalities.


    During their leisure time, Li Yu pulled aside Li Tie, the two brothers, Zhao Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Uncle, and others to teach the younger generation some boxing and kung fu techniques.


    Everyone was enthusiastic, even Li Suxin was practicing diligently with a serious demeanor.


    ...


    Good times always fly by. Before they realized it, Yang Tianlong and the others had already joined the base for a month.


    During this month, Yang Tianlong and his group had integrated into the base. Within the entire base, everyone lived in peace��sometimes they went up to the mountains to gather fruits, sometimes to fish on the lake, and at times, to enjoy the wind at the mountaintop.


    Li Yuan would often hang out with Yang Xiaozhu in the underground cinema, watching various movies and dramas together. Their relationship had always been very close, and after meeting again in this post-apocalyptic world, their sisterly bond became even stronger.


    However, for the younger kids like Li Suxin, the nose-picking boy Zhang Zhixing, Zhang Zhen Ni, and little Xuanxuan, things weren''t as friendly.


    Lai Xiyue took out some textbooks from before and started teaching them, assigning homework. Li Yu always advocated for practical education for the younger generation. Although he also held regular classes on confronting and killing zombies, and on human nature, basic literacy and math were still necessary to learn.


    For the other slightly older youngsters, Li Yu had also stockpiled a variety of books for them to learn skills that could be used in the post-apocalyptic world.


    Sometimes Li Yu would take the younger brothers and sisters out through a small door surrounding the wall to kill some zombies, improving their physical fitness and reaction abilities.


    As they killed more zombies, everyone gradually became less afraid of zombies, and their methods of killing became more skilled.


    During this month, Zhao Dapao''s smile also increased, but occasionally, when he saw all of Li Yu''s family together, he would look out of the window in the middle of the night, missing his own family.


    ...


    January 5th, light rain, a gentle breeze, a bit chilly. S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Hang, who was on duty, was at the Observation Tower reading a novel on his phone while keeping an eye outside the wall.


    Suddenly, from afar, he saw a dense cluster of shadows. Thinking his eyes were playing tricks, he rubbed his eyes and took a closer look.


    He saw a dense mass of zombies pouring out from the forest, an endless stream...

 Chapter 37 - 37: Zombie Tide

    Seeing the dense crowd of zombies before him, Li Hang hurriedly took out his walkie-talkie and called Li Yu and the others over.


    Li Yu was just coming back from a run and about to take a shower when he heard the message from Li Hang on the walkie-talkie, and suddenly he couldn''t continue his shower.


    He wiped his body in a hurry, then used the walkie-talkie to contact Uncle, Second Uncle, Yang Tianlong, and others, asking them to hurry over.


    He changed his clothes, took his long knife, and after a thought, also took his submachine gun.


    On the way to the gate, he felt somewhat exhausted, day and night running for his life because of the zombies.


    It seemed like no matter how many zombies were killed, they would never end. Speaking of zombies, he had also wondered how exactly they came into being.


    Before his rebirth, there was no unified explanation for the source of the end-of-the-world outbreak.


    But the most widely accepted theory was that it was a virus leaked by a global biopharmaceutical company!


    He was not very convinced by this explanation,


    originally he thought the outbreak would occur on November 25th, but before that, when he went to pick up Uncle, he had already encountered zombies!


    This suggests that the virus may have been lurking in human bodies for a long time, and zombies had appeared a long time ago.


    It was only because the information was censored that he had believed it erupted on the 25th.


    When exactly did the zombies form? What conspiracy lies behind the zombie outbreak?


    Li Yu saw that he was nearly at the gate and could faintly hear the roar of the zombies.


    He shook his head, temporarily pushing those thoughts aside.


    He quickly climbed up the observation tower, where Li Hang and Li Haoran were already present.


    As he slowly scaled the observation tower, with less obstruction from the wall, Li Yu could see more and more zombies.


    Until he stood firm on the observation tower, looking at the dense mass of zombies in front of him, he estimated there were over a thousand!


    Hiss...


    Li Yu sharply inhaled a breath of cold air...


    There were simply too many zombies...


    From the forest side, they kept coming out non-stop, the wall hundreds of meters long was crowded beneath, filled with zombies.


    Looking at the zombie tide, dense like ants, Li Yu''s heart sank.


    He turned his head and looked seriously at Li Hang, asking, "When did they appear? Why would so many zombies suddenly show up?"


    Li Hang recalled carefully, and said with some embarrassment, "I was just reading a novel, and by the time I noticed, there were already a lot of zombies..."


    Li Yu was a bit angry, wanting to slap him.


    In the end, his hand stopped mid-air; he could actually understand him, after all, standing duty was too boring, one couldn''t stare at the dark forest all the time.


    Finally, he sighed and shook his hand.


    Seeing Li Yu react like this, Li Hang felt somewhat guilty and said, "I won''t dare do it again..."


    Li Yu didn''t speak, looking at Uncle and the others who had caught up, he asked, "Who''s in the monitoring room today?"


    At these words, Uncle was taken aback, somewhat puzzled, but still answered, "Today it''s Lai Dongsheng''s second daughter, Lai Jiaqi on duty, what''s the matter?"


    Li Yu''s gaze turned serious, and he did not immediately answer Uncle''s question.


    He had specifically chosen this hidden place to build the base, so how could a zombie tide have formed?


    Zombies have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, they are attracted by the scent of humans, especially fresh blood, which can greatly stimulate them and even make the zombies become more violent.


    Looking at the zombies under the wall, Li Yu felt a headache, although for the time being the zombies could not enter the base.


    But if the zombies keep gathering like this, constantly and without end, if they become too numerous, even with the protection of the electric fence, there''s a possibility that they might break through!


    Li Yu originally wanted to go to the surveillance room to see what was going on, since the presence of so many zombies definitely indicated a problem!


    But at this stage, the immediate priority was to deal with the zombies first!


    With the situation urgent, Li Yu had Li Hang ring the alarm bell, summoning everyone at the base to gather.


    At the same time, he asked his fourth uncle, Li Hongcheng, to go to the observation tower on the mountain top to check the surroundings, not just the front, but also whether zombies were appearing from the left, right, or back, and also to check the surveillance room to see when the zombies had appeared.


    Looking at the dense mass of zombies, everyone who had climbed the observation tower was somewhat at a loss, as this was their first encounter with a zombie tide.


    Li Yu looked down at everyone gathered beneath the observation tower and said seriously, without any nonsense, "There''s a zombie tide outside now, the walls are surrounded by zombies. We all need to work together to take them down!"


    Yang Tianlong was the first to concur, saying, "Yu, what''s there to say, let''s hurry to the top!"


    Zhao Dapao nodded in agreement on one side, and even Lai Xiyue''s face looked tense, as if she had made a great resolve to combat the zombies.


    There were three observation towers in front, with each capable of accommodating about seven people. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They had bought twenty crossbows, as well as numerous long knives, swords, and spears.


    They had guns, but limited ammunition to save for critical moments, whereas arrows from crossbows could be retrieved, which is why they mainly used crossbows this time.


    Distributing the crossbows and spears, but at this moment, Yang Tianlong took the initiative to find Li Yu and said, "Zhao used to play with crossbows often, and had great spear skills in the army. Amongst us, he''s the best. Give the crossbow to him, he''s incredibly accurate!"


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu took a serious look at Yang Tianlong, and finally, seeing the clear gaze in Tianlong''s eyes, he still handed a crossbow to Zhao Dapao.


    Soon, those with crossbows were standing on the observation towers.


    Since not everyone could fit on the observation towers, for the time being, some were stationed there to shoot, while others poked at zombies with spears from the over six-meter-high wall.


    This was everyone''s first encounter with a zombie tide, and they were all a bit nervous, but seeing Li Yu arranging everything methodically gave them some confidence.


    On the observation tower, Zhao Dapao got a compound crossbow, hefted it, and exclaimed, "This quality of nearly 20,000 yuan is great!"


    Hearing this, Li Yu felt that Zhao Dapao was quite discerning, immediately recognizing the brand of the product.


    Without further discussion, as zombies were gathering in increasing numbers, lingering around the walls of the base for a long time without dispersing.


    Li Yu was puzzled, ordinarily, zombies would go into a frenzy due to some stimulation, if, after a period, they heard no loud noises or smelled human scent, they would naturally disperse.


    Why were these zombies continuously circling the walls?


    Li Yu couldn''t figure it out, but what was more important now was to eliminate them!


    Swoosh!


    Swoosh!


    Swoosh!


    The people on the observation tower shot arrows at the zombies, but most didn''t have very good aim, and Li Yu''s face darkened a bit upon seeing this scene��practice was still needed!


    On the other hand, Zhao Dapao almost took down one zombie with each arrow, sometimes even skewering several zombies together.


    Li Yu watched him and nodded. It seemed Zhao Dapao felt Li Yu''s gaze, became a bit embarrassed, and scratching his head, he said, "I used to like practicing aimlessly."


    Li Yu didn''t say more, lifted his crossbow and started shooting at the zombies, hitting almost every shot.


    Seeing this, Zhao Dapao looked towards Li Yu with a trace of recognition in his gaze.


    At this moment, the voice of the Second Uncle suddenly came through the walkie-talkie: "Xiaoyu! Someone''s sabotaging. I checked the surveillance video in the control room and discovered someone poured something on our walls, deliberately attracting zombies here!"


    Li Yu, upon hearing this, shot an arrow with great force, piercing three zombies in a row.


    His face as still as water, a glint of cold light flashed in his eyes!


    Speaking icily, he said, "I intended to avoid trouble, but it seems someone still dares to provoke me, eh?"

 Chapter 38 - 38: Leading Away the Zombies

    The drizzle pattered down, and Li Yu looked at the zombies still gathering in front of him, his expression grave.


    While pulling his crossbow and shooting continuously at the zombies, the forest still swarmed with an endless stream of new zombies.


    ...


    Dark clouds closed in, and the drizzle gradually turned into heavy rain, pouring down noisily.


    Everyone was soaked by the rain, but nobody retreated an inch, because they knew if the zombies breached the wall, everyone would be doomed!


    But as they kept shooting, the scale of the zombies seemed not to diminish, and everyone felt a tinge of despair!


    Li Yu also thought to himself: the arrows for the crossbows would run out sooner or later, and that would be trouble.


    The zombies must be diverted. Otherwise, if they keep converging, the defenses will be eventually breached.


    Fortunately, he guessed that the people attracting the zombies were only messing around near the front gate; in the kilometer-long wall, Li Yu had also set up a small gate behind two hills.


    He must go out and divert the zombies.


    After making his decision, Li Yu looked toward Zhao Dapao and others who were fervently killing zombies; Yang Tianlong was also constantly stabbing zombies with his long spear on the wall.


    After pondering for a while, he decided to go out with Li Gang, Li Tie, the two brothers, along with Zhao Dapao, and Yang Tianlong, to divert the zombies.


    This time going out, besides diverting the zombies, he also wanted to see if those people were still around. The people he was taking with him had just been discharged from the military, and all knew how to use guns, which was very important.


    Using guns, in the end, might not be for dealing with zombies, but more so for dealing with people.


    This is a sad reality, unavoidably!


    So he called out: "Tiezi, Gangzi, Tianlong, Dapao, we can''t go on like this, we must divert the zombies, otherwise they will keep coming and we''ll never finish them off! The five of us will go out and divert them!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Uncle anxiously said: "Xiao Yu, I''ll go out with you too." Li Hang next to him also said: "Brother, I''ll go with you too."


    Li Yu felt a headache upon hearing this but was about to speak when he heard Yang Tianlong say: "Sure thing, Yu, let''s go out there and take them down!"


    Li Yu looked at Uncle and Second Uncle, and seriously replied: "Someone is scheming against us, but I don''t know who. Right now the zombies are a problem. Once we''ve diverted the zombies, those people might come out. Uncle, Second Uncle, I''ll leave the base to you for now!"


    Then he added: "Uncle, no one else has better spear skills than you, so stay at the base for now."


    Upon hearing this, Uncle and the others didn''t quite know what to say. Their eyes were filled with anxiety, and Li Hang and others felt a surge of guilt, thinking they were not capable enough to help their big brother.


    The month since Third Uncle returned has been the liveliest for the family, and this month at the base has been the most comfortable time since the apocalypse began.


    He also heard what Li Yu said. As a parent, how could he not worry about his children?


    Hearing that Li Yu was taking both brothers out to divert the zombies, he was initially reluctant, but what could he do? Li Yu was his nephew, and he was doing it for the family!


    Li Tie and Li Gang were twins and often seemed to know what each other was thinking. After hearing Li Yu''s words, they didn''t think much about it; they were supposed to protect their family, and with Li Yu leading, they were very willing.


    After Li Yu finished speaking, Li Tie, Li Gang, Yang Tianlong, and Zhao Dapao all came down from the Observation Tower, standing under the wall.


    Li Yu looked at the four men in front of him, his gaze somewhat intense, and said: "I just checked the surveillance room, and someone deliberately led the zombies here. So when we go out, we might have to kill not just zombies but potentially people too!"


    The four men were somewhat surprised upon hearing this.


    But Yang Tianlong was the first to speak up: "Doesn''t matter. When I came back, I didn''t hesitate to kill some scum."


    Li Yu was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. Yang Tianlong and the others had not mentioned this to them.


    Zhao Dapao explained from the side: "When we went to the county before, there were a few guys who, oblivious to danger, relied on the fact they had knives. They saw that we had food and then only saw Tianlong and me, and then Little Bamboo, so they started talking nonsense and even wanted to rob us of our food. Luckily, Li Gang and Li Tie had just returned, and they took them all out."


    Zhao Dapao had a murderous look on his face as he spoke.


    Upon hearing this, Yang Tianlong was also unexpectedly furious, "Pah, they even thought to rob us. Scum like them deserve more than death."


    Li Yu, with a cigarette in hand, distributed a pack to everyone and waited for his father to come back with the guns.


    Soon after, Li Yu saw his father, Li Hongyuan, coming back from the storeroom with the guns, took them over, and gave them out to the four men. Three submachine guns, two rifles.


    He also equipped each person with a long knife and a dagger.


    And with that, they set off!


    Since the zombies were continuously gathering, everyone didn''t have much time to say anything.


    Liu Fanghua, Third Uncle, Third Aunt, Uncle, Little Bamboo...


    Watching the five slowly heading towards the back mountain, everyone''s hearts were filled with an indescribable discomfort. Once they were gone, who knew if they could return, watching as the five figures disappeared into the distance.


    Li Hang clenched his fists tightly. He hated that he couldn''t offer much help to his elder brother, he hated his own incompetence. In critical moments, it was always his brother who shouldered everything for them.


    He made a secret vow in his heart to improve himself so that the next time a similar situation occurred, he could also lend a helping hand to his brother.


    The departure of the five men had the air of "Wind rustles, cold are the waters of Yi". As they left, it was for their families, for their protection.


    Everyone''s hearts felt incredibly heavy, and the atmosphere became one of somber determination.


    Raising their crossbows, they shot at zombies with even greater effort, hoping their actions could somehow help those who had ventured out.


    At the back gate, Li Hongyuan gazed deeply towards the five, as if engraving their images in his mind.


    When the walls were first built, a large gate was included. Although there were three smaller gates, those couldn''t accommodate large vehicles, only allowing motorcycles to pass through.


    Li Hongyuan said solemnly to them: "Take care, protect yourselves, we''ll wait for your return."


    Li Yu didn''t look back, just gave a wave of his hand, opened the small gate, and dashed out first. The four others quickly followed.


    At the back gate, there were few zombies, but still some. Li Yu, holding his long knife, charged towards the zombies, with Li Tie and Li Gang also rushing towards a few others.


    Bang! Li Hongyuan closed the small gate, then hurriedly climbed up the observation tower at the back gate. Seeing his people handle the scattered zombies relieved him.


    Li Yu glanced at the four men and suddenly smiled, saying casually: "Brothers, are you ready?"


    Yang Tianlong still had his nonchalant attitude, waved his hand, and said, "Let''s do this, Yu, start."


    The other three were also infected by this atmosphere. As if letting go of something, they looked calmly towards Li Yu.


    Li Yu then took out a large loudspeaker.


    Beep...


    The sound from the loudspeaker, at an extremely high volume, immediately spread throughout the entire forest. The people defending the front gate from zombies also heard it. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing the noise, zombies started moving towards the back gate. Watching the slowly shifting horde of zombies, everyone''s just-settled hearts once again grew concerned for the five who had gone out.


    However, Li Yu''s party, after turning on the loudspeaker, quickly dashed off towards the national highway.

 Chapter 39 - 39: Who Is It?

    The loudspeaker''s penetrating blast was so strong that Li Yu, holding the device emitting the immense noise,


    Yang Tianlong and the others dared not get anywhere near the mouth of the loudspeaker,


    for the sound was simply,


    Too! Loud!


    After running for a while, Li Yu stood on a large rock.


    Looking out, the Zombie Tide was a dense, dark mass with no visible end, causing discomfort for Li Yu, who had a fear of tight spaces.


    Standing at the edge of the woods and looking far into the distance, zombies could be seen pouring out from both the east and west sides of the base, running towards them like a mudslide.


    Li Yu stood on the rock for a moment, getting everyone ready for what was next: a life-or-death sprint.


    Waiting until the zombies drew closer, Li Yu saw the timing was right; most of the zombies were already attracted by the loudspeaker''s sound, and those remaining, senseless zombies would follow the main horde.


    "Let''s go! Keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals on the way!" Li Yu shouted.


    The group of five started to run; they could only manage because they were in good physical condition, otherwise running in these woods wouldn''t last long before exhausting them.


    The zombies followed closely behind.


    The rain grew heavier, and as Li Yu ran through the woods, he felt, oddly enough, exhilarating!


    Damn thrilling.


    He couldn''t help but howl out loud.


    The others looked at him strangely. Li Yu''s face turned red, and he said no more.


    Perhaps touched by the atmosphere, Yang Tianlong also yelled out: "Screw you, zombies!"


    Li Tie and Li Gang looked at each other with understanding and simultaneously howled: "Awoo..."


    Zhao Dapao seemed a bit puzzled, but seeing the positive atmosphere, he didn''t want to stand out by not shouting.


    So he followed suit and howled: "Awoo, awoo, awoo..."


    Everyone laughed, and Li Yu felt an indescribable thrill in his heart.


    As if he could understand the saying:


    Fighting against the heavens is endless joy!


    Fighting against the earth is endless joy!


    Fighting against others is endless joy!


    But now, Li Yu had added one more line to that in his heart,


    Fighting against zombies is endless joy!


    Sometimes, when faced with adversity, people feel fear, trepidation, and worry about the consequences.


    So people always need to motivate themselves; shouting out loud gives them a surge of warmth from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads, and this spirit endows them with greater valor and a fearless soul.


    Li Yu''s courage came from protecting his family; Yang Tianlong''s courage stemmed from protecting his sister; Li Tie''s and Li Gang''s courage also came from family protection; Zhao Dapao had been listless after losing his family.


    But in the course of just over a month, the companionship of his brother Yang Tianlong, and the camaraderie with people like Li Yu, gave him a sense of collective warmth.


    Although not related by blood, in this lifetime, facing tough challenges together, and remaining calm and composed in front of a multitude of lost souls, laughing and talking freely with brothers, it was truly delightful!


    Fight for courage, for family, for brotherhood!


    The group laughed heartily once more.


    And then they charged deeper into the forest.


    The zombies, hindered by the trees in the forest, slowed down considerably. Seeing this, Li Yu had an idea.


    He took a pack of chewing gum from his pocket and distributed it among the group.


    Chewing gum, they stood on the mountaintop, waiting for the approaching zombies without any sign of panic.


    .....


    Meanwhile, at the base, Second Uncle Li Hongda breathed a sigh of relief seeing the dispersing zombies.


    At last...


    Then he turned his gaze to the mountains, concern creasing his brows.


    "Ah, Li Yu! I hope you all make it back safely!"


    All of a sudden, Uncle Lai, who was about to climb down from the wall, exclaimed in shock: "Look over here, there''s so much fresh blood on the wall!"


    Uncle Zhou also leaned over to look and saw that the wall was splattered with a lot of blood. There were even many zombies encircling something, unsure of what was inside.


    "Blood? It seems someone deliberately lured the zombies here."


    After the zombies left, hundreds of zombie corpses remained outside the perimeter wall. Li Hongda''s gaze suddenly tightened as he noticed what seemed to be a red line in the middle of the path. On closer inspection, he realized it was all blood.


    Someone lured them over here with blood!


    But, how much blood was used?


    Li Hongda shivered uncontrollably.


    Since there was blood all over the perimeter wall, which could attract zombies, it was originally planned to be cleaned.


    But fortunately, today the heavens were obliging, and a heavy rain poured down.


    With the heavy rain, all the blood was washed away, forming streams that flowed into the low-lying valleys.


    As if even the heavens couldn''t stand the evil of this world and cleansed it with the downpour!


    It seemed like 5 minutes had passed, or maybe 10 minutes.


    After everyone saw the zombies leave, they all calmed down a bit. Second Uncle Li Hongda, seeing the older folks like Li Yushi and others still in the rain, immediately said, "You all go back first, the rain is heavy. Li Haoran, Li Haoxian, Li Hang, Brother Lai, let''s stay at the gate and watch a bit longer."


    Uncle glanced at Second Uncle and also said, "I''ll stay too."


    Second Uncle nodded.


    Just then, Second Uncle suddenly stared intently at a spot in the forest.


    There was a figure!


    "Come out!" Second Uncle shouted explosively.


    The grass rustled, but no one came out.


    Second Uncle pulled out his crossbow and without hesitation shot in that direction.


    Thud!


    "Ah! My leg!" A cry of pain was heard.


    Indeed, there was someone. Second Uncle and Uncle exchanged glances. Just when they were about to shoot another arrow,


    the grass rustled continuously for a few moments, and Second Uncle saw several people''s backs fleeing.


    From a distance, one of the figures escaping seemed vaguely familiar.


    "This back figure... it looks like the Village Chief''s son!" murmured Second Uncle.


    ....


    Elsewhere, Li Yu saw the zombies slowly catching up and gave a signal with his eyes.


    They quickly descended the mountain and ran towards the national road.


    According to Li Yu''s plan, he wanted to lead the zombies as far away as possible, because the more zombies there are around the base, the greater the future hidden danger to the base.


    They were all running towards the national road.


    Just then, Li Tie suddenly exclaimed, "Look over there!"


    They all looked where Li Tie was pointing.


    On the national road, there were a few people!


    Their gait was completely different from that of zombies, with a vehicle slowly moving at the front.


    It seemed that a few people''s hands were tied with rope behind the vehicle, forced to run along with it.


    Occasionally, someone who couldn''t keep up fell to the ground but didn''t dare to stop.


    To stop meant to be dragged to death on the ground by the vehicle.


    Li Yu''s eyes narrowed, a glint of cold light flickering.


    He said icily, "I bet it''s these bastards who led the zombies here! Let''s go, follow them!"


    Everyone was somewhat enraged and quickly chased after them.


    The horn still blared behind Li Yu, with zombies covering the mountains and fields.


    In front of Li Yu was the straight national road, and the vehicle on it continued to move slowly.


    Suddenly, the people in the vehicle seemed to hear the sound of the horn, S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    stopped the vehicle, and a bald man holding a Mountain Blade got off!


    His eyes fixedly stared towards Li Yu''s side.


    Li Yu saw the person getting off the vehicle,


    running while looking at the bald man, pondering in his heart:


    Who is he?

 Chapter 40 - 40: You Actually Have Guns

    But no matter who it is, they must pay the price for their actions! Li Yu frowned deeply and looked at the zombies behind him, immediately coming up with a plan.


    "Brothers, head to the car!" Li Yu shouted in the rain.


    They sprinted, like tigers descending the mountain.


    On the other side by the car, a bald man looked surprised when he saw them.


    He tapped the car, and several beefy men crawled out of it.


    They were all holding weapons like mountain blades and iron rods.


    As Li Yu ran closer, he counted about 6 people.


    When he saw that apparently no one on the other side was holding a gun, he felt slightly relieved.


    After all, this is in Hua Country, where control over knives is extremely strict, let alone guns!


    Ordinary people never have the chance to touch guns, and most people have rarely even seen a real gun.


    Li Yu said to everyone, "Hide your guns!"


    Although they didn''t quite understand, they tucked the guns behind them. Zhao Dapao felt awkward since rifles are relatively long��how could you hide that?


    Eventually, he took off his coat, wrapped the gun, and it just looked like he was holding a wooden stick.


    On the bald man''s side, they seemed completely unguarded. Perhaps, after the apocalypse broke out, they had been swaggering around for so long and encountered so little resistance that they felt no one could overpower them.


    So when the two groups met, the bald man still looked at Li Yu and his crew with a mocking smile.


    "Well, well! Still dare to come out? Aren''t you afraid of dying?" The bald man banged on the car with the back of his knife and teased. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing this, Li Yu''s suspicion was confirmed! The people who led the zombies to the base were these guys!


    After making sure, Li Yu looked fearlessly at the bald man and his group,


    even taking out their weapons and slowly walking towards them.


    "Not speaking, are you mute? Or did I scare you��" The bald man arrogantly laughed.


    "Still dare to look at us with that stare, tired of living?" A middle-aged, greasy man next to the bald man boasted; he had a buzzed haircut, was broad-waisted, wore a BOY t-shirt on top and tight pants and bean shoes below.


    The chill in Li Yu''s eyes grew colder, and Yang Tianlong beside him became agitated, eager to use his long knife.


    Suddenly, the man with his hands tied behind his back at the rear of the car shouted, "Be careful, they are desperados! They have killed people!"


    The buzz-cut, pot-bellied man upon hearing this walked over and slapped the woman who spoke, sending her flying, but the buzz-cut man didn''t stop there��he continued to hammer the woman with the knife handle.


    The woman was caught off guard by the beating, but there were four tied-up people seeing the woman being beaten and turned a blind eye, as if it had nothing to do with them.


    Only one tied-up youth, seeing the woman being beaten, tried to stop the buzz-cut man.


    Just then, another man came by, grabbed the youth by the collar, and flung him to the ground with force.


    Then, this man forcefully kicked the youth''s stomach.


    "Ah... you... will pay for this one day!" Even though beaten, the youth stubbornly ran towards the woman and pushed the buzz-cut man away.


    Protecting the woman beneath him tightly, but then the two men caught up and started beating the youth severely.


    The youth took the brutal beating with his tender back.


    All this seemed to happen in a flash, and Li Yu felt incredibly saddened.


    Watching the bald man still babbling and mocking.


    He made several eye signals to the people beside him, put down the long knives, and pulled out a gun.


    He shouted: "Kid, get out of the way!"


    *Tatatatatata...*


    A burst of gunfire echoed, and apart from the bald man, the other four fell to the ground.


    Zhao Dapao and the others were precise shooters, sparing the innocent.


    The bald man standing in the middle clutched his thighs and knelt on the ground.


    He let out a shocked wail, "You guys actually, damn, have guns! You''re so dishonorable, how could you just attack without saying anything!"


    For Li Yu, if something can be solved by action, he absolutely will not waste words.


    Not only is it a waste of time, but oftentimes, talking too much can lead to death.


    The bald man tried to continue, "What the f... you guys...."


    Slap! A slap came flying.


    "What the f... you guys how can."


    Slap!


    "Ah! How can you...."


    Slap!


    "Ah! You...."


    Slap!


    "....."


    Li Yu kept slapping, feeling the environment settle into silence, which seemed to improve his mood a lot.


    Turning back, he saw zombies slowly running down the mountain, already not far from them.


    Seeing the young man who was just knocked down, a fire of anger ignited in his heart.


    This doggone apocalypse!


    He''s no saint, but that doesn''t stop him from being a good person.


    Walking over, Li Yu, with a cold expression, looked at the youth and the woman, and spoke the first sentence after reaching the national highway: "Why are you here?"


    The woman, her face covered in blood from the beating, fiercely said, "These people are inhuman, they said they wanted to occupy a place, so they used us as bait to attract zombies! Several people have been killed by them!"


    Hearing this, Li Tie and the others felt like a huge stone was pressing on their chests, too heavy to speak.


    Seeing the zombies getting closer, Li Yu told everyone to get into the car and also brought the bald man whose legs were shot.


    Looking at the woman and the young man, he thought for a moment, walked over, cut the ropes tying them, but did not untie the part that bound them.


    He patiently said, "The zombies will be here soon, do you two want to come with us? I''ll drive you a stretch, and let you off at a safe place. Once we''re at a safe place, I''ll untie the ropes. Do you want to come with us?"


    The woman looked up at Li Yu and the others, then at the zombies slowly approaching the highway, and finally nodded, "Okay!"


    The other two, young men who had been indifferent, suddenly couldn''t stand still anymore, seeing that Li Yu didn''t seem to intend to take them.


    "Take us too!"


    "Yes, please, take us with you."


    Hearing this, Li Yu didn''t respond and turned to leave.


    Ignoring the wailing and crying behind him, he instructed Yang Tianlong and the others to get in the car.


    Before getting in the car, Li Tie glanced at them, sighed,


    Yet ultimately said nothing; he listens to his big brother!


    The horn blared again, and the zombies were crazily triggered to rush over.


    The car started, accompanied by the roar of the engine,


    The shrill sound of the horn, the zombies'' roaring,


    At the back of the car, there were sounds of humans being devoured and bitten by zombies, the sour crunching of bones,


    And faintly, barely audible were the two people,


    Wailing, cursing, until the very end, their cries of repentance....

 Chapter 41 - 41: Play Unconventionally

    Beep....


    The loudspeaker emitted tremendous noise, and Li Yu fixed it onto the roof of the car.


    Then the car slowly moved forward, followed closely by a group of zombies.


    He rolled up the window, temporarily reducing the volume of the loudspeaker''s noise,


    And instructed Li Tie, who was driving, to keep an eye out for whether the zombies could keep up from behind.


    After arranging all of this, Li Yu let out a long breath. He then picked up the walkie-talkie and asked Second Uncle, "Second Uncle, Second Uncle, have all the zombies left from your side?"


    Second Uncle, who was standing in the Observation Tower staring into the distance, jolted when he heard Li Yu''s voice.


    He pressed the walkie-talkie immediately and replied, "They''ve all left. How is everything on your side, Xiao Yu?"


    "We just found five people; they must be the ones who attracted the zombies. Killed four of them, and there''s one left, haven''t interrogated him yet. We''re driving now, trying to lure the zombies to a further place."


    "Xiao Yu, just now in the woods, I think I saw the Village Chief''s son, the one who used to hang out with those hoodlums," Second Uncle said gravely.


    Hearing this, Li Yu''s heart stirred, and he cast a ghostly glance at the bald man who was shouting in pain on the back seat.


    The bald man''s hands were tied up with rope.


    The woman and the young man sitting behind the bald man stared at him with a fixed gaze; they seemed like they couldn''t wait to devour him, but they didn''t dare to make a move without Li Yu''s permission.


    Li Yu continued to inquire, "Anything else?"


    Second Uncle thought for a moment and looking at the trail of blood up ahead, he said, "Apart from those few you dealt with, there should be others. I spotted them 20 minutes ago.


    I shot one of them with a crossbow. Then they escaped from the woods near the base; looks like there were about four of them."


    When Li Yu heard this, he had a rough estimate in mind and continued to ask, "Did you use guns?"


    Second Uncle replied, "No, why?"


    Li Yu stated, "They probably don''t know we have guns. These guys earlier charged at us foolishly and we dealt with them using guns." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Li Yu turned around and looked at the bald man with a cold gaze.


    The bald man had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Li Yu and the others,


    Although Li Yu noticed the bald man was listening, he didn''t really mind.


    The bald man, seeing that Li Yu was watching him, felt his heart thumping, his eyes shifting as if he was thinking of something.


    Suddenly, he began to cry out in pain saying his leg hurt.


    Li Yu didn''t say anything but kept staring straight at the bald man.


    10 seconds passed,


    The bald man felt extremely uncomfortable under Li Yu''s gaze.


    He could only plead weakly, "Big brother, you''re the big brother, let me go. It was just an accident, oh, right, it was just an accident. We just happened to be passing by, really, we were just passing."


    Li Yu saw the bald man stubbornly denying everything, unyielding like a cornered duck.


    He laughed at that moment; he enjoyed tough guys the most.


    Pulling out a dagger, he directly stabbed into the bald man''s thigh!


    Pulled it out!


    Pshhht!


    The dagger went a full 5 centimeters into the bald man''s thigh!


    "Ah!..."


    The bald man lowered his head, wanting to cover his leg, but his hands were tied, so he could only press down on the wound with his elbow.


    The bald man had never encountered someone so out of the ordinary, not even asking any questions!


    Why did he start getting physical just like that!


    No respect for martial ethics!


    The bald man was in so much pain that he was almost in tears when he saw Li Yu about to stab his other thigh.


    He quickly shouted, "Big brother, big brother, you ask, and I''ll tell. Hisss..." The bald man seemed to exert great effort to speak, but the wound on his leg made him twitch in pain.


    Seeing this, Li Yu immediately stopped smiling,


    and asked slowly, "Where are you guys from, how many of you are there? What weapons do you have? Why did you come to our base? How did you find out about it?...." He rattled off a series of questions.


    The bald man was a bit stunned and said to Li Yu in a daze, "Big brother, ask one by one, please. I can''t remember all that!"


    Hearing this, Li Yu laughed again; he always liked those who didn''t listen.


    He stabbed again, this time into the other leg!


    "Ah! Big brother, I-I-I-I..." The bald man cried out in pain, tears streaming down his face.


    And the woman and the boy standing by, who seemed to want to laugh at the scene,


    but sensing that the atmosphere was not right for laughter, held it in with great effort.


    "Answer," Li Yu said succinctly. And then he stared fixedly at the bald man.


    The bald man''s body trembled slightly. Although he wasn''t a good person either, he had never seen someone so brutal, so he began to spill everything he knew.


    "Big brother, we''re from a debt collection company. This time there are ten of us. After the apocalypse broke out, our boss led us in the county, uh. Now we should have a few dozen people, I guess, but I don''t remember exactly. No no, no guns, we only have knives and iron rods."


    The bald man continued in fits and starts, "Big brother, and then one day, a guy came to our boss and said that there''s a place with a lot of supplies and that it''s also very safe. So our boss was tempted and sent us to check it out. Hisss..."


    The bald man winced from the pain in his leg, drawing in a breath of cool air.


    "Who made you attract the zombies here?" Li Yu asked.


    "Big brother, it, it was that guy, who must be from your village," the bald man replied.


    Li Yu was a bit angry. The son of the Village Chief was no good either; he shouldn''t have let him off the hook at the beginning!


    "Why did you split up, and did you specify a time and place to rendezvous?" Li Yu stared piercingly at the bald man as if he could tell from his expression whether he was lying.


    "Big brother, I, they went over there to attract the zombies, and we, we were supposed to wait for them here. As for meeting up, we agreed to do so at the gas station at the intersection of the national highway and the expressway. The, the time should be 15:00 this afternoon. Which is in 2 hours."


    Li Yu thought about the gas station, which was about 4 kilometers away.


    After thinking for a while, he asked again, "Where do you usually stay?"


    The bald man hesitated and his gaze towards Li Yu drifted, but he still replied, "Big brother, we are at the top floor of the Tianhua Building."


    Li Yu then looked at the woman and the boy behind him and asked, "Is what he just said true?"


    The boy looked at the woman and took the initiative to say, "He lied to you. I heard them say the meeting time was 14:00. And they don''t stay in the Tianhua Building; they stay in Lotus Mall! Mmm, the rest seems correct, though."


    Hearing this, Li Yu looked at the bald man somewhat amusedly.


    Yang Tianlong had been listening to their conversation, and after hearing the boy''s answer,


    he punched the bald man in the chest, which immediately left the bald man breathless.


    Sweat dripped drop by drop from his forehead.


    Li Yu, looking at the bald man, stabbed at the bald man''s arm again and asked, "Do you have anything else to add?"


    The bald man laughed, "Just kill me!" His eyes were surprisingly defiant.


    Li Yu had no choice but to oblige!


    He motioned Li Gang to shuffle inside.


    Then with a kick, he sent the bald man flying out.


    Bang! The bald man rolled off the car.


    Li Yu was always decisive and swift in his actions.


    As soon as he realized there was no more information to extract, it was time to dispatch the bald man.


    The bald man rolled on the ground a couple of times and was ultimately devoured by a horde of zombies.


    ......

 Chapter 42 - 42: Waiting for the Rabbit by the Stump

    Li Tie looked at Li Yu and asked, "Big brother, where should we go now?"


    Li Yu heard this and felt something was slightly off about what Li Tie just said.


    It was as if he had heard someone mention that word before.


    Without much further thought, Li Yu looked back at the zombies and asked, "How long will it take to get to the gas station from here?"


    Li Tie replied, "Based on our current speed, about 10 minutes, but if we speed up, probably less than 7 minutes."


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, "First, drive slowly towards the highway, then take the exit from the highway.


    Then speed up and hurry back to the gas station, trying to get there before the half-hour deadline they set."


    Hearing this, Li Tie roughly gauged the situation, maintaining a speed that would allow the zombies to follow without being able to reach the car.


    Li Yu turned back to look at the two in the rear, thought for a moment, took out two compressed biscuits and two bottles of water from his backpack, and handed them over.


    The woman and the boy took them, tore open the compressed biscuit packaging, and began to devour them frantically.


    The boy ate too fast and choked. The woman said anxiously at the side, "Xiao Tian, eat slower!" while patting the boy''s back.


    Finally, after the boy gulped down two mouthfuls of water and slowly exhaled, he managed to catch his breath.


    The boy looked at the woman and said, "Sister, I am so hungry...", after hearing the boy''s words, the woman''s eyes reddened, full of guilt. The boy looked to be in his teens, the very age for growing and eating well. But now...


    Sigh.


    The people in the car felt uneasy watching this scene. The compressed biscuits were actually not tasty, and the boy''s hurried eating clearly indicated he hadn''t had food for a long time.


    They felt somewhat fortunate that they had plentiful food in the base, not only could they eat warm meals, but also had the assurance of three meals a day.


    With such a stark contrast, their determination to protect the base only grew stronger.


    Soon, the car was on the highway ramp.


    With the increased power of the car, the zombies that had been closely following were quickly left behind.


    They could only watch the car drive away, roaring helplessly.


    After exiting the highway, they hurried back to the gas station they had just passed.


    After arriving at the gas station, Li Yu and the others got out of the car.


    The pair who seemed to be siblings also got out.


    Li Yu helped them untie the ropes and then took out half of the food from his backpack and gave it to the siblings.


    The siblings looked at Li Yu, who had a stern face but was genuinely helping them.


    They wanted to thank him, but seemed unable to find the words.


    Li Yu checked the time, with half an hour left, he saw the siblings still standing there, seeming lost, and said impatiently, "Go on, find a safe place to stay."


    The woman initially wanted to follow Li Yu and his group, but realizing he didn''t seem to plan on taking them, she no longer said anything.


    She looked deeply at Li Yu and the others and said solemnly, "Thank you, thank you all, those people are very cruel, be careful."


    After saying that, she quickly pulled the boy towards another direction on the national road, clearly not towards the county.


    On the run, the boy looked back several times, as if to memorize the faces of the group.


    Watching the two disappear from their view, everyone''s mood was not good. However, Zhao Dapao''s look towards Li Yu seemed to contain an extra trace of recognition.


    Li Yu patted Li Tie, signaling him to drive the car into the middle of the gas station, then they all squatted and took cover inside the empty convenience store.


    Time ticked away, and indeed, in less than half an hour.


    A roar of car engines was heard, followed by a voice: "Dafa, Bo male, Baldy, where did you all die?" The voice was sharp and piercing, filled with frustration and anger.


    Li Yu and Yang Tianlong exchanged a glance and cautiously moved toward the entrance of the convenience store.


    The voice grew closer, and they saw that the group was about to reach the car.


    Peering through the convenience store''s display window, Li Yu noticed that the men weren''t armed with firearms, which gave him some peace of mind.


    Li Yu turned back and gave his four companions a look, gesturing with his hand the signal to charge.


    According to the plan they had discussed earlier, they were to first disarm them. If anyone dared to run, they would shoot.


    Li Yu and his group charged forward, guns in hand, with Long Knives on their backs and Daggers strapped to their legs.


    "Don''t, don''t, don''t shoot!" cried out the man with the sharp voice upon seeing them, but as the Village Chief''s son caught his first glimpse of Li Yu, he hurriedly tried to run backwards. S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bang!


    Zhao Dapao fired a shot, hitting the Village Chief''s son precisely in the calf.


    "Ah!"


    Under the force of inertia, the Village Chief''s son fell forward, face-first onto the concrete floor that was covered with gravel and dust due to long-term neglect.


    The Village Chief''s son''s face was grazed, leaving a large bloody mark, and his elbows were skinned. But what caused him the most pain was the bullet that had pierced through his calf!


    "My leg! My leg!" The Village Chief''s son wailed as he sat on the ground, holding the penetrating wound with his right hand.


    Seeing this, the rest of the group dared not resist or run away any longer. They dropped their weapons to the ground and naturally raised their hands��a sequence of actions that was oddly well-practiced.


    Li Yu gave Zhao Dapao a thumbs up, glad that the Village Chief was not killed, which aligned with his own wishes.


    Li Yu and his team approached and kicked the weapons laying on the ground aside, beginning their interrogation.


    The questions asked were basically the same as those posed to the bald man earlier.


    However, the difference this time was that the location of their headquarters was also said to be Lianhua Building.


    This once again confirmed the truth of what the young man had said earlier.


    Li Yu looked down at the Village Chief''s son wailing on the ground and said indifferently, "Didn''t I spare you before? Why come looking for trouble again?"


    The Village Chief''s son looked up at Li Yu with a resentful gaze and angrily said, "You think I didn''t see the ''good'' things you''ve done? At Rock Mountain! You killed so many people, do you think you are any kind of good person!"


    Li Yu didn''t speak; he admitted this deed. But Yang Tianlong and others beside him were somewhat confused, not understanding what they were talking about.


    Seeing Yang Tianlong and the others looking puzzled, the Village Chief''s son said mockingly, "You think Li Yu is a good person? He didn''t save the people of the village, not only did he not save them, he even killed many of the villagers! Heh!"


    Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao looked incredulously at Li Yu, while Li Tie and Li Gang scoffed, seemingly not believing a word.


    Li Yu watched their reactions, his heart stirring, curious to see how they would respond.


    In the end, Yang Tianlong still chose to believe Li Yu and said fiercely to the Village Chief''s son, "Stop slinging mud, Yu is not that kind of person!..."


    Before he could finish, Li Yu said, "The people, I didn''t save, and the people, I also killed!"


    It was as if Yang Tianlong had choked up, unable to utter the words he intended to say next.


    On the side, Li Tie also looked at Li Yu in disbelief, "Big brother, is what he''s saying true?"


    Li Yu nodded, and Zhao Dapao and Yang Tianlong''s eyes widened in disbelief. They found it hard to believe that the man they had been eating with, training with in the early morning runs, and escaping from hordes of Zombies with...


    How could he recklessly kill the innocent?


    Silence, the atmosphere seemed to grow tense and oppressive.


    ...

 Chapter 43 - 43: I Understand You

    A gust of wind blew by, carrying dust and sand into Yang Tianlong''s eyes.


    Yang Tianlong rubbed his eyes and scratched his head, saying, "Brother Yu, I trust you. You must have your reasons for doing this. Even if there isn''t a reason, well, well, then there is a reason."


    Hearing Yang Tianlong''s illogical statement, yet the words were filled with trust.


    Li Yu felt warmth in his heart; after so many years, a brother is still a brother!


    Li Tie and Li Gang, hearing this, nodded in agreement and said in unison, "Tianlong is right! What he said makes a lot of sense!"


    Huddled together in the wind, the few people squatting on the ground with their heads in their hands felt somewhat disheveled, unable to keep up with the conversation of Li Yu and the others. There was no logic at all.


    Don''t they have brains?


    Why does it still seem to make sense?


    What''s happening?


    Zhao Dapao, being a straightforward thinker, believed his own eyes and judgment, saying, "Brother Yu, I trust you. Even if you did it, you definitely had your reasons."


    Li Yu heard the answer he wanted; he could not let their trust be betrayed.


    He slowly said, "Not saving them is because I''m selfish. I don''t want the trouble of bringing them in. To kill them is to avoid trouble. Moreover, they raped women and killed some innocents!"


    Li Yu''s answer was very matter-of-fact.


    Li Tie and Li Gang could understand Li Yu; after all, their family members were also in the base. Human nature is selfish.


    Kinship and righteousness, sometimes it''s really hard to choose.


    They just felt that what Li Yu did could not be said to be right or wrong; it might be heartless, but it was for the sake of family.


    The greater good versus the lesser, right versus wrong, red versus black, positive versus negative.


    Sometimes it isn''t possible to define absolutely, one can only say what mainstream societal views are.


    Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao fell silent,


    But then they remembered the siblings they had saved today;


    They remembered how Li Yu was the first to stand up to lead the zombies away;


    They thought of all the moments that everyone had spent together these days...


    For a while, no one knew what to say.


    Unexpectedly to Li Yu, Zhao Dapao was the first to speak, "Brother Yu, I understand you."


    His tone paused, silence for a few seconds, he took a deep breath, seemingly using a lot of strength, and said, "When I returned home, all the food in my house had been looted!"


    "And also, Tianlong, Tiezi, Gangzi, I haven''t told you, but my parents weren''t killed by zombies; they were killed by people!" Zhao Dapao gritted his teeth, the hatred in his eyes almost spilling out.


    Zhao Dapao''s eyes were bloodshot, his gaze filled with intense hatred.


    He continued, "People! Sometimes people are more despicable than zombies! My parents lived careful lives, they were the good Samaritans in the neighborhood, scrimping and saving their whole lives, donating so much money during disasters..."


    "But why did they suffer such consequences! I don''t understand!" Zhao Dapao roared, from initial anger to current hysteria.


    "They might have been killed for helping someone or perhaps by someone who barged into their house to loot food... in short, they weren''t killed by zombies, they were killed by people!"


    "So, I understand you, Li Yu, I understand you. Protecting family, protecting those you care about, is more important than anything!"


    Zhao Dapao''s words were somewhat choked up.


    This was the first time Li Yu had seen Zhao Dapao like this; in his memory, Zhao Dapao was always quiet, reserved, prone to daydreaming, but he didn''t expect all these things had happened to him.


    "Dapao, when you first came back, why didn''t you tell us! We would help you take revenge!"


    Yang Tianlong said, and Li Tie and Li Gang also nodded.


    Zhao Dapao lifted his bloodshot eyes, saying in despair, "I don''t know who they are! I searched nearby for a long time, asked a few survivors, and none of them saw anything! What could I do!?!"


    Zhao Dapao looked up, trying to keep the tears from falling.


    The wind seemed to grow stronger.


    Everyone fell silent.


    After a moment, Li Yu walked over, patted Zhao Dapao on the shoulder, and said gently, "Dapao, you still have us! We will help you find them! We''ll help you get revenge!"


    Yang Tianlong and the others also came over, adding sternly, "We''re with you, too!"


    Dapao, moved, looked towards Li Yu and the others, feeling as if a layer of depression had been lifted from his heart. He exhaled slowly.


    He nodded vigorously, uttering from deep within his chest, "Mhm!"


    Meanwhile, on the other side, the Village Chief''s son, who was already sitting on the ground, was moving towards the bushes by the concrete road, attempting to flee.


    But Li Yu could not have failed to see him. Although he had been conversing with the others, he had been keeping an eye on these people out of the corner of his eye.


    Li Yu walked over slowly, approaching the Village Chief''s son like a demon.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" he asked, his tone mocking.


    Hatred flashed in the eyes of the Village Chief''s son, just as he was about to say something.


    But Li Yu stabbed him with a knife.


    This time, Li Yu didn''t want to leave any loose ends behind.


    The group crouching on the ground, witnessing this scene, shook slightly.


    Li Tie, noticing this, looked at the sky and asked, "Brother, what should we do with these people?"


    Li Yu pondered for a while, looking at the vehicles that the group had driven over, feeling a bit conflicted.


    Should they take them along to their hideout?


    But what if, when they arrived at their hideout, these people didn''t cooperate and blew their cover?


    Troublesome!


    "Kill them!"


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s response, the people crouched on the ground stood up abruptly, attempting resistance.


    Li Tie and Li Gang, who were closest to them, sprang into action, drawing knives from behind.


    Schlick! Two of the men were stabbed to death in an instant!


    The last one, the man with the sharp voice, unlike the previous two, bolted towards the direction of the convenience store.


    It seemed he wanted to fight for a slim chance of survival.


    Before Li Yu could take any action, Zhao Dapao stepped forward quickly, and as the sharp-voiced man nearly reached the convenience store, Dapao threw his knife.


    The Long Knife, like a Spear, struck the man''s shoulder, non-fatal, but it slowed his escape.


    Zhao Dapao rushed up, pulled out a Dagger, grabbed the man''s hair, and slid the Dagger across his neck.


    Blood spurted from the neck.


    Zhao Dapao, with blood on his Dagger, calmly wiped it on his body before sheathing it back in its place.


    Seeing Zhao Dapao''s actions, Li Yu felt a sense of appreciation.


    Thus far, all those who had lured Zombies to their base were slain, and the Village Chief''s son, the ringleader, was fatally stabbed by Li Yu.


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    Their hideout had not yet been dealt with; leaving it alone was not in Li Yu''s nature.


    He preferred to nip troubles in the bud, though there were still many times when unexpected things could happen.


    The more you worry about something, the more likely it is to happen��Murphy''s law.


    Since worrying, then solve it, to avoid restless nights.


    ...


    Li Yu checked the gas station and saw there was still a little fuel left, so he filled up both vehicles.


    Driving, they headed out toward the County!

 Chapter 44 - 44: Tit for Tat

    The zombie outbreak had been raging for months, and many city roads, with grass sprouting through the cracks, were in disarray��no one to clean them up.


    A scene of utter devastation.


    Li Yu and the others were slowly driving through the city streets, the vehicle moving so slowly that it barely made a sound.


    The city was silent, as if not a single human being existed.


    Their vehicle was heading toward the Lotus Building when suddenly, a loud horn blared out!


    Li Yu and the others exchanged glances, not knowing what had happened, but as the horn sounded,


    numerous zombies poured out from the houses on both sides of the road, running towards the source of the sound.


    Li Yu and his companions immediately stopped the car, trying not to make any noise.


    But with more and more zombies coming out, some of them still noticed the vehicle.


    "Drive! Get out of here! If we get entangled, it''ll be troublesome!" Li Yu decisively instructed Li Tie, who was in the driver''s seat, to drive.


    Boom!


    The car accelerated like a runaway wild horse.


    However, due to the noise, more and more zombies started congregating towards their direction.


    Thump! Bang!


    The vehicle hit several zombies in succession, accelerating quickly and soon escaping from that spot.


    But behind them, more zombies slowly converged, like streams flowing into the ocean, the horde growing ever larger.


    Yang Tianlong looked out the car window to the rear and saw the chasing zombie horde, he couldn''t help but complain: "Who the hell was that?! Why make such a loud noise and cause trouble?!"


    Li Yu didn''t speak, instead kept his gaze fixed straight ahead.


    Their initial plan was to avoid areas heavily populated with zombies by taking the less traveled routes on the edges of the city.


    But the recent horn had lured out all the hidden zombies, forcing Li Yu and the others to drive towards the center of the County.


    Xin City was built alongside a river, divided into Old City and New City, with a hundred-meter-wide river separating them. The county center was situated on both sides of the river, including the People''s Hospital, Government offices, and Tianhua Building.


    However, the location of the Lotus Department Store was in New City. While not remote, it was still some distance from the current county center.


    The sudden horn had caused the nearby zombies to erupt in frenzy, altering their original plan. They had no choice but to take a risk and drive through the county center.


    Additionally, there were some broken-down cars on the road, which prevented them from driving too fast.


    The closer they got to the county center, the more zombies there were. With their speed limited, the pursuing zombie army grew larger and larger.


    Upon seeing this, Li Yu immediately felt troubled.


    Suddenly, peering through the window glass, he saw they were approaching the Cross-river Bridge and made some quick calculations.


    Two kilometers past the Cross-river Bridge, and they would reach the Lotus Department Store.


    An idea suddenly arose in his mind...


    "Tiezi, drive slowly, let the zombies keep up with us," Li Yu said.


    Li Tie didn''t understand why Li Yu was saying this, but he still reduced the speed of the car to allow the zombies to follow.


    Soon, both cars had crossed the bridge.


    And the number of zombies following behind them increased even more.


    After driving for a while, they could finally see the 12-story Lotus Department Store in the distance.


    Li Yu asked Yang Tianlong to take out the loudspeakers they had brought with them today.


    At this point, Yang Tianlong seemed to have grasped Li Yu''s idea, and with a crafty smile said, "Hahaha, this plan is good. Use their own tricks against them."


    Li Yu looked at the others, then said, "When we get there, place the loudspeaker at the entrance of the Lotus Department Store, then we quickly withdraw to the back of the store and enjoy the show."


    Everyone nodded with laughter.


    At the entrance of the Lotus Department Store, outside the guardhouse''s lifting barrier, a huge truck was parked. In front of the truck, there were some sharp objects arranged to block the zombies'' advance.


    Inside the guardhouse, two people were on duty, watching the door.


    As the horn''s sound grew louder and louder, the two on-duty individuals turned their gaze in Li Yu''s direction.


    After a short while, they saw two vehicles approaching; someone in one of the cars was holding a huge loudspeaker, emitting a deafening noise.


    One person shouted from a distance: "Hey! What are you doing? Making such a loud noise, what if it attracts the zombies!....."


    But as he spoke, he suddenly stopped.


    He stared in disbelief at the dense crowd of zombies following closely behind Li Yu''s group.


    ...


    Li Yu ignored them and instead urged the driver to speed up.


    In the blink of an eye, the car arrived at the entrance and stopped.


    Just as the two in the guardhouse were about to curse, Yang Tianlong immediately got out of the car, tossed the loudspeaker casually, and it slid under the truck''s tires.


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    The sound of the loudspeaker continued to blare loudly.


    Yang Tianlong quickly got back into the car.


    The car had never turned off; after Yang Tianlong got in, Li Tie floored the accelerator, fleeing the scene.


    The two people inside the guardhouse still couldn''t figure out what was happening, but they were terrified to see the zombies charging towards them �C as if their souls were about to ascend!


    There were just too many of them, pouring in like a flood.


    The Lotus Department Store had never been well fortified, having only a large truck and some debris blocking the entrance. It might have been able to stop a small number of zombies.


    But against such a large horde, it was undoubtedly indefensible.


    The two in the guardhouse watched as the zombies, being far too numerous, started to climb over the truck.


    They couldn''t sit still any longer and immediately ran into the Lotus Department Store.


    They closed the glass door tightly, gripping the handrail to prevent the zombies from getting in.


    The ground floor of the Lotus Department Store was made of transparent glass, so from inside, one could see the zombies very clearly.


    Through the glass, the two could vividly see the zombies'' bloody and bruised faces, their mouths gaping in a roar.


    At that moment, it seemed the door handle could no longer withstand the intense pressure and suddenly broke.


    The horde of zombies flooded in like a river, and one of the staffers was instantly overwhelmed by the swarm.


    It took less than a few minutes, from a series of screams, to the sound of chewing, and finally to some teeth-grinding noises of gnawing bones.


    Outnumbered by the zombies, the person was devoured clean by the swarm �C leaving nothing behind.


    The other person, more alert, had already run upstairs as soon as it seemed that they couldn''t hold out much longer.


    While running, he shouted, "The zombies are coming! The zombies are coming! Help!"


    ...


    On the rooftop of the Lotus Department Store, a group of people was throwing an ugly party!


    Although they were running low on food, they were exceedingly wealthy in another aspect.


    Women!


    Some were numb with horror, while others had eyes filled with resentment...

 Chapter 45 - 45: These People Deserve to Die! [Seeking Recommendation Votes and Follow-ups]

    The person who escaped from the duty room shouted as he went upstairs,


    but on the eleventh floor, several people were playing mahjong.


    At first, they vaguely heard the sound of a loudspeaker downstairs but didn''t take it seriously, thinking about going downstairs to check later,


    when the man with a horse-face, smoking a cigarette, was about to win.


    But at this moment, as the duty room staff continued to ascend the stairs shouting,


    the noise grew louder, and the man with a horse-face finally realized something was wrong and couldn''t sit still anymore.


    He ran to the entrance of the eleventh-floor staircase and saw: the duty room staff, panting and not daring to stop, climbing the stairs.


    The man with a horse-face was about to curse at the duty room staff, wondering what all the fuss was about.


    But then he heard a person behind him exclaim: "Brother Ma, the downstairs is filled with zombies, damn, so many of them!"


    The man with a horse-face immediately turned his head and looked towards the staircase.


    He saw the duty room staff, a bit exhausted from climbing the stairs and slowing down,


    but with a slight tilt of his head, he saw numerous zombies tightly following behind the duty room staff!


    Bang!


    The man with a horse-face made a decisive decision and immediately closed the door to the eleventh floor.


    As the saying goes, better save oneself than try to save others.


    Seeing this, the duty room staff pushed on the door to the eleventh floor, finding it immovable, feeling somewhat desperate, and finally giving up on pushing the door.


    He looked up the stairs and continued climbing, but this time, he dared not shout loudly.


    What if the people upstairs, because of the zombies following, also closed their doors?


    On the twelfth floor, there were also a dozen people idly doing their own things. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thud thud thud, the duty room staff climbed over ten floors in one go, gasping for breath as he looked at the door of the twelfth floor, just four steps away.


    At this moment!


    A man who got up to go to the bathroom, standing up just in time to see the duty room staff on the stairs and also saw the full horde of zombies behind him.


    "Zombies are coming!!!" the man preparing to go to the bathroom shouted loudly.


    Everyone was instantly shocked and gathered at the doorway.


    And in this moment, the man ready to use the bathroom, also closed the door of the twelfth floor!


    He saw the pleading in the duty room staff''s eyes, but the zombies were just too close!


    Bang!


    The door to the twelfth floor was also closed.


    Anger surged in the heart of the duty room staff, thinking to himself: Since you''re not willing to open the door to save me, then I won''t let you have it easy either!


    He always had a lower status within this group, so all the dirty and exhausting work was left to him.


    He knew that the rooftop terrace was where they committed their evil deeds, and anger surged in his heart.


    He continued to run upstairs, heading straight for the rooftop.


    But what he didn''t expect was that these people, not afraid of committing evil acts in broad daylight, now also closed the door.


    At this moment, he felt like crying without tears.


    If he had known, he would have just entered on some floor downstairs, if he had known, he wouldn''t have alerted them about the zombies, if he had known, he wouldn''t have stayed with these people...


    But zombies don''t care about your hindsight.


    The horde of zombies surged in, and the duty room staff despairingly closed his eyes.


    Crunch crunch...


    The duty room staff was tackled by zombies and torn apart and eaten.


    The loudspeaker downstairs, no one knew if it was because of the zombie''s destruction, or if it broke after Yang Tianlong threw something at it, went silent.


    Suddenly,


    Drip...


    The siren that Li Yu and the others heard earlier suddenly sounded again, loud enough that it seemed the whole city could hear.


    At the Lotus Trading Center, the zombies howled at the entrance, but they couldn''t push open the door.


    Accompanied by the siren, the zombies were attracted by an even louder sound, confusedly descending the stairs towards the direction of the siren.


    Watching these zombies surge towards the Lotus Trading Center like a tide, and then retreat like a tide,


    Li Yu and the others behind the Trading Center felt extremely depressed.


    In this hidden alley, Li Yu and his group clearly saw the zombies had gone upstairs, and now watched the zombies gradually emerge.


    They felt like they were screwed...


    It''s so coincidental, isn''t it?


    Li Yu glanced in the direction of the honking, his eyes flashing with cold intent.


    "Brother Yu, what should we do now?" Li Tie asked.


    Li Yu looked at the zombies still heading towards the honking sounds, pondered for a moment, and said, "Wait, once the zombies have left, we''ll deal with those people!"


    Twenty minutes later, the zombies had gradually all left.


    Li Yu and his group drove their car under the Lotus Shopping Mall and saw the horn that had been trampled by the zombies.


    "Let''s go, take care of the trouble!" Li Yu took the lead, armed with a gun and a knife, charging forward.


    The four men followed closely behind.


    Suddenly, Li Yu seemed to think of something, turned around and said, "No survivors from their side!"


    The four nodded.


    Upstairs!


    Searching floor by floor.


    Yet, they saw not a single person, although they did encounter several zombies which were all taken care of.


    Finally, they reached the eleventh floor and saw the doors were closed.


    Looking back, all the doors on the other floors were open, only the eleventh floor was closed.


    The group exchanged looks, approximately guessing the situation.


    The door was wooden but firmly locked, without a second thought, Li Yu started firing his gun, and two screams came from behind the door.


    Watching the wooden door riddled with bullets, the sturdy door now seemed as frail as paper.


    He kicked it down.


    Door broken!


    Li Yu and the others entered, seeing Ma Lian and others panicked.


    He then asked, "Is there anyone else? Where''s your boss?"


    Ma Lian, looking at the guns in their hands, fearfully said, "Zhou Sheng is on the rooftop, on the rooftop..."


    With the answer he wanted, Li Yu fired a burst, and several fell into a pool of blood.


    Upstairs.


    People on the twelfth floor originally thought that the zombies had left, but suddenly heard gunshots and were confused.


    Trying to understand what was going on, one peeked out a slight crack in the door,


    Looking down the corridor, seeing no zombies, he felt a slight relief of surviving a disaster.


    But just then, the door was forcefully pushed open.


    The man looked up, saw Li Yu''s face with a sardonic smile.


    Startled, he stumbled backward.


    Li Yu swung the door open.


    Peering inside, the people there, and the four who followed behind also rushed in.


    At this moment, the group from the rooftop seemed to realize what was happening, several bare-chested men came down.


    Among them, a man with a snake tattoo on his chest and wearing glasses boisterously shouted, "What are you screaming about? You''re disturbing my pleasure!"


    Just as he was about to step inside, suddenly he spotted Li Yu and his group.


    Especially seeing all four holding guns.


    The glasses-wearing man suddenly halted, trying to step back.


    Seeing this, Li Yu said, "You are Zhou Sheng, right?"


    The man with glasses immediately sweated, smiled awkwardly and said, "Brother, brother, just call me Little Zhou, I''m Zhou Sheng, calling me Zhou is also fine, haha. What are you guys doing with guns? I''m quite scared, haha," his voice filled with an ingratiating tone.


    Li Yu saw that there were a few more people standing behind Zhou Sheng, gestured with his chin towards the corridor, and gave Li Tie and Li Gang a meaningful glance.


    The two understood, heading directly to the corridor. One positioned at the entrance and the other at the doorway, barring any exit.


    At this moment, Li Yu looked towards the direction the glasses man came from, thinking there might be more people upstairs.


    He pointed his gun at the few who had just come down from the rooftop, making them and the people from the twelfth floor stand together.


    Then he and Zhang Tianlong went upstairs to check.


    On the rooftop...


    Li Yu looked at the ground full of pale flesh, and several men obliviously exerting themselves upon their endeavors,


    Among them, a man with a scar on his face, under him, a woman who seemed lifeless, yet the scarred man didn''t care at all.


    Seeing this scene, Yang Tianlong was furious to the extreme.


    Li Yu''s face showed little emotion; having seen too much similar wanton cruelty in his previous life.


    Yang Tianlong''s face darkened, his eyes showing ferocity as he muttered, "Yu, you were right, these people deserve to die."


    Each word filled with killing intent.

 Chapter 46 - 45: Leave No Survivors

    The person who escaped from the duty office was shouting as he went upstairs,


    but on the eleventh floor, a few people were playing mahjong.


    At first, they vaguely heard the sound of a loudspeaker coming from downstairs but didn''t pay much attention, intending to go down later to check it out��


    the man with the horse-like face sitting in the center was about to win the game, with a cigarette in his mouth.


    But at this moment, as the duty office person continued to call out while ascending,


    the sound grew louder, and Horse-Face finally realized something was wrong and couldn''t sit still anymore.


    He ran a few steps to the staircase of the eleventh floor and saw the duty office person, panting and not daring to stop as he climbed.


    Horse-Face was about to scold the duty office person for making such a fuss.


    But then he heard a shout from behind: "Brother Ma, the zombies are all below, hiss, so freakin'' many of them!"


    Horse-Face immediately turned around and looked towards the staircase.


    He saw the duty office person who had slowed down a bit due to fatigue from the climb,


    but with a slight turn of his head, he saw behind the duty office person, a horde of zombies closely following!


    Bang!


    Horse-Face made a split-second decision and promptly closed the door to the eleventh floor.


    As the old saying goes, better for the Tao to die than for the fellow Taoists.


    Seeing this, the duty office person pushed the door of the eleventh floor but found it completely immovable, and a sense of despair took over him, eventually giving up on pushing the door.


    He looked up the stairs and continued upward, but now, he dared not shout loudly anymore.


    What if the people upstairs also closed the door when they heard zombies were coming?


    On the twelfth floor, there were also about a dozen people idling around, each doing their own thing.


    Thump, thump, thump��the duty office person had climbed about ten floors in one go and was gasping for breath as he looked at the door on the twelfth floor, only four steps away.


    Just then!


    A man who got up to go to the bathroom saw the duty office person on the stairs and also the throng of zombies behind him.


    "Zombies are coming!!!" The man about to use the restroom shouted loudly.


    Everyone was instantly startled and gathered at the doorway.


    And at that moment, the man who was about to use the bathroom closed the door to the twelfth floor!


    He saw the plea in the eyes of the duty office person, but the zombies were just too close!


    Bang!


    The door to the twelfth floor was also shut.


    Rage flared in the heart of the duty office person, thinking to himself: if they didn''t want to open the door to save me, then I won''t let them off easily!


    He had always been one of the lower status members in this group, so all the dirty work was left to him.


    He knew the rooftop terrace was where they committed their evil deeds, and anger surged in his heart.


    So he continued to run upstairs, heading straight for the rooftop.


    What he didn''t expect was that this group of people weren''t afraid to commit evil deeds in broad daylight, but now they had even closed the door.


    At this moment, he was on the verge of tears.


    If only he had known, he would have entered on some floor downstairs; if only he had known, he wouldn''t have tipped them off about the zombies; if only he had known, he wouldn''t have joined these people��


    But zombies don''t care about your if-onlys.


    The swarm of zombies flooded in, and the duty office person closed his eyes in despair.


    Creak, crunch...


    The duty office person was tackled by zombies and torn apart and eaten. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Downstairs, the loudspeaker��whether because of damage caused by the zombies or because it broke when Yang Tianlong threw something at it��stopped making noise.


    Suddenly,


    Drip...


    The alarm sound that Li Yu and the others had heard earlier started up again, louder than ever, seeming as if it could be heard throughout the entire city.


    At the Lotus Mart, zombies were roaring at the entrance, but they couldn''t push the doors open.


    As the alarm blared, the zombies were drawn by the louder sound, wandering downstairs towards its source.


    Watching the zombies flood into Lotus Mart like a tide and then retreat just as swiftly,


    Li Yu and the others behind the mart felt utterly dejected.


    On this hidden alleyway, Li Yu and his group clearly saw the zombies ascend the building and now watched as they continuously streamed out.


    Felt like the freaking gods were against them...


    This timing, could it be any more coincidental?


    Li Yu glanced in the direction of the honking, his eyes flashing with a cold intent.


    "Brother Yu, what do we do now?" Li Tie asked.


    Li Yu looked at the zombies still running towards the source of the honking, pondered for a moment, and said, "Wait, we''ll wait for the zombies to leave, then we''ll deal with these people!"


    Twenty minutes later, the zombies had all left one after another.


    Li Yu and the others drove their vehicle to the base of the Lotus Shopping Mall, where they saw the smashed loudspeaker.


    "Let''s go, time to deal with the trouble!" Li Yu led the charge, gun in hand and knife on his back as he rushed forward.


    The four men followed closely behind.


    Suddenly, as if Li Yu had remembered something, he turned back and said, "Don''t leave any survivors from this group!"


    The four men nodded.


    Upstairs!


    They searched floor by floor.


    But they didn''t see a single person; they encountered several zombies, all of which were swiftly dealt with.


    Finally, they arrived at the eleventh floor and saw a closed door.


    Recalling that all the other floors had open doors, it was only the eleventh floor''s door that was closed.


    The men exchanged glances, already having a rough idea.


    The door was wooden but tightly locked. Li Yu didn''t hesitate and fired his gun directly at it; two screams emanated from behind the door.


    Looking at the wooden door riddled with bullets, the once sturdy door was now akin to paper mache.


    He kicked it down.


    The door broke!


    Li Yu and the others entered, seeing the panicked faces of Ma Lian and others.


    So he asked, "Who else is there? Where''s your boss?"


    Ma Lian looked fearfully at the guns in the five men''s hands and said, "Brother Sheng is on the top floor, on the top floor..."


    Having received the answer he wanted, Li Yu fired his gun, and several people fell into a pool of blood.


    Upstairs.


    The people on the twelfth floor were initially relieved to see the zombies had left downstairs, but were startled by the sudden gunfire and couldn''t figure out what was happening.


    Wanting to grasp what was going on, they sent someone to crack the door slightly and have a peek.


    The person looked down the corridor, saw no zombies, and felt a hint of relief at having escaped danger.


    But at that moment, the door was pushed open.


    He looked up and saw the almost smiling face of Li Yu.


    He was startled and fell backward.


    Li Yu took the opportunity to open the door fully.


    Looking at the people inside, the four others also surged in.


    At that moment, the gang from the top floor finally seemed to snap back to reality, with several shirtless men descending.


    Among them, a man with a snake tattoo on his chest and wearing glasses boisterously yelled, "What''s with all the damn noise? You''re ruining my good time!"


    He was about to step inside when he suddenly saw Li Yu and the others.


    Especially noting that all four men were holding guns.


    The man with glasses halted, attempting to back away.


    Li Yu, seeing this, said, "You must be Brother Sheng, right?"


    The man with glasses broke into a sweat and awkwardly smiled, trying to ingratiate himself, "Bro, bro, just call me Little Sheng, my name is Zhou Sheng, you can call me Little Zhou too, okay? What''s all this about? Seeing you with guns, I''m quite scared. Haha." His voice was full of fawning.


    Li Yu, seeing that there were more people behind Sheng, pointed with his chin towards the corridor and signaled Li Tie and Li Gang with his eyes.


    The two understood and walked directly to the corridor. One stood at the corridor entrance, the other at the door; no one was going to escape.


    At that moment, Li Yu looked toward where the glasses man had come from, figuring there must be more people upstairs.


    He pointed his gun at the men who had just come down from the rooftop and ordered them to stand together with the people from the twelfth floor.


    Then he and Zhang Tianlong went upstairs to the rooftop to check.


    On the rooftop...


    Li Yu saw a ground covered with white flesh and several men lost in their depravity, oblivious to all else.


    One of the men, with a scar on his face, showed no care that the person beneath him seemed lifeless.


    Yang Tianlong was seething with rage at the sight.


    Li Yu''s face was devoid of expression; before his rebirth, he had seen too many similarly heartless acts.


    Yang Tianlong''s face was grim and his eyes revealed a merciless glint as he muttered, "Yuzi, you were right, these people deserve to die!"


    Every word was laden with murderous intent.

 Chapter 47 - 45: Kill!

    The person who escaped from the duty room was shouting as he went upstairs,


    but on the eleventh floor, a few people were playing mahjong.


    Initially, they vaguely heard the sound of the alarm downstairs and didn''t mind it much, planning to go down and check later,


    while Ma Lian, sitting in the center, was holding a cigarette and about to win the game.


    But at this moment, as the duty room staff continued calling out while climbing the stairs,


    the sound grew louder and Ma Lian finally realized something was wrong and couldn''t sit still.


    In just a few steps, he ran to the stairwell of the eleventh floor and saw the duty room staff climbing up, panting heavily and not daring to stop.


    Ma Lian was just about to scold the duty room staff, wondering what all the fuss was about.


    But then, he heard a cry from behind: "Brother Ma, the zombies are all downstairs, sheesh, so freakin'' many!"


    Ma Lian immediately turned around and looked towards the stairs,


    only to see the duty room staff who had slowed down due to exhaustion from climbing,


    but with just a slight turn of his head, he saw a mass of zombies closely following right behind the staff!


    Bang!


    Ma Lian made a split-second decision and immediately closed the door to the eleventh floor.


    As the saying goes, better him than me.


    Seeing this, the duty room staff pushed on the door of the eleventh floor but couldn''t budge it, feeling a bit of despair before finally giving up on pushing.


    Looking up at the stairs above, he decided to continue climbing, but now, he dared not shout loudly.


    What if people above also closed the door because of the zombies following?


    On the twelfth floor, there were also more than a dozen people idly doing their own thing.


    Thud thud thud, the duty room staff struggled up ten more flights of stairs, gasping for breath as he eyed the door to the twelfth floor��it wasn''t far now, just four more steps.


    At that moment!


    A man who had gotten up to go to the toilet happened to see the duty room staff on the stairs, and also noticed the horde of zombies behind him. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Zombies are coming!!!" the man ready to use the restroom shouted loudly.


    Everyone was immediately startled and gathered at the door.


    And at that moment, the restroom-bound man closed the door to the twelfth floor!


    He saw the plea in the duty room staff''s eyes, but the zombies were just too close!


    Bang!


    The twelfth-floor door was also shut.


    The duty room staff burnt with rage inside, thinking to himself: if they''re unwilling to open the door to save me, I won''t let things go well for them either!


    He had always been one of the lower-status individuals in this group, so all the dirty and tiring work had fallen on him.


    He knew that the rooftop terrace was where they carried out their misdeeds, and anger surged within him.


    So he continued running up the stairs, heading straight for the rooftop.


    What he hadn''t expected was that these people had the guts to do such things under the broad daylight.


    But now they even shut the doors.


    At this moment, he was on the verge of tears.


    If only he had known, he would have just entered at some level downstairs; if only he had known, he wouldn''t have alerted them about the zombies; if only he had known, he wouldn''t be with these people...


    But zombies don''t care for your hindsight.


    The zombies swarmed in, and the duty room staff closed his eyes in despair.


    Crunch crunch...


    The duty room staff was pounced on by the zombies and torn apart to be devoured.


    The alarm downstairs was silent now, whether because of the zombies'' destruction or because Yang Tianlong had thrown something and damaged its parts.


    Suddenly,


    beep...


    The siren that Li Yu and the others had just heard suddenly rang out again, its sound immense, as if the whole city could hear it.


    At the Lotus Mall, the zombies were growling at the entrance but couldn''t push through.


    With the siren''s sound resuming, the zombies were attracted by the louder noise and aimlessly moved downstairs toward its source.


    Watching these zombies surge into the Lotus Mall, then recede like a tide,


    Li Yu and the others hiding in the narrow path behind the Lotus Mall felt extremely frustrated.


    Right there, on this hidden path, Li Yu and his companions had clearly seen the zombies enter the building, and now they watched as the zombies gradually streamed out.


    Felt like I just got fucked by a dog...


    What the hell, what are the odds?


    Li Yu glanced in the direction of the honking, a cold light flashing in his eyes.


    "Brother Yu, what do we do now?" Li Tie asked.


    Li Yu watched as the zombies continued to swarm toward the source of the honking. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Wait, once the zombies have left, we''ll deal with those bastards!"


    Twenty minutes later, the zombies had gradually all departed.


    Li Yu and his group drove their car to the base of the Lotus Mall, where they saw the loudspeaker that had been trampled by the zombies.


    "Let''s move, time to clear the trouble!" Li Yu charged ahead, gun in hand and knife slung on his back.


    The other four followed closely behind.


    Suddenly, Li Yu seemed to remember something and looked back, "As for those people, no survivors!"


    The four nodded.


    Upstairs!


    Searching floor by floor.


    But not a single person was seen; a few zombies were encountered but were dispatched one after another.


    Finally, when they reached the 11th floor, they saw the doors were shut.


    Recalling their ascent, the doors on the other floors were open except for those on the 11th floor.


    They exchanged glances, having a rough idea in their minds.


    The door was wooden but secured firmly. Li Yu didn''t hesitate to open fire, blasting through it, followed by two screams from behind it.


    Looking at the wooden door now riddled with bullets, its once sturdy frame now seemed no more than papier-mach��.


    He kicked it down.


    The door gave way!


    Li Yu and the others entered, spotting Ma Lian and his panic-stricken group.


    So they asked, "Anyone else here? Where''s your boss?"


    Ma Lian, seeing the guns in their hands, fearfully said, "Brother Sheng is on the rooftop... the rooftop..."


    With the information they needed, Li Yu fired his gun, and several bodies collapsed into pools of blood.


    Upstairs.


    The people on the 12th floor had seen the zombies leave, but were suddenly startled by the sound of gunfire, unclear about what was happening.


    To figure out exactly what was going on, one of them inched toward the door to peek through a small crack.


    Looking down the corridor, he saw no more zombies and felt a fleeting sense of relief after a close call.


    But at that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open.


    He looked up to find Li Yu''s almost smiling face.


    Startled, he stumbled backwards.


    Li Yu took the opportunity to push the door fully open.


    Glancing inside, the other four also rushed in.


    At this moment, the group on the rooftop finally seemed to snap back to reality as several shirtless men came down.


    One of them, with a tattoo of a poisonous snake on his chest and wearing glasses, loudly yelled, "What the hell are you screaming for? You''re ruining my good time!"


    He was about to step into the room when he suddenly saw Li Yu and the others inside.


    Especially taking notice of the guns in their hands.


    The bespectacled man halted, attempting to retreat.


    Seeing this, Li Yu asked, "You''re Brother Sheng, right?"


    Sweat instantly beaded on the forehead of the man with glasses, and with an awkward smile, he spoke in a pleasing tone, "Brother, brother, just call me Little Sheng, my name is Zhou Sheng, you can call me Little Zhou too, ha. What''s all this with guns, brothers? It''s kinda scaring me. Haha."


    Li Yu saw that there were a few more people standing behind Brother Sheng, nodded toward the corridor with his chin, and exchanged a knowing look with Li Tie and Li Gang.


    The two understood and headed straight for the corridor. One positioned himself at the corridor entrance, the other at the doorway, blocking any chance of escape.


    At this time, Li Yu looked toward where the men had come from above, thinking there were probably more people on the rooftop.


    So he pointed his gun at the newly arrived group, forcing them to stand with those on the 12th floor.


    Then he and Zhang Tianlong went upstairs to check out the rooftop.


    Li Yu''s face showed little emotion; he had seen too many similarly heartless acts in his past life.


    Yang Tianlong''s expression was grim, his eyes revealing a brutal intention as he muttered, "Yu, you''re right, these people deserve to die."


    Each word was filled with murderous intent.

 Chapter 48 - 46: If I Spare You, I Cant Sleep

    I recall someone once said:


    "If there is only one kind of opposition left in the world, then there would be no opposition;


    If there is only one kind of justice remaining in the world, then there is no justice;


    Attempting to inform everyone of a standard for all things, with a single definition, is inherently absurd, extreme, and wrong."


    In Buddhism, it is said that one can "lay down the butcher''s knife and become a Buddha on the spot; advising people to repent..."


    Bang!


    A gunshot!


    Li Yu fired the gun, killing Scar!


    Everyone on the rooftop was intimidated by the gunshot, and a few men who were in the middle of ''that activity'' also shuddered and stood up.


    "Everybody get the fuck up! Come here! Immediately!" Yang Tianlong saw a few men cower and sneak off to the back, and furiously bellowed.


    All the men lined up in a row, but none wore a single stitch of clothing.


    A few of them wanted to get dressed before standing up, to which Li Yu coldly said, "10 seconds. Anyone not properly lined up and standing dead will die!"


    A middle-aged man who looked gentle and refined stood up and spoke with righteousness and indignation: "Even if death is certain, at least allow us the dignity, especially since we harbor no hate or vengeance towards you..."


    Bang!


    Before the man could finish speaking, he was taken out by Li Yu''s shot, ''earning his meal box.''


    For Li Yu, if he no longer cared for anyone''s opinion, then he''d do what''s fast, convenient, and straightforward.


    After killing two people in succession, the rest hastily got up and lined up properly.


    "Take them down. Anyone who dares to move, kill them!" Li Yu instructed Yang Tianlong.


    Yang Tianlong pointed his gun at the group of men, ordering them to go downstairs.


    Li Yu turned around to look at the women present; even though it wasn''t the first time he''d seen such a scene, his heart still felt oppressively blocked.


    He seemed to want to say something, but after looking at the people around, ultimately, he said nothing.


    Turning away, he headed downstairs.


    Below, Li Tie, Li Gang, and Dapao looked surprisingly at the group of naked men coming down from upstairs.


    A foreboding thought arose in their minds, and as they looked towards Yang Tianlong, who was also descending, his face ashen, they nodded, confirming their suspicions, and they became increasingly rude towards these people.


    Right at that moment, four or five men suddenly stood out, and the leader among them said, "Are you police? Finally, you''re here! We''ve been looking forward to seeing you for so long!"


    Li Yu, who had followed them downstairs, was baffled by the scene and sarcastically remarked, "Could it be that you''re not all together?"


    The balding man in his thirties, upon hearing Li Yu''s words, said angrily, "Of course, we''re not with them; I''m the director at the Xin City Government, forced to be here against our will."


    The men following him agreed, claiming the same.


    Their boss, Zhou Sheng, hearing this, immediately stepped forward to retort, "Ha! I remember you said you wanted to join us. I don''t believe you''re clean either, you''ve been involved with us in quite a lot!"


    The balding man hastily said, "You''re police, right? I''m very well acquainted with your captain! It seems the Government hasn''t given up on us! Don''t believe their lies, we were forced by them!"


    After saying this, feeling it wasn''t convincing enough,


    He continued, "Rescue us, and I''ll definitely reward you all greatly!"


    Seeing that Li Yu seemed unmoved, the balding man got increasingly frustrated, his tone carrying a bit of a command, "Just because the zombie outbreak happened, does that mean you no longer obey the Government''s orders? Do you still have the country and the Government in your eyes?"


    Li Yu and the others came out in camouflage outfits and carrying guns, which might lead others to mistake them for Government forces.


    Li Yu had no time to entertain this middle-aged man.


    Whether or not they are part of the same group was irrelevant.


    Looking at Zhou Sheng, who wore glasses, Li Yu began to size him up.


    This man was the owner of a debt collection agency before the apocalypse, not like the stereotypical gold-chain adorned, bald, potbellied thug.


    Zhou Sheng appeared cultured, but his eyes were filled with malice, which not even glasses could conceal! S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu pointed his gun at Zhou Sheng, expressionlessly asking, "Did you send people to Yanghe Bridge today?"


    Zhou Sheng had an inkling of what might be happening and nervously replied, "Big brother! It wasn''t me who sent them, it was his suggestion!"


    Pointing towards the balding man.


    Li Yu looked at the balding man with a derisive smile.


    The Mediterranean-looking man was a bit befuddled. Listening to the two men''s conversation, combined with Li Yu''s utter disregard for him, he tentatively guessed that they weren''t from the Government but instead, from that base...


    He tried to argue, waving his hands and saying, "No! The one making the decisions was him, I don''t have that kind of power, it''s all their people!"


    Zhou Sheng quickly cut in, saying, "If you hadn''t suggested it, how would I have thought of it?..."


    The Mediterranean-looking man insistently said, "No! Even if I made the suggestion, the final decision was still yours!....."


    ...


    Watching the two continue to argue, Li Yu''s impatience grew increasingly apparent.


    Glancing at Zhao Dapao, he seemed to remember something.


    So, he finally asked a question: "Do you know the Gardenia Residence on Hexiang Road in Xiang County next door?"


    The address mentioned was precisely where Zhao Dapao''s home was located. Hearing Li Yu''s words, Dapao''s expression shifted slightly, and he looked menacingly at the group.


    Unfortunately, no one knew of the place.


    Li Yu tried another approach, asking, "Before and after the zombie outbreak, did you ever leave here to go to the neighboring county?"


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng said, "Big brother, no, we only have a few dozen people and have been staying in the county this whole time. We''re not like Haoge and his lot; they have many more people."


    "Haoge?" Li Yu, somewhat curious, asked.


    "Yeah, that''s the guy who used to be the top boss of the ''Thirteen Protectors'' in our county, Haoge!"


    "Where are they?" inquired Li Yu.


    "They''re in Tianhua Building. Big brother, it''s like we say, ''no fight, no acquaintance.'' I made the bad call to listen to his instigations and send people to your base. How about this, as a gesture, all the women upstairs are yours for the picking. Just let bygones be bygones with me."


    "How many people does this Haoge have?"


    "Way more than us, probably around a hundred!"


    ...


    After asking some more about Haoge and getting a clear picture of him,


    Li Yu looked at the sky; it was already evening.


    Traveling at night was dangerous; it was imperative to resolve problematic issues quickly.


    At the staircase entrance, the women had also come down and were looking at Zhou Sheng and the others with resentment.


    Wishing to avoid further complications, Li Yu said to Li Tie and the others, "Kill all of these people! Leave Zhou Sheng for now."


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng''s face broke into a smile, relishing his narrow escape from death.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Some tried to flee, but they were quickly shot down by the group.


    "Big brother, what about these guys?" Li Tie asked, pointing to the Mediterranean-looking man and his group.


    He had thought Li Yu''s killings had nothing to do with them and was secretly feeling relieved. Little did he expect Li Tie to suddenly ask this.


    "I, I''m the XX Director of the Government! You can''t kill us, spare us, please, we know we were wrong....."


    "Kill them," said Li Yu decisively, without hesitation.


    He thought to himself: Spare them, and I won''t sleep well tonight, irritated.


    Before the words were even finished, shots rang out!


    Several people were executed.


    In a post-apocalyptic world, when weapons can solve a problem, there''s no need for words; they''re useless.


    In the room, corpses lay scattered on the floor. Li Yu looked at the women standing by the door, who seemed to take pleasure in the sight.


    With a sigh, Li Yu said, "That Zhou Sheng, I leave him to you."


    After speaking, he went into the next room to search, to see if there was anything worth taking from these people.


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, the women seemed to hear the most beautiful words in the world and rushed over.


    Zhou Sheng tried to escape, but the women encircled him.


    Some had eyes blazing with intense hatred,


    Some used their teeth to tear at him,


    Some dug their nails into Zhou Sheng''s eyes,


    Some grabbed Zhou Sheng''s fingers, snapping them one by one,


    ....

 Chapter 49 - 47: The Person Who Cuts Off Their Own Flesh

    Li Yu looked around in several rooms, finally stopping in the furthest one.


    This room had collected a variety of supplies, but food was scarce, with only a bag and a half of rice and some bread��besides that, just a few scattered food items.


    It seemed they truly were short on food; however, there were still a few unopened boxes of alcohol, and seeing a few packs of cigarettes in a cabinet, Li Yu stuffed them into his backpack, as such items were in high demand in this apocalyptic world.


    After a thorough check and finding nothing else of value, Li Yu left the room.


    On the ground, Zhou Sheng lay beyond recognition, dead to the world.


    Several women sat on the ground sobbing, one of them seemingly deranged, chewing on a piece of flesh that she had bitten off from Zhou Sheng''s body.


    At this moment, a woman in her twenties, dressed in an OL (office lady) business attire with delicate features, approached Li Yu and said with a grieving expression, "Thank you for saving us."


    After speaking, she bowed deeply to Li Yu and the others.


    The other women also got up and expressed their thanks to Li Yu and his group.


    Seeing this, Li Yu felt inclined to say a few words of comfort but then thought it was pointless.


    He then pointed to the innermost room and said, "We still have things to do. The food, we can leave for you."


    On the other side, a woman with the look of a young housewife approached, her voluptuous figure trembling with every step she took.


    The young housewife came close to Li Yu and said, "Big brother, I can tell you''re a good person. I have nowhere to go; can you take me with you?"


    Her large eyes were brimming with pleading, her messy hair unable to hide her lovely features. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As soon as she finished speaking, the women who had been crying on the ground seemed to realize something and all stood up, begging Li Yu to take them with him.


    Li Yu replied, "Sorry, I can''t take you with me. But you can have the food!"


    After that, he said to Li Tie and the others, "Let''s get ready to head back, it''s getting late and we might not make it if we delay."


    Li Tie responded affirmatively.


    Just as they were preparing to leave, the young housewife stood at the doorway preventing Li Yu from passing, saying, "No, you can''t just leave like this. With so many zombies outside, what about us weak women?"


    Li Yu felt a surge of annoyance and a headache coming on.


    He turned his head away without another word.


    Seeing Li Yu''s demeanor, the young housewife thought him to be approachable and, guessing he was in his early twenties, moved her body closer. But before she could touch Li Yu��


    Bang!


    Li Yu pushed the housewife away with one hand; she fell to the ground weakly like a tuft of catkins.


    With a face as fresh as a lotus flower, she looked at Li Yu in mournful disbelief.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    The young housewife recovered, feeling insulted as if she had transformed into a ferocious tigress, she said angrily, "What kind of person are you, completely without tact! If you save someone, you should save them all the way, if you see it through, you see it through to the end��saving us this way makes you no better than no savior at all.... Wuu wuu wuu... You people are not good either."


    Li Yu''s face was striated with black lines, thinking to himself: What kind of woman is this, to even start sticking to me?


    Moral blackmail again?


    His hand itched where his gun was.


    Just then, the woman who had been chewing on Zhou Sheng''s flesh, harshly swallowed the meat in her mouth.


    She stood up and marched straight to the young housewife, lifted her right hand, and delivered a harsh slap!


    Smack!


    A clear handprint was left on the fair face of the young housewife.


    The young housewife was about to curse when she saw who it was. She deflated like a punctured balloon and didn''t dare to utter another word.


    The woman, bruised all over and with whip marks on her arms, her mouth still bleeding a bit, stood up and walked with ease to Li Yu. Her cold demeanor thawed slightly as she looked at him, but her overall presence was still ice-cold.


    She slowly said, "My name is Song Min, and I used to run a beauty salon. Thank you for saving us. I will remember this kindness."


    After her words, she turned around.


    She picked up a dagger from the ground and returned to Zhou Sheng''s body.


    She squatted down and methodically began to slice off pieces of Zhou Sheng''s flesh.


    Her movements were slow, almost mechanical, yet absolutely resolute.


    There was not a trace of humanity to be felt from her.


    The scene was exceptionally bloody; it looked like Song Min was determined to dismember Zhou Sheng slowly.


    Seeing this, even the experienced Yang Tianlong and others felt their hair stand on end.


    A few young girls stood nearby, seemingly familiar with Song Min, watching her actions. They wanted to persuade her, but Song Min seemed possessed at that moment.


    No one dared to approach.


    So, she continued to cut, slowly slicing away with her knife.


    Finally, one of the girls said, "Sister Song, Zhou Sheng is already dead. Sister Song, what should we do next?"


    "Boss, you need to pull yourself together!"


    "Yes, yes, that beast Zhou Sheng is dead. We were with you before, and we are still with you now."


    ...


    Li Tie and the others were overwhelmed by the scene, feeling as if their hearts had been stabbed with ice.


    Such lovely girls, to be so mistreated by these scum...


    Their understanding of the depravity of human nature in this post-apocalyptic world deepened further.


    Li Yu glanced at the sky again; the sun was setting.


    The afterglow of the sun was originally stunning.


    The mellow light of the sun shone through the windows, illuminating the twelfth floor.


    The setting sun was like blood, matching the tone inside the room.


    Bodies strewn across the floor, the originally white walls splattered with blood, like ink flicked onto the surface.


    More than a dozen women with sorrowful expressions, some sitting on the ground, lost, not knowing what to do,


    some still seeming unable to snap out of their shock,


    some with vacant looks,


    some with pleading eyes looking towards Li Yu and his group...


    Li Yu, holding a gun, spoke emotionlessly, "I won''t take the food. It''s all in the innermost room;


    I won''t take the weapons, either. The knives on the ground, you can use them to protect yourselves."


    "I''m leaving now. I hope you can survive. Take care!"


    After saying these words, Li Yu left directly.


    Yang Tianlong looked like he wanted to say something, standing still for a moment,


    but he hesitated and, seeing Li Yu approaching the doorway, seemed anxious.


    Zhao Dapao patted Yang Tianlong, reminding him, "Let''s go! Brother Yu has done what he could."


    Yang Tianlong paused, then followed, leaving the room.


    Song Min, who had been cutting into the flesh just now, seemed to sense Li Yu and the others leaving. Her hand holding the dagger paused for a moment as she looked at the sunlight reflected on the floor, squinting her eyes.


    Then she resumed, again slicing into the flesh, one cut after another.


    ....


    After descending the stairs, Li Yu and his group looked at the setting sun, estimating that it would be dark within half an hour.


    Once night falls, Zombies become extremely active.


    The Zombies'' responsiveness and ferocity both skyrocket.


    Li Yu didn''t plan to stay overnight in the County because there were not only Zombies, but also people!


    Human hearts are unpredictable.


    Once it gets dark, without any light, anything could happen.


    He didn''t trust others, even though he had just saved those people, he still didn''t trust them.


    He hurried to the car, driving towards the outskirts of town.


    Li Yu, sitting in the passenger seat, gazed deeply and took one last look at the river opposite.


    The sky was darkening rapidly,


    time on the road was tight, even at top speed, it would take more than twenty minutes.


    Li Yu and his group had to hurry back to the base before nightfall.


    Otherwise, getting trapped by Zombies would be troublesome!


    .....

 Chapter 50 - 47: Return to Base

    Li Yu looked around in a few rooms, finally stopping in the one located the furthest inside.


    This room had collected various supplies, but there was little food, just a bag and a half of rice, some bread, and a few other scattered food items.


    It seemed they were truly short of food. However, there were several cases of unopened alcohol, and upon seeing several packs of cigarettes inside a cabinet, Li Yu directly packed them into his backpack. These things were scarce in the apocalypse.


    After checking once more and not finding anything of value, Li Yu left the room. S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the ground, Zhou Sheng had been utterly disfigured, dead beyond any doubt.


    Several women were sitting on the ground, weeping bitterly, with one looking as if she had lost her mind.


    At this time, a woman in her 20s, wearing an OL (office lady) business suit with a clear and pretty face, approached Li Yu and said with a mournful expression, "Thank you for saving us."


    After speaking, she deeply bowed to Li Yu and the others.


    The other women also got up and thanked Li Yu and his group.


    Seeing this, Li Yu meant to offer some words of comfort but then thought it would be pointless.


    He then pointed to the room the furthest inside and said, "We still have things to do. The food��you can keep it."


    Meanwhile, on the other side, a woman, who looked to be a young housewife.


    With a curvaceous figure,


    The young housewife approached Li Yu and said, "Brother, I can tell you''re a good person. I have nowhere to go, can you take me with you?"


    Her large eyes were filled with pleading, her hair messy, yet unable to hide her pretty face.


    As soon as she finished speaking, a few women who were still sitting on the ground crying seemed to realize something and got up, begging Li Yu to take them with him.


    Hearing this, Li Yu bluntly said, "I''m sorry, I can''t take you all. But you can keep the food!"


    After saying that, he said to Li Tie and the others, "Let''s get ready to head back, it''s getting late, and we probably won''t be able to return if it gets any later."


    Li Tie responded affirmatively.


    Just as they were about to leave, the young housewife stood in the doorway, blocking Li Yu with her hand, and said, "No, you can''t just walk away like this. With so many zombies outside, what about us weak women?"


    Li Yu felt annoyed and got a headache.


    He turned his head away, refusing to speak any further.


    Seeing this reaction from Li Yu, the young housewife seemed to sense that he was an easygoing person. Noting Li Yu''s rather youthful age of about twenty-something, she moved closer to him, but before she could get near him,


    Bang!


    Li Yu pushed the young housewife away with one hand, and like a tuft of willow, she weakly fell to the ground.


    Her face, fair as a lotus flower emerging from water, looked at Li Yu with a mix of sadness and disbelief.


    One second


    Two seconds


    Three seconds


    The young housewife came to her senses and suddenly became like an enraged mother tiger, cursing, "How can you be like this, completely unappreciative of a woman''s favor! If you save someone, save them all the way, if you send Buddha, send him to the west, you might as well have not saved us at all... Wuuu... I can see you''re not good people either."


    Li Yu had a look of frustration on his face, thinking: What kind of woman is this, actually blaming me?


    Moral abduction?


    The gun in his hand started to itch.


    At this moment, one of the women who had been sitting on the ground,


    stood up and walked straight to the young housewife, raising her right hand and slapping her fiercely!


    Slap!


    A clear handprint was left on the young housewife''s fair face.


    Just as the young housewife was about to retaliate, she saw who it was and immediately deflated like a pierced ball, not daring to utter a word.


    The woman stood up, slowly walked over to Li Yu, her body covered in bruises, her arms showing marks of whipping, and traces of fresh blood at the corner of her mouth.


    Walking closer and looking at Li Yu, the chill in her eyes decreased slightly, but her demeanor remained exceptionally cold.


    She slowly said, "My name is Song Min; I used to run a beauty salon. Thank you for rescuing us, I will remember your kindness."


    After speaking those words, she turned around.


    Picked up a dagger from the ground and went back to the side of Zhou Sheng''s corpse.


    Already dismembered into countless pieces.


    Yet her movements, slow as if mechanical, were resolutely determined.


    There wasn''t a trace of humanity left in him.


    The scene was exceptionally bloody.


    Seeing this, even experienced individuals like Yang Tianlong felt a chill in their hearts.


    There were about four or five young girls nearby, seemingly acquaintances of Song Min. Observing Song Min''s actions, they wanted to persuade her, but at that moment, Song Min seemed utterly possessed.


    Nobody dared to approach.


    Finally, one of the young girls said, "Sister Song, Zhou Sheng is already dead. Sister Song, what shall we do next?"


    "Boss, you have to pull yourself together!"


    "Yes, yes, that bastard Zhou Sheng is dead. We were with you before, and we''re still with you now."


    ...


    Li Tie and the others witnessed this scene with mixed feelings, their hearts as if pierced by shards of ice.


    Such blooming beauties, to be ruined by these scoundrels...


    It provided a deeper understanding of the depraved human nature in the post-apocalyptic world.


    Li Yu glanced at the sky again; the sun was setting.


    The afterglow of the setting sun was originally stunningly beautiful.


    The amber light shone through the glass, illuminating the twelfth floor.


    The waning sun was like blood, in harmony with the tone of the interior.


    Bodies strewn across the floor, the originally white walls splattered with blotches of blood, like ink splashes.


    About a dozen sorrowful women, some sitting on the floor in a daze not knowing what to do,


    Some still seemed unable to come out of that state,


    Some had vacant expressions,


    Some looked at Li Yu and the others with pleading eyes...


    Li Yu held a gun emotionlessly and said slowly, "I won''t take the food; it''s all in the innermost room;


    I won''t take the weapons either. You can take the knives on the ground to protect yourselves."


    "I am leaving now, I hope you can survive. Take care!"


    After saying these words, Li Yu left straight away.


    Yang Tianlong seemed to want to say something, he stood still for a moment,


    But hesitated and, seeing Li Yu almost at the door, became a bit anxious.


    Zhao Dapao patted Yang Tianlong, reminding him, "Let''s go! Brother Yu has done what he should."


    Yang Tianlong paused for a moment, then followed, leaving the room.


    Song Min, who was just cutting the meat, seemed to sense the departure of Li Yu and the others.


    Her hand holding the dagger paused briefly, then she squinted at the sunlight reflected on the ground.


    ...


    After descending the stairs, Li Yu and his party looked at the setting sun, estimating it would be dark within half an hour.


    Once it gets dark, zombies become extremely active.


    Zombies'' reactivity and ferocity increase dramatically.


    Li Yu did not plan to stay overnight in the county because not only were there zombies, but also people!


    Human hearts are unfathomable.


    Once it gets dark, without light, anything could happen.


    He didn''t trust others, even though he had just saved those people; he still couldn''t trust them.


    Hurry to the car and head towards the outskirts of the city.


    Li Yu, sitting in the passenger seat, had a deep gaze, looking once more across the river.


    The sky darkened rapidly.


    There was very little time on the road; even at top speed, it would take more than twenty minutes.


    Li Yu and his colleagues must hurry back to the base before night falls.


    Otherwise, it would be troublesome if they got trapped by zombies!


    .....

 Chapter 51 - 48: The Shocking Appearance of Zombie Dogs

    Just after leaving the city, the sun had already set behind the mountains.


    The afterglow of the sunset still lingered, dyeing the distant mountains red.


    Li Yu glanced at his watch, 17:21.


    In winter, the sun always sets quickly. Once it dips below the horizon, it would be no more than 25 minutes before darkness falls.


    Seeing that they were already out of the city with fewer obstructions on the road, Li Yu told Li Tie to speed up the car.


    "Speed up! Tiezi!" Li Yu shouted.


    Ever since his rebirth, Li Yu had never spent a night outside because he knew all too well how terrifying zombies can be under the cover of darkness.


    The same was true for people like Yang Tianlong. As if recalling some bad memories, Li Tie pushed the car to its top speed.


    Boom!


    The car sped up to its limit, roaring as it raced forward.


    The night seemed like an ancient beast, devouring the sunlight.


    Two cars, five people, were racing against time!


    In the darkness, zombies'' sense of smell and hearing became more acute, and in the night, humans couldn''t see zombies clearly.


    This made the danger level at night several times higher than during the day!


    Once surrounded by a horde of zombies in the night, it''s hard to get out in one piece.


    The car whizzed past on the road.


    Along the roadside were farmlands and forests,


    and occasionally, some houses.


    To avoid being entangled by a mob of zombies, Li Yu and his group chose a route that skirted around the concentration points of villages and towns.


    17:35.


    The sky had turned dusky, with the light gradually fading, as if the chaos of creation was enveloping everything in a hazy mist.


    Up ahead was the gas station they passed by earlier today. According to Li Yu''s initial plan, if time allowed on the way back, he would try to bring back some fuel to the base.


    But now, it was too late, and they had to postpone it.


    After passing the gas station, it was less than 10 minutes away from the base.


    However, the sky was darkening rapidly, making it increasingly difficult to see the road with the naked eye.


    Li Tie turned on the car''s headlights, illuminating the path ahead,


    but with that came the heightened excitement of the zombies, swarming from both sides of the road.


    "Don''t mind them, just ram through! Hurry up!" As Li Yu saw this scene, he quickly said.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The car slid slightly from hitting zombies, nearly crashing into the guardrails.


    Seeing the base was not too far away, Li Yu tried to take out the walkie-talkie to contact Second Uncle and the others.


    "Li Yu, Li Yu, I''m here. Where are you guys now?" Second Uncle excitedly said upon hearing Li Yu''s voice.


    "We should be there in about 5�C6 minutes. Second Uncle, get ready to open the gates. Are there many zombies outside the base right now?" Li Yu asked.


    "Not many, not many. The zombies were drawn away by you guys today and have been few ever since! Why are you only coming back now?" Second Uncle said.


    Looking at the pitch-black night that didn''t have a glint of light left, Second Uncle was somewhat worried.


    Li Yu and the others passed two minutes with bated breath. Seeing the rural road that was close at hand, they allowed themselves a sigh of relief.


    Entering the rural road, they slowed down due to its twists and turns��going too fast could easily result in driving off into the fields.


    Everything was normal, and soon, they finally saw the small path leading to the base.


    Li Tie was about to take the turn off the rural road when the headlights shone on a glaring obstacle��a large tanker truck was parked right in the middle of the road.


    Originally for the sake of concealment, the design of this small path could only accommodate one large vehicle at a time.


    Now this tanker truck was completely blocking the way forward!


    Li Tie gradually slowed down, asking, "Big brother, the road ahead is blocked!"


    Li Yu looked up sharply and made a snap decision: "Drive to the side, we''ll get out of the car! Hurry."


    Li Tie pulled the car over, and Zhao Dapao, who was following behind, also stopped.


    Just then, a few zombies from the direction of the rural road started approaching.


    Li Yu was the first to get out of the car, taking out a flashlight.


    One hand held the flashlight, shining it on the few approaching zombies.


    From the other car, Zhao Dapao and Yang Tianlong also got out and turned on their flashlights.


    "Quick, let''s go! Tiezi, tell Second Uncle over the walkie-talkie to open the gates!" Li Yu said while backing away.


    The zombies moved incredibly fast at night, already charging towards them.


    Li Yu and Zhao Dapao resisted the zombies from the left and right.


    "Dapao, kill that zombie and retreat quickly, don''t engage unnecessarily! Nighttime zombies are no joke," Li Yu said.


    Again he pointed his knife at the zombie; the oncoming zombie was quick, as if it was headbutting the blade.


    The force of the zombie''s charge was tremendous, so Li Yu stepped back and the long knife pierced the zombie''s skull.


    Seeing they had dealt with the two zombies, Li Yu hurriedly caught up. With the concrete road blocked by the tanker truck, Li Yu and the others had no choice but to run along a muddy path beside it.


    There are some leaves on the muddy road, making rustling sounds as several people step on them.


    Suddenly,


    the darkness lights up - Second Uncle has turned on the high beams.


    It''s somewhat blinding,


    and Li Yu slightly lowers his head.


    As if moved by some otherworldly force, completely without warning,


    Li Yu suddenly rolls forward.


    An intuitive sixth sense alerts him to the danger.


    His muscle memory kicks in, compelling him to act!


    This sixth sense has saved him countless times before his rebirth.


    Hearing Li Yu''s movement, the people ahead turn their heads as they run.


    "Big brother! Be careful!" Li Tie suddenly yells out!


    After hitting the ground, Li Yu doesn''t look back,


    and before standing up, he tilts his head and stabs backwards.


    Puchi!


    The long knife seems to pierce through something.


    A chill creeps up Li Yu''s neck,


    followed by a foul, nauseating stench.


    Ignoring whatever has sprayed onto his neck,


    Li Yu sprints forward several steps without looking back.


    While running, he glances behind him.


    He sees a huge zombie dog lying on the ground, its belly ripped open by a ghastly wound from Li Yu''s knife. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And behind it, several more zombie dogs are closely following.


    Seeing the fallen dog, the others stop in their tracks.


    In their eyes, a greedy look shines as they stare at the fallen zombie dog.


    The wounded zombie dog tries to get up with effort, but its abdominal wound is too severe. It struggles a bit, then finally collapses.


    The other zombie dogs pounce upon seeing this.


    They begin to tear and devour.


    "What is that? Is it a dog?" Li Tie and the others ask in shock upon witnessing the scene.


    "Back to the base first! We''ll talk later." Li Yu, seeing Second Uncle coming down from the Observation Tower ready to open the gate, quickly says.


    Soon, they all reach the perimeter wall, with the zombie dogs lifting their heads behind them.


    It seems like they want to charge over.


    Inside the enclosure, the sound of the gates opening can be heard.


    There are two gates; originally, to prevent the first gate from being breached, two gates were installed.


    But now, the zombie dogs are charging.


    20 meters,


    15 meters,


    The second small gate outside the wall hasn''t opened yet.


    10 meters,


    Li Yu, at the very back, takes out his submachine gun, ready to fire.


    Just then, the gate opens, and everyone streams in.


    Li Yu follows close behind.


    Bang!


    The gate has just closed.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The zombie dogs slam against the door.


    Li Yu sits down, letting Li Tie and the others through the second gate.


    "Shut the door, don''t mind me," Li Yu says.


    The chill on his neck from the recent zombie dog attack worries him.


    Everyone is puzzled.


    Li Yu watches his watch anxiously; three minutes pass, he breathes a sigh of relief.


    Zombies spread infection through biting; it seems the substance on his neck was the blood of the zombie dog.


    Standing up, he faces everyone''s puzzled looks.


    He explains, "I was just worried I''d been bitten. If I had been, I would have turned into a zombie within three minutes. It seems I''m fine now."


    Everyone''s expression turns to one of relief, Second Uncle breathes easy, opens the gate, and pats Li Yu on the shoulder.

 Chapter 52 - 49: Looking Up at the Singing Stars

    Li Yu left through the second gate and ran straight up to the Observation Tower without resting.


    Second Uncle followed him up and asked, "Li Yu, what are you going to do?"


    Li Yu did not answer but saw Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao following up.


    He said, "The zombies that were chasing us just now were zombie dogs, which generally turn into such after eating zombie corpses or being bitten by zombies."


    "Dapao, you have better aim, so to avoid trouble, use the crossbow to eliminate them. Tianlong, you handle the flashlight." Li Yu immediately picked up the crossbow placed on the Observation Tower.


    He loaded the arrow and began aiming at the zombie dogs.


    The zombie dogs under the wall were still baring their teeth and growling at the people above the wall.


    Li Yu took aim at a dog''s mouth and fired an arrow!


    The dog''s head was pierced!


    Meanwhile, Dapao expertly picked up a crossbow from the ground and shot at another zombie dog.


    Pfft! Pfft!


    Rapid fire!


    Dapao indeed had an exceptionally high level of skill in archery.


    Li Yu looked down and saw that there were no longer any zombie dogs, finally allowing his heart to ease slowly.


    Zombie dogs, especially at night, are really troublesome once encountered.


    Second Uncle, seeing Li Yu seemingly relaxed, couldn''t help but ask, "Li Yu, was your trip smooth?"


    Li Yu answered with a light tone, "It was okay, we took care of the people who led the zombies to our place today."


    Yang Tianlong, a bit unsettled, said, "Li Yu, you think today was okay?? Those women! Those scumbags, and we almost didn''t make it back, not to mention the zombie dogs we just encountered. You call this okay?"


    Li Yu glanced at Yang Tianlong but said nothing.


    Yang Tianlong found it hard to see through Li Yu now; he felt that Li Yu had changed a lot, becoming braver and calmer, even a bit cold-blooded...


    Li Yu and the others came down from the Observation Tower and saw that Second Uncle seemed to want to ask more.


    Li Yu said, "We''ve been running around all day, kind of tired. Second Uncle, come to me tomorrow. I''ll tell you then."


    Second Uncle, upon hearing this, nodded in understanding and said, "Mm, alright, you guys go and rest first."


    After coming down from the Observation Tower, Li Yu saw his family members coming from afar.


    Li Suxin and little Xuanxuan were the first to run over, sprinting toward Li Yu and each hugging one side of him.


    Xuanxuan, with tears in her eyes, complained, "Why did you leave me behind? Take me with you next time. Don''t worry, I promise I won''t hold you back!"


    On the other side, Li Suxin cried and said, "Big Grasshopper, I thought I wouldn''t see you again. Wuu wuu wuu..."


    Following them were Li Hongyuan and Liu Fanghua; they came forward, and seeing Li Yu unscathed, they finally relaxed.


    Liu Fanghua''s eyes teared up as she looked at her eldest son, feeling very guilty. She stepped forward, took her son''s hand, and walked toward the villa.


    Li Yu asked Lai Jiaqi and Li Hang to come over; he had something to say.


    This time with the zombies besieging the base.


    Lai Jiaqi in the surveillance room didn''t report in time, and Li Hang on the Observation Tower was also too careless.


    Lai Dongsheng and Li Hongyuan looked at the two with eyes like knives, cutting into them.


    This was a major issue; Li Hang and Lai Jiaqi both hung their heads.


    Their faces red with shame and they found it hard to bear.


    Making a mistake called for punishment; this punishment made the two deeply aware of their mistakes.


    Li Yu firmly said, "Safety! From now on, whenever any of you are on duty, don''t be distracted. A single lapse of attention could lead to the fall of our base..."


    "This incident, talk to everyone about it later to raise their alertness and prevent a next time."


    ...


    On the other side, Li Gang and Li Tie''s parents were also questioning the two brothers, listening and exclaiming in surprise.


    Yang Xiaozhu originally wanted to run over and check on Li Yu, but Li Suxin and little Xuanxuan got there first. Seeing Li Yu surrounded by people, she felt embarrassed to approach.


    She could only watch Li Yu from a distance.


    Suddenly, Yang Tianlong covered Yang Xiaozhu''s eyes with one hand and said, "What are you looking at! Your brother is back, why aren''t you showing some concern?"


    Yang Xiaozhu''s cheeks turned bright red. She slapped Yang Tianlong''s hand away and began to leave.


    But after just two steps, she turned back and looked at Yang Tianlong carefully, making sure he was alright, then ran towards the villa.


    Only Zhao Dapao was left standing alone from afar, watching Li Yu and the others being surrounded and cared for by family members, feeling envious.


    But all he could do was stand there by himself.


    On the side, Li Hang seemed to notice the solitary Zhao Dapao, ran over to him, and greeted him, "Brother Pao, was your trip exciting? Teach me how to shoot someday, my brother said you''re a really good shot."


    Zhao Dapao looked at Li Yu walking away and said, "Don''t listen to your brother''s nonsense; your brother''s sense for guns is way better than mine."


    "Hehe, that''s right, he''s my brother after all! By the way, Brother Pao, you haven''t eaten yet, right? We''ve prepared some dinner for you. Let me bring it over to you..."


    Zhao Dapao watched Li Hang hurry back and forth with a bit of amusement.


    He found a spot, lay down, and gazed up at the starry sky.


    It had to be said, the entire base built by Li Yu was truly beautiful.


    Especially at night, with the cool breeze gently blowing,


    the distant bamboo forest rustled with the wind,


    the air was filled with the faint fragrance of osmanthus,


    and the grass was so soft that once you lay down, you wouldn''t want to get up.


    Looking up, the stars sparkled,


    twinkling as if they were singing.


    Lying on the grass,


    no need to worry about zombies might attack at any moment,


    no need to fear that someone around you, who was just smiling at you, would stab a knife into your stomach the next second.


    And no need to worry about going hungry.


    Li Hang moved quickly; in just a few minutes, he came over with a basin of pig''s head meat, carrying two bottles of beer and seven or eight steamed buns in his hand.


    Zhao Dapao stared dumbfounded at the things Li Hang was holding.


    Pig''s head meat?


    This works too?


    And the beer is chilled?


    Damn!


    Li Hang had a mischievous look as he said to Zhao Dapao, "The pig''s head was previously frozen in the cold storage. We just prepared it today, especially for you guys, hahaha."


    A warm current surged in Zhao Dapao''s heart, these people had never treated him as an outsider.


    Ask yourself, if there''s a group of people who would save you a portion of food when they eat,


    who would worry about you when you leave.


    How could that not warm your heart?


    Li Hang used his teeth to open the beer bottle. Seeing this, Zhao Dapao said, "Be careful not to break your teeth."


    Li Hang heard him and shook his head with a smile.


    The two raised their beers and toasted.


    Zhao Dapao looked at the spicy and tempting pig''s head meat in front of him, sprinkled with chili and sauce, the aroma directly enticing his nose.


    Having been hungry all day, Zhao Dapao rubbed his hands together, picked up the chopsticks, and took a few slices to taste.


    Savoring delicately.


    Recalling today''s visit to the Lotus Department Store, he had also been to their kitchen. What on earth were those people eating?


    Just a mushy mess of rice, so spoiled it couldn''t spoil further.


    The pig''s head meat lingered deliciously in the mouth, the fat and lean parts perfect - fatty without being greasy, with a hint of spiciness, and that bright red sauce.


    One bite in the mouth, and the taste buds seemed to explode.


    Delicious!


    After Zhao Dapao took a taste, he hastily picked up a steamed bun and ate it.


    Then he took a big gulp of beer.


    Contentedly, he let out a loud belch!


    Pleasantly satisfied! S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Li Yu also came over, holding some cold dishes in his hands: bean curd skin, cold shredded cucumber, some deep-fried peanuts, steamed buns,


    and a fish caught today tucked under the armpit.


    He said with a smile, "Dapao, you''ve got a pretty good setup here!"


    Then he sat down, casually picked up a beer, and took two hearty gulps.


    "Come on, let''s join tables!"


    He then looked at Li Hang and kicked over, "Go, go to the warehouse and bring me up a case of beer."


    Li Hang looked at Li Yu with a grievance, but didn''t dare to resist, since he had done something wrong today.


    How nice!


    Zhao Dapao watched this scene and felt moved from the heart.

 Chapter 53 - 50: Ice Companion Moon Beer

    At this moment, Li Tie and Yang Tianlong also came out.


    Seeing Li Yu and Zhao Dapao leisurely lying on the lawn, they ran over with smiles. Sear?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You two sure know how to enjoy yourselves!" Yang Tianlong said as he wiped his freshly washed head, walking over.


    Li Gang and Li Tieshou each held some food in their hands, laying it on the lawn.


    Alright! Both meat and vegetarian options!


    Watching Li Hang sneakily running over with beer from the warehouse.


    Li Yu didn''t feel too good about this!


    When Li Hang got closer, Li Yu carefully looked and saw in his arms,


    his favorite craft beer:


    The Monastery Series, Quadruple Moon Beer, also known as Demon Moon.


    This craft beer had always been his favorite,


    rich foam, a strong taste but not harsh.


    Its main characteristics are malt flavor, yeast flavor, roasted taste, the beer body is deep brown, semi-opaque or opaque,


    a thick beer body, accompanied by a variety of fruit and spice aromas, mainly dark fruits and dried nuts.


    The spice aromas are even more complex, generally with caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and other sweet flavors,


    the alcohol is not weak, and it has a relatively high degree.


    "What the hell made you bring it out?" Li Yu''s heart ached tremendously.


    "It''s because everyone is here, hehe, it''s not I who wants to drink, everyone wants to drink," Li Hang said cheekily.


    Clearly looting the treasury!


    Zhao Dapao, seeing Li Yu''s pained expression for the first time, looked somewhat amazed.


    Today outside, he was as calm as if he wasn''t a human.


    Now, it seemed like Li Yu''s human side was showing.


    Then laughing, he said, "Right, good stuff should be shared. Brother Yu, we all want to try it."


    Yang Tianlong and others nearby echoed the sentiment.


    Li Yu gestured with his hand for Li Hang to put down the Quadruple Moon craft beer.


    Initially, when the base was built, they created an underground cold storage, chilling some meat and other perishables, also setting up many huge refrigerators.


    How Li Hang found this case of beer,


    it was still chilled.


    Popped the bottle. Poured into a glass.


    Li Yu sniffed it carefully, a faint scent of caramel and malt.


    Slowly took a sip, a strong yet smooth beer body, flowing down his throat.


    Exhaled, leaving a fragrant aftertaste.


    Li Yu picked up a piece of pork head meat, three parts fat, seven parts lean, coated with red oil.


    Put it in his mouth, gently chewing.


    Took another sip of the craft beer, exhaled the alcohol, and lit a cigarette.


    Took a deep breath, letting the smoke swirl in his lungs, slowly exhaling.


    The smoke formed a circle, drifting away with the wind~


    This, damn it, is how life should be in the apocalypse!


    Li Hang mimicked Li Yu''s actions, attempting to light a cigarette.


    Li Yu slapped him across the face.


    "Every day, learn nothing good, only the bad stuff!" Li Yu scolded.


    Li Hang looked aggrieved, thinking to say you smoke too.


    Thought better of it, fearing a beating.


    At that moment, Yang Tianlong also had some bites, drank some beer, then lay down.


    Seemingly casually asked, "Yu, what plans do you have for the future?"


    Hearing Yang Tianlong''s words, Li Tie and others eating nearby also stopped,


    Perked up their ears listening, they also wanted to know what Li Yu was thinking.


    Li Yu took another drag of his cigarette, smiling, "What thoughts can I have, I''ve actually never had any grand ambitions."


    Seeing Yang Tianlong and others looking at him seriously, he grew solemn.


    His expression turned serious: "For me, there''s just one goal: to protect my family, to ensure we all live a somewhat comfortable life in this apocalypse."


    "This world has always been cruel, there are many monsters, I''m not just talking about zombies, sometimes humans are the monsters too."


    "Many times, it''s not that I am too cold-hearted, but rather, I want to talk about other things based on protecting ourselves, I don''t know if you can understand."


    "Always remember this saying:


    In battling monsters,


    one should be careful not to become a monster themselves."


    "When you gaze long into an abyss,


    the abyss also gazes back into you."


    ...


    Li Yu said a lot, and Li Tie and the others listened intently.


    Suddenly, Yang Tianlong asked, "But sometimes, when you see something distressing, helping might cause trouble, not helping makes you feel guilty. What would you do?"


    Li Yu replied, "Then convince yourself."


    "What if you can''t convince yourself?"


    "Convince yourself a few more times."


    "And if you still can''t?"


    "....Just wash up and go to bed."


    Yang Tianlong felt a bit confused; this answer was nothing like what he had expected, wondering how that could even work.


    Then he asked, "So, do you plan to expand the base?"


    Li Yu fell silent for a while.


    Finally, he said, "Maybe, but only if the safety of the base can be ensured,


    I actually don''t trust others much.


    You must have seen some ugly sides of human nature during the apocalypse, right?"


    Yang Tianlong nodded and let out a sigh of relief.


    Then he said, "Anyway, you built the base, I''ll just listen to you! Since we were kids, your head has always worked better than mine."


    Li Yu laughed and clinked glasses with Yang Tianlong.


    Li Tie, Li Gang, and Zhao Dapao also raised their glasses, and Li Hang, joining in the fun, lifted his glass too.


    "To protecting our base in the apocalypse, to living a comfortable life! Cheers!"


    "Cheers!"


    "Cheers!"


    "Cheers!"


    Everyone clinked glasses.


    ...


    The atmosphere grew more lively; everyone just ate, drank,


    chatted, seemingly much more relaxed.


    A breeze in the evening seemed to take away everyone''s fatigue.


    Li Yu felt this relaxation.


    That''s exactly what he was chasing by rushing back.


    After all, outside, worrying about safety every moment, even being able to drink on the lawn,


    felt uneasy even while sleeping.


    Li Yu put his hands behind his head, enjoying the evening breeze and the gentle scent of osmanthus.


    ...


    In the end, it was Li Hang who cleaned up alone, persuaded by Li Yu with a promise, "I''ll teach you how to shoot tomorrow!"


    Li Yu returned to the third floor of the villa, saw that Xuanxuan wasn''t in the room, and breathed a sigh of relief.


    Xuanxuan is good in all aspects, sensible, strong, brave, but a bit too clingy.


    Li Yu took off the dirty clothes he wore today, looked in the mirror, and saw some fresh blood on the back of his neck.


    He washed it off with the shower head.


    Then filled the bathtub with water,


    thought for a moment and went downstairs to fetch the bottle of craft beer left from earlier.


    He poured it into a glass, looking at the brown liquid in the glass,


    Li Yu stripped and lay directly in the bathtub.


    Outside the window, he could vaguely see the bamboo forest, with its green leaves swaying gently in the wind.


    Further afield was the tall perimeter wall.


    Li Yu''s mind felt slightly at ease.


    He took out the player, played a piece of instrumental music: The Sound of Silence.


    His heart gradually became calmer.


    Feeling his body soaked in the water, the muscles which had been tense from today''s exertions seemed to relax.


    This felt similar to the days before the apocalypse exploded; after a busy day, coming home, taking a bath, lying in bed playing video games or reading novels.


    ...

 Chapter 54 - 51: Discussion

    The next morning, bright and early.


    Second Uncle was already waiting downstairs.


    After washing up, Li Yu began to eat breakfast and concurrently shared with Second Uncle the incidents that occurred yesterday.


    Hearing Li Yu''s narrative, Second Uncle''s face shifted between shades of doubt and clarity.


    "This world, to have such incidents! Well killed! Such scum deserve to die!" Second Uncle exclaimed.


    Then he added, "Who exactly is that Hao Ge, I wonder what kind of group they are."


    Li Yu shook his head; he wasn''t clear on that himself.


    Second Uncle noticed Li Yu getting the guns and asked, "What are you doing with the guns?"


    Li Yu replied, "Today, I want you all to practice shooting. We were too busy before and had no time, but now that we have a moment, I will teach you properly."


    Second Uncle''s brows were tightly knotted, voicing his concern: "The firearms and ammunition we obtained initially were already so few, and at this rate, we''ll quickly run out of bullets!"


    Li Yu had also considered this problem.


    Upon seeing his Uncle Liu Jianwen leaving the villa, it suddenly crossed his mind.


    "Uncle, Uncle, I have a question to ask you," Li Yu called out.


    Hearing this, Liu Jianwen, with a puzzled face, walked over.


    "What is it, Xiao Yu, got a question?" asked Liu Jianwen.


    "Uncle, doesn''t the Armed Police Battalion have a special armory?"


    Liu Jianwen pondered for a moment and replied, "Yes, there is such a place. Usually, when we are on duty, we don''t carry many bullets, but I remember we do have such a place."


    "Do you know where it is?" Li Yu asked eagerly.


    "Of course, I know. Such places are rather confidential and typically only those with the rank of captain or above are privy to it. Why? Are you planning to get some guns?" Liu Jianwen answered.


    Li Yu nodded.


    Liu Jianwen spoke with some concern: "When the apocalypse initially broke out, I also thought about getting some. But the armory is in the basement of a big building, and there are lots of zombies around that area. I didn''t go because there were too many zombies back then."


    Li Yu replied, "No problem, we should have enough people now, let''s go together and fetch some later. What do you think?"


    Liu Jianwen, seeing the determination in Li Yu''s eyes,


    thought about the possible future need for firearms and nodded.


    He agreed with a simple "Okay."


    As if remembering something,


    Li Yu said to his Uncle, "Uncle, we currently have 6 Type 79 submachine guns, 2 Type 95 automatic rifles, and about 15 handguns."


    "The total ammunition is roughly around 30,000 rounds.


    Right now, including you, me, Third Uncle, Li Tie, Li Gang, Yang Tianlong, Zhao Dapao, only the seven of us can truly handle guns.


    Others, like Xiao Hang and my dad, were only given basic instructions, and others still, have no idea how to use guns at all.


    That''s why I want everyone to learn shooting, to be prepared for emergencies."


    Liu Jianwen, upon hearing this, nodded his head approvingly and said, "You make sense. Alright, let''s do as you proposed. When shall we teach them?"


    Li Yu looked at the sky with its bright sunshine,


    Today seemed like a good day.


    He said, "There''s no day like today; how about we start now since the weather is nice?"


    Liu Jianwen also noted that the weather was indeed fair and felt it was a good idea.


    Li Yu soon rang the bell in the middle of the Big Camphor Tree.


    Everyone hurried over upon hearing the bell.


    They saw the ground laid with submachine guns and rifles,


    and were curious about what Li Yu was up to.


    Noticing a couple of people were missing, the brothers Li Haoran and Li Haoxian,


    someone asked, "Where are Haoran and his brother?"


    "They''re on duty in the Observation Tower today," Li Hang answered.


    After thinking it over, Li Yu didn''t say anything and decided not to call them back,


    after all, learning to shoot wasn''t something that could be mastered overnight; they could learn tomorrow.


    "Everyone is aware of the current situation, so now, I will teach you how to use guns!"


    "Tiezi, Gangzi, Tianlong, Dapao, Uncle, since you few are very experienced veterans, please teach them together.


    For the bullets, try to use them sparingly, give each person five rounds.


    Once we retrieve more from the Armed Police armory, we can increase practice."


    Everyone started to practice their shooting skills, but Li Yu''s mother and a few aunts,


    worried about wasting ammunition, gestured with their hands that they would pass and let others have the chance.


    Li Yu tried to persuade them, but in the end it was in vain, so he didn''t continue. Once they had more bullets later, he''d let them practice.


    The few who didn''t want to waste bullets on practice went to the Observation Tower to replace two people.


    Li Haoxian and Li Haoran from the Observation Tower were thus freed and came running over,


    looking excitedly at Li Yu, their enthusiasm for shooting guns was evident.


    Li Yu helplessly shook his head and earnestly said, "This is no game, be careful."


    while instructing them.


    Zhao Dapao and the others had been in the army for many years and had plenty of experience in teaching newcomers how to shoot.


    As for Liu Jianwen, back when he was in the Armed Police Battalion,


    his spear skills were among the best.


    Before they started firing, they had them practice the motions for a long time, standardizing some basic movements,


    then they began to let them try shooting.


    It''s only possible to do so within the base, otherwise firing outside would have zombies swarming in minutes.


    Because of these solid walls, everyone''s heart was filled with a sense of security.


    ...


    After a day of shooting, Li Yu found Yang Tianlong and the others,


    discussing the matter of retrieving guns from the Armed Police armory; no one had objections.


    Zhao Dapao suddenly mentioned the car parked at the gate last night had not been brought into the base yet.


    It was unclear if there was still fuel in the fuel tanker that was at the gate,


    The tanker was likely left behind in haste by the Village Chief''s son and his group when they were chased away.


    So it was not taken away in time.


    Thinking this, Li Yu glanced at the sky and pulled Yang Tianlong and the others towards the gate.


    Looking from the Observation Tower over the wall outside,


    fortunately, there were not many zombies.


    Li Yu led Li Tie, Zhao Dapao, and Yang Tianlong out.


    Li Haoxian and Li Haoran, the two brothers, also returned to their shift on the Observation Tower.


    Open the gate.


    Go out.


    Li Yu, with great success, ran over to the fuel tanker.


    He knocked on the tanker''s metal body, which produced a few muffled sounds!


    These were not the sounds an empty tanker would make.


    There was still fuel, and judging by the sound, quite a bit!


    Li Yu was overjoyed, as the significance of gasoline in the post-apocalyptic world was self-explanatory.


    Whether it was cars needing fuel, generators, or even using it to start fires, it all came in handy!


    Li Yu walked over to the truck''s window, gave it a tug, and the door opened at once.


    Luckily, since those people had left in such a rush back then, they hadn''t even taken the keys with them.


    Roar, rumble!


    The fuel tanker was started by Li Yu, S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the surrounding zombies seemed to be attracted by the sound of the vehicle and began to approach.


    Li Yu wasn''t too worried; it was still early, and the zombies could be seen clearly.


    Moreover, there weren''t many zombies approaching.


    So he drove the tanker unhurriedly towards the gate,


    Yang Tianlong and the other person also successfully drove the car that was parked on the road back.


    A few zombies that had followed were taken down by Li Haoxian from the Observation Tower.


    Open the gate,


    Close the gate,


    very smoothly, after getting off the vehicle, Li Yu carefully examined the Dongfeng Tianlong large tanker truck,


    and upon inspection, found that the large tanker still had about 30 cubic meters (25 tons) of fuel.


    It seemed that this truck was originally on its way to deliver fuel to a gas station,


    Li Yu looked at the tanker truck before him and a smile appeared on his face.


    Now, there should be no shortage of fuel!

 Chapter 55 - 52: Speed of Life and Death!

    Li Yu, after resting at home for a day, started to feel anxious and sought out his Uncle.


    To prevent prolonged complications, it was best to secure the firearms and ammunition early for peace of mind.


    Therefore, on the morning of their third day back from the County,


    Li Yu, along with Li Tie, Li Hang, Yang Tianlong, his Uncle Liu Jianwen, Zhao Dapao, and Lai Dongsheng, a group of seven, set out.


    At home, Li Gang, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and others stayed behind to guard the base.


    To accommodate more firearms, they drove an armored police explosion-proof vehicle and a heavy truck this time.


    Seeing Third Uncle on the Observation Tower, Li Yu waved his hand,


    Third Uncle had also enlisted in his earlier years, but he didn''t serve for long,


    Later he entered the business world,


    But he always had a fixation with the military life,


    That''s why he initially encouraged Li Tie and Li Gang, the brothers, to join the army.


    The sky was just beginning to lighten, and there was a slight chill in the air.


    Third Uncle and Uncle opened the gate.


    The vehicles started, and they set off!


    The convoy slowly exited the perimeter wall.


    .....


    Along the way, they encountered zombie hordes.


    A few scattered zombies caused no trouble,


    And after less than half an hour,


    As they neared the County, Li Yu asked, "Uncle, can you tell us how to get to the armory?"


    "Not far from the Government, just beside Xingguo Road, actually right at the Armed Police Battalion headquarters."


    Li Yu nodded, having a general idea in his mind.


    Checking the map, he saw it was just a few kilometers from the Tianhua Building.


    His gaze narrowed; hopefully, they wouldn''t run into that Brother Hao.


    As they got closer to the center of the County, the number of zombies increased,


    But since it was daytime, the zombies were not very active,


    Whether it was the explosion-proof vehicle or the heavy truck,


    Both performance and protection were quite decent,


    Encountering zombies, they simply bulldozed through,


    Leaving a long trail of blood on the ground where they passed.


    "We''re almost there, just around the corner," Uncle said, looking at a building ahead.


    "Uncle, that armory you mentioned before, it''s underground?" asked Li Yu.


    "Yes, on the second subfloor, I''ll lead you there when we arrive."


    As they turned the corner, they finally reached the gates of the Armed Police Battalion.


    Two large iron doors stood there


    Zombies gathered more and more around the vehicles, some even laying on the car windows.


    Li Yu used the walkie-talkie to speak with Yang Tianlong behind him: "Turn around,


    After I bash the gates open, you drive in and block them with the truck."


    Li Yu knew clearly that although the truck couldn''t fully block the gates, it could still seal the middle, preventing too many zombies from coming in at once.


    "Okay, I''ll follow your lead," Yang Tianlong started the heavy truck, and the cumbersome vehicle clumsily turned around, crushing many zombies into a pulp.


    Seeing Yang Tianlong had turned around, Li Yu patted Li Tie, who was dazedly watching the zombies.


    "Go in!" Li Yu shouted loudly.


    "Oh oh, alright!" As if startled awake, Li Tie drove the armored vehicle with full power and charged forward.


    Boom!


    Bang! Bang!


    The two iron gates were smashed open, pulling apart two zombies at the gate into pieces.


    Blood sprayed on the walls!


    "Quick! Quick! Stick to the plan we discussed earlier, get off the vehicles first and deal with the zombies inside," Li Yu yelled.


    The vehicles just charged in.


    They stopped, Li Hang, Li Yu, Li Tie, and the Uncle got off.


    The group quickly eliminated a few zombies dressed in uniforms still inside the gates.


    The heavy truck followed closely, also reversing inside, but like a tide,


    Like a dam opening its gates, like a flood pouring out.


    Bang bang bang!


    Four people, two on each side, firing at full capacity.


    The flashes from the submachine guns lit up the area.


    Zombies were being killed, and those behind couldn''t keep up,


    creating a immediate gap in time.


    "Stop! Wait for them to get off the truck," Li Yu shouted loudly.


    Everyone stopped firing, waiting for the three people on the truck to disembark.


    Lai Dongsheng, not used to using guns, always relied on his strength, holding two mountain blades in his hands.


    The door opened, he rushed down with two mountain blades, followed closely by Yang Tianlong and the others.


    "Follow the plan, Tiezi, Tianlong, Dapao, you resist the zombies outside, we''ll go in and move the weapons," Li Yu, seeing the zombies slowly gathering again, shouted loudly.


    Li Tie and Yang Tianlong stood one on each side of the truck, continuously firing at the approaching zombies.


    Zhao Dapao in the middle, constantly supporting Li Tie and Yang Tianlong.


    Seeing the zombie crowd gradually being held steady, thankful that they had guns; otherwise, thinking of coming here to move the weapons,


    was simply a pipe dream!


    If they were using knives, they wouldn''t be able to hold off so many zombies in such a short time!


    Seemingly attracted by the gunfire, zombies from further away were also drawn in, and more zombies started gathering outside.


    But unfortunately, blocked by the heavy truck in the middle, they could only squeeze in from the gaps on either side.


    This greatly eased the pressure on Li Tie and the others.


    Fortunately, this Armed Police Battalion headquarters had a fairly high wall, so zombies temporarily couldn''t enter from other places.


    Watching Li Tie and others continuously killing zombies,


    Li Yu passed most of the bullets he had to them,


    then quickly asked Uncle to lead the way,


    they couldn''t hold on for too long.


    The consumption of bullets, bullets being exhausted,


    but these zombies, simply impossible to kill off!


    If the ammunition of Li Tie and the other two ran out before moving the weapons,


    what awaited them, would be being devoured by zombies!


    "Follow me!" Uncle said, then directly pushed open the glass doors of the Armed Police Battalion hall,


    Inside the glass doors, there were surprisingly two, armed neatly in Armed Police gear,


    wearing protective helmets and body armor!


    Two zombies pounced, Li Yu and Li Hang each took one, directly stabbing their knives towards the neck.


    The neck area wasn''t so easy to pierce, the body armor served its purpose well.


    Li Yu circled around the zombie, looking for an opportunity to strike.


    After a round, Li Yu stepped back, then lunged forward, thrusting the knife straight into its neck.


    The zombie fell.


    On the other side, Li Hang struggled to find an opportunity to pierce.


    Seeing this, Lai Dongsheng stepped forward to help, continuously chopping at the unprotected areas of the zombie with his two blades.


    Lai Dongsheng, always doing physical labor, already had greater strength than ordinary people, with this chop, he directly chopped off a leg of the zombie above the knee.


    Li Hang saw his chance, his knife targeted the zombie''s neck.


    Squish!


    Zombies in armor, too difficult to deal with.


    Seeing the zombies taken care of, Li Yu asked Uncle to lead the way. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Uncle, holding a submachine gun, headed towards the inner director''s office.


    "The keys to the downstairs, always in the director''s office! Come with me."


    After several twists and turns, they finally arrived at the office.


    Looking at the office door also locked, seemingly needing a key.


    Uncle fell silent!


    "Step back!" Li Yu''s mind raced, and he came up with a solution in less than a second.


    Li Yu did not have time to wait that long, the longer they took,


    the more danger Yang Tianlong and the others outside,


    were in!


    He raised his gun, aimed at the door lock, fired five shots,


    Click!


    The door lock was completely ruined!

 Chapter 56 - 53: Rapid Transfer

    The door lock was busted,


    Li Yu kicked open the door with one foot.


    The door flew up,


    hitting the ground, raising dust...


    No one was inside!


    Uncle seemed to snap back to his senses as well, rushing in immediately,


    heading straight for the central desk,


    skillfully pulling out a bunch of keys from the right drawer.


    "Let''s go!" Uncle was well aware that Li Tie and the others were outside fending off Zombies for them.


    So he too wanted to speed things up.


    Thud, thud, thud!


    The four of them hurriedly ran, quickly dashing downstairs,


    The door was open


    Downstairs was pitch black, Li Yu quickly took out the high-power light he had prepared earlier,


    sweeping it across the basement, instantaneously as if it were daylight.


    "Damn it!" Li Yu saw the Zombies downstairs and couldn''t help but blurt out a curse,


    "How can there be so many Zombies down here!"


    Seeing the dense mass of Zombies downstairs, Li Yu and the others felt their scalps tingle.


    Seeing this scene, Uncle was lost for words as well,


    He said, "Probably when the Zombie outbreak happened, a lot of people tried to flee, then they came here..."


    "...."


    Li Yu didn''t respond; Zombies always liked dark environments, so it was understandable that there were so many of them underground.


    Start shooting,


    Bang, bang, bang!


    A barrage of gunfire, Zombies fell like wheat to the scythe.


    But there were simply too many Zombies, and it took almost a full minute of continuous shooting for Li Yu and the others to eliminate all of them.


    "Don''t daze out! Hurry down! Li Tie and the others are waiting for us,"


    Li Yu saw Li Hang as if admiring the Zombies he killed and shouted loudly.


    On the first basement floor, Li Yu placed a light for illumination, bright and clear!


    They went down another level, on this floor there were fewer Zombies compared to the first basement level.


    Bang, bang, bang! All the Zombies were dealt with.


    Uncle led, with Li Yu and the rest closely following.


    Coming to this large and thick iron door, everyone felt relieved; thankfully they had keys,


    Otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to open this door dead or alive, even using guns wouldn''t have worked!


    Uncle skillfully took out the keys and unlocked the door.


    With the lock open, Uncle pushed the door with force.


    The 20-centimeter thick iron door slowly opened!


    Li Yu, as usual, took out the high-power light, shining it behind the door!


    Hiss~


    Li Yu inhaled sharply.


    There were way too many guns!


    Casting a brief glance, there must be hundreds of various types of firearms.


    The most numerous among them was the Type 95 Rifle, equipped with 5.8mm bullets, and there were also Night Vision Goggles.


    The next most were Submachine Guns!


    There were several dozen boxes of bullets,


    Li Yu greedily eyed the firearms in front of him, feeling gratified that this trip was worth it!


    "Xiao Yu, these are good stuff, our bureau just received them from higher-ups this year."


    Uncle opened one of the boxes, seeing the riot armor suit inside and said.


    Li Yu saw the armor and a smile appeared on his face, this was exactly what they needed!


    "Hurry and move!" Li Yu said, and they began transporting immediately!


    Li Yu partnered with Li Hang, first moving a box of bullets up, Li Tie and the others above were in dire need of these.


    Everyone kicked into high gear transport mode!


    Thud, thud, thud!


    They ran up the stairs with box after box, three high-power lamps were set in one place to light the way for everyone.


    Li Yu and Li Hang were carrying boxes upstairs.


    Just stepping out the basement door! Suddenly there was a thump in his heart, sea??h th�� N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sixth sense!


    Li Yu hastily glanced to the right, spotting two Zombies pouncing towards them.


    Thud!


    Instantly, Li Yu put the box down, Li Hang, caught off guard, got his foot smashed by the box, about to say something,


    But then he saw Li Yu, shooting to take out those two Zombies!


    Li Hang shut his mouth, the corner of his mouth throbbing painfully.


    Li Yu had no time to say anything, quickly lifted the box again, and ran towards Li Tie and the others outside.


    Li Tie and his group were covered in sweat, each of them holding two guns,


    But now, they were seeing their bullets about to run out.


    However, Zombies were still charging forward,


    The corpses of Zombies had piled up into a small hill!


    To avoid blocking the side seams for the route to get on the vehicle later,


    They had no choice but to retreat a distance backward, but with that came,


    The influx of even more zombies was bringing greater pressure upon them.


    Seeing Li Yu and the others come up, Yang Tianlong''s face lit with joy.


    "You finally made it up!" Yang Tianlong let out a breath of relief.


    Li Yu quickly passed the bullets to the three of them.


    Then, he and Li Hang hurriedly ran downstairs.


    Ready to move things, suddenly, Li Yu paused,


    Stop!


    He said: "Xiao Hang, let''s check if there are any more zombies on the first floor,


    to avoid any surprises while we''re moving things."


    Li Hang nodded, they each took one side, running to check if there were any more zombies,


    Lai Dongsheng, with his great strength, effortlessly moved items weighing over 200 pounds each.


    Uncle, though not as strong, also managed to move over 100 pounds each trip.


    After checking for two or three minutes, Li Yu and the other man killed 5 more zombies that they hadn''t initially found.


    Luckily! They checked,


    otherwise, if zombies appeared again while moving things, it would be a hassle if they were caught off guard.


    The joining of Li Yu and Li Hang doubled the speed of moving the weapons!


    Everyone exerted full force in moving,


    Li Yu and Uncle also relieved Li Tie and the others.


    They let Li Tie and the others move things while they opened fire to keep the zombies at bay.


    Back and forth like this, time slowly passed,


    Finally!


    After nearly half an hour,


    Hundreds of boxes, big and small, had been moved in over 30 trips by Li Yu and others, and most of the items had been moved.


    During the moving process, they also found five boxes of hand grenades, which was an unexpected delight for the group.


    Li Yu holding a submachine gun, continued to fire at zombies, and seeing the large truck now fully loaded,


    This beast with 600 horsepower, the Dongfeng Tianlong KX King''s Edition, had a very high Combat Power,


    able to pull tens of tons of cargo.


    Looking at the fully packed truck, his sense of accomplishment surged!


    Looking at Xiao Hang''s sweaty face, his whole body soaked as if he had been soaked in water,


    Li Yu asked: "How much is left?"


    Li Hang panted heavily, while forcefully loading boxes onto the truck.


    He swallowed,


    then took two heavy breaths before he regained his composure.


    "No, no, nothing left, Uncle Dongsheng has gone down to move the last few boxes,


    those, bomb-proof armors!" he said then took a few more breaths.


    With his gun still firing, Li Yu glanced behind the glass doors of the building,


    and said, "Go, strip those bomb-proof armors off the two zombies wearing them!"


    Li Hang did not complain, jumped down from the truck, and stumbled over there.


    A few minutes later, seeing that everything had been loaded onto the truck.


    Li Yu knew it was not the time to rest, leaving early was the safest option.


    At that moment, suddenly, a honking sound came from nearby.


    !


    This honking sound was somewhat familiar to Li Yu and the others; when they entered the city a few days ago,


    it was because of this honking sound that forced them to change their plan to bypass the county center to go to Lotus Supermarket,


    and eventually, they had no choice but to go to the county center.


    Later, it was because of this honking that their planned plan of enclosing the zombies at Lotus Department Store failed.


    Now, it''s this damn honking again.


    The honking was loud, different from what they had heard before, this time it was even louder.


    Maybe because it was closer.


    The constant stream of zombies was greatly attracted away by it.


    Li Yu, seeing the decreasing number of zombies in front of him, wondered if it was too good to be true.


    Just then!


    Li Yu suddenly noticed:


    The heavy truck, which had been stopped right in front of the door, the entrance into the truck on the side,


    With Li Tie and the others continuously killing zombies,


    the gaps on both sides were filled with zombies. Although they retreated backwards,


    the zombies weren''t cramming as intensely,


    but the path to the truck''s door was still blocked by some zombie corpses piled up like small hills!


    Li Yu had a growing sense of something being off in his heart.


    .....


    No, it''s not right! Li Yu thought to himself.


    He then stepped back a few paces and went up to the high platform of the flag-raising��


    His view extended further, through the tall walls,


    Li Yu saw several figures running over!


    They held knives in their hands,


    heading straight for the truck''s door!


    His heart instantly filled with rage!


    Someone dares to mess with my truck?

 Chapter 57 - 54: Want to Intercept?

    Li Yu jumped down from the flagpole, furious, face grim.


    Just as Li Hang and his people walked out of the building, seeing Li Yu''s expression, S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a bit puzzled,


    they looked at Li Yu with confusion.


    Li Yu had no time to explain,


    and hurriedly ran toward the vehicle door.


    At the same time, those few who were crouched and running towards the car were getting closer to the vehicle door.


    Li Yu looked at the small mountain of zombies,


    and noticed the zombies, which were completely motionless now.


    Li Yu took a few steps back, sprinted, and stepped onto the zombie bodies,


    at the highest point of the zombie mountain, he tiptoed


    and leaped forward,


    in mid-air he saw the people not far from the car door,


    his eyes flashing with coldness,


    and those few people, only five or six meters from the car door, looked up and saw Li Yu,


    caught off guard!


    Their faces showed a guilty expression, which then turned sinister.


    Li Yu landed, without any hesitation,


    raised the submachine gun he was carrying in front of his chest,


    those people saw Li Yu holding the gun, their faces instantly showed panic,


    and tried to run backward frantically,


    Bang bang bang!


    Before they could escape,


    Li Yu fiercely opened fire, killing three people instantly,


    one was hit in the legs by Li Yu, collapsed to the ground.


    Far behind them, part of the zombie group also began to surround,


    less than a hundred meters from the two.


    Meanwhile, behind the car, Li Tie and the others hearing the gunshots from Li Yu yelled, "Li Yu, what happened?"


    Li Yu walked over to the person collapsed on the ground,


    while saying: "Someone is trying to intercept our car! Hurry up and lock the back of the car after loading!"


    "What!?" Yang Tianlong moved a box of items onto the truck, closed the door!


    And prepared to come over and check.


    Li Yu approached the man, saw him lying on the ground, holding his leg and howling,


    his expression cold!


    Bang!


    Li Yu fired another shot, hitting the man''s other leg!


    "Speak! Are you Hao''s man?" said Li Yu.


    The man on the ground, sweating from pain, yelled, not answering immediately,


    just about to speak.


    But seemingly in too much pain, he couldn''t speak.


    Li Yu glanced at the zombies, now only a short distance away.


    Feeling increasingly impatient.


    Raised his gun ready to fire again, the man on the ground seeing Li Yu''s action,


    hurriedly said: "Yes, yes, yes! I was just following his orders, ah, please, spare me."


    Li Yu got the answer he wanted, looked at the zombies who had charged again.


    Without a word, he turned and ran towards the truck.


    And just stepping over the zombie bodies,


    Yang Tianlong, standing at the car door, heard the two''s conversation.


    Before he could ask, he saw a dense group of zombies behind.


    His scalp tingled, how could zombies ever be fully killed!


    Before Li Yu could say anything, Yang Tianlong directly climbed into the vehicle, reaching the driver''s seat.


    Li Yu just got to the car door, and shouted to Li Tie and the others behind him: "Hurry! Let''s pull out first!"


    There were too many firearms, the truck was already full.


    Li Tie and the others had just loaded the last box onto the armored vehicle,


    not even having time to catch their breath, got into the vehicle covered in sweat.


    Yang Tianlong saw that Li Yu had already boarded the truck,


    Ignition!


    The roar of Dongfeng Tianlong truck starting echoed, slowly beginning to move.


    While the man who was shot in both legs by Li Yu, seeing this scene, was just feeling relieved that he had escaped death,


    Watching the truck move, just as he was about to shift his body, his head turned back,


    In an instant, he saw the zombie horde close at hand, shuddering all over,


    Desperate and tearless.


    He wanted to stand up, but his legs had been shot and he couldn''t stand up at all,


    He glared bitterly at the heavy truck Li Yu was sitting in, a profound sadness flashing through his heart.


    Damn it!


    Curses, screams, accompanied by the hissing of the zombies,


    That person''s voice grew weaker and weaker...


    Until only the sound of zombies gnawing remained.


    Li Yu, sitting in the truck, watched the man being devoured by zombies, unmoved.


    He had never intended to let him go...


    The heavy truck rumbled loudly as it drove.


    Zombies still surrounded it, but they couldn''t stop the heavy truck Li Yu was in.


    The Dongfeng Tianlong heavy truck, nearly 4 meters tall, could simply crush the zombies.


    The wheels kept clanking, clanking, rolling over zombie corpses


    An armored vehicle followed closely behind.


    Yang Tianlong held the steering wheel, shifted gears, and slowly increased the speed.


    He asked, "Damn! Are we going after that Hao guy, or heading back to the base first?"


    Li Yu looked through the rearview mirror and saw the armored vehicle catching up.


    After thinking, he said, "Let''s head back to the base first! Everyone''s tired from moving stuff all day, and it''s safest to transport these weapons back to the base. As for that Hao guy, we''ll settle the score with him sooner or later!"


    Then he took out the walkie-talkie and informed Li Tie and the others behind him about the situation; they all felt righteously indignant after hearing it.


    Dare to intercept?


    They risked so much, struggling against time in the Zombie Tide,


    Exhausted from moving for so long, without even a chance to catch their breath.


    And yet someone still wanted to directly drive the heavy truck away?


    Impulsive Yang Tianlong couldn''t help but curse, the zombies ahead becoming his targets for venting.


    He pushed straight through, crushing zombie limbs under the truck.


    The speed of the truck gradually increased,


    The zombies behind could no longer keep up; only a few zombies ahead posed a minor hindrance.


    Li Yu and the others drove the heavy truck, speeding towards the outskirts of the city.


    They were also worried about possible interference from Hao''s people on the road,


    Everyone kept tense, watchful, with Li Yu observing the surroundings from the vehicle.


    Finally, the two vehicles left the city,


    Until they hit the national highway, the road became clearer, Li Yu felt slightly relieved.


    But he still didn''t dare to relax, with over twenty minutes left on their journey back.


    Something unexpected could still happen.


    The firearms in the trucks were crucial for the future development of the base.


    Li Yu could not afford any mistakes.


    Throughout the journey, everyone remained silent, staying in a state of high alert.


    ...


    As it approached noon, the sun shone fiercely.


    Even the zombies on the highway had significantly decreased,


    Even those encountered occasionally were lethargic and slow-moving.


    Li Yu pulled out a cigarette, hoping to ease his tense nerves,


    But he swallowed, feeling unusually thirsty due to his dry throat.


    The recent high-intensity activities and the fast-paced thinking,


    Made him tired and wanting to smoke to relax, but smoking would worsen his thirst!


    He licked his dry lips,


    Right now, he wanted water even more!


    And his clothes were sticky against his skin, making him very uncomfortable with the sweat.


    At that moment, the walkie-talkie transmitted Uncle''s voice, "Li Yu, there''s a car following us!"


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu immediately sat up straight, opened the window, and looked in the rearview mirror.


    But due to the armored vehicle blocking his view, Li Yu couldn''t see the car behind them.


    He said coldly, "When did you notice it? Are they Hao''s men?"


    Uncle replied, "Just noticed it, hadn''t seen it before, probably followed from a distance. I saw them in the rearview mirror when we turned."


    "Not sure if they''re Hao''s men, but from the looks of it, they have been following us for a while, doesn''t look like they have good intentions!"


    Hearing Uncle speak, Li Yu thought:


    A thief feared is a thief once alert.


    This trouble must be dealt with!

 Chapter 58 - 55: Surround this Car!

    A cold glint flashed in Li Yu''s eyes. Whoever it was, stealthily tracking them, definitely had bad intentions.


    Even more likely, it was Brother Hao''s men.


    They hadn''t even taken the initiative to trouble them, and now they dared to follow?


    Li Yu took out the walkie-talkie and slowly asked, "How far are they from you now?"


    "They''re being very careful, following from a distance, a bit far from us," Uncle''s voice came from the walkie-talkie.


    After hearing this, Li Yu thought that if they turned the car around to chase after them, they would surely be noticed.


    And they might very well get away!


    But if they let them keep following, all the way to the base,


    they would create trouble around the base just like Zhou Sheng did before.


    No, they couldn''t let them reach the base; the trouble must be dealt with before they got there!


    They had to be completely wiped out, not sparing a single person.


    Li Yu thought to himself.


    Suddenly, an idea struck him.


    He took out the walkie-talkie and said, "We''re approaching a gas station. When you turn, slow down your car a bit and use your vehicle to shield me; I''ll get out.


    After I''m out, both you and Tianlong continue driving. When they are between us, you all get out and surround them!"


    Upon hearing this, Uncle felt that although the method could eliminate them, it seemed rather dangerous.


    "What if they hit you? And what if you get hurt when you jump out?" Uncle expressed his worry.


    Li Yu replied, "Slow down a bit, and maintain some distance between your car and ours; there should be enough time for me to roll to the side of the road."


    Despite Li Yu saying so, everyone was still a bit worried.


    After all, there was a certain danger in jumping from a moving car, even if the speed was greatly reduced!


    But Li Yu was firm in his decision; the problem had to be solved.


    With Li Yu''s firm stance and the protective gear he had just acquired, which provided some defense,


    Uncle and the others had no choice but to comply, considering driving a little slower later.


    So, the plan was set among the occupants of the two vehicles.


    The cars slowly made their way to the gas station.


    The armored vehicle began to slow down, moving to the left rear side of the heavy truck.


    Li Yu took a careful look ahead, the sun was blazing in the sky, the hottest time of the day,


    and there were no zombies in sight, Li Yu felt a bit more at ease.


    Yang Tianlong''s heavy truck also slowed down to a lower speed, as Li Yu opened the door,


    aiming for the direction of the trees by the national road, he took a deep breath,


    and like a cheetah, he leaped off the vehicle.


    Li Yu cradled his head with both hands, bending his body as much as possible,


    using a half-squatting technique.


    With the inertia of the vehicle, he landed on the balls of his feet and used the squatting motion to roll forward.


    Cushioning the force of impact as much as possible.


    This technique, also known as "fall breaking," is one of the basic techniques in judo.


    Although Li Yu had never formally learned it, in the past few years before his rebirth, he had done this move countless times, forced to master it in life-and-death situations.


    Even though the heavy truck''s speed had been reduced, to avoid alerting the people behind, the speed was not reduced by much.


    This led to greater inertia when jumping off, which in turn meant that Li Yu rolled further and the force was greater.


    Li Yu, who had jumped off the vehicle, rolled with his body and went seven or eight meters, crashing directly into a tree.


    Li Yu was hit with a dull pain, as a surge of air rose from his belly.


    Subconsciously wanting to open his mouth, Li Yu clenched his lower lip tightly with his teeth, biting until his lip was broken, a sweet and metallic taste stimulating his taste buds.


    But he didn''t make a sound.


    Dizzy and without the chance to recover properly, Li Yu bent down and darted behind the tree.


    Until he lay prone in the bushes, completely concealing his body.


    Uncle''s armored vehicle behind Li Yu also drove past the spot where Li Yu had just jumped off.


    All this happened in the blink of an eye.


    In the bushes, Li Yu realized his jacket was torn, his fists and arms grazed and bleeding.


    The pain in his back was even more distinct, probably from rolling over a rock as he landed, a rather uncomfortable bump.


    Li Yu didn''t have time to tend to his wounds; instead, he carefully checked his firearm.


    Seeing no issues, Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief.


    After Li Yu got out of the car, Yang Tianlong quickly closed the door.


    Uncle and the others in the following vehicle witnessed Li Yu jumping out through the windshield.


    It was incredibly risky!


    Fortunately, they had kept a long enough distance, or they would have crashed into him.


    Uncle and the others broke out in a cold sweat watching the scene unfold, but Li Yu himself was unfazed.


    He had done this sort of thing many times before.


    Be tough on yourself, tougher on your enemies, and the world will be kinder to you.


    Li Yu hid in the bushes, slowly regulating his breathing, which had become a bit erratic from the intense activity.


    All the while, he kept a close eye behind him.


    A few dozen seconds later, Li Yu saw a black SUV slowly approaching.


    Only then did the weight lift off his heart, S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Success! Li Yu had jumped out without being seen by those people, who were still following the armored vehicle in front.


    The car drove past right before Li Yu''s eyes, and through the bushes,


    He could make out roughly three or four people inside the vehicle.


    He picked up the walkie-talkie and said to Li Tie and the others: "The car''s gone by; now, you can turn around."


    Since Yang Tianlong''s heavy truck was difficult to turn, he was not asked to participate and was instead waiting up ahead.


    Upon hearing this, Li Tie abruptly stopped the armored vehicle, reversed, and turned to head back.


    At that moment, Li Yu also sprang from the bushes, stood under a large tree, and raised his gun toward the approaching black SUV.


    Those in the black SUV seemed to sense something was wrong, especially when they saw the armored vehicle turning back towards them.


    They stopped the car in a hurry, attempting to reverse and retreat.


    Just then, Li Yu, who was not far away, took his Submachine Gun and fired at the SUV''s tires.


    Bang bang bang!


    The tires burst, and the occupants were thrown into chaos, completely unexpected that there was someone behind them!


    The people in the black SUV, after maneuvering the vehicle, tried to drive away quickly.


    But Li Yu would not let them get away that easily, aiming the Submachine Gun at the driver''s seat.


    Bang bang bang!


    In an instant, the driver and another person were killed.


    But the person in the passenger seat ducked just in time to narrowly escape death.


    With the tires blown out, they wouldn''t get far even if they managed to drive off, they would surely be caught by the pursuing vehicle.


    The passenger, seeing Li Yu in the front, seemed determined and gripped the steering wheel tightly, stabilizing the vehicle.


    Despite the blown-out tires, the car was still able to move, the axles grinding as it wobbled towards Li Yu.


    Li Yu was startled, grateful he hadn''t been standing in the middle of the road.


    Watching the SUV charge towards him, Li Yu quickly ducked behind a large tree, which must have been over a decade old, too thick to embrace with open arms.


    Thud!


    The vehicle hit the tree, and leaves rustled down.


    The headlights shattered, and the front of the car was twisted.


    The people inside were left dazed from the impact, their heads spinning with stars.


    Li Yu quickly emerged from behind the tree, aiming his gun at the people inside the car.


    "Get out!" Li Yu yelled, full of anger.

 Chapter 59 - 56: Just Convince Yourself

    The people in the car hadn''t buckled their seatbelts and were struck until their heads were bleeding.


    Meanwhile, in the backseat, there was a young man with a mole on his mouth corner, also suffering from the impact.


    Li Yu didn''t approach; with a glance from the corner of his eye, he saw Li Tie and others driving an armored vehicle coming over.


    The people in the car probably hadn''t recovered from the collision yet.


    Even though Li Yu pointed the gun at them, they had not reacted yet.


    Bang!


    Li Yu fired another shot, hitting the rear tire, which deflated instantly.


    "Get out!"


    The people inside the car seemed to snap out of a dream, looking up to see Li Yu pointing the gun at them.


    Fear appeared on their faces.


    "Don''t, don''t shoot!" the young man with the mole hurriedly said.


    The person sitting in the front passenger seat glanced at the distance between Li Yu and them,


    their eyes shifting.


    Lowering his head, he saw a weapon at his feet, seemingly coming up with an idea.


    A slight unnatural smile appeared on his face, saying, "This is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, don''t shoot. I am getting out of the car."


    While slightly bending his body, he intended to pick up the weapon by his feet to fight back.


    The mole-faced youth behind him clearly saw his movements and couldn''t help exclaiming, "Brother Wang!"


    Brother Wang suddenly turned around, his gaze intently fixed on the mole-faced youth.


    "..."


    The mole-faced youth''s face turned red, looking at Li Yu and then at Brother Wang.


    He seemed to have also made a decision.


    A smile appeared on his face, with a hint of pain in it.


    He said, "Brother, this really is a misunderstanding. I, I, I can''t get out now; I twisted my ankle in the crash. Don''t believe me? Come and see."


    Li Yu laughed.


    Li Yu, who had been carefully watching their movements, though not sure what they were planning,


    had deeply learned one principle over the past few years after the apocalypse: Never give the enemy any chance to resist!


    Bang!


    A gunshot, Brother Wang was hit right between the eyebrows.


    Before dying, his face still bore a slight smile, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    As if to say, this isn''t how it''s normally done!


    "Still having a twisted ankle? Last chance, get out of the car!" Li Yu shouted fiercely!


    "3"


    "2"


    He didn''t even reach 1 when the mole-faced youth, agile like a monkey, quickly got out of the car.


    Li Yu looked at him, with a smile on his face.


    "Ankle not twisted now?"


    "I... I can make it not twisted."


    "Who sent you?"


    "Haoran," the mole-faced youth replied, without hesitation, quick and decisive.


    Hearing such a smooth response, Li Yu felt a bit conflicted, S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This mole-faced youth is too obedient, to kill or not to kill?


    He then asked, "This Haoran, is he in Tianhua Mansion? How many people total? Why did you follow us?" Li Yu fired off several questions.


    The mole-faced youth, looking somewhat scared at Li Yu, with a flattering smile,


    said, "Yes, in Tianhua Mansion, there are 121 people in total, but after being attacked by the Armed Police Battalion through you... then us four, now there''s just 113 left there."


    "Brother, I didn''t really want to follow you, it''s all Brother Wang forcing me.


    Brother Wang is Haoran''s real younger brother, he''s been planning to get some guns from the Armed Police Battalion, but there are too many Zombies there, and no place found to fire the guns,��"


    The mole-faced youth swallowed his saliva, then glanced at Li Yu.


    Meanwhile, Li Tie and the others also got out of the armored vehicle, seeing Li Yu interrogating this person, they did not interject.


    Instead, they quietly listened to the mole-faced youth speaking.


    The mole-faced youth glanced at Li Tie and the others, seeing them staring intensely at him, he shuddered.


    He suddenly stopped talking.


    Li Yu raised his gun, saying, "Keep talking!"


    The mole-faced youth quickly raised his hands and continued:


    "That, over there, when you were shooting, nearly the entire area could hear it.


    We all heard it, and then from the building opposite, we saw you moving the guns...


    That''s why Haoran told those guys to come over and drive away the heavy truck."


    "Who would have thought you''d discover them? Then he asked us to follow you to see where you''d go.


    Actually, me and another person didn''t want to follow, but Haoran forced me to come. Wang voluntarily asked to come."


    As the mole-faced youth spoke, he timidly looked up at Li Yu and continued, "Now that Wang is dead, I guess Haoran will be very angry, and I''m probably done for...."


    Li Yu asked about some more situations concerning Haoran, and the mole-faced youth obediently answered all questions.


    "Guys, look, my relationship with Haoran has always been bad, otherwise he wouldn''t have sent me here, knowing you had guns, right?"


    "Could you please spare me, or ... let me join you."


    The mole-faced youth saw Li Tie''s disdainful expression.


    He quickly added: "No, not joining you. I mean, I can help out with odd jobs or something. I can do all that. Guys, you all are like dashing dragons among men. Whatever you ask, I''ll do."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu said, "Then how about you go kill Haoran?"


    "....."


    "I can''t do it alone, and if Haoran sees me, he''ll definitely ask where Wang has gone, and if I go back, I''m done for," the mole-faced youth hurriedly replied.


    Seeing that he had asked enough, Li Yu noticed Yang Tianlong looking impatient, frequently glancing back at them from the car window.


    Li Yu looked at this seemingly obedient but actually cunning mole-faced youth.


    He was initially conflicted about whether to kill him.


    But after convincing himself, the dilemma no longer troubled him.


    Li Yu always had a way:


    What if you feel guilty?


    Convince yourself not to feel guilty.


    What if you can''t bear it?


    Just convince yourself.


    What if you''re in a dilemma?


    Convince yourself to resolve the dilemma.


    ...


    Considering the mole-faced youth had just tried to trick him, Li Yu did not hesitate any longer.


    Raise the gun.


    Seeing Li Yu''s action, a look of despair appeared on the mole-faced youth''s face, and he just opened his mouth to say, "Boss..."


    Bang!


    Li Yu fired a shot into the mole-faced youth''s forehead.


    The mole-faced youth died,


    Falling to the ground!


    Following that, Li Hang, already familiar with the process, found some useful items from the black SUV: a short spear, two knives, and a baseball bat, along with a few bits of food and cigarettes.


    Uncle didn''t say anything, living in such apocalyptic times, human nature is unpredictable. Perhaps he felt a bit uneasy, but Li Yu''s decision was probably the correct one.


    Li Yu gestured, and everyone returned to the armored car.


    Ignition, throttle.


    Go home!


    Meanwhile, Yang Tianlong, who had been waiting impatiently, also started the heavy truck and drove back home.


    The two vehicles drove side by side, Yang Tianlong rolled down the car window and shouted, "All settled?"


    Li Yu loudly replied, "All settled, we''ll go back to the County another day to completely eliminate the root of the problem!"


    Silently they drove.


    ...


    Entering the rural road, Li Yu usually took out the walkie-talkie,


    and said to Li Haoran who was guarding the gate, "Haoran, we''re almost at the base, help us open the gate when we arrive."


    Hearing the voices of Li Yu and the others, Li Haoran was very excited: "Okay. Big brother,....."


    Li Haoran was about to ask something when it seemed like someone snatched the walkie-talkie, and they heard Second Uncle''s voice through it: "Li Yu, is everything smooth? No injuries?"


    Li Yu was a bit puzzled, it wasn''t Second Uncle''s shift today, but...


    He still replied, "All smooth, we''re entering the rural road now, will talk more later."


    "Good, good, good," Second Uncle felt reassured and said ''good'' three times.

 Chapter 60 - 57: Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting, Poetry, Wine, Flowers

    Li Yu and the others slowly drove into the gate.


    Under the wall, due to it being noon and the weather being somewhat hot today, there were hardly any zombies.


    Second Uncle and a few others opened the first gate, waited for the car to enter, then closed the big gate and went to open the second gate.


    Li Yu took the opportunity to ask, "Second Uncle, it''s not your shift today, why are you here at the gate?"


    Seeing everyone gathered and apparently unharmed, Second Uncle felt relieved.


    He said with a smile, "When you all went out, between the treacherous people outside and the multitude of zombies, I was worried!"


    "So I thought I''d wait here by the gate for a bit, just in case something happens and I can help in time."


    Hearing Second Uncle''s words, Li Yu felt a warm current surge through his heart; although Second Uncle had been a slick and seasoned businessman, sometimes insincere towards others.


    But towards his family, he was truly sincere and genuine.


    Second Uncle is also quite observant and meticulous, considering things from all aspects.


    Li Yu nodded to Second Uncle and then drove the car into the base.


    ....


    Two trucks traveled on the cement road originally constructed, heading straight for the warehouse.


    Inside the base, everyone, hearing the sound of the heavy trucks, rushed out.


    Li Haoran and Li Haoxian, seeing the trucks return fully loaded, were eager to help,


    but being stuck on gate duty, they had no choice but to desist.


    The heavy trucks stopped behind the villa, and everyone excitedly looked at the truck.


    These days, although there was daily gun practice in the base,


    the bullet allotment each day was too small.


    Li Yu got out of the car and opened the rear of the heavy truck.


    Everyone, seeing the truck full of firearms, was overjoyed.


    They rolled up their sleeves, ready to help offload them.


    Every firearm had to be logged in the register, and the number of each gun and how many bullets had to be clearly recorded.


    Li Yu asked his parents and a few others who were in charge of the warehouse to help with the count and verification.


    Each box was labeled with a pen, indicating what it contained and how many there were.


    After counting three times and completing the verification,


    the crowd began transporting the firearms.


    Even the younger Li Suxin and Xuanxuan wanted to help,


    but they were only allowed to carry lighter anti-riot armor,


    partly because they were too young, and partly because this task needed to be handled with great care.


    "Be careful while moving these, don''t touch the hand grenades, let us handle those," Li Yu couldn''t help saying when he saw his second aunt and others trying to lift that box.


    Li Yu, watching the people carrying the supplies, suddenly felt something was off.


    He counted carefully, apart from Lai Xiyue who was on duty in the control room, and the Li Haoran brothers who were on gate duty,


    someone was missing.


    The son of the Fourth Uncle, Li Zhengping!


    Li Yu was puzzled and looked towards Fourth Uncle, asking, "Where is Zhengping?"


    Fourth Uncle Li Hongcheng also appeared confused.


    Looking at his younger daughter Li Suxin, she was bending over, struggling to lift objects, but seemed to find even a piece of riot armor too heavy.


    She managed to lift it, but her body quickly tilted, and she fell over.


    "Suxin, where''s your brother Zhengping?" Fourth Uncle asked.


    Li Suxin, like a little adult, got up from the ground,


    rubbed her hands after hearing her father''s question, arched her eyebrows, pursed her lips,


    gestured in a direction, and disdainfully said, "Look, he''s in the room playing games again, unwilling to do anything, unlike me��I''m already a well-behaved and mature adult."


    Li Yu smiled and patted her little head, and Li Suxin looked up with a face full of enjoyment.


    ....


    However, upon hearing this, Fourth Uncle''s already dark face turned instantly red with rage.


    "Still playing! Doing nothing all day but playing! Watch me not beat him to death this time!"


    He rose, his eyes scanning around as if looking for something handy.


    Finally, he picked up a broom, stormed off furiously towards that room.


    ....


    The apocalypse had come, many things had changed, but with the protection of Li Yu and others, everyone could still enjoy many aspects of pre-apocalypse life.


    However, this did not mean they could enjoy themselves for free, ignoring others who were desperately and tirelessly striving.


    Most people in Li Yu''s family had upright values and fairly good character.


    Among the younger generation, there were always one or two who reaped without sowing, uninterested in progress.


    Second Uncle''s family had always had good discipline,


    Third Uncle and Uncle had strict upbringing due to their backgrounds in the military and the Armed Police.


    Although the little ones from Aunt''s family were also a bit naughty due to their young age, they had never gone astray.


    Only Fourth Uncle''s family, with Fourth Aunt having passed away, had always lacked a lady of the house.


    Additionally, Fourth Uncle being simple and not good at articulating,


    was always unclear about how to educate his children.


    His eldest son, Li Zhengping, 16 this year, was at a rebellious age.


    Yet, the younger daughter, inexplicably cunning yet extremely sensible, was truly the sweetheart of the extended family, dearly loved by everyone.


    Everyone saw Fourth Uncle picking up the broom to beat Li Zhengping.


    Second Aunt and Third Aunt hurriedly tried to dissuade him, after all, the kids had lost their mother years ago, and they were pitiable.


    Li Yu looked at his fourth uncle who wanted to forcefully burst through.


    He took the broom from his hand, placed it in the corner,


    and said calmly, "I''ll handle it."


    The fourth uncle looked at his nephew, feeling an invisible persuasive power emanating from him.


    He sighed and slowly put down the broom.


    Li Yu quietly entered the room and looked at Li Zhengping with an expressionless face.


    As the eldest grandson of the two families, and being protective of the younger generation,


    they all listened to him very well, including Li Zhengping.


    He was not afraid of the fourth uncle, but he was afraid of Li Yu.


    Li Zhengping, hearing the noise and seeing Li Yu entering the room, shuddered.


    Looking at him fearfully yet with a hint of admiration, he said, "Big brother, I...."


    Li Yu''s expression remained calm and he did not scold him.


    Li Yu knew that many people actually go through a phase of confusion and unawareness;


    some in their teens, some in their twenties still in this state.


    Spending days not knowing what to do, not understanding realities, not striving for betterment.


    Fearless of everything, even death.


    Hence, many people would give up on them.


    Li Yu raised his hand, and Li Zhengping flinched, closing his eyes as if he feared Li Yu would hit him.


    Unlike the fourth uncle, Li Yu gently patted his shoulder and said, "Come, help me move some stuff outside."


    His words were gentle, carrying a tone of encouragement.


    Li Zhengping was somewhat surprised, feeling slightly touched, and followed Li Yu out.


    The others saw Li Zhengping coming out and were not surprised; they continued moving items.


    Meanwhile, Li Yu was pondering another issue, why family businesses before the apocalypse tended to harbor corruption.


    Due to corruption and the binds of familial affection, the businesses couldn''t maximize profits.


    But with the advent of the apocalypse, familial ties indeed proved to be more reliable than strangers, coupled with shared interests, massive external conflicts pushed for internal unity.


    Under a collapsed nest, there are no intact eggs.


    The environment of the apocalypse provided fertile ground for familial-style development.


    Although now, inside the base, people were still generally peaceful without much conflict.


    But to future-proof, it was necessary to set up a system of standards early on to regulate everyone.


    Li Yu looked at Li Zhengping seeing him working hard at moving items.


    This sparked some thoughts in him, and he joined in the effort to move items.


    Soon, with everyone''s participation, the moving pace was very fast.


    In just a few minutes, all items were relocated to the underground storehouse, the armory area.


    Li Yu looked at everyone and said, "Now, let''s have a meeting."


    No one objected; the base was built by Li Yu at a great expense, and everyone''s survival was thanks to Li Yu saving them.


    The most influential elders in the family had unanimously chosen Li Yu to lead;


    and in these past incidents, he had led everyone to solve various problems.


    Everyone was very convinced by him; Li Yu had indeed become the core figure of this base.


    When everyone settled down, Li Yu began discussing his thoughts, and the base''s regulatory standards, which were approved by Second Uncle and others.


    Li Yu arranged tasks for everyone, defined clear duties, responsibilities, rewards and penalties system, duty planning... Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    There were no objections.


    Even Li Suxin and Xuanxuan were required to recognize a certain number of characters, to read certain books...


    A person, even in dire straits, must read books so as not to become illiterate.


    Staples and cooking essentials,


    Literature, art, poetry, wine, and flowers.


    Material needs are fundamental,


    But humanity needs more than just the basics,


    It needs a vast superstructure.


    A limited life,


    Facing unlimited vistas,


    Thus one must always be on the move.


    Books are beautiful, and though some may seem useless, they can help find oneself, fill the spirit, and prevent aimlessness.


    ...


    They also discussed the recent situation in the County, and Li Yu briefly talked about it.


    Suddenly,


    Li Yu looked at Li Zhengping and said, "In these next few days, Zhengping, you will come with us,


    to kill!


    Kill many people!"


    As the words fell, a wave of murderous intent overflowed.


    Everyone was startled!


    The whole room was permeated with a solemn aura of execution.


    .....


    A person, if aimless and unenlightened, what can be done?


    Offer encouragement, give time, and provide opportunities for growth.

 Chapter 61 - 58: Who Cares About You?

    After everything was sorted out, Li Yu returned to the room, took off his bomb disposal armor,


    and felt some pain in the abrasion on his arm, but for Li Yu, this type of wound was as good as none.


    A hot shower refreshed him completely.


    .....


    At night, on the villa''s rooftop, Li Yu was lying comfortably on the rocking chair, pondering the recent conversation with Yang Tianlong and the others.


    Even though they hadn''t let Brother Hao and his people find out the location of the base,


    the fact that the people Brother Hao had sent out hadn''t returned would surely arouse suspicion.


    Therefore, they must resolve the threat posed by Brother Hao as soon as possible.


    Today, everyone agreed not to delay; they would set out early the next morning to eliminate this future problem.


    As Li Yu thought about this, he felt somewhat reassured,


    observing the two distant mountain peaks and the vaguely discernible tall surrounding walls, feeling extremely contented.


    A gentle evening breeze carried the soft chirping of insects.


    Drowsiness was creeping over Li Yu, when suddenly, the sound of footsteps snapped him back to alertness.


    Years of post-apocalyptic vigilance, even before his rebirth, kept Li Yu always on guard��any slight rustle would startle him awake.


    Listening to the rhythm of the footsteps, he recognized them as familiar, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw his sister Li Yuan.


    "Big brother, you''re not asleep yet?"


    Li Yuan brought over a stool and sat beside Li Yu.


    "Hmm, I''m just staying out here for a bit longer, I''ll go to sleep in a while. What about you, can''t sleep?" Li Yu said gently.


    Li Yuan turned to look at Li Yu and suddenly seemed to notice the wound on his arm.


    Because of the bomb disposal armor and the black clothing he wore today, no one had seen Li Yu''s wound.


    "Brother, what happened to your arm?" Li Yuan stepped closer, then tried to lift Li Yu''s arm to take a closer look, but stopped mid-air, afraid of hurting him, not knowing what to do.


    Li Yu said with a smile, "It''s nothing, just a superficial wound I accidentally got during the day."


    Li Yuan''s eyes were filled with concern; seeing Li Yu''s nonchalant expression left her frustrated.


    But with no alternative, she stomped her foot and ran downstairs.


    Seeing Li Yuan heading downstairs, Li Yu smiled slightly, shook his head, and prepared to get up and go downstairs to sleep.


    Before he could stand up, he heard the clatter of footsteps��Li Yuan was back.


    In her hand, she held iodine and cotton swabs, her eyes slightly red.


    Li Yu looked at her, a bit helpless, but also touched.


    Li Yuan sat down on the stool, asking Li Yu to lift his arm, then carefully cleaned the wound.


    Seeing that the wound had become white and swollen after being soaked in water,


    she said, both angrily and with concern, "Big brother, why did you let the wound get wet? What if it gets infected!"


    Looking at Li Yuan, who had always been obedient and quiet since childhood, always following him around and calling him big brother,


    she took the cotton swab, dabbed it with iodine, and gently wiped his wound. Seeing not only abrasions on his arm but also on his knuckles, she grew agitated, but her concern grew even more.


    The iodine stung when it touched the wound, but Li Yu remained expressionless. This pain was nothing to him.


    Before he was reborn, pain was sometimes even a good thing for him.


    Because pain meant he was still alive.


    Surviving in a post-apocalyptic world was never easy.


    ...


    Li Yu tried to lean back slightly but immediately felt the pain of a bruise on his back from when he had rolled on the ground today.


    The pain made him reflexively lean forward.


    Seeing this, Li Yuan seemed to guess what was wrong.


    She lifted Li Yu''s shirt with her right hand and saw a large bruise on his back.


    Instantly, her eyes reddened again and again, but she was afraid tears might fall into Li Yu''s wound.


    She tried her best to hold back, but the tears still accumulated in her eyes.


    Li Yu saw her about to cry, and the warmth in his heart made him feel as if all the fatigue of the day had been lifted.


    "Big brother, ever since I was little you''ve protected me, taking on everything yourself. But I''ve grown up now, and I want to help you!...."


    Li Yuan was somewhat choked up.


    Li Yu lifted his hand, touched her head, and said, "Yeah, Li Yuanzi has grown up too. You''re our family doctor now."


    His smile was brimming with indulgence.


    As Li Yuan was applying medicine to Li Yu''s wound, she said, "I know that out there, it''s actually very dangerous for you all. The former Village Chief and others, and... anyway, it must be really dangerous outside."


    "Big brother, you must be careful in the future. We can''t be without you. I want to go out and help you too. But I''m afraid I might hold you back, I feel so useless."


    "I... am I really that useless... but I really want to help you. I practiced shooting guns seriously today, big brother, I..."


    Li Yuan''s words seemed illogical, some were repetitive. It wasn''t very coherent, but her sincerity was undeniable.


    Which all the more touched Li Yu. He lowered his hand and looked into the dark night far away, gazing at the distant Shan Feng.


    Softly, he said, "You are useful. See, aren''t you treating my wound now? You''re our family''s doctor. If I ever get seriously injured in the future, I''ll need your help. Haha..."


    Before he could finish his words, Li Yuan stared at him puffily, "Don''t talk nonsense, big brother. You won''t get hurt again. God bless!"


    She saw that his hand had been treated with Iodine, and then she got up and ran downstairs, as if she remembered something, and said, "Big brother, don''t go yet, I''ll get some medicine for bruises to apply on your back."


    Li Yu agreed with an "alright."


    He shook his hand and saw the Iodine on his arm, feeling a bit amused but also moved. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Such minor cuts would go unnoticed by others, and he might also disregard them himself.


    But,


    your loving family will care a lot.


    This is also the reason why Li Yu fights hard to protect this base.


    Li Yuan came back up, lifted Li Yu''s shirt and started to apply the bruise medicine, massaging it to let it seep into the skin.


    "Big brother, this will probably take a week to get better. When you sleep at night, don''t put pressure on it..."


    As Li Yuan started to endlessly talk about precautions and repeat caring words.


    The smile at the corner of Li Yu''s mouth never ceased.


    ....


    An uneventful night.


    Early the next morning, Li Yu went to Li Zhengping''s room and pulled him up.


    Li Zhengping squinted his sleepy eyes, probably still drowsy, staring blankly at Li Yu.


    "Big brother, what''s it?"


    "Killing!"


    His tone was crisp and full of murderous intent.


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, Li Zhengping immediately opened his drowsy eyes wide.


    Li Yu didn''t waste words. When it comes to educating boys, it needs to be direct and rough.


    Hemming and hawing, murmuring and musing, looking back and forth, hesitating, is not the spirit of a man.


    Li Yu threw off the blanket and said, "Hurry up."


    Li Zhengping, upon hearing this, quickly got out of bed.


    Maybe because he had just woken up, he was still a bit slow.


    Li Yu looked at the time on his watch.


    Li Yu slapped him across the face, "Didn''t I tell you yesterday? What time."


    Li Zhengping felt indignant from the slap,


    but he also felt it was his own fault, feeling annoyed at himself for not getting up earlier.


    So, he stayed silent, quickly dressed up, and followed behind Li Yu.

 Chapter 62 - 59: Meeting Song Min Again

    This time out, Li Yu brought one more person, Li Zhengping.


    In the base, there was the mature and steady Second Uncle, the vigorous ex-soldier Third Uncle, the Armed Police Uncle, and other relatives like Uncles and cousins.


    With them in the base after Li Yu and others had left, it should be worry-free.


    Li Yu, Li Hang, Li Zhengping, Li Gang, Li Tie, Yang Tianlong, Zhao Dapao, a group of seven people.


    Every time Li Yu and his team went out, Second Uncle and his father would see them off.


    This time was no exception.


    However, Li Yu and his team didn''t go directly to the County; they learned from the last time when they were besieged by zombies.


    After discussing in the base, Second Uncle and others thought they could set up a few remote-controlled speakers outside the base.


    Once surrounded by zombies, they could use the remote-controlled speakers from inside the base to divert the zombies'' attention.


    Fortunately, Li Yu had stockpiled a variety of items before the apocalypse, including speakers, both rechargeable and battery-operated. sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These speakers used wireless technology for short-range connection and didn''t need a network.


    So even in the post-apocalyptic world, they could still be used.


    Li Yu and others set up a few speakers at distances of 500 meters, 1 kilometer, and 2 kilometers from the base.


    Although they wanted to place more at further distances, they were limited by the transmission range of the wireless technology. They had to give up the idea.


    Li Yu and his team wrapped the speakers in plastic bags,


    Then specifically searched for some tall trees.


    Some trees had hollows in which the speakers were nailed inside.


    Climbing trees was a very simple task for Li Yu and his team.


    In their childhood, they climbed mountains and trees, swam in rivers catching fish,


    Stealthily stealing fruits from old Wang''s trees next door, running through the fields with their parents chasing them with brooms,


    Pulling the ponytail of the girl who sat in front of them in class,


    If only had a stick, could sweep away all the small red flowers in the fields


    Peeing against the wind three meters away


    .....


    The rugged Li Yu and his team smoothly climbed the trees and set up the speakers.


    After all this, Li Yu and his team set off.


    On the road, two vehicles were driving, one in front of the other.


    One was an off-road vehicle, the other was an armored vehicle.


    It was Li Zhengping''s first time to travel so far from the base after the apocalypse.


    So he was very curious all along the way.


    Li Yu started to caution him, telling him to listen more and talk less.


    On the contrary, Li Hang was pestering Dapao every day,


    Learning how to shoot, his gun handling skills were getting smoother.


    Plus, with Li Yu''s intentional training, Li Hang, after going out a few times,


    His demeanor became more steady, and his actions more methodical.


    However, he couldn''t change his nature, occasionally still displaying some strange behaviors, his quirky thought processes left everyone speechless.


    The closer they got to the County, the more zombies there were, but because Li Yu and his team chose the time when the sunlight was strong,


    The zombies were less active.


    Plus, Li Yu and his team had been in and out of the County several times and were getting quite familiar with it.


    Looking at the skyscrapers from afar, Li Yu suddenly felt a strange sensation.


    He always felt that this trip wouldn''t be so easy.


    .....


    According to the original plan of Li Yu and his team, they wanted to find a place near the Tianhua Tower first to observe.


    Then decide whether to go up and deal with them directly, or use other methods.


    The vehicles were slowly approaching the city center.


    But just at that moment, Li Yu suddenly saw a figure on a small building by the road,


    He was frantically waving his hands.


    The figure looked somewhat familiar, Li Yu was curious,


    He tapped on Li Tie, who was driving next to him, and said, "Pull over a bit."


    The closer the vehicle got to the small building, the clearer they could see, Li Yu looked intently,


    He remembered this person was one of the group of women whom they had rescued from under Zhou Sheng''s command a few days ago.


    Li Yu narrowed his eyes, he remembered this woman was the one persuading Song Min at that time, and seemed to be Song Min''s subordinate before the apocalypse.


    Li Yu cautiously scanned the building up and down.


    Just as he was about to ask why she was signaling,


    at that moment, the gate downstairs suddenly opened.


    Several short-haired women came out, their bodies wrapped in homemade protective gear,


    holding knives and sharpened iron rods in their hands.


    Their faces were devoid of makeup, their eyes firm, seemingly having gone through some ordeal.


    After the gate opened, those women faced some zombies in front of them, seemingly not too afraid, skillfully killing them.


    Li Yu saw the leading person ahead, who was initially,


    slice by slice,


    cutting the flesh of Zhou Sheng, Song Min.


    She was skilled at killing zombies, flicked her knife, then quickly walked up to Li Yu''s vehicle.


    Li Yu''s gun in his hand slightly lifted, a detail unnoticed by others.


    "Brother Hao, they are not in Tianhua Building!" Song Min spoke quickly, getting straight to the point.


    Hearing this, Li Yu''s gaze turned cold, staring intently at Song Min.


    "How do you know I was looking for Brother Hao?"


    "A few days ago, when you fired your guns, we heard it.


    Last night, Brother Hao somehow learned that we had encountered you, so he approached us to inquire about your whereabouts."


    Li Yu, after listening, gave no response.


    He asked, "If Brother Hao isn''t in Tianhua Building, where is he now?"


    Song Min replied, "This morning, I saw them heading towards the driving school."


    Li Yu kept his eyes on Song Min, scrutinizing her as she spoke, trying to discern the truthfulness of her words.


    "Why didn''t you join them when they approached you?"


    "Hah! They are all scum. I wish they were dead."


    "What did you tell them when they approached you?"


    "I didn''t say anything," Song Min said indifferently.


    Li Yu couldn''t judge the truthfulness, but it didn''t matter to him; Song Min knew they had guns.


    Regarding where Li Yu and his group came from, she was completely unaware.


    Li Yu asked no more questions; he could sense Song Min''s goodwill.


    But since the apocalypse, he dared not trust anyone, even if he had helped them.


    Although he couldn''t fully trust her, it didn''t stop him from considering the possibility of what Song Min had said.


    Li Yu observed the aura of Song Min and her group; it was completely different from when he had last seen them.


    A strong scent of death and ferocity permeated them.


    These people were fearless and ruthless.


    Seeing the ferocity exuding from these people, Li Yu could probably understand why Brother Hao hadn''t forcefully made them join.


    The barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes, and those with shoes are not afraid of those who drive.


    A person who has completely despaired and no longer fears death is extremely terrifying.


    Brother Hao forcibly making them join would just be an unwelcome effort.


    Chicken ribs.


    Li Yu looked at Song Min, who had changed significantly, and felt somewhat emotional.


    People are indeed forced out.


    "Thank you," Li Yu said.


    Although he still couldn''t immediately determine the truth of Song Min''s words, it didn''t stop him from politely saying thanks.


    Hearing this, Song Min did not say much more, nor did she care whether Li Yu and his group believed her or not,


    and led the women to pull the gate shut.


    ...


    In the car, Li Yu and his group drove slowly on the road.


    Li Yu appeared pensive.


    "Brother Yu, I think that Song Min shouldn''t be deceiving us. After all, we helped them before," Yang Tianlong said.


    Hearing this, Li Yu gave no response.


    He said, "Whether Song Min is right or not cannot be judged subjectively. We''ll stick to the original plan.


    Let''s not go directly to Tianhua Building, but find a house nearby,


    We''ll first observe whether there are people still in Tianhua Building, then plan our next move."


    "Drive slower, don''t make too much noise," Li Yu said.


    "Okay," Li Tie responded without objection, and the speed of the car slowed down.

 Chapter 63 - 60: Be Efficient

    Drive, approaching Tianhua Mansion from the side.


    When they were still over 200 meters away from Tianhua Mansion,


    the car stopped under a tall building, but did not go into the underground parking lot,


    because at this time, some dark places are teeming with zombies.


    Li Yu and the others took out knives, got out of the car, and slaughtered some zombies that approached them.


    They did not fire guns, keeping the noise low.


    After the apocalypse, the power gradually went out.


    The building had elevators, but they were mostly unusable.


    Li Yu and his group could only take the stairs,


    climbing to the 7th floor; Li Yu took out a telescope and looked towards Tianhua Mansion.


    Tianhua Mansion was eerily quiet, no one in sight.


    "Check if there''s anyone around," Li Yu said upon noticing.


    Everyone began to stand at the window, looking towards the surrounding buildings, searching for any people.


    Suddenly, Li Yu saw someone sitting on the windowsill of a building to the right of Tianhua Mansion, seemingly observing the activities.


    Li Yu waved his hand, and everyone gathered to see a person on the fifth floor of that residential building.


    Li Yu thought for a moment, looked at that residential building, roughly only about 70 meters away.


    To avoid alerting anyone, they decided to go there directly.


    The group went downstairs, locked the car, took the keys, and then started walking slowly along the edge of the street.


    Before long, Li Yu reached that residential building.


    Everyone''s footsteps began to slow, Li Yu was serious,


    "Capture them alive!"


    Then he said: "Li Tie, Li Hang, you two stay at the entrance of the building to prevent anyone from escaping."


    The rest began to ascend the stairs quietly.


    Li Yu and some arrived at the 5th-floor entrance, the door was locked.


    Turning it, they found it was locked.


    This was an old residential building, and the door was wooden.


    Seeing this, Yang Tianlong gestured, and Li Yu pulled Li Zhengping back.


    Yang Tianlong stretched his body, standing about 1.9 meters tall, tall and robust.


    He prepared in front of the door, took a few steps back, and with increasing speed, charged using the side of his body.


    Door slam!


    Bang! Crack!


    The door was instantly slammed open and crashed to the ground.


    Li Yu and the others, in perfect coordination, quickly rushed inside.


    There were two people inside drinking, who were startled by Li Yu and the others suddenly entering,


    and were stupefied.


    They simply stared blankly at Li Yu and his group.


    Li Yu paid them no heed and rushed straight to the windowsill.


    The person on the windowsill, hearing the commotion, quickly grabbed a weapon and stood behind the door, ready to ambush.


    Li Yu drew his gun, not giving him a chance to ambush, and fired through the door.


    "Ah!"


    The person inside was hit in the stomach.


    Li Yu pushed open the door, seeing the man already lying on the floor.


    The man on the floor had a somewhat non-mainstream look, with dyed silver long hair.


    Li Yu walked forward, kicked the long knife that had fallen to the floor,


    and then with one hand, directly grabbed the man by the hair, heedless of his wailing on the floor.


    He forcibly dragged him out of the room.


    Meanwhile, the two men drinking in the living room were dealt with by Yang Tianlong and Li Tie before they could react.


    Li Yu dragged the silver-haired man and threw him down with the other two men.


    The two originally drinking were still dazed and confused, looking blankly at Li Yu and the others.


    Only when they saw Li Yu dragging the man out,


    Slap! Several of them sat on the ground.


    Li Yu was running out of patience, time was tight.


    He got straight to the point: "Where''s Brother Hao?"


    An older man, trembling, said: "Sirs, what�� what''s going on here? We don''t know anything."


    Li Yu stepped forward and chopped him with a knife.


    Pssh, blood sprayed onto the dining table where the two had just been eating,


    Food smeared with fresh blood.


    Upon witnessing this scene, the two people on the ground instantly trembled, shaking like a sieve.


    Thump!


    The man with silver hair, along with being shot in the stomach and losing blood,


    died in front of him, immediately fainted.


    Shit!


    Li Yu grew more impatient upon seeing this.


    "You speak!" Li Yu''s tone was ice cold, with a strong murderous intent, pointing at another person.


    The only one who remained conscious, shaking, said, "Yes, we are Hao''s men, he sent us here... to..."


    "To do what?!" Li Yu glared at the man who was stammering and not finishing his sentence, and roared.


    "Please spare me. I was forced too, please spare me. I... I..."


    Li Yu was furious. Just then, Zhao Dapao came over.


    "Brother Yu, look at this thing."


    Li Yu narrowed his eyes; he was very familiar with this device.


    Before Li Yu and others left for the county from the base today, they had set up some speaker buttons around the base.


    This remote control, they were very familiar with it.


    It''s even the exact same model!


    The conscious man on the ground, seeing Li Yu holding the remote button, looked somewhat nervous.


    Li Yu asked, "What did you bring this for?"


    The man on the ground said, "This thing, it''s not ours, it should have originally belonged to this house...."


    Pssh!


    Before he could finish, Li Yu directly stabbed his thigh with a knife.


    "Continue."


    "Ah, my leg, hiss... Boss, this really isn''t ours."


    Li Yu''s patience had run out, it seemed there really was no need for further talk.


    Even if he didn''t say, Li Yu knew what they were up to!


    The same old trick, if Li Yu and others entered Tianhua Building, they definitely planted speakers inside, and zombies would surely be attracted.


    Using others for their dirty work! S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu slashed down directly with a knife,


    The man''s neck got sliced,


    Blood splattered, Li Yu quickly dodged.


    The blood didn''t splash on him.


    "Brother Yu, what about this guy on the ground who fainted?" Zhao Dapao asked.


    Li Yu, holding the knife, walked over and swung it toward the man''s arm.


    "Ah! It hurts it hurts!" The man with silver long hair, opening his eyes, immediately began to tremble.


    His face paled.


    He too had been involved in the underworld before and experienced fights and killings on the streets,


    Even after the apocalypse, he''d seen some brutal scenes.


    But he had never seen this sort, not those who''d kill at a disagreement.


    But killing before a sentence was even finished.


    Extremely brutal.


    Extremely ruthless.


    Li Yu stood, his face expressionless, looking at the man on the ground.


    The murderous intent in his eyes made him tremble even more intensely.


    Before Li Yu could even ask, the man with silver long hair said, "Boss, I''ll tell you, Hao, Brother Hao had us wait here for you, once you entered Tianhua Building, we would turn on the speakers to attract the zombies."


    As soon as the words fell, Li Yu looked toward Li Zhengping.


    Li Zhengping, from when Yang Tianlong burst through the door, to Li Yu dragging the silver-haired man out like a dead dog, then unhesitatingly killing two people, to this moment, felt his mind couldn''t keep up.


    Staring blankly at Li Yu.


    Observing this, Li Yu glanced at Li Zhengping, meaningfully.


    The two men exchanged a look, Li Zhengping saw the brutal fierceness in Li Yu''s eyes.


    He lowered his head.


    Li Yu didn''t bother with him anymore, walked up to the silver-haired man, ignoring any of his pleas and screams.


    A single blow beheaded him.


    The head rolled, landing right in front of Li Zhengping.

 Chapter 64 - 61: Femme Fatale Killer

    Li Yu paid no more attention to the others and gestured with a wave of his hand, signaling a few people to start descending the stairs.


    Li Zhengping still stood there dazed, the scene that had just unfolded somewhat overturning his view of life.


    He didn''t quite understand why one needed to kill, why even after the man had already answered the questions, he still needed to be killed.


    Li Gang, seeing him like this, sighed deeply, patted Li Zhengping''s shoulder, and beckoned him to head down together.


    Some things, once you see them enough, you get used to them.


    Some zombies, if you kill enough of them, you become numb to it.


    Some people, if you kill enough of them, your heart becomes calm too.


    Malevolence.


    Does it drive one mad inside?


    Buddha says, saving one life is more meritorious than building a seven-tiered stupa;


    Cultivate the Tao in this life, turn to the Buddha in the next.


    Li Yu never believed in the afterlife, always keeping gods and ghosts at a respectful distance.


    The spiritual world of our people, with its various deities,


    is such that if you prove useful, they believe in you; if not, they''ll dunk you in a pig cage.


    When drought comes, since ancient times people have prayed to the Dragon King for rain,


    if the Dragon King doesn''t bring rain, then burn down his temple.


    The gods of our people''s faith all carry a KPI (performance indicator),


    seeking marriage, children, career success, and even success in exams, etc.


    People go to temples to pray, and if it works out, they return to fulfill their vows.


    This isn''t that just performance evaluation? If it doesn''t work, people will criticize that temple.


    Even when Li Yu had his college entrance exams, he went to worship at a temple, extremely devout beforehand.


    After the exams, he felt that it was due to his own hard work that he passed.


    This mindset isn''t just his alone.


    Thus, he has no faith, yet he does have faith.


    His belief is in family, in living, in books, in an enlightened mind...


    A person with faith will not easily fall into a state of losing oneself.


    ....


    Upon meeting Li Tie and others downstairs, Li Tie, knowing that the several people upstairs had been dealt with, showed no great surprise.


    The group returned to the original building, and it was already 11:30.


    They had been out for several hours already, and Li Yu told everyone to find a room on the second floor


    and started to eat.


    Everyone had brought some simple food.


    They began their lunch.


    After lunch, seeing the sunlight fierce, Li Yu waited a few minutes before preparing to set out.


    Start the car.


    Begin heading to the driving school.


    On the road, Li Tie glanced at Li Yu and couldn''t help asking, "Big brother, do we have any plans for what comes next?"


    Li Yu looked at the Cross-river Bridge, and then at the zombies trailing behind their car, yet unable to catch up.


    He spoke slowly, "Just go straight for it. Sick of messing with complicated stuff. This time, make it clean. Under absolute firepower, any resistance is futile."


    ....


    Li Tie, hearing this, offered no objection.


    The driving school was situated on the edge of the county, and Li Yu and his group in the car checked their guns and ammunition.


    This time, they had brought quite a bit of ammo.


    Soon, they arrived outside the driving school.


    The school was surrounded by a high wall, with two large iron gates at the entrance.


    But the iron gate was open-work, normally capable of stopping gentlemen, but not scoundrels.


    On top of the gate, there were two people holding weapons, guarding the entrance.


    From a distance, one of them seemed to take something out and began frantically knocking.


    Thud~ Thud~ Thud~


    Li Yu and his people in the car also heard this sound from afar.


    So he told Li Tie to speed up.


    The armored car instantly accelerated, and with a bang, it slammed right into the iron gate. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The iron gate, as if made of paper, was smashed flying off its hinges and fell to the ground.


    The two people beside the gate, seeing this, hurriedly took to their heels.


    Li Yu in the car, didn''t use a gun, instead took out his Crossbow and fired repeatedly, killing the two men.


    The armored car charged ahead, driving into the driving school.


    But because of the knocking sound, many people began to emerge from a row of simple sheds in the driving school.


    They were carrying a variety of weapons, looking aggressive.


    Li Yu signaled for Li Tie to stop the car.


    Seeing a few people coming up angrily, Li Yu shouted from inside the vehicle, "Are you Brother Hao''s men?"


    One of them answered, "What if we are? You dare crash in here like this, Brother Hao will have your head if he sees you!"


    Hearing this, Li Yu nodded. It seems they''ve come to the right place.


    Then there was nothing left to say.


    At many times, villains die because they talk too much; Li Yu doesn''t consider himself a villain, but that doesn''t prevent others from seeing him as one.


    From different standpoints, everyone is the villain in someone else''s eyes.


    Li Yu and his group of seven got out of the vehicle. He looked at Li Tie and Li Hang, instructing them to guard the outer gate and not let a single person escape.


    Inside the driving school, many seemed just to have woken up from a nap, yawning and looking on as if watching a show.


    There were many people, who were also quite disorganized.


    Li Yu originally thought that Hao Ge''s gang, with a hundred members, especially after the previous horn-sounding incident,


    would be fundamentally different than Zhou Sheng, at least more orderly, with a stronger sense of vigilance and combat ability.


    But as it turned out, they just had numbers.


    Even after Li Yu and his people entered the driving school, some arrogantly approached with baseball bats in hand.


    They had not encountered Li Yu and his people before and assumed they were like the other survivors they had met.


    In fact, Hao Ge had sent people to follow Li Yu and the others, but those had all died.


    This led to these people having very little understanding of Li Yu and his crew.


    After getting out of their vehicles, Li Yu and his people didn''t waste words.


    They just opened fire!


    Those closest to Li Yu''s group were instantly turned into sieves from the gunfire.


    The people behind fell like harvested wheat.


    The crowd was like loose sand, completely lacking any fighting spirit.


    No one directed what to do, no one cared when the person next to them fell; everyone was thinking about how to escape.


    Under the impact of firearms, they crumbled at a single blow.


    Absolute firepower meant absolute say.


    In this world, no one rationalizes with the weak.


    Justice is relative, depending on the perspective one takes.


    History is a young girl, dressing up at the will of the powerful; under such power, nothing else matters.


    So, build strength first, then talk about principles.


    This truth, Li Yu had understood long ago.


    With the gunshots, the more people that fell, the fewer resisted.


    Or rather, from the start, this was a struggle of unequal strength.


    Blood flowed like rivers.


    From the beginning to now, Hao Ge hadn''t appeared; Li Yu didn''t know who Hao Ge was,


    but it wasn''t important. What mattered was first to crush the opposing side''s will, to destroy their power.


    To make the people on the other side dare not resist.


    Some tried to escape over the wall, only to be directly shot and killed by Li Tie and others.


    Some attempted to leave through the main gate, but were also blocked and killed by Li Yu and his people.


    Gunshots rang out,


    like pearls large and small falling onto a jade dish,


    also like Beethoven''s piano piece "Fate" being played,


    the scene was bloody, yet simple.


    Flesh and blood flew everywhere, limbs torn and severed.


    Faces showed panic, schadenfreude, haste, despair...


    In the hail of bullets, faces showed all sorts of expressions, each different.


    But Li Yu wasn''t concerned or interested.


    Perhaps there were those who were forced to join Hao Ge,


    perhaps some among them were actually good people,


    ...


    But to Li Yu, this was irrelevant.


    Recognizing a person''s goodness or badness is too difficult; seeing through someone''s true nature is also hard.


    The sounds of gunfire gradually subsided, with bodies lying all over the ground.


    Among them, some were holding their heads, kneeling and begging for mercy.


    When the gunfire stopped, Li Yu saw some familiar faces.


    Previously, when dealing with Zhou Sheng''s group, they had saved a group of women.


    Apart from Song Min and about a dozen others seen today, there were also several women in front of Li Yu that he had encountered before.


    It seems that everyone has different thoughts...


    Some choose to pick up a knife and fight back fiercely, making themselves stronger.


    Others find it too hard to survive in the post-apocalyptic world and think lying down is also a good choice.


    These women, from Zhou Sheng, and now to Hao Ge, Li Yu didn''t know if they,


    had mentioned him and his people to Hao Ge.


    But it wasn''t important, Li Yu''s gaze shifted slightly.


    Before him was that busty young housewife, showing a face of sorrow and woe.


    Seeing Li Yu looking at her, her eyes shifted, deliberately pulling down the neckline of her shirt,


    and preparing to rise and walk towards Li Yu.


    Bang!


    Li Yu fired.


    The busty young housewife looked incredulously at Li Yu as she fell.

 Chapter 65 - 62: The True Man is Born Between Heaven and Earth

    The woman fell to the ground, and the people behind her trembled.


    Li Yu glanced at the crowd hugging their heads and begging for mercy on the ground.


    He said, "Where is Haoge?" His tone was ice-cold, devoid of any emotion.


    A young man pointed at the middle-aged man on the ground, wearing a thick gold chain.


    He said, "He, he, he is Haoge."


    In the panic that ensued earlier, Haoge couldn''t dodge in time and was killed by Li Yu and others in the chaotic shooting.


    Haoge had been mentioned by Li Yu''s side in recent days,


    but before he had a chance to properly introduce himself, he was already a dead man.


    Hearing this, Li Yu pointed to the man on the ground with the thick gold chain around his neck and said, "He is Haoge?"


    He vaguely aimed the gun at a few others.


    The others shivered when they saw Li Yu''s gesture and nodded frantically.


    Li Yu thought for a moment, then said no more.


    Those on the ground hastily begged for mercy, hoping Li Yu would spare their lives.


    But Li Yu''s experience from before his rebirth told him not to leave any troubles behind.


    He raised his gun and opened fire.


    The people on the ground cried out for their parents but Li Yu remained unmoved.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    A pile of corpses.


    ....


    The blood seemed to form a small river, flowing rapidly toward the lower ground.


    Seeing this, Li Zhengping''s legs went weak, and he could hardly stand.


    He couldn''t imagine that such a harmonious big brother in the base,


    Who was so caring towards his younger brothers and sisters,


    Could be so cold-blooded outside.


    So resolute in killing,


    Like a demon.


    But Li Yu didn''t care about him, comfort him, or even look at him.


    Today, he brought him out to let him understand the reality, to recognize the way of survival after the apocalypse.


    Either you die, or I perish.


    Weakness is the original sin, strength is the absolute truth.


    ....


    At that moment, Zhao Dapao''s voice suddenly came: "Brother Yu, come over, there''s good stuff."


    Hearing this, Li Yu hurried over with his gun in hand.


    The direction was the underground parking garage, which still had some charging stations.


    Zhao Dapao pointed to several electric cars inside and said: "Brother Yu, these are the Seal electric vehicles that just launched this year,


    Their range can reach more than 700 kilometers, and even in reduced circumstances, it can still exceed 400 kilometers."


    He continued: "Our base is now well supplied with solar photovoltaic power, we have plenty of electricity, which is completely sustainable.


    Although we can''t go too far, but it''s usable around here. With these new energy electric vehicles, the noise is low, driving them will make us less likely to be discovered by zombies."


    Li Yu felt a movement in his heart, these might be useful.


    He asked, "Is there still power?"


    Zhao Dapao replied, "There''s still some left, I just found the keys in their room,


    Even though it has been a few months and the charge has dropped by 10%, it''s still completely enough for us to drive back to the base."


    Li Yu looked at the three electric cars, feeling somewhat pleased, at least the trip wasn''t in vain.


    "Alright, since all of you know how to drive, take them all back when it''s time."


    He continued: "Everyone search around to see if there''s anything useful, bring it all back to the base. Don''t waste!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone headed to the rooms with their guns.


    Li Yu glanced at Li Zhengping, who was still standing blankly on the spot, completely lost.


    So, he said, "Follow me."


    Li Zhengping looked at Li Yu a bit fearfully, and followed behind him hesitantly.


    As Li Yu walked, without turning back, he said, "How do you feel today?"


    Li Zhengping hesitated to speak, but was mostly bewildered.


    The events he saw today were too shocking for him.


    Li Yu turned around, saw Li Zhengping''s face filled with confusion, turmoil, fear...


    He knew he was in a state of not knowing what to do.


    Seeing him like this,


    Li Yu''s tone suddenly changed, becoming slow, with reminiscence in his eyes.


    He seemed to be recalling something from the past: "I can understand your state of mind right now, feeling lost, not knowing what direction to strive towards.


    Not knowing what to live for, not knowing what''s right, what''s wrong.


    And feeling that the world is just that, feeling that you are correct."


    For the first time, Li Zhengping saw Li Yu like this, a bit curious, he began to lift his head and listen attentively to Li Yu.


    Li Yu''s voice continued:


    "When I was studying, someone told me that human cognition has four realms:


    1. Not knowing that you don''t know, that is self-righteousness;


    2. Knowing that you don''t know, starting to be respectful;


    3. Knowing that you know, grasping the pattern of things;


    4. Not knowing that you know, forever maintaining the mindset of an empty cup."


    After finishing his words, Li Yu glanced at Li Zhengping, and continued:


    "And you, perhaps you think you are right now.


    Always indifferent to anything and everything."


    But do you think this is optimism?


    Do you think you''re just a wanderer playing in the world of mortals?"


    Two questions stumped Li Zhengping, and he began to doubt himself.


    "This state is quite comfortable, indeed quite relaxed."


    "But you have to realize what the situation is right now!"


    "You''re just running away!"


    This statement, like a sharp knife, ruthlessly tore open the depths of Li Zhengping''s heart.


    A gory mess!


    ...


    "If one day, the place we''re in gets brutally slaughtered just like them, would you still think that staying in your room playing games is the right thing to do?"


    "If on that day, you, me, Uncle Four, and your sister Suxin all get butchered.


    Will you still be at ease doing nothing, being a waste in the base?"


    Hearing this, Li Zhengping felt a knife twisting in his heart.


    Images of his family being slaughtered seemed to flash through his mind, suddenly feeling as if several heavy rocks were placed on his chest, suffocating him.


    He had just raised his head, only to lower it again.


    Seeing this, Li Yu didn''t pause, continuing to walk forward as he said:


    "Everyone has their own way of living,


    You always need to find the meaning of your own existence. If you can''t find it for a while, if you''re confused,


    you might as well survive first, might as well start doing. Protect your family first. Then think."


    "I won''t interfere with what kind of person you want to be in the future, that''s your freedom."


    Li Yu glanced at Li Zhengping.


    "But in the current situation, you can survive because of me.


    Without me, could you still live?"


    Li Zhengping bowed his head deeply, as if to bury his head in his chest,


    His eyes filled with bloodshot, he felt so ashamed he wanted to crawl into a hole!


    At this moment, Li Yu''s words carried no tone of reprimand, nor gentleness, not even a hint of emotion.


    He spoke in a very objective tone.


    Exactly because of this, the words stabbed directly into his heart so bluntly and profoundly, sentence by sentence.


    It caused the seas of his soul to churn, tossing and surging, battering his values.


    ...


    "Zen speaks of the Ten Ox Diagram, searching for the ox is the first step." Stepping over a corpse, with an indifferent air, Li Yu continued.


    "A person, if they want nothing, it''s also a kind of happiness,


    but external factors will always interrupt, and you can''t keep it up forever.


    So many people choose to escape, as time goes by, the people around will be disappointed,


    you might be touched, but you are afraid to act, afraid to strive."


    Li Yu didn''t care if he understood or not, it seemed he was not only speaking to Li Zhengping but also to himself.


    "Because of cowardice, fear, afraid to do, afraid to try the first step.


    Afraid of failure, afraid of still being unsatisfactory after making an effort. You''re afraid of other people''s gazes."


    At this, Li Zhengping''s breathing became more rapid, as if being completely exposed by Li Yu,


    The most unacceptable part of himself was laid bare,


    He felt frustrated, guilty, embarrassed, lost...


    It seemed that his emotions reached a peak, like a volcanic eruption about to explode.


    A gleam of wisdom flashed in Li Yu''s eyes, as if recalling something,


    as if thinking about how he had survived those several years before rebirth.


    ...


    "Ten oxen, searching for the ox is the first step,


    You need to have the heart to search for the ox, the heart to strive, the courage to take action.


    The apocalypse is here, I too am desperate, but what about after despair? Find hope from despair!


    Since you''re already desperate, what''s there to fear?


    Embracing despairing effort, are you scared of any outcome? Can it get any worse?"


    Li Zhengping lifted his head, his eyes already brimming with tears, full of regret.


    Li Yu saw him cry and laughed.


    His gaze suddenly became sharp and imposing.


    He said forcefully, "Why cry? You''re a man!


    A true man born between heaven and earth should walk proudly upon it!


    Men should be tougher on themselves.


    Facing the darkness of the world, you need to be darker than the darkness to overcome it.


    Wear the armor of darkness to protect yourself,


    Arm yourself with the dark spear,


    Maintain the bottom line in your heart amidst the darkness, only then can you shine the light!


    Stop your crying and sobbing,


    Don''t let me, look down on you!!"


    His words were emphatic, filled with an aura that commanded respect, sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Like a declaration before a great battle, full of inspiration.


    ...


    Li Zhengping wiped away the tears, a glint appeared in his eyes, shining brightly.


    He nodded emphatically, saying forcefully, "Yes!"


    To maintain emotional coherence and not interrupt the continuous flow of the plot and mood, I didn''t dare to break. For the continuation of the story and the emotions, I ask for everyone''s support for the new book...


    Thank you!

 Chapter 66 - 63: Incoherent Emotions

    Both of them didn''t say much and entered the room, one after the other.


    This driving school was quite large, with a row of simple houses built of aluminum alloy,


    and two small buildings beside it.


    Li Yu led Li Zhengping into one of the buildings.


    The submachine gun in his hands was always ready to be fired at any moment.


    According to what they had discussed earlier, Hao Ge''s group had over a hundred people.


    There were only dozens of people in the open space outside just now, so some must be hiding


    After all, Li Yu had only 7 people in total, and although Li Tie and Li Hang were crouching behind the door,


    in such a large driving school, it was inevitable that some would escape.


    To capture the thieves, capture the king first; once Hao Ge was dead, the remaining people couldn''t make any difference.


    The two small buildings had not been searched by Li Yu and his team yet.


    Perhaps some people were hiding inside, so Li Yu was extra cautious.


    At this very moment, gunshots were heard from the side.


    From the direction of the entrance.


    Li Yu had just entered this building and hadn''t had time to search it when he heard the gunshots and quickly ran over.


    As soon as Li Yu came out of the building, he ran towards the entrance at the fastest speed, with Li Zhengping following closely behind.


    Before reaching the entrance, Li Yu saw about a dozen people holding various weapons, preparing to rush the gate.


    Some people were also getting out over the wall of the driving school; the wall was high, but there were trees planted just inside the wall.


    A few people agilely climbed out from the trees.


    Seeing this, Li Yu opened fire directly.


    Bang bang bang!


    Just now...��


    At the doorway, Li Tie was somewhat in a dilemma; after all, he had a military background,


    seeing some not-so-old boys in the crowd looking like young gangsters,


    barely in their teens, he couldn''t bring himself to shoot.


    But as the group came closer and closer, Li Tie finally fired.


    Bang!


    And this gunshot also attracted Li Yu and the others.


    The gunfire didn''t stop,


    Li Yu, Li Tie, and Li Hang, one after another, eliminated the people who were preparing to rush out of the gate.


    Originally, Hao Ge''s team was just riff-raff and hooligans from the County,


    aside from a few women with large chests who joined later, there were basically no old people or children in Hao Ge''s entire team.


    So, Li Yu killed very decisively.


    Those who are really in the underworld have their principles.


    Just like some underworld bosses, they disdain those with no bottom line, oppressing ordinary citizens.


    Hao Ge''s gang, consisting of social idlers, who were cowards and only did petty thefts.


    Thus, Li Yu had no psychological burden in killing them.


    Everyone has to pay the price for their actions.


    After dealing with the people,


    Li Yu continued to search the small building with Li Zhengping.


    While walking, he said: "You all need to be careful on your own, not sure if there''s anyone else.


    Kill anyone you encounter.


    Xiao Tie, don''t put yourself in danger."


    Li Tie nodded.


    After Li Yu finished speaking, he walked towards the small building with Li Zhengping.


    It was quiet inside the small building.


    Li Yu didn''t speak, quiet enough to hear his own breathing.


    The air seemed to be filled with a tense atmosphere.


    The two of them slowly walked up to a closed door which appeared to be locked from the inside.


    Li Yu gestured with his hand to Li Zhengping.


    Telling him to come close, standing sideways, Li Yu''s mouth close to Li Zhengping''s ear,


    and then whispered, "I''ll unlock the safety on your submachine gun, and you''ll spray the door. Dare to do it?"


    Li Zhengping''s neck turned red instantly, seemingly provoked by the words wanting to prove himself strongly.


    Just as he was about to speak.


    Li Yu''s finger on his lips: "Shh, don''t get excited. I trust you."


    Li Yu unlocked the safety on the other submachine gun he was holding.


    Then he whispered, "I''ve taught you how to use it at the base before, push down, don''t lift up. Don''t keep pressing. Understand?"


    Li Zhengping nodded, taking over the submachine gun.


    He looked at Li Yu again, seeming to wait for his command.


    Seeing this, Li Yu nodded.


    Bang bang bang!


    Gunshots!


    The wooden door was riddled with bullets.


    Cries for parents, calls for help, screams, and the sound of tables and chairs tumbling could be heard from behind the door.


    Li Yu kicked open the door to find five or six people inside, three of whom had been shot and fallen, while two others stood there wielding clubs and other weapons, trembling as they looked at them.


    Li Zhengping saw three people lying in a pool of blood on the ground, their brains blown out.


    He was instantly dazed.


    One hand moved to cover his mouth as he wanted to vomit, but after retching for a while, he couldn''t throw up anything.


    His body swayed as he murmured, "I killed people! I killed three people."


    He seemed to fall into a state of crazed shock.


    Slap!


    Li Yu slapped Li Zhengping on the back of the head, producing a sharp crack.


    With that slap,


    Li Zhengping''s emotions became incoherent.


    ....


    Even that stunned state seemed to vanish, and he snapped back to reality.


    Li Zhengping looked resentfully at Li Yu, feeling a little overwhelmed.


    Li Yu ignored him.


    Then he raised his gun, ready to continue shooting.


    The remaining two men, however, kept their eyes on Li Yu and, watching his movements, dared not speak.


    Finally, one of the men couldn''t contain himself and said:


    "You... who exactly are you? I... I haven''t offended you,


    Could it be...


    But it wasn''t all my fault!"


    He cried and sobbed regretfully as he spoke.


    Li Yu and Li Zhengping were puzzled, not understanding what he meant by that.


    "It was Hao Ge who ordered us to kill! I didn''t want to kill that teacher,


    but Hao Ge forced me! I was coerced!"


    The man with a ''perseverance'' tattoo on his arm continued.


    Hearing this, Li Yu was surprised; perhaps they had done other things.


    Yet it wasn''t unusual either.


    Before the apocalypse, they were a bunch of thugs, so how could you expect them to save the world after the apocalypse?


    Li Yu narrowed his eyes as if he was about to make a move.


    The man became even more frantic, pointing at the other one beside him and saying, "He was involved too. And when it happened, I was the one who said we shouldn''t kill the teacher."


    The man standing next to him, upon hearing the ''perseverance'' man''s words, looked at him angrily: "Ha! Did you not take part?"


    "It was you who struck first! I joined in later."


    ..... S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two men actually started arguing with each other, and the murderous atmosphere suddenly seemed to add some uncontrollable factors.


    The mood instantly turned off-kilter.


    It was no longer as serious.


    Li Yu felt a bit confused, not understanding what they were talking about,


    nor why they would tell these things to him.


    Maybe it was just guilty consciences that feared the knock of a ghost at the door.


    But, it was unimportant.


    Li Yu saw that Li Zhengping was slowly coming to terms with having killed three people just now.


    "You handle it. The sooner they''re finished, the sooner we can go home for dinner. Hurry!" Li Yu said,


    then stood aside, always watching the two men''s movements.


    Li Zhengping was about to raise his gun, but seemed a bit too slow.


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, the two men instantly went mad. One threw a stool over, while the other charged with a knife.


    Li Yu didn''t dodge the stool; he simply shouldered it aside without pausing, and fired his submachine gun.


    The man charging with the knife, who was within 5 meters of Li Yu, was shot in the head and fell down.


    Li Zhengping felt remorseful, for he seemed to have hesitated for a second or two, giving them a chance to resist.


    He sighed, guilt-ridden, looking at Li Yu, wanting to say something.


    Li Yu waved his hand; he understood Li Zhengping. Hesitating for a second or two was normal, especially since the two men had reacted very quickly.


    But, one only has one life, and if you don''t cherish it, no one else will either.


    He said seriously, "You should know that in that situation, if I wasn''t there, you''d be dead.


    Don''t hesitate! There''s no next time."


    Li Zhengping nodded, pondered for a while, and then somewhat loudly said to Li Yu: "Brother, let me do it next time."


    He was eager and motivated.


    His tone was full of decisiveness and ruthlessness.


    Li Yu nodded, but suddenly felt that something didn''t taste right, as if something had gone astray.


    He shook his head, reasoning that being a bit harsher on enemies and bad people wasn''t wrong.


    He was a little worried about Li Zhengping''s mental state.


    So, he said, "Tonight, when you get back, copy Master Shengyan''s annotated ''Heart Sutra'', alright?"


    "Okay".

 Chapter 67 - 64: Thank You

    The afternoon was stifling, with no breeze. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Corpses lay scattered on the ground, buzzed over by a horde of flies and mosquitoes.


    Li Yu, accompanied by Li Zhengping, searched within the building complex, and after a thorough search, they discovered that the entire building was deserted.


    In a room on the second floor, they also found some supplies.


    But they did not move them immediately; instead, they went downstairs.


    As soon as they came out, they saw Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao emerging from the adjacent building.


    "Did I just hear gunshots from your side? Were there still people?" Yang Tianlong asked.


    Li Yu nodded, his gaze carrying some confusion as he looked at them: "Did you find anything in that building?"


    "We just found some good stuff, some car repair equipment is still there," Zhao Dapao said.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu said, "Let''s hurry up and load the stuff onto the vehicles. We''ve been out for a long time, better head back earlier."


    Meanwhile, Li Tie and Li Hang, after a round of searching on the driving school lot without finding anyone else, also drove the armored vehicle over.


    Everyone began moving the items.


    Some of the long knives and iron clubs found on the ground were also moved into the vehicle by Li Yu.


    In no time, everyone had finished packing the items.


    They started the vehicles, ready to return.


    Li Yu suddenly glanced in the direction they came from.


    After pondering for a moment, he said, "Head in the direction we came from today. Go to Song Min''s place."


    Li Tie seemed to guess something; with no objection, he drove in that direction.


    ...


    The journey was silent; the mood among the group lacked the pleasure of having resolved a problem.


    The atmosphere wasn''t exactly gloomy, but everyone just didn''t feel like talking.


    Soon, the vehicles arrived at the bottom of a small building.


    From afar, Song Min and her group could see Li Yu''s vehicles arriving, but differently this time, Li Yu brought five vehicles.


    Besides the initial two, they also drove over three new energy electric vehicles this time.


    Once the vehicles stopped, Li Yu knocked on the steel gate.


    Song Min opened the gate warily.


    "How did it go for you guys? Did you find Hao''s people?" Song Min asked.


    "They''re all dead, some might have escaped, that place was too vast," Li Yu said blandly.


    The people behind Song Min stared at Li Yu and his group with faces full of shock, disbelief brimming in their eyes.


    It was as if they could feel the murderous aura emanating from Li Yu''s group, their clothes stained with some fresh blood.


    Surprise and awe were apparent in their expressions.


    Li Yu unloaded some of the supplies from the vehicles, including precious food and weapons.


    Song Min''s cold face softened slightly at the sight.


    For Li Yu, retribution was a must; he didn''t mind lending a hand to those who helped him.


    Song Min and her team reminded Li Yu not to go directly to Tianhua Building, and although Li Yu had no plans to go there directly, they informed him of Hao''s whereabouts.


    This was a favor to Li Yu.


    After unloading the items, Li Yu remained silent, casting his gaze over, looking at the pitiful group of women.


    One by one, those who should have been at the prime of their youth were, in this post-apocalyptic world, forced to become decisively lethal.


    Their faces were smeared with something dark, their hair uniformly cut short, their clothes designed for convenience, and they had hard cardboard taped around some key areas of their bodies.


    This method, as much as possible, prevented them from being bitten by zombies.


    These people had undergone a complete transformation from when Li Yu first met them.


    In the apocalypse, people always find various ways to live on with difficulty and effort, and correspondingly, they think of various methods to cope with the harsh environment.


    "Thank you." Song Min opened her mouth slightly, saying earnestly with a touch of emotion in her eyes.


    Li Yu didn''t look like an easy target, which was evident from their encounter with Brother Hao and others.


    But Li Yu rescued them from Zhou Sheng''s grasp and now had brought them some of the things they urgently needed.


    The people behind Song Min could not contain their joy upon seeing the items on the ground.


    Li Yu, hearing Song Min''s thank you, responded just as he did back when Song Min informed him about Brother Hao, with those two words.


    Li Yu did not offer to take them with him, nor did Song Min ask to go with them.


    After Li Yu finished moving the items, he got into the car, looked back at them and said, "I''m off, take care!"


    After speaking, Li Tie drove the car out of the city.


    Song Min and the others still seemed in disbelief as they looked at the supplies on the ground. Only after Li Yu and the rest left did they burst into cheers, as if only then did they shed their rigid disguise, acting like a bunch of young girls.


    Song Min remained standing there, watching the direction of Li Yu''s departing vehicle,


    her expression complex, seemingly pondering something, but ultimately she just sighed.


    Beside her was a lively-looking young girl, excitedly picking up a box of food, happily saying to Song Min, "Sister Song, we can eat well today, right... hehe."


    Song Min looked at the girl, who used to be the youngest in their shop and who had baby fat on her round face before the apocalypse, now reduced to a sharp chin.


    Her heart ached a bit, but thinking that they were at least still alive, she considered that a form of luck.


    So she managed a smile and said, "We still need to ration properly, otherwise it''ll all be eaten up soon, and then we''ll be hungry again."


    ....


    Li Yu and the others in the car saw how happy Song Min and her group were over the supplies on the ground, items that they had plenty of at the base.


    Many of the things were about to expire, seeing their joy provoked a myriad of emotions.


    Had it not been for Li Yu''s foresight, they all might be living a life as hard as theirs.


    At this moment, Li Yu was driving a new energy vehicle with a pleasant driving experience and very little noise.


    Its range was still not very long, but it was more than enough for trips to the surrounding counties.


    The sun was slowly setting in the sky.


    No living people were encountered on the road, just an unchanging presence of zombies wandering like sentinels.


    Through the glass, Li Yu solidly felt alive looking at these zombies.


    Along the way, Li Yu pondered some problems. The apocalypse had erupted for several months now, and


    based on the memories from before his rebirth, zombies would gather more and later move in more organized groups.


    There had been a Zombie Tide before, which they had managed to fend off without being overrun. Their base had proven to be very robust.


    But looking forward, the base had to become even more solidified on top of its current foundation.


    Li Yu had many thoughts, ideas that didn''t feel quite mature yet.


    At home, he had a father who specialized in engineering and people like Uncle, who came from the Armed Police. He would propose his ideas later, and everyone would discuss, strategize, and refine the details.


    Under the sunset, five vehicles formed a convoy.


    Moving against the sunset, with elongated shadows, as if greeting rebirth.

 Chapter 68 - 65: Strengthening the Base

    Several people drove back under the surrounding wall, and Second Uncle and others on the wall had already seen the vehicles of Li Yu and his group.


    Although seeing five vehicles raised some doubts, seeing Li Yu in the forefront


    prompted them to come downstairs to open the gate.


    Li Yu got out of the car and noticed that there were still a few scattered zombies around the wall,


    although not enough to pose a significant threat, if the number of zombies were to increase.


    If they were to go out one day and, upon returning, found many zombies surrounding them, it would be very difficult to re-enter.


    Even after Li Yu realized this problem, he later added another gate behind the original one, as a double precaution.


    However, if they returned and found more zombies, entering through the wall would still pose a great risk.


    This problem must be resolved! Li Yu thought.


    After getting out of the car, Li Yu first took care of the few zombies lingering around.


    The gate opened.


    Li Yu and others drove in.


    Second Uncle and others skillfully closed the gate, then opened the second gate.


    "Yu, why are there a few more cars this time?" Uncle asked.


    "Just saw them near the driving school, they are new energy vehicles, quieter and easier to charge. We''ve already brought back a charging pile, I''ll have Li Hang install it another day."


    "By the way, today we also found some car repair equipment. Fourth Uncle used to work in a car repair shop, so it will come in handy."


    Upon hearing this, Uncle was somewhat delighted. Then he followed the car to the warehouse.


    After everyone had moved all the items off,


    Li Yu called over his father and Second Uncle and others, proposing his idea of fortifying the base.


    "Dad, you work in construction, give us some advice on how we could better fortify our base,


    Every time we go out, we use these two gates, and it still feels a bit risky."


    Li Hongyuan thought for a moment.


    "How about building a Weng City? We could add a Weng City on top of the wall, then use reinforced concrete after laying the foundation!


    It''s convenient and fast, and if we want it to be even harder, we can add some steel plates inside. But this option is quite expensive... well, money doesn''t matter much now."


    Li Yu felt this was a good idea, so he sought opinions from others, and everyone agreed it was feasible.


    However, there was a problem they now faced.


    Cement, steel bars, the doors to use, where would they come from?


    Thinking about this, Li Yu asked, "Dad, do you know where the nearest cement factory is? And where can we get steel bars from around here?"


    Li Hongyuan replied: "Our own family also manufactures culverts. Before the apocalypse, we had just stocked up 5 tons of cement, but that''s not nearly enough. Next town over has a Wan Nian Qing Cement branch, they have a lot. As for steel bars, there''s a building materials market towards the outskirts in the southern part of the county..."


    Hearing that these issues could be resolved, Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief.


    The cargo trucks, along with the ones they drove back from outside, now resulted in several large trucks.


    There were also two forklifts originally bought for handling cement culverts, which had always been at the base.


    So they discussed a bit more, brainstorming together.


    Everyone brought up ideas to address some vulnerabilities in the base.


    Li Yu was very reassured seeing everyone working hard to improve the base.


    Time slowly passed.


    Dinner was ready, and after a busy day, Li Yu and the others were starving.


    Today''s meal: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried carrots with bacon, stir-fried cabbage, spicy eggplant, and a seaweed soup.


    Four dishes and one soup.


    The communal dishes still tasted good.


    The base wasn''t heavily populated, but Li Yu had not only bought a massive amount of unhusked rice before but also stockpiled a lot of bacon, which could last a very long time.


    Originally built breeding sheds still housed livestock like pigs, cows, and sheep.


    The cows and sheep grazed on grass, as they had contracted over a hundred acres of forest initially. S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus every day, the younger children in the family,


    besides studying, also had to take out the cows and sheep to graze.


    In addition to the yellow cattle, Li Yu had also specifically purchased a few milk-producing cows from a company in the neighboring county that specializes in producing high mountain green grass milk.


    Besides the fruit trees in the forest, there were also some grasses.


    His family had been leasing the Mountain Pond for many years.


    Li Yu learned swimming in this Mountain Pond during his childhood.


    Every summer, one could fish for crayfish in the Mountain Pond.


    In autumn, when the water level was low, one could catch crabs in the many bubbling holes along the shore of the Mountain Pond.


    After the apocalypse, Li Yu''s Grandpa still maintained his previous lifestyle habits; he would go up the hill every day to cut some grass and throw it into the Mountain Pond.


    The fish in the Mountain Pond were still plump, unlike those raised on fish feed which had large heads but small bodies.


    Perhaps only the diligent older generation could raise such big fish.


    Several thousand trees were planted in the forest, including the original navel orange trees, some decades-old pine trees, and many other types of fruit trees that Li Yu had transplanted initially.


    ...


    After eating, Li Yu went to the forest where there was a small ditch between two mountains.


    Above the Mountain Pond, the babbling water flowed downwards.


    The stream was very small, just a trickle, but it continually flowed.


    Li Yu had a thought, recalling the time he purchased photovoltaic equipment, he also considered other power generation equipment.


    Thus, he bought a few sets of simple hydraulic power generating equipment, diesel generators...


    But after installing solar photovoltaic panels in the forest, he found...


    that with the current electricity usage, it was more than sufficient.


    So, he simply did not install them.


    Li Yu continued climbing the mountain, and there were some solar street lights installed along the road.


    Under the street lights, Li Yu could see the road ahead clearly.


    The stream flowed, the dim yellow street lights illuminated, and the forest in the distance was dark and dense.


    Behind him was the plain, and in front were two mountains.


    The evening breeze blew, and Li Yu felt completely relaxed.


    He lay down on a large rock by the roadside.


    Today the sun was quite hot, and the large rock still retained some warmth.


    Through the warmth, Li Yu''s muscles relaxed even further.


    This made him think of more things:


    The construction of the base, currently thinking of building a Weng City, along with some other minor details.


    The base currently has less than 40 people. Although they are not lacking in firearms and weapons, if they were to expand,


    how could they ensure that newly incorporated individuals would not upstage the original members?


    But if they do not incorporate new members and a more powerful force learns of Li Yu''s base and comes to seize it, what then?


    Although Li Yu knew that many of the groups he encountered before his rebirth were actually not very large,


    Li Yu had always struggled to survive before rebirth, and with the inconvenience of transportation after the apocalypse, he had not visited many places.


    ...


    Shaking his head, he decided to leave this matter for later.


    There will always be a solution to any problem.


    If suitable and reliable candidates are encountered, he would not mind incorporating them.


    However, caution is the priority, having seen too many groups


    fall into internal strife due to blindly incorporating some members,


    ultimately leading to mutual destruction.


    He must take this as a warning! Li Yu sternly reminded himself.


    ...

 Chapter 69 - 66: Now What?

    A person''s energy is limited,


    It''s hard to maintain concentration and work intensively all the time.


    When tired, it''s okay to sit down and take a break.


    Since the apocalypse began, with zombies besieging the city and external conflicts...


    Li Yu has been struggling to solve these issues, always the first to charge ahead.


    Fortunately, every time he returns to the base, he can take a temporary breather and relax.


    Next is to fortify the base, to build it up and make it more secure.


    Li Yu lay on the big rock halfway up the mountain until midnight, under the moonlit starry sky, before heading back to his room.


    Still indulging in a hot bath and drinking beer, he fell asleep before long.


    ...


    The next day, Li Yu and the others prepared to set off. Due to the large amount of stuff to be transported, about half of the people set out together.


    Apart from Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and a dozen others staying at the base, everyone else had to leave. This time, some women from the family also came out, totaling about twenty people.


    Before leaving, Li Yu suddenly asked Li Hongyuan, "Is the Wan Nian Cement Factory now owned by a boss surnamed Hua?"


    Li Hongyuan replied, "Yes, Boss Hua. We bought cement from them last time. Boss Hua is a decent person, and I get along well with him."


    Hearing this, Li Yu nodded and said, "Let''s go to the warehouse and get some instant noodles. Not too much, just ten cases."


    Li Hongyuan found it to be a prudent idea after hearing it. S��ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So he went to the warehouse with Li Hang and others to transport goods.


    After loading, there were six heavy trucks, two forklifts, one explosion-proof vehicle, and one seven-seater SUV.


    And so, they set off.


    Ten vehicles formed a convoy on the road, departing in the direction of National Highway 319 at 8 o''clock in the morning, driving towards the rising sun.


    On the way, Li Yu and the others saw many abandoned fields along the edge of the highway, overgrown with weeds.


    This time, Grandpa Li Yushi also came out, at the age of 65. Due to constant labor and inability to stay idle, coupled with a good mental attitude, he was very healthy. Li Yu couldn''t talk him out of it and finally agreed to let him join.


    The old man had been farming all his life and couldn''t stand waste. Seeing the abandoned fields, he sighed and lamented the pity.


    Silently they traveled.


    In less than 25 minutes, Li Yu and the others reached neighboring Longhua Town. On the edge of Longhua Town, they saw a row of factory buildings.


    "It''s here," Li Hongyuan said. "Let''s stop up ahead."


    Li Yu nodded. Most adults in the family had a driving license, and Li Hongyuan, Lai Dongsheng, Uncle, and others were experienced drivers of many years.


    They parked the 30-ton truck on the side of the road, where several Ruijiang tankers were also parked on the open ground.


    Li Yu got out of the truck first, then went to check out the factory buildings with Li Hongyuan, Li Tie, and others.


    The rest waited in place. However, before they even reached the base, they encountered a dozen zombies.


    Li Tie, Li Hang, and Zhao Dapao were the first to rush forward, killing the zombies, with Yang Tianlong quickly following to help.


    At that moment, Li Hongyuan suddenly said, "Xiaoyu, that zombie is Boss Hua! I didn''t expect Boss Hua to..."


    Li Yu looked at the medium-sized, slightly bald zombie ahead and sighed. The zombie lunged forward and was beheaded by Li Yu''s strike.


    And there was another small zombie behind, which was Boss Hua''s daughter. Li Hongyuan couldn''t bear it, but Li Yu went forward and cut down the zombie wearing a lotus dress.


    Just then, the factory door suddenly opened.


    A portly middle-aged man poked his head out, apparently attracted by the commotion Li Yu and the others were making outside. Behind this middle-aged man, seven or eight other men also emerged.


    When they saw Li Hongyuan, the chubby man immediately shouted, "Boss Li, what are you doing?"


    Li Hongyuan turned his head in some surprise when he heard this familiar voice. It was only when he saw the man in the factory did he remember who he was.


    An export manager from Wan Nian Cement Factory, but Li Hongyuan had rarely interacted with him, though they had met face-to-face a few times.


    Li Hongyuan said, "Manager Zhou, I just saw Boss Hua... I thought you all were ''that'' already."


    Manager Zhou hesitated at the words, glanced at Li Yu and the others, and asked with some confusion, "With the current situation, what are you guys doing running around out there..."


    Before Li Hongyuan could answer, Li Yu hurriedly asked, "Do you still have cement here?"


    Manager Zhou asked in confusion, "With the situation like this, zombies everywhere, what do you need cement for..."


    Li Yu coldly replied, "You don''t need to worry about that. Just tell us where your cement is and how much you have left."


    Hearing Li Yu''s question, Manager Zhou pursed his lips, pointed in a direction, and said, "Cement is pretty useless now. In this situation, a packet of instant noodles is worth much more than these bags of cement!"


    "In these times, not being hungry is more important than anything."


    As he was talking, he suddenly stopped.


    Looking at Li Yu and the others, it seemed it suddenly dawned on him.


    Even if the cement was useless to them, from the looks of Li Yu and his group, they wanted the cement.


    Manager Zhou''s face, oily even in the post-apocalyptic world, revealed a sly smile, "So, you all want cement, huh? There''s no such thing as a free lunch."


    Li Hongyuan wanted to speak, but Li Yu raised his hand a bit and stopped Li Hongyuan from saying anything.


    Li Yu said indifferently, "Okay, what do you want?"


    Manager Zhou was inwardly delighted, guessing correctly that Li Yu and his group needed the cement.


    So he made a big demand, "At least 200 pounds of rice, or instant noodles will do."


    The few people behind Manager Zhou, upon hearing the number, got a bit excited and began to discuss.


    "We don''t have that." Li Yu looked at him deeply and said slowly.


    Manager Zhou observed Li Yu''s expression, feeling that Li Yu wasn''t lying, so he said, "Then how much can you give?"


    Li Yu directly said, "I''ll give you 10 boxes of instant noodles."


    Upon hearing this, Manager Zhou was overjoyed, his eyes rolling as he listened to Li Yu''s agreement.


    But feeling like he had shortchanged himself, he petulantly said, "No, I said 100 boxes just now. If you don''t give them to me, I won''t give you the cement."


    At this moment, Li Hongyuan couldn''t hold back and interjected, "Boss Hua is gone, the company isn''t yours!"


    But Manager Zhou, unhurried, looked at Li Yu and the others and said, "Anyway, if you want the cement, you need our permission, or you can''t take it."


    Seeing only five people including Li Yu and Li Hongyuan, he wasn''t worried and stood at the doorway saying, "Hurry up, I''m waiting for you here. First, give me the food, and then you can move the cement."


    Li Yu turned around and asked Li Hongyuan, "Are you not familiar with this Manager Zhou?"


    Li Hongyuan replied, "Not familiar, we''ve just seen each other a few times."


    Li Yu had an idea, then he headed straight for the armored vehicle.


    Seeing his elder brother move, Li Hang followed to the vehicle with perfect understanding, having learned more and more about his elder brother through several lessons from being hit.


    Manager Zhou watched as Li Yu walked to the back of the vehicle,


    Mistaking it as Li Yu having second thoughts, he followed and shouted, "Hey, let''s talk business, negotiate a bit more."


    He stopped there, cursing under his breath until he could no longer see Li Yu.


    Li Yu emerged from the factory to the corner of the street, and because of the corner, Manager Zhou and his group hadn''t seen the convoy and the people behind.


    Li Yu took a submachine gun from the vehicle, slowly walking over.


    Raising the gun toward Manager Zhou, he said, "How about now?"

 Chapter 70 - 67: Give Me a Reason

    Manager Zhou saw the gun in Li Yu''s hand, and his expression blanked for a moment, but he quickly recovered, smiling as he said, "Big brother, who are you trying to scare?"


    Li Yu fired the gun to the side.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Bullets struck the metal plate beside them, sparking on impact.


    Manager Zhou was instantly terrified, trembling all over, he said, "Big brother, whatever you say goes. You can take the cement any way you like."


    The seven or eight men behind him also saw Li Yu take out a gun and immediately ran into the factory.


    Li Yu turned to Li Tie and the others behind him and said, "Bring the guns."


    Seeing Li Hang with a gun already in hand behind him, he nodded and said, "You come with me."


    With the gun pointed at Manager Zhou, he asked, "How many people are still here now?"


    Trembling, Manager Zhou replied, "There, there, there are some part-time workers still around, altogether, probably about a dozen or so."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu used the gun to direct him to lead the way and check on these people.


    Manager Zhou raised his hands and reluctantly started to walk into the factory.


    Impatient, Li Yu pressed the gun against Manager Zhou''s head.


    "Move it!"


    Li Hang and Li Hongyuan followed behind as well.


    Inside the factory, in a large hall where a few men had been standing at the door still holding sticks and clubs,


    but upon seeing Li Yu and Li Hang wielding guns, they seemed to realize the futility of their weapons.


    They dropped them like hot yams onto the ground.


    Li Yu''s gaze narrowed as he looked at the few men, who appeared somewhat disheveled, but it seemed they had not been short on food.


    Especially Manager Zhou, who somehow still managed to maintain a beer belly and a greasy complexion.


    Pointing the gun at the group, Li Yu contemplated how to proceed, as moving the cement was going to be a big issue.


    Suddenly, at this moment, faint sounds could be heard.


    Li Yu was drawn to the noise, and gestured with his gun at Manager Zhou to squat on the ground with the others, hands raised, forbidding any movement.


    Li Hang stood by with his gun, watching the group.


    Li Yu and Li Hongyuan walked towards the source of the noise; there was a room next to the hall.


    Upon reaching the room''s entrance, they saw the door was a latticed iron door, somewhat reminiscent of a prison cell.


    Inside the room were six people,


    their faces familiar, seeming to be the same individuals that had been hired to build the base for them initially,


    all from their town, with three from the neighboring village.


    These workers, who didn''t go elsewhere for labor, would look for jobs locally, but seldom had steady employment, thus often doing odd jobs.


    After they finished building the wall for Li Yu''s base, Li Yu had paid them and asked them to leave, and they hadn''t been allowed to see the goods entering the base afterward.


    These workers were the very ones who had helped build the walls of the base.


    Seeing these few people who were starkly different from those outside, some of them pale and thin, even lying weakly in bed without the strength to move, piqued Li Yu''s curiosity.


    At this time, on one of the beds, a man about forty years old looked up and saw Li Yu and his companion, appearing rather startled; after all, they were from the same town and had previously built the base for Li Yu.


    They still remembered Li Yu and Li Hongyuan.


    The man, lying on the bed weakly, asked, "Boss Li, what brings you here?"


    Li Yu didn''t answer his question but instead asked, "How did you end up so starved? Why do I see that Manager Zhou and his people don''t seem to be lacking in food at all?"


    After finishing speaking, Li Yu glanced in the direction of Manager Zhou. It seemed that Manager Zhou had also heard the commotion here, as he and the squatting men lowered their heads.


    "We are all part-timers, working a day for a day''s food and a day''s pay. Being alive now is good enough. Ah...." the man lying on the bed let out a sigh after speaking.


    But a relatively young man beside him said, "They are full-time employees; we are all part-time. We''re not from the same place. They don''t count us in. They are all locals from Longhua Town, sticking together...."


    The only man standing next to them said, "We had some food too, but it''s all gone now. The food from their canteen has been taken by them. They won''t share it with us."


    Hearing this, Li Yu wondered how naive these part-time workers were?


    He looked at the eight strong men with Manager Zhou.....


    Just as he was about to ask why they didn''t go and loot the food,


    The man lying on the bed glared at Manager Zhou and said, "They''re afraid we''ll steal their food. The night before last, while we were sleeping, they locked us up in this part-time workers'' dormitory!"


    "Every day they give us a bit of water and a little bit to eat. They want to starve us to death!"


    The only man standing said eerily, "I think they want to keep us alive so that when they run out of food, they will eat us!"


    As soon as the words were spoken, Li Hongyuan, standing outside the door, broke out in a cold sweat.


    Li Yu looked deeply at the man who spoke, feeling that what he said was not without possibility,


    And it might very well be the truth.


    Li Yu thought back to when the base was first built, there were more than thirty people, but it was to construct a wall several kilometers long, which also took several months.


    Now to build a Weng City, although the perimeter was less than a hundred meters, there weren''t that many people. And those were skilled workers back then.


    Li Yu looked at the six workers in front of him; they had all helped build the wall of the base before. sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were all quite skilled.


    Looking at the situation now, they too were detained here by Manager Zhou and his people.


    Li Yu pondered for a moment and decided to rescue them, as they could be useful for building the base later!


    As for whether to let them into the base, Li Yu hadn''t decided yet. Even if he did decide to, it would definitely be after a long review, very cautious.


    Li Yu opened the door, then said, "I''ll get you out."


    Then he opened the door, and at that moment, Li Tie and others came in with guns.


    The workers were surprised to see Li Yu and his people armed, but the door was opened.


    Li Yu asked Li Hang to move a few boxes of instant noodles from the car.


    Seeing this, the six workers'' eyes reddened in an instant, and they ate them dry, stuffing their mouths frantically.


    Seeing this, Li Yu handed them a few bottles of water and said, "Eat slower!"


    The workers hurriedly thanked him.


    Li Yu then went with Li Tie to check the other rooms and found that their supplies were not particularly scarce.


    Being a factory with a communal canteen, they had food stockpiled for dozens of people year-round, including rice.


    Right now, in one of the rooms, there were still three 50-kilogram bags of rice.


    After seeing this, Li Yu had the Li Haoxian brothers load it into the car.


    Li Yu looked at the room with the workers who had helped build the base, swallowing their food ravenously.


    He became wary, pulled Li Tie, and a few others aside to say a few words, asking them to keep an eye on their movements at all times.


    After finishing speaking, he walked towards Manager Zhou and his people.


    He looked outside at the building where the cement was stored,


    Saw Uncle had already parked the heavy truck there,


    Pointed a gun at Manager Zhou and his people,


    And said indifferently, "Give me one reason not to kill you all, right now."

 Chapter 71 - 68: Transporting Cement

    Manager Zhou looked up upon hearing the words and quickly responded, "We can help you transport the cement!"


    Before he could finish, as if still unsure, he added: "Don''t worry, we are professionals."


    Li Yu looked at him with amusement and pointed at the workers beside him, then said, "They might be professional, but can you do it? Besides, does moving cement really require professionalism?"


    "..."


    "Alright, then you do it."


    Upon hearing that, Manager Zhou and his people immediately stood up, and Li Yu, seeing this, had them follow Li Tie and others to the cement factory.


    Around the corner, several others also drove over in cars.


    Manager Zhou opened the warehouse door, and several full-time workers stepped forward to prepare for the loading.


    A few part-time workers encountered Manager Zhou''s group, instantly resulting in a tense standoff, full of hostility.


    Ready to fight, Li Yu fired a shot into the sky.


    "Start moving the stuff!" Li Yu shouted loudly!


    The part-time workers glared at Manager Zhou''s group, still harboring resentment from the days they were confined in a small room and subjected to hardships.


    Although they harbored strong resentment toward Manager Zhou and his group, faced with the imposing Li Yu, they dared not resist.


    They could only set aside their grievances and obediently start transporting the cement.


    Li Yu had Li Haoran bring in the forklift, which greatly sped up the loading process.


    Part-time workers, famished, hurriedly swallowed their instant noodles and chugged some water before willingly stepping forward to help. Li Yu saw this and did not stop them.


    After saving them and providing them food and drink, it was only normal to contribute some effort.


    During that time, a middle-aged man with slightly gray temples approached and looked at Manager Zhou and his people.


    He said to Li Yu, "Boss Li, Manager Zhou and his people are not good folks. Previously, Boss Hua and his family were locked out by them, and ended up being bitten by zombies..."


    Li Yu turned around, gave him a deep look, and said, "I know."


    Then, there was no further discussion.


    The man seemed to have more to say, but seeing Li Yu''s disinterested demeanor, he remained silent.


    Li Yu called over the other few part-time workers, made inquiries, and confirmed that what the man had said about Manager Zhou locking Boss Hua out was true.


    ...


    Grandpa Li Yushi got out of the car,


    Seeing Manager Zhou and his people still in the factory, he curiously asked, "Li Yu, who are these people?"


    "They are enthusiastic workers, now helping us move stuff," replied Li Yu.


    A joyful smile appeared on Li Yushi''s face as he said, "We can''t let them go uncompensated then. We should give them something in return."


    Li Yu nodded in agreement, thinking to himself: Greedy and outrageous, if it weren''t for the presence of guns, who knows what they could have done; Boss Hua was harmed by them too, perhaps we ought to give them some bullets...


    Li Yu walked over and briefed Uncle about the situation, casting a subtle glance at Manager Zhou''s group, "These people caused the death of Boss Hua. Just now in the factory dormitory, I found that those who had helped us build the wall of our base were our people doing odd jobs. When I went there, they had also been confined by Manager Zhou''s group..."


    Yang Tianlong commented upon hearing this, "They are not good people, why not..." he paused and made a throat-slitting gesture.


    Li Hongyuan sighed after hearing this and said, "Boss Hua was a good man; how could his people be so ruthless..."


    Li Yu glanced at his father and said, "People naturally seek advantages and shun threats, especially now in this apocalyptic world, Dad, you can''t measure contemporary people with the old ideologies."


    Li Hongyuan looked up at Li Yu, his expression a mix of sadness, but he nodded and said, "Li Yu, since you''re in charge now, we''ll do as you say."


    Li Yu, looking at Uncle, said, "I think Tianlong is right�� After a while..."


    After a brief chat with everyone, he let Li Tie and Li Gang keep a close eye on those people, ready to fire at any suspicious movement.


    6 large trucks, capable of carrying 180 tons of cement, with each pack weighing around 100 kilograms,


    approximately totaling 3600 bags, because trucks can drive right into the factory area, loading was more convenient.


    With the help of the forklifts, the speed was even faster.


    Manager Zhou and his eight people, along with a few others who had helped Li Yu build the base, totaled 14 people. They handled moving the cement out from the innermost parts.


    Yang Tianlong and Uncle operated the forklifts for transportation.


    During the loading process, perhaps because Manager Zhou was not used to such hard labor,


    he started sweating profusely and gasping for breath, squatting down to rest after just a short while.


    But seeing Li Yu watching him, he dared not stop.


    On the other hand, the part-time workers, used to heavy labor and endurance, continued working without stopping for an hour after a good meal.


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    Starting from 9 AM, they continued transporting till 1 PM, when finally all the cement was loaded onto the trucks.


    Originally, Li Yu thought moving these materials would take a long time, but unexpectedly, with extra help, the process moved much faster.


    After the loading was completed, Li Yu looked at those automatically divided into two groups.


    Manager Zhou, sweat-soaked, looked to Li Yu ingratiatingly and said, "Boss Li, are you satisfied now?"


    Li Yu nodded, then ignored Manager Zhou.


    Instead, he turned to the workers who had helped build the base and said, "You have two options: one, like before, you help me build the wall, and I''ll provide you food for a day''s work. Alternatively, you are free to go wherever you want, and I won''t interfere."


    The part-time workers were somewhat relieved��though it was the apocalypse, having work that provided food was the greatest luck.


    However, not all six were keen to stay.


    Among them, the first man who told Li Yu about Manager Zhou causing Boss Hua''s death seemed conflicted. He hesitantly said, "I... I probably can''t go. I want to go home to check on things."


    Upon hearing this, his fellow part-time workers also expressed their desire to check on their homes.


    Li Yu pondered for a moment; wanting to check on homes is a natural sentiment and reasonable.


    After getting a few addresses, he found they weren''t far: two were in the town, while others were in the neighboring village. Without much delay, he agreed to let them visit.


    So he said, "Okay, I can take you to check on your homes. We can decide what to do afterward."


    The part-time workers were overjoyed, showering praises on Li Yu.


    After speaking, Li Yu called Li Tie, arranging for the workers to sit inside the heavy trucks.


    The heavy trucks weren''t fully packed with cement yet, leaving plenty of space inside.

 Chapter 72 - 69: Inquiry

    Li Yushi saw that the cement had been moved and pulled Li Yu over to say, "We farmers are honest, we can''t treat people poorly. Later, bring something over to them."


    Li Yu covered his forehead, Grandpa was always so kind-hearted, preferring to suffer losses rather than take the slightest advantage from others.


    But now it was the apocalypse, so he said to Grandpa, "Grandpa, you know the situation now, these people aren''t good."


    Grandpa said earnestly, "Even though it''s the apocalypse now, we must maintain our morals. What you did before was good. If someone provokes us, we can fight back, but we cannot kill the innocent."


    "People who are guilty, it''s justified if they are killed, but killing the innocent will change people''s hearts. Once everyone''s heart changes, the values of our entire family will change, and then it will be hard for you to lead the team!" Li Yushi''s simple face slowly expressed his thoughts.


    Hearing these words, Li Yu looked at Grandpa with some surprise; he originally thought Grandpa was just a naive old man, but what he just said made sense.


    People''s hearts are unpredictable. But the sentiments within our family need to be well maintained.


    After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Those part-time workers, from our town.


    Manager Zhou and others trapped them in a small room, using them as food, hanging there in times of no food��they become the food."


    "Furthermore, Manager Zhou and others, locked their boss outside, which eventually led to the decent boss Hua and his family being bitten and turned into zombies."


    "Initially, I planned to exchange some instant noodles with them as they had agreed to that, but then they suddenly increased the price."


    Watching the now silent old man.


    Li Yu looked at Manager Zhou and others, speaking coldly, "If we didn''t have enough people or weapons, they''d probably rob us."


    "It''s now about having a gun in hand, to prevent others from harming you. Now many people haven''t changed much from zombies."


    Li Yushi quietly listened to Li Yu speak, looking at this eldest grandson, with a determined expression.


    His gaze changed again and again, finally showing exhaustion.


    Speaking slowly, "Then, do as you think is best. I''m old now, any decisions to be made should be done by you young people. Being decisive and straightforward is the only way to lead our family to survive longer in this apocalypse."


    After saying this, he didn''t speak another word and walked towards the armored vehicle.


    A team needs fairness and the opinions of everyone.


    But in special times, internal unity is most crucial.


    A team, at critical moments, only needs one voice.


    And this voice is led by Li Yu.


    Sometimes too many opinions mean no decisions can be made, nothing can be accomplished.


    Which often harms everyone.


    Li Hongyuan knows, Uncle knows, Second Uncle knows, Grandpa also knows.


    Because they know that whatever decision Li Yu makes, it''s for the family, it''s for the base to survive in this apocalypse.


    So even if some of Li Yu''s actions exceed their understanding, even being hard to accept, they still support him unconditionally.


    Li Yu watched Grandpa''s retreating figure, feeling somewhat sentimental, but recovered in just a few seconds.


    With a dangerous look, he stared towards Manager Zhou and others.


    Manager Zhou and others, seeing the figure of Li Yu, were somewhat terrified, nervously saying, "Young Master Li, the cement has been moved now..."


    Li Yu didn''t speak, glanced at everyone who had already boarded the vehicle, pondered whether to kill Manager Zhou and others in front of them.


    With ladies and elders present, such horrifying scenes might have a profound impact on them.


    Perhaps it would be bearable for people like Li Haoran, because they had already witnessed such things when dealing with the Village Chief and his people.


    But there were some people present today, such as Third Aunt and Grandpa, who had not seen such things.


    Uncertain whether they could accept it.


    Li Yu looked up at the part-time workers already sitting in the heavy truck.


    Although they were on the truck, they still looked at Manager Zhou and others indignantly.


    Turning his head, looking at the roadside, the zombies they had killed on their way here included a little zombie, who was boss Hua''s daughter.


    It seemed he had made up his mind.


    Li Yu unlocked the safety of his Submachine Gun, aiming at Manager Zhou and his people.


    Manager Zhou and his people had already figured out during the initial contact who was the decision maker of this group.


    So, they kept their eyes on Li Yu''s movements.


    When they saw Li Yu raise his gun and aim at them, they were instantly terrified out of their wits.


    One by one, they pleaded:


    "Boss Li Yu, we''ve moved everything the way you wanted."


    "Yeah, yeah, you can''t just kill innocents."


    "I still have an eighty-year-old mother to take care of... and a 5-year-old son.... sob sob sob."


    ....


    Hearing these shouts, some of the female family members couldn''t bear it, especially the kind-hearted Uncle''s wife, who also said, "Li Yu, they, this...." S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu gave Manager Zhou a profound look and slowly said, "Then, why did you keep Boss Hua locked outside?"


    Manager Zhou''s face froze, and he fiercely glared at the part-time staff.


    Those part-time staff also did not show any weakness, and they began to vehemently denounce the misdeeds carried out by Manager Zhou''s group.


    ....


    As the argument between the two sides continued, Li Yu and others also became aware of the deeds done by Manager Zhou''s group and fell silent.


    The Third Aunt also lowered her head and muttered dismally, "Pretend I didn''t say anything."


    The arguing continued.


    Li Yu fired a shot into the sky and suddenly asked, "Have you been to neighboring Xiang County recently?"


    Originally, when Zhao Dapao returned to his hometown, it was to the neighboring County of Xiang, but at that time, his family had been killed by others.


    Thus, this matter had always been a thorn in Zhao Dapao''s side; he was keen on seeking revenge.


    Li Yu had once told Zhao Dapao that he would help him find the culprits and exact revenge if he got a chance!


    When it came to this matter that Zhao Dapao cared about most, he looked nervously at Manager Zhou and others.


    In the past, every time Li Yu and others went out, if they encountered strangers, they would inquire about the neighboring Xiang County, whether anyone had been there or heard of anyone going.


    But, they had never received any news.


    However, Li Yu and his group never gave up, always asking people they came across.


    Seeing how seriously Li Yu and his group took this matter, Zhao Dapao''s recognition of this base grew stronger.


    This time, he didn''t know if they would hear any useful news.


    But disappointingly, these people all shook their heads.


    Zhao Dapao, seemingly unwilling to give up, asked again: "Have you seen any other people recently? Did they go to the neighboring county?"


    Manager Zhou and others shook their heads.


    And with some perplexity, they said, "No, what''s the situation now, who would still be running around?"


    Seeing that no more information could be gleaned, a harsh killing intent suddenly rose in Li Yu''s eyes.


    Without any warning to others, Li Yu brazenly raised his gun!


    Bang bang bang!


    Li Yu shot accurately, and several people beside Manager Zhou fell.


    Manager Zhou, who had been keeping an eye on Li Yu''s actions and was quick to react despite his weight, instantly ran toward the warehouse.


    Bang!


    Zhao Dapao fired, hitting Manager Zhou right between the eyebrows.


    The few remaining people were also killed on the spot.


    And behind Li Yu and his group, the part-time staff, seeing Li Yu execute Manager Zhou and others,


    looked immensely relieved and somewhat grateful towards Li Yu, but their eyes were filled with


    awe!


    Li Yu''s killing was too decisive, and it looked like it wasn''t his first time doing this!


    This chilled their hearts.


    For those who were experiencing this scene for the first time, like Grandpa and others, seeing the people lying dead on the ground was hard to accept, but after a while, encouraged by Li Haoran and others, they managed to recover.


    They had gained a deeper understanding of the apocalypse.


    This was an intense lesson about the apocalypse that Li Yu gave them.

 Chapter 73 - 70: Crossing This Hurdle Alone

    On the way back to the base, Lai Dongsheng and Uncle were also sitting in the back of the heavy truck. Due to its massive size, the heavy truck moved slowly on the road.


    Lai Dongsheng stared at the few people in front of him; he had felt they were familiar when carrying cement earlier, but since he was busy at the time, he didn''t stop to take a closer look.


    Now sitting on the truck, the more he looked at them, the more familiar they seemed, and the people facing Lai Dongsheng were also discussing him.


    After watching for a while, Lai Dongsheng could no longer hold back.


    So he spoke out, "You are from the neighboring village, surnamed Zhou, right?"


    The few people instantly looked up, one of them said with some confusion, "Yes, I think you look familiar, but I just can''t remember where I have seen you before."


    "Zhou Dongmei is my wife; she is also from your village," Lai Dongsheng said.


    That person said with some surprise, "I know Zhou Dongmei, her house is just two doors down from me. We all know each other."


    Another person nodded and said, "No wonder you looked so familiar, we probably saw each other when you visited the Zhou Family in the past."


    The remaining two people also showed joy, all saying they knew him.


    Encountering acquaintances always brought a sense of closeness, especially in this apocalypse.


    Thus, Lai Dongsheng started chatting with the few of them.


    As the vehicle slowly progressed, Li Yu and others were about to reach the outskirts of the town.


    The joy on two part-time workers'' faces grew stronger, their homes were up ahead.


    But whether their family members were still there, was uncertain.


    ...


    The small town was right next to the national highway, so bringing the two part-time workers who lived in the town didn''t require a detour.


    Li Yu drove the SUV over, took Li Tie, and then let the two part-time workers who lived in the town get out.


    One of them, a middle-aged man with grey temples, lived on the street side of this small town. It was he who took the initiative to tell Li Yu that Manager Zhou had locked Boss Hua outside, and he was also the first to say he wanted to go home to check on things.


    There were still some zombies wandering aimlessly around the small town.


    Suddenly seeing an SUV appear.


    They immediately surrounded it.


    Li Tie was very calm; it wasn''t his first time being surrounded by zombies in a vehicle, so he continued to drive slowly.


    Li Yu sat in the passenger seat, constantly observing the two people in the back through the rearview mirror.


    Seeing the car driving into the town, he asked, "Where do you live?"


    The middle-aged man with grey temples replied, "Right there at the back alley entrance, a white three-story building; his house is right behind mine across the street."


    Hearing this, Li Yu abruptly asked, "What''s your name?"


    The middle-aged man''s face showed a pleasing smile at the question and said, "Ding Jiu; others call me Old Ding."


    Li Yu didn''t say anything after hearing the answer, then looked at the other person, the implication was clear. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other person was slightly younger, looking just over thirty, who quickly said, "My name is Yu Yonggan."


    Li Yu nodded and stopped looking at the two men.


    The SUV slowly moved toward the direction of the back alley entrance.


    Looking through the window at the familiar streets around, Li Yu was filled with emotion.


    He saw a supermarket on the roadside; its doors were wide open, and the items inside had long been looted.


    Suddenly, a figure flashed on the rooftop in the center of the street.


    It was a fleeting glimpse; Li Yu took a closer look and found no one there anymore.


    In the town, at this usual time of day, it was often the busiest with various shouting, honking, construction noises...


    But now, only the growling of zombies and the sound of the car engine could be heard.


    Finally, Li Yu''s vehicle arrived at the back alley entrance.


    Ding Jiu, seeing the familiar home in front of him, could no longer contain his excitement.


    He said, "Boss Li, this is it. My home is right here."


    The white building in front had its doors shut tight.


    Li Yu looked at the zombies surrounding the vehicle, knowing getting out right now would definitely lead to an encirclement.


    And it wasn''t a good idea to start a fight either.


    Seeing a small gate outside the courtyard of the white building in front of them, he then said to Li Tie, "Drive up to the courtyard gate, turn towards that small door, and leave a gap for me to get out."


    Li Tie, catching the hint, started the car and backed up abruptly, sweeping a zombie under the vehicle.


    The car then moved forward, rolling over the zombie''s body.


    Glug~


    At the small gate, Li Yu instantly pushed the door open while the zombies had not yet surrounded them.


    He carried a submachine gun on his back and held a long knife in his hand.


    Pshht!


    Li Yu swung his knife and slashed, killing several zombies in front of him. Then he shouted, "Get out of the car, go in and check."


    The part-time workers in the car, Ding Jiu and Yu Yonggan, both got out.


    Ding Jiu opened the courtyard gate, then rushed straight to the main gate to find it was locked from the inside.


    He shakily took out the keys and unlocked the door.


    The door''s open!


    Ding Jiu held back the urge to shout loudly, and whispered, "Wife, Qingqing, Weiwei."


    Then he rushed into the rooms.


    Meanwhile, Li Yu and Li Tie had gotten out of the car and were outside holding back the zombies.


    The zombies weren''t numerous, and they could manage without using bullets.


    But from the street corner, more and more zombies began to swarm towards them.


    Li Yu yelled inside, "Hurry! Have you found them?"


    Ding Jiu ran from downstairs to upstairs, then back downstairs again, searching every room but finding nothing.


    Hearing Li Yu calling from downstairs, he didn''t dare to delay any longer.


    So he rushed down.


    His face was filled with loss.


    Yu Yonggan, who had gotten out of the car as well, ran towards his own home.


    Li Yu and Li Tie were fending off the zombies, allowing Yu Yonggan to make it to his building,


    but at the foot of his building, he seemed to see something horrifying and stood there, frozen in shock.


    Li Yu, growing impatient, quickly pulled Ding Jiu into the car while Li Tie drove towards that place.


    As they got closer, Li Yu saw two zombies in front of Yu Yonggan!


    And Yu Yonggan stood there dumbfounded, incredulously watching these two zombies.


    The two zombies were about to reach him, but Yu Yonggan, tears streaming down his face, did not move.


    He seemed to have given up resisting.


    The zombies'' ghastly white hands tightly clutched his neck as he pushed at the zombies'' bodies.


    The zombies snarled with bared teeth, about to bite him.


    But the dagger in his hand was never directed at the zombies'' necks.


    "They''ve already turned into zombies! If you don''t fight back now, you''ll become one of them!" Ding Jiu urgently yelled.


    Yu Yonggan seemed to come back to his senses, but his eyes were bloodshot.


    His face was full of struggle.


    Li Yu didn''t go forward to help; this was a battle no one else could fight for him, he had to face it himself.


    Even if Li Yu wanted to help, he might end up resented.


    So, Li Yu stayed in the car and did not speak up.


    He glanced back at the approaching zombies, seeing them getting closer and closer, he couldn''t help but get out and ready his knife.


    He would only give 30 seconds.


    After 30 seconds, if it''s still not resolved, Li Yu would have Li Tie drive away, as it wasn''t worth putting themselves in danger.


    5 seconds, 10 seconds.


    Yu Yonggan was still struggling, but another small zombie crawled over, about to bite.


    Pshht!


    Finally, Yu Yonggan stabbed the female zombie in the neck with the dagger.


    The zombie fell to the ground.


    The zombie at his feet was also finished off by Yu Yonggan with a knife.


    After killing the two zombies, it was as if all the air had gone out of him.


    He sat on the ground, on his knees.


    Li Yu saw the zombies catching up from behind, so he rushed to the car.


    While shouting, "Get in the car! If you''re not leaving, stay here and wait for death!"

 Chapter 74 - 71: Hurry Up!

    But Yu Yonggan on the ground seemed unable to hear any sounds.


    It was Ding Jiu next to him who pulled him onto the vehicle, and after several people got on,


    Li Tie instantly started the vehicle.


    Boom!


    They left the back alley. This place was too troublesome, having only stopped there for a moment, now more and more zombies appeared.


    Yu Yonggan sat in the vehicle, his head bowed, immersed in sorrow.


    Seeing this, Li Yu said to him, "They hoped you would survive. So, pull yourself together!"


    Yu Yonggan lifted his numb face and mechanically nodded.


    Seeming to remember something, he said to the others, "Thank you for the trouble."


    Not bad, knowing right from wrong, Li Yu thought to himself.


    Seeing that they had not found anyone, although Ding Jiu was still a bit reluctant, there were simply too many zombies.


    Continuing the search would put everyone in danger.


    Li Yu offered to help them find their family members, which was already incredibly generous in these self-preserving apocalyptic times.


    If they insisted on continuing the search, he would feel embarrassed to bring it up.


    The car slowly headed towards the outskirts of the town, and at that moment, Li Yu suddenly remembered the few figures he had seen on the road earlier.


    He then said to Li Tie, "Let''s go to the supermarket area, I saw some people there earlier."


    Upon hearing this, Ding Jiu''s breathing became rapid.


    Li Tie reversed the car, changing direction.


    Heading towards the direction of the supermarket.


    In a short while, they reached the center of the street, where there was a mobile business hall downstairs.


    And next to it, a large iron gate.


    Many zombies surrounded the large iron gate, attracted by the sound of the car.


    Li Yu turned his head, looking at Ding Jiu, and asked, "Do you know if this building has any other entrances?"


    Ding Jiu quickly responded, "There''s another entrance at the back, and I remember there''s an internet cafe on the second floor."


    On hearing this, Li Yu told Li Tie to drive to the back.


    The zombies closely followed; since they were in the center of the street, there were originally many zombies, and now hearing the noises, they swarmed towards them.


    Li Yu looked at the zombies with concern, this place was not suitable to stay long.


    They needed to leave quickly.


    Reaching the back, there was another iron gate, tightly locked.


    Everyone got out of the vehicle, but Yu Yonggan still seemed out of it, causing Li Yu to become a bit frustrated.


    He went over and pulled him down.


    "The zombies are coming soon! Cover this door, I''ll go open it," Li Yu said.


    Yu Yonggan got out of the car, taking the long knife from Li Tie.


    Thinking of how his family members were killed by these zombies, he suddenly felt a surge of blood and anger, chopping down an approaching zombie.


    Li Yu looked at the iron gate in front of him, which had a lock.


    Just using the body to ram would definitely not open it.


    So he asked Ding Jiu to shout from downstairs.


    As Li Yu expected, he indeed had seen people earlier.


    Several figures appeared from the third floor. Ding Jiu saw them and instantly became excited, shouting, "Qingqing, Weiwei!"


    The two girls, one about 15 and the other about 20 years old.


    Upon seeing Ding Jiu, they excitedly wanted to run downstairs.


    At this moment, someone beside them said, "They''ve attracted the zombies. Don''t go down. If you open the door, we''ll all die!"


    Li Yu saw the increasing number of zombies behind them; Li Tie had already taken out a gun and started shooting.


    Meanwhile, Yu Yonggan, upon seeing his wife and child turned into zombies, seemed to be emboldened, slashing at the zombies with bloodshot eyes.


    Fearlessly, even gradually moving away from the gate, killing outward.


    Slowly surrounded by zombies, he was completely unaware.


    Li Tie shouted loudly on the side to have him come back, but Yu Yonggan seemed to be stuck in an unstoppable state, not hearing anyone.


    Ding Jiu looked up and saw four people had come out from upstairs, two of whom were his daughters, and the other two��a man and a woman��he did not recognize.


    The man who had just said not to open the door was now holding tightly to Ding Jiu''s daughters, preventing them from coming down.


    Seeing this scene, Ding Jiu was furious.


    But facing the large iron gate, it was impossible to push open.


    When Ding Jiu saw the sharp spikes overturned on the iron gate, determination surged in his heart, and he directly wanted to climb over.


    Seeing that he wanted to climb up, Li Yu stepped forward, lending a hand, allowing Ding Jiu to step on Li Yu''s hands and reach the crossbar above.


    Ding Jiu grabbed the horizontal bar with one hand, then exerted all his strength and hoisted his right foot up, tremblingly placing his other foot over the spikes.


    These spikes were no joking matter, looking extremely sharp, an oversight could potentially lead to being impaled and disemboweled.


    Ding Jiu''s body shakily passed just two centimeters above the spike as he moved his other foot across.


    At this moment, the person upstairs saw Ding Jiu''s movements.


    They stomped down the stairs trying to stop him.


    Ding Jiu also heard the noise and instantly sped up his actions.


    But after all, he had to get over the spike, and although the gate was still slightly shaking despite Li Yu''s support.


    Observing the man almost reaching downstairs.


    Ding Jiu glanced at the ground, found no debris, and with a hardened resolve, let his body fall inside the door.


    His right leg was instantly scratched by the spike, the bloody wound inciting the zombies outside, drawing them crazily closer with the scent of blood.


    Upon landing, Ding Jiu felt fortunate that although the ground was concrete and his fall made him dizzy, luckily there was nothing else on the ground.


    On the other side, Li Tie alone was resisting zombies at the door,


    Gunshots!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    On another side, Yu Yonggan was already deep among the zombie crowd, wielding a knife powerfully in swinging motions.


    Li Yu, seeing Ding Jiu land safely, immediately shouted, "Quick, open the door. We have no time." S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Enduring the pain in his leg, Ding Jiu quickly got up and opened the gate.


    The door opened.


    The man coming downstairs had now reached the ground floor.


    Seeing Li Yu and the others had opened the door, his expression changed repeatedly, especially hearing Li Tie shooting, he immediately tried to appease: "I, I, I came down to open the door for you."


    Bang!


    Li Yu shot directly.


    The man was hit between the eyebrows.


    And fell to the ground.


    Damn, so troublesome!


    Ding Jiu was somewhat stunned, the shooting was too decisive.


    Li Yu impatiently said, "Hurry up and resolve it upstairs, 30 seconds, if you don''t handle it, I''m leaving."


    Finishing, he threw a knife over.


    Ding Jiu, somewhat grateful, glanced at Li Yu and looked upstairs with intense anger on his face, seemingly feeling no pain in his leg any longer.


    Then he hurriedly ran upstairs.


    Upstairs.


    A voice came...


    "What are you doing? Where''s my husband?"


    The woman upstairs seemed to be struggling ferociously, then suddenly.


    With a bang, it appeared to be the sound of someone falling.


    "Dad, you''re finally here, mom she... sobs."


    "Who are these people?" Ding Jiu pulled his two daughters behind him, addressing the fallen woman on the floor.


    "I don''t know, a few days ago we were just at home, but we ran out of food and came out to find some. But there were zombies everywhere, then we encountered them. When we were escaping together, they pushed mom, and then mom twisted her ankle, subsequently got bitten by zombies, she was killed by them!"


    Hearing this, the fallen woman, upon hearing the elder daughter''s words, especially seeing the knife in Ding Jiu''s hand, got up from the ground and said, "My fault or not, you guys were running too slow!"


    "But why did you lock the door!" Ding Jiu''s second daughter said indignantly.


    "There were zombies, if we didn''t lock the door, we''d all die," the woman replied.


    "But the zombies were still so far from us!"


    ....


    Li Yu was downstairs, also shooting zombies. Zombies were multiplying.


    Yu Yonggan was no longer visible.


    Li Yu felt increasingly irritated, Damn, such a hassle!


    "Ding Jiu! Damn it, hurry up!" Li Yu yelled loudly.


    Immediately, he instructed Li Tie to start the car, ready to leave at any moment.


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, Ding Jiu upstairs shivered, glimpsing through the window, seeing more and more zombies gathering below.


    Remembering how Li Yu gunned down that man downstairs just moments ago, his courage surged, his eyes gleaming with a daunting glare.


    He looked at the woman, clenched his teeth, made a stern decision.


    He stabbed the woman with the knife.


    Promptly grabbing his two daughters, he ran downstairs.


    At this moment, Li Tie had already turned the car around, and Li Yu walked towards the car, ready to leave.

 Chapter 75 - 72: Ill Do as You Say!

    Ding Jiu saw Li Yu with one foot already stepping into the car and hurriedly shouted, "Boss Li, wait for us."


    Li Yu, upon hearing this, did not pause and got into the car.


    Seeing this, Ding Jiu felt a sense of despair, particularly as he saw the multitude of zombies in front of the door, his anxiety intensifying.


    Upon seeing the vehicle''s engine starting, Ding Jiu felt somewhat hopeless, regretting why he didn''t move faster just now.


    But then!


    The car did not rush outside; instead, it reversed back through the gate, coming toward them.


    Ding Jiu''s originally despairing heart was instantly filled with surprise and joy at this sight.


    "Why are you still standing there! Hurry up and get in the car!" Li Yu opened the door and said coldly.


    Ding Jiu felt exceptionally moved by Li Yu''s words, though the tone was very impatient, the meaning expressed touched him deeply.


    He had thought that Li Yu had already abandoned them because, in the face of danger, no one is obligated to save you.


    Saving you is a favor, not a duty!


    Moreover, Li Yu had already rescued them from Manager Zhou and even risked danger to help him find his family.


    For this alone, Ding Jiu felt grateful!


    Ding Jiu gave Li Yu a thankful look and silently resolved: he would definitely repay him in the future.


    He let his two daughters get into the car first before he got in.


    After they all got in, Li Tie started the car.


    In the car, Ding Jiu hesitated to speak, seemingly wanting to express something but not knowing what to say at the moment, he stammered and couldn''t utter a word.


    Li Yu certainly saw his demeanor, but had no reaction.


    He only believes what a person does, not what they say, so whatever Ding Jiu said didn''t matter.


    Li Tie drove in the direction of Yu Yonggan, but amidst the many zombies, he couldn''t find Yu Yonggan''s figure for a while.


    Suddenly, Li Tie saw Yu Yonggan standing on a step, still wielding a knife with great effort, his body already smeared with zombie blood.


    Li Tie drove the car over.


    He stopped steadily beside that step, but at that moment, there seemed to be something off about Yu Yonggan''s state.


    His pupils were somewhat white, and his face had started to show some dark spots. Upon seeing this, Li Yu''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    He stopped Li Tie, who was about to open the door to get out, and said, "Wait a moment, something''s wrong."


    Then he took a careful look at Yu Yonggan and suddenly saw a ripped tear on Yu Yonggan''s upper garment, and on his arm, there was a wound.


    The wound was quite large, as if a chunk of flesh had been directly bitten off.


    Li Yu said, "He''s been bitten, there''s no saving him, let''s go!" His tone was very calm, as if he had seen many similar scenes before.


    Li Tie also took a close look and, with some indignation, said, "Why doesn''t he listen! We told him not to go too far, but he didn''t listen, our rescue was in vain!"


    The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart.


    Ding Jiu heard this and felt a mix of fear and guilt. He looked up and saw Li Yu giving him a meaningful glance. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ding Jiu, a bit nervously, swallowed saliva and said in a flustered manner, "Director Li, I will definitely listen to you from now on!"


    Li Yu did not speak, but waved his hand in response.


    Ding Qingqing, the elder daughter of Ding Jiu sitting in the back row, found Li Yu''s profile somewhat familiar. He looked a lot like one of her high school classmates. Although there was a resemblance, he didn''t quite seem the same. After all, in her memory, that classmate of hers was quite frivolous, whereas from her brief interaction just now, Li Yu seemed not very approachable and had an intimidating aura about him.


    This doesn''t feel like they''re from the same family at all...


    The car roared as it drove out of the small town.


    Outside the town, near the national highway, everyone was getting a bit anxious as they waited.


    Especially when they heard gunshots, Li Hongyuan grew worried and called over Li Hang, intending to go check things out.


    Just as they were preparing to go see, they saw Li Tie driving over, followed by a horde of zombies.


    Li Yu rolled down the window and shouted to the people, "Let''s go!"


    Everyone felt reassured and got into vehicles.


    On the road.


    Uncle''s voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Xiaoyu, I saw you taking two people with you earlier, but now I only see another man in your car. What happened?"


    Li Yu picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the button to speak: "That man, after seeing his family turned into zombies, went mad and was bitten by a zombie."


    His voice was devoid of any emotion, as if recounting something very ordinary.


    Inside the vehicle with Uncle, the other part-time workers also heard what Li Yu said. Originally rescued and filled with anticipation to see their family soon, it felt as if cold water had been poured over them.


    Lai Dongsheng had been having a good chat with these people just moments ago.


    But after all, they were just neighbors from his wife''s side.


    Compared to the Li family, who had provided him with work before the apocalypse and with whom he had interacted for over a decade, there was no doubt that Li Yu and his family were more important. Moreover, as Lai Dongsheng had watched Li Yu grow up, he had long regarded Li Yu like his own nephew or child.


    Therefore, upon hearing Li Yu''s words, he seemed to sense the lowered spirits of the few men and offered comfort, "We''ll be there soon, and I hope your families are all right."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he shifted his tone and said: "This is the end of the world, no one owes anyone anything. But Xiaoyu rescued you, fed you, and is now putting in so much effort to take you to find your families. You should prepare for some unfavorable outcomes and not let their rescue be in vain."


    The few part-time workers, with heads bowed, nevertheless knew the situation and nodded in agreement upon hearing this.


    The atmosphere became quiet.


    Silently, they continued on the road.


    Since there were more people this time out, and although the heavy truck could still accommodate people, it was not convenient for turning or maneuvering, and not flexible enough.


    So Li Yu and others decided to first transport the cement back to the base, and afterwards, take the remaining four part-time workers to look for their families.


    Soon, they reached a country road and Li Yu had Second Uncle open the gate. With the roar of the engines, cars drove into the base one by one.


    Upon arriving at the base, Second Uncle saw these few strangers.


    So he went to Li Yu and asked, "Who are these people?"


    Li Yu suddenly remembered that when the base was first built, Second Uncle was still outside and hadn''t seen the people who helped build the walls of the base.


    He thought for a moment and then said, "These are some laborers who previously helped me build the base walls, they were decent workers. Today, when we went to transport cement, we happened to see them and rescued them. We need experienced people to build this Weng City..."


    Li Yu then briefly told Second Uncle about encountering Manager Zhou.


    Second Uncle was always stable and reliable. Discussing some matters with Second Uncle meant that he could also help keep an eye on these people.


    After listening, Second Uncle''s expression grew deep and thoughtful, and he asked, "And after the construction is finished? Are we keeping them around?"


    Li Yu, hearing this, looked at the part-time workers and, after a moment of thought, said, "First, we need to get the walls finished. Later on, if they''re obedient, we will see; if not, we won''t keep them."


    Second Uncle nodded in agreement with Li Yu''s response, endorsing the plan. It was a consensus that the base needed to add more people, but it must be done cautiously. Just as Li Yu implied, any newcomer to the base must not undermine the authority of Li Yu and the others.


    In short, acknowledge the rules and leadership of Li Yu and his team. If they''re obedient, they''ll be considered; if not, then...

 Chapter 76 - 73: Awesome

    A row of heavy trucks, loaded with cement, were parked on the open ground, presenting an impressive sight.


    Li Yu asked Second Uncle to direct everyone to carry the load. He, along with Li Tie, Zhao Dapao, and a few part-time workers, took two vehicles that could transport more people and went out.


    Just as Li Yu was about to leave, he saw Ding Jiu wearing a vest, moving cement with exceptional enthusiasm. Despite having some injuries on his leg, it seemed not to hinder his movements.


    Seeing this, Li Yu walked over and asked Ding Jiu to roll up his pant leg.


    He saw a wound on the pant leg, 5 centimeters long and less than half a centimeter deep.


    Although not deep, it was a cut from metal, which is very prone to tetanus infection. Li Yu had Li Yuan help treat the wound, and Ding Jiu looked moved, wanting to say something.


    Li Yu raised his hand, speaking in an even tone, "Take care of the wound first, then continue moving the cement!"


    Ding Jiu nodded, and his two daughters, hearing Li Yu''s words, also stepped forward and said, "We can too, we''ll move it together."


    At this moment, Li Hang walked over, smiled at Ding Qingqing, and gave a thumbs-up, saying, "Awesome!"


    Everyone glanced at Li Hang and saw his enthusiastic thumbs-up.


    Thousands of thoughts raced through Ding Qingqing''s mind; it was so embarrassing.


    Li Yuan, who was bandaging Ding Jiu''s wound, rolled her eyes at Li Hang''s comment.


    Her second brother''s way of thinking was just too bizarre. What kind of atmosphere was this, praising such a situation as ''awesome''!


    When he had just gotten off the vehicle, Li Hang saw Ding Jiu and his two daughters. He also recognized Ding Qingqing as a high school classmate.


    Back then, Li Hang used to sit behind Ding Qingqing and often dozed off during class, then copied Ding Qingqing''s answers during examinations.


    Thick-skinned and daring, though not detail-oriented, their relationship was still quite good.


    However, Li Hang always managed to put her in awkward situations. Although she had protested many times, Li Hang was not like most boys.


    He seemed to never be troubled about his image in front of anyone, living in his world with his own set of ideas and principles.


    For this reason, Ding Qingqing had no way to deal with him.


    Li Yu, looking at Li Hang, said annoyedly, "You''re going to move too, hurry up!"


    After saying that, he didn''t bother with the others any longer, got into Li Tie''s car, and drove towards the gate.


    The part-time workers sitting in the back row of the car didn''t dare to utter a word.


    They had seen Li Yu decisively shoot Manager Zhou and the others earlier that day. The killing aura from his whole body made them feel both respect and fear, as well as some gratitude.


    "Which way do we go?" Li Yu asked as the vehicle got on the national highway.


    One of the men pointed in a direction and said, "That way, the roads have been repaired now, all cement paved, and leads straight there. Our homes are not far from each other."


    Li Yu nodded, and the vehicle slowly made its way to the indicated spot.


    These people all lived near a village school, where the transportation was convenient, but it was also populated with many zombies.


    At the foot of a building, several people got out of the car and saw zombies surrounding the area.


    Li Yu handed out some knives to the men and dealt with around a dozen zombies in the vicinity.


    "Don''t scatter, search house by house. If we disperse and get surrounded by zombies, we''ll be in trouble," said Li Yu.


    The men nodded and walked towards one of their homes. After searching, nobody was found.


    The front door was wide open, and things inside had been rummaged through; however, one man carefully noticed that the travel suitcase from his home had also been taken. Perhaps they had fled somewhere else, he hoped. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They then went to another three homes sequentially. In one, a man found his wife and young daughter lying on the bed, barely breathing and looking on the verge of starvation. The men carried them to the car and gave them some water. Checking their noses, they were still breathing, and the man cried tears of joy.


    But the other two men weren''t so lucky. Near their homes, they saw their family members who had turned into zombies.


    ....


    Two vehicles arrived, empty on their departure, and on their return, only two more persons were added.


    Inside the vehicles, aside from the man who had rescued his wife and child, everyone else plummeted into sorrow.


    Some had died, but those remaining still had to live on.


    To live on, there were things to be done.


    Li Yu had fulfilled his promise, leading them back home to search for their families. Though some had found theirs, others would never see their loved ones again. But, Li Yu had done his best.


    Inside the vehicle, facing this oppressive atmosphere, Li Yu didn''t wish to speak.


    All along the way, the only sound was the whistling of the wind outside the windows.


    Upon reaching the base, Li Yu had the two people, barely clinging to life, taken up to the three-story building and fed a bit of food.


    The man who had been constantly watching over his wife and child saw them awaken from their coma.


    His eyes, like those of a tiger, brimmed with hot tears as he gratefully gazed at Li Yu.


    Thump!


    He knelt down straight away and said, "Thank you, thank you Director Li, for saving my family. From now on, my life is yours!"


    Li Yu helped him up, neither responding to his words nor believing what he said. Just like before, he only trusted actions, not words.


    He simply patted the man on the shoulder and then said, "Later on, you too come out and move cement, start by unloading."


    The man nodded, and stood up to join his wife and child.


    ....


    The other part-time day laborers who hadn''t found their families also joined the team transporting cement.


    In their grief, it seemed that only frantic labor could momentarily prevent them from sinking into sorrow.


    In the afternoon, before 4 o''clock, everyone had managed to move the cement to spots where it wouldn''t be rained on. Since the apocalypse, the weather had been capricious, with bright sunshine one moment and torrential downpours the next in less than a few minutes.


    After finishing the task, Li Yu gathered the day laborers who had just arrived and their families in one place, beginning to explain a few matters to them.


    "I need you to understand one thing, you all were saved by me. If you enter, then you must follow my rules, you must work and contribute. Of course, I won''t mistreat you, and you won''t go hungry. But, this place is under my leadership, you will do as you''re told, any questions?"


    None of the part-time day laborers raised any objections.


    Before the apocalypse, working for Li Yu meant getting paid to do a job.


    Now, with the apocalypse upon them, having one''s life saved and being given food, it was only right to follow orders and work.


    Thus, they all spoke up:


    "Rest assured, Boss Li, you saved us and we''re not ungrateful beasts...."


    "Director Li, we''ll listen to you...."


    "Boss Li, you saved us and gave us something to eat, we will work for you!"


    ...


    Of course, Li Yu didn''t want to hear these words; it was just that some things needed to be made clear in advance. Li Yu briefly explained the base''s rules.


    He then arranged for them to stay in that same three-story building; fortunately, when it was built, these houses were constructed, albeit with simple decoration, but at least they had water and electricity, a rarity in the post-apocalyptic world.


    After leaving that place, he glanced at the two surveillance cameras outside the three-story building, feeling somewhat reassured.


    Although these people all seemed relatively honest and reliable, vigilance was indispensable.


    Li Yu, Uncle, Li Tie, and Li Gang were always armed, even placing their weapons in their rooms while sleeping.


    After leaving the building, Li Yu found Second Uncle, and after discussing with him for a while, he asked the aunt on duty in the monitoring room to keep an eye out and for Second Uncle and others to watch closely over these people''s behaviors.

 Chapter 77 - 74: The Calm Before the Storm

    A night without event.


    Sunshine brightened the morning, and Li Yu rose early from bed, his training regimen within the base was as punctual as ever.


    After exercising, breakfast was his next routine.


    The new workers, who had known Li Yu''s parents before, used to get meals included along with their wages when the base''s enclosure wall was being built.


    Now they lived within the walls, but their current state of mind was entirely different from before.


    Mealtime was always the liveliest moment in the base.


    Thin porridge and some steamed buns, along with some pickled vegetables, comprised today''s breakfast.


    Of course, for the younger ones who were still growing, each would receive an egg.


    After breakfast, Li Yu led the base''s people to open the gate and then clear the trees in front of the road. Trees could obstruct the view of zombies in the front, so it was necessary to cut some down.


    Only a dozen meters or so of trees were felled, which was nearly 30 meters from the base walls to begin with.


    You can imagine the newly built Weng City like this:


    The base''s enclosure wall is a large square that wraps around a plain and two mountains. The wall of the Weng City is like a semicircle placed outside this square, where the square and semicircle meet.


    While Li Yu and the others were felling trees outside, someone in the Observation Tower was continuously scanning the surroundings.


    Li Hongyuan had a background in construction; building a wall was fairly simple for him. Following Li Hongyuan''s plan, the Weng City was constructed outside of the current main gate, which used less land from the base, yet also expanded the base''s territory. With the reduction and addition, it amounted to a substantial amount of space.


    The new wall being built used the gate as a demarcation, creating a semicircle with a radius of 20 meters. And the width of the wall being built this time reached over 3 meters.


    As the trees were almost cleared, many materials left over from the initial wall construction were still stored in the base, including a mixer and a Ruijiang tank truck. This eliminated the need for manual cement mixing, allowing for direct mixing by machine.


    Next, after laying the foundation and setting up the rebar cages, concrete could be cast directly, speeding up the process considerably.


    The base still had some rebar, but it was certainly not sufficient. So, Li Yu and Li Tie, took time to lead some part-time workers to County outskirts to bring back some additional rebar.


    During the rebar transport, everything went smoothly; they encountered no one, and fewer zombies, as if suddenly the number of zombies decreased, giving off the premonitory sensation of an impending storm.


    Li Yu keenly sensed this and felt uneasy instead of glad, a situation all too familiar to him. It left Li Yu feeling something wasn''t quite right.


    The only consolation for Li Yu was that over the days of interaction, the workers showed good performance, which pleased Li Yu greatly. However, he did not let his guard down; instead, he increased his vigilance, observing these people.


    Over the next few days, the foundation of the base''s enclosure wall was also constructed. During this period, zombies began to appear outside the wall sporadically, becoming fewer and fewer as time went on.


    This scene gave Li Yu that strangely familiar feeling. Before his rebirth, many small groups were swept away by Zombie Tides.


    Often, before the arrival of a Zombie Tide, the surrounding zombies would gradually diminish, as they began to gather. Once a Zombie Tide formed, it was like locusts scouring the land. Without solid walls to defend, they were bound to be breached by the zombies.


    With this feeling of anxiety, Li Yu went to ask his father about the construction schedule. After the foundation is done, pouring the concrete will be quick, but it will still take some time.


    Li Hongyuan saw the anxiety on Li Yu''s face, so he asked, "Aren''t the zombies becoming fewer now? Why the rush to finish the construction?"


    After thinking for a moment, Li Yu finally said, "Something feels off to me. Remember the last Zombie Tide? The number of zombies suddenly dropped by a lot. This time, I feel like there''s going to be an even bigger Zombie Tide. We must finish building Weng City before it arrives, otherwise we''ll be in big trouble!"


    Hearing this, Li Hongyuan thought back to the last time the base was besieged by the Zombie Tide and became anxious. He then said, "The foundation has already been laid. Now we just need to pour the concrete for the walls. Mobilize all of our manpower to get everything done. It will take at least five days, plus two to three days for the walls to thoroughly dry."


    Hearing this, Li Yu became a bit nervous. Time was tight. Based on his experience, after the surrounding zombies start decreasing, a Zombie Tide would soon follow within three to seven days.


    The time was tight, but there was no other option. They had to speed up the construction of Weng City.


    He then said, "Let''s do it as quickly as possible!"


    Li Yu immediately found his Uncle and others, and discussed the situation with them. After hearing about it, his Uncle and the others couldn''t sit still.


    The decisions Li Yu had made in the past had all turned out to be correct. Once, twice, three times. Time and again, everyone had come to trust Li Yu''s judgment deeply, especially since they had also noticed the decreasing number of zombies recently. Thus, no one raised any objections.


    After all, the sooner Weng City was built, the sooner everyone could rest easy.


    After discussing, they decided to work through the night. From the start, Li Yu had bought many high-powered lights. Under the illumination of six of these lights, the area around the wall was as bright as day.


    However, working at night meant everything beyond the wall was pitch black, which was quite unnerving. S��ar?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Night was very dark.


    But around the base, the sound of cement mixers was constantly heard.


    Strangely enough, zombies are most active at night and are very sensitive to sounds. But even in such circumstances, not a single zombie was seen tonight.


    This made many people let their guard down even more and focus on building the wall.


    In the darkness, the wall was built, bit by bit, from one meter, slowly rising to two meters...


    Behind the trees, there were two zombies that, for some reason, were not with the majority but were wandering alone at the edge of the national highway.


    The loud sound of the mixer truck from the base seemed to attract the two zombies, who gradually moved closer to the base.


    However, people at the base hardly saw any zombies today and their vigilance had significantly decreased.


    The workers, after having joined the base, had been eating and sleeping well alongside Li Yu and the others. With plenty of food and rest, they had recovered a lot physically and were gradually adjusting mentally.


    Now they were working while chatting.


    It couldn''t be helped, building a wall, despite being simple, was extremely repetitive and could make one drowsy.


    But those two zombies were slowly approaching the base, reaching the woods.


    They were less than 30 meters away from where everyone was building Weng City!

 Chapter 78 - 75: Early Completion!

    Today, Li Hang and Li Tie were on duty in the Observation Tower. Li Hang was meticulously observing the surroundings.


    Since the last time Li Hang played with his phone during his duty in the Observation Tower and failed to notice the zombie attack in time, resulting in punishment, he never dared to let his guard down during duty.


    The Observation Tower is several meters high and provides a clear view of the distant forest.


    Li Hang continuously used a telescope to scan the perimeter of the forest, while the ultra-long-range searchlight was also moving.


    Suddenly, he spotted two shadows in the forest.


    Without any hesitation, he blew the whistle in his mouth.


    Beep!


    The whistle sound instantly drew everyone''s attention, and people looked towards Li Hang.


    Li Hang shouted loudly: "Zombies! There are two zombies!"


    Those who were building the wall, like startled birds, immediately dropped what they were holding and ran towards the direction of the main gate.


    The main gate was not open, but the small gate was always open.


    As everyone had previously agreed, if an alarm was issued from the Observation Tower, everyone should immediately stop what they were doing and retreat to the base without any delay.


    This time, because of the rush to build the wall, most of the people were out.


    More than twenty people ran towards the small gate.


    While Li Yu, Li Tie, Li Gang, Zhao Dapao, and Yang Tianlong stood on the outside, holding submachine guns to cover the retreat.


    Not opening the main gate but the small gate was a final decision made after consideration.


    The main gate was inconvenient to open and close, but the small gate was advantageous because it was quick and easy. Moreover, the small gate was not small, with a width of 1.5 meters!


    The amount of people was limited, and the small gate was completely sufficient for three people to enter at the same time. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, the forest was tens of meters away from where they were building; the zombies would take some time to get there. Furthermore, with Li Yu and Li Tie and others firing their guns outside, even if there was a Zombie Tide, everyone could afford to retreat back to the base calmly.


    However, when danger approached, human nature often revealed itself. Li Yu glanced at the forest behind him, seeing only two zombies, so he focused more attention on the small gate.


    He wanted to use this opportunity to see what these part-time workers would do.


    Would they scramble to get through, or would they do something else.


    However, initially alarmed by Li Hang''s announcement of zombies, many from the base became less tense as the situation developed.


    They had already killed zombies many times, so entering the small gate was very orderly, without any chaotic crowding.


    Among the part-time workers, Ding Jiu was about to enter when he looked back, saw Li Yu still outside, and immediately withdrew his step and then ran towards Li Yu.


    Another man, the one Li Yu had saved along with his wife and daughter, saw Ding Jiu''s actions. His face showed struggle and hesitancy, but then he recalled the scene of Li Yu saving his family; he also remembered his words to Li Yu that his life was in Li Yu''s hands.


    Thus, he no longer hesitated, picked up a steel bar from the ground, and followed Ding Jiu towards Li Yu.


    Li Yu looked at the two men approaching, their faces filled with self-sacrificing gallantry, feeling somewhat astonished, but his appreciation for them also grew.


    Turning his head, he saw that everyone had already returned inside the big gate and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Then he said to Li Tie and others: "Let''s go back to the base as well."


    Nearby, Zhao Dapao saw those two zombies emerging from the shadows of the forest, so he put down his submachine gun, picked up the Crossbow, and fired consecutive shots at the two zombies.


    Pfft! Pfft!


    Two zombies fell to the ground.


    Li Yu looked at the two part-time workers still standing here, patted their shoulders, and smiled, "What are you standing around for? Let''s head back to the base."


    So everyone returned to the base, but after waiting for a long time, they didn''t see any new zombies appear.


    Li Yu couldn''t sit still, so he took Li Tie and others with spotlights to check the woods. After confirming there were no new zombies, he asked everyone to come out again.


    ....


    Construction of Weng City continues!


    With the ordeal everyone just experienced, there was less chatting and instead, the pace of construction sped up.


    Perhaps it was because the zombies had been few these past days, leading to some complacency, but the scene earlier was like an invisible whip, urging them to finish the construction as soon as possible.


    Time passed bit by bit.


    It was already the third day of construction, and due to everyone''s overnight hard work, the walls of Weng City were almost completed.


    Since the sun had been strong these days, the initially constructed walls had become very sturdy. However, one characteristic of cement walls is that they have to be sprayed with water after construction, especially after being exposed to strong sunlight, which helps enhance the walls'' stability and toughness.


    Therefore, these days, Li Yu and the others were also spraying some water on the walls.


    .....


    On the third night of building Weng City, the walls were essentially complete,


    Two days ahead of schedule, the walls were finished!


    The gate was also installed properly; this gate had been found in a steel material market before and was made into a suitably sized door through welding. The gate was quite thick, nearly 40 centimeters.


    Although manual, it could be opened and closed by turning the axle on the wall of Weng City, using the principle of leverage.


    After installing this gate, Li Yu was very satisfied.


    During these days, Li Yu and the others hardly saw a single zombie on the walls. It was as if the world had paused momentarily, or as if they had suddenly returned to the time before the apocalypse, without the presence of zombies.


    During this time, Li Yu was still leading a few workers, standing on the wall every day, spraying water down.


    After the wall was constructed, it was as if a weight had been lifted from everyone''s hearts. They finally felt much more at ease.


    During this period, Li Yu also got to know these workers better:


    Ding Jiu had also experienced better days in the past, but later, due to various reasons, he fell into self-doubt and never recovered, but he had to support his family and ended up taking odd jobs to survive.


    Another, the man whose wife and daughter Li Yu had saved, named Wang Cheng, had always worked around home, previously specializing in driving trucks for deliveries. However, due to the frequent long transports and night shifts and the lack of time to accompany his family due to always being out for deliveries, he eventually returned home to find local work.


    The other three workers were neighbors from near Lai Dongsheng''s wife''s parental home. According to Lai Dongsheng''s wife, these people were quite resilient and had good characters.


    Li Yu remained noncommittal, but through the past few days of building the wall together and encountering those two zombies, their performance had been satisfactory, so Li Yu made no further moves.


    ....


    Two days later.


    Weng City had been fully built, its gate was also ready, and the walls had become very hard after several days of watering and exposure to the harsh sun.


    However, Li Yu still felt uneasy inside.


    Until now, the zombies hadn''t come, which made him worried:


    Based on his past experiences, a prolonged silence of zombies often meant a longer gathering time for them.


    This also meant that the impending Zombie Tide would be even larger!

 Chapter 79 - 76: The Zombies Are Coming

    Weng City had been built for four days, but there was no sign of zombies.


    The storm was coming.


    After a week of clear weather, the wind started to blow on this day.


    The wind was strong, shaking the trees, rolling up fallen leaves, swirling them around and letting them fall to the ground.


    The fallen leaves on the ground were picked up by the wind again.


    Round and round it went.


    Suddenly, the wind stopped.


    Without warning, large drops of rain began to fall bit by bit.


    Then, as if the sky had broken open, rain poured down.


    The heavy rain came suddenly, without any signs beforehand.


    Li Yu had been in the Observation Tower these days, the lack of a Zombie Tide always left him feeling unsettled.


    After the rain started, Li Yu walked from the back wall to the front wall of Weng City.


    It''s worth mentioning that during the recent construction of Weng City, due to the abundance of cement and rebar, a concrete guardrail about waist-high was built on top of the wall.


    And at the base wall, you could directly climb the steps to walk on the wall of Weng City.


    At this moment, Li Yu felt somewhat fortunate standing on the wall of Weng, glad that it had been built early and exposed to several days of intense sunshine; otherwise, if the rain came the day after it was built, the wall might have had problems.


    Suddenly, a sound of trampling came from the distance, irregular, but like thousands of troops.


    Followed by a chorus of roars, continuous and unyielding.


    In the torrential rain, Li Yu couldn''t see ahead, but just listening to these sounds, he knew, the Zombie Tide had arrived!


    Li Yu grabbed his walkie-talkie and shouted to the others in the base, "The zombies are here!" Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, looking from afar.


    The zombies surged like a tide, endless.


    Zombies generally become more active and sensitive under two conditions:


    One: in darkness.


    Two: when it rains.


    And at this moment, it was just past six in the evening; with dark clouds dense and heavy rain, the sky seemed pitch black with nothing visible.


    With this dual reinforcement, the zombies were unusually agitated!


    Next to Li Yu, Zhao Dapao shifted the direction of the spotlight and saw the densely packed zombies below the wall.


    He sharply inhaled a breath of cold air.


    "Shh, that''s too many!"


    Next to him, Yang Tianlong, Second Uncle, and others seeing this scene were also a bit terrified.


    Other people also came out from the base and gasped in shock upon seeing the scene.


    This Zombie Tide was much larger than the last one.


    Li Yu turned back and asked the people, "Are there zombies appearing from other directions?"


    Li Hongyuan said, "We are surrounded. The zombies from the front have enveloped our base."


    Li Yu''s expression became grim. Based on his past life''s experience, Zombie Tides usually last from one hour to more than ten days.


    As for why the Zombie Tide formed, why the zombies suddenly rioted, the reasons are unknown.


    But now, the zombies below the wall kept crowding and even some were clawing at the concrete wall, making a cringing sound.


    Fortunately, the concrete wall was already dry and very hard; the zombies couldn''t dig through it.


    Li Yu looked at the remote control in his hand. He had anticipated a zombie attack, so he had placed several loudspeakers 2000 meters away in different locations.


    At this moment, Li Yu pressed the loudspeaker.


    Beep!


    The loudspeaker was enormously loud, and the zombies beneath Weng City surged towards the direction of the sound.


    However, many zombies still lingered under Weng City.


    Seeing this, Li Yu instructed everyone to take out the spears they had prepared beforehand. The spears were long, allowing them to have the upper ground when positioned under the wall, making it convenient to stab and kill the zombies.


    But due to the torrential rain, they also had to be very careful. Sometimes, exerting too much force could cause them to lean forward and fall due to inertia.


    However, the half-human-high, less than one-meter wall they had built beforehand provided good protection for everyone.


    The speakers installed were long-lasting wireless ones with a very long standby time, capable of continuously playing for over 6 hours.


    The speakers were installed in four directions around the base, with two in each direction.


    As planned, after the speaker had been on for an hour, it would be turned off, and another speaker in a different direction would start.


    Originally, the sound from the speaker could travel about 5 kilometers, but due to the rain, the effect was not as good. However, the speakers proved to be effective enough for the current situation.


    Thus, by continuously using their spears to kill zombies and switching the speaker direction intermittently, they managed the situation.


    The zombies seemed tireless, constantly running in different directions.


    Under these circumstances, the number of zombies under their wall was maintained at a low level, significantly reducing the pressure on everyone.


    5 hours passed. Everyone was somewhat exhausted.


    The ground beneath the wall was densely littered with zombie corpses.


    To prevent the corpses from piling up continuously, Li Yu and the others also lured zombies to other directions of the wall to kill them.


    Li Yu assessed the situation; the zombies would persist for a while, but everyone was tired.


    Therefore, they divided into three shifts for a rotating duty system.


    Each of the three shifts was led by Li Yu, Second Uncle, and Uncle, each taking around ten people to guard the base.


    In the stormy weather, with zombies besieging the city, it was both a time to enhance and test the team''s cohesion.


    Li Yu also kept an eye on everyone''s movements, especially the five workers who had recently joined the base.


    To Li Yu''s relief, these workers were obedient. They were distributed across the three shifts, actively killing zombies, sometimes even more diligently than others.


    ....


    6 hours,


    12 hours,


    The zombie tide had been going on for a full 24 hours. Although many zombies had been killed, due to the large base number of the zombies, they hardly seemed reduced at all.


    For Li Yu, the current situation was much better than before his rebirth.


    In his previous life, many times when they faced zombies besieging the city, the walls were not strongly fortified, forcing the survivors to expend more energy and effort against the zombies.


    Sometimes, due to the overwhelming number of zombies, everyone was forced to fight together just to barely hold off the zombie assault.


    Moreover, often because of the zombie siege, people inside couldn''t go out to find food, fighting on with diminishing strength, and in the end, it was the mere will to survive that kept them going.


    But now, relying on the sturdy walls, ample food, sufficient rest, and superior weapons, they had the geographical advantage making it far easier to kill the zombies.


    So even now, facing the siege of zombies, the pressure was far less than before the rebirth.


    It was Li Yu''s turn to be on the wall again.


    Standing on the wall, he looked at the dense crowd of zombies in front of him.


    Li Yu felt somewhat sentimental; this zombie tide must have swept over many places, and he wondered how many would die in this disaster.


    .....

 Chapter 80 - 77: Zombies in a Frenzy

    In the County thirty-plus kilometers away from the base, the number of zombies was even more terrifying; the entire County was densely packed with zombies.


    During one Zombie Tide, a pattern emerged: the more living people there were, the larger the Zombie Tide that was drawn to them.


    And in the city center 80 kilometers from the base, the Zombie Tide was even more appalling. From north to south, it swept along an ever-increasing number of zombies.


    Even in the countryside, zombies were slowly congregating towards cities with more people��the larger the city, the more living humans, the more zombies there were.


    In the County, due to the night and the rainstorm, the zombies'' sense of smell and hearing were enhanced, making survival even more difficult for the people hidden away in every nook and cranny.


    Some people, perhaps due to luck or because they lived on higher ground, were not discovered by zombies. But many more survivors were found by zombies and devoured!


    Rainstorms! It was the rainstorms again!


    According to Li Yu''s experience from his rebirth, zombies'' abilities would decline in strong sunlight and abundant light. Zombies detested sunlight, especially at noon at 12 p.m., when they rarely appeared. However, they loved the night and even more so, a rainy night.


    Likewise, rainwater had a strong stimulating effect on zombies. Whenever there was a downpour, especially stormy weather with thunder, zombies'' mobility and other abilities would be significantly enhanced.


    So!


    Whenever there was a prolonged rainstorm, a Zombie Tide was inevitable!


    At the beginning of the apocalypse, the rain poured for ten days straight. Many people died in that deluge. Initially, when the zombie outbreak began, its spread wasn''t so rapid and official organizations around the world could still control the situation.


    But then, that sudden rainstorm triggered a sudden outbreak, and all the zombies, as if mad, fiercely tore into the human population.


    And during that time, zombies spread uncontrollably, leading to human downfall.


    At this moment, in the County, people like Song Min��


    Faced with the densely packed Zombie Tide, despite having tightly closed the iron gate downstairs, they still couldn''t stop the crazed zombies.


    The zombies were violently crashing against the iron gate on the first floor; some zombies even started gnawing at the iron gate with their teeth, making a cringeworthy sound.


    What''s even more terrifying is that some zombies climbed up to the floors beside them and leaped down.


    The building where Song Min and the others were located wasn''t considered high in the neighborhood; it was only six stories tall. There were two other buildings nearby, one also six-stories and another one eight-stories tall.


    But the main reason Song Min and the others chose this building was because of the seemingly extremely sturdy iron gate downstairs.


    However, between Song Min''s building and the two adjacent buildings, although there was a certain distance of about 5 meters between them, this distance was neither long nor short. This allowed many zombies to go to the adjacent eight-story rooftop, leap down, and fall to the ground.


    A small number of zombies climbed too high and died from the fall, but many more zombies, whose heads weren''t severely injured, continued to stagger, tirelessly climb up the building, leap down, and fall to the ground.


    Within those, a few robust zombies jumped over directly, making their way onto the building where Song Min and the others were.


    The building they were in was filled on the lower levels with relentless zombies that tirelessly slammed and gnawed at the metal door; above, many zombies, oblivious to their own death, kept jumping down.


    Song Min and the others, although they were all women, had become much stronger after experiencing a number of terrifying events. However, this time, the Zombie Tide was too ferocious, leaving them exhausted in coping with it.


    "Sister Song, another zombie from the building next door has jumped over. Shouldn''t we close the door on the rooftop? It''s not a solution for us to keep watch like this," said one slightly plump woman.


    Song Min held a spear in her right hand and a flashlight in her left, with her body wrapped in protective tape. She looked at the tall building nearby and said, "No, the door to our rooftop is made of wood. It''s not like the door downstairs; if we don''t keep clearing these zombies and we close the door, what will we do if the zombies tear through the rooftop door?"


    "But, but there are just so many zombies. Although only a few can jump from the building opposite to our roof, there''s always like two of them every ten minutes. We, we really can''t handle it anymore after these two days."


    Though not numerous, the zombies seemed tireless, continually leaping over, wearing down Song Min and her group.


    Song Min lifted her face, with dark circles under her eyes exceptionally noticeable, her gaze wavering slightly, yet quickly flashing with determination again. She said, "Xiaopang, go down and take a rest first. I''ll hold on for a while longer here, then you come up and take over for me."


    As if recalling something, her brow furrowed, and Song Min continued, "How much food do we have left? How long can it last us?" Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiaopang said, "We can last about ten more days. Luckily, the last group of people gave us plenty of food, otherwise, we would have run out by now."


    Song Min nodded upon hearing this. Suddenly, her eyes sharpened, and she pushed the Xiaopang beside her inward, then thrust her spear fiercely forward.


    A zombie from the opposite building had jumped down and landed straight in the middle of their building!


    All previous zombies that had jumped over had barely reached the edge of their building before slowly approaching where Song Min and the others were positioned.


    Their spot was farthest from the location opposite that building. Yet the zombie that had just jumped managed to land in the central area of their rooftop.


    The two women beside her also sweated coldly from the shock.


    "Sister Song, how could that zombie jump so far!"


    "Sister Song, you just scared me to death," said the youngest girl in the team while speaking and patting the surging waves in front of her.


    Song Min focused her attention, then looked at the building in front where zombies continued leaping toward them heedlessly; downstairs, zombies were still roaring and pounding at the metal door.


    Lately, everyone was extremely fatigued.


    The endless hordes of zombies put a lot of pressure on them, especially in situations where the zombies from next door could directly jump onto their building, both above and below, adding to their stress.


    Originally, they were only ten people, and now they were working two shifts, but still, their bodies were struggling.


    Looking at Xiaopang who was frightened, Song Min said, "Hurry down to rest, and by the way, check the situation at the big metal door, inspect it."


    Xiaopang, feeling relieved from a close escape, gratefully glanced at Song Min and said, "Alright, Sister Song, I''m going down now. You all, be careful!"


    The night, still pitch black,


    The downpour, continuing unabated.

 Chapter 81 - 78: Three Days Later

    The torrential rain has been pouring for three days and three nights!


    Whether it''s day or night, under this terrifying torrential rain, the night sky is pitch-black like ink, and you can''t see your fingers when you stretch out your hand.


    In the torrential rain, even with the illumination of lights, it''s very difficult to see objects more than ten meters away.


    In this county, some unnoticed little corners still have people alive. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They are resisting the Zombies in their own ways.


    Xin City Middle School, teaching building.


    The mottled walls of the teaching building have peeled off some plaster due to the rain, but at the moment, the 6 or 7 people in the Yifu Building are not paying attention to these things.


    5th floor video room, a dim light emanates from inside...


    Five teenagers who still look like middle school students are anxiously watching the direction of the door.


    Their food had run out three days ago, and they had planned to go out to look for food on the day the torrential rain started, but man''s plans cannot compare to heaven''s. Who would have expected the storm to strike and Zombies to riot.


    Suddenly the entire campus was swarming with crazy, violent Zombies.


    And leading them were their two teachers. Originally their class had more than 40 people, but after some time, many were bitten by the Zombies and eventually turned into Zombies. In the end, only a few of them and two teachers remained.


    And these two teachers, just two hours ago, risked their lives to step out of the video room to look for food.


    Originally, this building was free of Zombies, but because of the Zombie outbreak, the gates at the bottom of the building were violently breached by Zombies, eventually leading to Zombies in the building.


    They were originally stationed on the second floor, but because Zombies suddenly burst into the building, they could only run upstairs, eventually settling in the video room.


    The door of the video room was made of sturdy material, considering sound insulation, so Zombies outside could hardly break in.


    But because these people have not eaten for a long time, if they continued to wait and completely ran out of strength, they might have to wait to die. That''s why the two teachers, without hesitation, went out to find food!


    In this apocalyptic world where human nature is lost, there are still some people who stick to their beliefs!


    Sticking to their professional ethics and integrity, several teachers had already died protecting their students over these months.


    And the remaining two teachers also went out to find food for everyone.


    Two hours, to these waiting teenagers, felt like two centuries long.


    They also wanted to help the two teachers look for food, but were refused by the teachers.


    Time passed by minute by minute, but still, there was no sound from outside the door. This made everyone in the video room exceedingly anxious.


    Suddenly, there came a rhythmic knocking from outside the door, two long knocks followed by a short one.


    The door was immediately opened.


    A woman, about 26 years old with a gentle and intelligent temperament and an oval-shaped face, with a graceful figure, her eyes revealing a hint of panic and sorrow. She was holding a steel spear in one hand, her backpack stuffed full, and she was carrying another bag in her other hand.


    She saw the door open and a flash of joy crossed her eyes; she immediately darted into the video room,


    The door was promptly sealed shut.


    Then came a burst of Zombie howls from behind.


    "Where''s Teacher Xie?"


    "Teacher Liu, why didn''t Teacher Xie come back?"


    The teenagers were somewhat excited to see Teacher Liu with two bags full of stuff, but they quickly noticed that Teacher Xie, who had gone with her, was nowhere to be seen, and so they asked.


    Teacher Liu, upon hearing this, showed even deeper sorrow in her eyes, and as she looked up at pairs of bright eyes filled with hope, concern, and a hint of fear,


    For a moment, she didn''t speak, her throat as if blocked by something.


    Seeing her expression, the teenagers seemed to understand something, and soon there were one or two sounds of sobbing.


    Teacher Liu took a moment to compose herself, then spoke with grief, "Teacher Xie was bitten by a Zombie, and later we were surrounded by a lot of Zombies. He... he distracted them to cover me, rushing towards the Zombies, blocking them so I could run back here."


    It seemed as if she recalled that moment, Teacher Xie bravely rushing towards the Zombie horde to protect her. Even as he was being bitten by the Zombies, he still firmly grasped a few in front of him, all to try to buy her some more time.


    "We went to the vending machine on the third floor; originally there were few Zombies when we got there, but once we reached the third floor and took the food from the vending machine, Zombies suddenly started to increase.


    Then... then we intended to hide in a classroom for a bit, but who knew the Zombies would run so fast, they came straight up, and Teacher Xie was bitten while covering for me..."


    Having said that, she fell into a deep pit of self-reproach, regret, and sorrow.


    Everyone was grieving; although they had grown accustomed to the passing of those around them during this time, they still felt a profound sadness, accompanied by a deep sense of powerlessness.


    Two female students broke down into tears, while three male students quietly wiped away their own.


    Teacher Xie had always been their favorite instructor, somewhat aged but with a heart that remained ever youthful--a true old rascal at heart. They vividly remembered how Teacher Xie would recite poetry in class with a loud and emotion-filled voice:


    "For humans, the gates are firmly locked,


    For dogs, the holes are left wide open,


    A voice bellows:


    ''Crawl out for your freedom!''


    I yearn for freedom,


    But I''m well aware��


    How could a human body squeeze through a dog''s hole?


    I can only hope,


    For the day��


    When the underground fires rage,


    Burning this living coffin and me together,


    In the flames and the blood, I shall achieve immortality."


    They remembered Teacher Xie''s face often flushed with excitement from reading poems,


    Remembered the many little stories he shared when he sensed their boredom with studies,


    Remembered Teacher Xie treating all students as friends after class, the very image of an old rascal.


    When people die, those who remain must live on,


    Teacher Liu, holding back the pain inside, set down his backpack, opened it, and took out food to distribute to the students.


    Although the students were very hungry, their elation at receiving the food was less than imagined; instead, they felt a daunting heaviness in their hands��the food was bought with Teacher Xie''s life!


    Seeing their mood,


    Teacher Liu spoke up:


    "Let''s eat something first. Teacher Xie wouldn''t want his efforts to be in vain. So, eat! Survive, and don''t betray his expectations!"


    The students, sorrowful, tore open their food packaging and mechanically stuffed the food into their mouths.


    Yet this was just a microcosm of what was happening in the city.


    In many nooks and crannies, far worse events were occurring: some people were torn to pieces alive by zombies, others had their hiding places discovered and overrun, ending in their dismemberment; some, too afraid of zombies and despite food shortages, didn''t dare venture out, ultimately starving to death...


    The night remained pitch-black,


    The dawn, still not in sight.


    When will the rain stop, when will the Zombie Tide end, no one knows.


    Everyone is fighting desperately to hold on, enduring with all their might, hoping for hope to come tomorrow.


    But few are fortunate enough to have ample food and safety, struggling on;


    Yet for many more, death comes in despair,


    Until their final moments, without witnessing even a hint of light approaching.


    Some, enduring and enduring, are still alive;


    Many more, in the midst of enduring, fade away.


    .......


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 Chapter 82 - 79: Red Braised Fish Today

    Thunder roared.


    With it, a torrential downpour accompanied by booming thunder; a bolt of lightning split the night sky, striking a large tree outside the base, which instantly charred.


    In the thunderstorm, the lightning flailed like a silver snake wreaking havoc between heaven and earth.


    The thunder was occasionally low, occasionally booming.


    Amidst the whooshing rain, the thunder crisscrossed.


    The rain seemed like a flood ravaging from the sky, pouring continuously, resulting in the base''s Mountain Pond being already full and necessitating the opening of the floodgates to spill water from the base''s underground channels to lower ground.


    Crack!


    Another boom startled Li Yu awake amidst the lightning and thunder. He sat up in bed and pressed his forehead with his hand.


    Looking at the torrential rain outside the window, he remembered the dream he just had about a storm before his rebirth where he was alone on the rooftop, enduring for five whole days without any light, daring not to make a sound.


    Alone in the bone-chilling night rain, he endured.


    Loneliness, at times, is a pleasure, but too much loneliness transforms into extreme pain. Humans are social animals, and occasionally spending time alone can be relaxing amid busy social interactions.


    But to be alone in pitch darkness without entertainment or diversions, where zombies might discover you at any time and amidst the cold rainwater, loneliness becomes an ordeal. S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shaking his head, he felt the warmth of the blanket and a faint fragrance in the room, from the incense he had stored.


    He opened the window, and the outside air, along with a bit of rainwater, blew onto the windowsill and onto Li Yu''s face. He took a deep breath and stretched lazily and then lit up a cigarette.


    The smoke, swirled by the wind, flickered, but his handsome face seemed emptied, blankly staring out the window.


    In that moment, his mind thought of nothing, pondered nothing.


    Just blankly watching the outside through the window, breathing naturally.


    1 second, 10 seconds,


    1 minute


    2 minutes


    Suddenly, he felt a burning pain in his right index finger, and his consciousness slowly returned.


    Following that were various thoughts, and he shook his head with a wry smile. That feeling of blankness was quite marvelous and enjoyable.


    That state, neither sad nor happy, without any thoughts, only natural breathing.


    It comforted him immensely.


    He closed the window, though the sound of the thunderstorm outside was still very clear.


    Yesterday evening he had stayed outside for 16 consecutive hours, originally working shifts, but because last night was a bit perilous, he felt uneasy and thus had to persist a bit longer until the zombies were less frenzied, and later Li Haoran and others came to replace him.


    Li Yu checked the time; it was already 12:30 PM, but the sky outside was covered with dark clouds, dim and lightless.


    He had slept for 6 hours.


    Feeling the hunger in his stomach, he got dressed, and then made sure his ever-ready submachine gun and dagger were properly placed, and headed downstairs.


    Meanwhile, he thought:


    The rainstorm has already lasted for four days, and during these four days, although everyone in the base over the age of 16 has started to join the resistance against zombies, the number of people over 16 is now 40.


    Today, with individuals like Yang Tianlong joining, along with the construction workers, the total population of the base has reached 45!


    Especially since Uncle, Third Uncle, the brothers Li Tie, Yang Tianlong, Zhao Dapao, and others have all served in the military, and recently, under Li Yu''s urging, the younger generation over 16 began to learn how to shoot guns.


    Moreover, under the deliberate training of Li Yu, including murdering the Village Chief and others, as well as going out together to transport cement, killing Manager Zhou and his group.


    It has made them more mature and deeply aware of the dangerous nature of humanity in this apocalyptic world.


    Having gone through the last Zombie Tide, and this current one, has made them grow and become even stronger!


    In the face of adversity, one needs to endure. As long as one perseveres, they will become stronger, and if they encounter similar situations in the future, they will know how to handle them, and their hearts will become more serene. This is growth.


    Even Li Zhengping, who was just 16, transformed after witnessing the ruthlessness of Li Yu and others during their last outing.


    Now, he is valiantly fighting zombies on the wall!


    Just as he reached the living room, as if he remembered something, Li Yu took out the walkie-talkie he carried and said: "Uncle, what''s the situation over there now?"


    Seemingly affected by the thunder and interference from outside, Uncle''s voice wasn''t very clear:


    "It''s... okay in the front, just that... those speakers we had prepared are almost out of battery. There''s just too many zombies, no way to tell when it will end."


    Amid the crackling sounds, Li Yu barely understood Uncle''s words, then said: "Wait for me for a bit, after I eat I''ll come over to replace you."


    Uncle replied: "No rush, the last time you were up for 16 hours straight, you haven''t slept much yet, don''t stress, I can handle it here."


    Li Yu didn''t say anything, then he turned to Li Hang who was guarding the back gate and asked: "Are there many zombies on your side right now?"


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, Li Hang responded happily, "Big brother, you''re awake! Come on, swap with me, I''m so hungry, I need to go back for a meal."


    Li Yu, somewhat speechless, said, "Feeling itchy for action? Are there any special conditions over there?"


    "None."


    "Let me eat first, then I''ll bring it over to you. Just eat at the back gate."


    "..."


    Li Yu ignored him further, set the walkie-talkie aside, then opened the lid on the dining table, seeing a dish of braised fish, seaweed egg soup, and a small green vegetable dish.


    Because of the recent heavy rains, many fish in Mountain Pond had surfaced, then were caught by the nets, so they simply cooked the fish.


    The braised fish was well-made, fragrant, and topped with chopped green onions, Li Yu scooped a bowl of rice, then thought for a sec, took a beer from the fridge, and began to eat.


    The delicious taste danced on the tip of his tongue, stimulating his taste buds. Li Yu hurried his eating pace. Soon, he polished off half of the fish.


    He glanced at the other lids on the table, which were prepared for others. Li Yu took a large bowl, poured one of the dishes and some rice into it, then simply covered it.


    Then he stood up and walked towards the back.


    He didn''t bring an umbrella; in such heavy rain, an umbrella would be of no use, as he would get drenched anyway.


    But fortunately, each time after coming back from wall duty, the base''s folks, like his second aunt, always had a bowl of ginger soup ready for everyone to drink.


    Li Yu, braving the thunderstorm, headed towards the back door, his feet splashing in the rainwater, creating ripples that were quickly disrupted by the falling rain.


    ....

 Chapter 83 - 80: The Zombie Tide Recedes

    At the back door, Li Hang looked at Li Yu with a grievance on his face. He glanced at the food in his hands, which was wet from the rain, wanting to say something. However, seeing Li Yu''s utter disregard for him, he felt slightly upset. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having been very hungry, he chose not to say more and then climbed down the protective wall, entering a small shelter below it to start eating his meal.


    Li Yu stood atop the protective wall, watching the zombies outside continuously crowd towards it, yet unable to break through the sturdy barrier.


    But in recent times, due to continuous rain and the relentless clawing of the zombies, who didn''t care if their fingernails were exposed or even broken, some parts of the wall were slightly damaged.


    However, with the wall over two meters thick, reinforced with tough steel plates and a mixture of steel rebar and concrete, it was essentially impossible for the zombies to break through.


    "You go ahead and eat, I''ll check the front," said Li Yu to Li Hang below the wall, then nodded to Yang Xiaozhu, who had been watching him attentively ever since he arrived.


    "Be careful," he added.


    Yang Xiaozhu had just taken her turn on the wall. Hearing Li Yu''s words, she felt a bit shy and lowered her head, then said, "Brother Yu, you too."


    Li Hang, who was down below eating, choked upon hearing Yang Xiaozhu''s tender voice and her words, nearly spitting out his food. But food was too precious, and he forcefully swallowed it down, his face turning red, almost splitting into a grin that reached his ears.


    Li Yu glared fiercely at him and then headed towards the front entrance without further attention.


    He had walked less than 20 meters when he thought he heard the sound of wailing cries.


    "Li Hang, you little kid, I think you''re really asking for a spanking!" Yang Xiaozhu instantly roared like a lioness, hurried down the wall in a few quick steps, and grabbed Li Hang by the ear, her voice full of enduring rage yet clearly very angry.


    "Ow ow ow, Sister, Sister, it hurts..."


    "Sister?"


    "I''m done eating, I''m going back on the wall..."


    ...


    Li Yu saw from a distance that although the two had argued for a dozen seconds or so, they quickly ran back up the wall, prompting him to nod in approval.


    At the front gate.


    The zombies were still swarming densely, and Li Yu took over Uncle''s post. He started using a spear to kill zombies.


    ...


    On the sixth day of the torrential rain.


    The wind seemed to ease up gradually.


    The thunder went from the initial booming to muffled thunder and eventually stopped.


    By five o''clock in the afternoon.


    The rain had weakened, from the sound of pouring rain to a light patter. The thick clouds which blanketed the sky seemed to have been torn apart by an enormous hand, revealing the light from within.


    Little by little, light scattered across the earth, and the sky slowly became brighter.


    The rain continued to lessen until it turned into a gentle drizzle. The zombies no longer exhibited their previous frenzy; instead, they became listless as if their energy was cut in half. Gradually, in the distance, the horizon began to show a rich hue of red and yellow.


    It was the time of sunset, and this touch of red was like a drop of ink spilling onto paper, slowly spreading outwards. The dark clouds in the sky began to fade away, replaced by an evening glow.


    As the sun set, an endless dusk unfolded; the rain had stopped and the sky was now clear. The tide of zombies gradually receded.


    Everyone looked towards the horizon and saw a magnificent rainbow arched over the treeline, with a backdrop of reddish-yellow sky, as if these colors had dyed the adjacent clouds.


    The view was breathtakingly beautiful!


    "It''s so beautiful," Li Tie said.


    "So pretty," Li Gang said.


    "Holy smokes! Stunningly beautiful!" Yang Tianlong exclaimed.


    "Horizontal smoke on the autumn water, sparse rain in the sunset. Birds beneath tall trees on the mountain, insects flying over the level wilds. I should wait for the full moon, to share this scene with you from a thousand miles away," Lai Xiyue mumbled as she gazed dreamily in a certain direction, her lips slightly parted.


    "....."


    "....."


    "F**k"


    In a building in the County, a five-story building.


    Several women collapsed to the ground after the Zombie Tide had receded.


    "Sister Song, we, we finally made it! I knew we could do it. Hahahahaha, we''ve finally succeeded!"


    "Sister Song, look at that sunset, how beautiful it is!"


    "Ah, so beautiful!"


    "Sister Song?"


    The four women called out several times, but still got no response from Song Min, and they all gathered around to see that Song Min had fallen asleep.


    "Stop calling her, Sister Song has been up for 48 hours straight, she hasn''t been sleeping well recently, she''s exhausted. Don''t wake her up," said a slightly chubby but handsome woman, although she wasn''t that noticeably plump anymore.


    "Then let''s carry her downstairs, the floor here is all wet, I''m afraid she''ll catch a cold."


    Everyone nodded and carefully carried Song Min downstairs.


    The retreat of the zombies felt like a huge weight had been lifted from everyone''s heart. Although the crisis of the zombies had been resolved, for many of the Survivors who had managed to endure through the Zombie Tide, a new problem was waiting.


    Hunger!


    Some Survivors had endured hunger during the Zombie Tide and were lucky to survive; some starved to death; others were discovered by zombies, could not resist, and were ultimately dismembered and eaten.


    Not everyone is like Li Yu and his group who have sturdy walls, ample food, and trustworthy partners to unite against the Zombie Tide.


    So, not long after the Zombie Tide receded, some people went out to look for food and supplies.


    80 kilometers away from Li Yu''s base in the city center, some people also dispersed to collect supplies from the surrounding areas.


    Early on in the apocalypse, after killing the Village Chief and others, Li Yu''s group conducted a quick search of nearby supplies but didn''t scout much farther.


    Initially, Uncle and the others such as Li Tie, Li Gang, Yang Tianlong, Third Uncle, and the part-time workers hadn''t arrived, and there weren''t enough hands at the base. Plus, the base''s supplies weren''t critically low. To avoid the base being overtaken by outsiders, there wasn''t a large-scale search for resources conducted.


    But now, the population of the base had reached 45 people, including many strong young men, so people could be spared to search further afield for supplies.


    The day after the Zombie Tide ended, Li Yu and his group prepared to go out and look around, partly to replenish the base''s supplies, and partly for Li Yu to train the troops and observe the part-time workers again.


    These part-time workers had been in the base for some time and their acceptance of the base had increased considerably. After all, some of their families were in the base. Protecting the base meant protecting their families.


    They also clearly understood that Li Yu''s control over the base was unshakable. Besides, they had no motivation to destabilize it, nor did they dare to - especially considering Li Yu was their savior.


    This time, Li Yu planned to take a few part-time workers, along with Li Tie, Zhao Dapao, and a few others.


    So early this morning, they drove out.


    And in the north, out of their sight, 80 kilometers away in the city, another group was also heading towards Xin City.

 Chapter 84 - 81: Searching for Supplies

    This team, comprised of a minibus, two big trucks, and one SUV,


    Was heading north towards Xin City.


    Racing along, they were not far from Xin City.


    Meanwhile, in Xin City, following the retreat of the Zombie Tide, Survivors began to emerge in search of supplies.


    Among them, Teacher Liu and others from the Xin City Middle School stepped out from the Yifu Building at noon when the sun was scorching. Many Zombies had hidden in dark corners, but a few could still be spotted under the shade of trees.


    At that moment, wielding simple weapons, they began searching the campus, but they found that food supplies had already been scavenged.


    Moreover, the many Zombies hidden in dark corners of the campus deterred them from venturing in.


    "Teacher Liu, why don''t we go out and look? The snack shop has been cleared out, now there''s not a hair left," said a robust teenager, 15 years old and about 1.8 meters tall, who had previously insisted on going out with Teacher Liu to look for food.


    Teacher Liu pondered for a moment, then said: "Song Qi, you��um," he suddenly stopped.


    Seeming to remember something, he then continued:


    "Let''s all go out together this time, find a new place to live. The school is infested with Zombies anyway. While they''re hiding in the dark and not venturing out, let''s first go to the wholesale market nearby to gather some supplies, then find a more suitable place to settle."


    Everyone started packing up, although there wasn''t much to gather, just a few backpacks containing some food and blankets.


    The group then walked out of the school gates, with Teacher Liu and Song Qi leading the way, two boys behind, and the two other female students in the middle.


    At the same time,


    Song Min and others in a five-story building were also packing up to go out. The recent Zombie Tide outbreak had made them realize their building was not secure enough. Although the main door was sturdy, the buildings next door were too close.


    If there were another Zombie Tide, the building might very well fall.


    So, they too were on the lookout for a new location to settle.


    ... S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile, the vehicles coming from the north finally arrived at Xin City.


    One young man whispered in complaint, "Finally out, it''s freer outside. Staying with boss Zhang, it feels suffocating."


    "You think we''re on vacation? If we don''t find enough supplies to bring back, we''re in trouble," another seemingly more composed man said.


    "Last time we went to Xiang County, and this time here. It''s been so long since the apocalypse began, food might have already been looted."


    "Hurry up and drive, the boss didn''t give us much time."


    The young man glanced at the SUV in front, fell silent for a bit, then spoke again, "Qiang, what if we find a chance to escape? Following them, I always feel uneasy.


    Did you see the last Zombie Tide? They don''t care about our lives at all, using us as mere barricades against the Zombies."


    The more composed man raised his head, looked at the people in the SUV ahead, and sighed deeply,


    "You can leave, but I still have family there. Sigh, initially, I thought joining them would be good because of Officer Ma, but after Officer Ma died, it has come to this. If I knew, I wouldn''t have joined them; I didn''t expect it to turn out like this."


    Upon hearing this, the young man fell silent, then after a while, said, "Qiang, my life was saved by you. Wherever you go, I''ll follow."


    Then as if convincing himself, he said: "Actually, it''s not too bad there. Although I don''t agree with some things, it''s better than being alone."


    The composed man, with worried eyes, shook his head and said: "You''re still young, you can find a chance to leave, just make sure they don''t find out.


    You know what they''ve done in Xiang City, right? Are those even actions of human beings? After I bring back the supplies this time, I also need to find a chance to leave with Tuantuan and the others."


    He then looked at the SUV with an enigmatic gaze, as if making some kind of plan.


    After their conversation ended, he slowly rolled down the car window.


    As the car drove along, the shops on both sides of the city streets had mostly been smashed open, with many of their contents looted.


    In the SUV, a man with big gold teeth saw the shops on both sides clean and empty, and couldn''t help but curse: "Fuck, I knew I shouldn''t have come to Xin City, Xiang County originally had more stuff, just look at this supermarket, even the damn doors are gone."


    A refined-looking man beside him took over the conversation:


    "It''s been a few months since the apocalypse broke out, when we went to Xiang County it was just starting. It''s normal, really, but how could the food storage center we just passed by be completely empty! Let''s go check out the wholesale market."


    Big Gold Teeth, annoyed, nodded and patted the person in front, saying, "Head to the wholesale market!"


    The man at the front instantly twisted the steering wheel, turned the wheels, and headed left.


    ....


    Wholesale Food Market.


    If you looked at it from above, two rows of mottled houses, a winding and twisting road in between them filled with water and random bits of stuff floating on it.


    The entire scene looked lifeless, brimming with death, a suffocating atmosphere approaching.


    A bleak scene, the sheds sticking out as if torn apart, sunshine filtering through, dotting the ground with patches of light.


    After the torrential rain a few days ago, the ground was unusually damp; possibly due to the low-lying terrain, there were puddles and some rotten corpses in the road center, currently emitting an awful smell.


    The stalls were crooked, with remnants of food scraps, but also covered in ants.


    Some paper boxes had swollen up after being soaked.


    Teacher Liu was leading five students, bearing the stench as they searched.


    Suddenly, a female student exclaimed excitedly, "Here, here." She dragged a cardboard box from under a brown table, the box wrinkled from soaking, but they cheered upon seeing the packaging bags inside.


    "Instant noodles! Great." A beautiful-looking girl exclaimed.


    The female student discarded the outer box, then took out the instant noodles and packed them into the backpack bit by bit.


    While they searched, they cautiously guarded against any zombies that might suddenly appear.


    Halfway through, they suddenly spotted a small shopfront: Little Red Grocery Wholesale.


    Perhaps because it was on higher ground, the top steps weren''t submerged in water.


    The group walked up with some delight, but the door was locked, and the male student behind, seeing a window glass next to him, picked up a large rock from the ground and smashed it in.


    Crack!


    Bang!


    The glass shattered, and behind it, curtains which, when pulled back, allowed light to stream in and the group peered inside to see many snacks and drinks!


    "Wow! We hit the jackpot." A little girl said with a laugh, her bent eyes sparkling like stars, her smile flower-like, dimples playing on her cheeks.


    "Everyone be careful, don''t go in, Song Qi and I will enter first with weapons, there might be zombies inside," Teacher Liu said.


    Song Qi nodded, her eyes filled with bravery.


    .....


    Meanwhile, the group from the north that had come to the wholesale market entrance, had already arrived.

 Chapter 85 - 82: Encounter

    A man disembarked from the off-road vehicle, his mouth adorned with Big Gold Teeth, and a couple of hefty gold chains hanging around his neck.


    Big Gold Teeth stretched with a yawn, patted the roof of the car, and said:


    "Qin Shou, tell them to drive the truck to the intersection. The road is a bit narrow; it''ll probably be a tight squeeze to get in."


    The refined man in the white shirt, buttoned up to the top, got out of the passenger seat and said to Big Gold Teeth, "Okay, Bro Jin."


    Then he walked towards the several vehicles behind them.


    He stood firm, hands on hips.


    "Bro Jin says get out of the car, your vehicles won''t fit through this road. Come down, hurry up," the refined man said, his tone somewhat impatient.


    On the vehicles, a composed man and a young man both alighted, followed by about a dozen other men getting off the minibus, each holding some weapons.


    A few of the men muttered under their breath: "Acting all high and mighty, it''s just because Jin favours him. Strutting around in front of us."


    "Exactly, a petty man gaining power, this guy is too damn arrogant."


    "I can''t stand him; among those joining us later, if he wasn''t a sycophant, it wouldn''t be his turn to boss us around. I could take him down single-handedly."


    ....


    The refined man seemed to hear some of the grumbling from behind and said irritably: "What are you mumbling about, hurry up, Bro Jin is waiting up front!"


    Seeing that everyone had gotten out of the vehicles, Big Gold Teeth gestured with his hand: "Let''s go, see what we can find."


    Big Gold Teeth took the lead, with the refined man following close behind, maintaining a half-step distance behind Big Gold Teeth. The rest of the men followed them.


    Central street of the food wholesale market.


    Teacher Liu and Song Qi had already climbed in through the broken glass windows.


    The room was filled with various groceries, including instant noodles, biscuits, dairy products, and more. Teacher Liu was in the lead, using a flashlight that was running out of battery, scanning towards the back of the room.


    The room was quite large, probably used as a warehouse. In the darkest part at the back, nothing was visible, and as the dim light swept over, no zombies were seen around the rows of shelves, and Teacher Liu let out a sigh of relief.


    Suddenly, two zombies lunged from the side of the cabinets, seemingly the owners of the store, a male and a female zombie. Teacher Liu thought the room was devoid of zombies, not expecting that these two had been hiding beside the cabinets, which was their blind spot.


    "Be careful!" Song Qi, who was behind, spotted the two zombies pouncing and exclaimed.


    Teacher Liu had just relaxed when she heard Song Qi''s warning. She turned her head and her heart trembled with fear as she saw the zombies already less than half a meter away. Under the flashlight beam, she could clearly see the sharp teeth protruding from the zombies'' mouths.


    The distance was too close, and the sudden ambush made it difficult for Teacher Liu to make any significant evasive moves, but she quickly used her spear to block horizontally.


    The two zombies came at her fast, and Teacher Liu''s spear held horizontally resisted, firmly bracing against the assault of the two zombies. But their sudden charge, combined with the impact force, knocked Teacher Liu to the ground.


    The two zombies, one on each side, pinned Teacher Liu in the middle, but fortunately, because of the spear''s defense, they hadn''t bitten her yet.


    But at this moment, the zombies'' mouths were less than 10 centimeters away from Teacher Liu''s face, and as she lay on the ground, even her breath could feel the foul smell from the zombies'' mouths.


    And in this instant, as Teacher Liu was tackled to the ground by the zombies, Song Qi quickly followed, taking out his spear aimed between one zombie''s neck and the back of the skull, and thrust fiercely!


    Phew!


    The zombie on the left had its brain instantly blown out, the tip of the spear dangerously passed right by Teacher Liu''s head.


    But Teacher Liu had no energy to care about that, as the zombie on the right already reached for her shoulders, but because the weather had recently turned cold and she was wearing thicker clothes, the zombie had not yet torn through her skin.


    However, the zombie''s mouth was getting closer and closer, and at that time, because the zombie on the left was stabbed to death, its body slowly slid off.


    Teacher Liu mustered all her strength, pushing with the spear, and nudged the zombie aside as her body moved to the right.


    Thud!


    The zombie, pressed by the spear in Teacher Liu''s hands, fell to the ground. Behind her, Song Qi saw Teacher Liu coming out, pulled out the spear, and violently stabbed it down onto the zombie''s head.


    The dust settled. And all of this happened within just a dozen seconds.


    Both were still in shock. Especially Teacher Liu, who slowly climbed up from the ground, did not even have time to breathe, and pulled the spear from under the zombie''s body, holding it tightly in her hand, then finally took deep breaths, her face red with tension, and sweat dropping onto the ground one by one.


    "Song Qi, well done! You can already protect your teacher!" Teacher Liu looked at Song Qi, her eyes filled with gratitude and comfort.


    Song Qi puffed out his chest, and a hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth that he couldn''t fully hide, he scratched the back of his head.


    Looking at this apparently early-developing teenager, honest and brave, who had always wanted to protect everyone but hadn''t had the chance, he was now indeed capable of standing his ground.


    Song Qi had been decisive in killing the zombie, but beneath the praise, he was a bit shy. Teacher Liu couldn''t help but smile slightly herself.


    It was so good to see some youths, who had not yet experienced the hardships of society and had seen little of its vile filth, retaining such pure hearts, a rarity that was very precious, even if sometimes it might seem foolish, or perhaps unsuitable for this post-apocalyptic world. Nevertheless, rare indeed.


    A few students outside the window also heard the commotion and stuck their heads out to ask, "What happened inside, are you and Teacher Liu okay?"


    Teacher Liu replied, "It''s okay now. We encountered two zombies, dealt with them, and we''ll check if there are any others."


    "Be careful! Should we come in too?"


    "No need, it''s dark inside, we only have one flashlight left....."


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside the room, the group that had come from the city had now reached the center of the wholesale market, S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Big Gold Teeth swayed over, squinting his eyes, he saw a few students on the stairs. Two male students, two female students, all in school uniforms, looking to be only in their teens.


    Big Gold Teeth slapped his plump belly, loosened the belt around his waist, and a sly smile curled on his lips. Turning to the gentle-looking man beside him, he said: "Remember the last time we went to Xiang County, those little girls? Hahaha, looks like we''ve got some fun this time."


    A glint of lust flashed in the eyes of the genteel man as he obsequiously said, "Brother Jin, your spear never falls, mighty and commanding!" While speaking, he gave a thumbs up.


    Seemingly scratching exactly where it itched, the flattery was precise and simple.


    Hearing his words, Big Gold Teeth grinned, revealing his gold-studded teeth, his look full of arrogance, and patting the genteel man''s shoulder encouragingly.


    "Good, you won''t be left out later," Big Gold Teeth laughed brazenly.


    The students on the stairs, hearing Big Gold Teeth and the others, turned their heads, taking out weapons of various lengths, looking at them guardedly.


    A girl with an innocent and lovely face hurriedly said to the window: "Teacher Liu, Song Qi, there are people coming! They don''t look like good people!"


    Teacher Liu and Song Qi, upon hearing this while preparing to check for other zombies, immediately stopped.


    They quickly ran towards the window.

 Chapter 86 - 83: Conflict

    Big Gold Teeth and his group slowly approached, walking closer.


    When they saw that two of the female students were both like buds ready to blossom, 15 years old, like willow catkins sprouting, pure and sweet.


    Especially one with a green, timid look in her eyes as she looked towards them.


    It immediately made Big Gold Teeth''s heart itch.


    Suddenly, a person jumped out of the window, it was Teacher Liu.


    Just now due to the Zombie being thrown to the ground, a few buttons on her chest had come off during the struggle, and even though she was wearing two layers of clothing, the overwhelming presence could hardly be hidden without the buttons.


    Especially when she jumped down from the window, her ample chest trembled with the impact, as if waves were churning, shaking twice.


    This scene, not only for Big Gold Teeth and the scholar-looking man coming towards her but also for the several men behind them, made them stare wide-eyed. Their gaze firmly fixed on a particular spot.


    Teacher Liu jumped down from the window, and at a glance saw the group of people ten meters away, especially their gazes, and immediately felt somewhat panicked.


    The group formed a surrounding stance, slowly walking towards them.


    Months had passed since the apocalypse had erupted, and although Teacher Liu and her students hadn''t seen many other people and had a limited understanding of human nature in the post-apocalyptic world, by the looks of this group, they didn''t seem like good people. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Especially seeing these tall and big men, each holding a weapon, advancing step by step with lewd expressions on their faces.


    Turning back, seeing these students by her side, her eyes suddenly became determined, she tightened her grip on the spear in her hand, shielded the students behind her, as if psyching herself up, she proactively said: "What do you want to do?"


    At the forefront, Big Gold Teeth, seeing Teacher Liu standing on the steps, her graceful figure, even in sweatpants could not hide her long slender legs.


    Immediately, he said with a giggly smile: "Hehe, nothing much, just want to make friends with you. Hehe." While speaking, he slowly walked closer, a lascivious expression on his face.


    Not tolerating their approach, Teacher Liu involuntarily stepped back.


    Next to her, the two male students also looked at this group somewhat fearfully, but seeing the fearful expressions on the two girls'' faces beside them, they felt like they should do something.


    Especially since one of the girls was the one they secretly loved; time to show some courage!


    So, they mustered up the courage and then, holding weapons, walked towards Teacher Liu. In the process, they glanced at the two female students, seemingly trying to find something in their eyes.


    But the girls didn''t pay attention to this; instead, they were nervously gripping their weapons, anxious like two small deer.


    Then, Song Qi also jumped down from the window lattice, hearing what Big Gold Teeth had said, and cautiously watched this group.


    Directly and unapologetically, she said, "We, don''t want to be friends with you!"


    Teacher Liu, seeing Song Qi standing by her side, stepped back further, softly speaking to the students beside her: "Song Qi, take them, grab the bags and run."


    By this time, Big Gold Teeth and his people were not far away, though they hadn''t heard exactly what was being said, they could roughly guess. So, he waved his hand, signaling three people to quickly encircle from the side.


    Seeing this scene, Teacher Liu made up her mind.


    "Run!" Teacher Liu shouted, then holding the spear in her hand, she stepped off the steps and stood in the middle of the road, she was determined to block them, willing to fight to the death to protect her students!


    The two male students immediately ran outside, yet the two girls looked both behind and ahead at Teacher Liu, their faces torn, wanting to run but also wanting to stay to help Teacher Liu!


    As for Song Qi, she didn''t hesitate, but ran towards Teacher Liu, gripping the spear in her hand, her face determination as she fearlessly faced the group.


    And the two male students, without looking back, picked up their backpacks and sprinted out.


    But after running a distance, they realized the others were not following, so they turned back and saw that they were still standing there, somewhat hesitant.


    Big Gold Teeth had the other few people who he had signaled to encircle quicken their pace and chase after the two.


    One of the male students, without any hesitation, sped up to escape, while the other male student, seeing the first run and the few people coming from behind, hardened his heart.


    Turning around, he ran.


    The three people from behind closed in quickly.


    .....


    Teacher Liu turned back, saw the two girls weren''t running, and with a bitter heart, somewhat mournfully said: "Why don''t you run! Ahh!"


    The two girls, although fearful, seemed to want to appear braver, clenched their fists tightly, then said: "Teacher Liu, if you''re not leaving, we won''t leave either."


    "Teacher Liu, let''s face this together."


    The voice was crisp, like a lark singing in the valley, but there was a tremor in it.


    Song Qi also firmly said, "We stand or fall together!"


    Teacher Liu looked at these children, touched, with mixed feelings in her heart. These were all her students. Sometimes education is more about teaching life lessons than academic knowledge.


    They made Teacher Liu proud!


    But these were not good people! If they didn''t leave, she didn''t know what would happen!


    "Wow, so touching! Teacher Liu, I''ll also stand or fall with you, no, I''ll go in and out with you, in and out." Big Gold Teeth leered at Teacher Liu and said.


    Hearing Big Gold Teeth''s explicit remarks, Teacher Liu was angry, her teeth clenched in secret, her eyes almost shooting flames.


    Big Gold Teeth and his gang encircled them, ready to take control.


    Song Qi swung his spear forcefully, the 15-year-old, already mature enough to almost resemble an adult, but there were too many on the other side!


    Moreover, they were a group of experienced, brawling ruffians, and Song Qi was overwhelmed.


    It seemed they were about to be subdued.


    Elsewhere.


    Big Gold Teeth and another man rushed directly towards Teacher Liu, looking lecherous, and then reached to grab her arms, intending to control her. In his eyes, a little woman had no resistance, once their weapons were taken away, they were merely lambs to the slaughter.


    But at that moment, Teacher Liu thrust her spear, the sleek spear reflecting a line of light under the sun, blinding Big Gold Teeth.


    Big Gold Teeth instantly stepped back and collapsed onto the ground.


    Looking at the direction where Teacher Liu''s spear stabbed, it was aimed right at his vital part.


    That was close!


    His legs were trembling, narrowly missed being pierced, fear lingered in his heart.


    What followed was an invisible fire rushing to his head; in his eyes, they were just powerless lambs, yet now he had almost been injured!


    Furious!


    His face twisted in madness as he angrily said, "You bitch dare to resist! Fuck, watch how I''ll destroy you! Sh*t!...."


    "Qin Shou, you and the others hold her down for me! I''m going to deal with her properly. Naughty girl!"


    The scholar-like man next to him nodded, a twisted expression on his face, enjoying tormenting others, something he took pleasure in and excelled at.


    He walked towards Teacher Liu with a few men, gripping weapons.


    Teacher Liu, seeing them encircle her, attempted to resist by thrusting her spear forward, but the scholar-like man was prepared and dodged.


    However, as Teacher Liu thrust forward, ready to pull back, a man behind her struck her arm with an iron rod.


    Clang!


    The spear fell to the ground. The scholar-like man ran up, slapped her face, leaving a clear palm print.


    The scholar-like man, with another hand, forcefully pulled Teacher Liu''s hair, kicked her knee, pulling her head up, and slapped her twice more.


    He then dragged her straight towards Big Gold Teeth as if she were not a person but an object.


    Watching this, Big Gold Teeth felt relieved and said to the scholar-like man, "That''s why I need you, but you really don''t understand how to be tender to women, tsk, little naughty girl, wouldn''t it be nice if you were obedient..."


    Meanwhile, on the other side, two young girls, wielding weapons, tremblingly attempted to help save Teacher Liu.


    But several men ran up and intercepted them, knocking the weapons out of the girls'' hands and quickly subdued them.


    At that moment, to the right, Song Qi was surrounded by four men. He was chopped in the leg with a knife, and his weapon was taken.


    Now several men pinned him to the ground, kicking wildly.


    Song Qi protected his head, seeing Teacher Liu and others being subdued, a surge of despair welled up in him.

 Chapter 87 - 83: Conflict

    Big Gold Teeth and his group slowly approached.


    When they saw the two female students, both looking like budding flowers at the age of 15, like willow sprouts germinating, pure and sweet.


    Especially one with a greenish, timid look in her eyes as she looked at them.


    It made Big Gold Teeth''s heart itch.


    Suddenly, someone jumped out of the window, it was Teacher Liu.


    Just now, because she was tackled to the ground by zombies, several buttons on her blouse had fallen off in the scuffle. Even though she was wearing two layers, the grandeur of her chest was difficult to conceal without the buttons to hinder.


    When she jumped down from the window, the fullness of her chest trembled with the landing, like the rolling waves of the sea, quivering twice.


    This scene not only transfixed Big Gold Teeth and the refined-looking man who was walking towards them but also the several men behind them. Their gaze instantly became fixated.


    Teacher Liu jumped down from the window and instantly saw the group of people ten meters away. When she saw their gazes, she became somewhat panicked.


    This group was forming an encircling stance and moving slowly towards them.


    The apocalypse had already broken out for several months. Although Teacher Liu and her group had not seen many other people, and their understanding of humanity after the apocalypse was not enough, they could tell these were not good people by their looks.


    Especially when they saw these people, each tall and burly, holding weapons, pressing step by step, with lecherous expressions on their faces.


    Turning her head to look at the students beside her, her gaze instantly filled with determination. She tightened her grip on the spear in her hand and placed the few students behind her, as if to boost her morale, she took the initiative and asked, "What do you want to do?"


    Big Gold Teeth, who was at the forefront, saw Teacher Liu standing on the steps, her graceful figure, even in sweatpants, could not hide her long and slender legs.


    He immediately said with a leering smile, "Hehe, nothing much, just want to make friends with you. Hehe." As he spoke, he moved slowly closer, with a lustful expression on his face.


    Teacher Liu watched them approaching and couldn''t help but retreat a few steps.


    The two male students beside her also looked fearfully at these people, but seeing the scared faces of the two girls next to them, they felt as if they should do something.


    Especially one of the girls, who was their crush, they wanted to show off!


    So they mustered up some courage and then, holding a weapon, walked towards Teacher Liu. On the way, they looked at the two female students, seemingly looking for something in their eyes.


    But they didn''t pay any attention to these, instead, they nervously gripped their weapons, panicking like two little deer.


    From the rear, Song Qi also jumped down from the window, hearing what Big Gold Teeth had said, and watched the group with guarded eyes.


    Without any politeness, she said, "We don''t want to make friends with you!"


    Teacher Liu, upon seeing Song Qi standing beside her, retreated backward and spoke softly to the students nearby, "Song Qi, take them, grab the backpacks and run."


    The opposite group, Big Gold Teeth and the others, were already not far away. Although they had not heard what they were saying, they could roughly guess. So he waved his hand, signaling three people to quickly surround them from the side.


    Seeing this, Teacher Liu made up her mind.


    "Run!" Teacher Liu shouted, and then stepped down from the steps with the spear in her hand, standing in the middle of the road. She would stop them, determined to protect her students at all costs!


    The two male students instantly ran out, but the two girls looked back, then looked at Teacher Liu in front, and their faces showed conflict. They wanted to run, but they wanted to stay and help Teacher Liu even more!


    But Song Qi didn''t move at all; instead, she ran over and stood beside Teacher Liu, gripping the spear in her hand, her face showing determination as she stared fearlessly at the group.


    And the two male students, without looking back any further, simply put on their backpacks and bolted.


    But after running a distance, they realized that the others hadn''t followed, looking back to see them still standing there made them hesitate.


    But the few people Big Gold Teeth had signaled to surround them were already on the road, running towards the two boys.


    One of the boys didn''t hesitate and immediately picked up speed to escape. The other boy, seeing the one in front running and the several people chasing from behind, steeled his resolve.


    He turned and ran.


    The three people behind were closely pursuing.


    ......


    Teacher Liu turned around, seeing the two girls hadn''t run, she felt bitter and sadly said, "Why aren''t you running? Sigh!"


    The two girls, though fearful, seemed to want to appear braver, clenched their little fists tightly, and then said, "Teacher Liu, if you don''t leave, we won''t either."


    "Mr. Liu, let''s face this together."


    The voice was crisp, like a nightingale singing out of a valley, yet with a tremor.


    Beside her, Song Qi also firmly said, "We stand or fall together!"


    Mr. Liu was touched as she looked at these children, her heart filled with a mix of emotions. These were students she had taught. Sometimes in education, learning how to be a person is even more important than acquiring knowledge.


    They made Mr. Liu proud!


    But these were not good people! Not leaving, she also didn''t know what would happen!


    "Wow, so touching! Mr. Liu, I will stand or fall with you too, no, I want to go in and out with you, in and out." Big Gold Teeth leered at Mr. Liu, saying so.


    Hearing Big Gold Teeth''s explicit words, Mr. Liu was somewhat furious, gritting her teeth in secret, her eyes seemingly shooting flames.


    Big Gold Teeth and his gang surrounded them in a circle, then moved to subdue them.


    Song Qi swung his spear vigorously. At 15, although he had developed to not be much different from an adult, there were simply too many people on the other side!


    And they were all experienced brawlers, a bunch of thugs who fought often, which made it difficult for him to defend.


    It looked like they were about to be subdued. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elsewhere.


    Big Gold Teeth and another man charged directly at Mr. Liu, their faces lecherous as they reached for her arms, attempting to take control. In his view, a little woman had no power to resist, and once their weapons were removed, they were practically lambs to the slaughter.


    But just at that moment, Mr. Liu thrust her spear, and in the sunlight, the shiny spear reflected a ray of light that shone into Big Gold Teeth''s eyes.


    Big Gold Teeth suddenly stepped backward and collapsed onto the ground.


    Looking at the direction where Mr. Liu''s spear thrust, it was aimed exactly at his groin��too close for comfort!


    His legs trembled slightly, narrowly avoiding being stabbed, and a shiver of fear ran through him.


    What came next was a surge of intangible fire that instantly rushed to his head; in his view, they were all lambs, powerless lambs, and now one almost injured him!


    Fury!


    His crazed face distorted as he angrily said to Mr. Liu, "You fucking bitch, how dare you resist! Damn it, see how I''ll kill you! Fuck!...."


    "Qin Shou, you guys hold her down for me! I''ll take care of her properly, you little bitch!"


    The scholarly-looking man beside him nodded, a twisted expression appearing on his face, he liked to torture people, it was his hobby, his forte.


    So he and a few other men, wielding their weapons, approached Mr. Liu.


    Mr. Liu, seeing these people surrounding her, still wanted to resist, thrusting her spear forward, but the scholarly man was on guard and dodged.


    But just as Mr. Liu thrust her spear and was about to retract it, a man behind her hit her arm with an iron rod.


    Clang!


    The spear fell to the ground, and the scholarly man rushed forward, slapping her across the face, instantly leaving a handprint on Mr. Liu''s face.


    This scholarly man, with his other hand, ruthlessly pulled Mr. Liu''s hair and kicked at her knee, lifting her head and slapping her twice more.


    He then dragged her straight to Big Gold Teeth, not as if he was dragging a person, but an object.


    Big Gold Teeth felt somewhat vindicated seeing this and said to the scholarly man, "It''s still you, but you really don''t understand the gentle art of cherishing the fairer sex. Tsk tsk, you little bitch, wouldn''t it be nice to be obedient? Why be so naughty..."


    At the same time, the other two girls, wielding weapons, shook as they tried to help save Mr. Liu.


    But the other few men ran up to stop them, knocking the weapons out of the girls'' hands with their sticks, then quickly subdued them.


    At this moment, Song Qi on the right was surrounded by four men, cut on the leg with a knife, and his weapon had been taken away.


    He was now being pinned to the ground by several men and kicked brutally.


    Song Qi, protecting his head, saw Mr. Liu and the others being subdued, and an overwhelming sense of despair surged in his heart.

 Chapter 88 - 83: Conflict

    Big Gold Teeth and company slowly approached, getting closer.


    When they saw that two of the female students were like blossoming buds at the tender age of 15, just like willow catkins sprouting, pure and sweet.


    Especially one with a na?ve, timid look in her eyes as she gazed at them.


    Immediately, this made Big Gold Teeth''s heart itch.


    Suddenly, someone jumped out of the window, it was Teacher Liu.


    Because she had been knocked to the ground by a Zombie, during the struggle, a few buttons on her chest had come off, and even though she was wearing two layers of clothing, without the buttons to obstruct, her voluptuousness was hard to conceal.


    As she jumped down from the window, her... chest trembled with the impact of landing, like the rolling waves of the sea, quivering slightly.


    This scene, not only the approaching Big Gold Teeth and the refined-looking man, but also the men behind were stunned, their gaze fixated on a certain spot.


    Teacher Liu jumped down from the window and immediately saw the group of men ten meters away; when she caught their gaze, she instantly felt some panic.


    These men were forming an encircling stance, slowly moving towards them.


    The apocalypse had already broken out for several months, and although Teacher Liu and her group hadn''t seen many other people and didn''t fully understand human nature after the end of the world, they could tell by looking at this group that they weren''t good people. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Especially seeing that these men were tall and burly, each holding a weapon, pressing closer with every step, wearing expressions of lewdness.


    Teacher Liu then turned around to see the students beside her; her eyes instantly filled with determination, she gripped the spear tighter in her hand, placing the few students behind her as if to give herself a pep talk, she proactively said, "What are you planning to do?"


    Big Gold Teeth, in the front, saw Teacher Liu standing on the steps, her graceful figure; even the sports pants could not hide her long, slender legs.


    He instantly said with a grin, "Hehe, nothing much, we just want to make friends with you. Hehe." While talking, he moved closer with a lewd expression on his face.


    Teacher Liu, seeing these people approaching, couldn''t help but retreat a few steps.


    The two male students beside her also looked at this group with some fear, but seeing the two girls beside them with terrified expressions, they felt like they should do something.


    Especially when one of the girls was their secret crush, they wanted to show off!


    So they mustered up some courage, then took their weapons and walked over to Teacher Liu. On their way, they looked at the two female students, seeming to look for something in their eyes.


    But the girls paid them no mind, instead, they nervously gripped their weapons, their panic resembling two little deer.


    Behind them, Song Qi also jumped down from the window lattice, upon hearing what Big Gold Teeth had said, she watched the group with vigilance.


    She bluntly said, "We don''t wish to be friends with you!"


    Teacher Liu, seeing Song Qi standing by her side, retreated further back and whispered to the students beside her, "Song Qi, take them, grab your bags and run fast."


    But the opposing group, Big Gold Teeth and company, were already not far away; although they didn''t hear what they were saying, they could generally guess. So he waved his hand, signaling three of them to quickly surround them from the side.


    Seeing this, Teacher Liu made up her mind.


    "Run!" Teacher Liu shouted, then took her spear and stepped off the stairs, standing in the middle of the road. She was determined to stop them, ready to sacrifice her own life to protect her students!


    The two male students instantly ran outside, but the two girls looked back and then at Teacher Liu in front, their faces torn; they wanted to run, but they wanted to stay and help Teacher Liu even more!


    Song Qi, on the other hand, hadn''t moved at all; instead, she ran over and stood beside Teacher Liu, grasping the spear tightly in her hand, staring unwaveringly at the gang, unafraid.


    The two male students, without looking back, just slung their backpacks on and bolted out.


    But after running a distance and realizing the others hadn''t followed, they looked back and saw them still standing there, feeling somewhat hesitant.


    However, the men that Big Gold Teeth had sent to surround them were already on the road, chasing after the two boys.


    One of the male students, without any hesitation, sped up to escape, while the other looked at the boy running ahead and saw the group chasing after him; he steeled his heart.


    Turned and ran.


    The three men behind them pursued closely.


    .....


    Teacher Liu looked back and saw the two female students hadn''t run yet, her heart bitter, and with a tinge of sorrow, she said, "Why aren''t you running? Sigh!"


    The two girls, though afraid, seemed to want to appear braver, clutching their little fists tightly, then said, "Teacher Liu, if you''re not leaving, we''re not leaving either."


    "Teacher Liu, we''ll face this together."


    The voice was crisp, like the song of a warbler emerging from a valley, but with a quiver in it.


    Song Qi next to him said firmly, "We''ll advance or retreat together!"


    Teacher Liu looked at these kids, feeling touched, with a mix of feelings in her heart. These were the students she had taught. Sometimes in education, learning to be a person is more important than learning knowledge.


    They made Teacher Liu feel proud!


    But these are not good people! She didn''t know what would happen if they didn''t leave!


    "Wow, I''m so touched! Teacher Liu, I''ll advance and retreat with you too," Big Gold Teeth said, leering at Teacher Liu.


    Hearing Big Gold Teeth''s explicit words, Teacher Liu felt anger, secretly clenching her silver teeth, her eyes almost shooting out flames.


    Big Gold Teeth and his gang surrounded them in a circle, then started to move forward to subdue them.


    Song Qi swung the spear forcefully. At 15, although he had grown comparable to an adult, there were too many people opposite him!


    Moreover, they were experienced brawlers, a gang of ruffians, and he found himself unable to fend them off for a time.


    It seemed that they were about to be overpowered.


    Elsewhere.


    Big Gold Teeth and a man charged at Teacher Liu, leering at her, then reached out to grab her arms, trying to control her. In his view, a small woman had no power to resist. As long as they disarmed them, they were like lambs to the slaughter.


    But just then, Teacher Liu jabbed with her spear, and under the sunlight, the smooth spear reflected a beam of light into Big Gold Teeth''s eyes.


    Big Gold Teeth immediately stepped back, collapsing to the ground.


    Looking at where Teacher Liu''s spear had stabbed towards, it was his vitals �C his groin.


    That was close!


    His legs trembled slightly, narrowly avoiding being stabbed, feeling a residual fear inside.


    What followed was an invisible fire, rushing to his head. In his eyes, these were lambs, powerless to resist. Yet now he had nearly been injured!


    Rage!


    His crazed face contorted as he looked at Teacher Liu and furiously said, "You bitch, dare to resist! M***erf***er, see how I kill you! Shit!..."


    "Qin Shou, you and the others hold her down for me! I want to deal with her properly. Little bitch!"


    The refined-looking man next to him nodded at his words, a perverted expression appearing on his face. He enjoyed abusing people, which was his hobby and area of expertise.


    So he and several men behind him, weapons in hand, approached Teacher Liu.


    Teacher Liu looked around at the people surrounding her, still wanting to resist, and stabbed forward with her spear. But the refined man was prepared and dodged.


    And just as Teacher Liu stabbed forward and was about to retract her spear, a man behind her hit her arm with an iron rod.


    Clang!


    The spear fell to the ground, the refined man ran up, and slapped her across the face, immediately leaving a handprint on Teacher Liu''s face.


    This refined man, with his other hand, brutally grabbed Teacher Liu''s hair, kicked her knee, pulled her head up, and slapped her twice more.


    Then he dragged her straight towards Big Gold Teeth, treating her not like a person but as an object.


    Big Gold Teeth found some relief in the scene, looking at the refined man and saying, "It''s still you, eh? But you don''t know how to be tender to women at all. Tsk tsk, you naughty girl, wouldn''t it have been better to be obedient, instead of being so mischievous..."


    Meanwhile, on the other side, two young girls, holding weapons, trembled, trying to help rescue Teacher Liu.


    But several men ran up to stop them. They knocked the weapons from the girls'' hands with their clubs, then quickly subdued them.


    At this moment, to the right, Song Qi was surrounded by four men, his leg slashed with a knife, his weapon snatched away.


    He was now being pinned to the ground by several men, kicking him wildly.


    Protecting his head, Song Qi saw Teacher Liu and the others being overpowered, and a sense of boundless despair welled up in him.

 Chapter 89 - 83: Run!

    Big Gold Teeth and others slowly approached, getting closer.


    When they saw that two of the female students were like buds about to bloom, 15 years old, like willow catkins sprouting, pure and sweet.


    Especially one with a green, timid look in her eyes as she gazed at them.


    This instantly made Big Gold Teeth itch with desire.


    Suddenly, a person jumped out from a window �� it was Teacher Liu.


    Just a moment ago, due to a zombie pouncing and knocking her to the ground, some buttons on her chest had come off, and despite wearing two layers, the ample presence could hardly be concealed without the buttons.


    As she jumped down from the window, her chest... shook with the impact of landing, like waves billowing, trembling slightly.


    This scene did not just captivate Big Gold Teeth and the cultured-looking man approaching her; the several men behind also stared, their gaze fixated. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Teacher Liu, having jumped from the window, immediately saw the group of people ten meters away. When she saw the look in their eyes, she panicked instantaneously.


    This group formed an encircling stance, slowly moving towards them.


    Several months into the apocalypse, Teacher Liu and her students, though they hadn''t seen many others, knew not enough about human nature after the apocalypse, but by the looks of these people, they seemed up to no good.


    Especially seeing those large men, each holding a weapon, steadily advancing with lewd expressions on their faces.


    Turning her head, seeing the students beside her, her gaze suddenly became resolute, she tightened her grip on the spear in her hand, positioning the few students behind her as though mustering courage, she took the initiative and said, "What do you want to do?"


    The foremost Big Gold Teeth, upon seeing Teacher Liu standing on the stairs, with her graceful figure, could not help but speak with a leering smile despite her attire concealing her long legs, "Hehe, we don''t want to do anything, just want to make friends with you all. Hehe." While speaking, he continued to approach with a lustful expression.


    Teacher Liu, watching these people get closer, couldn''t help but step back.


    The two male students beside her also looked at the approaching group with fear, but seeing the terrified expressions on the two girls beside them, they felt like they ought to do something.


    Especially since one of the girls was the one they secretly adored - it was their chance to impress!


    Thus, they mustered their courage, holding their weapons and walked towards Teacher Liu. As they walked over, they tried to find some encouragement in the eyes of the two female students.


    But the girls weren''t paying them any mind, rather, they were nervously gripping their weapons, panic-stricken like a pair of small deer.


    Song Qi also jumped down from the window, and on hearing what Big Gold Teeth had said, scrutinized the group warily.


    Without any pleasantries, she stated, "We, don''t want to make friends with you!"


    Teacher Liu, seeing Song Qi by her side, retreated backward while whispering to the students beside her, "Song Qi, take them, grab your backpacks and run."


    But by then, Big Gold Teeth and his men had drawn close enough. Although they hadn''t heard their conversation, they could roughly guess. Big Gold Teeth waved his hand, signaling three men to quickly flank from the side.


    Seeing this gesture, Teacher Liu made up her mind.


    "Run!" Teacher Liu shouted, then with spear in hand descended the steps to stand in the middle of the road, ready to block their way, determined to protect her students at all costs!


    The two male students immediately ran off. However, the two girls looked back and forth between the retreating figures and Teacher Liu, torn �� they wanted to run, but they also wanted to stay and help Teacher Liu!


    But Song Qi hadn''t moved at all; instead, she raced over to stand alongside Teacher Liu, clutching her spear tight, her face set with determination as she stared down the group unflinchingly.


    As for the two male students, they didn''t look back, just slung their backpacks over their shoulders and fled.


    After running a distance and noticing the others hadn''t followed, they glanced back and saw them still standing there, hesitating.


    But the people Big Gold Teeth had sent to surround them were already on the road, chasing after the two boys.


    One of the boys didn''t hesitate at all, quickening his pace to escape. The other, after seeing the first boy run and the pursuers coming from behind, steeled his heart.


    He turned and ran.


    The three men were hot on his trail.


    .....


    Teacher Liu looked back and saw the two female students hadn''t run, her heart sank, and she lamentedly said, "Why aren''t you running? Oh!"


    The two female students, though fearful on their faces, seemed to want to appear braver, clenched their tiny fists tightly and then said, "Teacher Liu, if you don''t leave, neither will we."


    "Teacher Liu, let''s face this together."


    The voice was crisp, like a warbler leaving the valley, but it also trembled slightly.


    Beside her, Song Qi also firmly said, "We will advance and retreat together!"


    Teacher Liu looked at these children with a moved expression, her heart filled with complicated feelings; these were all students she had taught. Sometimes education, learning how to be a good person, is more important than acquiring knowledge.


    They made Teacher Liu proud!


    But these were not good people! And if they didn''t leave, she didn''t know what might happen!


    "Wow, how touching! Teacher Liu, I will advance and retreat with you too. No, I want to go in and out with you, in and out." Big Gold Teeth leered at Teacher Liu as he spoke.


    Hearing Big Gold Teeth''s explicit words, Teacher Liu became angry, her teeth clenched in secret, her eyes seemed to shoot fire.


    Big Gold Teeth and his group surrounded them in a circle, then moved forward to subdue them.


    Song Qi swung his spear with all his might. At 15, although he was already as developed as an adult, there were too many people opposite him!


    Moreover, they were experienced and often brawled, a bunch of ruffians, and he was quickly overwhelmed for a moment.


    It seemed they would soon be overpowered by these men.


    On the other side.


    Big Gold Teeth and another man charged directly at Teacher Liu, with lecherous faces, and reached out to grab her arms, intending to control her. In his view, a little woman had no resistance; as long as their weapons were removed, they were essentially lambs to the slaughter.


    Just then, at that very moment, Teacher Liu thrust forward with her spear, reflecting a streak of light in the sunlight, dazzling Big Gold Teeth in the eyes.


    Big Gold Teeth instantly retreated, falling and sitting on the ground.


    He looked towards the direction where Teacher Liu''s spear targeted, right at his lifeblood.


    That was too close!


    His legs trembled slightly, narrowly avoiding a stab, feeling a trace of fear in his heart.


    What followed was a rage, an invisible fire climbed to the top of his head; in his eyes, these were defenseless lambs, and now he almost got hurt!


    Furious!


    A distorted face crazily stared at Teacher Liu and angrily said, "You stinky bitch, how dare you resist! Motherfucker, I''ll see how I''ll kill you! Damn it!..."


    "Qin Shou, you and the others hold her down! I''m going to take good care of her. That little bitch!"


    The scholarly-looking man beside him nodded in response, revealing a twisted expression of pleasure on his face; he enjoyed torturing people, that was his hobby and his forte.


    So, he and several other men with weapons in hand, walked towards Teacher Liu.


    Teacher Liu, surrounded by these men, tried to resist, thrusting her spear forward, but the scholarly man was prepared and dodged.


    But, just as Teacher Liu extended her thrust, ready to pull back, a man behind her struck her arm with an iron bar.


    Clang!


    The spear fell to the ground, the scholarly man rushed forward, striking her face with a slap, instantly leaving a handprint on Teacher Liu''s face.


    The scholarly man then grabbed her hair forcefully with the other hand, kicked her knee, pulled her head up, slapped her twice more.


    Then he dragged her straight towards Big Gold Teeth, as if not dragging a person, but an object.


    Big Gold Teeth feeling somewhat relieved by the scene, said to the scholarly man, "It''s still you, huh? But you don''t know how to be tender to a lady. Tsk tsk, you little vixen, wouldn''t it be nice to be obedient? Why be so naughty..."


    At the same time, another two girls, holding weapons and trembling, tried to help and rescue Teacher Liu.


    But a few other men ran up to stop them, knocking the weapons out of the two girls'' hands with a club, then subdued them instantly.


    At this time, to the right, Song Qi, surrounded by four men, was slashed in the leg with a knife and had his weapon taken away.


    Now he was being kicked violently on the ground by several men.


    Protecting his head, Song Qi saw Teacher Liu and the others being subdued in front of him, a surge of utter despair rose in his heart.

 Chapter 90 - 83: Face it Together!

    Big Gold Teeth and others slowly approached, drawing closer.


    When they saw that two of the female students were like budding flowers, about ten years old, like willow catkins sprouting, pure and sweet.


    Especially with an unripe, timid look in their eyes as they gazed at them.


    This immediately made Big Gold Teeth itch with desire.


    Suddenly, a person jumped out of the window, it was Teacher Liu.


    Just now, because she was knocked to the ground by a zombie, during the struggle, a few buttons on her chest came off. Even though she wore two layers of clothing, that voluptuous feeling, without the buttons obstructing, was hard to conceal.


    When she jumped down from the window, her chest... trembled with the impact of landing, as if like the waves of the sea, quivering twice.


    This scene, not only did Big Gold Teeth and the refined man walking toward them see it, but the several men behind them also stared, their eyes fixating on a certain spot.


    Teacher Liu jumped out from the window and immediately saw that group of people ten meters away; when she saw the look in their eyes, she felt a surge of panic.


    This group of people formed an encircling stance and slowly approached them.


    It had been several months since the apocalypse erupted, and Teacher Liu and her group, although they hadn''t seen many other people, had insufficient understanding of human nature after the apocalypse; still, just by looking at this group of people, one could tell they weren''t good individuals.


    Especially seeing these people tall and burly, each holding a weapon, advancing step by step with lecherous expressions.


    Turning her head, seeing the students beside her, her eyes suddenly turned resolute. She tightened her grip on the spear in her hand and positioned the students behind her, as if to brace herself with encouragement, took the initiative and said: "What do you want to do?"


    The frontmost Big Gold Teeth, seeing Teacher Liu standing on the steps, her graceful figure, even in sports pants, could not hide her long, slender legs.


    Instantly, he said with a smile: "Hehe, nothing much, just want to make friends with you guys. Hehe." He spoke while slowly closing in, his face full of lewd expressions.


    Teacher Liu watched these people getting closer, unable to help but retreat a few steps.


    The two male students beside her also looked at the approaching group with some fear, but seeing the two terrified girls beside them, it seemed they felt the need to act in some way.


    Especially since one of the girls was their secret crush, they wanted to show off!


    So they mustered up some courage and then headed towards Teacher Liu with their weapons in hand. Walking past, they looked at the two female students, as if they wanted to see something in their eyes.


    But they didn''t pay attention to those looks; instead, they were nervously gripping their weapons, frantic like little deer.


    Song Qi also jumped down from the carved window, hearing what Big Gold Teeth had said and watched the group warily.


    Directly and unapologetically said: "We, don''t want to be friends with you!"


    Teacher Liu, seeing Song Qi standing by her side, retreated backward and whispered to the students beside her: "Song Qi, take them, grab the bags and run quickly."


    While the opposite group, including Big Gold Teeth, was not far away, although they did not hear what was being said, they could roughly guess. So he waved his hand, gesturing for three people to quickly flank from the side.


    Seeing this, Teacher Liu made up her mind.


    "Run!" Teacher Liu shouted, then took the spear in her hand down the steps, standing in the middle of the road. She wanted to block them, to protect her students at all costs!


    The two male students immediately ran outside, but the two female students looked back and then at Teacher Liu in front, with conflicted faces. They wanted to run, but they wanted to stay and help Teacher Liu even more!


    Song Qi, however, did not move, instead, ran to stand by Teacher Liu, gripping the spear firmly, looking at the group with determination, without a hint of fear.


    The two male students, with no look back, immediately shouldered their backpacks and ran off frantically.


    But after running a distance, noticing others hadn''t followed, they looked back to those still standing there, hesitating in their minds.


    The ones Big Gold Teeth had motioned to circle around, were already on the road, coming up to chase the two of them.


    One of the male students didn''t hesitate at all, accelerating his pace to escape, while the other, seeing the former run ahead and then the few following from behind, hardened his heart.


    Turned around, and ran.


    The three behind closely pursued.


    .....


    Teacher Liu turned back, seeing the two female students hadn''t run, her heart turned sour, somewhat regretfully said: "Why don''t you run! Ai."


    The two female students, though fearful on their faces, seemed to want to appear braver, clenching their little fists tightly, then said: "Teacher Liu, if you don''t leave, we won''t either."


    "Teacher Liu, let''s face this together."


    The voice was clear and melodious, like an oriole emerging from a valley, but it trembled slightly.


    Beside her, Song Qi also firmly said, "We stand or fall together!"


    Teacher Liu looked at these children with some emotion, feeling a complex mix of sentiments in her heart. These were all students she had taught. Sometimes, education is about learning to be a person rather than just acquiring knowledge.


    They made Teacher Liu proud!


    But, these were not good people! Not leaving, she didn''t know what would happen!


    "Wow, how touching! Teacher Liu, I''ll advance and retreat with you too. No, I want to go in and out with you, in and out." Big Gold Teeth leered at Teacher Liu as he spoke.


    Hearing Big Gold Teeth''s explicit words, Teacher Liu felt some anger, she clenched her teeth tightly, her eyes seemed to shoot out flames.


    Big Gold Teeth and his men surrounded them in a circle and then moved forward to subdue them.


    Song Qi swung his spear forcefully. The boy, who was in his teens and almost as physically developed as an adult, faced too many opponents!


    And they were all experienced, fight-hardened gangsters. He was soon overwhelmed.


    They were about to be subdued by several people.


    On the other side.


    Big Gold Teeth and a man rushed towards Teacher Liu with lecherous faces, and reached out to grab her arms, trying to control her. In his view, a little woman had no resistance. Once their weapons were disarmed, they were like lambs to the slaughter.


    At that very moment, Teacher Liu thrust her spear, and under the sunlight, the glossy spear reflected a beam of light into Big Gold Teeth''s eyes.


    Big Gold Teeth instantly stepped back and plopped onto the ground.


    Looking at the direction where Teacher Liu thrust her spear, it was pointed right at his crotch.


    That was close!


    His legs trembled slightly. It was a narrow escape and the thought of nearly being stabbed sent chills to his heart.


    Following that was a surge of invisible rage that shot straight to his head. In his eyes, they were all lambs, powerless lambs, yet now he had nearly been hurt!


    Fury!


    His face, twisted in madness, glared at Teacher Liu and he shouted angrily, "Bitch, you dare to resist! Fuck, watch how I deal with you! Fuck!..."


    "Qin Shou, you and the others hold her down for me! I''m going to properly sort her out. Fuck!"


    The refined-looking man nearby nodded at the sound, a twisted expression crossing his face. He liked to torture people; it was his hobby and forte.


    So he and several other men, wielding their weapons, moved towards Teacher Liu.


    Teacher Liu, seeing herself surrounded, still tried to resist, stabbing her spear forward, but the refined man was prepared and dodged.


    And in the moment Teacher Liu thrust her spear and prepared to retract it, a man behind her struck her arm with an iron rod.


    Clang! sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spear fell to the ground, and the refined man rushed up, slapping her across the face, immediately leaving a handprint on Teacher Liu''s face.


    With his other hand, he brutally grabbed Teacher Liu''s hair, kicked at her knee, pulling her head up and slapped her twice more.


    He then dragged her directly towards Big Gold Teeth, as if he was not dragging a person, but an object.


    Big Gold Teeth found this scene quite satisfying, and looking at the refined man said, "It''s got to be you, eh? But you don''t know at all how to be tender towards the fairer sex. Tsk tsk, bitch, wouldn''t it be nice to behave? Instead of being so naughty..."


    At the same time, on the other side, the two young girls, trembling with weapons in hand, tried to help save Teacher Liu.


    But several other men ran up to block them, knocking the weapons from the girls'' hands with a stick and then quickly subdued them.


    At that moment, Song Qi, on the right, was surrounded by four men, his legs slashed by a knife, and his weapon snatched.


    Now he was being kicked wildly by several men while pressed to the ground.


    Song Qi, shielding his head, saw Teacher Liu and the others subdued in front of him, and a wave of despair washed over him.

 Chapter 91 - 84: The Wheel of Fortune Turns

    The two male students who were fleeing ran towards the General Avenue, closely followed by three men.


    These two male students were from the ninth grade, and although they were not very old, they still had to take physical education exams for their middle school entrance exam, so they often exercised, and their running speed was actually faster than that of several grown men.


    The three men behind them were somewhat disheartened, but remembering the task that Big Gold Teeth had given them, they had no choice but to continue the pursuit.


    After running for about five or six minutes, the two boys were running as fast as they could, which made it tough for the men chasing them, but they still relentlessly pursued.


    At this moment, at a three-way intersection.


    Song Min and her group were packing their things, ready to leave the five-story building with their bags.


    Song Min was upstairs and saw the two running male students with a bit of curiosity. As the two students got closer, she felt that their faces looked familiar.


    Aren''t they her brother''s classmates?


    Song Min had gone to Xincheng Middle School before but couldn''t find her brother, so she had to give up.


    Now, her brother''s classmates have appeared. So��


    However, Song Min was also thinking: why were these two running so desperately? Though it was sunny now, it didn''t mean there were no zombies on the streets! Running like this was undoubtedly dangerous and could attract the zombies'' attention.


    Immediately afterward, she saw the three men following behind the two students, carrying weapons like Long Knives.


    She felt conflicted and hesitant, but seeing that the two students were about to run out of this street, if she waited longer, she might not see them again. In a post-apocalyptic world, once you miss someone, you might never see them again.


    She always wanted to know about her brother''s whereabouts.


    Seeing the three men, she steeled her heart, as if making a decision.


    Then she tightly gripped one of the Crossbows, a weapon they had captured from Zhou Sheng last time. Li Yu and the others had found them rather rudimentary, so he simply gave them to Song Min''s group.


    Song Min came down from the building, and the girls who were packing next to her also stopped to grab their weapons and followed Song Min down.


    Standing on the steps, Song Min shouted toward the two male students, "Hey!"


    The two male students, hearing Song Min''s voice, looked up and saw Song Min and her group. They were a bit confused as Song Min had changed a lot in this period, not only cutting her hair short but also her whole demeanor was almost unrecognizably different from before.


    But they also saw about ten people with Song Min, and the two male students were overjoyed, as they could not maintain their high-speed sprint for much longer. They were already feeling quite drained, and the three men were not far behind them.


    So, the two male students ran straight toward Song Min''s direction.


    The three men behind also saw Song Min and her group, but when they saw clearly that it was just about a dozen women, their wariness diminished.


    They continued to run towards the two male students without hesitation.


    By this time, the two male students had already run up to Song Min and her group. As they got closer, they felt even more familiar with Song Min.


    Without any unnecessary talk, Song Min asked the two students directly, "Where''s Song Qi? Have you seen him?"


    The two male students just reached the bottom of the building and had not even had a chance to catch their breath when they were confronted with Song Min''s question. They looked at her face and suddenly remembered Song Min, who they had seen before.


    But Song Song''s sister had changed too much.


    They wanted to answer, but they had run too fast just before and couldn''t speak right away. So they waved their hands, took a couple of breaths, were about to say something as they raised their heads, but then started gasping for air again, hands on their waists, breathing heavily.


    It seemed they had indeed run too hard just now.


    At this moment, the men behind them were almost upon them.


    Song Min asked the two male students urgently, "Speak! Where is Song Qi?" Her tone contained impatience and irritability, as if she would take action against the boys if they didn''t answer.


    So they swallowed hard and said, "We were captured by a group of people, and we just escaped. Song Qi is still in their hands."


    Upon hearing this, Song Min''s eyes flared with intense murderous intent.


    At this moment, the three men behind had also run over to Song Min''s side, looking at the two male students beside her with anger on their faces.


    But when they saw Song Min and her group of girls, the irritability in their hearts subsided substantially. To them, based on past experiences, women lacked combat ability.


    Even though Song Min and the others were armed with crossbows and some long knives, in their opinion, these women wouldn''t amount to much.


    Although they had just run quite a distance and were now panting heavily, standing there without a break to catch their breath, they still looked at Song Min and her group with arrogance.


    Song Min glanced at the three men before her, then turned to the two male students and asked, "Is it them? Where''s Song Qi?"


    One of the male students said, "Yes, yes, yes, Song Qi is still behind. These three guys came chasing after us!"


    Upon hearing this, Song Min nodded, then her eyes suddenly sharpened, and she began to raise the crossbow in her hand. The girls behind her, seeing Song Min''s actions, instantly got the message and began to surround the three men in an encircling formation.


    "Heh! What are you trying to do?" The leader of the men, probably having never seen a woman resist, still questioned Song Min with some brazenness.


    "I advise you, hand over those two students, otherwise..."


    Thwack!


    Thud!


    The man hadn''t finished speaking when he was struck in the forehead by an arrow from Song Min''s crossbow, pinned like a spear to his brow, the fletching still trembling slightly.


    Silence!


    Eerily quiet! sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.


    The two male students looked at Song Min somewhat dazedly. She was too fierce! They remembered Sister Song wasn''t this wild before!


    They gasped in shock, but also with a hint of admiration in their eyes.


    The other two men across, seeing the arrow in the forehead of the man in the middle, stared incredulously at Song Min, who had a murderous look.


    They were stunned, followed by a tremor in their hearts!


    To the women beside Song Min, however, it seemed to be nothing new. Sister Song!


    In the past, she had sliced,


    the flesh of the beast Zhou Sheng,


    with a knife, incessantly, for nearly 6 hours.


    The scene was extraordinarily horrific.


    Now it was just a minor incident compared to that.


    But the two men across didn''t see it that way. Now, they just wanted to escape, having not anticipated that these seemingly soft women were as tough as steel, ruthless characters.


    Without another word, they killed the man!


    Then they turned around and ran in the direction they had come from.


    But how could Song Min and her group let them escape? Another arrow was shot, hitting one of the fleeing men square in the back, causing him to fall to the ground.


    However, another arrow missed the other man by a hair''s breadth, terrifying him, his soul nearly scattered. He had just caught his breath, and now he was running with all his might as if for dear life.


    What was different now was,


    he was the pursuer before, relishing the perverted pleasure, swaggering.


    But at this moment, he was the pursued, trembling with fear in his panic.

 Chapter 92 - 85: Not Afraid to Die

    Initially, Li Yu gave Song Min and the others two crossbows, both of which were rather basic and rudimentary.


    Song Min took one herself, and gave the other to the chubby kid.


    And just now, it was the chubby kid who had shot askew, now feeling somewhat embarrassed, he lowered his head, repositioned the arrow, and readied himself to shoot again.


    However, that man was very clever, he didn''t walk directly on the road but immediately detoured through a large building, and in the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared.


    The chubby kid, feeling deflated, stomped his feet and anxiously watched in that direction, eager to try again.


    Song Min looked at the two somewhat dazed students and asked, "Do you know the way? Song Qi is in their hands now, right?" Her voice seemed to carry an indescribable aura, causing a slight tremor in the students'' hearts.


    "We, we, we know, it''s not far from here, just around the wholesale market, very close. But they have a lot of people!"


    "A lot of people, how many?" Song Min''s gaze shifted slightly as she inquired.


    "It looks like there must be around a dozen, and they are really fierce..." Fear was evident in the faces of the two students.


    Song Min pondered for a moment, glanced at her sisters beside her, and frowned slightly.


    She could take risks, but she couldn''t risk the lives of the sisters who trusted her, so she turned back and said to them: "Sisters, I, I have to go rescue my brother, my own brother, I must go, there might be danger. I must do this, but you don''t have to take the risk with me."


    After speaking, she stepped forward, seemingly awaiting the others'' reactions.


    Chubby and the lively young girl were the first to stand by Song Min''s side, saying, "Sister Song, if it weren''t for you, we might not have survived at all, wherever you go! I''ll follow!"


    "Yeah, Sister Song, if it weren''t for you, we probably would have died in the last Zombie Tide." the lively girl added.


    The faces of a few other women showed some hesitation, but upon hearing what the two said, the hesitation in their eyes instantly turned to resolution. They moved to stand by her side as well.


    "Sister Song"


    "Sister Song"


    "Sister Song, we''ll go with you to rescue your brother."


    "Yes, Sister Song, we''re not afraid, there''s nothing left in this world that can scare us."


    "Even death doesn''t frighten us, why should we fear these despicable men?"


    "Well said!"


    "Yes!"


    ...


    The crowd was electrified as if a flame was ignited; their eyes sparkled with a unique light. In this post-apocalyptic world, as women, they were originally at a disadvantage.


    No, even before the apocalypse, many considered women to be the weaker sex, hence they always looked at them with a kind of pity.


    But now, they had faced painful experiences, enduring one hardship after another in this post-apocalyptic world, and they had survived them all.


    Death! They were not afraid of it, what else was there to fear?


    Perhaps, the only thing that could frighten them now was themselves.


    Sister Song, leading them, helped them understand that in this world, one must fight with their own hands!


    Song Min was moved as she watched these sisters, their eyes alight with sparkle; she was truly touched!


    Therefore, she bowed deeply to them!


    But she didn''t speak. In this situation, any words would fall short. However, Song Min''s bow conveyed her gratitude.


    "Let''s go!" Song Min took the lead, pulling the two male students forward to lead the way.


    The two male students were somewhat conflicted. They had experienced firsthand the terror of that gang, and now they had to go back, they felt torn inside.


    It seemed as if Song Min and the others saw the inner struggle of these two male students and looked at them with some contempt. Abandoning one''s companions and running away alone, regardless of the excuses, was a despicable act in their eyes.


    Thus, the looks they gave these two male students seemed to carry an added measure of disdain.


    Song Min took out a knife and pointed it at the two men. Before she could speak, the two male students willingly stepped forward.


    Indeed, they knew how to act according to the situation!


    Heh!


    Song Min and her group followed the two male students, heading in the direction of the wholesale market.


    ....


    Meanwhile, Big Gold Teeth and his men had completely taken control of the situation. Whether it was Teacher Liu, Song Qi, or the two little girls, all had been subdued.


    Especially when Big Gold Teeth climbed the steps and saw the window filled with food, he felt the trip had been worthwhile.


    "Haha, you really are my lucky stars, it wasn''t a wasted trip." Big Gold Teeth turned around, laughing as he spoke to Teacher Liu.


    Teacher Liu''s face was seething with rage. She wanted to say something, but the two men holding her instantly exerted force, twisting her elbow painfully and silencing her.


    Song Qi, trampled underfoot, was filled with defiance. She tried to struggle fiercely, but those men were not about to let her succeed.


    Seeing Song Qi attempt to struggle, a man brutally kicked her in the waist. An excruciating pain surged through her, revealing a look of agony on her face.


    "What do you, you, all of you want to do?" The adorable-faced little girl trembled as she watched this scene.


    "Little sister, today your uncle is going to teach you a lesson."


    Upon hearing the malicious words that spilled from Big Gold Teeth''s mouth, Teacher Liu''s expression was one of anxiety and regret, wishing they had never ventured out. Perhaps they would never have encountered them.


    But sometimes, man''s plans cannot compare to fate''s designs. Being weak might just be an original sin.


    Big Gold Teeth, eyeing the subdued Teacher Liu, revealed a strange gleam in his eyes.


    Licking his lips, he rubbed his hands together, intending to draw closer for a taste of her charms.


    The calm man and the young man who had opened the car, however, showed a hint of sympathy in their expressions.


    "Brother Qiang, this...this..." the young man said.


    The calm man sighed deeply. They had already tried to do as little as possible. Big Gold Teeth earlier ordered them to attack Teacher Liu and the others, but they intentionally held back, giving the two male students a chance to escape.


    He couldn''t bear to see this scene either, but he was helpless, so he said, "Don''t meddle in others'' affairs. We can''t save them. If we save them, what will happen to my family in the city?"


    ... Sear?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Big Gold Teeth drew closer to Teacher Liu, his finger indecently lifted her chin.


    Just at that moment, the man who had gone after the fleeing male students returned.


    His expression was full of panic, and he appeared somewhat disheveled from running persallelously back.


    Unable to stop in time, he bumped into Big Gold Teeth, who was heading towards Teacher Liu.


    "Ouch!" Big Gold Teeth exclaimed.


    "What the hell are you doing? Running around in such a panic? Damn it! Where are those two? And the students?" Big Gold Teeth angrily said to the disheveled man in front of him.


    The man took a couple of deep breaths, pausing for five or six seconds.


    Just as Big Gold Teeth''s patience was about to run out, the man panted, "They, they, they were saved! It was, it was, it was a group of women, apart from me, all Brother Jie''s men were killed!"

 Chapter 93 - 86: The Gunshot!

    "What?!" Big Gold Teeth exclaimed in surprise.


    "You''re telling me that a bunch of women rescued him, and they even killed Jiezi and his men!" Big Gold Teeth looked at the man in disbelief.


    Then, with scorn in his eyes, he said, "If you''re lying to me, your brain must be seriously screwed up! If what you''re saying is true, then you guys are really useless!"


    The man took another gasp of breath and said, "Those women aren''t like ordinary people, they are extremely vicious, they didn''t even let me finish talking before one of them made a move."


    The refined-looking man beside them narrowed his eyes, having heard what he said, and took a few steps forward.


    Then he said to Big Gold Teeth, "Brother Gold, if what he''s saying is true, then those women... they might come here. In fact, they could be on their way right now."


    Upon hearing this, Big Gold Teeth nodded, then said with a sinister face to the man who escaped back, "What weapons do they have? How many people?"


    The man replied, "Roughly around ten. They have mainly two crossbows, the rest are iron rods, spears, and the like."


    "Any guns?"


    "Didn''t see any, probably don''t have any. Around here, guns are rare. Where would ordinary folks get something like that?"


    Big Gold Teeth slightly nodded with a somewhat relieved expression.


    He said slowly, "No guns? A bunch of women without guns, and we have more people than them, are we supposed to be afraid of them? Heh, come on! Let them come, I was planning on going to find them if they didn''t come."


    The refined man immediately said, "Brother Gold is powerful! Let''s just wait for them here!"


    At this moment, on one side of the street, Song Min and others'' figures emerged slowly.


    The first thing Song Min saw was her brother, Song Qi, being stepped on by a muscular brute. Seeing this, Song Min felt like her lungs were about to burst from rage.


    She had a very good relationship with her younger brother since childhood, she never had the heart to hit him, but now his face was swollen and he was being stepped on mercilessly, even bleeding from his right leg.


    Just as she was about to lose control, wanting to rush over to rescue her brother, she suddenly noticed the people in front of her and calmed down:


    If she rushed over rashly, not only would she fail to save her brother, but she might also expose their identities as siblings, which could be used to blackmail her.


    So, she couldn''t reveal her relationship with her brother.


    Thinking this, she planned to approach from the side, getting as close as possible and perhaps find an opportunity to launch a surprise attack.


    But by this time, Big Gold Teeth and his men had already noticed Song Min and the others.


    Big Gold Teeth saw Song Min and the other girls from afar, some of whom were quite pretty.


    So he smiled and said to Song Min, "What''s up? Coming to rescue someone?" and then he pointed at Teacher Liu who was pinned to the ground.


    Seeing that they had been discovered, Song Min confidently walked forward, and as she approached, she gradually saw Teacher Liu and the two female students beside Big Gold Teeth.


    Seeing what was about to happen, the sisters beside her felt angry, as they hated these kinds of people the most.


    They all clenched the weapons in their hands tightly; seeing this, Song Min''s desire to kill these people grew even stronger.


    These people! Must die!


    The other women also gripped their weapons tightly and slowly approached them.


    And the men who were stepping on Song Qi also drew their weapons, while a few more men slowly surrounded them.


    On one-side were more than a dozen men, and on the other were ten women. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a difference in height, but they were evenly matched in terms of aura. Even on the women''s side, there was a sense of recklessness, and a chilling murderous air suddenly enveloped the entire street.


    Beside Song Min, Xiao Pang even slightly raised his crossbow.


    It seemed that seeing this, Big Gold Teeth''s eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly, he drew a handgun from his waist and fired a shot into the sky.


    Bang!


    The sound of the gunshot immediately subdued both parties. Nobody expected Big Gold Teeth to have a gun. Although it was just a handgun, in this era, guns were hard to come by.


    Big Gold Teeth himself was taken aback by the sound of the gun. It was his first time using one, so although he intended to shoot the women opposite him, he also figured that he definitely wouldn''t be accurate.


    Rather than becoming a laughingstock, it seemed better to shoot into the sky and intimidate the people opposite him, but it also ended up intimidating his own people.


    They had not expected Big Gold Teeth to have a gun!


    This gun was given to him by Boss Zhang when they set out, because it was anticipated that some people might have particular ideas in mind during this trip, so one of the few guns was handed over to him.


    After the gunshot, people on both sides were somewhat stunned as they looked at him.


    In Big Gold Teeth''s team, the composed man''s pupils shrank ever so slightly, and the young man standing beside him whispered, "This is to guard against us..."


    Shock��suddenly, the atmosphere turned heavy.


    On the other hand, Song Min''s previously fearless demeanor was shattered in an instant.


    They could fight desperately, but under firearms, resistance seemed to become very difficult.


    The atmosphere became much quieter for a moment.


    ....


    At the same time.


    Not far from here, in a small medical clinic, Li Yu and others were moving some medicine and equipment.


    Although Li Yu had stockpiled a variety of medicines before the apocalypse, such things could never be too abundant. They had just come across this small clinic, and it would be unreasonable not to take what was left.


    Even though many medicines were already gone, whatever was left��since Li Yu and the others had vehicles capable of carrying a lot��they had to clean out everything, even taking the IV stands from the tables.


    At noon in this apocalyptic world, under the scorching heat, zombies hid in dark corners.


    Although there were still some zombies on the streets, they were few in number.


    Aside from the three zombies they encountered when first entering the clinic and the five or six zombies they killed on the road earlier, large groups of zombies were rare.


    At this moment, the city was unusually quiet; while Li Yu and the others were moving things, it felt as though the only sound was that of their own activity.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out, and Li Yu and the others heard it too.


    Very clear, it must be close by.


    Li Yu, Zhao Dapao, and the others all stopped, placing what was in their hands on the ground, listening intently for further developments. The construction workers beside them also stopped upon seeing this.


    Li Yu waited a while longer, hearing no other gunshots. With a blank expression, no one knew what he was thinking.


    "A 92 handgun, the sound is unmistakable. Less than 2 kilometers away, in the northwest direction." Zhao Dapao had come to understand Li Yu more and more over time, and he increasingly acknowledged Li Yu''s ideas.


    At this moment, seeing Li Yu''s expression, Zhao Dapao could guess what Li Yu wanted to do and directly spoke out first.


    Li Yu looked at Zhao Dapao with a hint of surprise and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

 Chapter 94 - 87: The Resentful Soul

    Looking at the mostly packed belongings, Li Yu thought for a moment, waved his hand, and said, "Get in the car!"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than he immediately stopped, glancing at the two large trucks. Driving those over would be too noisy.


    So he immediately said, "Take the electric cars, go slower, don''t go straight there, don''t get discovered. Stop nearby and we''ll walk over quietly."


    "Drive slowly later!" Li Yu added.


    They had been to this city many times since the end of the world, and each time they found some new survivors. But this was the first time they heard gunshots.


    They had to find out who was shooting, how many guns these people had. Why they were shooting wasn''t important, what mattered was their strength!


    Li Yu wouldn''t allow any potential threats to arise around him; he at least needed to have a sense of what to expect!


    This trip was to find out who exactly was shooting.


    Li Yu and his group drove slowly in the new energy vehicle, and after just over a kilometer, Li Yu signaled to stop the car. The vehicle was too conspicuous, so they decided to go on foot.


    Everyone got out of the car. Five construction workers, each holding some long knives and daggers; and Li Yu brought along Yang Tianlong, Zhao Dapao, and others. Since the end of the world, Li Yu and them had developed a good tacit understanding. Often, a single look could convey each other''s thoughts.


    They approached slowly, Li Yu leading with the quietest of steps.


    Soon, they reached the wholesale food market.


    At the corner, Li Yu took a step forward and immediately retreated.


    Those behind him stopped, too.


    Li Yu put two fingers up, signaling everyone to stop and keep quiet.


    But the workers who were following him for the first time didn''t seem to quite understand, looking confused.


    Li Yu then placed his finger over his mouth and made a ''shush'' gesture.


    Everyone got the message.


    Li Yu peered out a little and from his angle, he saw the backs of Song Min and her group.


    Not 20 meters from them was a group of men, 16 in total.


    It seemed like the men had captured a few girls.


    And one of the men was holding a gun!


    No other firearms were visible.


    Li Yu slowly pulled back his head, signaling everyone to quietly step back a few paces.


    A question arose in Li Yu''s mind: Song Min?


    Why were these two groups fighting here?


    His questions began to unfold through the dialogue between the two sides, their voices carrying slowly over the open street...


    "That plump little one there, yes, you, put down your crossbow, or I''ll shoot," Big Gold Teeth said.


    The chubby one next to Song Min looked at her, and she nodded.


    Chubby sighed dejectedly and put down his crossbow.


    Song Min saw Song Qi trampled underfoot and sensed he wanted to speak, so she shook her head.


    Song Qi seemed to understand her; revealing their relationship would bring blackmail, making the situation even harder.


    At that moment, Song Min, seeing Teacher Liu being held by Big Gold Teeth, felt some anger but then a thought struck her.


    So she said, "Let them go!"


    Unlike those two boys, Teacher Liu and the other two girls had barely met Song Min, so they didn''t know she was actually Song Qi''s sister.


    But those two boys, often hanging out with Song Qi, were familiar with Song Min.


    Upon hearing Song Min''s words.


    Big Gold Teeth laughed mockingly, "Let them go? Why should I? Do you think you have the strength to talk like that? Why don''t you switch places with them? Heh heh!"


    The refined-looking man and a few others also echoed with laughter.


    Meanwhile, at the street corner, Li Yu was speechless.


    Before the apocalypse, many men thought with what''s below the waist;


    After the apocalypse, the evil in human nature magnified to the extreme, with many men thinking with their lust, not doing actual work, just fooling around.


    "Just another tremulous play," Li Yu cursed inwardly. "Damn unbelievable!"


    Just as his patience was almost worn out, he suddenly heard the refined-looking man say to Big Gold Teeth, "Bro Gold, we''re really lucky this time, stumbling upon so many women all at once. Last time in Xiang County, I wasn''t satisfied yet!..."


    Xiang County!


    Xiang County!


    Xiang County!


    Li Yu heard this and instantly turned his head to look at Zhao Dapao.


    He was afraid Zhao Dapao would get emotional and expose their position.


    He saw Zhao Dapao trembling all over, gripping the gun tightly.


    His eyes seemed to spew out fury, biting his teeth so hard. His face, filled with rage, resembled a lion.


    But still, not a single sound was made.


    Li Yu sighed, gently patting Zhao Dapao on the back.


    He knew that when Zhao Dapao first returned to Xiang County, it was the sight of his family''s tragic deaths which had led him to ask many people, only to learn it was a group of outsiders who had passed through.


    Since joining the base, every time Li Yu took the team out, whenever they came across survivors, he would ask if they had been to Xiang County or seen anyone go there.


    But there had been no news at all, no word of Zhao Dapao''s enemies.


    Now, finally, they had heard something. Although it couldn''t be confirmed one hundred percent, there was a very good chance they were the ones, from the conversation of that group just now!


    Li Yu had once promised Zhao Dapao that he would help him find traces of his enemies and help him get his revenge. Li Yu had stuck to his word all along the way.


    And now, they had finally seen a trace!


    Elsewhere.


    Upon hearing what Big Gold Teeth and the others had said, Song Min''s face changed with uncertainty, conflicted. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Those people opposite had guns! Even though she had a crossbow, it was definitely not as fast as a gun.


    Moreover, the opposition was composed of adult men; if it came to a fight, it was certain that her side would be at a greater disadvantage.


    She could save her brother, but she couldn''t gamble with her sisters'' lives. Her sisters trusted her so much that even now, when the men opposite had guns, not a single one of them backed down. It was as if, with just one command from her, they would all be ready to die to save someone.


    Her sisters trusted her, and the less they feared death, the more she had to consider their safety.


    A trace of indecision appeared on her face, and for a moment, she didn''t know what to say.


    In her mind, thoughts flew at lightning speed, pondering how to break out of this situation.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Big Gold Teeth, seeing that Song Min and the others were completely still, felt a growing sense of contempt.


    He spat at the man who had run back and said, "Them? Killed Jiezi? Hahaha, you must be joking with me! Look at them; they don''t dare to fart!


    Women,


    are just that... hehe, I''ll do whatever I want to them...


    Wait a bit, and I will... then... and you guys one by one...."


    The man who had run back also looked at Song Min and her group with some confusion. He seemed unable to comprehend why the woman who was so decisive in killing before was now so quiet and hesitant.


    The women beside Song Min, hearing their words, were filled with anger and wanted to step forward and kill them.


    But Sister Song had yet to speak.


    So the sisters beside her began to say, "Sister Song, we''re not afraid, is it just a gun? We can die, but before we do, I''ll tear a chunk off them."


    "Sister Song, let''s do it, these scumbags, doing such things again! They must be castrated!"


    "Sister Song, I never wanted to keep living anyway. I can''t stand this feeling of being suffocated."


    "Sister Song, I''m not afraid, we''ve always been sisters and we always will be!"


    "Sister Song, I''ve thought it through. People live on their pride; I have to prove that we are no worse than these rotten men. In this apocalyptic world, we as women can live just as well!"


    "Sister Song! I want to kill them!"


    "Death!"


    ...


    The women, while talking, slowly moved forward.


    Not a single one showed fear, not one was scared, not one was frightened.


    What they displayed was resilience!


    What was within them was an indomitable roar; they could not bear gender inequality, they could not bear being seen by men as mere tools to satisfy their urges!


    The discontent, they could not bear it!


    It was as if they were constrained by an invisible cage of the world, gasping for breath, their bodies whipped until they were covered in bloody wounds, an invisible force pressing down on them, preventing them from raising their heads!


    It was like an invisible rope of social conventions tied around their necks, continuously pulling, leaving them unable to breathe.


    They! Wanted to make these men never scorn them again!


    They! Wanted to use their lives to roar at this world, to struggle vehemently:


    Women are strong too! Women should not be treated as tools!


    The sky was hot and dry, aggravating an already irritable mood. The oppressive hot air made it hard to breathe.


    On the ground lay some zombie corpses or decaying bodies, unremarkable among the ruins of the streets.


    But the stench they emitted was nauseating.


    These women, with firm steps and determined eyes, showed not the slightest fear nor any sign of retreating.


    Seeing her sisters like this, Song Min''s eyes reddened, and she bit her lower lip until it bled, not caring about the pain.


    Looking at her sisters, the emotions of being moved surged inside her like waves, making her want to cry!


    But, she held it back.


    ....

 Chapter 95 - 88: I Ask, You Answer

    At the corner of the street''s end, Li Yu and his people stood behind a wall, listening to the conversations between both parties.


    As they watched both sides closing in, the battle was about to erupt.


    Li Yu told everyone to fall back and encircle, then he directly assigned tasks, saying: "Dapao, Tiezi, the two of you follow me, we''ll ambush those guys from behind; Brother Tianlong, Gangzi, you block the back here."


    Then he glanced at the few part-time workers nearby, a trace of thought in his eyes, and then instructed, "You guys block the intersection, to prevent anyone from escaping!"


    "Remember, we''ll act according to the situation. Right now it seems they only have one gun. Before I say ''kill,'' you can injure but don''t kill! I want to ask them about Xiang County."


    "But if someone on the other side has hidden a gun, shoot to kill on the spot! Don''t give them a chance to react!"


    In just 50 seconds, Li Yu had laid out the tasks. Yang Tianlong and the others had no objections, but one of the part-time workers seemed to not have caught on yet and asked, "What if someone runs away?"


    Li Yu looked up at him with a fierce gaze and said, "Then don''t let anyone escape!" With not a hint of hesitation.


    The part-time worker seemed to finally understand and fell silent.


    "Alright, let''s move! Quick! Quick! Quick!"


    Li Yu took the lead and ran swiftly towards the same row of streets at the wholesale market, trying to keep his voice down as much as possible. Fortunately, this street wasn''t very long, just about two hundred meters.


    Behind him, Zhao Dapao and Li Tie followed closely. Zhao Dapao''s face was grey, and beneath it, a hint of redness seemed to surface.


    Too long!


    He had waited too long for this day!


    Soon, Li Yu arrived at the other side of the street.


    According to the previous plan, the first thing Li Yu wanted to do was take out Big Gold Teeth, who had the gun.


    In the center of the food wholesale market street.


    Big Gold Teeth held a gun in one hand, aiming it at Song Min across from him. Beside her, the refined man and others gathered around, and even those men pushing Song Qi and others also started raising their weapons.


    The distance between the two sides was closing, Song Min''s side, a group of women resolute in the face of death, and narrowing the gap. Song Min''s eyes became redder and redder.


    Big Gold Teeth saw that Song Min and the others were really fearless, but he was also worried that his shooting might not be accurate enough, which annoyed him. A surge of anger rose in his heart, seeming to indicate that if Song Min and her group took one more step, he would fire!


    "You want to die, huh! Brothers, it seems these women need some discipline!"


    "If you take one more step, I''ll kill you, someone like you, I''ve killed..."


    Bang!


    A gunshot!


    The sound came from behind Big Gold Teeth and his men, not from Big Gold Teeth!


    It was Li Yu!


    The hand Big Gold Teeth held his handgun with was suddenly pierced by a bullet, and the handgun dropped to the ground.


    But whether it was Song Min or Big Gold Teeth, both were dumbfounded. Where did that gunshot come from? Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Who could it be? This was utterly unexpected!


    "Ah! Who is it! Who the hell! Fuck! ******," Big Gold Teeth howled, crying out while spewing a stream of obscenities.


    Bang!


    Another gunshot!


    This time it hit Big Gold Teeth''s other hand. Li Yu had impressive marksmanship, with only Zhao Dapao on par with him in the entire crew.


    After firing, Li Yu ran closer to these people, with Li Tie, Zhao Dapao, and others following close behind.


    While running, he observed whether these people had any other firearms.


    On the other end, Yang Tianlong also started running over from the street corner.


    The two gunshots connected very rapidly. Even Big Gold Teeth, who had just been shot and was confused and in pain, looked stupefied.


    It was too unexpected; two consecutive shots took everyone by surprise.


    People on both sides were stunned by the gunshots.


    By the time they came to their senses, Li Yu and his team were already very close to them.


    The scholarly-looking man was the quickest to react. He was also the closest to the gun. Turning his head to see Li Yu and the others running towards him, he quickly bent down, trying to pick up the gun.


    Bang!


    Zhao Dapao ran and lifted his hand to shoot at the scholarly man''s scapula, hitting precisely in the center. In that spot, being shot was extremely painful!


    "Ah!" After getting shot, the scholarly man quickly broke into a cold sweat, falling to the ground.


    And at this moment, Li Yu and the others had already reached them.


    Big Gold Teeth and the others seemed to have snapped out of their daze, looking at Li Yu and his team with confusion and immense hatred. Amidst their confusion and hatred, when they saw the firearms in Li Yu''s hands, a sliver of fear emerged!


    Behind Big Gold Teeth, Song Min and the others looked at Li Yu with joy, especially Song Min, who saw Li Yu and his team descend like gods from the heavens. Various emotions, including pent-up hatred and grievances, could no longer be contained, and her eyes reddened instantly.


    Looking at Li Yu, she felt a surge of emotions and wanted to speak. She opened her mouth as if to say something: "You..."


    Before they could speak, Li Yu raised his hand and said without looking, "Don''t talk."


    "Oh." Song Min promptly shut her mouth, and the other women beside her also stopped their words, quietly waiting for Li Yu.


    At that moment, the men stepping on Song Qi also looked fearfully at Li Yu, then moved Song Qi and the others aside.


    The scholarly man looked at Li Yu, then at Song Min and the others, and finally at Teacher Liu and his group.


    Especially when he saw Teacher Liu being held at knifepoint by two men, an idea struck his mind.


    Suddenly, he said, "If you shoot again, we''ll kill this woman!" After he finished speaking, the two men holding Teacher Liu seemed to realize what was happening and quickly placed their knives against her neck.


    Bang! Bang!


    Li Yu fired his gun, hitting the scholarly man''s thighs immediately!


    The location hit was near the base of the thighs, a particularly vulnerable area, and the bullets turned the flesh there into a bloody mess!


    "Ah!!!!!" A blood-curdling scream echoed.


    Everyone around inhaled sharply at this sight.


    This man, he didn''t even get a few words out before taking action!


    ...


    "Who among you has been to Xiang County?" Li Yu went straight to the point. His tone devoid of any human emotion.


    Big Gold Teeth and the scholarly man looked at this terrifying demon, puzzled as to why Li Yu would ask this.


    In pain, Big Gold Teeth said, "You, you, you, why are you asking this? And why did you shoot us? Why..."


    Bang!


    Another gunshot!


    Li Yu directly shot one of Big Gold Teeth''s legs. For Li Yu, the rhythm of the conversation could only be controlled by him; he did not like to converse within the context set by others. He also did not like to waste words.


    Looking at Big Gold Teeth, who was wailing in pain with his thigh bleeding, one hand and one leg already shot, he now completely unable to stand, fell to the ground.


    Aiming the gun at everyone, he said, "I do not want to waste bullets. I ask, you answer! If you don''t respond, the next shot, I kill."

 Chapter 96 - 89: Make Him Regret Coming to This World

    Looking at Li Yu, whose face was devoid of any expression but whose entire body was emanating a thick aura of killing intent.


    Big Gold Teeth and the others felt a tremor in their hearts, fully believing that if they did not do as he said later on, he would definitely make a move.


    Even the refined-looking man who had wanted to use Teacher Liu as leverage against Li Yu now completely abandoned the thought of coercing him.


    The two men holding Teacher Liu felt the same; such actions would in no way threaten him.


    Didn''t they see just a moment ago the moment that guy started talking, this person fired freaking two shots straight away!


    How to threaten this kind of person? Maybe, he simply did not care at all!


    ...


    Li Yu saw that everyone had quieted down, even the refined-looking man and Big Gold Teeth lying on the ground were trying their best to bear the pain and not make a sound.


    So he said, "Who among you have been to Xiang County?" Next to him, Zhao Dapao was all nervously watching, his eyes piercing into people''s faces like nails.


    ...


    Silence!


    No one answered; Big Gold Teeth and the refined-looking man exchanged glances, sensing an unwelcome possibility in each other''s eyes.


    They had been to Xiang County before, right after the apocalypse broke out, and when they went there to scavenge for supplies, they had killed many innocent people and violated many women.


    Now, with Li Yu''s group asking this question with murderous looks on their faces.


    Certainly not good news!


    Big Gold Teeth and the refined-looking man kept silent, and so did the other men next to them; after all, they had also taken part!


    Except...


    The composed man who stood behind Big Gold Teeth and had been quietly observing Li Yu and the others, now seeing Li Yu seemed ready to shoot again.


    He weighed his options, seemingly coming to some conclusion.


    A gleam flashed in his eyes.


    He spoke up, "All of us have been to Xiang County!"


    His words shocked everyone! All eyes turned to him.


    The young man next to him also looked at him in surprise.


    Big Gold Teeth and others were glaring at him furiously!


    Li Yu, standing opposite them, narrowed his eyes at him, his gaze emitting a terrifying aura.


    Zhao Dapao''s breathing grew somewhat more rapid.


    "Then, have you been to, Xiang County, He Xiang Road, Gardenia Garden District?" Li Yu asked slowly.


    The composed man pondered for a moment and hesitantly said, "I don''t know where you''re talking about; we''ve been to many places, I don''t know which one you mean."


    Zhao Dapao said with a hint of killing intent in his voice, "There''s an eight-floor ancient pagoda next to it."


    Hearing this, the composed man nodded and said, "I remember, we should have been there; there seemed to be a pagoda. We all searched for supplies there."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the gun in Zhao Dapao''s hand trembled slightly.


    The composed man noticed this too and quickly added, "Me and him." He looked towards the young man next to him, then said, "We joined this team later, I have family members in their hands; I was forced to join them, I haven''t participated in those bad deeds!"


    Li Yu remained noncommittal, giving him a look, then pressed on, "Then what? You mean they did something bad?" pointing at Big Gold Teeth and the others.


    Zhao Dapao, guessing in his heart, had now 99% certainty that these people were the ones who killed his parents!


    But he knew Li Yu had a plan and things that needed to be clarified; he couldn''t make his move yet, so he was holding back. But it was getting hard.


    "After we arrived there, some people were hiding in their homes, and then they acted recklessly, killed a lot of people. They violated many women. But I didn''t participate in these; both he and I had low status in the team, just acting as porters..."


    Big Gold Teeth and the others had already guessed why Li Yu and his group were looking for them.


    At this moment, they were all feeling a mix of unease, fear, and despair, and in an instant, they wanted to retort.


    Especially Big Gold Teeth, seeing the composed man still talking, was filled with resentment and, enduring the pain, said: "You were involved too!"


    The scholarly man beside him also thought about this matter and was certain it couldn''t end well. Since they had already offended them and had been found out, he might as well drag them down too, so everyone would be finished!


    So he followed up and said: "Hehe, don''t say you weren''t involved; you were the first to say it felt great!" S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The composed man''s face remained calm, seemingly unaffected by these people.


    He then continued: "We are only a part of the group; our headquarters is in the city, with over two hundred people. Also, we don''t have many firearms; the first time I saw one was with Boss Zhang holding it, and this time I saw it with him, I guess there aren''t many firearms."


    "Additionally, among the people who went to Xiang County, besides us, there is a portion that hasn''t come, they are still at the headquarters."


    The composed man seemed to have guessed what Li Yu and the others were thinking, but he didn''t try to cover anything up or hide, he directly spoke the most truthful information he knew.


    "Furthermore, the location of our headquarters is in..., and our arrangements are...."He was very specific and detailed in explaining the location and the distribution of their headquarters'' strength.


    Even the factions within were explained very clearly.


    Listening to him, Li Yu''s expression became even more serious as he began to assess the reliability of what the man was saying.


    "Then, the reason we came to Xin City is because of a shortage of internal supplies... based on my guess, there definitely aren''t many firearms, it should be...."


    The composed man was about to continue when Big Gold Teeth''s face, along with his explanation, turned darker and darker, and suddenly he shouted furiously: "He''s lying to you all! He just wants to lure you over and wipe you out in one fell swoop!"


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu''s interest was piqued, and he looked at Big Gold Teeth''s face with amusement and asked: "Then what do you have to say?"


    Big Gold Teeth, as if a duck''s neck was being strangled, suddenly froze, hemming and hawing for a while, his eyes darting about, at a loss for words.


    His eyes rolled about as if he had thought of something, then he immediately opened his mouth and said: "That, as for going to Xiang County, that wasn''t us, it was, it was those two and others, uh, headquarters, the headquarters....."


    Seeing his expression and his stammering, Li Yu quickly lost his patience. The first one to be questioned was Big Gold Teeth, who didn''t answer the question, and even asked back. Now, with a face that seemed to be fabricating lies, did he think he was a fool?


    Bang!


    Li Yu''s gun fired.


    A small, clear hole appeared in the center of Big Gold Teeth''s forehead.


    Li Yu shook his head and said: "Sorry, my hand slipped, please continue your story."


    Looking down at the body on the ground, the others seemed to realize that Big Gold Teeth had died.


    "So, how about you tell the story?" Li Yu turned to the scholarly man and spoke unhurriedly.


    The scholarly man, with a hint of a twisted look in his eyes, chuckled and said: "Hehehe! I just love to torture, what about it, I just killed them, what about it? Even if I tell you, what difference does it make? You won''t let us go anyway.


    You want to hear, right? Then I''ll bloody well tell you!


    Hahahaha, I just love to torture them, hahaha, it''s a pity for those young girls at Xiang County No. 2 Middle School, they died too miserably."


    "And that man who drove, I tricked him out of his car and directly slaughtered him, to teach him what the end of the world means!"


    "I still remember an elderly couple, hah, that lame old man even blocked my knife with his body! He just wanted to protect his wife, ah, how touching, I killed all of them! Two stabs and they were done."


    "And there''s more....."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Zhao Dapao, upon hearing about the lame old man, became instantly enraged, his eyes filled with murderous intent, his fists clenched tightly, his gun aimed at the man, as if he was about to shoot any moment.


    Li Yu sighed and pushed down his gun.


    "You take him aside, torture him slowly, one shot would be letting him off too easily." Li Yu said.


    Zhao Dapao nodded, his eyes revealing a terrifying and twisted look, to treat a psychopath with psychopath''s methods! That''s the best solution.


    He was going to make this refined beast regret ever coming into this world!!!

 Chapter 97 - 90: Kill!

    Zhao Dapao stepped forward, grabbed the refined man''s hair, and dragged him to one side like dragging a dead dog.


    Then he looked around for a few ropes and tied the refined man under a nearby shed.


    He drew his knife and cut the refined man''s tendons in his hands and feet with four strokes!


    "Ah!" The refined man howled in pain.


    Zhao Dapao was naturally reticent, and his face now looked unlike any human expression, mechanical and numb. In his numbness, there was a trace of venom.


    Following that, Zhao Dapao pulled out a dagger and started to slice from the top of the man''s head. The wound was not deep, but not shallow either, slowly cutting downwards.


    The refined man''s skin was slowly cut open bit by bit. Fresh blood oozed slowly.


    Zhao Dapao was meticulous, not cutting his arteries, apparently wanting him to deeply feel the sensation of slowly losing blood throughout his body.


    This method wouldn''t cause immediate death, but the blood loss would be significantly felt.


    And the larger the area of the wound exposed to the air, the more intense the pain would be!


    "You! F*ck! Ahh!!!" The refined man seemed unable to bear the pain and started to curse loudly, but Zhao Dapao didn''t give him a chance to continue, he casually found some duct tape from a nearby store and sealed his mouth shut.


    Then he continued to cut open the refined man''s wounds...


    All those present saw this scene, a chill rose from their backs, it was too cruel.


    However, some people looked at him with admiration, Song Qi!


    Since being trampled on the ground by Big Gold Teeth and others, he could only watch helplessly as everyone was humiliated, feeling powerless. Now seeing Li Yu kill Big Gold Teeth without a second word, and watching Zhao Dapao fight brutality with brutality, he seemed to understand something.


    In this apocalyptic world, absolute force meant absolute say. Only violence could counteract violence.


    He himself, was still too weak!


    And the steady man standing behind Big Gold Teeth''s corpse felt his eyelids twitch as he saw this scene, suddenly feeling fearful of his decision to collaborate with Li Yu and others.


    Li Yu looked at that steady man and said, "Continue speaking what you know."


    The steady man continued, explaining everything he knew about the headquarters.


    But the other dozen men standing nearby couldn''t hold themselves upright any longer, because they saw Big Gold Teeth who had been shot dead and now witnessing Zhao Dapao slowly blood-letting the refined man, they felt they might be next.


    At this moment, the men who were stepping on Song Qi and holding Teacher Liu exchanged looks. A hint of ferocity flashed in their eyes, as if they had made up their minds.


    Those stepping on Song Qi, seeing Li Yu listening to the steady man and not paying attention to them started to slowly lift their foot, turned back to look at Song Min and others.


    "Run!" a man whispered, and then the group scattered towards Song Min''s direction.


    Song Min and others saw these men rushing towards them, immediately raised their crossbows to block them. But before she could shoot her crossbow, several gunshots rang out from behind.


    Bang, bang!


    The two men who were at the forefront were shot dead by Yang Tianlong and his team behind Song Min.


    The remaining men, seeing the two who ran ahead instantly killed, didn''t know whether to move forward or retreat.


    They stood in place, unsure of what to do.


    Li Yu actually knew they were going to run. Although he seemed to have been listening to the steady man, he was also monitoring the reactions of the other men. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aside from Big Gold Teeth and the refined man, no one dared to contradict the steady man''s words. Li Yu found this somewhat incredible.


    Either, the steady man was telling the truth, or seeing Big Gold Teeth''s fate, they did not dare to use lies to dispute.


    Either they are not intelligent enough, or at this moment, they still don''t provide a defense for themselves.


    Accompanied by the gunshot, the composed man''s speech was interrupted. However, by this point, the content he spoke of was almost done, and towards the end, it started to become repetitive.


    Li Yu waved his hand, signaling the remaining men to come over.


    However, these men stood still, shrinking back, seemingly because they were afraid of Li Yu, yet not knowing how to resist. After all, from what they could see, those who resisted earlier ended up dead quicker.


    Thus, even if they wanted to resist, they momentarily lacked the courage, given the lesson learned from their predecessors.


    "Come here!" Li Yu shouted loudly.


    The voice was very loud, and it scared Teacher Liu, who had just slowly gotten up from the ground. Teacher Liu quickly pulled two female students next to him, trying to move to the side as far as possible. Song Qi also stood up, but instead of going in the direction of Teacher Liu, he walked towards Song Min.


    With Li Yu''s shout, these men started to walk towards Li Yu, but among them, a few walked at the back, seemingly adjusting the direction of their Long Knifes.


    "Is what he said right?" Li Yu pointed to the composed man and asked.


    As these men slowly approached, Li Yu''s gun also subtly raised.


    None of these men responded, but they still kept moving closer and closer to Li Yu.


    Li Yu watched their approach, and in his heart, already had the answer.


    Seeing them at less than 15 meters now, Li Yu narrowed his eyes and opened fire.


    Bang!


    As the gun fired, Li Tie beside Li Yu also fired his gun.


    "It''s a dead end anyway, let''s fight them." Big Gold Teeth started running towards Li Yu, charging forward.


    But human speed, no matter how fast, can''t outpace a bullet.


    Accompanied by a burst of gunfire.


    These men fell to the ground, all lifeless.


    The gunfire also spread from one street to another street and echoed...


    Li Yu''s Spear Skills were very good, and Li Tie, assisting by his side, also shot some people.


    At this moment, if you were to cross the street and look at the scene,


    You would first see Zhao Dapao still torturing the refined man, followed by Li Yu and Li Tie holding guns.


    Then, standing to the side were Teacher Liu and others, their faces showing satisfaction, reluctance, more so fear, but after the fear, they looked at Li Yu and others with intense gratitude.


    On the other side, Song Min pulling Song Qi, looking at the pile of bodies on the ground, seemed to be at a loss about what they initially wanted to say at the moment.


    Next to Song Min, Yang Tianlong and Li Gang stood there, vigilantly watching everyone present, excluding those who came out from the base.


    Death of a person is like the snuffing of a lamp; when people die, all becomes quiet.


    For a moment, the scene turned eerily silent.


    "Ah...ah...ah." A faint wail lingered.


    Li Yu turned his head; it was from the refined man, who by that time had his face slashed and his eyes seemed to bulge out, suffering worse than death.


    Below him, blood flowed like a stream, slowly flowing.


    He was still not dead, but his whole body turned into a blood-soaked figure, bleeding more and more slowly, his face growing paler and paler.


    Li Yu saw Zhao Dapao, who seemed somewhat crazed, walked over, and patted his shoulder.

 Chapter 98 - 91: Allocation

    Zhao Dapao felt the warmth on his shoulder, his hand holding the Dagger paused slightly.


    Slowly lifting his head, he turned to look at Li Yu.


    Zhao Dapao''s face was covered in tears, and the murderous intent in his eyes uncontrollably revealed itself.


    He seemed somewhat crazed!


    Li Yu said softly, "Go ahead and kill him; there''s also the mastermind waiting for us to slay!".


    His tone was very calm, but the meaning of his words was anything but calm.


    Zhao Dapao slowly nodded, his gaze dropping to the scholarly-looking man beneath him.


    Somehow, the scholarly man had already stopped making noise, his complexion now whiter than paper, the wound no longer bleeding.


    Zhao Dapao nodded, stood up, and then saw a small parasol at the entrance of a shop nearby, underneath which was a 50-centimeter long and wide cement pile.


    He walked over and picked it up directly.


    And smashed it down fiercely on the scholarly man''s head.


    Puchi!


    The scholarly man''s head was squashed flat as if crushed by a grinding stone, and blood began to flow out from beneath the cement pile...


    Seemingly not satisfied, Zhao Dapao lifted the cement pile once again, the head below already like a mushy paste, a ghastly mix of red and white, extremely nauseating.


    Bang!


    He smashed down again. A mixture of red and white liquid spurted out.


    Li Yu stepped back to avoid getting splattered.


    Teacher Liu, watching from the side of the street, wanted to cover the eyes of the two little girls beside her.


    But, as if realizing something, her hands suddenly fell limply.


    Letting them see might not be a bad thing, recognizing the cruelty of the apocalypse early on may increase their chances of survival...


    But even she, upon witnessing Zhao Dapao''s second strike, felt her stomach convulse, struggling to keep from vomiting.


    ...


    Turning his head back,


    Li Yu looked at Song Min and nodded.


    He then saw Teacher Liu and the others, but he said nothing.


    However, he suddenly noticed something inside the shattered window on the steps and walked over.


    Shining his light inside, the room was filled with many groceries.


    He looked to Song Min, then to Teacher Liu and asked, "Who found the goods in this room?"


    Song Min shook her head; beside her, Song Qi looked at Li Yu and said, "It was me and Teacher Liu who found it. After we discovered them, those people came." She gestured towards the bodies on the ground.


    She continued, "Then they started to rob us, and then my sister and the others came."


    Li Yu followed her gaze, his eyebrows raising as he realized they were siblings.


    Song Qi continued, "Thank you so much for saving us! Big brother, you were so awesome just now!" her face was filled with excitement.


    Teacher Liu seemed to have regained her composure as well, looking at Li Yu she said, "Hello, thank you for saving us. We discovered the goods in that room, and to show our gratitude, we are willing to give you a third of the goods."


    Li Yu looked at the woman, without saying much, he nodded his head.


    He felt completely justified in taking his share of the goods, so he said to Li Gang, "Gangzi, have the workers bring the vehicle over."


    Teacher Liu walked slowly to Song Min and said, "Thank you and your group for your help. We''ll also share a third of the goods with you."


    Before Song Min could speak, Song Qi, pointing at Song Min, told Teacher Liu, "This is my sister." Then she turned to the employees who used to work with Song Min.


    Before the apocalypse, Song Qi often visited Song Min''s store, and she was very familiar with her employees; they also loved to play and joke around with Song Qi.


    Song Qi, pointing at them, said, "These are also my sister''s."


    With these words, a warm current surged in the hearts of the women next to Song Min, and they smiled happily.


    Teacher Liu said with a smile, "Indeed, that''s great. To see one''s own relatives in the apocalypse is truly wonderful."


    Song Qi also broke into a wide grin.


    Song Min glanced at Teacher Liu and the two little girls next to her, thinking back to when she had just arrived and had thwarted Big Gold Teeth and his group, her heart recalling her own tragic experiences.


    A wave of sympathy rose within her, and after weighing her thoughts, an idea took root in her heart.


    So, she turned back to discuss with a few sisters beside her.


    A few minutes later.


    Song Min approached Teacher Liu and said, "Teacher Liu, are you willing to join us?" Her words revealed sincerity.


    Upon hearing this, Teacher Liu bowed his head in contemplation for a moment, thinking of her small group and also that Song Qi was Song Min''s younger brother. Moreover, all the members of Song Min''s group were women.


    Although they were women, they seemed very brave.


    Thus, Teacher Liu said, "Okay, we will join you."


    Song Min smiled and then nodded her head.


    She immediately told the sisters behind her to start moving things.


    Glancing at Li Yu who was standing aside smoking, Song Min''s expression briefly faltered, then she walked over.


    "What are your plans next? From the sound of it, you intend to find their headquarters?" Song Min asked.


    Li Yu took a puff of his cigarette, turned his head to look at Song Min, observing this woman who had slowly become tough from fragility.


    He was somewhat impressed; when Li Yu and the others had first arrived, he saw this woman leading a group of women courageously charging towards that gang of men.


    .....


    Courage is commendable, it''s just that sometimes there''s too much idle talk.


    When dealing with enemies, be straightforward and brutal, a deadly move in one strike.


    Never reveal oneself before having absolute certainty, and once they act, the enemy must die.


    This is the principle that Li Yu abides by.


    Hearing Song Min''s question, he neither confirmed nor denied but instead asked, "Did they join you?" pointing towards Teacher Liu and her group.


    Song Min replied, "Yes, we''re all women, sticking together for warmth. We also have to find a new place. The small building we were in before is uninhabitable. It''s easy for zombies to jump over from the neighboring buildings during a Zombie Tide."


    Then, she added, "This time, thank you. If there is any movement or any news in the county, I will let you know."


    Li Yu looked at this woman, seeing sincerity in her eyes.


    For a moment, he wasn''t sure how to respond, as if he thought of something, recalling Song Min and the others mentioning the search for a new place.


    So, he said, "I don''t recommend you stay in the center of the county. It''s fine during the day when there are not many zombies; but at night, there are a lot more zombies, and it gets very troublesome when there''s a heavy rain.


    Before, when I was working with steel in the suburbs of the county, I found there were fewer zombies there, and there''s a building that should be quite suitable for you, with a courtyard as well."


    Then he said, "It''s just 2 kilometers to the south in the suburbs, not far."


    Song Min, hearing this news, looked at Li Yu with some joy and nodded. If the place was as Li Yu said, then the issue of finding a new stronghold was resolved!


    Li Yu, seeing that the part-time workers had already driven the car over to the end of the street, then told Song Min, "I''ll take you there." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ....


    Distribute food.


    A while later,


    Looking at the pile of allocated food, it was about a third.


    Li Yu sighed inwardly when he saw Song Min and her people.


    So, he didn''t take much food, only some cigarettes and liquor, and a little bit of food.


    The rest was left for Song Min and the others.


    Why wait until a third had been divided and then take only a small portion, rather than take just a little from the beginning?


    The original plan was to take a third, which he felt was rightfully his and should take.


    But the choice was in his hands. He could have taken it all, or just taken a part.


    The sequence could not be wrong.


    Seeing that Li Yu had not taken it all, but only a part,


    This gesture filled the eyes of everyone including Song Min and Teacher Liu looking at Li Yu with gratitude.


    Although Song Min and her group still felt some fear towards Li Yu and the others,


    For they seemed even more ruthless than those bad guys,


    But for some reason, Song Min and Teacher Liu and the others felt a touch of warmth in the apocalypse.


    ....

 Chapter 99 - 92: Return to Base

    Part-time workers came over to help load the items onto the vehicle, and the women nearby also came over to move things. Soon, all the supplies were loaded onto the truck.


    Li Yu looked at Teacher Liu and Song Min and said, "Get on the car, we can give you a lift."


    Song Min nodded her head, called everyone, and got on the vehicle without any hesitation.


    Li Yu didn''t ride with them. Song Min and the others were in another vehicle, sitting silently with the part-time workers.


    They quickly arrived at the outskirts of the County.


    From a distance, everyone saw a large cluster of buildings. This area used to be an industrial plant, with many electronics factories, garment factories, and some building materials wholesale markets.


    The vehicles traveled from the asphalt road to the concrete road, and then to some uneven concrete roads.


    With the advent of the apocalypse, this place was desolate; it used to be full of workers.


    But after the apocalypse, there were hardly any people to be seen.


    Near the edge of this cluster of buildings, everyone saw a row of connected buildings that had 8 floors, with a yard in front. Although the yard was not tall, it was nearly 2 meters in height, with an area of about 50 square meters.


    Around this building, there were no other structures within 20 meters, making it the tallest building in this area.


    Outside the courtyard, there was a silver metal gate that was wide open.


    As they approached, Li Yu saw that inside the gate, weeds were overgrowing; the months after the apocalypse had caused the plants to grow rapidly. Through the gate, one could vaguely sense an air of decay and desolation.


    Li Yu tapped the shoulder of Li Tie in front, signaling him to stop the vehicle.


    After getting out of the car, Li Yu saw Song Min and the others also alighting.


    Li Yu asked Song Min and the others, "What do you think of this place?"


    Song Min carefully examined the building in front of her and felt it was really good. First, it wasn''t far from the main transportation routes, second, there was an enclosed yard, and third, there were no surrounding buildings taller than it.


    Most importantly, she didn''t know which wealthy person had built this small building, but it looked well decorated from the outside, and probably wouldn''t be too bad inside either.


    After discussing with her sisters, they all agreed that the place was very nice.


    Song Min walked up to Li Yu and said, "Thank you very much, we are all very satisfied. We''ll move our things ourselves now."


    Looking at the sky, it was getting late, but the remnants of the sunset still lingered.


    Li Yu directed the workers to help unload the items.


    After unloading and placing them at the entrance, he nodded to Song Min then glanced at the building with narrowed eyes, and said, "That building should be good, but before moving in, search it to make sure there are no Zombies. I''m leaving now."


    Song Min nodded; she understood the principle. Previously, when they lived in the center of the County, they often had to go out to find supplies, and sometimes they searched various houses, occasionally encountering Zombies hiding in dark corners.


    Having encountered them many times, Song Min and the others had developed their own methods to defend against sneaky Zombie attacks.


    Li Yu watched as the items had been set down, then turned back. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He saw the composed man and the young man from the group they had encountered earlier.


    Li Yu didn''t kill the two of them. If what the composed man had said was true, then he hadn''t harmed Zhao Dapao''s family, and this composed man was quite obedient.


    So he spared their lives for the moment, as they might be useful later on when going to Weng City.


    However, their eyes were covered with black cloth, and Li Gang and Zhao Dapao were watching them closely.


    Li Yu turned back, waved to Song Min and the others who were looking at them, and stepped onto the vehicle.


    Homecoming!


    The sky was already dimming, and plotting revenge on the city center required careful planning��not something that could be achieved impulsively. Besides, it wasn''t too far away. 80 kilometers.


    First, they had to return home to thoroughly discuss and devise a strategy. Once the plan was set, they would set out!


    The vehicles faced the setting sun, the convoy growing ever more distant.


    Song Qi stopped what she was doing and watched their vehicles disappear into the distance, feeling reluctant to see them go.


    Song Min, beside her, patted her on the head and said, "Hurry up and move the stuff. It''ll be too late if we delay, and the zombies will all come out."


    Song Qi did not respond.


    Song Min patted her again and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    With a touch of sadness, Song Qi said, "Sister, when can I be as strong as them? I want to join them. If I''m with them, I won''t be bullied. They are actually quite nice people."


    Hearing this, Song Min sighed softly and said, "I''ve thought about this too, but they haven''t invited us. It''s good as it is now. At least, we should be friends, right? Hmm, I consider him a friend, but I don''t know how they see us."


    Then she added somewhat perplexedly, "I can''t figure them out."


    ....


    However, Li Yu had no idea what they were talking about; at that moment, he was speeding along the national highway in the evening glow.


    Before the outbreak of the apocalypse, there were few vehicles on the road due to the day and night issues. After the outbreak, each time Li Yu and his group came to the county, they would clear the road of vehicles.


    After several trips, the road was becoming more and more passable. In fact, without other vehicles on the road, Li Yu and his group could drive faster than before the apocalypse.


    In no time at all, Li Yu and his group arrived at the base.


    As the gate of Weng City opened, Second Uncle was delighted to see some medical equipment and supplies on their vehicles. However, when he saw two men with their eyes covered being brought down from another vehicle,


    he became suddenly vigilant and asked Li Yu, "Who are these two?"


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu recounted everything that had happened in the county to him.


    Second Uncle nodded his head, glanced at Zhao Dapao, sighed, and finally said, "You mean, next you''re planning to go to the city center?"


    Li Yu nodded.


    Second Uncle''s expression grew stern and he said, "They have guns. Even if, as they say, they don''t have many, it''s still guns. And they have so many people. It will be quite dangerous for you to go there."


    Li Yu said, "Dapao has been with the base for a while now, and he even protected Third Uncle and others on their way back. He''s taken risks with us during this period and never complained once. He treats us like family, and we should help him."


    Second Uncle''s face showed a hint of conflict, but eventually, he said nothing.


    Seeing Second Uncle''s expression, Li Yu said, "Don''t worry, I always act thoughtfully. I won''t make a move until I''ve thoroughly assessed the enemy''s strength. If I do act, it means I am one hundred percent confident in resolving the issue."


    Second Uncle, remembering the way Li Yu always handled things, felt more at ease.


    So he said no more.


    The two men were taken by Li Tie and Yang Tianlong to a small house next to the breeding farm.


    The house was still vacant and had an iron door; locking them in seemed feasible.


    Therefore, Li Yu personally tied up both of their hands and feet, finally gagging their mouths and keeping their eyes covered with black cloth.


    After securing the iron door tightly shut, he briefed the personnel on duty in the surveillance room to keep a close watch on any movements here.


    Still feeling it wasn''t secure enough, he asked Third Uncle to come over and keep an eye on them.

 Chapter 100 - 93: Planning

    During this time, these construction workers and Li Yu along with others have been eating and drinking together.


    Like the communal pot meals of the past, sharing food and drink.


    Moreover, since these construction workers were initially rescued by Li Yu and his group, not only that, they also helped them find their families later.


    And then they united together to successfully build Weng City, defended against the zombies, and went out together to kill people!


    In other words, they had been through quite a lot together during this time, and Li Yu had been continuously observing these people, and after this period of evaluation, at least up to now, Li Yu felt that they were quite honest and reliable.


    And the latest incident where they killed Big Gold Teeth and others, also made them deeply understand Li Yu''s ruthlessness, willingly being led by him.


    Now, they had really integrated into the group.


    ....


    The dinner that day was good.


    Pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli, fried cabbage, iced spicy sour radish, and spicy dried fish.


    Three buckets of rice.


    Everyone was rather happy seeing today''s meals, especially the construction workers. Before the apocalypse, they never ate this well. After the apocalypse started, following Li Yu and his group, they were living like gods, although they had to go out each time to help transport stuff, chop zombies, and... kill people.


    And these meals were all thanks to Li Yu''s earlier preparations, hoarding various resources, and breeding numerous animals and plants in the base: chickens, ducks, fish, geese, shrimp, pigs, cattle, sheep...


    Peach trees, pear trees, orange trees, apricot trees, apple trees, watermelon, sugarcane, starfruit, grapes, plum trees, mango trees...


    Thinking about the few dozen tons of salt still in the warehouse, Li Yu felt a bit reassured.


    Holding his bowl of rice, he walked outside and saw a field of water paddies in front of him.


    It''s March already...


    The apocalypse had already burst forth nearly 5 months ago...


    It''s time to plant early rice, now that the number of people at the base is increasing. Although there are still a lot of rice grains stored in the warehouse, these 4 acres were initially calculated based on the standards of 50~60 people.


    Looking at the current situation, it might not be enough. Looking at the field in front of him, this small plain may only have 15 acres, but there are a hundred acres on two mountains.


    Terraced fields!


    Having decided, he then found Grandpa and discussed with him about marking out three acres in the mountain forest to make terraced fields.


    Cultivating terraced fields is a big project.


    Grandpa thought it was feasible, and then discussed the matter with everyone, and everyone followed the arrangement.


    The internal cultivation matter was handed over to Grandpa and Grandpa to handle. The number of people in the base was increasing, and the available workforce was abundant.


    The manpower was sufficient for this task.


    After discussing this matter, Li Yu noticed Zhao Dapao by his side, who seemed to be lost in thought, staring blankly out the window.


    Li Yu sighed silently in his heart and went over to pat his shoulder.


    Then he discussed another matter with everyone, about going into the city.


    Li Yu''s father and others were a bit worried about them, but recently, Zhao Dapao had been following Li Yu out, solving many problems. While at the base, whenever there were any issues, he would actively help,


    indeed, he had integrated into this big family, and everyone treated him like family.


    Therefore, with Li Yu''s insistence, Yang Tianlong, Li Tie, and Li Gang, as his comrades in arms, also expressed their willingness to go together.


    Zhao Dapao was very touched when he saw that everyone was not opposed to Li Yu''s decision to go to the city.


    Li Yu then discussed the upcoming arrangements with Second Uncle and others, and started planning the trip to the city with Zhao Dapao, Yang Tianlong and others.


    At that moment, he suddenly remembered the two people who were detained in the small house when they returned.


    It seemed that they hadn''t eaten yet...


    But, it''s not important.


    Li Yu looked at the empty pots and bowls on the table, no food left, and thought about it, still taking two pieces of bread brought back from today''s grocery store.


    Then he took two cups of water, and together with Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao, walked over.


    Outside the house was Third Uncle, who was also on this side during dinner.


    He fully demonstrated the discipline of an old soldier, exceptionally strict.


    Li Yu said, "Third Uncle, I have some questions to ask them. You go finish your meal first."


    Third Uncle nodded. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu opened the iron gate, went in, and saw two people collapsed on the ground, tied around a column with a rope.


    He walked up, untied the rope, then removed the black cloth from both people''s heads, and finally cut open the clear tape on their mouths.


    Inhale....


    Exhale....


    The two men on the ground took a deep breath in and then deeply exhaled.


    It seemed like they were almost suffocated just now.


    But it wasn''t likely, as the black cloth still had gaps, and although their mouths were sealed, they could still breathe through their noses.


    Li Yu handed over some bread to the two men and placed two cups of water.


    The composed man and the young man had been hungry for a while, and Third Uncle was just eating outside; the delicious aroma had constantly wafted into their noses, overwhelmingly enticing.


    Spicy dried fish, pork with cabbage and vermicelli stew.


    Just when Li Yu and others opened the door earlier, the aroma became even more intense into the room.


    At this moment, when the two men saw the bread in front of them, they exchanged glances but dared not say anything and instead began to devour the food ravenously.


    Watching the two men eat, Li Yu did not urge them.


    He quietly waited for the two men to finish eating.


    In less than two minutes, the bread was gone. Then they chugged down the water.


    Finally, both men sighed deeply.


    After seeing them finish, Li Yu started to inquire.


    "Do you have guards each time you return?" Li Yu asked.


    The composed man replied upon hearing the question, "Yes, but only two at the entrance."


    "Do they have guns?"


    "No, I''ve only seen guns in the hands of Boss Zhang at the headquarters."


    Hearing this, Li Yu''s expression slightly narrowed as he said, "Is there a check each time you enter?"


    "No, the management there is quite chaotic. It was more orderly when Officer Ma was around, but now it''s a mess."


    "Why are you telling me this?"


    The composed man lifted his head, looked straight into Li Yu''s eyes, and said, "I''ve wanted to escape for a long time, but my family is in their hands, and I can''t run. I want to use your power to kill them so I can have a chance to save my family."


    Li Yu looked into the eyes of this man, seeing no evasion, somewhat surprised. It seemed like he was telling the truth.


    This man was also earnest, straightforward in his words.


    Li Yu liked sensible people like this one; if it was all beating around the bush, he definitely wouldn''t believe their words.


    Although not entirely convinced yet, at least this composed man seemed sincere.


    So, he said, "When the time comes, you lead us there, and open the door. Understand?"


    The composed man replied, "When do you plan to do it? Our headquarters isn''t giving us much time. If we don''t return for a few days, they will definitely realize something is wrong."


    Li Yu looked at Zhao Dapao beside him and said, "Very soon!"


    He then stopped talking, tied the men''s limbs again, and sealed their mouths with tape, but just when he was about to do it.


    The young man nearby said, "Brother, can you not seal the mouth? I can hardly breathe. Plus, with another layer of black cloth, it''s too stifling."


    Li Yu nodded, poked a few holes in the tape for them to breathe, sealed their mouths again, and then........covered them with black cloth again.


    ....

 Chapter 101 - 94: So Many Pots

    A night without words.


    Even though many people were killed yesterday, Li Yu still woke up promptly at 6 a.m., and under his influence, the younger generation in the family also began to enjoy getting up early and running around the mountain woods.


    Fitness can be addictive, and so can running.


    Once the body gets used to exercise, it stimulates the secretion of dopamine, putting the entire body into a positive cycle.


    Before the apocalypse, many people in their twenties and thirties had severely declined physical fitness, some due to lack of exercise, some due to unscientific dietary habits, and others because they couldn''t give up certain addictions. It seemed like they couldn''t muster the energy for anything, except for certain things that brought them brief happiness.


    This is actually because certain activities can secrete dopamine, and this negative cycle, the longer it lasts, the worse the physical and mental condition becomes, creating more need for the empowerment of dopamine.


    But if you stick to working out and regular sleep, dopamine secretion enters a positive cycle, and the whole person''s state keeps improving.


    A clear mind and refreshed spirit.


    Facing the sunrise, Li Yu led a group of youths behind him, running through the mountains and fields.


    Among the younger ones, like Li Suxin, who was a bit mischievous, would run and occasionally stop to pick a couple of wildflowers by the roadside, then call out for "Guoguo."


    But there were too many "Guoguos" at home, so at the time it wasn''t clear whom she was calling.


    However, someone always ended up carrying her on their back, so every time they went out for exercise and running, Li Suxin was always the most enthusiastic.


    She could choose whichever brother''s back to sit on, deciding where to stop as she pleased because later there would be other "Guoguos" to carry her.


    After exercise, Li Yu went back to his room and took a warm bath.


    Then after breakfast, he went to the small house where those two men were kept.


    Third Uncle had watched them all night, and now Li Zhengping was guarding the door.


    Li Zhengping saw Li Yu coming and hurriedly stood up, shouting, "Big brother!"


    Li Yu nodded, said a few caring words and entered the small room. He saw that the two men were still lying on the ground. Li Yu pulled down the black cloth covering their eyes.


    It seemed like they hadn''t seen sunlight for a long time, and now the morning sun shone through the door into the room, causing them to squint slightly. They were unable to open their eyes for a while.


    Li Yu said, "We are leaving today. You will lead the way later." He then left the small room.


    Yang Tianlong and others had already charged the car and refueled it, following Li Yu''s plan, taking along Yang Tianlong, Li Hang, Li Tie, Li Gang, Zhao Dapao, and those five part-time workers.


    These part-time workers, led by Ding Jiu, whose daughter was recently becoming close with Li Hang...


    After Li Yu had rescued them before, they had integrated into the group, being able to use their physical strength to chop zombies and people.


    These days, everyone in the base had been continuously practicing with the crossbow, and the part-time workers'' proficiency with crossbows had also improved considerably.


    A total of 11 people were going on the journey, while Third Uncle, Second Uncle, and Uncle and others remained in the base. Although no other teams were discovered nearby for the time being, having two veterans in the base was more reliable. Moreover, during this period, young men like Li Haoran had grown a lot and could also help protect the people in the base.


    This time, Li Yu had everyone equipped with riot armors, which, although named armors, were quite convenient to move in despite being light yet sturdy.


    Once everything was prepared, Li Yu and the group were ready to depart.


    Li Yu pulled those two men out, still covering their eyes, and wrapped an extra layer of black cloth outside, making sure they couldn''t see where they were.


    The base''s location was a secret; Li Yu had built it here because the area was surrounded by mountains yet accessible, and the surrounding woods provided the best camouflage for the base.


    They sped along the road.


    Xin City is in the south, the city center is in the north. The small town where Li Yu is located is even further south in Xin City.


    Thus, this time, they had to travel north.


    However, the distance wasn''t very far, less than a hundred kilometers.


    The path through the county was relatively smooth, as Li Yu and the others had traveled it countless times already. But as they continued northward, they encountered more and more obstacles on the road. Some were cars without gasoline, some were large and small rocks that had fallen from the mountains, some were miscellaneous debris.


    The roads had not been maintained for several months now, hence more and more potholes were appearing. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, this time in addition to the anti-explosion vehicle, Li Yu also drove a 7-seater new energy vehicle, which didn''t consume gasoline during frequent stops.


    This part of the journey would normally take about an hour at the usual driving speed, but due to numerous obstacles on the road, it took one and a half hours.


    ...


    They were almost at the edge of the city center.


    Li Yu remembered, the last time he came to the city center, it was also the last time��


    It was right after he had returned from M city, starting in the city and then transferring to Xin City.


    Inside the car, Li Yu rolled down the windows, allowing the air from outside to enter, the roadside trees still stood beside the fields.


    However, the fields had become deserted, and most of the trees were still there, with the majority of the people gone.


    In the air, Li Yu suddenly felt that the post-apocalyptic air seemed fresher, without factories, without car exhaust. After a few months of cleansing, the air seemed to have gotten even better.


    As he was nearing the city, Li Yu rolled up the car window again, then turned to the two people in the back seat and said, "Where is that place you mentioned?"


    The composed man hummed for a while but didn''t manage to say anything.


    Li Yu slapped himself, darn!


    He had forgotten to remove their gags. He then untied the black cloth, removed their blindfolds, and finally unfolded the duct tape covering their mouths.


    The composed man and the young man adjusted to the light and then looked at Li Yu with some resentment. They had seen cautious people before, but never someone this cautious, needing two layers just to cover the eyes?


    After catching his breath, the composed man said, "It''s near Yugu Platform. Go straight from here, then turn left, then..."


    "Don''t rush, take it slow. Tiezi, take out the map and take a look," Li Yu said.


    He then asked the composed man again, "Are there any big buildings around?"


    The composed man, a bit puzzled, asked, "Aren''t we going directly there?"


    Li Yu glanced at him and said, "I want to observe first and then decide whether to go directly."


    The composed man didn''t say anything further, and Li Yu didn''t bother him anymore.


    Seeing that Li Yu wasn''t speaking anymore, the composed man thought for a moment and said, "Nearby there''s a Glory Building that directly overlooks our headquarters."


    Li Yu pulled out the map, looked at it, and marked a circle on Glory Building, then marked another circle on another nearby building.


    Pointing at the other building, he said, "Can''t this place see it?"


    The composed man said, "It''s more or less the same, but Glory Building is closer."


    "Oh."

 Chapter 102 - 95: Observation

    Li Yu didn''t speak further, pointing to the building next door, signaling Li Tie to head in that direction along the adjacent street.


    The composed man glanced at Li Yu but didn''t say anything.


    Nothing else happened along the way.


    Just as they were about to reach the vicinity of Glory Building, Li Yu suddenly saw a group of people from the car!


    The group, comprising both men and women, was heading towards the shopping plaza. Although they noticed Li Yu and his vehicle, they didn''t pay much attention.


    Li Yu narrowed his eyes and, pointing his gun at the composed man, said, "Are they your people?"


    After looking through the group, the composed man finally spotted a short-haired woman wearing glasses and then said, "They''re not with us..."


    "They belong to another faction. I had intended to join them."


    "Why didn''t you tell me this earlier?"


    The composed man shook his head and said, "I thought it wasn''t important, and you didn''t ask if there were other factions in the city."


    Li Yu was somewhat speechless; the situation was beyond his expectations. Although those people hadn''t bothered with them, Li Yu felt uncomfortable; he didn''t like sudden developments.


    So he directed Li Tie to find a hidden spot and for the time being, they didn''t proceed towards Glory Building. Now that a new faction had appeared, he wouldn''t act without understanding the situation.


    After stopping the car, Li Yu looked at the composed man before him and stabbed a knife into his leg.


    Hiss...


    Ah...


    Before he could scream out loud, Li Yu put the knife to his throat, "Shut up, make a sound and I''ll kill you."


    Then, Li Yu looked at him with a sinister glare. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fiercely, he said, "Tell me everything you know. If a similar situation arises again, I''ll kill you."


    The composed man thought he had earned Li Yu''s trust, but the encounter with that group of people had instantly enraged Li Yu.


    Moreover, in the composed man''s mind, those people truly posed no threat to them. He had originally planned to join them, but his family was still with Boss Zhang.


    Sigh...


    The composed man seemed to fall silent, but as Li Yu raised his hand, seemingly ready to stab once more, the composed man could no longer sit still.


    Having gritted his teeth through the pain earlier, and with his leg still bleeding, he wasn''t willing to suffer another stab. So he immediately said, "There are two factions in the city. One is the one you just saw.


    They have around 300 people, with Director Zhang and Officer Zhou in charge. They''re mainly officials and a few police officers, and they later recruited some college students and teachers nearby. Now their numbers are growing.


    From what I know, they likely don''t have many firearms. Although their situation seems pretty decent, the office workers from the Government and those few police don''t get along well, but overall, it''s relatively good.


    The faction I''m part of.


    We have roughly over 200 people. Originally, Officer Ma was in charge there, and Boss Zhang used to be in the mining business, with several dozen people following him. Officer Ma and Officer Xiao Feng had initially considered merging with Director Zhang''s group. After all, more people make it easier to get things done.


    But Officer Ma was bitten by a Zombie one time when he was out, and Officer Xiao Feng disappeared mysteriously afterward. Since then, Boss Zhang took direct charge of the entire faction."


    Having said so much in one breath, the composed man clasped his wound tightly, seemingly wanting to tend to it. Li Yu glanced at him and then tossed over a medical kit.


    The young man beside him quickly caught him, then proceeded to tend to the wound on the composed man''s leg.


    Li Yu said coldly, "What else is there? You haven''t finished talking."


    The composed man''s wound on his leg had just been disinfected with alcohol by the young man, and he immediately gasped from the sharp pain.


    Li Yu said, "I didn''t stab that deep, just two centimeters. Hurry up and talk!"


    The composed man pursed his lips, and continued, "I originally wanted to join Director Zhang''s side, but I''m from the same hometown as Officer Ma and knew him. He happened to invite me to join at the time, so I didn''t think too much and just joined.


    But who could have thought, Officer Ma would end up dead later, and Officer Xiao Feng disappeared too. Those of us who joined became marginalized, and some tried to defect to Director Zhang''s side but were suppressed by Boss Zhou.


    He must have guns, and he has dozens of men under him who follow his orders, so many wanted to rebel, but he imprisoned all of our families.


    Thus, we truly had no choice.


    There was also a lack of unity on Director Zhang''s side. Those few officers probably knew Officer Ma and suspected that Boss Zhou killed him, looking to settle scores with Boss Zhou.


    However, Director Zhang''s side didn''t want to sour the relationship between the two factions too much, leading to an awkward situation.


    Two factions, although in conflict, didn''t have major clashes. There might be under-the-table conflicts, but on the surface, they maintained some restraint."


    Li Yu, upon hearing this, pressed his temples with both hands.


    He felt this was damn complicated.


    But his feelings didn''t matter. Neither side had many firearms anyway.


    And he came to the city center to do three things only: to kill! To kill! To kill!


    To avenge Zhao Dapao and slay those bastards.


    After organizing his thoughts, Li Yu told Li Tie to keep driving the car to the building opposite the Glory Building.


    As the car moved slowly, the composed man''s leg wound stopped bleeding, now wrapped in a bandage. He didn''t feel as uncomfortable.


    They went to a parking garage on the ground as usual, and Li Yu and the others climbed the stairs.


    While climbing, Li Yu led the way, carefully searching the surroundings to prevent any zombies from popping up.


    Maybe zombies preferred dark and cold places during the day. Li Yu looked down to the first basement floor earlier and saw several zombies, so he blocked the path leading up from the basement with debris.


    He also blocked the doors and windows from the ground floor to the first floor.


    Then they slowly made their way upstairs, but there were not many zombies. They only had to deal with four zombies along the way.


    The electricity was out, so they could only climb by foot. However, this wasn''t so easy for the composed man.


    But Li Yu ignored him and made him climb from the first floor to the seventh floor. Li Yu checked the position upstairs, then looked out the window towards Yugu Platform in the distance.


    He said, "Let''s stay here for now."


    As everyone approached the window, Li Yu couldn''t help but add, "Don''t all go over at once. Stay hidden, and don''t let others spot us here."


    So, everyone stayed behind the curtains, beginning to surveil Yugu Platform.


    Yugu Platform was smaller than Li Yu had imagined, but it was a good spot for fending off zombies.


    But as for defending against people, not so secure. Probably in Boss Zhou''s mind, they were the ones always causing trouble; how could they expect trouble to come find them?

 Chapter 103 - 103: Listing Thoughts

    Still at work, at 10 o''clock, I suddenly received a message from the editor, informing me that the book will be listed at noon today.


    It was somewhat unexpected, but within expectations.


    Tch, I got a little nervous for a moment. It''s embarrassing to go live without a burst of chapters, but because I have no stockpile, I''m really anxious.


    In principle, I should upload by 12 o''clock, but without a stockpile, I can only write in real-time, so let''s buckle down and write today! At least three chapters, I''ll upload as many as I can write; this is my utmost sincerity.


    Chives is a corporate slave, truly exhausted from the day job, can only write more during evenings and holidays. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My mind is a bit chaotic; for a moment, I don''t know what to say.


    ...


    Let''s talk about my thoughts...


    Personally, I think all industries are entertainment industries. The online literature industry isn''t that lofty, fundamentally speaking, it''s quite similar to prostitution.


    Readers pay, and Chives is responsible for providing a thrilling experience. The ultimate goal is to satisfy the readers.


    Unfortunately, I am clumsy with disabled hands, and I also have a day job, so I can only try my best to make the reading enjoyable.


    Chives is a pure and fresh newbie, and this book is also the first one I''ve written. I didn''t expect it to come this far.


    Here, I''d also like to thank Qingzhou Editor; without him, this book wouldn''t exist.


    Additionally, I want to thank the brothers who''ve reached this point; without your support, I wouldn''t have made it this far.


    Since writing novels, every night before sleep, I check the comments; every morning, I see who voted for recommendations, read the comments... This has been going on for quite a while.


    Seeing those familiar accounts, the votes and comments they leave, I''m exceptionally moved��thank you so much!


    I am someone who really cares about others'' opinions, can''t help it, can''t change. I might gain confidence and motivation from encouragement, and feel down from abuse.


    But later on, I''ve gradually understood that as an author, I''m like a bus. I should listen to reasonable suggestions from readers, but I also have my own route and thoughts. Readers are passengers; they can get on with a tap, and get off at their stop.


    However, I try to steer through routes with beautiful scenery, to make your journey enjoyable. Regardless, it''s fortunate for us to share this ride.


    Finally, let''s talk about the update schedule after the book is live. I''ll guarantee at least two chapters every day, that''s the bare minimum; if I''m in good shape, then three or four chapters...


    Also, about tipping for extra chapters, one more chapter for Squad Leader, two for Hall Master, five for Sect Leader. These extra chapters will be on top of the guaranteed two chapters. I can''t promise the timing, but I''ll do everything I can, I won''t owe you chapters.


    Not much else to say, brothers and sisters, if you can, please subscribe.


    Thank you!

 Chapter 104 - 96: A Knife to the Throat (Request for First Subscription)

    At Yugu Platform, it was surrounded by a circle of iron railings with barbs on top, but the entire railing wall was not very high, less than 2 meters.


    Li Yu and his group were facing a lawn, and behind the lawn, there were about a dozen houses, not far from the iron railings. However, it would definitely be noticed if someone tried to climb directly over the railing because the lawn was right in front with not much to obstruct the view.


    Li Yu took out a telescope and aimed it at Yugu Platform to start observing:


    There were a few people on the lawn tilling the land, seemingly preparing to plant something. Suddenly, three people came out of the largest house.


    The person facing them was dressed like an old farmer, with a dark face and a slight smile, but whether it was due to the shape of the face or the mouth, it always gave off a deceptive vibe.


    Behind this middle-aged man resembling an old farmer, there were two men with a strong societal aura following him.


    Li Yu gestured for the steady man to come over, handed him the telescope, and asked, "Is Zhang Lao Da the one with the dark complexion, right beside that railing?"


    The steady man took the telescope, carefully looked through it, and said, "Yes, that''s him. The two behind him are his sworn brothers."


    Li Yu asked, "Yesterday you mentioned that in addition to Big Gold Teeth going to Xiang County, there were others; do you remember all of them?"


    The steady man hesitated but finally nodded and said, "I remember; they''re mainly people who used to work under Zhang Lao Da."


    Li Yu saw his hesitation but did not ask further, preferring to mistakenly kill rather than let anyone go.


    In a post-apocalyptic world, there''s no distinction between good and bad people; for someone like him, he would rather be the villain himself than let others play the role of the villain.


    Then he observed their defenses again. There were two gates, one in the east and one in the west. The eastern side had a big gate guarded by four people who were just holding spears, no firearms. The West Gate had a small gate with two people guarding it.


    After checking the time and seeing it was 10 o''clock, he asked, "What do you guys usually do for lunch?"


    The steady man replied, "They eat separately from us. Zhang Lao Da has his own chef cook for them. We distribute some of the resources we find based on contributions. Some people who don''t contribute get nothing to eat... Some exchange goods, some trade with their bodies, some use items from before the apocalypse..."


    Li Yu nodded, then told everyone to eat something first as he planned to launch an attack during Zhang Lao Da''s lunchtime!


    No one objected, so they began eating the portable food they brought.


    After resting for half an hour following the meal, Li Yu and his group went downstairs to leave.


    This time they also took a car previously used by Big Gold Teeth''s group; Li Yu was sitting inside the car. According to the plan, they intended to enter from the smaller door on the west side, but even there, there was a security booth, and those two defenders were always inside.


    Li Yu untied the steady man and the young man, then had the steady man drive, with the young man sitting in the passenger seat, Li Yu, and Zhao Dapao in the back.


    As the car got closer, Li Yu''s heart grew calmer. After thinking, he took out two cigarettes from the trunk.


    The car stopped in front of the West Gate''s rolling gate, but even when they reached the main gate, the people inside the security booth seemed unaware of their arrival, still not coming out, which puzzled Li Yu. Could it be that there''s no one inside?


    Li Yu glanced at the steady man; the steady man turned back, saw the warning in Li Yu''s eyes, felt the hard object on his back, and his heart trembled.


    Then, he rolled down the window and shouted towards the security booth, "Brother Xie, Brother Wang, we''re back. Please open the gate."


    After a while, a person slowly came out from the security booth, holding a bottle of beer in his hand, drinking while walking out.


    Seeing the steady man at the front of the car, he said discontentedly, "Why are you back first? Where are Gold bro and the others?"


    The steady man replied, "Gold bro, he''s found something interesting over there, you know, just like it was in Xiang County, totally engrossed... Then he asked me to bring back the supplies first."


    The man''s mood soured at these words, and he complained unhappily, "Damn! Such good luck, if I had known, I would''ve gone with them..." sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he took a look at the steady man, his eyeballs rolling a bit, and a look of arrogance appeared on his face, saying, "You''ve been out before, you know the rules, right?"


    The steady man then shook the two packs of cigarettes that Li Yu had just given him from the car window, saying, "Understood, understood, these are a little extra from me for you. Later, you can check out the stuff in the back of the car, but don''t make it too obvious, Gold bro and the others have already checked it."


    The man coming out of the security booth, seeing the two packs of cigarettes, his eyes lit up instantly. He was a heavy smoker already out of stock, and now seeing the two packs, he immediately got excited.


    So he hurried over, took out his keys, and opened the large iron gate.


    Seeing this, the steady man promptly drove the car inside. Li Yu and Zhao Dapao exchanged glances inside the car; they were ready.


    The car had just stopped when the man from the security booth, unable to wait any longer, ran to the side of the car, then immediately tried to grab those two packs of cigarettes; he had been craving them for a long time.


    Originally, Li Yu and the others were pondering how to get the security booth man to come out, preferably closer to the car. They hadn''t expected that two packs of cigarettes would draw him over.


    As soon as the man stood in front of the car, the steady man handed him the two packs of cigarettes.


    At the same moment, Li Yu and Zhao Dapao opened the car doors and jumped out.


    Li Yu got out of the car and walked towards the man, a distance of less than 2 meters.


    The man had just gotten the cigarettes and was about to open the packet when he heard the car door and looked up, seeing Li Yu''s friendly smile as he approached.


    "Who... is he?" Before he could finish asking, Li Yu precisely stabbed him in the neck.


    "Gurgle gurgle..."


    Blood instantly started spurting from the man''s neck, and he stared at Li Yu in horror, not having time to react before Li Yu finished him off.


    Li Yu covered his mouth, preventing him from making any sound, and then slowly laid his body down on the ground.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Dapao had already run towards the security booth after exiting through the right side door.


    The door to the security booth was open, and inside a chubby man was feasting at a table. Hearing footsteps, he didn''t look up and said, "Old Wang, you better not shortchange me."


    Silently, receiving no response, the chubby man looked up, just as Zhao Dapao was already behind him. Taking advantage of the moment he looked up, Zhao Dapao plunged the knife into his neck and firmly covered the chubby man''s mouth, preventing any sound.


    The chubby man hadn''t regained his senses and soon went silent.


    Outside the security booth, the steady man and a young man watched as Li Yu resolutely and decisively dealt with the guard, Old Xie, feeling a bit of chill on their scalps.

 Chapter 105 - 97: Looking for me, Xiao Zhang, whats the matter? (Second release)

    Zhao Dapao walked out of the security booth, his chest stained with some fresh blood, and nodded at Li Yu.


    Seeing this, Li Yu let the composed man drive the car in further, while Yang Tianlong and the others simply got out of the car, holding submachine guns in their hands, and the part-time workers were also carrying some crossbows and Long Knives.


    "Do we need to leave two people behind?" Yang Tianlong asked as he got out of the car, pointing to the part-time workers nearby.


    Li Yu glanced at the composed man and said, "No, we''re already short on people, let''s not split up now."


    Then he looked at the composed man and added, "Let''s go, lead the way, drive straight there!"


    Yang Tianlong and the others simply sat in those two cars and headed directly towards the large house where Boss Zhang was located.


    Capture the ringleader first, in order to destroy the followers!


    As for the small fries, they were unimportant. If they could be dealt with all at once, then so be it.


    It had to be said, their guard was indeed far too relaxed. Along the way, they encountered a few people, but none were Boss Zhang''s close subordinates; they looked pale and emaciated, skin and bones. There was not a hint of vitality on them, their eyes blank, as if devoid of any hopes for life.


    Upon seeing the two cars, they looked up, but quickly lowered their heads again, as if nothing could grab their attention.


    It seemed like they were indifferent to everything. In fact, their apathy was largely related to Boss Zhang''s management. Ever since Boss Zhang took charge, he had implemented a tiered management system. Previously, the closer people were to him, the higher the position they held and the better the benefits they enjoyed in his mine. The rest had no choice but to struggle at the bottom.


    Since Boss Zhang took control, fewer and fewer people had defected to his side; some even tried to escape his power to defect to Director Zhang''s side, but after Boss Zhang discovered this, he executed those who attempted to flee, and no one dared to run away after that. Moreover, many of those who came to his side had families and children, and it was difficult for them to escape in the short term.


    Under the high-pressure environment, under unequal policies, more and more people felt the oppression, felt a tremendous sense of injustice, and their sense of belonging to this power weakened.


    Thus, when they saw some strangers other than the composed man, they didn''t pay too much attention. Or rather, it didn''t matter to them who else came in...


    Now it was noon, and Boss Zhang and his crew were inside the big house having their meal. Li Yu and the others drove the cars directly to the door.


    Stop the car!


    Li Yu got out of the car holding a submachine gun, followed by Li Hang, Yang Tianlong, Li Tie, Li Gang, and Zhao Dapao��five part-time workers.


    Along with the composed man and a young man.


    "You five, guard the door. If anyone comes out, kill them directly!" Li Yu told the five workers.


    The leader, Ding Jiu, immediately replied, "Okay, you can count on us."


    Li Yu nodded and then turned around to survey the surrounding environment of Yugu Platform:


    Around the exterior of this house, there were also about ten people outside.


    It was the beginning of spring, the season of warm sunshine. The sun was just right, and the breeze was not harsh.


    The sunlight shone on the grass, vivid and lush.


    There was a small house nearby, with a low door, but the sun shone brightly,


    The grass was producing its seeds, and the wind was swaying its leaves.


    Without speech, it was rather beautiful.


    Looking to the right-hand railing, a tranquil river shimmered under the sunlight,


    Some people were sunbathing there. If you ignored their emaciated faces, their empty and lifeless eyes, and only saw their silhouettes from the back.


    Even then, it would feel quite beautiful.


    The scenery was beautiful, yet, most people here did not live as beautifully as one might imagine.


    So...


    When they saw Li Yu and the others, with submachine guns slung over their shoulders, about to head inside, expressions varied. Some looked on like onlookers at a spectacle, some reveled in schadenfreude, some were indifferent, some had faces filled with fear, and some seemed eager to join in the fun...


    The one thing that was absent was: no one went to warn Boss Zhang and the others about the "intruders". In fact, seeing Li Yu and his companions armed with submachine guns, many were too apprehensive their actions might impede Li Yu and team''s operations that numerous individuals ceased their activities.


    Heh! Talk about unity!


    Witnessing this scene, Li Yu had much to contemplate as well. A force as dispersed as sand, no matter its numbers, was worthless and incapable of resistance. Sometimes, within a disunited force, the more people, the weaker the battle power that could be mustered.


    Internal strife!


    Sometimes, it''s only with internal unity that great power can burst forth. Hence, from the very beginning, Li Yu had no intention of taking in too many people at the base. Every person who entered had been meticulously selected and vetted.


    To ensure internal cohesion and the ability to fight uniformly in one direction.


    Shifting his focus back, Li Yu turned his head and charged directly through the main gate.


    Bang!


    The gate was kicked open, and Li Yu immediately rushed in, followed closely by Yang Tianlong and the others squeezing through.


    Inside were dozens of people, some standing, some sitting, some embracing girls, some showing signs of drunkenness...


    But at this moment, with a loud bang, the ambiance seemed to freeze instantly, with many eyes fixed on the doorway. Upon seeing Li Yu and the others, especially the submachine guns in their hands, the room fell silent.


    Only Boss Zhang, sitting in the center, had not yet seen what had happened behind him as he was busy getting two girls to pour him drinks with his back towards Li Yu and company.


    Seemingly sensing the eerie calmness, the previously noisy environment quickly quieted down. The two men in front of Boss Zhang whispered, "Boss, there''s trouble!"


    Upon hearing this, Boss Zhang pushed the girls aside and slammed his glass down onto the glass table with force!


    Thud!


    The glass shattered.


    Much like Boss Zhang''s mood at the moment. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Was there actually someone daring to cause trouble? Didn''t they know he detested being disturbed while eating and drinking the most? Haven''t the people he killed last time learned their lesson? Weren''t they killed ruthlessly enough? It seems this time, he needed to make them suffer properly.


    Anger!


    Boss Zhang felt insulted, his authority greatly challenged��no one had ever been brazen in front of him in this city!


    "Who''s the heart-bellied, gall-emboldened fool daring to stir up trouble? Are they tired of living?" As Boss Zhang said this... he stood up...


    The leather sofa made a sizzling sound as he rose.


    Boss Zhang, dressed like an old farmer, turned around slowly. Despite his angry expression, to others, he still appeared to be smiling.


    What came into view was Boss Zhang''s dark face, his deep-set eyes now ablaze with rage.


    Turn around, look back.


    Upon seeing Li Yu and the others all holding submachine guns.


    "Eh... damn..."


    In an instant, his eyes revealed confusion, astonishment, fear, and some incomprehension. But his expression quickly changed, a hint of slyness in his eyes, and a touch of unease.


    "Ahahaha," Boss Zhang let out a laugh he thought hearty.


    Ingratiatingly, he said, "This must be some misunderstanding! What can I do for you fine gentlemen?"

 Chapter 106 - 98: Chase! (Three more updates)

    Li Yu looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, who resembled an old farmer, with a wary eye. He recalled the steady man mentioning that Zhang Lao Da might have a few guns.


    His thoughts rapidly turned, considering whether there was any value in keeping Zhang Lao Da for later use.


    Hmm, it doesn''t seem so...


    Today''s purpose was to avenge Zhao Dapao, to slaughter all those who had been to Xiang County.


    So, what was the point of keeping Zhang Lao Da?


    None.


    Then why keep him? To show off? To turn the tables later?


    After clarity, Li Yu no longer hesitated.


    The submachine gun in his hand, slightly raised.


    Bang!


    Zhang Lao Da''s sanguine demeanour, his broad smiling face, frozen like a picture.


    In the center of his forehead, a bullet hole the size of a peanut declaring his death.


    Zhang Lao Da hadn''t even managed to draw the handgun at his waist. According to his plan, he wanted to wait for Li Yu and the others to lower their guard before suddenly attacking and seizing the chance to escape.


    But unexpectedly, Li Yu didn''t play by usual rules, and without a single reply, he killed him!


    Li Yu was also puzzled about something - why do characters in past TV shows and novels always wait for their enemies to finish talking, even giving them a chance to fight back?


    Why not just kill them immediately?! Why procrastinate as if waiting for the New Year?


    Under absolute firepower, all schemes and tricks are powerless.


    In matters of life and death, any additional words are but last words.


    Li Yu was a man of pure heart, yet very contradictory, leading him to tackle problems directly at their core.


    With Zhang Lao Da dead, the people around were somewhat shocked, as if still processing the sudden event. Li Yu looked at the two men behind Zhang Lao Da, who carried a strong societal aura. The steady man had mentioned they were sworn brothers of Zhang Lao Da.


    Seeing Li Yu killing Zhang Lao Da made these two men uneasy, slowly retreating and then subtly reaching behind their waists.


    Bang! Bang!


    Li Yu noticed their actions and shot them.


    After two gunshots, these two men were also declared dead.


    As these two died, the surrounding crowd began to stir. They originally thought they were just there for Zhang Lao Da and could stay calm, but now, the death of those two was like stirring up a hornets'' nest.


    Some people stood up, trying to flee, but Li Yu wouldn''t allow it. Raising his hand, Zhao Dapao and others began firing.


    Bang bang bang!


    Sparks flew, bullets whizzed, and everyone in the chaos was shot dead by Li Yu and his group!


    However, there were two people close to a window who, as soon as Li Yu started shooting, escaped through it.


    Outside the window, workers from the base had been getting familiar with crossbows and now could aim with high accuracy within 20 meters.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Four crossbow arrows were shot. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One missed, but the remaining three hit their targets, two piercing the same person who died instantly, another hitting another person''s thigh, who instantly fell to the ground. Ding Jiu and others quickly controlled him.


    Inside the big house, Li Yu looked at the bodies strewn across the floor, his heart undisturbed. However, for Zhao Dapao, it seemed as if a cloud of depression had been swept away.


    The steady man behind Li Yu was also somewhat astonished; he hadn''t expected Li Yu and his men to be so resolute in killing Zhang Lao Da and the others.


    "Have you checked everyone who went to Xiang County?" Li Yu looked towards the composed man and spoke slowly.


    The composed man looked at the bodies on the ground, scrutinizing them one by one. After a minute, he seriously said, "It seems that two people are still missing, I don''t know where they went."


    "Take a closer look again!" Li Yu demanded, then he walked out of the house and saw Ding Jiu and others catching a man who had just escaped.


    Upon seeing Li Yu come out, Ding Jiu and the others crowded around and said, "Director Li, please look at this, what should we do with this man?"


    Li Yu glanced at the man and shouted back into the room, "Hey, did this one go to Xiang County?"


    Hearing this, the composed man hurried out, looked at the man''s face, and said, "Yes, it''s him."


    On the ground, the man who was shot in the thigh looked at the composed man and bitterly said, "You damn traitor, you definitely..."


    Bang!


    Li Yu solved it with one shot.


    Li Yu was not very patient. He disliked people who were overly noisy and solved problems using the simplest methods, especially in this lawless post-apocalyptic world!


    There was still one person left...


    Li Yu looked around, the crowd that had been standing nearby hadn''t left. Instead, more people came out from the other rooms.


    They were attracted by the sound of the gunshot. There were men and women, old and young.


    Especially after seeing Li Yu shoot the man, there were even some cheers among the crowd.


    In the big house, Li Tieshou held several handguns, walking towards Li Yu and said, "Big brother, these were found on the bodies just now."


    "Hmm? Search this house again." Li Yu took the handguns, weighed them in his hand, and said slowly.


    Upon hearing this, Li Tie and Li Gang began to search the house.


    Li Yu turned around and saw the composed man looking in a certain direction. There, a middle-aged woman and a boy around seven or eight years old were looking anxiously towards them.


    "Your wife and son?" Li Yu asked.


    The composed man''s heart trembled, hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Yes."


    "Find the last person, and you can go," Li Yu said darkly.


    Suddenly, a loud noise of a gate sliding open was heard.


    It was the East Gate, a few guards there had witnessed Li Yu shooting the man and had also just heard a burst of dense gunfire.


    At this moment, they opened the gate and ran outside!


    The composed man looked towards the direction of the East Gate; although it was quite far, he could still vaguely see a figure.


    This person... was the last one who went to Xiang County!


    So he raised his hand and pointed in that direction, saying, "Those four men, also previously under Boss Zhang, one of them has been to Xiang County!"


    Li Yu saw these people had already fled the security booth early, and now, he could only see their figures from a distance.


    So, he shouted towards the big house, "Tiezi, Gangzi, let''s go!"


    Then, he had some workers drive the vehicles over; they needed to chase after those men!


    Inside the house, Li Tieshou was holding several magazines and a few small drones, rushing out excitedly and said to Li Yu, "Big brother, I found some good stuff, there are also a few large drones inside, but those run on fuel, some are hybrid-powered."


    "Hurry and load them on the vehicle, we need to chase after them."


    Seeing that the workers had already driven the vehicles over, Li Yu then said, "Forget it, we''ll move the stuff later, we need to chase them first!"


    Everyone hurriedly boarded the vehicles.


    Li Yu looked at the composed man and told him to get on; they still needed him for now.

 Chapter 107 - 99: The Steward

    Everyone got into the vehicle and then drove straight towards the East Gate.


    The speed of the vehicle was much faster than a person running, but since these people had started running earlier, they had already reached two kilometers away, on the opposite side behind the Glory Building!


    Jiefang City!


    When Li Yu and the others had come before, they had seen a group of people, a power group led by Director Zhang.


    And this group of people, their stationed location, was actually not far from Yugu Platform, only about two kilometers away!


    At this moment, the four guards who were fleeing had already run to their side. Li Yu and his people had guns and vehicles; even if these four ran fast, they couldn''t outrun a vehicle. So, they planned to lead the disaster eastward; they chose to directly seek refuge with Director Zhang''s side, the place that claimed to shelter all survivors.


    Originally, before Officer Ma''s death, the two groups were planning to merge. However, due to Director Zhang''s interference, this plan failed. With Officer Ma''s death, the tensions between the two forces grew.


    The government forces led by Director Zhang, which included several police officers, were always suspicious that it was Director Zhang who had a hand in what happened. They wanted to investigate, so there were some frictions with Director Zhang''s side. But before the apocalypse, Director Zhang was the director of the government office, ranking much higher than these police officers. He always preached the responsibility of upholding the government''s duty, to unite all the forces that could be united, to face the zombies together.


    Among these police officers, some were colleagues with Officer Ma previously, but became scattered during the zombie outbreak until they encountered each other later. Before Officer Ma could integrate his people with them, he had already died.


    Therefore, there were complaints about Director Zhang''s proposal for harmonious coexistence from those who harbored hostile attitudes towards Director Zhang and others.


    The government power group, carrying the banner of the government, was continuously expanding by taking in more people. But with the increasing power, internal conflicts became more apparent.


    The first was the issue of resources. Food for several hundred people was initially hoarded, but as time passed, food became increasingly scarce. Everyone started going out to search for food, then distributed it based on work. There were also some who would cheat and trick others, some internal conflicts over food began to occur.


    The second issue was due to the sudden outbreak of zombies. Many military forces, because they were in dense environments, and coupled with the ten days of continuous heavy rain from before, saw an increase in zombie activity to an extreme extent, causing the zombie virus to spread very rapidly and leading to the annihilation of many military forces.


    As for the power group led by Director Zhang, there was a lack of sufficient armed forces. Relying on a few police officers and some government officials to manage hundreds of common people, especially with no restrictions and various types of people flooding in, the management pressure was tremendous.


    The four people who had run from Director Zhang''s side had already reached the domain of Director Zhang''s power.


    It seemed that the guards over there did not know how to deal with them at the moment, so they left two people behind while one went to call for Director Zhang and others.


    After Li Yu and others came out from the East Gate of Yugu Platform, they went straight in the direction where the four people had fled.


    The vehicle sped away.


    Li Yu saw from inside the vehicle, there was a middle-aged man in a white shirt who seemed to speak a few words at the gate with the four people, then opened the gate and let them in.


    Just as the four people had entered, the vehicle with Li Yu and his team roared in, instantly stopping at the gate of Jiefang City. The guards at the gate also looked at Li Yu and his people with a wary face, for to them, Li Yu and his team were all unfamiliar faces.


    At 2 o''clock in the afternoon, the sun scorched the land, and the weather was at its hottest throughout the day. But Li Yu''s heart was filled with chills.


    He did not want to make so much trouble, not expecting that they would be let in directly. Although these few people had just entered, the several guards at the gate and the man in the white shirt had a cautious and curious gaze towards Li Yu and his team in the car.


    Li Yu got out of the car, holding a submachine gun. Behind him, Li Tie, Yang Tianlong, and the others also took their firearms and got out, followed by several workers holding crossbows, their faces filled with a murderous aura as they looked towards them!


    Jiefang City, the people at the gate saw Li Yu holding a gun, and their faces changed dramatically. They directly rang the warning bell!


    Dang dang dang~


    The sound of metal clashing against metal was loud, and this striking sound echoed in Jiefang City for a long time. Following that, a lot of people began to pour out from behind the gate. At the front were four men in police uniforms, with handguns at their waists, advancing quickly!


    Li Yu took the lead and headed straight for the gate. As he walked, he turned his head to the calm man beside him and asked, "The one in the white shirt, is that Director Zhang?"


    The calm man nodded and said, "That''s him. The few people behind him used to work for the Government too. Now they are mainly under his control."


    Li Yu nodded and took a few steps to reach the gate, where a crowd had already gathered. The man in the white shirt at the head of the group looked seriously at Li Yu.


    Li Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and lifted the submachine gun as he said, "They killed my brother''s family in Xiang County and looted their belongings. A life for a life. Are you sure you want to protect them?"


    Director Zhang was somewhat stupefied when he heard Li Yu say this, especially when he saw that Li Yu and his men were all holding guns, and they seemed to be the real deal. His heart began to beat faster.


    "My friends, we can discuss this. With the situation as it is now, all of humanity should unite and fight against the zombies. Let''s not fight among ourselves."


    Then he looked towards those four men. Their story just now was not like this at all, and moreover, they had not seen Li Yu and the others before. If they had known that Li Yu and his group had guns, perhaps they would not have let them in.


    After all, they weren''t strong enough to stop Li Yu and his men!


    Li Yu heard what Director Zhang said but showed no reaction.


    Just at this stalemate moment, the policemen arrived. Director Zhang saw Captain Lv leading a few policemen over and felt immediately relieved.


    But when Captain Lv saw Li Yu and his men, his expression became extremely grave. He could tell that Li Yu and his group had killed many people, and at present, even though both sides had firearms, the guns in Li Yu''s hands were far superior to their handguns!


    Li Yu looked at those men in police uniforms and remembered what the calm man had told him, so he spoke up, "I''ll say it one last time, they are Big Boss Zhang''s men. Are you sure you want to protect them?"


    After finishing speaking, he clicked off the safety on his submachine gun, and Yang Tianlong and the others did the same. It seemed that if their answer did not satisfy Li Yu in the next second, Li Yu would open fire!


    Upon hearing this, the policemen immediately turned to glance at Director Zhang. Director Zhang manifested an expression of struggle, while the policemen looked resentfully toward Big Boss Zhang''s four men.


    They had been longing to deal with Big Boss Zhang''s trouble. Unexpectedly, someone had done it for them!


    Much to their pleasure. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, those policemen looked at Li Yu and his group with a friendly gaze.


    They headed towards those four men as if they wanted to drive them out.


    These four men also became anxious. Just a moment ago, Director Zhang hadn''t said that! Wasn''t it Director Zhang who made the decisions here?


    The four men''s eyes widened as they looked at Director Zhang, as if to say: What about what you promised us just now? Their eyes were filled with hope and pleading.

 Chapter 108 - 100: Preparation to Leave

    Director Zhang opened his mouth, intending to speak, but upon seeing the actions of the other police officers, he instantly clamped his mouth shut tight.


    He wasn''t foolish. He had already clashed with Captain Lv over the matter with Boss Zhang. Although he was ranked higher than them, the world had changed; it was the apocalypse now. Most of their compliance towards him was due to the retention of some pre-apocalyptic professional attributes.


    Now it seemed they were determined to drive these four individuals out and hand them over to Li Yu and the others to deal with.


    Having realized this, Director Zhang simply ignored the pleading gazes of these four and remained silent.


    Under the prodding of the officers, the four were reluctant to leave, dragging their feet. Captain Lv pulled out his handgun, pointed it at them, and said without any courtesy, "Get out!" He believed those associated with Boss Zhang had caused Old Ma''s death, and now, expecting him to save them was nothing but a dream.


    If it weren''t for Director Zhang''s intervention, these few officers would have already gone after Boss Zhang!


    Now, having someone willingly eliminate Boss Zhang, they couldn''t be happier.


    The four despaired at the sight of Captain Lv drawing his gun. They could only move bit by bit.


    One foot had already stepped outside the door.


    They turned back to glance at the officers and then towards where Li Yu was, a flicker of struggle in their eyes. They seemed to want to plead with Li Yu once more.


    But Li Yu and his companions didn''t give them any chance to speak.


    As soon as they stepped out of the door, Li Yu fired two shots, and Zhao Dapao also fired two shots.


    Four gunshots rang out.


    Then, four bodies fell to the ground.


    Li Yu''s face was all seriousness, as if nothing had happened just now. He refrained from intruding and killing because he didn''t want trouble; after all, there were over three hundred people on his side.


    However, not wanting trouble didn''t mean he was afraid of trouble. In this apocalypse, absolute firepower meant absolute authority.


    If they dared to try to save these four individuals, Li Yu wouldn''t mind storming in.


    This was the real apocalypse. These were also Li Yu''s true thoughts. Perhaps, in this apocalypse, many glimmers of humanity would shine, but Li Yu wasn''t a great man or someone meant to change humanity''s fate as a transcendent being.


    He was just an ordinary person, capable of malice, emboldened by the apocalypse, harboring inner evil; but he could also be kind and didn''t wish to witness some tragic events.


    However, if anyone threatened him or tried to hinder him, and he had the power, then he would unhesitatingly take care of some people.


    These four met their end right at the gateway. Director Zhang looked uncomfortable, as he thought Li Yu and the others would at least take the four away and deal with them off the record.


    But now, right at the gateway. These four had begged him to save them, but not only did he fail to protect them, he actually let Li Yu and the others kill them outright at the door! S��ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Director Zhang felt like he couldn''t save face, as if a slap had left his face tingling with a fiery pain.


    However, Captain Lv, the police officer standing next to him, flashed a hint of admiration in his eyes upon seeing Li Yu decisively kill those four people.


    Decisive, strong, and with a hatred for evil.


    Captain Lv looked appreciatively at Li Yu and his companions. Although they appeared somewhat ruthless, it was clear from looking at Zhao Dapao and the others that they had all served as soldiers.


    Considering his own side, Captain Lv thought, although there were more than three hundred people, only a few knew how to handle guns. There were many people, but very few who were actually capable of combat. So he said, "Fellow friends, I''ve also been a soldier, we''re comrades-in-arms. Look, now that the apocalypse has arrived, we should all unite. That way, our strength will increase, and we won''t be overrun by zombies. Would you be willing to join us?"


    Indeed, in this group, the original rule was: anyone can join, regardless of age, gender, or where they had wandered from. It was precisely because of this that, although their team was large, there were only a few with real combat abilities��


    As soon as Captain Lv finished speaking, Director Zhang''s eyes lit up next to him. Right, if they could attract them to join, then their own strength would greatly increase. But he then immediately considered: what if these people staged a coup? With that thought, he fell into contemplation.


    Li Yu had been listening to Captain Lv''s words all along, and didn''t think much of them at first, but by the end, he felt like laughing. Join them? Join them to share in the hard times?


    Looking at the people who were gathering around because of the noise, though these individuals seemed a bit better in spirit than those under Boss Zhang, they still looked malnourished, thin, and pallid.


    After the apocalypse erupted, many fields, even many storage facilities, had been overwhelmed by the catastrophe. In the absence of production, everyone had to go out to scavenge, but as time went on, supplies became scarcer and harder to gather, leading them to venture further and further afield.


    Li Yu shook his head and straightforwardly rejected their offer.


    In his past life, Li Yu had joined a number of groups, large and small. When the apocalypse initially broke out, it wasn''t so bad��people''s natures hadn''t deteriorated too much��but later, even within groups, there were hierarchies.


    Those without strength could only fall to the lowest rank, Level One, and in extraordinary circumstances, they might even be tasked with drawing away the zombies. After joining several different groups, Li Yu eventually decided to become a lone wolf.


    Because although it''s much riskier to be alone in the apocalypse, in those groups, you can''t trust anyone. You have to be cautious of everyone around you, and it''s more exhausting than being alone in the wild.


    When Captain Lv saw Li Yu shake his head, he wasn''t too surprised. After all, given their strength, Li Yu and his crew certainly wouldn''t fare worse in the apocalypse than others.


    Behind Captain Lv, there were some ordinary civilians who looked at Li Yu and his companions with fear in their eyes.


    Li Yu didn''t want to interact too much with them and was ready to leave.


    He cast one final glance at them before heading towards the vehicle.


    Zhao Dapao looked down at the four bodies on the ground. It was as if he had accomplished something significant and suddenly relaxed, appearing a bit out of it, but some part of him made him follow Li Yu towards the car.


    The others didn''t speak either. Seeing Li Yu''s movements, they also headed towards the car.


    Director Zhang felt a bit regretful watching Li Yu and the others prepare to leave, but even more so, he was relieved. After all, Li Yu''s presence had been too intimidating, and he was not very talkative, giving the impression that he would be difficult to get along with.


    With some vigilance in his heart, he watched as Li Yu and his group boarded their vehicle. They had eliminated the powerful Boss Zhang, so this group was frightening indeed.


    Meanwhile, in Jiefang City, not everyone had been attracted to the gate by the bell. Some people, for various reasons, did not go to join the commotion.


    At the moment, there was a middle-aged man, burning with a high fever and fallen into a coma. There was a terrible knife wound on his chest, which seemed to be quite old, and lacking Anti-inflammatory Drugs, the wound had begun to fester and pus.


    Next to him, a woman was taking care of him, holding a wet towel to place on the middle-aged man''s forehead.

 Chapter 109 - 101: Found Them!

    The middle-aged woman''s eyes were slightly red.


    After placing a cold towel on the man''s forehead, she saw that his lips were somewhat dry and pale. So she got up, poured a little water, and fed the middle-aged man bit by bit. But the middle-aged man remained unconscious, and the water just fed into his mouth flowed back out.


    Seeing the water spill out, the middle-aged woman couldn''t hold back anymore, and her tears suddenly streamed down.


    She started crying, her cries somewhat suppressed and restrained. But in her sobbing, some of her words could be heard: "Ah... if only we had listened to Li Yu earlier and returned sooner. Who could have expected such a thing to happen after the heavy rain.


    So many terrifying zombies, you insisted on coming back, but after such a long journey, my brother-in-law lost his life, and you got so seriously injured! ...


    In this apocalyptic world, what are we few supposed to do? We were hoping to find Li Yu once you recovered, but who could anticipate your injuries getting more severe, and now you''re continuously unconscious.


    Director Zhang and the others here, they do take in people indeed. But who could''ve thought, their supplies would be so scarce and that we would need to barter, but we have nothing to trade...


    Now with you lying unconscious, what should we do..."


    Amidst her crying, the woman seemed to gradually calm down and continued to dip the towel into the cold water...


    The room, although quite large, was severely dilapidated.


    After being soaked by the rain, the wall''s plaster had peeled off, and the floor tiles were uneven with some black spots on them, appearing to have been cleaned by someone.


    But perhaps the spots had penetrated deep inside, making them hard to clean. As a result, irregular lines of black spots covered the floor, looking quite unsightly.


    And within the room, other than a few blankets, some packs of biscuits, a pot, a small table, and a stool, there was not much else.


    In the room, the woman murmured tearfully as she spoke. These past days, she hadn''t cried at all, but just now, as she tried to give the man water and couldn''t manage to get him to drink it, she couldn''t help but break down.


    However, this scene was not witnessed by Li Yu, as they hadn''t entered Jiefang City, and thus he couldn''t see it.


    But, if he had come into this room, he would recognize that this woman was his Second Aunt.


    And the man lying on the bed was none other than his Second Uncle from the north!


    ...


    Li Yu climbed into the vehicle, ready to leave Jiefang City. He was planning to first head over to Yugu Platform as some items had not been retrieved. They had rushed chasing those four people, too hurried to load everything into the car, and had thus come here.


    Zhao Dapao and the others promptly got into the vehicle.


    The vehicle started.


    On the Jiefang City side, Director Zhang and others still stood at the entrance watching them.


    Li Yu withdrew his gaze, patted Li Tie, who was at the driving seat, and said, "To Yugu Platform!"


    The vehicle slowly proceeded; not long after starting, just 500 meters away, a group of people approached them head-on. It was Director Zhang''s team from the County that Li Yu and the others had just seen upon arriving, now out searching for supplies.


    The sparse convoy, numbering around thirty, was led by a woman with short hair and glasses, who Li Yu didn''t pay much attention to.


    Among this group, because they were walking towards them on the road, they curiously glanced at Li Yu and the others'' vehicle, appearing to recognize that Li Yu and his company had just come from the direction of Jiefang City.


    Among them, a woman in her thirties, with a face showing the ravages of time, full of exhaustion, carrying a heavy pack on her back, didn''t lift her head, looking instead at her feet, stepping forward one by one.


    Beside her walked a boy in his teens, with a face too young to hold the maturity shown on it. His face seemed to have been bruised with redness and swelling.


    But after all, he was still a young boy. Seeing the unfamiliar convoy, he looked up at Li Yu and the others. Some people in the group had also seen Li Yu near Glory Building while they were collecting supplies, but the boy had missed crossing paths with Li Yu and his company.


    The boy looked up, saw the approaching vehicle, and the young man on the passenger side, his cousin Li Yu!


    Cousin! It was as if the boy''s mind was struck by lightning.


    Weren''t they returning specifically to find his cousin and the others?


    The boy immediately became excited, tapped the woman beside him: "Aunt, there''s cousin, Li Yu, our cousin!"


    The woman, sweat-covered face and without the time to wipe it away, heard the youth''s words and seemed not to comprehend for a moment.


    Staring blankly at the car ahead.


    And on the opposite side, as the vehicle slowly accelerated, Li Yu did not look at the crowd, but slowly cranked up the front passenger''s side window, as he still needed to go to Yugu Platform later.


    Li Yu''s car whooshed past.


    And that young man immediately ran out of the line, shouting at the convoy: "Cousin! Cousin! It''s me, Xiao Chi!"


    While flailing his arms, he called out loud.


    The woman beside him seemed to realize only then, as she also chased after the car shouting: "Li Yu! Li Yu! I''m your Aunt!"


    Li Yu''s car was at the very front, having already zoomed by, but there were still a few cars behind him.


    On one of those cars, Li Hang was in the passenger seat, seeing a young man and a woman burst out in front of him.


    At a glance, they seemed familiar; he rolled down the window, and after clearly hearing what the two were shouting, he was overjoyed, but at the same time slightly uncertain.


    He quickly told the driver, Yang Tianlong, to stop for a moment.


    The Aunt watched Li Yu''s car getting further away, feeling desperate, and at that moment, she knelt on the ground.


    Screech!


    A sharp sound of a car braking suddenly from behind caught the attention of the young man and woman.


    Both slowly turned their heads.


    Li Hang got out of the car somewhat excitedly, rushing towards the two while taking out the walkie-talkie to tell Li Yu: "Big brother! Aunt and Xiao Chi are here! Come back quick!"


    "What???" A storm of emotions surged in Li Yu''s heart.


    After the apocalypse broke out, Aunt and Second Uncle''s family hadn''t managed to return from the north, which made Li Yu very helpless. He had tried to persuade them many times, but they still didn''t come back.


    At home, his mother often mentioned Second Uncle and his family, especially Grandpa and Grandma, who longed for them greatly.


    But there was really no way; one reason being the long distance and the unknown dangers that might occur on the road, and the second being who would stay and protect the base if Li Yu left?


    This caused Li Yu much distress, still thinking how to find Second Uncle and Aunt, and now Li Hang says that Aunt and company have returned?


    In the post-apocalyptic world, traveling long distances was extremely difficult. The possibility of Aunt and others returning was too low!


    Li Yu told Li Tie to stop the car immediately, then turned the car around to run back.


    After turning the car around, Li Yu saw Yang Tianlong''s car up ahead, where Li Hang was embracing a young man and a woman.


    Taking a closer look, the figures of the young man and woman seemed somewhat unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time.


    The car soon arrived!


    Stopping right in front of them!


    Getting out of the car!


    Li Yu restrained the excitement in his heart, looked towards his Aunt!


    It had been many years since he had come back to life before he had seen his Aunt. Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at his Aunt''s somewhat familiar face, he felt a bit sad. In his memory, Aunt was a bit plumper, younger, and in his impression, it seemed like Aunt was always smiling when speaking.


    But now, the Aunt before him had her face so thin it was sunken inwards, from her dry hair sprung a lot of white hair, and her dirtied face was also smeared with some mud.


    Li Yu felt a surge of sorrow; he looked up at the crowd of people nearby, then walked towards his Aunt.


    And his Aunt, seeing both Li Hang and Li Yu get out of the car and stand beside her, these two big guys, over one meter eighty in height, holding firearms, exuded a fierce air, but she felt a full sense of safety.


    Finally seeing her relatives, she burst into tears. This was only the second time she had cried in these several months.

 Chapter 110 - 102: Where are Second Uncle and the others?

    "Big Cousin!" the teenager next to him shouted to Li Yu.


    Li Yu looked at the teenager and felt he looked familiar, after all, having been reborn for five years, those tough five years made him forget many people and things.


    Seeing Li Yu''s confusion, the teenager said, "Big Cousin, it''s me, Xiao Chi!"


    A series of memories rushed into his mind, and Li Yu remembered��the teenager in front of him was indeed his Second Uncle''s eldest son, Xiao Chi!


    At 14 years old, he was growing fast; no wonder Li Yu did not remember him at first, especially since Li Yu had been reborn for five years, making his memory even blurrier.


    Li Yu nodded to Xiao Chi and then asked, "Where is Second Uncle? And where are Aunt and the others?"


    Xiao Chi''s face suddenly changed, and his mood turned gloomy, as his aunt also snapped out of the joy from their recent encounter.


    A bad feeling surged in Li Yu''s heart.


    Xiao Chi slowly began, "When my dad came back, he was stabbed in the chest while protecting us. We have no Anti-inflammatory Drugs and no doctors; he is now unconscious."


    After hearing this, Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He had plenty of Anti-inflammatory Drugs. Doctors��his sister was studying medicine! So he quickly said, "Where is he now? Take me to him immediately!"


    Hearing this, Xiao Chi nodded and said, "We live right over there." He pointed in the direction of Jiefang City and continued, "When we came back to the town, we originally wanted to find you guys directly.


    But my dad''s injuries were too severe to continue traveling. We couldn''t find a place to stay for a while, so we thought about joining here temporarily until he recovered, and then go to find you.


    Unfortunately, it''s getting worse now... but thankfully, we finally met you." As he spoke, Xiao Chi vigorously wiped his tears, feeling more settled.


    Li Yu looked towards Jiefang City where Director Zhang and Captain Lv were still watching. Initially, Director Zhang and the others were about to leave, but seeing Li Yu suddenly stop their car, they also halted and watched.


    Li Yu stepped forward, patted Xiao Chi on the shoulder, then motioned for the two to get into the car.


    The aunt tried to pick up the backpack on the ground, and seeing this, Li Yu quickly lifted it, feeling his body lean forward from its weight. What in the world was in this thing, it was so heavy. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He felt very uncomfortable, the weight was noticeable even to him, a strong adult man, let alone the aunt.


    The aunt stood there, then suddenly turned her head, looked at the short-haired woman, and ran over to say, "Team Leader Feng, I, I''ll go ahead first, okay."


    The short-haired woman looked at Li Yu, then shifted her gaze back to the aunt and nodded.


    After giving her instructions, the aunt walked to the car, and Li Yu and the others also returned inside.


    Driving quickly, they soon arrived at the entrance of Jiefang City.


    Director Zhang, seeing Li Yu and others returning, felt somewhat uneasy, thinking: Why have they come back!


    But he had also seen Li Yu picking up two people into the car earlier, and those two seemed to be their people.


    Could it be?...


    Before Director Zhang could finish his guess, Li Yu quickly got out of the car and then approached the gateway, saying to Director Zhang, "I have some family inside, please let me enter and bring them out."


    Director Zhang suddenly realized, and beside him, Captain Lv also began to understand as they saw the aunt next to Li Yu, exchanging glances and subtly nodding.


    No choice, the other side has 6 submachine guns, 5 crossbows! We can''t beat that!


    With a wave of his hand, two men beside him opened the gate.


    Li Yu asked everyone to get off, then closed the car door. Then, after thinking, he asked Ding Jiu to leave two people to watch the car. The others followed him into Jiefang City.


    Director Zhang wore a smile on his face, saying, "It seems we are still fated, I can also be considered as having saved your family. See, isn''t this fate?"


    Upon hearing this, Second Aunt''s face slightly changed, but Zhou next to her seemed to recall something too. He used to speak before thinking, but he has changed since the apocalypse began.


    Zhou weighed his options, finally glanced at Li Yu and then at Captain Lv. He decided not to open his mouth, at least not now.


    Li Yu saw Second Aunt''s reaction and remained noncommittal to Director Zhang''s words.


    Second Aunt led the way, passing two milk-white houses that looked very luxurious, but as they got further, the houses became more decrepit.


    Perhaps because they moved closer to the river, and in those apocalyptic heavy rains, these houses near the river were probably flooded, so the patchiness on the walls became more pronounced.


    They walked all the way to the last row, the house on the far right. Li Yu felt somewhat sad and angry, but he didn''t know whom to direct his anger at!


    Spotty tiles with some water seeping out could be seen, and even if wiped clean, water would seep out again soon, so they might as well not bother.


    The house had no lights, making it look unusually gloomy, but one could vaguely see parts of the walls falling off, revealing the red bricks behind.


    The air carried a heavy musty smell, as if something had rotted there, mixed with a dampness.


    Li Yu frowned, although the environment was harsh, he had already made a judgement in his heart. In this post-apocalyptic world, it was good enough for people without power to have a place to live.


    As they got closer, a faintly audible crying could be heard from inside.


    Second Aunt walked briskly forward, and Li Yu quickly followed.


    Director Zhang, following behind them, looked upset. He clearly spoke of fair treatment, and there were so many houses available, why were they still living here?


    But Li Yu wasn''t concerned about that at the moment. He took out a flashlight and turned it on, and Li Hang behind him also turned his flashlight on.


    In the dark room, even if the windows were opened, it was hard for the sunlight outside to penetrate. But now, with the flashlights turned on, the room was instantly filled with light.


    As Li Yu approached, he saw Second Uncle lying on an old bed, his eyes shut and forehead covered in sweat, his chest wrapped with a cloth.


    Next to him sat Second Aunt.


    At this moment, Second Aunt, seeing the lights suddenly shining around, quickly turned her head and saw a group of people approaching her. The fear and un-wiped tears on her face revealed to everyone where the crying sound had come from.


    Perhaps because the room had always been dark, the sudden appearance of light made her find it dazzling. She raised her hand to block the light but also wanted to see clearly who the people were. So she peered through her fingers at everyone.


    Li Yu saw her action, quickly moved the light to the ground, and shouted, "Second Aunt, it''s me, Li Yu."


    With the light illuminating the ground, reflecting the light, Second Aunt finally recognized the familiar face. She also saw Li Hang behind him. Tears immediately streamed down, her lips trembling, but no sound came out. She tried to stand up, but failed after two attempts.


    Li Yu felt an even stronger sense of sourness in his heart.

 Chapter 111 - 103: The Little Slob

    Li Yu stepped forward and reached out to touch the back of his hand against Second Uncle''s forehead. It was burning up; he must have a high fever.


    Then he tore open the cloth that was bandaging the chest wound, revealing a terrifying injury��a seven- to eight-centimeter long gash with the skin on both sides peeled back, exposing the tender flesh beneath.


    Because Li Yu had pulled it open, some fresh blood began to seep out again, and some of the flesh inside was starting to decay, indicating an infection.


    Now with Second Uncle unconscious from the fever, Li Yu felt an urgency in his heart. He must send Second Uncle back to the base as soon as possible.


    In the base, he had built a medical facility before the apocalypse. This facility was equipped with many types of equipment and medications, including interferons, antibiotics, and more, available on the market.


    On top of that, his cousin Li Yuan, who was a third-year medical student yet to start her internship, would be a bit better than staying here for sure.


    They had to get back to the base urgently.


    He looked around and, seeing no one else, Li Yu asked, "Where are uncle and the others?"


    As soon as uncle was mentioned, the younger aunt behind him couldn''t hold back, speaking with a sob, "On the way back, he fought against zombies to let us go ahead. He was bitten by a zombie, and then Qiqi also...."


    Qiqi, the image of a cute little girl flashed through Li Yu''s mind. She was the younger aunt''s daughter, and it seemed now she also...


    Suddenly, two people, one adult and one child, came out of another small room.


    It was Second Uncle''s young daughter and younger aunt''s son. They were both under ten.


    The two of them had a sallow complexion, with disheveled appearances, and their skinny bodies seemed to lack any flesh, holding two sticks in their hands, they looked at Li Yu and the others with some fear.


    On the road, they had encountered too many zombies and too many bad people. Now, their fathers, one dead from zombies, the other lying unconscious.


    But life had to go on, and at such a young age, they had already learned to use weapons to protect themselves.


    However, when Li Yu turned his head to look at them, the two children widened their eyes, filled with disbelief.


    In their eyes, Li Yu, holding a flashlight shining ahead, with Li Hang behind him shining another flashlight on his back, seemed to emanate a glowing halo!


    He was their older cousin!


    Their own!


    Tears filled their eyes, and they rushed towards Li Yu as if crazed.


    "Big cousin!"


    "Big cousin!"


    Li Yu embraced the two children, his heart aching more than ever, and was relieved he had come.


    Otherwise, he couldn''t imagine how tough life would have been just on the younger aunt and Second Aunt, the two women without any adult men.


    Li Yu grabbed the hands of the two children, then turned to the workers behind him and said, "Ding Jiu, you three, carry Second Uncle to the car first,


    then go straight to Yugu Platform and move the stuff. After meeting up with us later, we''ll leave immediately."


    "Be quick!" S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ding Jiu nodded at the words and quickly stepped forward with a few workers. They searched the room, cobbled together a makeshift stretcher, and carried Second Uncle out.


    Li Yu looked at Second Aunt following beside him and then said to Li Hang, "Go with them, tell Ding Jiu to move slower. Be careful."


    Looking up to Captain Lv, seeing that he and the others were still there, he exchanged glances with Li Tie and Li Gang, conveying his intentions through his eyes. The two men understood immediately.


    Big brother never trusted anyone when doing things. Now that they were taking Second Uncle away, he also had to be cautious that these people might turn hostile at any moment.


    So Li Gang and Li Tie stepped outside the door, each choosing an optimal position from which they could see Li Yu''s room, as well as Ding Jiu and others carrying Second Uncle.


    Li Hang wasn''t lifting; instead, he guarded with a submachine gun, looking around vigilantly. Influenced by his older brothers, he suffered from severe paranoia, believing that aside from family and some friends, everyone else was a bad person.


    When dealing with bad people, he never hesitated to be ruthless. As long as they made a move, he would open fire instantly!


    Seeing that Second Aunt and Second Uncle had left, Li Yu then said to his younger aunt, "Let''s go too!"


    Attracting many onlookers due to Li Yu''s party, she scanned the crowd but didn''t seem to find the person she was looking for. Then, she turned to Li Yu and asked, "Do you remember that sloppy kid who once visited our home when we were younger?"


    Li Yu was slightly puzzled. Sloppy kid?


    The one who as a child aspired to grow up wandering the streets, picking up trash?


    He nodded and replied, "I have some impression. Why, is she here too?"


    His aunt said, "That sloppy girl, thank goodness for her. The reason we could get in is that she traded some food for our chance to enter.


    Otherwise, think about it, your uncle isn''t here, and your Second Uncle is injured. How could they possibly have let us in?


    During this time, your Second Uncle has been in a coma, and Xiao Chi and I have been scavenging supplies outside. According to their rules here, ninety percent of the found supplies must be handed over, or else we can''t stay.


    We were hoping to save some food to trade for anti-inflammatory drugs, but it''s not even enough for just us to eat. If it weren''t for that sloppy girl helping us, we probably wouldn''t have made it in, and our lives would be even harder than they are now."


    Li Yu glanced meaningfully at Director Zhang upon hearing this,


    but Director Zhang had an incredulous look on his face, listening to the aunt''s words!


    He had explicitly stated before: anyone could join their group, young or old, and supplies should be distributed fairly, with a thirty-seventy split. After going out, one only needed to hand over thirty percent of the scavenged supplies; the rest belonged to themselves.


    But now hearing Li Yu''s aunt, it was an eighty-ten split!


    Director Zhang''s face turned red with anger; he had just said they saved Li Yu''s aunt and her party.


    But in reality now, the aunt had only received a house in exchange for food, and they still had so little supplies left.


    Li Yu remained silent, for he had seen too much of this kind of situation. Policies from above were distorted by the time they reached those imposing them, turning good politics bad.


    Even with a few hundred people, even a slight difference in levels could drastically alter the transmission of information.


    Li Yu asked, "Where is that sloppy kid now?"


    The aunt was also puzzled. Based on her understanding of the sloppy girl, she should be the type who loved joining in on the excitement.


    So she led Li Yu out the door and walked towards the next building.


    But before Li Yu and his party got close, an adorable yet explosively fierce voice came from the room:


    "Wu, I''m telling you, today! You have to trade this anti-inflammatory drug with me, even if you don''t want to."


    "..."


    "What, these supplies are not enough? You think you''re getting peaches?"


    "..."


    "It must be traded. What? Louder! I can''t hear. You''re looking for Brother Liu?


    "It''s useless to look for anyone. You have to trade even if you don''t, because I say so!"


    Whack!


    A shoe was hurled, piercing through the window glass and shattering it!


    And flew out!

 Chapter 112 - 104: That Summer Vacation

    A dirty shoe flew out, heading straight towards Li Yu''s direction. Li Yu reacted swiftly, sidestepping as the shoe brushed past his face. That pair of sneakers had been worn down to the point where the heels were flattened like slippers.


    Slap!


    Director Zhang, who was behind, wasn''t as quick to react. The shoe slapped squarely onto his face.


    The shoe fell to the ground, leaving a faint imprint on his face.


    Director Zhang''s face showed a stunned expression, while a burst of snickering emanated from the side.


    It seemed to spare Director Zhang''s dignity, the laughter was somewhat restrained��but the more it was suppressed, the more evident it became.


    Director Zhang''s face darkened immediately, especially when he heard the low snickers nearby, his anger intensified.


    Disgrace! A dignified director, now the leader of this power, yet smacked in the face with a shoe!


    "Who was it?" Director Zhang cursed loudly.


    Just as he was about to explode with rage, he turned his head and saw Li Yu looking at him with a mocking smile.


    There seemed to be a hint of a threat in his eyes.


    Director Zhang''s anger cooled as if doused with cold water��after all, Li Yu was not someone who blinked an eye when killing. Just now at the entrance, he killed four people in one breath as easily as slaughtering chickens.


    He had been following behind, listening to the conversation of the crowd, and knew that the scruffy girl and Li Yu were acquainted. If he got angry now, Li Yu would surely take the scruffy girl''s side. There was no use in getting angry; he couldn''t beat him!


    So, a forced smile stretched across his face, although it was quite ugly, only to hear him say: "Ah, haha, I''m really unlucky. But shoes shouldn''t be thrown around like that!"


    Li Yu gave him a deep look, then was about to enter the house, but before he could, someone came out from inside.


    A person about 175 centimeters tall stepped out the door, slender and graceful as a startled swan.


    Her hair was a mess, like a bird''s nest, tangled and knotted in places.


    Her face was dirty, at first glance it was hard to make out her features, but just looking at the shape of her face, the smooth jawline appeared remarkably harmonious.


    Her exceptionally long legs made regular sweatpants seem insufficient, as if they had been turned into capris against their will, revealing a glimpse of her fair, lower calves.


    White! Very white!


    At the moment, she was dragging a worn backpack with the zipper half open, stuffed with some food like sausages, plus a couple of lighters and other supplies.


    Li Yu looked at her, not quite recognizing her at first; after all, in his memory, although the scruffy girl was called "the scruffy girl," she wasn''t as scruffy as now. But in the post-apocalypse, being scruffy might also be a form of camouflage.


    ...


    Looking at the scruffy girl, Li Yu fell into a memory:


    When he was young and visiting Grandma, he often saw this scruffy girl.


    Every time he saw her, she was alone on the street picking through trash, hence everyone called her the scruffy girl.


    But Li Yu didn''t find out until later that the scruffy girl''s parents had died when she was very young, and she grew up with her grandparents. Her grandpa was always collecting scrap, and the scruffy girl helped him gather trash.


    Grandma mentioned her story:


    As a child, many kids despised the scruffy girl for always picking up trash and said she smelled bad, which she never paid mind to.


    Later, a boy said her house smelled bad. The scruffy girl, young as she was, pinned the boy down and hit his face until it bled.


    The boy''s parents were not good people either. They brought their child and berated the scruffy girl''s family.


    They also demanded compensation for medical expenses. The scruffy girl''s grandparents were elderly and had always struggled to make a living collecting scrap, saving up earnestly to afford her schooling.


    After causing a commotion in the scruffy girl''s house without finding any money to take, the boy''s parents wreaked havoc, breaking things.


    At that time, Uncle and Grandpa were around, hearing the noise and rushing over to the scruffy girl''s house.


    Since Uncle was a member of the Armed Police force, he was off duty but still in uniform. As he arrived, his commanding presence alone quelled the troublemaking parents.


    After all, that boy was left with a long scar on his face.


    Later, it was Li Yu''s Uncle who took out some money, considering it a resolution of the incident.


    Since then, the relationship between the two families improved. On normal days, Li Yu''s Grandpa''s family would often lend support to the disheveled girl and her family.


    But after that incident, the disheveled girl became isolated in the neighborhood.


    Many adults warned not to play with her, not to associate with that lunatic girl, so local children avoided her like the plague, often steering clear of her.


    Every time Li Yu visited his Grandpa''s house, he often saw the disheveled girl alone.


    Either picking up trash by the roadside or often behind the big road near home, where there was a large palm tree.


    Beneath the palm tree, she would often sit there alone.


    A tiny figure.


    Wearing tattered clothes, her hair in a mess, staring blankly at a bustling playground where people were playing games.


    From a young age, she had been very sensible. She said she didn''t like to wear skirts, didn''t like hair clips, and didn''t like pink.


    She liked picking up trash.


    Every time Li Yu''s Grandpa, Uncle and others wanted to offer more support, they were restrained as the family was not very willing to accept it, believing they could earn money by picking up trash.


    ...


    Later, Li Yu, Li Hang, and Li Yuan, every time they visited Grandpa''s house, would seek out the disheveled girl to play.


    Li Hang was an eccentric person, and thus he insisted on dragging Li Yu to join the disheveled girl in picking trash.


    During that summer vacation, Li Yu, Li Hang, Li Yuan, and the disheveled girl picked trash the entire time.


    That year, the four children ran through the streets, played and frolicked by the roadside, picked trash in the alleys, and in the scorching heat, they put their heads under the tap, letting the water douse their hair.


    Then they took sticks and split into two teams to see who could cut more lotus leaves;


    Splashed and played in the shallow stream;


    Bought spicy strips for 5 mao a pack from the snack stall and shared them among the four;


    Played hide and seek in Grandpa''s house until they had to search for Li Hang, who wasn''t found until the depths of the night.


    In the end, adults were close to calling the police until the Uncle hurriedly returned, only to find Li Hang foolishly descending from the small loft in the firewood room.


    Arrogantly asserting he was the best at hiding.


    What exactly happened to Li Hang that day, it''s hard to remember clearly.


    But after that, Li Hang never played hide and seek again.


    Then later, the summer vacation ended.


    Li Yu and the others went back home, and Li Yuan gifted her a pink hair clip;


    Li Hang gave nothing, because on the day he got beaten, the disheveled girl laughed the loudest;


    Li Yu gave her his favorite pencil sharpener.


    The disheveled girl gave them three beautiful and smooth river stones, with no idea how long she searched for them by the river, but these stones were extraordinarily glossy and full.


    Li Yu cherished them a lot and even now keeps them in his room as decorations.


    That day, the disheveled girl told them she was very happy.


    Later, in the setting sun, Li Yu and the others left Grandpa''s house by car, and until they left, the disheveled girl was still standing by the roadside. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tiny, sloppy, facing the wind, her hair blowing in the breeze.


    ...

 Chapter 113 - 105: Braised Pork Knuckle, Fried Belt Fish

    "Yu?" A crisp female voice came through, interrupting Li Yu''s reminiscence.


    Little Scruffy looked at Li Yu with some uncertainty because, although Li Yu would occasionally visit his Grandma''s house, he hadn''t seen Little Scruffy in seven or eight years.


    Seeing Little Scruffy''s neat row of big white teeth, Li Yu''s face broke into a smile and said, "Little Scruffy."


    Upon hearing this, Little Scruffy, who rarely got called by this nickname after growing up,


    raised her eyebrows slightly, twisted her mouth, and eventually spoke in an old-fashionedly serious tone, "Don''t call me Little Scruffy, call me Scruffy King."


    Little Scruffy was rather lonely when she was young, but it didn''t turn her into an introvert. Instead, she was optimistic and generous, especially courageous, somewhat similar to Li Hang.


    Li Yu''s smile grew wider upon hearing Little Scruffy''s response and then he said, "Alright, alright, Scruffy King."


    He was very happy to see Little Scruffy.


    Turning to his aunt standing beside him, Li Yu immediately added, "Thank you for taking care of my aunt and uncle during this time."


    Little Scruffy scratched her head and then waved her hand dismissively, "No big deal."


    At this moment, a middle-aged man came out from inside the room, looking like he was the one talking to Little Scruffy just before.


    Li Yu glanced at him before quickly returning his gaze to Little Scruffy and said, "I need to take my Second Uncle away; he''s severely injured. Would you like to come with me?"


    Little Scruffy looked at Li Yu and then at her aunt, who was full of expectation.


    Before Little Scruffy could respond, Li Yu added, "I have braised pork knuckles at my place, and my Grandma is there too. She just made fried fish for me the other day. Want some?"


    Little Scruffy, upon hearing this, swallowed loudly,


    clearly audible.


    But Little Scruffy wasn''t the slightest bit embarrassed and nodded at Li Yu, "Alright then, let''s go now." She said and started walking towards Li Yu.


    Seeing this, Li Yu asked, "Aren''t you going to pack your stuff?"


    Little Scruffy lifted the bag in her hand and said, "I have all my things here. Oh, right," as if she remembered something, she stopped in her tracks.


    Then, she turned to the middle-aged man and said, "Let''s swap. I''ll trade these things with you for Anti-inflammatory Drugs. Let me tell you, it''s a fair deal. You won''t be shortchanged or scammed."


    The middle-aged man glanced at Li Yu, especially noticing the gun on him, then looked back at Little Scruffy with a troubled expression.


    Li Yu felt moved by Little Scruffy; these were all her possessions, and now, to help save his Second Uncle, she was willing to trade them all for Anti-inflammatory Drugs. It was a kindness he had to acknowledge.


    Watching Little Scruffy, still tugging at the middle-aged man, trying to coerce him into the exchange,


    Li Yu said, "Little Scruffy, there''s no need."


    Hearing this, Little Scruffy let go of the man''s arm and turned around to say something to Li Yu. But before she could utter a word, the middle-aged man seized the chance to run off to the side.


    Little Scruffy became frustrated and said to Li Yu, "What do you mean no need? Do you know how scarce the Anti-inflammatory Drugs are now? Didn''t you see I was about to close the deal with him?"


    Li Yu''s heart warmed; he didn''t want Little Scruffy to give away all her things for some Anti-inflammatory Drugs, especially since the base had some, and there were also some in the medicine box in the car.


    So he said, "It''s fine, I have some."


    Hearing this, Little Scruffy pouted, then zipped up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, walking towards Li Yu.


    "Let''s go."


    Little Scruffy didn''t even glance at Director Zhang beside her. Although she knew him, she didn''t care; she''d been on her own before. If it hadn''t been for Li Yu''s Second Uncle and the others, she would have set out on her own long ago.


    For her, as long as she could eat her fill, there was no worry for the whole family.


    Li Yu looked at Little Scruffy, who still carried that straightforward and no-nonsense air about her.


    So he turned around and said to Director Zhang next to him, "We''re leaving now."


    Director Zhang smiled and nodded, then said to Li Yu, "Are you really not joining us, or perhaps we can cooperate in some way?"


    Li Yu looked deeply at Director Zhang and then said, "Let''s talk about it later."


    Then he nodded amiably towards Captain Lv next to him and said, "See you around."


    With that, he led Yang Tianlong and the others towards the gate.


    Li Tie and Li Gang, who had been standing outside the gate at the corridor intersection, raised their guns slightly as they saw Li Yu and his group come out and followed them from behind, continually looking back and observing their surroundings as they walked.


    Soon, Li Yu arrived at the vehicle, where the back seats of the riot van had been removed, and a small bed was installed temporarily, transforming it into what resembled an emergency medical vehicle.


    At this point, Li Hang had already given Second Uncle anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing drugs; his forehead was not as hot, but he was still unconscious. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Hang noticed the scruffy girl next to Li Yu and felt she looked oddly familiar, but before he could ask, the scruffy girl also saw him and said, "Hang?"


    Li Hang instantly remembered, "Scruffy sis?"


    The scruffy girl immediately rolled her eyes. Being called scruffy is one thing, ''sis'' is another, but what''s with ''scruffy sis''?


    So she retorted somewhat irritably, "Call me Scruffy Queen!"


    ...


    Li Hang smiled helplessly and chuckled twice before saying speechlessly, "Get on, Queen Sis."


    "Good."


    Everyone got into the vehicles, with Second Aunt sitting in the back of the riot van, taking care of Second Uncle at all times.


    The scruffy girl was also in the same vehicle as Li Yu and the others, sitting in the middle.


    The group drove off towards Yugu Platform.


    As the vehicles departed, Director Zhang and Captain Lv remained there, watching. Captain Lv seemed regretful as he watched them leave, and Director Zhang''s gaze was inscrutable, lost in thought.


    The vehicles soon reached Yugu Platform, where Ding Jiu and the others had already loaded the vehicles and were waiting at the gate.


    Li Yu honked the horn, and Ding Jiu understood, immediately started to follow Li Yu''s vehicle.


    They were headed in the direction out of the city.


    Li Yu glanced back at Jiefang City and then at Yugu Platform, pondering for a moment.


    He then had Li Tie drive at top speed back to the base.


    On the vehicle, Li Yu looked at the scruffy girl next to him and then took out an unopened pack of sealed large chicken legs from his bag, as well as a pack of pickled bamboo shoots, and handed them to her.


    He also handed some snacks to Second Aunt.


    The scruffy girl looked at Li Yu with a shocked expression, wondering how such good stuff could still exist several months into the apocalypse?


    As soon as she got her hands on them, the scruffy girl started eating without reserve, tearing open the packaging and diving in.


    Li Yu watched the scruffy girl eating and turned his head away, casually asking, "How about Grandpa Du?"


    The scruffy girl paused in her eating.


    Li Yu did not hear an answer from the scruffy girl for a long time, and he had already figured it out.


    But then he heard the scruffy girl''s voice from behind him, "Grandpa and Grandma passed away a few years ago due to poor health."


    The scruffy girl''s voice was calm, but the calmer she was, the more Li Yu could feel her sadness.


    ...

 Chapter 114 - 106: Population Breaks Through 50!

    After they left, Director Zhang stood at the highest point of Jiefang City and watched their vehicles from a distance, suddenly feeling some regret.


    Originally, he wanted to send a few people to follow them, at least to figure out where they were stationed, but he feared they might be discovered. As he hesitated, Li Yu and others had gone far away, and the opportunity was lost.


    Sitting in the vehicle, Li Yu, after having eaten, stared blankly out the window at the little messy one, feeling somewhat distressed. He wanted to say some comforting words, but when they reached his lips, he felt he couldn''t speak them out.


    "How are Grandpa Liu and the others?" the little messy one suddenly asked.


    Li Yu nodded.


    "They were fine before the apocalypse broke out, having just gone there to recuperate. Now they''re with my parents, and everyone is doing well," Li Yu said.


    The little messy one took a deep breath and said, "That''s good." S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Along the way, they chatted casually, their conversation starting with pleasantries and eventually moving on to fun childhood stories.


    The vehicle sped along the road, and time passed quickly.


    More than an hour later, when they were nearing the gas station in town, evening fell, and the twilight bathed the convoy in light, as if the vehicles were racing with the setting sun.


    As the sun''s rays dipped lower, the convoy''s speed increased. They had traveled this road many times, and the road surface had been cleared very clean.


    In the end, it was the convoy that won the race; they reached the base before the sun had set.


    In the afterglow of the sunset, the little messy one and his aunt, among others, saw from the window what seemed like a giant dragon''s wall.


    When the wall was first constructed, Li Yu had intended to build it about six meters high.


    Later, Li Hongyuan thought it through more thoroughly and decided that since they were building it, they might as well make the foundation more stable, raising it by about 0.7 meters, making the whole wall nearly 6.7 meters high, appearing even taller.


    Additionally, they added over a meter of high-voltage electric fence on top of the wall, making the whole base look over eight meters high from the outside.


    Especially due to its length, it had a somewhat shocking effect when viewed from afar.


    Third Uncle was in the Observation Tower; he had already contacted Li Yu before his arrival, and was now standing on Weng City, having opened the first gate.


    The vehicles entered slowly.


    As they did, the gates of Weng City closed quickly behind them.


    With the sky growing darker, there were already quite a few zombies wandering outside the base.


    Boom! The first heavy gate fell, and by the sound alone, it was clear that the door was very sturdy.


    Yet, this sound seemed to signal to everyone a psychological hint: they were finally home, finally... safe!


    The little messy one and others began to examine the base; in the evening light, the area inside Weng City was at least 500 square meters, with several large trucks parked, still loaded with some goods.


    In the center of Weng City stood a large pillar, on which a strong light was placed, illuminating the inside of Weng City clearly.


    Li Yu and others disembarked; Third Uncle and Uncle came down from Weng City. Just as Uncle was about to ask Li Yu how the trip went, he suddenly saw the little aunt, Second Aunt and others behind Li Yu, and ran up joyfully.


    In their eyes, with so many zombies in the apocalypse, and considering the north was so far from here, it was impossible for Second Uncle and the others to return; in fact, it was more likely that they had a slim chance of survival.


    They would have never imagined that Li Yu and his group would bring back the little aunt and the others on this trip!


    "Stinker! Why didn''t you say so on the walkie-talkie?" Uncle thumped Li Yu.


    Li Yu walked towards the riot control vehicle and then opened the door. He said, "When Second Uncle and the others were coming back, they encountered many zombies and some bad people on the road, and the uncle-in-law got bitten by a zombie while protecting them."


    "Second Uncle was also slashed in the chest by someone. Due to the lack of anti-inflammatory drugs, he later developed a fever, fell into a coma, and I just gave him some anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing drugs. He''s feeling a bit better now."


    Uncle''s face, previously filled with joy, gradually lost its brightness upon hearing this, walked over, and examined him.


    Then he said, "It''s good that you''ve come back."


    At the second gate, Li Hongyuan saw Uncle gesture and immediately opened the second gate.


    After the second gate was opened, Li Hongyuan saw Li Yu and also Li Yu''s aunt. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he quickly opened the third gate.


    Once the vehicle was started, it went straight to the residential villa district. Seeing his aunt and the others return, Uncle became somewhat excited, so he let Li Haoran and the others replace him on duty.


    As the base''s population continued to grow, the number of people assigned to patrol duties also increased.


    Now there aren''t just rotational patrol personnel, but also gate duty personnel on rotation, and surveillance operators who monitor the entire base at all times from the monitoring room, undoubtedly elevating the base''s security up a notch.


    And with the arrival of Second Uncle and the others, the base''s population exceeded 50 people! Among them, there are almost 40 able-bodied men and women between the ages of 16 and 65!


    During this time, under Li Yu''s suggestion, everyone, regardless of gender, started learning how to use crossbows and even firearms.


    Since the last time they obtained a large quantity of guns from the arsenal, everyone has started to get familiar with them.


    Recently, whether it''s 16-year-old Li Zhengping, or Uncle''s wife who is kind-hearted and a believer in Buddhism, have fully realized the cruelty of the apocalypse and have come to understand that to protect the base, they need to take up arms and not hold anyone back.


    So, the entire base is armed!


    Apart from Li Yu''s immediate relatives, there are also some people who joined the base later:


    There is Xuanxuan from the neighboring strong family, who recently trained exceptionally hard, saying she would protect Li Yu when she grows up.


    There''s also Uncle Lai''s family of four, who have been following Li Yu for over a decade. The relationship between Li Yu and Uncle Lai isn''t one of blood, but it''s closer than family.


    Then there''s Yang Tianlong, who grew up with Li Yu, Yang Xiaozhu, who has had a crush on Li Yu for many years, and Zhao Dapao, a comrade-in-arms of Yang Tianlong, Li Tie, and Li Gang. During this period, his performance has completely won Li Yu''s approval.


    There are also workers like Ding Jiu, who participated in the construction of the wall and whom Li Yu subsequently rescued and helped construct Weng City. Among these workers, Ding Jiu''s daughter and Li Hang are classmates.


    For the rest of the workers, Li Yu, through previous assessments and seeing their willingness to stand and resist the zombies instead of retreating while facing the threat during the construction of Weng City, won a measure of his approval.


    These people have joined for some time now, and although generally honest and loyal, Li Yu still hasn''t allowed them to use firearms.


    Coupled with the recent return of people like Second Uncle, the base''s population has grown more and more.


    But there have been no disturbances or conflicts!


    Because in the base, Li Yu holds absolute authority, for several reasons.


    One: Within the base, the core fighting force trusts him and follows his command. He has the support of people like Uncle, Third Uncle, Li Tie, Li Gang, Yang Tianlong, and Zhao Dapao.


    Among the younger generation, the teenagers also greatly admire him as their big brother.


    Two: The base has a sufficient supply of materials, and the overall atmosphere is quite peaceful. Everyone eats the same food so it''s relatively fair.


    Three: The external threat is obvious to everyone after venturing out a few times. They know well how hard-won their current life is, and the external threats in turn push for internal peace.


    Having Li Yu, a core figure who heads to the front line in any situation, with the rest following suit, even the workers, even if not for the sake of Li Yu, still have their family in the base!


    Thus, everyone in the base regards it as their own home. Compared to the disorganized mob led by Director Zhang, although our base has fewer people, in terms of strength, even excluding weapons and equipment, our combat effectiveness far surpasses theirs!


    In this post-apocalyptic world, such a group, based on common interests and bonded by kinship and friendship, is exceptionally stable!


    Just as in ancient times, the reason why some families stood as strong as iron while dynasties flowed like water is the same.

 Chapter 115 - 107: A Leisurely Swim Under the Moon

    Upon arriving at the residential area, people from the base crowded around, including Li Yu''s family, the families of the workers, and Yang Tianlong''s sister.


    Everyone was always very worried about them whenever Li Yu and his team went out.


    This time, as before, everyone waited in front of the vehicle for Li Yu and his team to get off.


    Li Yu got off and immediately ran to the back of the armored vehicle, bringing Li Hang and others to carry Second Uncle out.


    As Aunt and others got off the vehicle, Grandpa and Grandma, Li Yu''s mother, and others were all tearfully joyful, rushing forward.


    "Fangju!" Grandma shouted with delight in her voice.


    "Grandpa, Grandma!" S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Grandpa and others, the boy from behind was also exceedingly happy. It had been a long time since the apocalypse began, and he hadn''t seen them for a long time.


    He originally thought he would never see them again, but fortunately, fate was kind, and he finally reunited with his family.


    However, during communication after the reunion, they learned that Li Yu''s uncle had been killed by zombies, and Second Uncle was still unconscious, abruptly halting everyone''s previous joy.


    In another vehicle, Li Yu and others used a simple stretcher to carry Second Uncle, who was still unconscious, but his complexion had improved a lot.


    Everyone wanted to approach and check, but as Li Yu was carrying the stretcher, he shouted to Li Yuan behind him: "Yuan Niu, come quickly and treat Second Uncle''s wounds."


    People quickly made way for Li Yuan to find a gap to step forward and then followed to carry Second Uncle to the infirmary.


    In the infirmary, Li Yuan unwrapped Second Uncle''s bandage and then started treating the wound.


    As some necrotic tissue had become purulent, it was directly excised. Luckily, though the wound was somewhat ulcerated, it wasn''t deep and hadn''t reached the inside.


    During the treatment of the wound, Second Uncle woke up due to the pain. Just awakened, he saw the white ceiling and was somewhat confused.


    But upon seeing Li Yu and others around, he knew where he was.


    Seeing Aunt and others were still safe, he too felt a sigh of relief.


    However, not long after he woke up, Second Uncle passed out again.


    Everyone was a bit worried and asked questions; Li Yuan said: "Second Uncle has been without sufficient nutrition for too long and is a bit weak." Only then did everyone feel at ease.


    After treating the wound, Li Yuan gave Second Uncle glucose and told everyone: "The fever has subsided, and the anti-inflammatory drugs have been taken; there shouldn''t be anything seriously wrong."


    In the end, two people were left to take care of him, and the rest were persuaded by Li Yu to leave, as too much noise was not conducive to Second Uncle''s recovery.


    ....


    Outside the door, after coming out of the infirmary, especially those like the messy-haired boy and Aunt who were entering the base for the first time, they curiously surveyed the base.


    They couldn''t see the layout of the base clearly from outside due to the high walls.


    But now, having entered the base, they discovered the base was actually so large, even enclosing two hundred-acre forests.


    The entire base looked clean and orderly, with even gardens, bamboo forests, and mountain ponds.


    The tall walls provided a strong sense of security.


    A gentle evening breeze blew, and under its caress, Aunt and others felt truly relaxed for the first time in months!


    It felt as if they had shed a heavy burden, the mountains on their shoulders seemingly collapsing at that moment.


    There was an indescribable freshness and comfort throughout their bodies.


    It was like before the apocalypse, a corporate drone tensely working for two days and nights, and then suddenly lying on a soft bed for that instant.


    Thanks to the many houses built at the base in the beginning, the majority of the rooms were still empty.


    After arranging accommodation for Aunt and others, Li Yu took Li Hang, Li Tie, and a few others to the Mountain Pond in the center of the forest.


    Around the edge of the pond, some willow trees and fruit trees were planted.


    The pond had also been remodeled, with some steps being built.


    The rainfall before had submerged many steps, but now as the water receded, the steps were exposed.


    Li Yu and the others got out of the lake and then swam freely in it. The weather was neither cold nor hot at this moment.


    After being under the sun for a whole day, the temperature of the lake water was also quite acceptable.


    The solar-powered street lights by the lake shone quietly on the water''s surface.


    Li Yu and the rest swam to their hearts'' content in the lake, then sprawled out on the steps by the shore, as relaxed as puddles of mud, as if leaving everything behind.


    "Yuzi, how did you come up with the idea to transform this place like this?" Yang Tianlong said.


    He was half-submerged in the water, his head resting on the steps, comfortably floating in the lake.


    Li Yu looked at the lake, which had become brightly lit because the searchlights on the shore were turned on. In the water, Li Hang was still competing with Li Tie, seeing who could swim further.


    In the middle of the lake, Zhao Dapao and Li Gang were rowing a small boat, acting as referees behind Li Tie and Li Hang.


    Faced with Yang Tianlong''s question, Li Yu answered with a smile, "With money, comes caprice!"


    Yang Tianlong was somewhat speechless, but looking at the dull mountain forest ahead, dotted with some street lights.


    The moon hung high in the sky, and stars twinkled above. The lake seemed to turn into a night sky.


    It was hard to distinguish between the lake and the sky for a moment.


    Very happy.


    Li Yu was also very happy. His family had finally reunited.


    Coming back to life, his greatest wish was to save his family and then lead them to live well, to truly live life, in this cruel post-apocalyptic world!


    Surviving does not equate to living.


    Living requires vitality and vigor, the ability to feel the beauty in our days, that''s what is called living.


    Li Yu put his hands behind his head, letting his body gently sway with the ripples of the water.


    Swinging gently back and forth.


    ...


    Meanwhile in the residential area.


    Li Yuan brought the unkempt girl into the room.


    Turning on the light, it was a suite.


    The unkempt girl saw that the room had a small living room with not much furniture, followed by a bathroom and toilet, and beside it, a small bedroom.


    The setup was simple, but very clean and tidy.


    Li Yuan said embarrassingly, "Yutong sister, I haven''t had time to tidy up for you."


    Then she handed over some daily necessities, which they had just brought up together, and said, "I''ll fetch the quilt for you later, the bathroom is at the very back."


    "Mhmm, what would you like to drink? Should I get you some of my brother''s favorite Companion Moon beer? I know where he hides it. We can drink a bit later. Heh heh heh."


    The unkempt girl''s lips curled into a slight smile, nodded, and simply said okay.


    Li Yuan scampered downstairs.


    The unkempt girl entered the room and saw a bamboo forest right outside the window, with a gentle breeze and rustling leaves.


    The unkempt girl hesitated as she looked at the bathroom, but then she thought of Li Yu and his whole warm and united family.


    Turning on the tap, water started flowing.


    There was a mirror. The unkempt girl looked up and saw her own reflection, disheveled and dirty.


    Her face was so grimy that she could hardly recognize her own features.


    Recalling how even Li Yu''s Grandma and Grandpa had almost failed to recognize her, a chuckle arose within her.


    "Feels pretty safe here, with Yuzi and all of them around, why not take a shower?" the unkempt girl murmured to herself.

 Chapter 116 - 108: Beauty Emerging from Bath

    Clothes slowly slid off, revealing the fair skin that stood in stark contrast to the dirty face, the pale complexion shimmering under the light.


    Opening the showerhead, letting the water spray on her face, washing away the blackness.


    It was warm water.


    Little Sloppy reveled in the temperature of the water, the smile at the corner of her mouth spreading.


    Then she picked up the shampoo and began to clean her hair bit by bit


    ...


    The door was closed; Li Yuan waited outside for quite a while, listening to the patter of the shower inside, feeling somewhat expectant about how Yutong would look after her shower.


    It had been a long time since she had seen Yutong.


    When she was in junior high, she used to meet her every time she visited Grandpa''s house, but after high school, they met less often, especially after starting college, almost never.


    When she had first seen Yutong just now, she hadn''t recognized her.


    Since she was young, she thought Yutong was beautiful, even dressed simply, which could hardly conceal her beauty.


    Unexpectedly, this wait turned out to be nearly an hour.


    Li Yuan had already opened a bottle and started to drink on her own at the door.


    Li Yuan had always been well-behaved and gentle since she was a child, but she also envied those brave girls, especially ones like Yutong who dared to fight with boys.


    She thought it was so cool!


    The sound of the shower came to a sudden stop.


    Following was a rustling sound of clothes being put on.


    Click~


    The door opened.


    A girl walked toward her.


    Like a lotus rising from clear water, natural beauty without need for adornment.


    Her face, like the soft light of a crescent moon, like snow-laden flowers, an oval face, exquisite beyond the ordinary.


    Her snow-white, delicate, and smooth skin was almost dazzling under the light.


    Tall and shapely, her figure graceful, her demeanor dignified and refined,


    It seemed that the clothes Li Yuan had brought were a bit small, accentuating her devilish figure all the more.


    In every curve, the clothes seemed unable to support the weight, as if they might split open any moment.


    And yet, the clothes brought by the 165cm tall Li Yuan were already the largest size she had.


    Seeing this, Li Yuan felt somewhat... aggrieved.


    Despite how much she ate herself.


    Her black hair was like lacquer, her skin like jade, her eyes glinting with charm,


    She looked at Li Yuan holding the bottle, her lips curling into a smile, inadvertently revealing an ineffable beauty through every frown and smile.


    Her hair, still wet with water droplets, her delicate face, clear eyes, and the relaxed appearance she seemed to have after a warm bath,


    She exuded a fresh and natural aura from within, painting a beautifully serene picture.


    "Yutong, you look so pretty," Li Yuan said, admiringly to Little Sloppy.


    Then, as if she remembered something, she added, "The guys still call you Little Sloppy; they really have no idea. So foolish!"


    Her expression contained a hint of frustrated expectations.


    Little Sloppy smiled, pointed at her clothes, and asked, "Um, Li Yuan, do you have any other clothes? This one is a bit small. Something like a larger tracksuit would be best."


    Li Yuan''s eyes rolled around, as if she had just remembered something.


    She said excitedly, "Yes! My brother recently went out to collect supplies and looted many clothing stores. He found some that would suit you, do you want a Bra? I can get you a wireless, free-size sports bra."


    Hearing this, Little Sloppy nodded excitedly.


    She had actually been enduring it, even after the end of the world outbreak, she always managed to clean herself, but after washing her face, she would still have to make it dirty.


    In this environment, being dirty and messy was a kind of camouflage for her.


    Li Yuan was quick to come and go. After Little Sloppy changed her clothes, she sat on the sofa with Li Yuan.


    They watched a TV series on the projector she had brought.


    The little sloppy girl was completely startled when she saw Li Yuan bring in the projector.


    It''s already the end of the world, and they still have such amenities.


    Seeing the little sloppy girl''s shocked expression, Li Yuan ran down again, and after a while,


    she came up with a bunch of chips, sunflower seeds, and other snacks, then said somewhat regretfully, "These things are my treasure. My big brother hoarded them for me before, and there''s not much left now. Since Yutong sister is visiting today, I must share them with you."


    The little sloppy girl was completely shell shocked by the sight before her. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s the end of the world...


    This is a bit too much.


    The worst times for her before were those times during the heavy rains, when supplies were scarce, and they had to guard against zombies.


    Everything was almost eaten up, and by the end, she was even beginning to despair.


    Until later, the Zombie Tide receded.


    And they have such abundant supplies over here at Li Yu''s place?


    The two of them just ate, drank, and chatted until late at night, and then Li Yuan ran back to her own room.


    ...


    After swimming back, Li Yu went to the monitoring room. Today it was Second Aunt on duty.


    Different from Second Uncle, although Second Uncle has some wisdom, many of his ideas are somewhat insidious, which is very useful in the post-apocalyptic world.


    Second Aunt on the other hand, is clear-headed and sees everything clearly and understandingly.


    Li Yu greeted Second Aunt and asked her to keep a close eye on the monitors.


    Especially to pay attention to the residential area, the cameras on the third floor.


    Although Li Yu had a good time playing with the little sloppy girl when they were young, after all, it had been a long time since they last saw each other.


    Today, the little sloppy girl, for the sake of Second Uncle, brought out all her possessions in exchange for the Anti-inflammatory Drugs.


    But Li Yu, having been reborn, believes in one thing: apart from family, he cannot completely trust anyone.


    Even now, Li Yu still regards the workers who came in with a scrutinizing attitude.


    Being careful is not a mistake; being cautious helps one to live a long life.


    From the monitoring room, Li Yu saw Li Yuan carrying down an empty bottle of beer, and upon closer inspection, it was his treasured beer.


    ...


    After all, she is a sister, and blood is thicker.


    If it was a brother, he would have slapped him across the face long ago.


    Forget it.


    Li Yu felt a tingling in his teeth and then returned to his own room.


    He continued to reflect on everything that had happened today, replaying events in his mind like a revolving lantern.


    Director Zhang.


    Captain Lv.


    The remaining people at Yugu Platform.


    Apart from a few guns taken from Big Zhang''s place, it looked like Director Zhang only had four handguns.


    When he returned today, he deliberately stopped the car, let Li Hang out to check, and indeed, no one was following. Hah!


    That meant Director Zhang knew the score; if he dared to follow them, then there would be no need for them to stay.


    And there was more...


    ...


    Li Yu sat in the bathtub, continually thinking, checking for any oversights, what he might have missed, and what he needs to be aware of in the future, and so on.


    After a while, Li Yu got out of the bathtub.


    Laying on the soft bed, he still couldn''t fall asleep right away, there''s always a whip inside his heart that prevents him from relaxing completely.


    Even now, within this safe base, he dared not let his guard down completely.


    Looking at the moon outside the window, he spaced out in a daze.


    It''s almost April.


    It''s been almost half a year since he was reborn in this post-apocalyptic world.

 Chapter 117 - 109: Fishing

    Three days later...


    Second Uncle''s injuries had already improved somewhat, and over the past few days, a stewed old hen soup was prepared to nourish him.


    His complexion had gotten much better, and although he could now sit up, he still tried to minimize movement to avoid straining his wounds.


    That evening, Li Yu discussed with his mother and checked the supplies in the storage.


    When building the underground storage originally, they had considered the need for long-term storage. Hence, they used materials with strong sealing properties to maintain a dry environment.


    So far, apart from some snacks, the other supplies were insignificant.


    With the return of Second Uncle, Aunt, and others, the entire extended family was finally complete, which was Li Yu''s greatest dream since his rebirth, and it had now come true.


    His remaining dream was to live a good life with his family.


    A family reunion must be celebrated. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the post-apocalyptic world, celebrations were simple��adding a special meal!


    Have a gathering!


    After sharing the news with everyone, Li Hang was particularly excited because he remembered the last gathering at the base when Third Uncle and others returned.


    And he had so much fun at that party.


    This gathering was even more anticipated!


    Standing beside him, the scruffy girl didn''t quite understand the situation. She had few friends since childhood and was too lazy to interact much with others as she grew up, so she seldom had private gatherings.


    Seeing her puzzled look, Li Yu smiled and said, "Eat, drink, and be merry."


    "Oh."


    Li Yu didn''t pay her more attention, turning instead to find Zhao Dapao and others, preparing to go fishing for the night''s grilled fish!


    Glancing towards the gate, he remembered it was Second Uncle''s duty today, seeming like he''d miss out again.


    Just as Li Yu turned around and took a few steps, he heard a bell-like voice behind him: "Brother Yu, where are you going?"


    Li Yu turned back, saw Yang Xiaozhu, smiled, and said, "Going fishing."


    "Wow, I want to come too."


    "You don''t know how to fish."


    "I can watch you guys fish."


    "..."


    Li Yu was silent for a while, unsure how to refuse.


    Suddenly, his eyes lit up when he saw the scruffy girl slowly walking next to Yang Xiaozhu.


    "Um..."


    "Why don''t you two play then."


    After saying that, he didn''t bother with them anymore.


    .....


    At Mountain Pond, Li Yu, Zhao Dapao, and others were fishing on the shore with fishing rods.


    Li Hang was also there, rowing a boat to the center of the lake, saying that more fish could be caught there.


    As the sun set, the lake shimmered and mountains reflected on the water.


    Occasional bursts of floral fragrance filled the air; it was nearly April, and many fruit trees were blooming.


    Li Yu used to fish and catch shrimps here often as a child, following Grandpa around Mountain Pond, but had rarely done so since growing up.


    Time slowly passed, and now the sun was setting at the mountain top.


    Li Yuan arrived.


    "Big Brother! How many fish have you caught? Everything is ready below, and we even butchered a sheep. We just need the fish you catch. Mom asked me to come up and get it, and they need to prepare the fish."


    "..." Li Yu didn''t speak.


    He looked up at Yang Tianlong, and Yang Tianlong looked down.


    Then at Li Tie, Li Tie looked down.


    And at Zhao Dapao, Dapao looked down.


    "..."


    So awkward.


    Li Yuan was puzzled, not knowing why they wouldn''t speak.


    She stepped forward, looked at the bucket near Yang Tianlong, then at Li Tie''s bucket, and finally at Zhao Dapao''s bucket.


    They were all very clean.


    Right at this moment, Li Hang in the middle of the lake suddenly shouted, "I got a bite, I got a bite! Wow, it''s a big one."


    He then gave a strong tug.


    Pop!


    The fishing line flew up, and the fish escaped.


    Li Yuan didn''t know what to say for a moment, just feeling that there would be no fish to eat tonight.


    Li Yu suddenly looked up and said to Li Yuan, "Yuan Niu, didn''t I buy a lot of fish feed earlier? Go get some."


    Li Yuan glanced at Li Yu, wanting to say something, but seeing that it was already getting dark.


    So she ran down the mountain to fetch the bait.


    Li Yu thought for a moment. Then he shouted to Li Hang in the middle of the lake, "Row back, and bring me the net from the boat."


    Bait retrieved.


    First, they placed the fishing net into the water. Both Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao grabbed the two ends of the net.


    Li Yu grabbed a handful and sprinkled it by the shore, and fish swarmed in.


    Yang Tianlong and Zhao Dapao then swiftly lifted the net.


    Splashing!


    Lake water trickled down through the net.


    They saw on the net, about a dozen fish nearly 30 centimeters long.


    "That should be enough, pull in the net, let''s go back," Li Yu said satisfiedly.


    Everyone went down the mountain.


    Under the Big Camphor Tree, everything was ready.


    Even mother had stewed some big bones, with a bit of meat on them, not much but quite chewy.


    A whole roasted lamb in the center, sizzling under the fire.


    The fresh cucumbers with droplets of water gave off a refreshing aroma.


    Freshly picked lettuce, to pair with the roasted meat.


    Plenty of staples too, several large pots of steamed buns were still steaming hot.


    Next to them, there were some green onions and thick sauce.


    Li Yu, carrying a bucket, walked over to his mother, who took the bucket and immediately started processing with Third Aunt and others.


    Smack!


    A whack on the head, the fish were stunned, skillfully gutted and cut open.


    Half for frying, half for grilling.


    Li Yu also brought some white liquor from the storehouse, considering the population at the base, and thought it was fairly adequate.


    If really necessary, they could brew some themselves.


    End of March, April yet to arrive.


    Many flowers were blooming, the garden in the base right next to the residential area.


    A small stream meandering around the base, some wildflowers growing on the uncemented ground.


    And in the central lawn, somewhat bare due to occasional cow grazing.


    In March, starfruits ripen, so there were some on the table.


    Li Yu picked up a starfruit and started nibbling on it while walking towards the Big Camphor Tree.


    This time Second Uncle and the others returned, bringing a few children along.


    They had suffered a lot along the way; otherwise, Li Yu wouldn''t have found them with sticks in their hands, ready to defend themselves.


    Now, they were the happiest. Not only were their elders nearby, but they were also in such a safe environment.


    Especially having peers around, like Xuanxuan, and the snot-nosed boy from aunt''s family, Li Suxin and others.


    Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, celebrating such blessings in this post-apocalyptic world.


    Second Uncle sat in the lounge chair next to the Big Camphor Tree, feeling very content.


    He wanted to drink, but drinking would affect the healing of his wounds, so he refrained.


    Meanwhile, beside him, his sister-in-law watched her young son chasing the snot-nosed boy, laughing joyously as they ran, feeling quite emotional.

 Chapter 118 - 110: Base Plan

    Living in the apocalypse, while others were struggling on the brink of starvation, Li Yu and his companions were behind tall walls, under the Big Camphor Tree, enjoying the evening breeze as they ate barbecue and drank beer...


    To people like the sloppy boy and the young aunties, this was an unimaginable sight.


    But it was indeed happening right before their eyes.


    As if they had suddenly moved from Hell to Heaven.


    However, the other people outside the base, still struggling for survival, could never witness this scene.


    Inside the base, as the number of people grew, so did the defenses.


    Even while everyone gathered in the center of the base, the overall defense remained very strict.


    Therefore, everyone could relax a bit during these gatherings.


    Uncle Second and Uncle Four at the main gate, along with Uncle Lai and Ding Jiu, who continuously patrolled the walls, greatly increased the security of the base.


    ...


    As the base''s population increased, many activities were carried out simultaneously.


    Plans were made, current problems were solved, enhancing the collective strength:


    The first issue was food.


    This aspect required the most manpower.


    Including staple foods such as rice, potato, corn, and so forth for cultivation.


    Then came the planting of fruits and vegetables, all requiring land to be cleared and maintained. Originally the area was about ten acres, not including the residential area, there were 4 acres of rice paddies, gardens, animal breeding areas, and some other regions, which are now mostly utilized thanks to land development.


    Next was breeding, including aquaculture. Although it didn''t require much attention, if fish weren''t fed some grass or feed, they''d hardly grow, and even if they did, they would end up with big heads and small bodies.


    So in the lake, Grandpa and some kids would cut grass daily and toss it in for the fish.


    Apart from aquaculture, there were chickens, ducks, cows, sheep, pigs, rabbits....


    It was these two hundred acres of forest that provided ample space. However, pigs were kept in breeding sheds, typically penned at the very edge of the base.


    Cows and sheep would be herded out daily to graze in the forest.


    So far, the grass in the forest and some forage at the foothills were still sufficient.


    The second issue was about enhancing the capabilities of the base''s inhabitants.


    This was what Li Yu valued most.


    After all, in this cruel apocalypse, weakness was a cardinal sin. Now that they had such a large base, if a powerful force were to attack and seize it in the future, how could they defend it?


    Thus, Li Yu instituted a set of rules and regulations to train everyone in this large family. Lately, everybody was required to go out, under the protection of Uncle, Third Uncle, Li Gang and others, to kill zombies, train in spear skills, and improve their crossbow shooting.


    At the same time, this was an opportunity to re-scout the surrounding villages and even towns.


    Training troops while continuously gathering supplies. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Additionally, Li Yu had everyone in the family over the age of 16, regardless of gender, take out firearms from the storage and become proficient in their use.


    Even the guard duty at the gate was no longer always attended by Third Uncle, Second Uncle, and his father. Instead, it had started to integrate younger individuals, providing opportunities for the younger generation to train.


    Now, a typical guard unit might include Uncle, 16-year-old Li Zhengping, and 20-year-old Li Haoran.


    Ensure there is a mature and steady control, as well as the presence of young people, allowing these youths to be trained.


    The third thing, pay attention to surrounding news.


    Although Li Yu was reborn with some prophetic knowledge, it was limited to local areas.


    At the beginning of the apocalypse, Li Yu was struggling to survive and hadn''t traveled much, his daily concern was how to stay alive.


    After being reborn, Li Yu realized the importance of being aware of the surroundings, like the arrival of a Zombie Tide��if informed earlier, dealing with it wouldn''t be so difficult.


    And then there''s information about surrounding forces: which are significant, which are small, which ones are more humane, and which are more extreme. All need understanding.


    But in the post-apocalyptic world, with Zombies blocking the way, the movement of people is already poor, plus the base here is in a rather remote location; normally, you can''t see other people at all, so Li Yu got to know about other places infrequently.


    However, Li Yu occasionally goes to the County, and when passing through the suburbs, he also exchanges information with Song Min and company; after all, they are in the County, and even though they are in the outskirts, there tend to be more Survivors in the County.


    Through Song Min''s messages, Li Yu learned that currently, in the County, there''s no longer a significant power grouping, after defeating the factions led by Zhou Sheng, there''s basically no big organizations left.


    The fourth thing, solidify the base, build the base, expand the base.


    A hundred acres of mountains and forests, a dozen acres of plains, seems quite vast at a glance.


    The current use of land is not very tight, Li Yu is considering, if expanding the base, there are pros and cons.


    Thus, the expansion of the base is put on hold for now.


    With the increase of people in the base, although food is currently sufficient, as the crops are planted and as the animals breed, especially the rabbits that breed rapidly,


    But the base''s consumption of meat is also quite high, and although the rabbits breed fast, they can''t outpace the consumption rate.


    For solidifying the base. After Second Uncle returned, he gave some suggestions to increase the height of the walls. Lately, Li Yu has also been considering this issue and started to look for building materials nearby.


    But there''s no rush, there are many things to be done, and everything needs to be taken slowly.


    There are also other matters.


    But basically, they revolve around food, team members'' strength, scouting surrounding information, and reinforcing the base''s stability.


    Everyone is pulling together, striving forward as one.


    Many who have entered the base, especially those who came later, are well aware of what kind of world exists outside in this apocalypse��a world that preys on humans��thus they cherish the wonderful life inside the base even more.


    They have not let their guard down due to temporary safety and the abundance of supplies.


    Li Yu often leads by example, waking up early every day, and encouraging the younger members to exercise.


    Whenever he goes out, he is always at the forefront;


    And he also constantly practices, improving his Crossbow shooting abilities;


    ...


    Speaking of the Crossbow, the initially purchased arrows, though numbering in the thousands, will eventually be used up.


    So, he had purchased some materials similar to the "Military Friend Manual," and with Grandpa''s hunting experience from his era, there were also some crafting skills.


    He cut some bamboo and began to try making arrows, and the process of making arrows is slow, amidst the cumbersome and monotonous task, Li Yu seemed to have found some interest.


    Holding the knife, he carefully whittled the wood, gradually shaping the arrow in hand, feeling a strong sense of achievement.


    But the most important thing is that while doing these activities, the anxiety that perpetually gnawed at his heart seemed to find an outlet. While engaged in these tasks, it felt as if suddenly, the world... quieted down.


    His heart also became much more peaceful, and his mood became more pleasant.

 Chapter 119 - 111: Listening to Songs While Farming

    Long before, it had already been planned to cultivate more plots of land, with the allocation of 4 mu of rice fields calculated for 50 people.


    The cultivation of new land needs to be well-prepared and preemptive.


    Now the total population has reached 52 people, and in the future, there might be new arrivals.


    Moreover, planting other crops now also requires land.


    Besides, the previously planted hybrid rice, although highly productive, cannot be used for replanting.


    Even though a large amount of high-yield hybrid rice had been purchased and stored for over three years in a dry, low-temperature environment using scientific methods,


    it still isn''t entirely reliable. With the apocalypse having erupted, it''s no longer possible to buy hybrid rice, so preparations must be made to start planting conventional rice that can be replanted.


    Discussions were also held previously with Grandpa and others about cultivating terraced fields at the foot of the mountain.


    Breaking up segments of land between the ridges to layout the terraced fields.


    It''s April now.


    It is the season for planting early rice.


    At the base, in the paddy fields.


    Li Yu went down to the fields, bending over to plant the rice seedlings.


    Recently, Li Yu has been in a good mood, feeling tranquil.


    While planting, he wore headphones, listening to songs that had been downloaded long ago.


    Under the scorching sun, Li Yu stood in the paddy field, listening to the Mandarin version of "Farmers" by Beyond:


    Not envying those who construct tall buildings overnight,


    Not questioning to whom the heavens show favor,


    With my sincere heart and both hands,


    Trading for a peaceful and comfortable life.


    Everyone has their own sky above,


    Everyone has their own plot of land in their heart,


    Whether the harvest is bountiful or poor,


    Ask your feelings, not the money,


    ...


    Life may be hard, but facing it, everyone is like a warrior.


    Constantly working hard towards their own goals and dreams, perhaps to no avail.


    Maybe not hard enough, but only oneself knows.


    Act without quarreling, when unsure what to do.


    Just do it, sometimes, as you do it, you might see the path you want to take.


    Someone said:


    To see endless vistas in this limited life, Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So... must keep moving.


    In this apocalyptic world, nobody knows what the next day will bring, what accidents might occur.


    But that piece of land in the heart, one has to tend it themselves.


    Just like Li Yu standing in the paddy field at this moment.


    Carefully planting rice, irrigating, applying pesticides, with his own two hands.


    Quietly waiting... for the harvest season.


    Sow well the field in your heart, and be true to yourself.


    .....


    The 4 acres of paddy fields were planted very quickly, with many hands making light work, all were planted in less than a day.


    The setting sun dipped below the horizon, staining the evening sky crimson. The clouds seemed ablaze with dazzling, vivid hues, layers of fiery clouds clearly defined, colors fading from west to east.


    The breathtaking view at the edge of the sky made Li Yu raise his head in admiration. The setting sun stretched his shadow long, Li Yu slowly lowered his head, looking at the flat expanse of the paddy field before him, his eyes pleased with the lush greenery.


    His heart was indescribably joyful.


    He savored this calm and beautiful life.


    After the paddy fields on the plains were planted, it was time to seize the season and quickly plant peanuts, corn, and sweet potatoes.


    April is a good season for planting, during which you can plant cabbage, radish, carrots, sword beans, potatoes, spinach, broccoli, jicama, cucumber, sweet melon, middle to late-ripening gourd, yams, high mountain eggplants, high mountain chili, spring water celery, Jicama, chives, green onions, chrysanthemum, and purple cabbage.


    However, the development of terraces was still incomplete, so in addition to continuing to scout for supplies and guarding the base, the remaining people were divided into two groups: some were responsible for planting vegetables, while others cleared land on the mountain.


    Today was not Li Yu''s shift, so he donned his old clothes early in the morning and set out.


    The Southern region has many hills, unlike the vast plains of the North which is suitable for large-scale farming operations.


    In the South, the lands are scattered and fragmented, making it difficult to cultivate with large machinery like in the North.


    But Li Yu had a solution; among the workers, two knew how to operate excavators, so land was cleared without the need for manual labor with hoes.


    The terrain in the forest was challenging, but small excavators, agile and convenient, significantly sped up the clearing process with the help of two excavators.


    The excavators dug up the mountain soil, creating flat terrains, and then Uncle Lai and Grandpa directly operated tractors to break down the hard clods and simultaneously clear stones from the soil.


    With the help of machinery, within less than an hour, 3 acres of land were cleared on the left side of the mountain. Normally, using a tractor in the plains would be faster, but even with the excavators, it was slower in the mountainous areas.


    But it was still much faster than manual labor.


    3 acres was the number Li Yu carefully decided upon, not large, but sufficient for now. Even though plants could be cultivated in the cleared terrace fields in the mountain, clearing too large an area would disrupt the hydrological balance of the forest.


    Moreover, with occasional heavy rains post-apocalypse, it was prudent not to clear too large an area to prevent landslides.


    3 acres was not very large, in comparison to the two mountains, it was less than one percent of their total area.


    If it was necessary to expand the base later, towards the outer side of the fence and towards the forest, the fence would have to be extended outwards. Then, it would be simple to clear lands in the plains behind, so there wasn''t a need for a large scale clearance at the terraces for now.


    Once the terraces were cleared, a water channel was introduced in the afternoon from Mountain Pond to irrigate the land.


    Mountain Pond wasn''t very deep, shaped like a U with deeper parts in the center and shallower ones towards the edges.


    In the deepest part of this Mountain Pond, it was about 20 meters deep.


    Of the three acres, 1 acre was prepared for corn, 1 acre for sweet potatoes, and the final acre for potatoes.


    People in the South primarily eat rice, but occasionally they also consume other grains and have some flour.


    Some places also plant barley and wheat, many white spirits are actually made from barley, and many flavorful white spirits are derived from barley.


    Saucy-flavored white spirits predominantly use sorghum and glutinous sorghum as ingredients.


    At Li Yu''s base, some wheat was also planted, but it was winter wheat from previous plantings, and not much, just a small patch.


    Plowing, sowing, watering, thoroughly irrigating.


    In the afternoon, Li Yu and Grandpa finished planting these three acres.


    Time always flies quickly, especially here at the foot of the mountain, not very high but slightly higher than the plains below.


    Spring was not hot; the air, under the caress of the breeze, brought along the scent of blossoms from fruit trees.


    The wind tousled Li Yu''s hair, he raised his head, his waist felt a bit sore, but for some reason, looking at the bright sunshine, it all seemed so beautiful.


    Lately, his mood had been very good.


    This period was the most tranquil and comfortable time he had felt since his rebirth.


    Though he had to get up daily to farm and clear wasteland, and occasionally it was his turn to go out and search for supplies.


    But for some reason, his mood lately had been growing increasingly tranquil.

 Chapter 120 - 112: Cultivating One’s Own Field of Heart

    Li Yu faced the wind, scooped up a spoonful of water.


    Holding a gourd ladle, drinking water on the ridge of the field,


    he began to recall life before the apocalypse,


    with memories and thoughts flooding in: S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    People always yearn for those idle, leisurely days when they''re busy.


    When those idle times do come,


    a sense of guilt emerges, feeling one should exert some effort, at least do something.


    Then, a burst of enthusiasm, perhaps a thorough cleaning of the room.


    Very earnest, but lacking continuity.


    Thus, humans are like a besieged city.


    Never satisfied, always chasing desires, always rushing to fulfill inner cravings.


    In this world, there always exists a group of elites at the top, wielding the power of capital, politics, and military, subtly controlling things both overtly and covertly.


    Controlling the information spread, what ordinary people see and know is all they want them to know.


    Those in the shadows manipulate human hearts, exploit human nature, then instigate and hype up certain hot topics.


    Even the trending searches on Weibo before the apocalypse were merely the power of capital, whether it was good or bad information, it all boiled down to having money or not.


    News, whether positive or negative, as long as it trends.


    It carries some motive, or indirectly reflects the social atmosphere, touching the sensitive nerves of the masses.


    To discredit someone is easy, to speak ill of someone is very easy, in the online world, destroying someone is extremely simple.


    Like with teacher Ma back then, how many people praised him initially, and how many spoke such sinister words when they later cursed him?


    In fact, those who praised and those who cursed were mostly the same group of people.


    And those who can adhere to their own views, their own opinions, are very few.


    It''s not their fault. With the progression of the era and the increasing access to the internet, under the surveillance of big data, everyone is labeled.


    With labels, all behaviors tracked and sorted into demographic packets, advertising becomes meaningful. For many manufacturers, it allows precise targeting of their consumer base.


    But it''s this big data that makes people spend more time and feel more void.


    So, before the apocalypse, under the torrent of that era, before any major technological revolution, it was merely about deepening existing technologies.


    On the supply side, continuously improving efficiency.


    On the demand side, an increasing number of options, continually shrinking demands.


    This led to internal competition.


    After the internal competition, with the push from the content economy, people''s demand for content increased.


    Ultimately, it boils down to two categories: saving time and spending time.


    Time-saving content: like quick tutorials in some apps, intensely and briefly outputting knowledge, saving the time one would spend learning bit by bit.


    Time-spending content: human nature, satisfying human desires. Beauties, cute pets, novels that draw one into fantasies, good movies...


    Saving time is for improving, to earn more money.


    Spending time is because one has earned more money, or hasn''t yet, but wants to, aiming to achieve some goals, to fill the gap temporarily if not immediately accessible.


    It''s also a solution.


    ...


    Lost in thought, Li Yu felt momentarily speechless, surprisingly reminiscing about life before the apocalypse and recalling past incidents.


    It must be said, the recent farming life indeed relaxed him a lot, even reminding him of life before the apocalypse.


    He laughed wryly at himself.


    Before being reborn, during the apocalypse.


    Li Yu was somewhat falling apart, with no family, surrounded by evil realities, the unadorned cruel realities forced him to absorb too much negativity.


    Actually, before rebirth, the reality wasn''t great either, but it was glossed over, which Li Yu initially couldn''t see through.


    But after the apocalypse broke out, he saw through many things.


    This raw reality, once understood, felt painfully unbearable, despairing.


    He didn''t know what to do.


    Sometimes, not knowing something is more blissful than knowing.


    Because some things, once known, cannot be changed, and that is a desperate pain.


    In this apocalypse, Li Yu once couldn''t trust anyone.


    Because after trusting, reality dealt him a heavy blow.


    No one could be trusted.


    Just like a piece of land, if there''s no sunlight, no water, no seeds, not even the hard work of a person, can it grow fruit, produce grain?


    This piece of land is like Li Yu''s heart.


    No one can be trusted, only the bleak reality, no one to truly interact with, no one worth relying on;


    Even he himself doesn''t know what he''s living for.


    This piece of heartland, utterly barren, overgrown with weeds.


    Even before rebirth.


    Li Yu had become extremely cold-hearted, capable of surviving alone, his combat power had greatly increased, cruel enough to kill. He could even have a meal and sleep after killing.


    Without any difficulty.


    However, that was just being alive.


    Now, with the company of his family, while farming, he feels a bit of life''s sensation.


    Second Uncle and his father were also worried about him, worrying about his mental state, killing is a negative state, and always needs to be balanced.


    At this moment, he has found a way to balance.


    Next time he kills, he might as well farm.


    3 acres of land had been fully planted


    Grandpa''s smile was very simple, Li Yu took the item from Grandpa''s hand, then followed Grandpa down the mountain.


    Behind them, Li Hang and Ding Jiu''s daughter, Ding Qingqing, were exchanging flirtatious glances.


    Li Yu saw it, and felt like laughing, how nice to be young.


    Although he was only two years older than Li Hang, he always felt he was much older.


    Li Yu and Grandpa walked side by side, occasionally hearing Li Hang and Ding Qingqing chatting.


    "Qingqing~" Li Hang suddenly called out, his tone a bit shy.


    "What is it?" Ding Qingqing looked at him somewhat puzzled.


    "I have something to tell you."


    "What is it, just say it."


    Li Hang felt increasingly fond of Ding Qingqing after interacting with her recently.


    But he didn''t know how to express it, so he asked his older brother, Li Yu.


    Li Yu didn''t have much experience either, but someone had told him that any doubts can be resolved by finding answers in books.


    He also told Li Hang this.


    Books, Li Yu had accumulated quite a lot, after all, those were a bookstore''s stock.


    And more books were purchased later, so there was a very large reading room in the base, hardly different from a library.


    Li Hang then looked up some cheesy lines and learned some speech techniques.


    Techniques to please a girl.


    Hearing Ding Qingqing''s words, Li Hang scratched his head.


    He said to Ding Qingqing:


    "My love for you is like a tractor climbing a hill, fierce and intense."


    Fierce... intense�� intense...


    Li Yu and Zhao Dapao walking ahead nearly stumbled, almost falling down.


    Grandpa also heard it and paused in his step, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: Xiao Hang''s literary flair... wasn''t so bad.


    Li Yu was speechless, covering his forehead with his hand.


    Ding Qingqing was also somewhat taken aback; she had never heard such direct,


    Such... earthy love words.


    After saying it, Li Hang felt it was somewhat off, not classy enough.


    So he added: "I have another line for you."


    His eyes deepened, became hazy, even slightly wistful.


    Somewhat reminiscent of the flair of Liang Chaowei from before the rebirth, not quite similar, but the essence in his gaze was right.


    He slowly began:


    "A mole,


    because of the body''s whiteness,


    becomes an island:


    I miss the sea,


    in your clothes, vast as waves."


    The evening spring breeze, blowing people''s hair, stirring the hearts of the youth, making one itch.


    Some say, take advantage of spring,


    like animals, find your mate... don''t be shy!

 Chapter 121 - 113: Salvation Army?

    Life is full of unforeseens, just as trees yearn for stillness while the wind refuses to cease.


    Li Yu originally wanted to find a tranquil corner, a secluded spot to live through this apocalypse with his family, never dreaming of saving humanity, nor seeking dominance over the world.


    He just wanted to peacefully get by day by day.


    April 5th, Tomb-Sweeping Day.


    Continuous rain showers during Qingming season, pedestrians on the road seem soul-crushed.


    As the rain falls, zombies become frenzied, starting to emerge from dark corners.


    Li Yu, together with Li Yuan and others, were out scavenging for supplies. Although they had managed to obtain a tanker truck filled with oil last time, in the apocalypse, if there''s a chance to acquire more, you do it.


    So, Li Yu took Li Yuan, Zhao Dapao, and others to venture out.


    After returning from the city, Li Yu established some rules.


    Regardless of gender, everyone in the base had to go out, to scavenge for supplies, to kill zombies. Under the leadership of Li Yu, Zhao Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Li Tie, Li Gang, Third Uncle, Uncle, and others, each expedition ensured that there were experienced people with strong combat capabilities.


    Li Yu deeply understood that in the event of a major unforeseen incident, all hands must be on deck; one cannot rely solely on a fraction of the people to protect the majority.


    Not to mention the exhaustion, those who are protected are like lambs in a comfort zone, powerless in the face of grave danger.


    This, was not what Li Yu wanted to see.


    From the very beginning, when he let everyone kill the Village Chief and his crew, to later on going out to kill zombies, and then later on, killing people like Manager Zhou at the cement factory...


    Walking this path of bloodshed, everyone at the base came to starkly understand how brutal the apocalypse truly is.


    Mentally prepared, their next step was to improve their Combat Power.


    Starting from learning how to kill using knives, swords, and spears,


    to later how to use crossbows,


    and then later, after obtaining a large quantity of bullets and firearms, they began practicing their gunning skills.


    Thus, those who went out could generally carry firearms, but used them sparingly, resorting to firearms only in special circumstances, otherwise relying primarily on melee weapons like spears.


    This time, they were out to extract the underground oil stored at the gas station.


    These oil reserves are stored underground, and the gas station had no electricity, which was quite troublesome.


    It wasn''t until later, when Li Yu found an electric pump during a supply run, that they could insert a hose and start extracting the oil.


    The base had electricity; this time they brought a storage battery to connect to the electric pump to siphon the oil!


    They had just placed the hose into position, ready to start the pump, when suddenly, the walkie-talkie crackled to life:


    "Director Li, someone''s driving over here! People are driving over!" It was Ding Jiu.


    Caution was a habit for Li Yu. Even though it had been a long time since anyone had been seen around, Li Yu remained vigilant for the arrival of others.


    The gas station was situated at the entrance of a small town, and directly opposite it stood the tallest building in the entire town.


    A nine-story building.


    And it was from inside this nine-story building that Ding Jiu was observing through a telescope, monitoring the condition of the highway running north to south and the surrounding area.


    Just moments ago, he spotted several vehicles approaching from the south. S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Understood. Continue observing, make sure you''re not detected," Li Yu said into the walkie-talkie.


    Then, he turned to Li Yuan and the scruffy-looking companion and ordered, "Seal the oil port quickly, then let''s make a swift retreat."


    Li Tie immediately stepped forward to help seal the oil port, then he went to fetch the electric car and gathered everyone. They headed for the supermarket behind the gas station as a refuge.


    "Big brother, what about our tanker truck?" Li Tie inquired.


    "Leave it for now, let''s see what the situation is first and figure out what these people are up to," Li Yu contemplated for a moment before replying.


    As they drove the electric car to the supermarket behind the gas station, no more than 30 seconds had passed.


    Li Yu then heard a series of loud engine roars, followed by the sound of screeching brakes.


    Screech~


    A screeching sound that makes one''s teeth sour, very uncomfortable to listen to. It seems this vehicle is a bit dilapidated, making a particularly loud noise when driven.


    Then, there''s a conversation.


    Li Yu and the others pricked up their ears, listening intently.


    "True Father, we should refuel here." The voice sounded like a calm middle-aged man.


    However, after he finished speaking, he received no response.


    Li Yu was a bit conflicted, wanting to stick his head out to look, but ultimately he didn''t. Instead, he picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "What are they doing? Why did they suddenly stop talking?"


    On the other end, Ding Jiu said, "They... uh... they''re kneeling. It was quite sudden. And then it looks like they''re holding something in their hands? The air?"


    "..." Li Yu was somewhat speechless.


    Until two minutes later, a voice suddenly came through.


    "O Lord, teach us to flee from evil, let us not meet temptation." A deep yet gentle voice spoke.


    "True Father."


    "True Father."


    "True Father."


    .....


    What followed was a chorus of shouts, filled with excitement and devotion as if ready to give up anything, even their lives, for something.


    When Li Yu heard this, he was immediately angry.


    Damn it!


    These pushy people, whether it''s before or after the apocalypse, there''s always a group like this.


    Constantly proselytizing, continuously spreading how they can save people, how to find the true meaning of life.


    There are even some churches that tell you that your physical parents in this world don''t matter, what''s important are your spiritual true parents.


    This one just now, likely also a type to mythologize himself into a savior.


    MDZZ.


    The voice came through again: "According to what your true brothers said, there''s a group in the North that will accept anyone. Let''s go there."


    "Now, our big family is scattered. So we must unite. Once things are stable, I will hold weddings for you, to give birth to innocent children."


    "At that time, the power of God will expand." The voice was gentle, as if coming from afar, yet also as if from nearby, carrying a strong persuasive force.


    "True Father everlasting." A passionate voice came through.


    "True Father everlasting."


    .....


    There was another wave of fervent worship, the tones filled with passion.


    "Big brother, I want to kill him." Li Tie suddenly said, his tone making it unclear whether he was joking or serious.


    Li Yu looked at him somewhat amusedly. Li Tie had always been very reliable and dependable, so Li Yu frequently took him along.


    And now, Li Tie was the one suggesting murder.


    This amused Li Yu.


    "Why are those from the Salvation Army always chasing us? We''re clearly looking out for their best interest, spreading GOD''s message to them," came a woman''s voice from the other side.


    "Because they are the Devil Satan. They will be punished. All we are currently facing are tests given by G. You must guard your hearts." The gentle voice slowly said.


    Salvation Army?


    Li Yu felt the name was familiar; he had heard it before his rebirth. At that time, he was in the North and had heard from people coming from the South mention this name.


    After thinking for a while, he only remembered the name but couldn''t immediately recall any information about the organization.


    "Don''t go out yet, wait a bit longer." Li Yu''s gaze became more somber as he said to Li Tie beside him.

 Chapter 122 - 114: Sitting on the Mountain and Watching the Tigers Fight

    "True Father, these cars are out of fuel. This fuel tanker also seems to have no oil left inside the tank."


    "Can you check the fuel tanker again to see if there''s any fuel left in the tank?"


    Soon, a cheerful response came: "True Father, there is actually still oil inside."


    True Father nodded, his eyes shining with the light of wisdom: "Then drive the fuel tanker away directly!"


    That True Father glanced at the time, somewhat anxious.


    After all, the Salvation Army was behind them, not far away.


    So he urged everyone on.


    Behind the supermarket, Li Yu and his group inside heard people outside planning to siphon the fuel from their fuel tanker, and became quite disturbed.


    Especially Li Tie, who always had a very poor impression of these mysterious and superstitious people.


    Kill them or not?


    Although these people had not yet directly confronted them, they were now attempting to take their fuel.


    If Li Yu and his group were to show themselves, they would definitely be discovered, and since they already disapproved of them, why not kill them?


    Kill! They heard that the Salvation Army seemed to be coming soon. Plus, with the rain, the zombies were very excited. This could be trouble.


    Don''t kill! They were going to take their fuel tanker.


    Tell them that the fuel tanker is theirs? The base is not far from here, and if they show up, what if those people deny everything and argue? Wouldn''t they have to kill them anyway?


    In this apocalypse, Li Yu dislikes leaving any trouble unresolved, dislikes being targeted by others, it makes him very uncomfortable.


    Looking at Li Tie, Li Yu took out his walkie-talkie, intending to discuss the situation with Ding Jiu who was on the opposite rooftop.


    But just then, Ding Jiu''s voice came through the earpiece of the walkie-talkie: "Director Li, some cars have arrived from the south, driving very fast!"


    Li Yu paused for a moment, then said: "Keep watching, stay hidden."


    He then turned around, Li Tie, Li Yuan, and the others were all staring at him, waiting for his next arrangement.


    Suffering losses was not in Li Yu''s nature.


    Li Yu shook his head and then told them, "Someone is coming, let''s wait a bit longer."


    Not even a minute had passed when Li Yu heard a thunderous roar of engines, immensely loud.


    As if they were not afraid of attracting zombies at all, Li Yu cursed silently in his heart.


    F***ing idiots.


    It was raining, although not heavily, but many zombies had already come out, and such a loud noise would certainly attract them.


    Immediately after, a chaotic noise came from outside.


    "True Father, they have arrived."


    "Quick, get in the car, fast!"


    Before they could leave, a brazen voice rang out: "Run? Still want to run. Trying to recruit believers over to our side, you''ve done wrong and must suffer the consequences. Gen has spoken; you must die."


    He then said to someone nearby: "Block them, don''t let any of them escape."


    The group that had arrived first at the gas station was somewhat panicked, but True Father remained calm, his expression one of pity for humanity, "You don''t know what you are doing, I forgive you, but if you remain deluded, God will surely punish you."


    "Hahaha, come on. I feel like being punished..." That arrogant voice came again and then, immediately after.


    Boom!


    A clap of thunder.


    "Er..." The owner of the arrogant voice was momentarily interrupted by the thunder.


    But within a few seconds, seeing that no more thunder came, he became somewhat paranoid, yet the craziness in his eyes stayed the same, and he laughed, "That was just a coincidence, now, you are doomed!"


    "Kill them all," he commanded.


    Immediately, his companions charged forward.


    But True Father''s followers also bravely faced them, having long abandoned the concept of life and death in their hearts, believing that even if they died physically, True Father would lead their souls into Heaven.


    They were sacrificing themselves for the great kingdom of God, so death, for them, was the highest honor.


    "Protect the True Father!" bellowed the man with the calm voice.


    The believers beside him all grabbed their weapons and hastily gathered around the True Father, fiercely resisting the people from the Salvation Army opposite them.


    However, the people from the Salvation Army were generally young and robust men, outnumbering them and possessing slightly better weapons.


    So far, no guns had appeared.


    Li Yu peeked out slightly and saw that the Salvation Army had about 50 people, each looking robust.


    Around the True Father, there were men and women but no children, and even some older people. Even though they were not afraid, they were still at a combat power disadvantage and only numbered half as many as the Salvation Army.


    The battle situation was incredibly one-sided. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu glanced over, his eyes slightly cold, and quickly withdrew his gaze, instructing Li Yuan and the others beside him to hide well and make no noise.


    These people were ruthless, and it seemed they had massacred like this before.


    Compared to others Li Yu had encountered before, like Manager Zhou, these people were clearly more disciplined and ruthless in killing.


    The rain drizzled down, and soon, there was no more noise from that side.


    Meanwhile, from the direction of the national road came the hissing of zombies.


    "Team leader, the zombies are coming and it looks like there are quite a few!"


    "Damn it, chop off the True Father''s head and take it to Brother Gen. Hurry! Let''s get out of here," the arrogant man commanded.


    Li Yu felt somewhat irritated behind them.


    Damn it, coming out for some oil and run into this mess.


    If it were normal times, he wouldn''t mind watching them fight each other, dog eats dog.


    But now, these people were making too much noise and attracting the zombies.


    If he went out now to confront the Salvation Army, he''d also have to guard against the zombies.


    Forget it!


    Li Yu said to Li Tie and the others, "Climb over the wall, go to that house at the back and hide for a bit."


    Although they had guns, in this post-apocalyptic world, it was best to conserve ammunition unless absolutely necessary.


    If they were to go out with guns now and try to take down the Salvation Army in the rain while also fighting off zombies, it might be difficult to eliminate them all.


    The key issue was not knowing whether those so-called Salvation Army had guns.


    Li Yu didn''t like to take risks without certainty!


    Now that he had fewer people with him, it was best to stabilize the situation first.


    Thus, they retreated quietly, trying to minimize the noise.


    With the zombies providentially covering them, it was unlikely that the Salvation Army could hear them.


    Li Yu and his group successfully climbed over the wall, then ran to the building behind, firmly secured the door, and raced up to the windows on the third-floor roof to continue observing the Salvation Army.


    The leader of the group was holding a spherical object and then promptly got into a car, ready to start the vehicle.


    There were quite a few zombies on the national road; the leader seemed quite troubled and shouted, "Hurry, get in the car. Retreat!"


    But by then, the zombies had already surrounded them, from the front and the back. Especially attracted by the corpses on the filling station floor, they became extraordinarily agitated; their agility and strength enhanced in the rain.


    "Xiao Mao, your team opens a path," said the leader to a man driving a truck.


    The man nodded, seeming reluctant, but he dared not question or resist.


    Boom!


    The truck started, charging directly into the swarm of zombies, with its crushing weight clearing a path through them. The vehicles followed closely behind.


    Clang!


    The truck, leading the way and encountering the most zombies, had its front axle slightly deformed from the impact. The biggest issue, however, was a zombie that had climbed onto the windshield!


    This was the vehicle leading the way.


    However, zombies were swarming from all directions.


    Many zombies had also surrounded the back of the convoy.


    The vehicle at the very back, now enveloped by a dense crowd of zombies, looked like ants moving a corpse, striking fear into the hearts of onlookers.

 Chapter 123 - 115: Zombies Like Locusts

    "Quick! Break through now!" shouted the leader loudly.


    The car in front revved up with maximum horsepower, charging forward.


    The roaring engine, mixed with screams, the growls of zombies, and the pitter-patter of rain created an orchestra of their own, blending into one harmony.


    The car at the very front was speeding fast, followed closely by the leader''s vehicle. The zombies became larger and more frenzied in the downpour.


    Some zombies even climbed onto the roof of the car and began pounding on the windows forcefully.


    Li Yu and the others were somewhat frightened behind the wall in that building; it was best not to go out in the rain.


    These damn zombies were too crazy. They seemed listless under the sun as if lacking strength, but the rain made them as frenzied as if they were on steroids.


    Their running speed could match that of an adult man.


    Li Yu and his group continued watching.


    The car leading the way was now a horrific sight, especially the windshield. Under the relentless pounding of the zombies, it had begun to crack, seemingly close to giving in.


    The Salvation Army convoy of seven cars was now breached at the end by zombies.


    It was as if overwhelmed by a tide, particularly with several zombies crawling under the car, damaging something significant, and it ground to a halt.


    "Group leader, Xiaolong and others haven''t followed!"


    "Forget them, move on, or staying here just means feeding the zombies!" The leader said angrily, his tone was full of impatience.


    The zombies encircled them, but the vehicles managed to create a breach through their forceful confrontation.


    The truck in front was in tatters, but fortunately, aside from the one at the very back, the other cars managed to breakthrough thanks to the leading truck.


    Out of seven cars, six managed to escape.


    But the third car had its passenger side window shattered by the assault of the zombies.


    The person on the passenger side was panicked; he... had just been bitten!


    He didn''t want to die, but the man next to him noticed something was off.


    So he asked, "What''s wrong with you? Why''d you go pale all of a sudden, and you''re sweating so much?"


    "It''s nothing. Just got scared for a moment."


    "Ha! It''s not the first time we''re dealing with zombies, still scared?"


    The man driving glanced at him, then noticed some fresh blood on the glass, his eyes instantly hardened, and he observed the passenger more carefully.


    "Have you been bitten!" the driver shouted!


    With those words, the men sitting in the back craned their necks to look at him, with one of them in the rear lifting the passenger''s arm straight up.


    "He''s been bitten on the arm!" a man exclaimed.


    "Get out, get out of the car! Fast! Don''t make me do it!" said the man driving.


    The men in the other car also drew their weapons, now aiming at the passenger.


    But the man lowered his head, seemingly not hearing the words of the driver.


    "Kick him out." The driver made an emergency stop, and then a man from the back got out and opened the passenger door.


    They dragged the passenger out of the car.


    After being pulled out, the man convulsed on the ground for a while, shaking uncontrollably like someone with epilepsy, and black spots started to appear rapidly visible across his face. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Go!" shouted the men in the car.


    The man who got out quickly boarded the vehicle, it started, and the car began to catch up with the others.


    That man who just stepped out took an involuntary glance back; the one who was a companion just moments ago, was now standing up in a posture unimaginable for a human.


    Looking at that person who had turned into a zombie, he seemed to see a hint of mockery in his eyes.


    A chill went down his spine, and he rubbed his eyes.


    Why would a zombie wear a mocking expression? Could it be that he was seeing things wrong?


    He trembled slightly, continuing to look at his companion who had turned into a zombie, but the vehicle speed was very fast, and soon he could no longer see.


    For some reason, his heart kept pounding incessantly.


    At the very front of the vehicles, that truck was already in a terrible state, the glass had not shattered in the end, but it was cracked like a spiderweb. It would probably break with one more impact.


    They came from the Southern, after killing Li Yuan and others, they did not return the same way.


    Instead, they drove straight north.


    ...


    At the gas station, as the Salvation Army drew away some of the zombies, there were fewer zombies here.


    But because at this side of the gas station, there were still some bodies, they attracted some zombies to linger here.


    Watching the few bodies on the ground gradually decrease until, in the end, there was only red blood left on the ground. Declaring what had happened here.


    Besides, there was nothing else.


    Once the number of zombies became large, like locusts passing through, nothing would grow. No bodies or remains, no fragments, would be left behind.


    Li Yu and the others watched the zombies, little by little, eat up the bodies.


    Suddenly, a feeling of sorrow for the misfortune of others rose in their hearts.


    The greatest enemy of humanity should have been zombies.


    But why is it that those who cause death are always humans themselves?


    Human nature is so vile, the world''s principles are such, the weak are devoured by the strong.


    The laws of civilization before the apocalypse seemed to shatter all at once.


    For many people, living is the most important thing.


    Other things, dignity, integrity, chastity, beliefs... seem to have become unimportant.


    Li Yu saw that everyone was silent.


    He looked at the zombies and then said: "When there are fewer zombies later, we''ll go down and finish the work we have to do today."


    Li Tie looked at the zombies and said: "Big brother, I brought a drone and a loudspeaker."


    Li Yu''s eyes brightened, and he patted Li Tie on the shoulder to express his inner approval.


    "Okay, get ready. Later, we''ll lead the zombies to one side and pump out that oil," Li Yu nodded and said.


    Upon hearing this, Li Tie immediately stood up, maintaining as quiet a voice as possible, and ran towards the electric new energy car. Just like a monkey, Li Tie agilely flipped over the wall, then crouched low, taking quick steps towards the electric new energy car.


    Next to Li Yu, Li Yuan and He Dong both watched nervously as he headed towards the new energy vehicle in front.


    After all, there were still many zombies wandering in front that had not left.


    Soon, Li Tie reached the new energy car, opened the door, and slipped inside.


    The whole process took less than a minute, his movements smooth as flowing water, without being noticed by any of the zombies.


    "Big brother! I''ve arrived," Li Tie said to Li Yu using the walkie-talkie.


    "Good, then get ready," Li Yu said.


    Li Tie took the drone from the back seat, made some quick adjustments, and checked the battery.


    Finally, he installed the loudspeaker and looked at its remote control.


    He opened the car door and placed the drone outside the car.


    Bang! The car door closed.


    Inside the car, Li Tie watched the remote control screen and slowly raised the drone into the sky.


    Finally, he turned on the loudspeaker remote control.


    "Buying! Old cell phones, buying old computers, buying long hair..." A familiar yet strange middle-aged man''s voice came from the loudspeaker above.

 Chapter 124 - 116: The Salvation Armys Discovery

    Li Tie felt awkward on the spot, he did not expect that what was being played through the loudspeaker would be this.


    Behind the wall, Li Yuan heard the sound and almost burst out laughing, while the scruffy person next to her smiled slightly.


    The sound was very penetrating and had a bit of an accent.


    In the open space in front of the gas station, the bodies had already been devoured by the zombies, which initially stood blindly in place, howling as if venting their frustration at not having gotten to the bodies earlier.


    Now, with the sound of the loudspeaker, the zombies seemed to have found a target.


    They all started running towards the direction of the drone.


    The drone had just taken off from alongside the new energy vehicle, and Li Tie, who was in the car, looked through the window to see the zombies running in his direction. He hurriedly hid himself under the car.


    Then, looking at the screen, he remotely controlled the drone to fly to the side.


    In front of the gas station were several buildings, with Ding Jiu and his group on the opposite side in the tallest building.


    To the side of the gas station was an open space, and to the right was a residential area.


    To the left of the gas station was a river, and beyond the river were farmlands.


    Li Tie remotely controlled the drone to fly towards the farmland on the left.


    The zombies closely followed behind, a large mass of them densely packed, following behind. Some zombies were exceptionally crazed, but they couldn''t fly. Unable to grab the drone in the sky, they could only stand there howling.


    "Tiezi, lead the zombies further away. We''re getting ready to come out," Li Yu spoke into the walkie-talkie.


    "Okay, big brother, this drone can only fly for an hour at most, we should hurry," Li Tie looked outside through the car window, noticing that the majority of the zombies had already left.


    Only a few left were stupidly standing in places splattered with blood. sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu came down from the building, vaulted over, came down from the wall, ran over to the gas station, and with a swift motion of his blade, he eliminated the two remaining zombies.


    Li Yuan and the scruffy person followed behind.


    Li Tie also got out of the car, holding the remote control and spoke to Li Yu, "Big brother, I have led the zombies to a farther place. They should be about 1 kilometer away from us now. I''m leading them about 3 kilometers away, should that be fine?"


    Li Yu nodded and asked him to continue operating.


    Ding Jiu also came down from the building opposite. Zhao Dapao also wanted to come down, initially being on top of the building, but was stopped by Li Yu.


    In this situation, it was best to have someone watching, to respond promptly to any situations that might arise.


    Thus, Li Yu took out the electric pump, although it was rushed earlier, it had also been stored secretly in the supermarket''s back restroom and fortunately hadn''t been discovered.


    Li Yu and Ding Jiu opened the fuel tank and then inserted the hose.


    The oil tanker was empty, originally there was fuel inside the tank, but it had been siphoned off by a group of people, now only the base was left.


    They drove the oil tanker over, started the electric pump and began to pump fuel.


    The gas station was Level Three. The underground storage had about 60 cubic meters of oil.


    Li Yu and his group definitely couldn''t take it all in one try, they weren''t greedy, so they decided to take it in several turns.


    Along with the sound of the electric pump, the oil underground at the gas station started to be pumped continuously into the oil tanker.


    Li Yu carefully examined the oil tanker, then had Ding Jiu continue to monitor the electric pump.


    He walked towards the vehicle, planning to drive an electric car towards the last vehicle left behind by the Salvation Army.


    He didn''t understand this Salvation Army, he wanted to know more about them.


    Seeing Li Yu get on the electric car, the ragamuffin beside him said, "I''ll go with you."


    Li Yu nodded and did not refuse, he looked at Li Yuan beside him and instructed, "Keep an eye on the surroundings. If there are a lot of zombies, run to the house where we just hid."


    Li Yuan looked at his brother with some concern and asked, "Brother, where are you going?"


    "I plan to go over there to see, that so-called Salvation Army, to see if they have left anything behind. Don''t worry, it''s not far, just there, you see, less than two kilometers."


    Li Yuan stretched his head and said, "Brother, be careful."


    Li Yu did not speak again, opened the car door, and the ragamuffin sat in the passenger seat. Dressed in light sportswear, with her hair clean and tidy; in the drizzling rain, she still carried a hint of fragrance.


    Her hair had a few dewdrops, her delicate facial features wore a cautious expression, and she glanced around from time to time.


    A pair of plump thighs without an ounce of extra fat, filled instead with a sense of strength, without looking awkward.


    The car door closed, but the vehicle had not yet started. The ragamuffin turned her head and saw Li Yu looking at her, somewhat cheekily, "Aren''t we going to check it out?"


    Li Yu, smiling, said, "I didn''t expect you to look quite pretty once cleaned up."


    Was that a compliment?


    After hearing this, the ragamuffin felt somewhat pleased, but she felt that this wasn''t a very flattering compliment. She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth slightly lifted, revealing her inner feelings at that moment.


    "Ragamuffin, it''s good for you to keep yourself like this."


    "Oh." The ragamuffin responded indifferently.


    The car started; this long-range version of EA had an acceleration of 4 seconds per hundred kilometers and a smooth operation. The large screen exuded a strong sense of technology, but since there was no network, its interactive capabilities were not showcased.


    However, the advantage of an electric vehicle is that it is very quiet upon starting, and also while driving.


    Soon, Li Yu drove to a somewhat dilapidated vehicle.


    Approaching, it was visible that the vehicle''s chassis underneath was twisted, and the windows were shattered.


    Inside were two zombies, seemingly stuck, unable to move or get inside.


    Li Yu took care of the two zombies, one with each strike of his knife.


    "Keep an eye on our surroundings; I''ll check this car," said Li Yu, glancing back at the ragamuffin.


    Immediately after, Li Yu pulled out a small knife and then peered inside the car from the passenger side. The door handle was distorted, the leather at the driver''s seat was torn, and there was blood everywhere inside, along with some very scattered bits of flesh.


    After observing for a while, Li Yu opened the car door and began to search inside.


    Two spears, which appeared to be made of fine steel, had their grips wrapped with anti-slip cloth. There was a somewhat oddly shaped scimitar; just the material alone would be valuable pre-apocalypse.


    However, now, the scimitar would not be as efficient as the spears in killing zombies, but it was still decent for killing people, so Li Yu took the scimitar.


    He searched further and suddenly came across a walkie-talkie. Li Yu turned off the walkie-talkie and handed it to the ragamuffin beside him.


    Finally, after another search, he saw the food they had carried, three small packs, all identical in material and appearance, containing exactly the same food.


    Li Yu''s eyes slightly narrowed.


    Weapons of fine quality, uniform equipment, strict management.


    This Salvation Army, it seemed... not weak!

 Chapter 125 - 117: Li Yus Sixth Sense

    Seeing Li Yu holding those packages, Xiao Latai asked curiously, "What''s the matter? Did you find something?"


    Li Yu pointed at the packages and the weapons, saying solemnly, "It looks like the Salvation Army has a substantial number of people. Moreover, they produce their own food and maintain uniformity, which indicates they have strong logistical support. All in all, the Salvation Army seems tough to deal with."


    Xiao Latai didn''t respond but instead looked towards the northern direction.


    That was the direction the Salvation Army had left.


    However, if these people came from the south and killed their real father and others, why didn''t they return the same way but continued heading north?


    With doubts, the two got into the car and returned to the gas station.


    At the gas station, the electric pump was continuously extracting oil from underground. Nearby, Li Tie, while controlling the drone, saw Li Yu returning.


    He called out loudly, "Big Brother, come and look!"


    Hearing this, Li Yu quickly got out of the car and approached Li Tie, asking, "What happened? Are zombies coming?"


    Li Tie shook his head, raised his hand to point at the screen. Li Yu followed his gaze but couldn''t see clearly.


    Li Tie held it steady and then said, "Big Brother, there seems to be a person at the top left corner! Take a closer look."


    Li Yu looked curiously and indeed saw two people in the top left corner of the screen, but due to the drone being somewhat far, the view wasn''t clear.


    "Fly closer. Never mind, turn on the loudspeaker, flying closer might draw all the zombies. Let''s leave it for now," said Li Yu.


    Looking at those two people on the screen, they seemed to be watching the direction of the drone, but it appeared they hadn''t realized that Li Yu had noticed them.


    Suddenly, Li Yu had a bad feeling surge through his heart, inexplicably. This feeling, which had saved him many times before his rebirth, made him deeply trust it.


    Although he didn''t know what was happening, this ominous feeling grew stronger as time passed.


    A thought flashed through his mind like lightning: they must leave immediately.


    No other zombies were spotted nearby, yet the urge to leave intensified.


    Go! We must go! Li Yu made up his mind.


    He then turned back to ask Ding Jiu, "How much is the tank filled now, and how long will it take?"


    Ding Jiu checked and replied, "It''s almost done, just a few more minutes and it''ll be full."


    The sky was rather gloomy, and it kept raining. Everyone''s clothes were soaking wet.


    This place wasn''t suitable for staying long, especially in the rain. Although the drone could still last half an hour, zombies could appear from somewhere else. If the zombies discovered them, escaping would be troublesome.


    Making a quick decision, Li Yu swiftly said, "Stop filling it, that''s enough for now. Pack up the electric pump, restore the fuel inlet to its original state, let''s head back, and we can come to pump more next time."


    Then he picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke to Zhao Dapao, who was observing from the opposite side, "Dapao, what''s the situation over there? Found anything? If not, hurry down, we are heading back."


    After waiting for a while, Zhao Dapao finally replied, "Alright, the walkie-talkie might have gotten water inside, did you not hear me speak just now? I''m coming down now."


    Li Yu didn''t say anything more. He then asked Ding Jiu to get into the oil tanker, and Li Tie got into the new energy vehicle, followed by Li Yuan.


    Li Yu waited for Zhao Dapao in the new energy vehicle downstairs on the opposite side, and before Zhao Dapao came down, he saw several zombies emerging from the building on the right.


    These zombies appeared somewhat inexplicably and suddenly, as they hadn''t appeared just moments ago.


    They had to show up now.


    Watching the zombies approaching, Li Yu felt a surge of dread and quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie to shout, "Dapao, quick! Come down fast!"


    The zombies saw them and charged over; one of them let out a loud roar towards the sky, the sound was piercingly loud.


    "Not good, let''s get moving." Li Yu rolled down the car window, speaking to Ding Jiu and the others.


    Li Yuan was driving the car. Although not very skilled, she at least possessed a driver''s license. Next to her, Li Tie was remotely controlling a drone, directing it towards their direction.


    At the same time, when the drone was less than two kilometers away from them, the control suddenly shut off its loudspeaker, stopping the sound abruptly.


    Below, the zombies, now without a target, scattered like headless flies.


    The drone continued flying towards them.


    Those few zombies were also getting closer, but Zhao Dapao had not yet come down.


    20 meters, 15 meters, 10 meters.


    Li Yu looked behind and saw no zombies following, so he half-opened the car door, ready to get out and deal with these few zombies at any moment.


    At that moment, Zhao Dapao appeared, his expression somewhat frantic as if he had seen something unbelievable.


    Seeing Li Yu''s vehicle, he got in directly.


    He shouted, "Run. Many zombies appeared behind the building just now, there were none in sight before, no trace at all, but suddenly when I came downstairs, I saw the zombies....."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Li Yu immediately started the car, quickly leaving the spot.


    Meanwhile, Li Yuan and the others had already driven some distance away from them.


    "What happened?" Li Yu asked curiously, but his hands did not stop moving because of the question.


    The car quickly increased its speed, the zombies hadn''t caught up yet, and they had already driven away.


    "Just now when I was on the rooftop, I checked all around, there were no zombies, but when I came down, I suddenly saw behind the building, many zombies surged out from those few buildings."


    Immediately, Zhao Dapao turned his head to look back, while Li Yu did not turn around, instead, he looked through the rearview mirror.


    Feeling relieved, he saw that behind them, following the initial few, many more zombies were emerging, crazily running towards them.


    "What''s going on?" Zhao Dapao was confused. He and Ding Jiu had checked the surroundings when they went upstairs today.


    Now it was indeed raining, and based on previous experience, zombies would definitely come out.


    Could it be that the zombies have become conscious and known to lurk?


    Li Yu guessed in his mind. He was clear that even five years after the apocalypse outbreak, zombies were still mindless.


    So, if it wasn''t the zombies lurking secretly, then definitely someone was playing tricks.


    Especially since he had just seen those two people on Li Tie''s screen, Li Yu and his group had never met them before.


    Who could it be? S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With this doubt, Li Yu and his team soon stopped near where the national road was about to meet the country road.


    Li Yu did not immediately enter the base. He took out the walkie-talkie and said, "Tiezi, move the drone back a bit more and see if there''s anyone following."


    Li Tie''s drone had been following the vehicle all along, also observing. Hearing what Li Yu said, he replied, "No, I haven''t seen any other vehicles moving, nor have I seen other people."


    An uneasy feeling grew stronger in Li Yu''s heart. No one?


    This feeling of the enemy hidden while he was exposed made him extremely uncomfortable.


    The base was just ahead, should they return or not?

 Chapter 126 - 118: Wait!

    The engine cut out, and the vehicles came to an abrupt halt.


    The operating fuel tank truck''s engine stopped turning, and suddenly, the sound of the cars driving disappeared.


    The air suddenly quieted down, and the gloomy sky began drizzling down rainwater.


    The world remained the same, the roadside trees still lush, but the spirit of all things, humanity, had undergone drastic changes.


    The rain beat upon the roof of the cars, creating a pattering sound.


    In this eerie and oppressive environment, no one knew why Li Yu had suddenly stopped the car.


    1 minute later, drones flew over the cars, buzzing loudly.


    Li Yu glanced at the surrounding roads, which had been moved aside after several trips to the County and the city for convenience, leaving a clear lane in the middle.


    "You guys drive the cars back first, Tiezi, Dapao, come with me. Scruffy, Yuan Niang, Ding Jiu, drive back to the base," Li Yu broke the silence, speaking into the walkie-talkie.


    Scruffy, who was sitting in the front, heard what Li Yu said, turned his head, and spoke to Li Yu, "I''ll stay as well."


    Li Yu shook his head with an indisputable tone, "You go back first. I need to wait here for a while."


    Scruffy hesitated, wanting to say something, but seeing the determined look on Li Yu''s face, he said no more.


    Li Yuan understood very well that it was pointless to object to anything her big brother decided, so she obediently followed his orders, got out of the car, and then took over Zhao Dapao''s vehicle.


    Ding Jiu inside the fuel tank truck replied with an okay, then started the vehicle and slowly headed towards the base.


    Li Yu, with Li Tie and Zhao Dapao, took their submachine guns and some prepared food.


    Heading towards the former home by the side of the national highway, as raindrops fell on Li Yu and the others, he watched the cars behind them depart.


    Once they had left, Li Yu observed how the rain had filled the pits and bumps on the country road, creating a little trench.


    After Li Yuan and the others drove away, they splashed water, revealing the dirt and dust on the road.


    The passage of the vehicles left behind tracks on the ground.


    The rainwater flooded the areas the cars had just passed, turning them back into little trenches, roughly erasing the traces the cars had left.


    It seemed impossible to tell that any cars had just passed through.


    According to Li Yu''s usual practice, every time he entered the base, he would disguise the ground to leave no traces.


    But this time.


    Li Yu looked at the ground, pondered for a moment, and considered. In the end, he chose not to clean up after all.


    Leaving it might be useful.


    Coming down from the national highway, he moved onto a side path next to it, stealthily behind the trees.


    Zhao Dapao walked while observing the surroundings; after all, zombies become extremely agitated in the rain.


    Li Tie and Zhao Dapao remained silent. They believed that Li Yu had his reasons for doing this and that when the time came, Li Yu would explain clearly what they were going to do.


    Li Tie could vaguely guess what Li Yu was planning to do. From the time they returned to the base over the past few months, Li Tie was very clear about what mattered most in Li Yu''s heart, and he knew well:


    Big brother doesn''t like the feeling of being watched, nor leaving problems unsolved.


    Where they got out of the car was very close to their home by the passage.


    Within a few minutes, Li Yu and the others had reached the ground floor.


    Approaching from the adjacent stairs, Li Yu stood by the window of this three-story building and took out a telescope to look into the distance.


    This building was perfectly situated on a slope, allowing a clear view of the area up to 100 meters away from both sides of the highway.


    After watching for a while, Li Yu turned his head to Li Tie and Zhao Dapao beside him and said, "Earlier when we were at the gas station, the zombies didn''t seem aware, and in this rainy weather, they definitely would have come out. Dapao also said, when he was on top of the tanker, he didn''t see any zombies, but suddenly so many appeared just now. Therefore, I suspect someone is specifically targeting us. We''ll wait here and see if they follow."


    Zhao Dapao and Li Tie fell into deep thought, feeling that something was indeed amiss, but why would that group release the zombies only when they were about to leave?


    They couldn''t figure it out.


    "Big brother, I don''t understand, who exactly could it be? Those bastards we encountered earlier were all killed by the Salvation Army. And we saw the Salvation Army group leaving with our own eyes," said Li Tie, scratching his head in confusion.


    "It doesn''t matter, whoever is against us, we''ll just take them down," Li Yu said with a deadly tone.


    "You two keep watch here; I''m going to update Second Uncle and the others on the situation," Li Yu said.


    Their location wasn''t far from the base, so the walkie-talkies could be used to communicate directly.


    He took out the walkie-talkie, spoke with Second Uncle, Uncle, and others about the incident they encountered and his suspicions.


    Before Second Uncle could reply, Yang Tianlong, who was also on duty outside, immediately offered to come and help.


    Li Yu declined, as they didn''t know if those people would come or when they would come, fearing that those people might arrive right as Yang Tianlong does.


    Second Uncle and the others were worried, with the passage of time, it was likely that many hidden people would emerge.


    In this world of survival of the fittest, half a year since the apocalypse erupted, those who are still alive must be following survival rules or have their unique survival methods. After all, there are still many smart people in the world.


    He turned off the walkie-talkie and walked to a spot on the road not visible from the highway where Li Yu lit a cigarette.


    In front of this small building was the highway, behind it a farmland, and next to it, a plum orchard.


    Nourished by the rain, the trees absorbed water desperately, now bursting with a different kind of vitality.


    Amidst the swirling smoke, Li Yu felt a headache coming on; surviving in this apocalypse was tough enough, not to mention ensuring his family lived well, which was even harder.


    Perhaps having more people would mean more restrictions, but there are many things that can''t be done alone. Having trustworthy people to mutually support one another in this apocalypse is a tremendous help.


    He shook his head, no longer dwelling on the matter.


    He wasn''t afraid of a thief stealing, just afraid of a thief lingering.


    This situation, with the enemy hidden and himself exposed, was extremely troubling for Li Yu.


    Not knowing where the enemy was, who the enemy was, how much the enemy knew about him, or whether they were lurking in the shadows, seeking the best opportunity to strike like a venomous snake.


    He massaged his temples, wiped down his submachine gun briefly, and checked the ammunition. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time ticked by, second by second.


    Three hours later, dusk fell.


    The rain did not cease, still drifting.


    The three people atop the three-story building took turns observing the surroundings through the windows, especially the highway.


    They all had something to eat, as everyone had set out early that day and remained on high alert.

 Chapter 127 - 119: Exposed?

    Li Yu looked at the two men, who appeared somewhat exhausted, and said, "You guys take a nap first, and we''ll switch every four and a half hours. I''ll keep watch first, then Tiezi, followed by Dapao."


    The two agreed and soon started to sleep in the room behind.


    Because most of the items here were moved away initially, only some useless or rather worn-out things were left.


    Fortunately, there were still two wooden beds left, which had been used for over a decade; the bed frames emitted a faint musty smell in the damp weather.


    Despite this, the two curled up and slept without complaints.


    Li Yu withdrew his gaze, motionless as a wolf by the window, but from his gaze and posture, one might think he had fallen asleep if viewed from behind.


    However, from the front, one could see his eyes fixed steadily in a specific direction.


    Yet, even after four and a half hours, Li Yu had not spotted any signs of people.


    Only... about a dozen zombies.


    He went to the back room, shook Li Tie awake to take over the shift.


    Looking at the bed, Li Yu chose not to lie down as he felt uneasy being outside the base.


    There was a wooden chair nearby; he pulled his coat over it, the submachine gun tightly pressed against his chest, dagger in his right hand.


    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.


    He didn''t want to sleep, but he could not afford not to; lack of sleep would decrease his spiritual power.


    In this posture, Li Yu could get up at any moment, ready to respond immediately and retaliate if enemies approached.


    Li Tie saw Li Yu in this state and felt even more astonished; Li Yu''s vigilance now exceeded even that of the King of Soldiers he had encountered in the team before.


    Time slowly passed.


    After Li Tie''s shift, Dapao started his.


    At 5:30 in the morning, it was barely light. All was quiet.


    Zhao Dapao was drinking water from a flask he took out of his bag.


    Suddenly, he saw a flash of light ahead��it was a car light!


    Zhao Dapao, thrilled, hurried on small quick steps to the back room.


    He was about 3 meters away from Li Yu when, before he could speak, he saw Li Yu, who had been sitting on the stool with closed eyes, suddenly open them.


    His eyes were filled with a murderous intent, which made Zhao Dapao shiver.


    So, he said, "Brother Yu, something''s up! I saw..."


    Before he could finish, Li Yu had already stood up and walked towards the window, saying at the same time, "Wake up Tiezi."


    At the window, Li Yu picked up the telescope and saw the light getting closer.


    They were finally coming! A fierce intensity grew in Li Yu''s heart.


    As the light approached, the telescope clearly showed a car driving on the national road.


    It moved very slowly, very slowly.


    Now that Li Tie was also awake, he and Zhao Dapao stood on either side of Li Yu, peering at the car through the window.


    The car moved slowly along the national road.


    Its window rolled down, and a middle-aged man in the passenger seat seemed to be closely observing something, his flashlight continuously sweeping the road surface.


    Suddenly, the car stopped.


    The middle-aged man got out of the car in the rain, walked to the back of the car, squatted down, and observed the road surface.


    Then, he moved to the front of the car, squatted down under the headlights, touched the ground, and inspected the stationary vehicles beside the road.


    The man then got back into the car, and it started moving slowly again.


    The speed was very slow, as if scouting something.


    The pace of the car was glacially slow, as Li Yu and the others watched it slowly advance, they ducked their heads down, peeking through the curtains, closely observing these people. The car lights seemed to purposefully sweep across the building where Li Yu and others were.


    But it seemed they found nothing; the vehicle continued its slow progress, passing the national road opposite Li Yu and their building.


    Until 200 meters later, at the junction of the national highway and the township road, it stopped.


    The middle-aged man in the passenger seat got out of the vehicle again and walked in the direction of the township road.


    On the township road, Li Yu stopped two cars beside the road for some cover.


    The two cars did not block the road completely, as that would be too obvious.


    The middle-aged man did not pay attention to the two cars; instead, he was carefully observing the ground of the township road.


    The surface of the township road, being cement and lacking maintenance, easily accumulated mud and sand, unlike the national highway.


    Li Yu was somewhat surprised to see the actions of the middle-aged man.


    Normally, Li Yu would clean the ground every time he returned to leave no trace of tire tracks.


    Today, by some freak chance he didn''t clean, and yet this man managed to notice!


    "Brother, what is he doing? Does he know where our base is?" Li Tie asked from the side.


    Li Yu''s expression grew serious as he watched the middle-aged man push aside the water on the ground, closely inspecting it.


    Seeming to have a guess, the middle-aged man returned back to the national highway, took few steps forward, and began examining the ground.


    With a confident smile on his face, he slowly walked towards the vehicle.


    Reaching the car, the middle-aged man seemed to speak a few words to the people inside.


    The vehicle stayed there for a while, the occupants appearing to discuss something.


    After a few minutes, the vehicle turned around. Instead of entering the township road, it turned back in the direction it came from.


    Seeing the car turn around, the middle-aged man slowly walked towards it, preparing to get in.


    Seeing the actions of the middle-aged man, Li Yu turned to Li Tie, saying, "He definitely noticed, let''s go down. Tiezi, you block them later, Dapao and I will hide in that concrete pipe and ambush from behind."


    "Shoot directly if there''s any problem. If they have guns, kill them. If they don''t, leave them alive."


    "Also, Tiezi, you''ll need to kill the driver."


    After saying this, Li Yu headed downstairs.


    The three quickly reached downstairs, Li Tie hiding behind a large roadside tree.


    Li Yu and Zhao Dapao hid in a concrete pipe across the road.


    Instead of directly entering the township road, the vehicle headed straight towards them.


    Unlike before, the vehicle was now traveling much faster.


    Seeing the distance closing to less than 20 meters, Li Tie suddenly ran in front of the vehicle. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Holding his gun, he was about to shoot the person in the driver''s seat.


    The vehicle didn''t stop, but instead sped up, racing straight towards Li Tie.


    Li Tie was about to dodge to the side.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two gunshots, two bullets precisely hit the two rear tires of the vehicle.


    It was Li Yu and Zhao Dapao!


    Always the best marksmen in the base, even in the dim light of dawn, they accurately shot the vehicle''s rear tires.


    As the car sped towards Li Tie, its rear tires were instantly blown out, making the car swerve erratically to the roadside.


    It didn''t hit Li Tie; it passed right beside him on the right.


    Li Tie could clearly see the person in the driver''s seat.


    Remembering Li Yu''s instructions, he raised his gun.


    He fired, shooting the driver in the head!


    The vehicle, already swerving, had the driver desperately trying to control the steering wheel.


    But with the driver now dead, the vehicle instantly lost control.


    With a crash, it slammed into a roadside tree.

 Chapter 128 - 120: Dead Duck Stubbornness

    Li Yu and Zhao Dapao sprinted toward that car from dozens of meters away.


    Li Tie, who was only a dozen meters away from the vehicle, also rushed over.


    The rear tire of the car was wrecked, and the front of the car had hit a road tree, causing smoke to start emerging from the front.


    After the apocalypse arrived, without traffic police reminders, few people wore seat belts.


    It seemed that the people inside the car had also not buckled up, and no airbags had deployed. The violent impact had tossed the occupants around violently.


    The middle-aged man in the passenger seat slammed directly into the windshield due to the impact and was knocked unconscious.


    The three people in the back seat were also in bad shape. One of the younger ones managed to push the car door, which creaked, but eventually, he got the door open.


    Before he could walk out of the car, Li Tie had already approached.


    A gun was aimed right at the young man''s head.


    "Hands on your head, kneel down on the ground," Li Tie shouted loudly.


    The young man slightly lifted his head, saw the cold muzzle, and his body shuddered.


    Trembling, he complied, moving slowly towards the outside of the car.


    The other two in the back seat were also beginning to recover. One of them reached for a spear, about to make a move, but Li Tie''s peripheral vision had been keeping watch inside the car.


    "You two, get out, hands on your heads, hands!" Li Tie yelled.


    At the same time, Li Yu and Zhao Dapao also ran to the car.


    Instead of going to open the door, Li Yu took the butt of his gun and smashed the car window directly.


    The sound of shattering glass...


    The car window shattered, and Li Yu looked at the two people inside, feeling they seemed familiar.


    "Get out!" said Li Yu.


    After saying that, he looked at the middle-aged man in the passenger seat, who seemed to be unconscious, his head having hit the windshield and his forehead bleeding.


    The two inside the car still didn''t move, not knowing if they were confused from the crash or for some other reason.


    At this moment, facing Li Yu and others'' guns, they just sat in the car motionless.


    They might have wanted to resist, but facing the threat of firearms, they felt powerless, scared, and even more worried that stepping out wouldn''t bring any good outcome.


    Li Yu''s patience with enemies was always rather short.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out, hitting the arm of the man sitting by the window, who had just vaguely tried to reach for a weapon.


    "Ah! My arm!" The man whose arm was shot turned pale instantly, the other hand pressing the wound, but blood still flowed out.


    "One last time, get out," Li Yu said impatiently.


    Finally, the two got out of the car.


    "You, help the person in the passenger seat out," Li Yu directed the man sitting in the middle with his gun in a commanding tone.


    Li Yu didn''t want to go open it himself; better safe than sorry. S��arch* The N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the cover of the car door, it was best not to open it oneself, in case someone inside had a weapon hidden under the door. The moment he opened the door, it could allow an easy ambush at close range.


    Under the threat of the gun, the man had no choice but to go and open the door.


    The middle-aged man inside, whether truly unconscious or not, had been leaning on the window. As soon as the door opened, he slid straight out of the car.


    He looked like he was indeed unconscious.


    Until...


    A dagger fell from the man''s body. It hit the asphalt road.


    Clang!


    Li Yu looked at the dagger on the ground, watching the middle-aged man with interest.


    "Stop pretending, who are you?" Li Yu looked at the three people in front of him.


    Three people surrounded, squatting on the ground.


    One sat directly on the wet ground, holding his arm, head bowed.


    One person crouched slightly, supporting the middle-aged man who had just been pulled out of the car, eyes filled with fear.


    The middle-aged man lay like a puddle of mud, blood from his forehead flowing down his cheeks, still motionless.


    None of the three answered Li Yu''s question.


    Zhao Dapao, standing next to Li Yu, looked at the person assisting the middle-aged man out of the car, feeling more and more familiar.


    "Brother Yu, this person, why does he look so familiar to me? What do you think?" Zhao Dapao pointed to the man and said to Li Yu beside him.


    Li Yu also felt that this person looked familiar, but couldn''t remember where he had seen him.


    The person on the ground became even more nervous after hearing Zhao Dapao''s words and quickly lowered his head further.


    Li Tie, however, seemed to remember something at this moment and said, "We saw him in the driving school in the County, with Hao''s gang."


    "Raise your head!" Zhao Dapao pressed the gun directly against the man''s head and ordered.


    The man lifted his head, and Li Yu instantly remembered. As Tiezi said, he does indeed seem to be one of Hao''s gang members in the County.


    Back then, there were many in that gang. Although most of them were killed, a few escaped by climbing over the wall.


    So, who is this middle-aged man?


    Knowing how to track, able to deduce Li Yu and their driving direction from mere traces. He''s no ordinary person!


    Li Yu observed the middle-aged man, who lay on the ground, but it was still apparent that the man was robust, with thick fingers, broad shoulders, and slightly bulging muscles, all indicating his extraordinary nature.


    Seeing that the middle-aged man still didn''t react, Li Yu stepped back a few paces and shouted at the man again, "I know you''re awake. Speak now, or I''ll shoot."


    The middle-aged man''s eyes opened, his dark pupils filled with calm.


    "Shoot then. Whatever you ask, I know nothing," the middle-aged man said, looking at the gun barrel, not tense but sitting up from the ground.


    Seeing his reaction, Li Yu didn''t press further.


    Given the situation, he knows there''s no use asking as they aren''t afraid of death. Better to start with the other two men.


    He then said to the two next to him, "You speak!"


    Both men remained silent.


    Li Yu was curious inwardly; are they all so tough? Not afraid of death?


    The person squatting next to the middle-aged man, having heard what he said earlier, also seemed less nervous.


    Facing Li Yu and the others, he said, "Even if we told you, you''d kill us anyway. You''re all murderers! Originally, Hao and his gang were killed by you!"


    Li Tie, annoyed, responded, "You guys lured the zombies over with speakers first, and you blame us for killing you?"


    Li Yu signaled Zhao Dapao to take the man aside for interrogation, believing that Dapao could find a way to extract some answers.


    Dapao and Li Tie moved forward, dragging the man towards a nearby grove.


    Soon, heart-wrenching screams were heard from that direction.


    When they left, there were three people. When they returned,


    only Li Tie and Zhao Dapao.


    The middle-aged man squatting on the ground twitched slightly at the corners of his eyes upon hearing the screams, while the person holding his arm started to tremble all over.

 Chapter 129 - 121: The Bankruptcy Conspiracy

    At that moment, attracted by the noise, about twenty zombies appeared nearby and ran over rapidly.


    These dozen or so zombies, compared to the time when the sun was scorching hot, were entirely different creatures.


    Even more frantic, with greater speed, even their teeth seemed to look sharper.


    Li Tie and Zhao Dapao were holding guns, intending to raise their weapons to shoot at these zombies, but they were stopped by Li Yu.


    Watching the zombies getting closer, Li Yu glanced at the two people on the ground and said, "You''re really not going to talk?"


    1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds.


    Silence.


    Li Yu stopped talking, took the weapons they had just confiscated from these individuals, and started walking backward. The zombies were drawing closer, within less than 20 meters, especially as they sensed the bloody scent coming from the wounds on the middle-aged man and the other male.


    Becoming even more frenzied.


    Just as they were about to reach the two men, the middle-aged man abruptly stood up, trying to run away, but although he hadn''t been knocked unconscious before, his condition was still somewhat groggy, so his running speed was not fast.


    Staggering as he fled, he didn''t get far before a zombie caught up with him. Seeing no escape, the middle-aged man picked up a stone from the ground and smashed it toward the head of the first oncoming zombie.


    The middle-aged man''s throw was forceful, and the sharp edge of the stone struck the zombie right in the temple, knocking it to the ground. At the same time, a few other zombies also rushed over, and the man, shaking his dizzy head, hurled the stone at the heads of these zombies.


    It must be said, this middle-aged man''s combat ability was indeed fierce, able to fight with the frenzied zombies even after having been struck, bleeding profusely from his head, and with his senses dulled, unarmed with any weapons.


    On the other hand, the man clutching his arm was not so lucky, nor did he possess such high combat ability. Additionally, his arm had been hit by a bullet, he was the closest to the zombies, and with no weapons at hand, after resisting the two oncoming zombies for a moment, he was quickly bitten by another one following behind.


    Under the lure of blood, the zombies became even more insane, nearly twenty of them completely surrounded the middle-aged man.


    Eventually, in the midst of the encircling zombies, and without any sharp weapons in hand, the middle-aged man was bitten on the arm by one of the zombies. He closed his eyes in despair.


    Besides the zombies surrounding the middle-aged man, the remaining few also charged toward Li Yu and the others.


    Li Yu witnessed this scene and remained unmoved, standing his ground without leaving.


    Only after the middle-aged man was devoured by the zombies did he finally say to Li Tie beside him, "Let''s retreat!"


    The three of them ran wildly in the rain, with the few zombies from behind closely following them.


    Normally, under the scorching sun, zombies move rather slowly, as they shy away from the light, especially under intense sunlight.


    In the darkness, zombies move much faster, especially when it rains, which greatly enhances their agility. In the night rain, zombies can run as fast as an adult man.


    After running for a while, Li Yu saw that the few zombies were still closely behind and shot them dead.


    However, in this rain, the combat capability of the zombies was astonishing, and one shouldn''t take risks unnecessarily. Especially since there were still more zombies behind, and there was some distance left to the base, Li Yu didn''t want to waste time engaging the zombies with knives, it would be bad if their numbers increased.


    They sprinted and in less than 10 minutes arrived beneath the base''s fence.


    Scattered around the fence, a few zombies were loitering, and greedily charged towards Li Yu and his group as they approached.


    Above on the fence, Uncle saw them from a distance, so he immediately came down to open the gate and help them in.


    Li Zhengping and Li Haoran, also on the wall, took out their crossbow and aimed at those few zombies to shoot.


    Puchi! Puchi!


    With continuous training in these days, both of their shooting skills had improved, and at this moment they accurately shot those two zombies.


    The remaining zombie was directly decapitated by Li Yu with a slash of his knife.


    The three entered Weng City and stayed there for about 10 minutes.


    This was the rule Li Yu had set with everyone at the beginning: no matter who, anyone returning from outside must stay in Weng City for ten minutes, without exception, even Li Yu himself. S��ar?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During these ten minutes in Weng City, Li Tie and Zhao Dapao also shared with Li Yu the information they had learned from interrogating that man.


    It turned out that the middle-aged man was a former scout who had retired from military service. He wasn''t with Brother Hao and his group, but his brother had joined them. Later, when Li Yu and his men went to kill Brother Hao''s gang, they ended up also killing his brother.


    Some of the people who had escaped from the driving school later encountered this middle-aged man. After finding out about his brother''s death, he harbored the desire for revenge.


    So, he and the remaining dozen or so of Brother Hao''s men hastily formed a group, seeking to take revenge on Li Yu.


    However, they had been unable to find Li Yu''s whereabouts, only secretly observing from a distance and tailing them during Li Yu''s recent trips into the county.


    Li Yu was always cautious. Often on the way back, he would clean up any tracks they left behind, so the middle-aged man never found the opportunity.


    Until they finally spotted Li Yu and his group, but seeing that they were armed and well-equipped, they never found the opportunity to exact their revenge.


    They planned and waited until today''s rain, when Li Yu''s group went to the gas station to refuel, orchestrating that zombie ambush.


    The original plan was to release the zombies when Li Yu and his group got out of their cars, but no one expected the arrival of Brother Hao and the Salvation Army, who led some of the zombies they had attracted away.


    The Salvation Army inadvertently helped Li Yu and his group.


    Otherwise, under their elaborate contrivances, even with firearms, it would certainly take a lot of bullets to escape from the multitude of zombies, and the chances of a safe escape would have been slim.


    This opportunity these people had been waiting for had just been shattered, and they were naturally reluctant to give up, so they planned to continue following. They were careful not to follow directly but took the risk of zombies at midnight, driving and observing the road for signs, just barely discovering Li Yu''s location.


    But now, all their plans fell apart with the death of the middle-aged man.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu felt somewhat relieved.


    If he had headed back directly just now, he probably would have encountered various troubles.


    He silently gave himself a warning to be more vigilant in the future.


    With more and more people at the base and as Li Yu and his team ventured out more frequently, the base''s location could be easily exposed later on.


    Li Yu was a bit anxious, but there was no way to resolve this dilemma. He couldn''t always stay put, nor could he entirely prevent others from finding the location.


    The only solution was to strengthen the base''s power!


    Based on Dapao''s interrogation of the man, in addition to the four who came today, there are still 12 people near the gas station.


    Thinking of this, a cold light flashed in Li Yu''s eyes.


    They chose not to take the way of life, insisting on seeking death.


    ...

 Chapter 130 - 122: 12 People

    Inside Weng City, ten minutes had passed.


    Uncle had just come down from the wall and was about to speak when Li Yu said to him, "We need to go out again. We were ambushed on the way out today. Please call Yang Tianlong and Gangzi, as well as Xiao Hang."


    Because we hadn''t driven back to the base, and it was raining now with occasional zombies by the roadside, we didn''t have time to stop and properly discuss the interrogation news.


    Now that we knew about it, Li Yu was determined to go out again and deal with this lingering threat.


    Those people who escaped from the driving school last time may cause more trouble.


    If we don''t deal with them promptly, we might not be able to locate them after some time. Right now, these people might still be waiting for news of the middle-aged man who was trailing them.


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, Uncle realized the urgency of the situation and immediately called Yang Tianlong and others inside the base. Upon hearing someone had specifically ambushed them, Yang Tianlong quickly ran over to Li Gang.


    After switching vehicles twice within Weng City, the six of them set out.


    The rain that had lasted several days came to an abrupt stop this morning.


    Moisture hung in the air and the dampness was palpable, but between breaths, one could also detect a sense of freshness.


    Dawn revealed a vague light, and the morning sun was like fire. In this early morning, a gentle breeze brought a trace of the sun''s warmth, and Li Yu''s fatigue seemed to vanish instantly. Having slept outside last night, he had managed to doze off for a bit, but could not relax in such an environment.


    The journey was silent.


    After replenishing their ammunition, Li Yu looked at Yang Tianlong and the fully armed others, filled with confidence.


    They switched to two fully charged electric vehicles and set off.


    Li Yu sat in the passenger seat and saw the cars of the group that had trailed them earlier on the highway.


    The car crashed into a tree no longer smoked, and gasoline had flowed onto the ground. Shattered glass seemed to tell the tale of what had happened here.


    The gasoline on the ground, not far from it, was stained with patches of red.


    Besides that, there were no remains left, as zombies had devoured everything as cleanly as locusts.


    Under the sun''s rays, the blood-stained ground reflected an eerie luster.


    The vehicles passed silently and swiftly, approaching the gas station very quickly.


    The gas station still stood, gleaming in the sunlight, its red sign shimmering resplendently.


    "Tiezi, where exactly did the interrogated person say those people were?" Li Yu asked Li Tie, who had stopped the car some distance from the gas station.


    "Just less than 1 kilometer away from the gas station, after the bridge, towards the direction of the town, there''s a Xuanba KTV. I remember there was a restaurant downstairs before. Right there."


    Li Yu nodded at the information, took out the walkie-talkie, and spoke to Zhao Dapao and others in the other car, "This time, don''t leave any loose ends. Eliminate them all. Later, Tiezi, I, Dapao, will go upstairs to search for people."


    "Gangzi, Tianlong, Xiao Hang, you three block the downstairs, don''t let anyone escape. No survivors!" Li Yu declared decisively.


    Everyone looked at Li Yu''s attitude with astonishment. It seemed that those people had truly infuriated Li Yu.


    After organizing everyone''s tasks, the two cars began driving in that direction.


    Before Li Yu and his group got close, Li Hang saw someone on the rooftop of a building, apparently observing the surroundings.


    The person glanced in the direction of Li Yu''s group and quickly disappeared from the rooftop.


    "Brother, there''s someone on the rooftop, and they seem to have seen us," Li Hang said to Li Yu.


    Hearing this, Li Yu quickly adjusted the plan, "Speed up, first encircle this building, and don''t let a single person go."


    In less than a minute, Li Yu and others were nearly at the building, less than 50 meters away.


    At that moment, just in time, Li Yu saw four or five people, carrying bags, running outside.


    And these people also saw Li Yu and their car; they did not expect Li Yu and his team to arrive so quickly. Their faces were full of shock, and they ran even faster.


    From inside the car, Li Yu stuck his head out and immediately opened fire. Zhao Dapao, in another car, also stuck his head out to shoot.


    Upon seeing Li Yu''s vehicle, two of the individuals ran towards the alley behind them. A bullet grazed one person''s calf by a hair''s breadth, and the two headed for the alley behind.


    The remaining three, in the instant that Li Yu and his team fired, were killed.


    In 5 seconds, the vehicle arrived below the building, and Li Yu quickly got out of the car, then said to Zhao Dapao and Xiao Hang at the back of the vehicle, "Dapao, Xiao Hang, you two go after them."


    "Tiezi, you check the back for any back doors. Take the rear entrance."


    "Tianlong, you stay on guard downstairs."


    As he spoke, he rushed towards the upstairs. Before he could step onto the staircase, several men were coming down. These men, upon seeing Li Yu, as if they had seen the Demon himself, hurriedly tried to run upstairs.


    But with Li Yu in sight, there was no chance for escape.


    Without a word, Li Yu opened fire. Gunshots rang out, and then stopped. Only a few corpses remained.


    Li Tie, who arrived at the back door, saw two people running away at a distance of about ten meters. It seemed they had just escaped from this building. Li Tie aimed and fired, not missing a single one.


    The building was somewhat dark and damp, with mold growing on the walls, but the overall decor was decent. Previously, there had been a KTV here, with very good sound insulation.


    Li Yu and Li Tie, one after the other, began their search from the first floor, and soon encountered each other on the second floor. Guarding the passage, they continued to search upwards.


    According to what was confessed by the person interrogated by Zhao Dapao earlier, there were in total twelve people here.


    Just now, as they arrived, there were five; three were killed, leaving two for Dapao and Xiao Hang to chase.


    Three encountered by Li Yu as he went upstairs, killed. Two encountered by Li Tie at the back, killed.


    Apart from the two currently being chased, there were only two left in the building. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The KTV private rooms, numerous and without power, seemed very dark. Li Yu and Li Tie turned on the flashlights on their helmets, kicked open room after room, each taking a direction.


    After searching around, they still hadn''t seen anyone, and had checked every room. But they found no one.


    So, they set out to search again.


    Li Yu had heard about this Xuanba KTV before. It was said that a person who had been in prison came back to his hometown and opened this KTV. There were often some colorful services here; it was rumored to be related to something and had continued to operate since.


    Li Yu had never been here before. This was his first time stepping into this establishment. The decor of the place was gaudy and luxurious but used materials weren''t particularly good, which gave it the feel of a shoddy sort of luxury.


    Suddenly, Li Yu''s gaze narrowed slightly at the Tian charactcer-numbered VIP room in front of him.


    This room had already been checked; when they searched, they would leave all the room doors open. But at this moment, the door of this room was closed!


    This golden door, made of some unknown material, was coated with a layer of gold paint, which reflected light under the white lights.


    And in the center of the door was a transparent glass pane, reflecting back a view that made it impossible to see clearly what was inside.


    Li Yu, with submachine gun in hand, walked rhythmically toward this private room.


    Tap~ Tap~ Tap~


    The footsteps echoed continuously in the empty, silent, and dark corridor, sounding like the footsteps of the Grim Reaper drawing steadily closer to that door.


    The footsteps, slow and steady, neither too fast nor too slow, carried an oppressive terror that was suffocating.


    Reaching the door, he paused, and the footsteps stopped.


    Silence!


    Li Yu perked up his ears, listening carefully to the surrounding noises. A minute passed with no sound coming through.


    In this eerie silence, Li Yu didn''t move an inch.

 Chapter 131 - 123: The Eerie Crying in the Restroom

    Boom!


    Like a silver pot suddenly shattering, Li Yu kicked open the door, and the light instantly poured into the room.


    Inside the room, the scene before him made Li Yu''s skin crawl as he raised his gun and fired several shots.


    What he saw in the room was a head, grinning at him with a wide smile.


    The hair was somewhat long, spilling onto the floor. The lighting was dim, and at first glance, it looked just like a real person.


    As he walked closer, Li Yu saw that it was a plastic head from a hairdressing salon, used for apprentices to practice haircuts, and beside it was a white-clad mannequin, turned away from Li Yu.


    Li Yu found this sight extremely eerie; he clearly hadn''t seen this mannequin and the head the first time he entered.


    Now that he''s here, he must have missed someone, Li Yu thought to himself.


    Just as he wanted to go around to the back of the mannequin��because it was facing away from Li Yu, and from the back, he couldn''t see the front��


    Li Yu felt a chill down his spine, his body reacted instinctively, and he darted to the side, toward the couch typical of a KTV''s long sofas.


    As he moved, he could feel a cold gust of wind slashing past him.


    Clang!


    As Li Yu turned around, he saw a disheveled woman with a large cleaver that had just struck the table. The table... that''s where Li Yu had just been standing.


    Cold sweat poured out of him, thankful for his quick reflexes, or he would have been sliced in two.


    Bang, bang, bang! Li Yu fell onto the long sofa, the light shining on him, and immediately opened fire at the woman.


    The disheveled woman, with a smile on her face, fell straight backward, and Li Yu''s bullets oddly missed!


    Seeing this, Li Yu quickly got up and chased after the woman.


    But somehow, as the woman fell, she didn''t move like a normal person; she scuttled away like a dog, extremely fast, and soon vanished from sight.


    Li Yu ran through the spacious corridor but still couldn''t see any sign of the woman. Thinking back to that woman''s eerie smile, that madness, lunacy, eyes wide with frenzy but pupils filled with mockery, the thought of that face made him feel increasingly unsettled.


    Boom!


    A gunshot drew his attention; the sound came from downstairs.


    Thump, thump, thump, footsteps followed from behind, and Li Yu hurriedly turned around��it was Li Tie.


    Li Yu and Li Tie ran to the window and saw Yang Tianlong holding a gun. Before they could speak, Yang Tianlong noticed them and said, "A lunatic just jumped down from the third floor. A man, I don''t know what happened, he jumped and started blabbering, shouting ''wife, wife.'' I shot him dead."


    At these words, Li Yu remembered the woman he had just encountered. According to the man Li Tie had interrogated, there was no mention of a woman.


    So what was the deal with the eerie woman he had just encountered? Li Yu did not believe in ghosts, but the situation he had just faced certainly seemed strange.


    After telling Li Tie about his encounter, the two decided to move together, putting on their Night Vision Goggles, and decidedly not turning on the lights. sea??h th�� Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They went straight into the private room and started searching again, one by one.


    As they were halfway through their search, they suddenly heard a sharp, despairing and frenzied laugh.


    In the vast, empty house, the laughter echoed continuously, and for a moment, Li Yu and Li Tie couldn''t determine where it was coming from.


    Li Tie, hearing the laughter, looked somewhat frightened; it was damn eerie.


    The house was already damp and cold, with a strong seal, and little sunshine from outside ever reached inside, making the house seem even more ghastly.


    The laughter continued, and after Li Yu and Li Tie stood there for a while, they figured out a direction and ran towards it.


    Suddenly, the laughter came to an abrupt halt, followed by a shrill, piercing cry. The sound didn''t resemble that of a human; it was more akin to the howl of a cat in the middle of the night, but even more sinister than that.


    Li Yu suppressed the unease in his heart and loaded his gun.


    The two stopped at the entrance, looking up to see it was the bathroom.


    At the entrance of the female restroom, there were two mops covered in hair��long and black, tangled around the mop handles. On one mop handle, there was a large, fresh bloody handprint, still dripping blood.


    Even Li Yu, who didn''t believe in ghosts and deities, felt a slight tremor in his heart. What the hell!


    The women''s restroom!


    Li Yu didn''t dwell too much and charged in, followed closely by Li Tie.


    As soon as he entered the restroom, his gaze went to the farthest stall next to the window. Through the light from outside, the floor tiles reflected a dark shadow.


    More importantly, from inside that stall, long hair dangled all the way down to the floor.


    Li Yu didn''t approach further, instead carefully listening to the woman''s sobbing.


    Suppressing the eerie feeling in his heart, he began to speak, "You...." initially wanting to inquire, as he wasn''t sure whether this woman was in cahoots with those people.


    Before he could finish, he stopped himself. Just now, this woman... had tried to kill him!


    By using the head of a human-shaped doll to divert his attention, and then attacking from behind.


    This woman, whether genuinely insane or feigning it,


    indeed, had tried to kill him!


    With this thought, he raised his gun, ready to fire into the stall.


    Then he heard a voice from inside, giggling eerily and whispering lovingly, "Mommy loves you, baby, mommy will always love you, don''t be scared, mommy is here to accompany you now."


    Hardly had the words ended when he heard the sound of a window opening, followed by a thump!


    Then came a shout from Yang Tianlong downstairs: "Fuck! You scared the shit out of me!"


    Jumping from the eighth floor, survival for an adult seemed unlikely.


    Li Yu rushed to the window and saw the disheveled woman crash directly onto the cement bollard at the entrance. Her head, like a watermelon, struck the sharp edge of the bollard and split in two.


    No wonder Yang Tianlong complained; he had been observing when suddenly he saw someone jump from the building right before his eyes, their head splitting open like a watermelon, with eyes still rolling on the ground.


    Li Yu pondered and opened the farthest toilet stall. As soon as he did, several plastic babies rolled out.


    There were also plastic human heads and large amounts of hair used in hair salons for extensions and the like. But mostly, there were plastic babies. One of them was dressed the best, swaddled in clothing with a pacifier, its eyes pitch black and shiny.


    ...


    At the entrance, they encountered 5 people, with Li Yu killing 3 on the stairs and Li Tie killing 2.


    Yang Tianlong downstairs killed 1, plus the woman just now, 1.


    12 people, which matched the number Dapao got from interrogating that man initially.


    Now, it all depended on Dapao and Xiao Hang pursuing those two people.


    Li Yu stood on the rooftop, surveying the surroundings, squinting his eyes towards the direction of Dapao''s pursuit.


    Hopefully, it would be resolved soon, Li Yu murmured.

 Chapter 132 - 124: Annihilation

    Li Tie and Li Yu waited downstairs for a while, then at the spot where the woman fell, they picked up a piece of torn cloth to cover the body.


    This house emanated an eerie feeling, damp and cold inside, so both decided against entering again.


    They unpacked a pack of cigarettes, distributed it, and Li Yu, Li Tie, Li Gang, and Dapao stood in front of the car, puffing smoke clouds into the air. Li Yu no longer intended to search the house, as the base was not lacking in resources, and searches usually occurred when specific items were needed.


    It had just rained, and the sun was out, the air fresh. The four waited in place for a while.


    Then they saw Dapao and Li Hang emerging from behind the building, expressions unreadable. Yet, the mud on their trouser legs indicated that their pursuit had not been easy.


    "Those two were shot dead. These guys ran too fast; they even made it to the river and hid under the bridge. If Xiao Hang hadn''t been sharp-eyed, they would have escaped," Dapao explained when he saw the questioning looks of the four.


    Without hesitation, Dapao reached for a cigarette from Li Yu''s hand and joined in the smoke. Hearing Dapao''s words, Yang Tianlong was particularly appreciative.


    "Wow, Xiao Hang is really impressive now! Let''s applaud!" Yang Tianlong''s face was overly exaggerated as he enthusiastically clapped.


    Beside him, Li Tie and Li Gang also laughed and clapped. Usually thick-skinned, Li Hang felt somewhat shy this time, scratching his head, "I just shouted once. Brother Pao was so accurate, two shots and they were gone."


    After a brief discussion, there were 12 men, and according to the numbers given by the man they interrogated��if he wasn''t lying��this time, they had probably cleaned them all up.


    After finishing their cigarettes, everyone got into the vehicle and started heading back to the base.


    This outing had been quite lengthy. They hadn''t returned to the base yet and had to promptly come out again to deal with potential aftermaths.


    All the way back, everyone safely reached the base.


    It''s worth mentioning that, after this event, everyone heightened their vigilance significantly. Every time they returned to the base, they proactively cleaned up any tracks, avoiding any observant eyes.


    A distance from the base, towards the direction of the county, the Salvation Army''s convoy had arrived. Meanwhile, in a small building in the suburbs, Song Min and her team were reporting their encounter with a group from the Salvation Army.


    Li Yu was unaware of all this.


    He hardly slept the previous night, and with the day''s earlier occurrences with the insane woman, his nerves had been on edge; now, he just wanted to sleep soundly.


    At the base, although tired, feeling sticky all over, Li Yu quickly showered before collapsing into bed to sleep.


    The window was open, and a breeze wafted in, carrying a hint of moisture mixed with the earth��a unique fragrance.


    Li Yu slept very soundly, appreciating how well the six of them had coordinated today. With sufficient firepower and mutual trust in the team, their efficiency wasn''t just doubled��it was much more.


    Li Yu felt at ease. Although the situation with the Salvation Army was unclear, he was confident in facing them.


    He slept from 4 pm until 6 am the next morning, awoken by his unchanged internal clock. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling refreshed, Li Yu stood up, his bones cracking, eyes and mind clear.


    Taking a deep breath, a pleasant mood spread as he hummed a little tune. After quickly putting on a tracksuit and washing up, he began his morning run.


    Morning exercise.


    The people of our nation are wise, balancing yin and yang, tension and relaxation.


    There always needs to be a balance; humans are not machines and need to change states to set off anew.


    Even though Li Yu still had the Salvation Army on his mind, he wasn''t overly worried.


    If the Salvation Army was heading north, they would definitely pass through the County, and if any disturbances arose, Li Yu would learn something when he visited later.


    He decided to wait and see.


    For now, he would rest at the base for a while.


    In the base, Ding Jiu and several workers, who had joined a while ago, were growing increasingly attached to the base. In fact, they had recently approached Li Yu with a suggestion to raise the height of the perimeter walls.


    Due to the raised foundation combined with the electric fences above, the walls were currently about 8 meters high. Following their advice, they planned to increase the wall height by another 4 meters,


    which would make it approximately 12 meters high, roughly the height of a four-story building.


    Luckily, there was a cement plant in the neighboring town, and a larger factory further away. In recent years, the Government had been constructing basic infrastructure and developing housing in the County, leading to a surge in suppliers of steel and concrete.


    However, Li Yu was contemplating another matter��whether to expand the base by building an even larger wall outside the existing one.


    But that was a decision for later.


    It had been raining continuously, making construction very inconvenient. Additionally, with the zombies outside being extremely aggressive, it wasn''t the right time to venture out. Staying home seemed like a good option.


    In the days following Qingming Festival, the rain had intensified, keeping everyone inside the base.


    Aside from those on duty, everyone else stayed inside their rooms. They had purchased a diesel generator which they had been testing these past few days.


    Normally, their solar storage provided ample electricity, more than they could use, but the continuous rain presented a good opportunity to utilize the stored power.


    Within their rooms, everyone had their tasks��like Li Suxin and Second Aunt''s younger children, whose outdoor activities had been canceled, so they spent their days studying in the classroom.


    Xiao Hang, on the other hand, had been very calm lately, spending his days under the eaves of the small courtyard in front of the mountain top where the rain couldn''t reach, practicing with his Crossbow.


    Every morning during his exercise routine, Li Yu would encounter Xiao Hang. Although they didn''t talk much, they could clearly sense each other''s thoughts.


    A harmonious atmosphere still prevailed in the base.


    Li Yu always liked the rain, but since the apocalypse, the rain meant increased madness among the zombies, and heavy rain could even spur a Zombie Tide. Nowadays, rain meant more, and more dangerous, zombies!


    So, since the apocalypse began, Li Yu hadn''t enjoyed listening to the soothing sound of rain, with neither the time nor the mood for it.


    These recent days had been filled with light, continual rain. Although there were still plenty of zombies outside, there was no large-scale Zombie Tide.


    With two people always on guard atop the walls, plus the rotating patrols and observers in the surveillance room, the base couldn''t be said to be completely airtight, but it was relatively safe.


    Under these circumstances, Li Yu felt he could settle down and do some of the things he wanted.

 Chapter 133 - 125: Killing Someone Using a Borrowed Knife?

    In the rain, holding a large umbrella, Li Yu was fishing by the Mountain Pond, a place he cherished and where he had learned to swim since he was a child.


    As a boy, he had once caught a very large turtle in this pond but later, Grandpa said it was not easy for a turtle to live so long, so they let it go.


    After that, they never saw it again, while Li Yu was fishing by the pond, Yang Tianlong often liked to join in the fun.


    Dapao didn''t like the rain, so he didn''t come out.


    So there by the pond, Li Yu fished and Yang Tianlong set up a barbecue grill. As soon as they caught a fish, they would clean it and barbecue it right away.


    The two drank rice wine by the pond, enjoying the fresh fish, under the weeping willows in the spring, with a breeze and drizzle, quietly enjoying this paradise-like life in the post-apocalypse.


    The willow branches swayed in the wind, amidst the pitter-patter of the rain, mist rose from the lake, turning the scene into a heavenly realm for a moment.


    They drank for a long while and a lot, but both men could handle their liquor well and never got drunk on rice wine.


    Maintaining a buzz, they sat by the lake all day long.


    The next day, Li Yu took the youngsters from his family to pick tea leaves in the mountains. In the past, around the Qingming Festival, Grandpa would take them to tend ancestral graves amid the flourishing rhododendrons, to find their family''s burial spots.


    Cleaning, weeding, hanging prayer paper, lighting candles, setting off firecrackers, pouring wine, bowing. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the apocalypse began, Grandpa relocated many of the ancestral tablets to a small temple on the left mountaintop, and this Qingming, they also brought the younger members of the family to worship their ancestors.


    However, it being the post-apocalypse, the rituals were no longer as elaborate as before. Still, this process was indispensable, undoubtedly an important way to deepen family bonds.


    The younger ones in the base preferred to pick the sweetest, tenderest part of the tea plants, crisp and sweet, satisfying but not cloying.


    There were also wild berries and the like, sweet and tart, as the children ran carefree through the spring breeze and light rain in the mountains.


    As usual, Li Yu''s grandmother used the previously stored dried grain to brew some liquor.


    The freshly brewed liquor, with a heavy scent of grain, tasted quite strong but had a sweet flavor to it.


    Thus, they rested in the base, some recuperating, others constantly practicing, learning how to use crossbows and firearms. Some were studying culture and knowledge. Some were developing romantic relationships.


    ...


    Life for Song Min and others in the County wasn''t so easy; initially, the Salvation Army hadn''t discovered them.


    But later on, the Salvation Army had figured out most of the remaining population in the County and contacted them.


    Worth mentioning is that after Li Yu and his group eliminated Hao Ge and his crew, two small groups gathered in the County, both with few members, who had been hiding in some corner after the apocalypse and only later began to emerge.


    One group was hastily formed and lacked combat prowess; they couldn''t resist the Salvation Army at all when they encountered them.


    The other group was led by the head chef of a big restaurant in the County; after the apocalypse broke out, because the restaurant had stored a considerable amount of food and enough rice, they survived for a long time without leaving the restaurant even amidst the hordes of zombies outside.


    It wasn''t until after they had finished their last bit of food that they emerged from the house. They were led by the head chef, followed by kitchen hands and various other staff. Armed with an array of kitchen knives, they possessed a certain level of combat ability against the zombies.


    Unfortunately, they encountered the Salvation Army, who, after looting them, realized they didn''t have much in the way of resources. Consequently, they coerced them into agreeing to something: to regularly pay protection fees, a certain amount of food, or other valuable and usable resources.


    Under the Salvation Army''s intimidation, both groups acquiesced to their demands. They had no choice but to agree; otherwise, the Salvation Army would have wiped them out.


    They had seen just how vicious the Salvation Army could be.


    From the moment the Salvation Army appeared, Song Min and her group had a bad feeling. They tried their best to avoid them, but despite their calculations, they couldn''t foresee that they would still be targeted.


    They were found right in the building where they were hiding.


    The Salvation Army surrounded their building with six vehicles and dozens of people.


    Outside in the courtyard, the boisterous man standing on the roof of the car called out, "So? Have you made up your minds yet?"


    This man was the leader of this Salvation Army squad; he was the same one who had killed Grandpa Zhou''s group at the gas station. The reason they wanted to move north, apart from eliminating Grandpa Zhou''s group, was to expand their sphere of influence.


    As the Salvation Army grew in number, their need for various resources increased, so they set their targets on some of the survivor groups around them.


    With more people and better weapons, none of the surviving groups in the vicinity could resist the Salvation Army. In the end, they either obediently paid the protection fee on time or were directly annihilated and absorbed by the Salvation Army.


    Looking at the Salvation Army downstairs, Song Min was extremely anxious. Their small group of just over ten people was no match for the robust men outside.


    But if they agreed to their demands, they would have to pay tribute regularly, which would definitely make their own resources insufficient, potentially leading to starvation. Furthermore, they would have to remain subject to these people indefinitely.


    Song Min was still considering how to respond when the arrogant group leader of the Salvation Army below spoke up again, "I heard from old Zhao that there''s another group around here with you, right? I''ve heard they''re quite strong. Old Zhao was saying, you have a good relationship with them? Do you know where they are?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Min instantly had a bad feeling.


    Could the Salvation Army be referring to Li Yu''s group? Old Zhao, now throughout the county, any survivor knows of Li Yu''s existence, even if they don''t know the name.


    But they know they have guns!


    Old Zhao had disclosed the existence of Li Yu and his group to the Salvation Army without mentioning their firearms. This was like using someone else''s hand to kill.


    Yet, Song Min thought: I don''t even know where Li Yu and his group are!


    Damn it!


    Song Min had the urge to tear old Zhao into pieces.


    The patience of the group leader from the Salvation Army below seemed to be running thin; he had asked two questions without receiving any reply from Song Min.


    Downstairs, the man standing on the roof of the car''s face was growing grim; his eyes held a sharp ferocity.

 Chapter 134 - 126: Song Mins Answer

    Seeing the change in expression on the Salvation Army leader''s face downstairs, the young girls beside Song Min all felt somewhat anxious. But indeed, they didn''t know the whereabouts of Li Yu and the others.


    Behind Song Min, there were also a few people, including Teacher Liu, who had joined recently. They didn''t know where Li Yu and the others were either.


    Song Min looked at the leader of the Salvation Army and said, "We don''t have much contact with them. They seem to be in the northern part of the city."


    Song Min actually knew that Li Yu and his group were actually in the south; she had seen the direction they left in was towards the Southern area.


    After all, the fact that Song Min and her group had survived until now was because Li Yu had saved them. Song Min had a clear sense of gratitude in her heart, and repaying kindness with enmity was not something she should do.


    So, when faced with these inquiries from the Salvation Army, it was better to give a false answer to placate them rather than not responding at all, which would certainly provoke their wrath.


    The Salvation Army members downstairs, having heard Song Min''s answer, did not seem too hung up about it. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Their more important business was to sign agreements with these groups and set terms for periodic protection fees.


    The money captain of the Salvation Army got down from the top of the vehicle, walked over to the door, and said, "About the conditions I discussed with you earlier, how have you considered them? We are quite reasonable, and we also take into full account your actual capabilities before setting such a standard."


    It sounded reasonable, but if they agreed to the terms set by the Salvation Army, then 70% of what Song Min and her group harvested would have to be handed over to them!


    This would mean they were essentially collecting for them! With just the remaining 30%, they couldn''t possibly support so many people, especially with food already in short supply.


    Song Min, looking at the pressing Salvation Army, felt a surge of anger within her and wanted to fight it out with them right then and there.


    There were about forty people on the opposing side, while Song Min''s group only had about a dozen, and most of them were women.


    Song Min hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed to the Salvation Army''s terms.


    The money captain of the Salvation Army looked at Song Min with a somewhat mocking gaze and said, "Starting from next month, we will come to collect the protection fee you''ll pay. If you back out, be prepared to face the consequences!"


    As he spoke, the smile at the corner of his mouth was filled with mocking undertones.


    After saying these things, the people drove away from the small building, and Song Min and the others watched them leave.


    The chubby boy beside Song Min asked worriedly, "Sister Song, what do we do now? According to their demands, we have to provide them with those supplies next month,


    basically, we''ll be cleaned out giving them everything! And the month after that, and the following months, we''ll have to pay every month. Can we really do this?"


    Song Min shook her head, bit her lower lip, and said, "It''s going to be tough!"


    Teacher Liu behind her also spoke with concern, "Luckily, they didn''t just burst in earlier, otherwise we would have been finished."


    Having been in this post-apocalyptic world for a while, Teacher Liu knew all too well, that women like them were easy targets for some scum... in this day and age, strength was the most important.


    "We could just die then!" Hearing Teacher Liu''s words, one of the younger girls beside Song Min spoke up.


    "Right, we''re not afraid of anything. If they dare to come up here, we''ll fight them to the death," said the youngest but most lively girl in Song Min''s group, raising her fist with fury.


    However, Song Min continued to watch the back of those leaving, with her worries growing even deeper.


    Next month, hopefully, before then, they could meet up with Li Yu and his group.


    Song Min and her group had always been unaware of the exact location of Li Yu and his group, passively waiting for contact from them every time.


    Therefore, up until now, Li Yu and his group had maintained a mysterious status.


    In this small team of a dozen people, Song Min and their subordinates had almost ten people. Teacher Liu had two male students and two female students.


    There was also Song Qi, Song Min''s younger brother, so Song Qi had a somewhat special status in this team, serving as a bond between the two sides, playing the role of a glue.


    This Song Qi, after encountering Li Yu and his group last time, instantly became a hardcore fan of Li Yu. He kept urging Song Min to join Li Yu''s group.


    Song Min had actually thought about joining Li Yu''s group earlier as well, but since Li Yu didn''t invite them, Song Min felt it inappropriate to ask.


    If they were rejected, and it became awkward later, preventing Li Yu from contacting them again, that wouldn''t be the outcome Song Min wanted.


    Among Teacher Liu''s students, the two male students were especially despised by the two female students because they ran away earlier and did not stay to fight with Teacher Liu and the others.


    Song Qi also found them very unpleasant, which made Song Min and their group look at these two men with little friendliness, but after all, they were in the same place, so a surface level of peace was maintained.


    Song Min frowned and then asked the chubby one beside her to keep watch on the rooftop, to see if they could spot Li Yu''s group coming.


    "Sis, if they come, let''s just join them directly. They seem like decent people, and they saved us last time! We''re not strong enough on our own, we definitely need to join a powerful group to avoid being bullied by others. Today it''s this Salvation Army, it could be someone else another day."


    "Besides, they have guns! Sis, why don''t you just bring it up when they come?" Song Qi was by her side, pulling on Song Min''s arm, persuading her.


    Song Min was somewhat moved by the idea, but it also had to be something the others were willing to do.


    She sighed deeply...


    ...


    Li Yu at the base, smoking on the balcony, sneezed three times in quick succession.


    "Who''s talking about me..." Li Yu muttered to himself.


    He had almost choked on his cigarette just now, so he picked up a cup of water from the table beside the rattan chair to moisten his throat.


    The mountains were shrouded and the rain was peculiar; several days had passed since Qingming Festival. It had been clear for two days, but now it had started raining again. On the surface of the lake at Mountain Pond Lake in the base, a layer of mist rose, complementing the lush green mountains, absolutely beautiful.


    During this time, Li Yu was very relaxed.


    The sloppy girl in the base also began to try handling firearms, with Li Yu teaching her personally.


    Unexpectedly, she showed a strong talent for shooting. It had already been noticed when she used Crossbow; her aiming was quick and accurate.


    That day was just the start of teaching the sloppy girl to use guns, and she was learning at a rate three times faster than the average person.


    It didn''t take long for the sloppy girl to begin live-fire practice...


    Lately, it has often rained since the apocalypse began, the rainfall has increased a lot.


    Originally, the area where Li Yu was located already had high annual rainfall, but after the apocalypse, it became even greater. Whenever it rained, the zombies would go mad.


    At night, zombies would move, when it rained, zombies would go crazy.


    This had become a common understanding. To ensure everyone''s safety, Li Yu had recently not allowed anyone to go out.


    Moreover, after encountering the group from the Salvation Army, those more than forty strong individuals, Li Yu wasn''t afraid of them. What he was worried about was that, apart from the Salvation Army, there might be other groups after them.


    During this time, nobody from the base went out, so the atmosphere inside the base was pretty good.


    Although occasionally the rain would get heavier, it had not yet formed a Zombie Tide, which gave everyone a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 135 - 127: Gathering Information

    During the whole month of April, life at the base was very comfortable.


    For Li Yu, in addition to his daily unchangeable morning exercises, under the persuasion of Li Tie and a few others, he played mahjong for several days. After often losing, Li Yu realized he had very poor talent for mahjong and poker.


    Thus, after a few days, he lost interest.


    Later, he would spend his days at the library, picking up a book, then heading back to the balcony of his room, listening to the light rain and reading all day. When tired, he''d sleep.


    Upon waking, he would go to the underground theater room to watch a movie, or stay in his room to play standalone video games.


    Recently, Li Yu finally began to enjoy playing video games. In his room, he played "Days Gone," a post-apocalyptic game, and accidentally finished it.


    Then he played Plants vs. Zombies. Although it seemed like a boring game, Li Yu played it very energetically, accidentally staying up all night.


    The next day he still got up for morning exercises; with the resilience of youth, he felt quite spirited despite not sleeping the entire night.


    But by the afternoon, Li Yu felt a bit sleepy and took a nap to feel better.


    Li Yu also reminded himself not to stay up late again, not to be too relaxed or indulgent. sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, being able to relax is better than not being able to at all. Some people, always tense, find it hard to relax even in a very comfortable atmosphere.


    If one cannot relax, they can''t get good rest, and without good rest, how can they be full of vitality to start anew?


    Time passed bit by bit.


    April quickly passed, and in the blink of an eye, May arrived.


    In May, there were two sunny days.


    Li Yu noticed that everyone had rested very well, even he himself felt lazier during this period.


    One day, Li Yu spoke to Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Uncle, and others about his desire to go out.


    Although they didn''t encounter the Salvation Army directly last time, having more information about them is always good.


    Staying hidden in the base all the time was not entirely feasible, plus the base could be discovered at any moment.


    Going out often to obtain the latest news gave Li Yu a grounding, knowing the situation he faced, and later planning accordingly.


    Hearing Li Yu''s plan, Second Uncle had also been considering the Salvation Army lately. According to what they said when Li Yu and others returned last time, the Salvation Army group had around forty people.


    They also had uniform equipment, indicating they had reached a certain number and had certain strength.


    "This time out, it''s best not to attract attention, the more concealment the better. Who knows, those Salvation Army might have headed north, possibly to County or perhaps to the city.


    Anyway, this exploration should mainly focus on gathering information," Second Uncle said slowly, looking at Li Yu.


    Li Yu nodded and said, "I understand. The last time we saw the Salvation Army, they weren''t using guns, but that doesn''t guarantee they don''t have any.


    It''s possible they have them, but just didn''t use them. This possibility exists."


    "This time over, Little sloppy, you can join in," Li Yu looked at the little sloppy one still practicing design on the mountaintop. Recently, she had been pestering Li Yu to always take her along whenever he went out.


    Originally, Li Yu did not agree, but later the little sloppy one directly pulled Li Yu aside to practice. In the end, Li Yu won; after all, he had practiced with Grandpa for a few years at home,


    Plus, in those pre-rebirth years of apocalypse, he had undergone countless life-and-death situations, and had honed skills not easily countered by the little sloppy one.


    But Xiao Latai was by no means weak. During her university days, she had signed up for Sanda and trained for three years. Coupled with her tall stature and long legs, as well as her tolerance for hardship, her combat abilities were quite formidable.


    This also impressed Li Yu, and with Xiao Latai, it was worth a try. After all, it meant one more pair of hands to help.


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s suggestion to bring Xiao Latai, Second Uncle and the others all laughed; they were happy to see it happen. Thus, they said, "We have no objections to this, you can take whoever you want, just make sure you''ve thought it through."


    Actually, Ding Jiu was also eagerly looking at Li Yu, wanting to go out. He thought about helping Li Yu more, as Ding Jiu was well aware that Li Yu was the core of the base. The closer he could stay to Li Yu, the safer it would be in the base.


    This time, Li Yu and the others were fully equipped, dressed in protective gear from head to toe.


    The usual group��Li Yu, Li Hang, Li Tie, Li Gang, Zhao Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Xiao Latai. Seven people, three vehicles.


    And so, they set off!


    This time their aim was to gather intelligence, especially to clarify the movements of the Salvation Army they had encountered previously.


    Whether they would fight or not was unknown since they had not yet had a direct encounter and did not know what kind of group the Salvation Army was or what kind of order they maintained.


    Although Li Yu knew about the organization Salvation Army, his knowledge was limited only to its name; he knew nothing else about it!


    The vehicles sped quickly, and according to Li Yu''s plan, the first stop was the place on the outskirts of the city where Song Min was located.


    This location was chosen by Li Yu for many reasons: it was convenient, spacious, and sufficiently secretive...


    These were for the sake of Song Min and her group.


    But for Li Yu, this place was very familiar!


    Li Yu did not drive directly to it; instead, at a distance from Song Min''s small building, he prepared to take out his telescope for observation.


    From a far-off point near the small building, using the building and vegetation as cover, Li Yu pulled out his telescope and looked from a distance.


    Upon looking, Li Yu''s pupils slightly contracted!


    There were two large trucks!


    Behind these trucks, there were also several vehicles, and after counting the number of people, there were about 20 in total.


    Li Yu recognized the faces of some of these people; they seemed like the ones he had seen at the gas station before.


    Could it be that Song Min and her group had joined the Salvation Army? Or had they been attacked by the Salvation Army?


    Unclear, he watched as these people opened the truck''s cargo area.


    Suddenly, Li Yu saw Song Min and others, who were carrying some items in their hands.


    Li Yu focused his gaze and saw that these were food items, including some fresh vegetables.


    Li Yu had previously suggested that Song Min and her group could plant some vegetables in the courtyard below their building and had given them some seeds. These hard-grown vegetables were now being handed over to the Salvation Army?


    From the expressions on Song Min and her group''s faces, it was clear they were reluctant, but under the intimidation of the Salvation Army, they did not dare to resist.


    Just yesterday, while the Salvation Army was collecting protection money from another group in the County, that small group had fled.


    Later, after being caught by the Salvation Army, they were directly massacred!


    This also indirectly intimidated the others.

 Chapter 136 - 128: Defect?

    For Song Min and the others, the food provided to them according to the standards and requirements of the Salvation Army was nearly all that they had left, including what they had grown themselves.


    Song Min had thought about rebelling before. One evening, she saw another group in the County, about the same size as hers.


    Because they had promised food to the Salvation Army and then reneged, they first deceived those of the Salvation Army, then ran away, and ended up being captured.


    The deaths were gruesome. The Salvation Army always liked to use such cruel methods to deter others.


    To warn other groups, the Salvation Army then dragged those bodies around the surroundings as a warning. Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Eventually, these bodies were hung on a building in the County. Many people in the County saw it.


    Song Min and her group saw it too, particularly the brutal side of the Salvation Army, who were numerous and powerful, coming from the south in a formidable crowd each time.


    The food given to the Salvation Army this time had taken away most of their stock. Next, they would inevitably face a food crisis.


    Everyone looked worried, though two male students had little expression. If one looked closely, one could see some schadenfreude.


    Li Yu was observing through a telescope from a distance.


    From his perspective, he saw those same two male students slowly approaching the Salvation Army. This time it wasn''t the team leader but a junior member called Xiao Mao, who was in charge.


    The two male students approached Xiao Mao with flattering smiles, saying, "Brother Mao, we really admire you, especially you, Brother Mao, so handsome. We want to hang out with you."


    Brother Mao raised his eyebrows, surprised that these students came to join them.


    He had seen these two boys last time. Weren''t they with Song Min''s group? Why did they want to join now?


    Curious, he asked directly, "Isn''t your boss over there? Why do you want to join us?" pointing towards Song Min.


    Song Min saw that it was the two students Teacher Liu led, whispering among the group, unable to hear clearly from a distance. But seeing Brother Mao pointing at her, she had a foreboding that it wasn''t anything good.


    She was also very annoyed. When they first met Teacher Liu''s group, those two male students had already run away, abandoning their companions, an act they despised.


    At the time, without much thought, they let them join. During the time together, due to the boys'' previous actions, everyone subconsciously rejected them.


    The boys did nothing significant to prove themselves, instead, feeling bitter about everyone''s attitude, they waited until the stronger Salvation Army arrived and decided to defect.


    In response to Brother Mao''s question, following his pointing hand and seeing it was Song Min, one of the male students replied, "That person, we just temporarily joined them. You see, Brother Mao, they are mostly weak women. We want to follow you, Brother Mao."


    "Brother Mao, we just want to hang out with you," the other male student chimed in.


    The leader was absent today, and it was his first time being in charge of transport on his own; he was already somewhat pleased, and the flattery from these two boys was right up his alley.


    Brother Mao smiled, nodding, "Hey! You two lads really know how to see things. Hahaha. Well, if you join us, there are some standards to meet, and we don''t just take anyone."


    Brother Mao set a high bar, his eyes and brow exuding contentment.


    "Brother Mao, once we join, we can run errands for you, help you keep these people in line," said one of the male students.


    "Yes, yes, Brother Mao, please take us in. We will be very obedient," the other student echoed.


    Brother Mao, feeling greatly flattered by their eager faces, nodded and said, "Okay, leave this matter to me."


    In fact, he didn''t have the direct authority to recruit, but he had the right to recommend. According to their organization''s system, recruitment was generally not strict, with the most important criterion being combat ability.


    Their organization didn''t take in the useless. Although these two young male students were young, they had survived up to now and were somewhat keen, so that would do.


    Hearing Brother Mao''s words, the two began to spit out pleasing words as if costless.


    Listening to their flattering, Brother Mao was delighted, looking at these two male students more favorably. These two were more obedient and sensible compared to others in the Salvation Army.


    The others who came along were like blocks of wood, cruel and cold-blooded, which was normal, as that''s why they had survived so long.


    In the Salvation Army, the same principle applied; the mightier had the say. As long as no major trouble was caused, the leader generally didn''t interfere.


    Watching the two male students fawning over the Salvation Army, Song Min felt a vague premonition.


    Recently, these two students hadn''t integrated well, and now they had certain motives for wanting to join the Salvation Army.


    Song Min was still pondering when it seemed the two boys whispered something into Brother Mao''s ear. Brother Mao, seemingly pleased, rubbed his hands together and looked meaningfully at Song Min.


    Especially when hearing about some surprise news, he immediately stood up.


    Excitedly walking up to Song Min, with a smile on his face, he said, "Do you still have military compressed biscuits?"


    Song Min''s heart sank upon hearing this. Not good, these things were life-saving in the apocalyptic world where food was hard to preserve.


    Survival was of utmost importance in this post-apocalyptic world, regardless of the taste, quality or saltiness. After all, unlike Li Yu and his group who had ample food supply.


    Everyone was in a state of not being able to eat their fill, often facing the crisis of running out of food. When facing a Zombie Tide, unable to gather food, stored food was exhausted.


    At this time, a small compressed biscuit, along with water, could fill a stomach. It was indeed one of the most precious things in the apocalypse.

 Chapter 137 - 129: Ungrateful Wretch!

    This small box of compressed biscuits was found in many houses by Song Min and others before, and they hesitated to eat it. This 20 kg of compressed biscuits was their last lifesaving food supply.


    Now it has been directly reported to the Salvation Army by these two male students!


    Song Min glared fiercely at the two male students, calling them ungrateful wretches! She kindly took them in, and now they''ve informed outsiders about this.


    The teacher Liu beside him, along with Song Qi and a few others, also heard what Brother Mao said.


    They had also observed those two male students getting close to Brother Mao and interacting with him.


    But unexpectedly, these two directly told him.


    Seeing the reaction of Song Min and others, Brother Mao was even more convinced of what the two male students had said. Unexpectedly, it was true!


    If glares could kill, Song Min and others'' looks would have killed them hundreds of times already.


    Teacher Liu reproached them with annoyance: "How could you two be so thoughtless!" Two female students beside them also looked disdainful.


    "I look down on you! Truly hopeless." Among them, a girl with a baby face said.


    Hearing the crowd''s words, the two male students showed no shame, but rather pride.


    Opening his mouth, one said: "We have now joined the Salvation Army, mind your attitudes!" said one of the male students arrogantly.


    "That''s right, that''s how you treated us before!" said the other male student beside him.


    Brother Mao, who had been watching them in front of Song Min and listening to them speaking, said impatiently: "Shut up, hurry up and hand over the compressed biscuits. Don''t force us!"


    "But, according to the agreement we had before, haven''t we already moved the things we were to give you onto the truck? Do you want to go back on your word?" Song Min felt annoyed inside. Facing a more powerful force, she could retreat, but she couldn''t keep retreating.


    The Salvation Army was also clever, knowing pressing honest people too hard could backfire, so aside from dealing directly with those who were particularly disobedient by killing them.


    For the obedient ones, they didn''t oppress too harshly, akin to a frog boiled in warm water. Keeping them obedient, always pressing them at a warning line.


    So, even when Brother Mao and others eyed the many women on Song Min''s side with boiling lust, they still hadn''t forced...


    Song Min is said to be very tough, if they pressured too suddenly, even if they could eliminate them, it would be more trouble than it was worth, and they would lose a supply point.


    Under normal circumstances, the Salvation Army operates by their own rules, but this time they encountered the scarce compressed biscuits.


    Brother Mao couldn''t care less at that moment, rules are made by them, and can be changed again.


    He also had his own calculations, with those two male students joining the Army, among their group, only Song Qi was left as a male.


    They didn''t have the strength to resist, would they really risk their lives over a box of compressed biscuits?


    He didn''t think Song Min would.


    He was taking a small gamble.


    Song Min''s eyes blazed with anger, she turned her head and saw her sisters and Song Qi behind her.


    Song Qi was already struggling to restrain himself, his hand clutching a knife was turning purple. Song Min sighed.


    Damn it, this is forcing us into a corner. Those who know the times are brilliant.


    Let''s give it, pass this hurdle first, then think about escaping later, or is it possible to join Li Yu''s group? Would they be willing to take us in?


    Forget it....


    "Fine!" Song Min gritted her teeth and spat out a word. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hehe, that''s more like it. Quick, lead me to get it," Brother Mao said, pleased with Song Min''s agreement, then called a few members of the Salvation Army to follow.


    Upstairs, under a bed in one of the rooms, Song Min took out the small box and handed it to Brother Mao.


    Brother Mao excitedly opened the box, the army green box revealed a faint milky aroma as it was opened.


    "Hahaha, it''s milky flavored, not bad at all. You are sensible! But don''t give less protection money this month," Brother Mao said, carrying the box and heading downstairs.


    The two male students followed closely behind, wanting to help carry, but Brother Mao refused.


    ...


    800 meters away from this building, Li Yu watched as two trucks loaded with food were surrounded by members of the Salvation Army who appeared to have finished moving the items.


    After coming downstairs, Brother Mao, carrying the box, felt an immense satisfaction!


    Seeing the two male students following closely behind, he felt they were very compliant, so he spoke up:


    "You two, well done! Stick with me, and I''ll protect you!" After saying that, he loaded the box into the vehicle, turned back, and patted the shoulders of the two men.


    The two instantly became more excited. One of the male students, eyes rolling around in thought, had previously heard that the Salvation Army wanted information about Li Yu and his group.


    The previous team leader had asked, but Song Min was tight-lipped and hadn''t told the Salvation Army anything, they knew the Salvation Army was very curious about Li Yu and his group.


    These two male students actually didn''t know much about Li Yu either. Whenever Li Yu and his group came over, it was always suddenly. When they left, they weren''t allowed to follow.


    However, the two knew one thing - Li Yu and his group had guns!


    So, they eagerly boasted to Brother Mao: "Brother Mao, do you know the strongest force around here?"


    "Hmm, I''ve heard other groups mention it before, but I haven''t encountered them recently. What? Do you know where they live?" Brother Mao asked curiously.


    "No no no, we don''t know that, but we know, they have guns!" The male student seemed to recall something terrifying, a fearful expression appearing on his face.


    "Guns?!" Brother Mao''s expression instantly became serious.


    "Guns?! How many people do they have?" Brother Mao remembered, when he came out, the boss had instructed them to keep an eye out for any new powerful forces, and if encountered, report it promptly so they could respond early.


    "Uh uh uh, last time we saw, there were about 10 people. That''s all we know." The male student looked reminiscent, hesitantly speaking.


    "I don''t want ''about,'' how many people exactly? Give me an accurate number!" Brother Mao said impatiently. He hated this half-baked knowledge.


    "We, we also don''t know. We only saw them once last time, and very rarely after that, oh no, we haven''t seen them again."


    Brother Mao held his head, knowing this news definitely had to be reported, bothersome.


    If this group had guns, they probably wouldn''t be easy to deal with. But, having guns! If they could kill them and get some guns, then...


    Brother Mao felt a mix of excitement and concern.

 Chapter 138 - 130: Cant Let the Salvation Army Go

    Brother Mao felt complicated emotions mixed with some wariness after learning that Li Yu and his group had guns.


    Looking around, he saw things were almost packed up, and later he would have to collect the protection fee from other gangs in County.


    Therefore, he shouted to the people from the Salvation Army behind him: "Prepare to depart!"


    The two male students beside him, eager to please, asked Brother Mao: "Where do we sit, Brother Mao?"


    Brother Mao, preoccupied with some matters, glanced irritably at the vehicle behind him and said, "You two, ride in that one."


    The two male students looked at the disgruntled expressions of the people in that vehicle, and although they were tempted to say something, seeing that Brother Mao was absorbed in his thoughts and unlikely to pay them any attention, they held their tongues.


    They silently got into the car.


    Li Yu watched from a distance as the Salvation Army people left. Li Tie and the others beside him were getting a bit anxious, knowing Li Yu, they thought he might just go straight in and wipe out the Salvation Army.


    From where he stood, however, Li Yu was considering other issues.


    1. He didn''t know enough about the Salvation Army to be clear on their strength, how many people they had, or whether they had guns.


    2. He didn''t understand their motives; up to now, there had been no direct encounters or conflicts with them. And, he wondered what their purpose was in coming here.


    Li Yu was not a reckless man, despite his previous appearance of being quick to kill.


    The reason he had killed before was either because the people had offended them or were a threat to Li Yu and his group, and were within their capacity to handle.


    Seeing the Salvation Army depart, Song Min and the others were somewhat disheartened, looking downbeat where they stood.


    Li Yu and his people waited on the spot for a while until the Salvation Army had completely departed before emerging from the building they were hiding in, with Li Tie and others following.


    Driving the car slowly towards where Song Min was.


    Song Min was regretfully bowing her head, pondering what to do next. So much food had diminished, and with the Salvation Army coming again next month, she wondered how they would provide it.


    These Salvation Army thugs were like bloodsuckers, constantly draining their blood until they were dead. But they had no strength to resist. Thinking about it, Song Min felt worried; it was a real headache.


    Everyone had their heads down, so much so that they didn''t notice Li Yu''s approaching vehicle even when it was 20 meters away until it got even closer.


    The lively and cheerful young girl under Song Min''s wing happened to look up and see it.


    She recognized the vehicle belonging to Li Yu''s group. The new energy car was simply too handy in this post-apocalyptic world, being silent without any engine noise, quick to drive, and mostly noise-free.


    "Sister Song, look!" the lively young girl called out excitedly.


    Song Min looked up and immediately spotted the familiar vehicle of Li Yu''s group. Her heart surged with emotion because Li Yu and his people had helped them out so much before. Whether it was initially rescuing them from dire straits, or the subsequent times they supplied food, or later when they handled Brother Hao and his gang, saving Song Min''s younger brother.


    ...


    All these actions had earned Li Yu immense goodwill from Song Min and the others. They very much wanted to join Li Yu''s team, but he had yet to invite them.


    As the leader, Song Min also didn''t know how to broach the subject, so they maintained a relationship akin to friends.


    Every time when there was any movement in County, Song Min would tell Li Yu and his group every small detail when they came to County. Li Yu would also trade some goods with Song Min and her group from time to time.


    The vehicle slowly came to a stop in front of Song Min and her group. The vivacious young girl ran up next to Li Yu''s vehicle with a joyful smile, waiting for Li Yu and his people to get out.


    Li Yu stepped down from the vehicle, his expression somewhat stern. Upon seeing Song Min, he strode over in a few quick steps.


    "You guys alright? What did that group of the Salvation Army want when they came over? What''s happened recently?" Li Yu didn''t beat around the bush or engage in small talk. Having interacted with Song Min recently, he would take the initiative to ask her about things happening around them.


    Hearing this, Song Min also didn''t mince her words. She knew after understanding Li Yu for a while that he was someone who highly valued efficiency and was decisive in his actions.


    "We''re managing. After the Salvation Army came here, they killed everyone in a group and forced us to provide them with food on time. If you disobey them, you''ll get killed," Song Min spoke, her eyes igniting with immense fury.


    "They somehow found out about your existence, possibly because of other groups within the County. Knowing that you existed, they''ve been searching for you, and they even questioned us earlier. We said we didn''t know," Song Min continued.


    Hearing this, a chill went down Li Yu''s spine. It seemed the Salvation Army was not an entity one could easily dismiss.


    "Also, they kept asking about your whereabouts. As you know, we really don''t have that information, so we didn''t tell them anything," Song Min added upon seeing the suddenly horrifying look on Li Yu''s face.


    Li Yu gave no indication of agreement or disagreement.


    As if remembering something, Song Min quickly spoke up, "Those guys brought over twenty people today, and then there were those two male students from before, you remember, right? The ones we first met when you saved us." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They''ve now sided with the Salvation Army and also spilled about you having guns. The person from the Salvation Army who came today, that younger leader, seemed quite wary when he learned you had guns," Song Min detailed everything that happened earlier in one breath.


    When Li Yu heard about the two male students from Song Min, he instantly remembered them. Those two guys ran the fastest, abandoning their classmates and teachers.


    After hearing what Song Min had said, Li Yu had a plan in mind.


    The Salvation Army must be eradicated!


    "Is there anything else? Where has the Salvation Army gone now?" Li Yu asked again.


    Song Min turned her head in the direction of the town center, pursed her lips, and said, "They''ve gone into the County to collect ''protection fees'' from other groups."


    "They always come using that road over there," Song Min pointed towards a distant national highway.


    A cold light flashed in Li Yu''s eyes as he felt a surge of ruthless determination and took a deep breath.


    Since they''d arrived and were eying his territory, they shouldn''t expect to leave freely.


    Sensing the cold gleam in Li Yu''s eyes, Song Min shivered. Every time she saw that expression, it meant Li Yu was about to kill.


    As for who he''d kill? Under these circumstances, it was surely going to be the Salvation Army. Song Min actually looked forward to seeing Li Yu and his team handle the Salvation Army, and if they hadn''t been so weak, she would have liked to take the fight to them herself.


    After thinking for a while, Song Min asked, "Do you need help?"


    Li Yu looked at the woman in front of him, from the first time he saw her cutting human flesh piece by piece, to leading her sisters struggling to survive in this apocalypse. It hadn''t been easy.


    Now she even volunteered to help.


    Indeed, he was about to say no help was needed.


    But then he thought again, that''s not right!


    How could Song Min know what they were planning to do? While Li Yu hadn''t shared his intention to kill with anyone, it shouldn''t have been hard to guess, considering he asked for information about the Salvation Army and their movements. However, he couldn''t help but wonder: What if Song Min or someone under her command informed on them?


    It''s unlikely to be Song Min, but could it be someone from her group?


    In this post-apocalyptic world, Li Yu was prepared to suspect the worst in others.

 Chapter 139 - 131: Brother Maos Hair Should Not Be Less!

    Especially those outside the base. After his rebirth, Li Yu had warned himself never to trust anyone besides his own family!


    That''s why even now, those workers who had joined for quite a while still had no right to carry guns. That was the reason.


    He would only grant a measure of trust after testing them over time and through various events. Even when trust was given, he would have countermeasures in mind. By preparing for the worst, he could respond to any situation that arose.


    Thinking, Li Yu considered letting Song Min and her group help block those trying to escape at the perimeter. That way, with Song Min and the others always there, there would be no chance of them sending signals to the outside.


    Moreover, they could be of actual use when the time came.


    Having made up his mind, Li Yu spoke up: "Alright! You guys come with us, and we''ll sort things out when we get there."


    Song Min had assumed that Li Yu would refuse. Li Yu''s response caught her off guard. But soon, she was overjoyed to be able to participate in dealing with the Salvation Army, a matter that would gladden anyone''s heart.


    So, she smiled happily and said, "Okay, we''ll follow your orders."


    Li Yu nodded, then glanced over at the people beside Song Min.


    A slender girl who used to be chubby was looking at Li Yu with curiosity, her former plumpness still vaguely discernible.


    A lively and cheerful young girl looked up at Li Yu with admiration, her smile radiant.


    A teenage boy, young-faced but quite tall, standing at 183cm, was only a bit shorter than Li Yu. Listening in on Li Yu''s conversation with Song Min, he looked on with eager worship, tempted to try his hand. Does everyone with the surname Song love fighting this fiercely? Li Yu wondered.


    A teacher with long black straight hair had a gentle face but now showed much more determination in her eyes.


    ...


    Li Yu turned back and discussed the plan with Li Tie and the others behind him. There was no disagreement. Inside the base, during discussions, people like Second Uncle would give their input.


    But when deciding on actions to be taken outside, everyone tended to listen to Li Yu.


    They quickly devised a plan.


    They settled on an area near a bend in the road.


    This spot was ideal��the right side had expansive farmland, and on the left, there was a cliff about 4 meters high, hollowed out when the road was originally constructed.


    At this bend, Li Yu and his team could hide atop the cliff, taking the high ground with the advantage of elevation. It would be very convenient to shoot from there, especially at a bend.


    If the enemy ran to the right, they would have to cross nearly 200 meters of wide farmland. Running there, without any obstruction, would undoubtedly make them shining targets! And with the rain, the abandoned farmland was muddy, making travel difficult.


    Next, they needed a way to make them stop!


    Song Min volunteered to go ahead and stop them, pretending to discuss some matters with the Salvation Army.


    Li Yu raised his eyebrows in surprise. Blocking the road was certainly dangerous.


    In the end, Li Yu rejected the idea. Danger was one aspect, but Li Yu was more concerned with not letting them escape!


    They ended up finding a big truck on the side of the road, but it was out of fuel!


    Troublesome! They had come in an electric car today, and there was no gasoline! They looked around and finally managed to scrounge up some fuel.


    They barely got the truck to the center of the bend, then scattered some nails behind it��an item Li Yu and his team often carried.


    According to Li Yu''s plan, they prepared four people on the cliff to shoot from above.


    One person would be ready at both ends of the road to block off escape.


    Another person would hide in the forests behind the farmland, where Song Min and her group would be, too.


    Everything was ready, and they simply waited for the Salvation Army and their group to arrive.


    ...


    After reaching the County center, Brother Mao''s group collected protection fees from two teams. One team didn''t pay enough, so according to the Salvation Army''s rules, they had to make an example by killing one to assert authority!


    After executing someone and securing the group''s compliance, Brother Mao and his crew marched on with swagger.


    All the way, it was incredibly exhilarating.


    Not a single tough guy in sight! Ha!


    As time passed in the post-apocalyptic world, the Salvation Army grew larger and larger. And this guy, Brother Mao, had been useless before the apocalypse, looked down upon by many. Almost thirty, no wife, no money, no job.


    After the apocalypse, he struggled to survive for a while until he encountered the Salvation Army. Watching the Salvation Army grow bit by bit, Brother Mao went from being a nobody to Little Mao, and then from Little Mao to Brother Mao.


    Now he''s considered a minor person in charge, although with just over twenty people. This time, he was responsible for collecting protection fees during transportation. If he does well, he''ll climb higher and higher!


    And maybe one day, he could even become a team leader. Hehehe.....


    Thinking this, Brother Mao slung his feet up on the car''s windshield, leisurely tilted the seat back, wound down the window, and smoked a cigarette.


    The wind took half the smoke, Brother Mao the other half. He had once heard someone say that this was a form of loneliness.


    Brother Mao, too, wanted to show off!


    The first time he heard this phrase, he felt an overwhelming aura of pretension. Now with over twenty subordinates, he thought he should let them see the elegance of Brother Mao!


    Taking a deep drag, Brother Mao''s few sparse but elegant strands of hair blew in the wind.


    Brother Mao might not have much hair, but he prided himself on his appearance; these last few strands were his final defiance.


    The convoy moved slowly forward, Brother Mao in high spirits, smoking one cigarette after another.


    With the wind blowing and his eyes squinting, he admired the verdant hills and clear waters, the blue sky and white clouds. He looked ahead at a small turn, which resembled an elephant''s trunk.


    Feeling immensely moved, as if he had to recite a line or two of poetry to express the joy in his heart.


    "Faced with this scenery, truly beautiful mountains and clear waters!"


    After pondering for a moment, Brother Mao finally recited aloud:


    "Thousands of orioles cry amid the red and green, a windswept flag of wine by the river village."


    Uh.... "Mountains end and waters cease, doubt there''s a path; dark willows and bright flowers, another village in sight."


    "Good!"


    "Hehehe!" When it comes to poetry, trust Brother Mao!


    As the car was turning, suddenly!


    Screech!


    The vehicle braked hard.


    Brother Mao was jolted, his head slamming hard against the car window!


    It instantly angered Brother Mao; his previously happy mood soured in an instant. He was just reciting poetry, almost had a good time, and now he gets hit?


    Brother Mao touched his head, brought his hand in front of his eyes to look, and clearly saw a strand of hair on his hand.


    It must have been caught in something, this strand of hair had been pinched right off. Just now when he hit the window, he thought the pain was from the collision, but now it seemed more likely that his hair got caught! Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hair, for Brother Mao, was life!


    Brother Mao erupted in rage! An extremely crazed look appeared on his face, his aura as if ready for a life-or-death fight!


    "Fucking hell, son of a bitch...."


    Before Brother Mao could finish cursing.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out!


    The window shattered directly, the driver who had just been cursed, headshot!


    Brain matter, mixed with blood, splashed all over Brother Mao''s face.

 Chapter 140 - 132: Killing in Progress

    A gunshot rang out!


    Other gunshots followed closely.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    The first ones hit were all drivers, Li Yu, Li Tie, Li Hang, and the unruly one, who started firing atop this cliff.


    Following closely, Yang Tianlong and Li Gang also fired from both sides of the road, blowing out the vehicle''s tires!


    Gunshots erupted!


    Mao Brother watched as the driver, Xiao Sun, in front of him was fatally shot in the head. He had just been speaking to him, and now his head was blown open.


    Mao Brother touched the blood on his face, feeling a sticky, viscous sensation. The smell of blood suddenly woke him up!


    Stumbling, he ran towards the outside of the vehicle, just about to get out.


    Bang! A bullet whizzed past his head, that was close! He nearly got hit.


    Mao Brother quickly ducked back into the vehicle, lowering his body.


    Meanwhile, in the other vehicles, four people were instantly shot dead under the sudden gunfire. Out of six vehicles, four lost their drivers, causing the vehicles to zigzag towards the agricultural fields.


    At this moment, Yang Tianlong and Li Gang also fired, each hitting two people.


    However, one vehicle''s driver was extremely alert. Upon hearing the gunshot, he accelerated forward instantly.


    Yang Tianlong was right in the front, seeing this vehicle coming and firing straight away.


    The moment Yang Tianlong appeared, the person in the car saw him. In a split second, the driver drifted the car towards the direction of the fields.


    Yang Tianlong fired at this moment but didn''t hit the front of the vehicle; instead, as the vehicle turned, he hit two people in the back seat.


    All this happened in the blink of an eye.


    The gunshots continued!


    Apart from this vehicle, the other five vehicles were directly destroyed!


    Li Yu and his associates were like ruthless Kings of Hell, harvesting the lives of the Salvation Army.


    Having the geographical advantage, and with the vehicles unable to reverse quickly, and a large truck blocking the way forward,


    Therefore, even if the Salvation Army had quick reflexes, they couldn''t mount an effective resistance in such short time, especially since they were unarmed!


    Under absolute firepower, a crushing situation unfolded.


    The Salvation Army members didn''t even have time to react and were killed.


    Mao Brother, hiding under the car seat, was lucky. The bullets didn''t hit him.


    Mao Brother couldn''t figure out who it was or what the situation was, but based on the current circumstances, he would eventually be killed by stray bullets.


    In an attempt to grasp a sliver of survival, Mao Brother shouted loudly, "Do you know what you are doing right now? We are the Salvation Army!"


    "You dare to ambush the Salvation Army, our boss won''t let you off!" Ever since the apocalypse began, ever since he joined the Salvation Army, he had never seen the Salvation Army feared.


    He had encountered too many who feared the Salvation Army, and too few resisted, making Mao Brother feel that in this apocalyptic world, nobody dared to provoke the Salvation Army!


    Li Yu and the others heard it, although they were not too far away, but under Mao Brother''s loud shouting, they still heard it.


    Ignoring the plea, the gunshots continued.


    Some Salvation Army members pushed aside the driver and continued driving, but were soon shot dead by Li Yu and his companions.


    Less than 1 minute later, the gunfire stopped.


    Beneath the cliffs, there were no people left standing, everyone who had run out of the cars had been mostly shot.


    Meanwhile, Li Yu looked down from the cliff and saw a car heading towards the farmland, wobbling and after running less than 100 meters, the tires got deeply stuck in the mud.


    The people in this car must have had some skills as they moved very quickly, especially in such a crisis, with decisive actions.


    Seeing the tires plunge into the muddy soil, they quickly got out of the car.


    There were five of them. When facing Yang Tianlong earlier, one had been shot dead by bullets piercing through the glass and another was shot in the stomach, with blood gushing out right now.


    The driver, after getting out of the car, shouted, "Split up and run!"


    With his experience, since Li Yu and the others had people both ahead and on the cliffs, it was very possible that there were also people waiting in the mountains behind the farmland!


    Splitting up was the best way, perhaps there was still a chance to survive.


    He guessed right. In the mountains behind the farmland, among the bushes, Zhao Dapao and Song Min and others were spread out waiting for them.


    At that moment, Zhao Dapao saw the car stuck in the mud, less than 50 meters away, and upon seeing those get off, he immediately opened fire.


    Bang! He hit the one who was moving the slowest, the one bleeding from the stomach.


    The remaining three ran in two different directions; on this side of the mountain, Zhao Dapao was right in the center, Song Min and a few girls on the far right, and Song Qi and Teacher Liu on the far left. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After firing one shot, Zhao Dapao did not stop, he fired another shot. Their movement greatly slowed in the muddy farmland.


    According to the speed of an adult man running one hundred meters, it would take more than several seconds to cover, and they were less than 50 meters from the forest, but in the waterlogged farmland, their speed was greatly reduced.


    This also gave Zhao Dapao time to deal with them.


    Bang! Another shot, this one directly blew the head off of the man running towards the left.


    Those two on the right, moving somewhat faster, Zhao Dapao quickly turned his gun, aimed, and fired at the two people on the right.


    Suddenly, these two men zig-zagged as they ran. Zhao Dapao''s shot, due to the sudden change, missed his target but hit one of their arms.


    After being shot in the arm, this man staggered but quickly adjusted and continued running to the right.


    The other man moved very quickly, incredible how he was running; just after Zhao Dapao fired one shot, his speed suddenly increased again.


    He quickly reached the edge of the forest, and seeing the situation was dire, Zhao Dapao quickly stood up and ran to the right.


    Meanwhile, on the right side of the forest, Song Min and the three girls had already been waiting for a long time and had seen the two men running in their direction.


    At this moment, they also had crossbows, so they stayed hidden in the bushes, aiming at the man nearing the edge of the forest.


    Whoosh~


    The arrow directly hit the man''s calf. The man, wearing a sweatshirt, showed no change in expression after being hit, his gaze darkly turning towards Song Min''s direction.


    Song Min''s crossbow had poor quality and wasn''t very accurate; the arrow didn''t pierce through the man''s calf nor went too deep.


    But, it did slow him down a bit.


    After firing the arrow, Song Min immediately stood up with a knife, firmly blocking the man''s path.


    All these events occurred in just a few seconds.


    The man looking at the women blocking his path flashed a moment''s surprise but soon showed a trace of ferocity.


    Damn it! Daring to block the way without a gun! If it weren''t for the rush to escape, he could kill them all single-handedly!

 Chapter 141 - 132: Three Knives

    The man glanced aside, spotting the faint figure of Zhao Dapao several dozen meters away in the densely vegetated mountains, too obscured to see clearly.


    Since the apocalypse, due to increased rainfall and decreased human deforestation and trampling, plant growth has been thriving, and the vegetation in the forests has become lush.


    The man looked at the several men surrounding him, feeling extremely frustrated! If he could escape through the dense forest behind him, he believed that with his experience, he would definitely make it out.


    But at this moment, the few stumbling blocks in front of him seemed impossible to get past without dealing with them first.


    Bang! Another gunshot rang out, and Zhao Dapao saw a man running towards Song Min''s direction, but the trees obstructed his view, making it unclear.


    Behind him, the man he had shot in the arm was now fast approaching the edge of the forest. Zhao Dapao raised his gun and shot directly, aiming to kill him first, then search for the other later.


    In Song Min''s vicinity, the man in the sweatshirt, upon hearing the gunshot, showed no hesitation. He immediately pulled out a dagger from his thigh and charged towards Song Min and others.


    Song Min saw the fierce look of the man in the sweatshirt charging over, looking tough and intimidating, which made her grow uneasy. Recalling Li Yu''s instructions, she hesitated no more.


    Instead of backing away, she charged directly forward, and the three young girls beside her followed her lead.


    The man in the sweatshirt, although his calf was injured, moved unusually quickly. He bent down and dodged Song Min''s Long Knife cleave.


    He stepped back, avoiding the Long Knife from the girl beside him.


    Now in his hand was only a short dagger, where an inch longer is an inch stronger.


    He felt a growing anxiety, realizing he couldn''t keep this up any longer, he charged directly towards the cheerful young girl.


    The young girl saw the man charging at her, a bit frightened, but she didn''t retreat and stood her ground.


    Still holding a knife, she slashed towards the man.


    The man in the sweatshirt seemed well-trained, evident from his earlier dodges, and now he anticipated the young girl''s move, side-stepping. With quick footwork, he closed in on her, and slashed his dagger straight towards the young girl''s throat.


    In a flash, the man seemed to sense something, quickly withdrew his hand, and his dagger grazed the girl''s hair, cutting off a few strands.


    That was close!


    Just as the man in the sweatshirt pulled his hand back, Song Min''s Long Knife was already cleaving from above.


    The man, determined, charged straight towards Song Min, taking advantage of the moment right after her knife stroke, not yet retracted. He stabbed directly into Song Min''s stomach.


    After the stab, his hand moved swiftly, and he struck another blow.


    All of this happened in the blink of an eye. It was so quick that the two girls beside didn''t even react.


    After stabbing twice, the man then tried to dart away.


    He lifted his foot, only to feel someone firmly grabbing his injured calf.


    Turning his head, he saw Zhao Dapao, now less than 10 meters away, feeling a surge of panic.


    Then, looking down, he saw Song Min whom he had just stabbed twice, now collapsed on the ground, yet still grasping his injured leg, refusing to let him escape.


    His gaze suddenly changed, bursting with endless murderous intent.


    He stabbed directly into Song Min''s back. Initially wanting to slice through Song Min''s neck, but the angle was awkward, he hoped to stab her and make her release her grip so he could escape.


    To him, escaping now was of utmost importance.


    After the stab, Song Min still clung tightly. The two girls nearby, holding knives, were about to rush over, but hesitated, worried about hurting her.


    The man in the sweatshirt, seeing Zhao Dapao 10 meters away already spotting him, aiming his gun at him.


    His heart lamented! He was so close! He clearly had a chance to escape just now.


    All because of this woman at his feet, his previous resentment burst out, and the man in the sweatshirt thought to crouch down and cut Song Min''s neck with one swift slice.


    Before he could squat down.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out, the bullet striking him right between the eyebrows.


    At a distance of ten meters, Dapao''s accuracy was one hundred percent.


    The man in the sweatshirt, unwilling to accept defeat, eyes wide open, fell down.


    Thud!


    Following that sound, Song Min struggled to see the man fall, a hint of a smile actually appeared at the corner of his mouth.


    Then, he passed out.


    "Sister Song! Sister Song!" That lively and cheerful girl, she clearly knew that Sister Song had just saved her. Then, she was stabbed twice by this man.


    At this moment, seeing Sister Song covered in blood, a mix of guilt, gratitude, fear, and worry burst forth, she sat on the ground with tears streaming down her face, reaching out her hand trying to stop the bleeding from Song Min''s wounds.


    "Sister Song, why did you do such a foolish thing? Why did you have to grab his leg and prevent him from running?" Another girl, seeing the stab wound on Song Min''s back, was horrified.


    This stab was fatal.


    Zhao Dapao, who had just approached, heard what the girl said and had mixed feelings. He remembered the first time he saw Song Min, she was like a madwoman. Later, he saw her bravely leading these girls to resist, seeking survival.


    Later on, she maintained a good relationship with the base, never imagining that now, she would sacrifice her life to stop this man.


    But why? Was it because of what Li Yu initially said, not to spare anyone?


    He sighed, wondering how to handle the situation now. Given Song Min''s current condition, simple bandaging might not be sufficient, unless...


    Forget it, it''s up to Li Yu to decide.


    So, he stopped thinking further. S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He respected this woman. He took off his own clothes and made a few cuts with a dagger, then looked toward the two girls on the ground.


    "Stop crying, she''s not dead yet. Quickly stop the bleeding, and take her to the car for treatment. They have medicine there." Zhao Dapao spoke quickly.


    The girls on the ground quickly responded, got up, gently supported Song Min, and briefly bandaged her.


    Zhao Dapao looked at the two girls'' physiques and without much thought, carried Song Min on his back.


    He was taking her to the car.


    As he picked up Song Min and started running towards the car, he hadn''t gone far when he encountered Song Qi and Teacher Liu, etc. As soon as Song Qi saw her sister unconscious,


    she approached, noticed the blood-soaked clothes, lost control, and ran over to check on her, crying, but inadvertently blocked Zhao Dapao''s way forward.


    "What are you howling for? Don''t block the way, hurry and bring her over, see how to deal with this. You standing here, do you know, it could harm your sister!" Zhao Dapao, seeing Song Qi crying before him, who was almost 180cm tall, taller than him by five centimeters, couldn''t help but curse!


    But soon, he remembered she was still a high school student, not yet 16 years old, and also his sister. He felt reassured. But seeing her height, he couldn''t help wanting to curse!


    Damn!


    Song Qi quickly came to her senses, moved aside, and her tears stopped. Her face showed sorrow.


    Dapao gave her one look and said no more.


    Song Min''s sisters around her, all gathered by her side, wanting to take over from Dapao, but due to the urgency of the situation, they didn''t speak.


    The crowd hurried towards Li Yu.


    Saving a life was like fighting a fire, Song Min''s condition was extremely critical!

 Chapter 142 - 134: Li Yus Decision

    Blue sky, white clouds, a gentle breeze blowing slowly.


    On the other side...


    In the middle of the road, below the steep cliffs.


    Several cars were parked haphazardly, some emitting smoke, others stuck on the edge of the road, and even one car overturned.


    The car windows were stained with bright red blood, and there were some noticeable bullet holes on the car bodies.


    On the ground lay more than a dozen bodies, with fresh blood still flowing, forming small pools of blood.


    All this seemed to tell of the slaughter that had just happened!


    Li Yu looked at the corpses on the ground, while Yang Tianlong and others had already started checking and counting the bodies below. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu and his people slid down from the cliff, which wasn''t very high, making it easy for them to descend.


    "Xiao Yu, there''s still one alive over here!" Just as Li Yu got down, he heard Yang Tianlong shouting from nearby.


    Everyone hurried over and upon getting closer, they realized it was Brother Mao. It was unclear whether it was his luck or the choice of his position that had saved him. He lay underneath the car completely unharmed.


    Upon being discovered by Yang Tianlong, a sheepish expression appeared on Brother Mao''s face. Li Yu waved his hand to signal him to come out, while the others like Li Tie and Li Hang continued to search for any others still alive, to perform the mercy killing!


    Mercy killing was something Li Yu had emphasized everyone pay attention to ever since dealing with Brother Hao. At this moment, Li Tie and others put away their guns and took up spears, going around to mercy kill one by one.


    Brother Mao crawled out from under the car, first looking desperate, then angry, and finally, as if accepting his fate, he cracked a smile and said, "Uh, this, I, you, is this perhaps a misunderstanding?"


    Li Yu saw several expressions flicker across Brother Mao''s face in a short time, but his mind was unoccupied with thoughts, nor did he have any intention to respond.


    The reason he hadn''t killed Brother Mao yet was because Li Yu wanted to extract some information about the Salvation Army from him.


    Li Yu had never liked being sought out by others. If anyone posed a threat to him, he would always find a way to eliminate any potential threats.


    Just as he was about to ask, he saw Zhao Dapao and others about ten meters away; Zhao Dapao was carrying a woman, with a circle of women rushing over.


    So they approached, and Li Tie also saw Dapao and his group, approaching as well.


    "Brother Yu, Song Min is injured. Just now a guy, a martial artist, attacked and Song Min took three stabs to stop him. Her condition is quite critical now. If not for her, that Salvation Army member might have escaped," Zhao Dapao ran up to Li Yu, barely catching his breath before quickly briefing him on the situation.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu felt a mixture of emotions. He had previously stated to not let any member of the Salvation Army go. Song Min had taken such a risk, getting injured to stop this Salvation Army member.


    Li Yu asked Li Tie, who was joining the group, to fetch the first aid kit from the car. They gently laid Song Min down on the ground, and Xiao Hang stepped forward to help treat the wounds.


    Seeing the fairly deep wounds on Song Min, Li Yu seemed to have made a decision.


    Turning back, he saw the women surrounding Song Min. Li Yu had seen these women before. Although they were all women, being able to survive in this cannibalistic apocalypse till now proved a lot. A long time ago, Li Yu had also seen them fighting against zombies, indeed not weak.


    Women are no less valiant than men.


    These women now looked at Song Min with concerned expressions.


    Beside them was Teacher Liu, along with two female students. At this moment, seeing the bodies all around, they were somewhat shocked, but they quickly recovered. This wasn''t their first time seeing Li Yu and the others kill.


    After looking around, Li Hang and Yang Tianlong came over and said to Li Yu, "We just counted the people, everyone is here, including the man by the forest near the farmland, he''s also dead. Now except for Brother Mao, everyone else is dead."


    Having said that, Yang Tianlong glanced at Brother Mao, his face fierce.


    Just then, as Xiao Lazi was treating a wound, he said, "The bandaging is done, but this is just a temporary fix. The wound is too deep and still bleeding. We must find a better place for professional treatment."


    Hearing this, Li Yu had Li Hang and the others bring the cars that the Salvation Army drove. After checking, they only found two cars that were still usable.


    "Dapao, Tiezi, Gangzi, Xiao Hang, you guys clean up this place a bit, move the bodies elsewhere, clean up the battlefield."


    Then, he turned back to Yang Tianlong and Xiao Lazi and said: "Let''s go back first, let''s bring Song Min back and save her!"


    After saying this, seeing the young girls next to Song Min, his eyes sharp and without even a hint of emotion in his voice, he slowly said, "You, come along."


    Hearing this, whether it was this group of young girls, or Song Qi and Teacher Liu and others, their hearts leapt with endless joy. From these few interactions, they clearly understood what kind of existence the organization led by Li Yu was.


    Powerful and fiercely domineering, yet with a glimmer of humanity, they had helped them many times before.


    Thus, Song Min and the others were very eager to join Li Yu and his group, especially Song Min''s brother, Song Qi, who practically idolized Li Yu. But there had never been a chance to say it.


    Now that Li Yu had invited them to their base, even though he hadn''t directly said to join them, it was nearly implied. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have invited them over.


    Soon, Yang Tianlong and Li Hang brought the two cars over, but the two cars weren''t big enough to fit too many people. Song Min''s group had a total of 10 sisters, plus Teacher Liu and two female students, and also Song Qi. A total of 14 people.


    At the scene, Li Yu, Yang Tianlong, and Li Hang could all drive, but fitting so many people would be somewhat cramped.


    Before Li Yu could speak, the chubby girl who often followed Song Min around, no, she wasn''t chubby anymore, took the initiative to say, "I''ll stay, help clean up the battlefield here."


    Teacher Liu looked at Song Min and raised her hand indicating she would also stay. Afterwards, a few more girls said they would stay and help clean up here as well, though they were also very concerned about Song Min''s safety, it was clear they couldn''t do much now.


    Their only hope was that the base where Li Yu was, the base they had never been to before, might have a medical room that could deal with Song Min''s wounds more professionally.


    Li Yu was somewhat surprised, looking at the serious expression on these women''s faces, and finally nodded in agreement.


    In the end, Teacher Liu and four girls stayed behind, helping to clean up the scene, while everyone else got into the cars.


    There were three cars in total, Li Yu and Xiao Lazi in one car, then Song Min in another car, sitting next to Song Qi and another young girl.


    Another car was driven by Yang Tianlong, carrying several women. Lastly, one girl who could also drive took the remaining people.


    Song Min''s situation was somewhat critical; with saving a life as the primary goal, Li Yu and Li Tie exchanged a few words, then led everyone, driving towards the direction of the base.


    The base wasn''t too far from the county, just a few dozen kilometers, and under driving conditions, it would take about twenty minutes to arrive.


    However, the area where Li Yu was located was originally hilly terrain in the Southern mountains, with numerous forests.


    Although Li Yu''s place was not far from the national highway, they still had to enter from the national highway onto a small village road, then pass through a hidden trail to reach the base.


    If one were just passing by the national highway, it would be hard to notice this small village road, and even if you saw this village road, it would be hard to notice that behind hundreds of meters of the village road, there was an even less noticeable small path.

 Chapter 143 - 135: Rescue People Like Fighting Fire

    The vehicle sped along, with Li Yu driving steadily, his mind busy with thoughts even as he drove.


    Actually, according to Li Yu''s original plan, the base''s population shouldn''t be too large, but as time passed, he found in this post-apocalyptic world, not expanding your strength meant being replaced by others.


    But he kept reminding himself not to blindly take in people. Up to now, the base had less than 60 people, but at least as far as one could see, these people were very obedient and united. S��ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The reason why he directly integrated Song Min and the others into the base this time was actually to have them join. He could feel that Song Min and the others had wanted to join for a long time.


    However, initially Li Yu hadn''t thought it through, and at the time, he also needed someone outside the base with whom he could communicate at any time, so he didn''t bring up the matter of them joining.


    Now, it seems without hesitation, but after deep thought and consideration:


    1. In the end, the base would need to increase its numbers, sooner or later personnel expansion was necessary. Having interacted with Song Min and the others over some time, they respected and acknowledged Li Yu, were not ambitious or the type to cause trouble, and were easy to control.


    2. With sufficient combat power, Li Yu did not like the idea of saving the world or keeping idlers. Supporting useless people would inevitably lead to the collapse of the current system.


    3. This time, Song Min even risked her life to obstruct the Salvation Army, displaying her loyalty. Since Song Min had done so, it was certain that Li Yu needed to save her.


    Based on the above considerations, Li Yu decided to take them in.


    ....


    Time passed quickly, and the vehicle maintained its high speed. As they were about to reach the base, Song Qi, sitting in the back seat, exclaimed: "Brother Li, my sister''s wound has started bleeding again, a lot of blood."


    Her voice was urgent, with a choking sound.


    Hearing this, Li Yu looked up to see they had arrived at the gas station where the walkie-talkie signal could be received.


    Without immediately responding to Song Qi, what good would answering do in this moment, he took out the walkie-talkie and spoke into it: "Third Uncle, Third Uncle. Can you hear me?"


    "I''m here, Little Yu, are you guys back, all went smoothly?"


    "We''ll talk about that later. Now, have Li Yuan prepare the medical room. I need to save someone, Song Min. The one I mentioned to you before. Also, I brought back about a dozen people this time, all of whom were with Song Min before." Li Yu kept it short, conveying the information succinctly.


    One, to have Li Yuan prepare the medical room, and the other, to mentally prepare Third Uncle and the others, since a lot of people would be entering shortly.


    After hearing this, Third Uncle didn''t stay silent for too long before replying, "Alright, I''ll go arrange it."


    The conversation ended there.


    Song Qi in the back seat, although not directly answered by Li Yu, was not as nervous now, knowing that Li Yu had done what he could.


    At this moment, Song Qi pressed her hand firmly against the wound on Song Min''s back; the two cuts on the abdomen were not serious, it was the deep wound on the back that was too severe.


    Soon, the vehicle arrived at the entrance of the base.


    A few young girls looked at the electric fence with its nearly 8-meter-high walls, almost as tall as a three-story building, especially from their angle, the long, winding wall seemed like a giant dragon, leaving them somewhat astonished.


    Before the vehicle even reached the entrance of the base, Third Uncle and father Li Hongyuan had already opened the gates.


    The vehicle didn''t stop, and went straight through into Weng City.


    Due to the urgency of the rescue, the pre-established rule that any vehicle entering the base must stay in Weng City for 3 to 10 minutes before leaving was set to avoid sudden situations such as zombie transformations and threats from individuals.


    At this moment, Li Yu directly said, "I, Little Sloppy, Song Min, well, Song Qi as well can come in. The rest of you, stay in Weng City for a bit."


    After finishing speaking, the Third Uncle on the opposite side had no serious objections and immediately opened the door inside Weng City that led to the interior of the base.


    Li Yu drove straight in, and as soon as he entered, before even a second had passed, the gate closed with a loud bang. Today wasn''t the Second Uncle''s turn to be on duty, but hearing what Li Yu and the Third Uncle said, he also hurried over.


    From the perspective of the Second Uncle and others, although they trusted Li Yu''s judgement and decision, they had heard Li Yu mention the existence of Song Min and her group before. But the always cautious Second Uncle still kept a vigilant eye.


    Hearing the gate closed with a bang.


    The young ladies behind them were somewhat throbbing with fear.


    At that moment, they felt as if they were in an ancient Roman colosseum, surrounded by tall walls, standing next to the vehicles, they seemed so fragile and small.


    Perhaps sensing their worries, Little Sloppy, a fellow woman, spoke, "Don''t worry, this is the base''s rule. Generally, everyone coming from outside has to stay in Weng City for a while."


    Beside her, Yang Tianlong said boldly, "It''ll be quick, just a few minutes."


    The Second Uncle upstairs was even more mild-mannered, speaking with a friendly demeanor, "Don''t worry, you''re not familiar with the situation because it''s your first time here. You''ll understand later."


    The smile on his face made the young ladies feel as if basked in the warmth of spring, finally easing their anxious hearts. It was no wonder they were so worried; if it weren''t for Li Yu bringing them in, their worries might be even greater now.


    Seeing the Second Uncle''s attitude, the young girls felt that the people from Li Yu''s base were quite nice. Especially the seemingly old middle-aged uncle, who appeared very approachable and good-natured.


    Speaking of which, after Li Yu drove into the base, he headed straight for the medical room.


    Song Qi, upon entering the gate, was amazed to see the size of the base; even the mountains she had seen from the outside were enclosed by walls.


    Inside the base, there were gardens, and now in May, the flowers were blooming, with the sound of trickling water, so beautiful.


    But at this moment, he had no mood to notice these; his eyes were only focused on his sister in his arms, his eyes revealing unmistakable anxiety and fear.


    The vehicle arrived at the medical room and parked.


    Li Yuan and Lai Dongsheng''s second daughter, Lai Jiaqi, was already waiting at the door and rushed up to Li Yu when she saw him.


    Li Yu, Little Sloppy, and Song Qi carried Song Min into the medical room, which was not too big.


    But there was an operating table, five or six hospital beds. And there was a variety of medical equipment.


    Originally, Li Yu had thought that they might need these someday, so he ordered many of the equipment he could buy. After the outbreak of the disease, he also took people from the base to the hospitals to collect many things.


    One could say that his medical room, with its equipment, was not much less than what you would find in a county-level hospital.


    They lifted Song Min onto the operating table and sent all the other men out, leaving Li Yuan, Lai Jiaqi, and Little Sloppy as the three to stay.


    Lai Jiaqi wasn''t great at studying and had gone to a vocational nursing school early on. Although she was just 20, she had already done a year of internship and was working at a hospital.


    Now, Li Yuan and Lai Jiaqi quickly tore open Song Min''s clothes, saw the bleeding wound, and began to treat it methodically.


    But ten minutes passed. Li Yuan ran out and said to Li Yu, "The patient has lost too much blood, she needs a transfusion, A-type blood is needed. Brother, see if anybody is A-type blood."

 Chapter 144 - 136: Blood Transfusion

    Outside the medical room, a large crowd had gathered, mostly consisting of Song Min''s sisters.


    Previously, Song Min''s sisters in Weng City had already entered the base, led by Second Uncle along with Li Zhengping, Li Haoran, and others.


    After hearing Li Yuan''s words, before Li Yu could speak, he heard a few young girls beside him say: "Try mine."


    "Take mine."


    "Take mine, I have Type A blood."


    ...


    Li Yu knew his own blood type, Type O, also known as universal donor blood, which can be used to aid other blood types.


    But it can only be used in small amounts. The best option is to use Type A blood.


    Seeing everyone eagerly wanting to donate blood, Li Yuan calmly said, "Not just any blood type will do, Type A blood is best, and we might need to draw quite a bit. It''s best if several people with Type A blood come forward."


    "Do you know your own blood type?" Li Yuan asked finally.


    "Me! Take mine," said Song Qi.


    Li Yu glanced at Song Qi. Though he and Song Min were siblings, having the same blood type was not necessarily linked to being biologically related, but it was possible.


    "Okay, any more people with Type A blood?" Li Yuan asked again. Song Min had been injured for a while now, and though initially bandaged, the wounds later worsened, leading to severe blood loss. Relying on one person for blood was too much; a single person definitely couldn''t handle it.


    "I, I think I have Type A blood," said the always optimistic and cheerful little girl.


    "Alright, you two come in," Li Yuan said sternly, showing a serious demeanor far removed from his usual gentle and shy presence.


    Lai Jiaqi drew blood from the two, taking a few minutes to verify it was Type A.


    Even though they both said they had Type A blood, testing it was very necessary; if one person had remembered incorrectly, and a transfusion was done, it would be disastrous for the recipient.


    Song Qi gave about 600cc while the little girl gave about 400cc, which was just about enough.


    After the transfusion, seeing Song Qi''s lips slightly pale, Li Yu immediately asked Li Zhengping to bring some milk and eggs to nourish him.


    The optimistic little girl also looked pale, apparently also suffering.


    Since the apocalypse, everyone had been trying to survive, with food and drink far lesser than before.


    Nutrition wasn''t considered anymore because even getting full was a major issue.


    In a state of nutritional deficiency, having several hundred cc of blood drawn without fainting was quite good already. Li Yu immediately gave them the freshly squeezed milk from yesterday.


    He then let them rest for a while, planning to share some milk and nourishing foods with them every day for the next few days.


    Seeing these people still waiting outside the medical room, Li Yu felt touched, realizing that Song Min truly had the support of her sisters.


    Seeing that they were still gathered around, always concerned about Song Min''s condition.


    Li Yu persuaded them to rest first, but they refused to leave.


    Finally, when Li Yuan came out and told everyone, "There''s no longer any great danger, she''s stabilized now. We just have to wait for the wounds to heal."


    Hearing Li Yuan''s words, everyone was visibly delighted.


    Li Yu took the opportunity to say, "Then everyone should go back and rest for now!"


    Only then did these people agree to rest as instructed.


    It was still those rows of buildings built before, most of which were still empty. Although workers like Ding Jiu and people like Dapao had moved in, there were still mostly vacant rooms.


    These buildings, although simply decorated, had basic showers and sanitation. In the apocalyptic world, it was a luxury to have a safe place where you didn''t have to worry about a zombie appearing in front of you while you were sleeping. Being able to take a hot shower, have a bed, and a blanket was already incredibly luxurious.


    For these young girls who had suffered various hardships outside and were constantly terrified, living meal to meal, it felt like they had suddenly moved from hell to heaven.


    Li Yu looked at these people with a faint warm smile on his face, but at the same time he was calculating in his heart:


    There were already nearly 70 people in the base, and more than half of them were Li Yu''s direct relatives, such as his parents and siblings, cousins, etc.


    Additionally, there were Lai Dongsheng''s family of four, the siblings Yang Tianlong and Yang Xiaozhu, Zhao Dapao, and some others;


    Plus, the construction workers like Ding Jiu and their families whom he had saved.


    Next were Song Min and Teacher Liu and others. S~ea??h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For Li Yu, the first rule of survival in the apocalypse was not to trust anyone. He had somewhat more trust in his family and relatives.


    But for others, his trust level wasn''t very high.


    In this apocalyptic world, unlike peaceful times, the way to manage subordinates had changed. It used to be that as long as you could solve problems and had the ability, it didn''t matter if you were loyal or had a good character.


    For Li Yu, anyone he accepted had to rank first in character and loyalty! Those with poor character, too much ambition, or insufficient loyalty, no matter how capable, would not be dealt with by Li Yu.


    Even in times of war, Li Yu was not a great man, he didn''t have great ideals to inspire people to unify, so he had to bind them through two other ways.


    First, on a material level: Binding through interests. These people had seen the cruelty and hardship outside, and suddenly saw harmony in the base and enjoyed equal food. Plus, external crises drove internal stability.


    Second, on a spiritual level: By integrating them into the base and providing some care, he enhanced their loyalty to the base.


    Humans have left and right brains, left being rational and right being emotional. He attacked the left brain, persuading rationally, and the right brain, by touching emotionally.


    These people brought in from outside were largely connected through Li Yu, primarily having been saved by him.


    In addition, all weapons were now controlled by Li Yu, and food was controlled by his family; the atmosphere in the base was still harmonious.


    If there was any disturbance, or any of the rescued people showed ingratitude, Li Yu wouldn''t hesitate to kill them.


    The girls who had just come in, took the daily items distributed to them and curiously looked around.


    Yang Xiaozhu and her aunt took them to the residential areas, while Song Qi and another girl waited at the medical room''s door, hoping Song Min would wake up.


    As time passed, Li Tie and others who had cleaned up the battlefield also drove back.


    This time they had taken three new-energy electric vehicles out, and when they came back, they brought back five vehicles.


    Hearing that Song Min was no longer in great danger, these newly arrived girls all gave grateful looks to Li Yu and others, who had been continuously helping them.


    Because Li Yu had already spoken through the walkie-talkie with people at the base before entering, thus when they saw Song Min and others, they weren''t too surprised.


    Especially since every time Li Yu and others went out and encountered something, they would report back to the base about people like Song Min, so they roughly knew about their existence.


    Li Yu''s family and people like Ding Jiu who joined later also expressed some friendly gestures, making these newcomers feel that this place was completely different from the outside world.

 Chapter 145 - 137: Hot Meals! Hot Water! Electricity!

    In this cannibalistic apocalypse, to still have such a harmonious and friendly atmosphere is truly rare; moreover, with high walls and a beautiful environment, there''s even a garden, making them feel as if they were in a dream.


    As dusk fell, solar lamps automatically illuminated the base, the Big Camphor Tree in the middle lush and flourishing, all of this looking completely different from the lifeless world outside, with every corner of the base exuding vitality, and many people at work had an air of composure on their faces. S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This base was like Taoyuan, isolating all dangers, filth, and malice from the outside world, maintaining its unique freshness and harmony.


    They were like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, exceptionally curious about this base.


    The optimistic and adorable young girl was now following behind Yang Xiaozhu, having reached the room assigned to her. As the door opened, she saw a bed, a small table, and a bathroom with a shower, very simple, but very clean.


    Yang Xiaozhu, looking at the little girl who had been observing everything along the way, said softly, "Here we have hot water and electricity. But since you just had blood drawn, it''s best not to take a shower right now. Come down later to eat together."


    The girl''s face showed a shocked expression, saying with some excitement, "There''s hot water here?!!"


    Ever since the apocalypse erupted and the power went out, they''d hardly ever had hot showers. Sometimes they were even afraid of water contamination, worried even when drinking, so clean water sources were too important. How could they afford to use it for showers!


    Yang Xiaozhu, seeing the girl''s shocked face, did not tease her. After all, she was just as surprised when she first came in.


    So she smiled and said, "Yeah, the whole base has electricity, hot water, and there''s also a Mountain Pond, the water is very clean. I can give you a tour another day."


    The optimistic girl laughed, her eyes squinting into slits, joyfully saying, "Yeah, that''s great! Wow, wow, wow, this is too amazing! I haven''t had a shower in so long, I stink..."


    Yang Xiaozhu understood her well and said with a smile, "Alright, I''ll go down first then. Remember to come down later."


    The optimistic girl turned on the showerhead and, realizing that it really was hot water, quickly shut off the tap upon hearing Yang Xiaozhu''s words, and came forward saying, "Thank you, thank you so much."


    Her face full of sincerity made Yang Xiaozhu feel as sweet as if she had tasted honey, but she knew very well that everything in this base was the result of Li Yu and the others'' initial efforts, and she too was a beneficiary.


    So she waved her hand and said, "If you''re going to thank anyone, thank Li Yu. Without him, there would be no base. He led the creation of this base."


    The girl suddenly remembered that guy who was so cool and handsome, ruthless in killing, but still nice to them, and suddenly thought, this guy is really amazing.


    Yang Xiaozhu nodded and then left the room.


    After Yang Xiaozhu left, the optimistic girl suddenly jumped up from the spot. It was embarrassing for her to express her inner joy with someone there, but now alone, she could freely express herself.


    For her, she''d never dreamed that such a place could exist in an apocalypse.


    For them, hot water and electricity were once very ordinary things before the apocalypse, but in this apocalyptic world, they were extremely rare!


    At the same time, in other rooms, similar scenes unfolded. The girls who entered together today were all exceptionally happy. After all, for girls, the love for beauty conquers all; being able to be clean and comfortably take a hot shower, in this apocalypse, was simply a luxury!


    For them, all of this might just be the beginning of a surprise.


    Dinner time.


    Many of the young girls had taken their baths and came downstairs with their hair still damp. They looked as if reborn, their faces filled with longing for a beautiful future.


    The dinner menu included eggplant with garlic sauce, bamboo shoot tips stir-fried with cured pork, celery stir-fried with potatoes, accompanied by a winter melon soup. These dishes were cooked by Lai Dongsheng''s wife and Second Aunt, among others. Lai Dongsheng''s wife was an excellent cook who used to prepare food for workers at construction sites. She was particularly adept at cooking these large communal dishes.


    The dishes were served in several oversized stainless steel bowls, with dozens of people lining up to get their food. Everyone got the same portions. They used the stainless steel bowls Li Yu had previously purchased and, after getting their food, went to eat on their own.


    When these newly arrived young girls saw the steaming hot food, their sense of happiness was indescribable.


    Within the base, everyone''s roles were clearly defined. Even during mealtime, guards stood watch at the door and surveillance staff remained at their posts. Only a few people were needed to bring their meals to them.


    Song Qi also received his portion of food. Although the meal smelled delicious, seeing his sister Song Min still unconscious in the medical room weighed heavily on his heart.


    Li Yu brought him his meal. Seeing Song Qi''s gloom, he said, "Eat up first. Your sister doesn''t have any serious problems; she''ll be fine once she wakes up. We men need food as iron needs steel, so you better eat first."


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, Song Qi looked up, his young face filled with gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Li. If it weren''t for your help, we really wouldn''t know what to do."


    Li Yu heard this, patted his shoulder, and spoke kindly, "Once you''re in the base, we''re all one team. No need to see yourself as an outsider."


    Feeling the warmth on his shoulder and hearing Li Yu''s words of acceptance, a warm current surged in his heart. Suddenly moved, he soon became choked up, "Okay, Brother Li. From now on, we''ll follow you."


    Li Yu nodded, "Eat up before it gets cold."


    "Okay!" Song Qi nodded vigorously, and, attracted by the aroma of the food, he couldn''t help but start eating eagerly. He hadn''t tasted meat in a very long time.


    Elsewhere, the young girls finished their meals completely. Whether it was them or other people at the base, no one would waste food in this post-apocalyptic world. Wasting food would invite the contempt of everyone.


    Therefore, the food prepared each time would always be consumed. Even if there were leftovers, they would be finished during the next meal. There would never be any waste.


    After dinner, the group discussed their next move. Today they had driven the vehicles back. They had transported most of the food and supplies collected by the Salvation Army, but two vehicles had broken down, so Li Tie temporarily hid those supplies somewhere.


    There were still some belongings left at the place where Song Min and her group had previously stayed. Due to the haste and urgency of their return, those items had not been transported.


    They planned to move these items back to the base tomorrow.


    As the night deepened, many people could not find sleep.


    Only in the surveillance room, Third Aunt and Yang Xiaozhu kept taking turns monitoring the screens.


    On the surveillance screens were views outside the base, cameras mounted on the perimeter wall, as well as some internal cameras.


    Among them, the screens clearly displayed the few buildings where the newcomers had settled in today.

 Chapter 146 - 138: The Strength of the Salvation Army

    A quiet night passed. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next day early in the morning, Li Yu got up as usual for his morning exercise. While heading downstairs, he took the chance to check on the infirmary, where Song Min still hadn''t woken up, but her wound had significantly improved.


    Seeing Li Yu come in, Song Qi, who had spent the night by the bedside, stood up to greet him. Li Yu saw the bloodshot eyes of the tall and sturdy-looking boy, who, in fact, was still a minor, and felt moved; the patient, Song Min, was his only remaining family in the world.


    Another girl was also present, having accompanied them through the night. Li Yu nodded at her as a form of greeting and then left.


    The May morning was neither cold nor hot, and a light breeze carried a faint scent of flowers and grass, a refreshing aroma that put Li Yu in a cheerful mood.


    He started running, still circling the base as usual, then began climbing up the mountain. From the summit, he could oversee the entire base; it was initially empty, slowly getting built up over time, and continuously filled with more materials from outside. Now the base had various items but still managed to maintain order.


    Down the mountain.


    On the way, he encountered Uncle and a few other people from the base and exchanged greetings. He also ran into the third daughter of his four uncles, who was taking several younger children, her little radish heads, leading cattle and sheep up the mountain to graze.


    Hearing his younger cousins calling him "big brother," Li Yu felt even happier. A harmonious home leads to prosperity. Generation after generation, the endless succession was one sign of the family''s thriving condition.


    Back in his room, after freshening up, he went downstairs for breakfast.


    The morning meal was simple; adults mainly had corn and porridge, while the still-growing children had milk and eggs. Because Song Qi and the optimistic young girl shed blood yesterday, they were also entitled to enjoy the children''s privileges, nourishing their bodies.


    After breakfast, Li Tie was planning to go out and relocate Song Min''s belongings. This time, Li Yu decided not to accompany them, suggesting Uncle should go along. Including Song Min''s two young girls, about seven people set out together.


    Before they left, Li Yu reminded them to be cautious on the road, not to act rashly in any emergency situation, to observe first before proceeding, and to be discreet on their way back to avoid being followed.


    Uncle had been in the base for a while and understood the importance of concealment. Besides, he was originally an Armed Police captain, his skills in all areas exceptionally outstanding.


    With Uncle present, Li Yu felt much more at ease.


    He then recalled that in the last fight against the Salvation Army, they had captured only one survivor, Brother Mao.


    After some interrogation, they learned from Brother Mao that the Salvation Army''s headquarters was further south, a significant power bloc. Their leader was a former local real estate tycoon who had experienced immense success, but due to economic downturns over the past two years, faced insolvency and was on the verge of bankruptcy.


    Then the apocalypse arrived!


    Debt-free and carefree, he gathered his demolition squad, and they quickly became the largest power group in the city. The key was that the leader of the Salvation Army had an ambitious spirit and was continuously expanding his influence, recruiting people. Whenever they encountered other powers, they either conquered them and demanded protection fees on a timed schedule or obliterated them.


    The Salvation Army didn''t divide its territories for farming or gather supplies. They believed that other powers could hoard food and cultivate crops while they could simply exploit these other powers.


    As long as they remained strong enough!


    They had a strategic plan, and despite their internal rules being incredibly harsh and advocating survival of the fittest, their overall strength was formidable.


    Regarding the exact number of people, Mao Ge frankly admitted that he wasn''t sure about the precise figures, as he had never counted them. Before he left, as far as he knew, there were about 8 leaders alone, with each group having up to 100 people and at least 50 in the smaller ones. The group that came last time to track down Li Yuan''s real father was considered on the smaller side.


    Each group is further divided into 2 to 4 squad leaders. Now, Mao Ge is one of the two squad leaders of their group, and he was responsible for transporting food this time. Unexpectedly, they were wiped out by Li Yu and his people.


    This means that the Salvation Army has a personnel strength of about 500 to 800 people. This is an extremely large force, almost ten times the number of people at the base!


    And they are all strong and healthy men, which gave Li Yu a sense of oppression upon hearing this.


    Thankfully, in their safest haven, gun control is very strict. Before the end of the world, ordinary people could hardly see real guns and bullets. The locations of the Government''s weapon stores are unknown to average folks.


    Additionally, due to the virus outbreak, rainfall, and rampant zombies, the Government''s force has not been seen for the time being.


    As a result, the Salvation Army doesn''t have many firearms, and they have used a lot during their continuous assaults on other forces. Now, the Salvation Army rarely uses firearms.


    For instance, when the Salvation Army went to the gas station last time, the leader was actually equipped with a firearm, but they didn''t allocate many bullets to him. Once the bullets ran out, they had to resist with cold weapons.


    This is good news.


    Li Yu and others also interrogated Mao Ge further about the location of the Salvation Army''s base. In the beginning, Mao Ge was very ambiguous, but after being severely beaten by Dapao and others, he became much more compliant.


    He started to proactively disclose everything he knew to Li Yu and his group. Li Yu didn''t fully trust him, but he just gave him some leftover food to keep him alive for the time being.


    Mao Ge is tied up very securely, with someone assigned to guard him. Mao Ge must be killed, but not now. Li Yu always felt that Mao Ge wasn''t very truthful, and he wanted to interrogate him for a while longer to see if more information could be extracted.


    Li Yu went to check on Mao Ge in the interrogation room. Second Uncle was still there, menacingly using various methods to question him.


    Seeing the somewhat pitifully tormented Mao Ge, who had gone from being ''Stinky Mao'' to ''Little Mao'' and now ''Mao Ge'', hadn''t had it easy.


    Seeing that he was still alive, Li Yu said nothing. He would inevitably die anyway, and maybe more information could be pried out of him through interrogation.


    When it comes to enemies, Li Yu is known for being ruthless; he would annihilate them completely to avoid future troubles, trying to solve problems in one fell swoop.


    In dealing with enemies, he would handle things physically whenever possible, resorting to talking only when the enemy was completely under control, just as with Mao Ge now.


    Li Yu''s life is precious; he still has many relatives and loved ones to protect.


    So, he... cherishes his life very much!


    After checking on Mao Ge, Li Yu left the interrogation room.


    As soon as he came out, he saw Li Yuan running towards him. Seeing Li Yu, Li Yuan shouted while running: "Brother, Song Min has woken up, and she wants to see you!"


    Li Yu raised an eyebrow. Awake?


    "Okay, I''ll go right now." Li Yu nodded in response and headed straight for the medical room.

 Chapter 147 - 139: We Can Help You Kill Someone

    Before Li Yu could enter the medical room, he heard Song Min say in a scolding tone, "Why are you still crying? Now that you''ve had your birthday, you''re 16 years old. Don''t cry; be a brave man!"


    Right after she finished speaking, a male voice came from inside, "Sis, you''re finally awake. I won''t cry anymore."


    Li Yu lifted his foot and entered the medical room, where he saw Song Qi sitting beside the sickbed, still with tears in his eyes, while Song Min lay half-reclined on the bed, her face faintly etched with pain.


    Both of them stopped talking when they saw Li Yu enter.


    "He''s been doing alright, staying by your side these past few days without much rest. He hadn''t been seen crying before. He''s a real man," Li Yu said softly.


    Upon hearing this, a complex expression emerged in Song Min''s eyes, mixed with shame, a touch of emotion, and a hint of relief.


    Song Qi, sitting beside Song Min, looked at Li Yu full of gratitude after hearing what he said. This man had been his idol and had helped them more than once.


    Now, at this moment, Li Yu''s words of encouragement felt like a warm stream nourishing his heart, deepening his admiration for Li Yu.


    Song Min shifted her gaze from Song Qi and looked straight at Li Yu, her eyes complicated with emotion.


    She didn''t know what to say for a while. She had always been the elder sister, with their parents having passed away when they were very young, leaving her to bring up Song Qi. Being a woman alone in society had its challenges, but times had been good at one point. Her hard work paid off, and she finally made her own way, setting up a beauty salon with all her savings. Business was steadily improving.


    Then the apocalypse erupted.


    After the apocalypse, she went through the greatest suffering of her life. Because she was weak and powerless to resist, it was Li Yu who saved her and helped her exact revenge.


    This woman, with her own hands, had managed her way from nothing to her own beauty salon. The hardships she faced had tempered her into someone strong. From the moment of her revenge, she grew even stronger.


    However, the subsequent Zombie Tides and threats from various powers left her utterly exhausted. She wanted to bring her sisters to join them, but fearing rejection, she had severed ties and never mentioned it.


    Now, Li Yu had finally brought them into the base. Did this mean he was willing to accept them? But what if that wasn''t their intention?


    At this moment, Song Min was inwardly fretful, unclear about Li Yu''s intentions.


    Li Yu, standing opposite her and observing the complex expressions on Song Min''s face, could guess some of her thoughts.


    So he took the initiative to ask, "I heard you were looking for me, is there something you need?" His tone was even, neither warm nor cold, just a normal speaking manner.


    On hearing Li Yu''s question, Song Min dropped her hesitations and said directly and clearly, "Can we join you? Don''t worry, even though we''re women, we can still kill Zombies... and help you kill people."


    Upon hearing this, an amused expression crossed Li Yu''s face. This woman was rather clever.


    In the apocalypse, as before it, kindness was a good trait but also a dangerous one.


    She knew well that in the apocalypse, there is no love without reason, no hatred without reason, no help without reason, and no sheltering them without reason.


    Every action is because there''s something to gain. Perhaps Li Yu saved them before out of the kindness of his heart, wanting to avoid future trouble by doing something handy.


    Later, when Song Min took the initiative to provide information, becoming Li Yu''s Spy outside the base, she showed gratitude. Faced with other powers pressing her for information, she didn''t reveal anything about Li Yu, which he found acceptable.


    Now this woman, knowing she had been brought into the base, immediately started to prove her worth.


    Additionally, saying that she could help kill zombies, and even assist in killing people! And, there is no stated precondition for killing people��that''s where Song Min''s intelligence lies.


    Without establishing a standard for killing people, it means that as long as Li Yu gives the order, Song Min could kill anyone, regardless of right or wrong. On this point, her attitude of expressing loyalty, full marks!


    Li Yu then spoke, "Oh? You can kill anyone? No matter if the person is good or bad?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Min didn''t hesitate for even a second. She directly responded, "From the very beginning, it was you who saved us, we owe our lives to you. Moreover, I trust your decisions. There''s no absolute good or bad in this world; whoever you command me to kill, I will kill!"


    Li Yu looked at this woman, growing increasingly appreciative.


    Song Min, truly deserving of being someone who could carve out her own business amidst market competition.


    The art of her speech, well-mastered, starting from expressing her group''s role initially, followed by considering the fact that Song Min led them.


    When she replied the second time, she expressed a subordinate relationship, putting herself in a lower position, indicating she would listen to Li Yu from now on.


    Additionally, one can see that she has a precise understanding of issues, knowing that loyalty is of utmost importance to Li Yu in this post-apocalyptic world.


    Decisive in action as well, when that man from the Salvation Army fled, she took decisive action.


    A smart person indeed, Li Yu said with a smile, "Welcome to the team! Take some time to recover from your injuries. When you''re feeling better, you can take a walk outside your room. The scenery outside is not too bad at this time of the year."


    Song Min, upon hearing Li Yu''s personal acceptance, instantly had a look of excitement burst forth in her eyes. Under the covers unseen by Li Yu, her hands tightly clenched the bedsheets, finally joining.


    Being able to join a capable, reliable, disciplined team with humanity was a stroke of luck for her, for them. After all, in this tumultuous post-apocalyptic world, women are relatively at a disadvantage.


    Although they have become very strong and brave, their strength cannot withstand too powerful forces.


    "Thank you!" Song Min said earnestly.


    Li Yu said nothing. Reality is cruel; everyone bustles about for their own benefits. Initially allowing them to join, was partly because he felt they possessed a certain combative strength and a strong will.


    So, their joining was just a beginning; if later on they fail to demonstrate the required contribution and ability, become lazy, or even betray, then Li Yu would not hesitate to eliminate them.


    Even the workers who had joined before had been very diligent, actively participating in the base''s breeding, farming, and even going out to collect resources.


    "Time to go, get some good rest." Having said that, Li Yu left straight away.


    Song Min gave Song Qi a little pat and hastily said, "Hurry, see the boss off." S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu, hearing the title, turned around and said, "Don''t call me boss; I''ve killed quite a number of bosses recently. Just call me Li Yu."


    Song Min shook her head. It''s essential to be clear about the subordinate role; titles matter greatly and must be taken seriously.


    Finally, she said, "Alright, Boss."


    Li Yu sighed, feeling that Song Min really knew how to handle things, but it was fine as long as she was truly loyal; nothing else mattered.


    Shaking his hand, he headed towards the door, with Song Qi following to see him out.

 Chapter 148 - 140: Deep in the Bamboo Forest

    After Song Qi had escorted Li Yu and Li Yuan out, she returned to Song Min''s side, a look of excitement on her face.


    Seeing the expression on Song Qi''s face, Song Min''s own face exhibited a pampering smile. This younger brother had always been rather stubborn, often not heeding her words.


    But in front of Li Yu, Song Qi always seemed obedient. At his adolescent age, he admired powerful figures the most.


    "Sister, let me tell you, this base is huge. When you came in before, you didn''t see it. It''s surrounded by tall walls, and there are even two mountains inside."


    "At critical times, there''s hot water and electricity here. I heard them say that now everyone is assigned a room. Also, also, there''s even a garden here..." Song Qi excitedly told his sister, Song Min.


    Listening to him, Song Min also felt extremely shocked. She had anticipated that Li Yu and the others definitely had a better life than hers.


    But she didn''t expect that the life Li Yu and the others led was almost like the days before the apocalypse.


    Apart from no internet, it wasn''t much different from before the apocalypse.


    Li Yuan brought Song Min a wheelchair. With her injury, it wasn''t good for her to be lying down all the time. The wounds on her back were prone to fester if constantly pressed down, so sitting up was more breathable and beneficial for the wounds'' recovery.


    Song Min slowly sat down in the wheelchair from the hospital bed, grimacing slightly as the movement pulled at her wounds.


    Li Yuan pushed Song Min out of the medical room, with Song Qi following alongside. These past few days, due to his constant concern for Song Min, he had been by her sickbed and hadn''t had the chance to properly look around the base.


    After the three left the medical room, they were greeted by a residential area with several villas and three rows of houses.


    On the way, they encountered sisters who had known Song Min before, all of them running up to her.


    They were extremely happy to see Song Min had woken up. S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister Song, you''ve finally woken up. You really scared us."


    The cheerful and cute young girl was the first to speak, her large black eyes full of care, although her complexion was somewhat pale.


    "Sister Song, does it still hurt?"


    "Sister Song, I tell you, the food here is too good. It''s really delicious."


    "Yeah, yeah, and then this place is really huge, there are so many people."


    ...


    Song Min listened to their words with a smile, then turned to the cheerful and cute girl, noticing her pale face.


    Her mind recalled what Li Yuan had told her, feeling lucky that Song Qi and she had given her a blood transfusion, otherwise who knows what danger there might have been.


    Looking at the young girl, she remembered their first meeting, how green and young she was.


    Thus, her face showed gratitude: "Xiao Han, thank you for saving me. If it weren''t for your blood transfusion, who knows..."


    "Ptui, ptui, ptui, Sister Song, don''t talk nonsense," the optimistic Xiao Han immediately said.


    "And you all as well, sisters have worked hard," Song Min looked around and addressed her sisters nearby.


    Then she quickly changed the subject: "I''ve talked with Boss Li, and now we''re considered to have joined them. There are a few things I want to talk to you about.


    First, don''t follow me as the leader in the future; we''ll all follow Boss Li.


    Second, joining them doesn''t mean we can be lazy and idle; we must show our worth.


    Does everyone understand?"


    Song Min had only just finished speaking when the people nearby seemed to want to say something, but hesitated before speaking.


    "But..." One of the people tried to speak but was quickly interrupted by Song Min, "No buts. In a team, there can only be one core soul and only one authority. From now on, I too will obey Big Brother Li, and you all should do the same. Remember this well."


    ...


    After chatting with her former sisters and issuing repeated admonitions, Song Min was pushed by Li Yuan to wander around the base.


    In the base, facing the sunlight, Song Min saw the full view of the base. The surrounding walls weren''t exceptionally tall, but they were almost three stories high, and especially long.


    The long walls, like an ancient dragon, encircled the base tightly, giving a special sense of security.


    By the meandering stream, some beans and peanuts had been planted and were now blossoming along the winding creek, and the land in the base was extremely precious.


    Many places were planted with edible crops.


    Walking along, a small garden came into view, where in May the flowers were blooming profusely.


    The fragrance of the sweet osmanthus drifted in the wind to her, and inhaling lightly, Song Min was greeted by a faint, pleasant aroma that lifted her spirits.


    "This sweet osmanthus can later be used to make osmanthus cake, which tastes quite good," Li Yuan said softly.


    Hearing this, Song Min felt a longing for a beautiful life ignite within her��tending the fields, nurturing the flowers, making cakes from the blooms, brewing wine from the fruit.


    The smile at the corner of her mouth widened, like ripples spreading across a lake surface.


    Walking a full circuit beneath the walls, they met some people of the base. Song Min greeted them, and Li Yuan actively introduced them to each other, fostering mutual understanding.


    In the course of these interactions, Song Min felt that the people in the base were genuinely kind-hearted, nothing like the people she had encountered outside the base.


    What Song Min didn''t know, however, was that most of these people in the base had, to varying degrees, killed zombies, and even... humans.


    They were friendly towards Song Min because they knew from Li Yu''s introduction that she would be joining the base.


    But if she were an enemy, their attitude would likely be the opposite extreme.


    After the round trip, on the way back to the medical room, they saw a bamboo forest. Curious, Song Min wanted to take a look inside, and Li Yuan pushed her in.


    The bamboo leaves were crisp, rustling softly in the light breeze, encapsulating a serene tranquility.


    As if isolating everything from the outside world.


    The bamboo forest thrived, and in its midst lay a narrow, winding path paved with rubble. Li Yuan slowly pushed Song Min further inside.


    The deeper they went, the less they could hear the outside world, and the further into the middle they got, the less they could see of the outside scene.


    On the edge of the bamboo forest, looking through the bamboo, one could see the outside.


    But as they moved deeper, under the layers of bamboo, what was outside could not be seen from within, standing inside looking out.


    It was as if being in a world of green.


    After the apocalypse, following several torrential rains, the plants all grew abnormally fast, including the crops which grew much quicker, but then returned to normal growth after the rain.


    However, during these periods of rapid growth, the bamboo also rapidly grew, its growth already quite fast.


    Now, the bamboo had become exceedingly tall.

 Chapter 149 - 141: Reading Books to Better Chop People?

    Dangling bamboo leaves, occasionally scattered by the wind, rustle softly, carrying a unique sense of otherworldliness, tranquil yet full of distinctive charm.


    In the air, there is a faint scent of bamboo leaves, refreshing and invigorating to the senses.


    On a May day, the sun shines in the middle of the Bamboo Forest.


    Amid the dense bamboo, the green leaves shade the harsh sunlight, leaving only patches of gentle, warm sunlight sprinkled randomly on the ground, creating a dappled bamboo shadow, picturesque and poetic.


    In the center of the Bamboo Forest, there is a pavilion.


    Two horizontal couplets: "At the edge of the sky, horses begin their journey; amid the crowd, a dragon stands out."


    Beside it are some massive rocks, and in the center of the pavilion are some stone benches and chairs.


    A person sits there leisurely, slightly leaning back against the railing of the pavilion, holding a book in his hands and quietly flipping through it.


    On the table, there is also a pot of tea, containing slender leaves that likely belong to Longjing tea.


    As Song Min slowly approaches, she recognizes the person in the Bamboo Forest as Li Yu.


    Li Yu also hears the noise, looks up at Song Min and the others, and nods slightly as a greeting.


    Song Min, with Li Yuan pushing the wheelchair, approaches Li Yu.


    Li Yu doesn''t say much, and after greeting them, he ignores them and continues reading the book in his hands.


    Actually, Song Min feels a bit embarrassed, as if she has disturbed Li Yu, so after greeting him, she has Song Qi push her wheelchair out of the Bamboo Forest.


    Inside, Song Min is somewhat confused; it''s the apocalypse!


    Yet here is someone leisurely brewing a cup of Longjing tea in the tranquil Bamboo Forest, enjoying the natural breeze, and casually lying back reading a book!


    Just now, she also sneakily glanced at the book in Li Yu''s hands. It appeared to be an old, thread-bound book from a second-hand bookstore, slightly yellowed, with four characters on it: "Appreciation of Song Poetry."


    !!!


    Song Min can''t understand it; in her mind, Li Yu has always been someone who values efficiency and practical results, decisive in action, and cold and ruthless outwardly.


    Yet now, he seems to enjoy reading books?


    Beside her, Li Yuan perhaps notices Song Min''s confusion and actively says, "I once asked my brother why he still insists on having the kids read books, even encouraging us to read more too. I don''t understand either; in the apocalypse, what''s the use of reading books?"


    Song Min nods in agreement, sinking into deep thought; she too is unclear why Li Yu insists that everyone read books.


    "My brother said that reading books helps calm his mind after killing."


    He also said, "This world holds too much beauty, which people often fail to notice.


    A person must have their own notions and not be part of the mindless crowd; focus on yourself and those around you.


    And sometimes the beauty of life is in reading useless books, doing pointless things, living finite years, making life truly flavorful.


    With limited life, see unlimited scenery, so one must always be on the move."


    "This way, there is something to look forward to in life, and one does not lose oneself."


    These words had a tremendous impact on Song Min.


    These words told her why Li Yu chose to keep living in the apocalypse, what the meaning of living was, and how one should live.


    Since the outbreak of the apocalypse, Song Min had also faced countless zombie attacks and moments of despair; sometimes she even thought of suicide, life was too hard.


    Apocalyptic life was too harsh, she felt that the saying "better to live badly than to die well" was nonsense, but whenever she saw her sisters beside her, she would eventually set aside these emotions and stop thinking about it.


    But this matter, unresolved, always lingers in the background, occasionally piercing Song Min.


    Too tired. Sometimes feeling dull, sometimes feeling exhausted, not knowing what the point is in continuing to resist.


    As the saying goes, a full belly leads to sinful thoughts.


    According to Maslow''s hierarchy of needs, human needs comprise physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.


    These needs can be divided into two levels, among which physiological, safety, and social needs are lower-level needs, which can be satisfied through external conditions;


    While esteem and self-actualization are higher-level needs, they can be met through internal factors, and one''s needs for esteem and self-actualization are endless.


    For Song Min, although she has not read many books, she feels that not having enough to eat is not too much of a worry; as long as one maintains a good mentality, one can still live happily. She would think it''s all nonsense.


    Hungry and still talking nonsense here?


    Yet in life, many people who have a lot are still unhappy. Why? Because their hearts are empty. Sudden riches, perhaps due to demolition or winning the lottery, make them unable to control themselves, lavishly spending their fortune.


    That''s because their thoughts haven''t matured to that stage; the money in their hands will also be lost skillfully.


    That''s because their hearts are too empty, only by continuously indulging in material desires can they temporarily alleviate the emptiness.


    Dr. Sperry conducted a split-brain experiment, showing that humans have a left and right brain, with the left being rational and the right emotional. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Between the left and right brains, there is conflict. Many of us spend our lives fighting against this dual nature.


    Life is fragile, yet moving moments are ever-present.


    Song Min didn''t quite understand, but she had some comprehension. Maybe, for Li Yu, after solving the food crisis, killing too much, reading might be a way of decompressing.


    In her eyes, Li Yu is so ruthless, killing without blinking, meticulous in thought, but the scene just now touched her:


    Perhaps, only someone like him, nourishing his soul with the essence of books, perceiving the myriad worlds within them, could mold an incredibly vast inner world, enabling him to kill many without disturbing his conscience or affecting him in any way.


    Song Min thought a lot, but Li Yu on the other hand, didn''t think as much.


    He simply felt that the poems and verses written by our ancestors were really interesting.


    Anyway, everything that needed to be done was proceeding in order, and those who needed to be killed were still in preparation. Being tense all the time was too exhausting.


    Humans, in any situation, always need to find some amusement for themselves.


    Finding joy amidst suffering is also a way to create happiness.


    ....


    Meanwhile, Li Tie and others had packed up everything from the building where Song Min and their group had been, loaded the stuff into a truck, and those like Ding Jiu who were strong and robust, moved things very quickly.


    Then, they also packed up the supplies hidden by the national highway into the truck, and Li Tie and his group began to head back to the base.


    On the way back, Li Tie, following Li Yu''s instructions, kept watch for any followers, then skillfully covered their tracks.


    When Li Tie and his group returned, Li Yu gathered everyone.


    Included were Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Uncle, and some other relatives from the base, some elderly elders, whose occasional suggestions might be of some interest.


    Song Min and others arrived too.


    Meeting.


    The meeting centered on one topic: how to annihilate the Salvation Army!


    How to annihilate? When? Where?

 Chapter 150 - 142: Planning

    In the meeting hall of this villa, everyone began to discuss. According to what Brother Mao said, the Salvation Army is in the south with at least 500 people, possibly even a thousand or more, and they are tightly organized.


    Moreover, they have guns, but not many bullets, they always receive a small portion each time.


    Even in the emergency at the gas station, they did not use guns, and after questioning Brother Mao, they found out that they had no bullets!


    Thus, the guns they currently possess serve more as a deterrent. They are seldom used in practice, and it could even be said that they are almost never used.


    Li Yu and his group are at a numerical disadvantage, but have a considerable advantage in terms of firepower. Since they emptied two armories last time, there are a lot of guns and bullets in the base, and so far, they are still very well stocked.


    These members of the Salvation Army are the most powerful force in that city in the south, and their expansion speed is very fast. In the survival of the fittest system, the people who have survived have relatively high combat capabilities, and the group has basically no weak members.


    Now, this Salvation Army is expanding, taking that city as the center, expanding both south and north. The previous leader led more than fifty people not only to chase the true father but also to act as vanguards to understand the local force groups. After understanding and deterring them, Brother Mao and others started to collect resources.


    If Brother Mao hadn''t been killed by Li Yu and his people this time, they would definitely have expanded further north. It has been a long time since they have encountered any formidable enemies, which, along with their increasing strength, has made them increasingly arrogant.


    Unfortunately, they encountered tough resistance.


    In the meeting hall, everyone expressed their opinions one after another.


    "Actually, we don''t necessarily have to confront them directly, right? After all, in this post-apocalyptic world, people are precious assets. How about we watch the changes for a while longer, and avoid them for now?" Father Li Hongyuan, still showing his kind nature.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu felt deeply moved, wondering if he had protected his father too well, making him remain so naive. One day, he must let him go out and see more of human nature.


    After his father finished speaking, the room fell silent, even Uncle, who had been an officer in the Armed Police, was silent. The members of the Salvation Army who came this time had all been killed.


    Avoiding them would be a joke.


    In this post-apocalypse, it''s either you kill others, or they kill you.


    "Brother Yu, why don''t we just take our guns and head to Southern City, just like before, and wipe them all out in one fell swoop!" Dapao suggested aggressively.


    Li Yu was somewhat tempted, but also conflicted. After all, Southern City was still quite far from them, and the enemy they were facing now was the most powerful one they had ever encountered.


    Decisive action is necessary, but caution is still needed.


    "That''s right, Little Yu, just finish them off, strike directly at their heart, and eliminate future troubles," Yang Tianlong said vehemently, his confidence boosted by the victories in several recent outings.


    Li Yu looked around at everyone present, wanting to hear their opinions.


    Under Li Yu''s gaze, Second Uncle started to speak, "I''m not against going there directly to eliminate them, but right now we have fewer than 70 people in our base, including the young and the elderly, around 60 in total."


    "But, many people don''t have great spear skills. After training, fewer than 20 of us are good with guns. That''s us. Now look at the Salvation Army; at a glance, they are a well-organized and structured group. Brother Mao might have lied, but they definitely have over 500 people,


    maybe even more. Southern City has already been completely occupied by them. If we rush there, despite our advantage in firearms, it could be problematic if they discover us.


    We still don''t know enough about them, and attacking rashly could lead us to suffer losses. My suggestion is, they have already come here, and Brother Mao and his people haven''t returned, they will certainly send more people. When they do, we can eliminate them, or keep a few alive to extract information and verify against Brother Mao''s data.


    Knowing the enemy and ourselves will ensure we are never in peril."


    Li Yu, hearing what Second Uncle said, found it aligned with his own thoughts but felt that there needed to be a time limit; they couldn''t wait forever.


    "Let''s wait five days. If they don''t come within five days, we will go find them in Southern City. Of course, we must remain cautious and not act blindly.


    For now, let''s just wait here in County. Smaller squads will be easier to handle, reducing their strength while also easing the pressure when we move against their headquarters."


    Li Yu finished his sentence in one breath, and there were no voices of opposition.


    A person has to establish authority through printed actions. Since the outbreak of the apocalypse, the decisions made by Li Yu have all proven the accuracy of his leadership.


    "Alright, if there are no objections, we need a few people to monitor the main roads of the County to keep track of the Salvation Army and know if they''re coming. Who will go?" Li Yu looked around.


    "I''ll go," Third Uncle took a drag on his cigarette and spoke, raising his head. Third Uncle had been a soldier for many years, had later received many awards and honors, and seemed to have joined some special forces later. After suffering an injury during a mission and perhaps due to some incident or offending someone, he became disillusioned and left the force.


    Although Third Uncle might seem simple and honest, for some reason, according to Li Yu''s sixth sense, Third Uncle was very remarkable. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll go too. I''ve been in the base too long, I''d like to get out for a bit," Uncle also said.


    Li Yu looked surprisedly at the two men, one a captain in the Armed Police and the other a seasoned soldier, a combination of middle-aged men in their forties, somewhat unique and vaguely imposing.


    "Is two people enough? Do you want Tiezi and others to go with you?" Li Yu asked.


    Hearing Li Yu''s suggestion, Third Uncle and Uncle simultaneously said, "No need, the two of us are enough."


    Third Uncle and Uncle looked at each other, not expecting to have the same thought.


    Li Yu looked at Third Uncle and Uncle again, seeing them ready to go out for the first time but already showing some tacit understanding, so he said no more.


    He nodded and did not insist.


    Finally, he said, "Alright. Third Uncle, Uncle, when are you going."


    "Better sooner than later. Also, open the armory. I''d like to pick something," Third Uncle said.


    Li Yu gave Third Uncle a meaningful look, not out of concern for malicious intent, but now wondering if Third Uncle''s time in the military had been simple.Camera Translato

 Chapter 151 - 143: Two Middle-aged Men

    With Third Uncle and Uncle arriving at the armory, Third Uncle promptly picked up a Type 95 automatic rifle and swiftly dismantled it in no time.


    Third Uncle inspected the rifle and said, "I don''t want to use the micro-rush, I''ll use this."


    He then noticed combat uniforms on the wall and put one on, found two handguns nearby and set them up, and then took a dagger from the wall.


    He nodded, and as he turned around, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye, hurried forward a few steps, and opened a half-open box��melon hand grenades!


    Third Uncle was somewhat surprised and took three or four, saying, "You still have these things, I didn''t see you bring them out before."


    Li Yu coughed and looked at Third Uncle fully armed, especially seeing him taking hand grenades, feeling a bit nervous inside: "After all, these are also quite rare, haven''t really used them before."


    "Haha, you kid, I''ll help you use them," Third Uncle said cheerfully.


    On the other side, Uncle was also selecting firearms. Unlike Third Uncle, Uncle chose micro-rushes and was fully armored, well protected.


    Both registered the items they took from the armory. After registration, Li Yu sent them out. In the armory, everything taken by anyone needed to be registered, including strategically key items which were also strictly controlled.


    Third Uncle and Uncle drove a car and slowly left the base.


    Li Yu stood on the base''s surrounding wall, watching Third Uncle and Uncle leave for the first time.


    Third Uncle, he could never fully read him, especially when Third Uncle took so many bullets and even hand grenades, it felt like he was not going out to scout but to fight a war.


    He shook his head, Third Uncle always had his reasons, better to be prepared than to find out there aren''t enough bullets when danger arrives, that would be deadly. Being prepared was good.


    In the car, Uncle was driving, and the vehicle steadily moved along the road. Uncle glanced at Li Yu''s Third Uncle and felt that after leaving the base, his whole demeanor had changed, like an unsheathed sword, dangerously sharp; and like a fierce wild wolf, lurking ferociously.


    At this moment, Third Uncle was observing everything outside the car, and Uncle could feel his gaze.


    So he proactively started talking: "Uncle, recently Li Yu and the others have been under a lot of pressure. We, as elders, should take some responsibility."


    Uncle nodded, "I think so too. Let''s be careful when we get to the County."


    Third Uncle hmm-ed, as if thinking of something, then spoke again: "Let''s have a drink sometime."


    "Sure," Uncle smiled slightly.


    ...


    Back at the base, Li Yu returned to the confinement room where Brother Mao was.


    Brother Mao hadn''t had much to eat for several days and was now weak from hunger.


    Hearing footsteps, he frantically shouted, "I was wrong, I''ll talk, I''ll tell everything." His voice was miserable and hoarse, his lips whitened and flaking.


    Li Yu didn''t speak and slowly approached and squatted down.


    Silently watching Brother Mao. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Brother Mao''s eyes were covered, he could clearly feel a gaze sharp as a knife staring intensely at him.


    It made his whole body shiver, and he shuddered unknowingly. The less he knew about the person, the more an unknown fear gripped him.


    Suddenly, tears streamed from Brother Mao''s eyes, falling down his cheeks through the face cover and onto the ground.


    Li Yu, seeing him cry, was somewhat surprised; a grown man in tears.


    It seemed he was indeed distressed, heh.


    Li Yu helped him remove the blindfold. Brother Mao''s eyes opened, stung by the light, causing even more tears, stimulated by the brightness.


    "Boss, I''ve told you everything I wanted to before, I really didn''t hold anything back, I really didn''t want to offend you guys, it was our first meeting last time, I really did not want to come, it was ordered by our boss. If I''d known this was how you operate, I definitely wouldn''t have come."


    Brother Mao rushed through his words, his mouth dry.


    Seeing this, Li Yu gave him some water.


    Brother Mao, seeing the water, stretched his neck and drank eagerly.


    A whole cup went down like that. Even without food, he could last a while longer; but without water, that would have been serious.


    Then, Brother Mao spoke again: "About the numbers of the Salvation Army, I really do not know, because we always perform tasks outside, transport supplies, and each time we return, some teams are absent, I really can''t give an accurate number, I can''t just make up a number to fool you."


    "Please, can you give me some food? To be honest, I''m also a good person. My previous actions were forced upon me. Our leader ordered me to act that way. I did it all to survive. Please. I, I, I want to join you."


    "After dealing with you guys, I feel you are good people, and I think I am too, can you take me with you?" Brother Mao''s survival instinct was strong, his face full of longing, his eyes sincerely looking at Li Yu.


    Li Yu watched Brother Mao, his facial expression unchanging from the start, then spoke softly, "Who said I was a good person? Just stay put. Think about anything else you haven''t mentioned. Three days, if you don''t have new information for me in three days, prepare to become fertilizer."


    After saying that, Li Yu put the blindfold back on, and then checked the ropes binding Brother Mao''s hands and feet again. After tightening them, he left the confinement room constructed of iron bars and locked the door.


    Many people wondered why it was necessary to lock such iron bars and then bind Brother Mao''s limbs and cover his eyes.


    There''s also a heavy iron door outside the bars.


    With such tight confinement, escaping would be nearly impossible.


    For Li Yu, what he liked to do was nip any danger in the bud. Having seen many movies, often because of inadequate binding or guarding, enemies would escape.


    This, Li Yu would not allow to happen.


    Li Yu left through the great iron door, stretched lazily, and suddenly didn''t know what to do next.


    The Salvation Army was a problem, but problems needed to be solved slowly. Plus, Uncle and Third Uncle had already gone to monitor, they just needed to wait for news, then it was off to eliminate them!


    Li Yu noted the pleasant sunshine and got in the mood for a stroll in the garden, just to clear his mind.

 Chapter 152 - 144: Pear-Shaped Body

    Li Yu walked casually and soon arrived around the garden, where Xiao Latai was playing cards with Li Hang and others at the long stone table by the garden.


    Li Yu approached and saw Li Hang''s face plastered with little paper notes, laughing he said, "Xiao Hang, are you that bad?"


    "Brother, come, help me out." Li Hang quickly moved his seat, and Li Tie, sitting across from Xiao Hang, said, "Calling for reinforcements, haha."


    Xiao Latai lifted her head, saw Li Yu, and had adapted quite well during this time, smiling more often. There were many young people at the base, and in such a friendly atmosphere, everyone got along quite pleasantly.


    However, occasionally she had to go on duty at the surrounding wall, and seeing zombies awakened her to the reality of living in a post-apocalyptic world.


    Li Yu faced Xiao Latai, who was looking at him with bright eyes, a smile emerged on his face, he shook his head, then turned to Li Hang and said, "You guys play, I''m not playing anymore. I''m going to walk around the mountaintop."


    He then turned and left the garden.


    Behind him, Xiao Latai, sensing that Li Yu might be preoccupied with something, also handed her cards to the young girl squatting behind her and watching the game. This girl, who had been optimistic and was previously next to Song Min, had been itching to play and was now grinning broadly as she finally got the chance to participate.


    Xiao Latai quickly walked a few steps to catch up with Li Yu, walking side by side.


    Li Yu heard footsteps, turned his head to see Xiao Latai following him, then turned his head back without saying a word.


    "What''s up? You seem to be preoccupied?" Xiao Latai asked softly.


    Li Yu slowed his pace, looking in the direction of the sky, where the sun seemed to be obscured by dark clouds, making the sky less bright. He slowly said, "I''m a bit worried about Third Uncle and the others. It''s partly about the people, but also about the weather."


    "The weather? What''s with the weather?" Xiao Latai also looked up and saw the sun being covered by clouds, but the cloud was not very large and would soon dissipate.


    "The sun was quite strong recently, and it''s starting to heat up. Grandpa said it might rain in a few days." Li Yu said, in this current world without weather forecasts, but the old farmers, who have farmed all their lives, have a grasp of the weather even more accurate than the forecasts.


    "It might rain..." Xiao Latai murmured, seemingly reminded of some unpleasant memories. Rain means zombies would become more active, as many that hide in mountain valleys or cool places would come out.


    Even, continuous heavy rain could potentially lead to a Zombie Tide, a terrifying experience they all have witnessed.


    "Third Uncle and Uncle are quite steady, they will be cautious. Moreover, they have taken a lot of food and weapons, they should be alright," reassured Xiao Latai.


    Li Yu turned to look at Xiao Latai beside him, or rather, Du Yutong.


    The clouds above cleared with the wind, and the sunlight poured down, making Li Yu notice how Xiao Latai seemed to glow under the light.


    He had never before noticed Xiao Latai''s good figure��long legs, big hips, large chest, and a slim waist.


    A typical pear-shaped figure, only with slender calves.


    Feeling Li Yu''s gaze, Xiao Latai immediately turned her head, noticing where Li Yu''s eyes were directed.


    Li Yu quickly turned his head back and continued walking up the mountain to check the weather.


    Xiao Latai felt a bit proud but also amused, seeing Li Yu taking a few steps then stopping to wait for her, the corners of her mouth slightly lifted.


    .....


    Meanwhile, Third Uncle and another person cautiously drove towards the County, intending not to enter the city but to find the tallest building on an essential path into the County for observation.


    After their initial conversation while on the road, the two stopped talking altogether.


    Soon, they found a good position at the edge of the city, where buildings were recently demolished in preparation for new construction, leaving a mess. However, behind those structures stood the Shangri-La Hotel, a ten-story building that, in this small County, was relatively tall.


    Driving slowly from the back courtyard, they moved around to the rear of the compound and stopped in a decrepit parking lot.


    After stopping the car, Uncle and Third Uncle did not get out immediately and sat in the vehicle for about five minutes before disembarking. After carrying the food and weapons, Third Uncle looked around and saw no one.


    Both then started running toward the upper floors; the building was large yet eerily quiet.


    Upon reaching the second floor, the carpet was still soft, but bloodstains and filth seemed to tell them about past events.


    The two proceeded carefully, one ahead of the other. Suddenly, halfway up the stairs to the third floor, Third Uncle at the front abruptly stopped and gently tapped Uncle, who was looking behind.


    Their gaze shifted to the third floor, where they saw a Zombie wandering. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Uncle signaled to Third Uncle with his eyes; Third Uncle nodded in agreement. There were no better buildings around, and a higher vantage point allowed a farther view.


    They decided to head up.


    Third Uncle moved swiftly like a ghost, rushing forward. Before the Zombie could react, he unsheathed a Dagger from his thigh and plunged it into the Zombie''s head.


    Slowly, Third Uncle laid the Zombie''s body to the ground, signaled Uncle with his hand to follow, and then slipped into the third floor.


    He promptly closed the door behind them.


    "Let''s clear it floor by floor. It''s better than having trouble sneaking up later. Any thoughts?" Uncle spoke.


    Third Uncle nodded; he agreed, preferring to deal with the Zombies now rather than encountering a horde when they needed to descend later.


    The two of them cooperated, fetched a spear from the car, and began clearing the building of Zombies floor by floor.


    On the fifth floor, just as Uncle kicked open a door, nearly 20 Zombies suddenly surged out. These Zombies had likely been confined there and hadn''t come out before.


    In a split-second, Uncle retreated quickly, wielding a Dagger in one hand and a spear in the other. He quickly dispatched the two initial Zombies that charged at him, agile and efficient.


    On the other hand, Third Uncle, upon seeing the Zombies, did not retreat but charged forward like a panther.


    As he ran, his slender spear pierced through the heads of the Zombies like a binding machine gone wild. Maintaining his speed, he instantly skewered four more Zombies through their skulls.


    Six Zombies fell to the ground, all within just a few seconds.


    The Zombies had no idea how formidable these two men were, instead charging at them even faster after seeing them.

 Chapter 153 - 145: Its Here

    After piercing through four zombies, Third Uncle kept moving and charged at the incoming zombies. They were well-equipped, making it hard for zombies to break through their defenses. Unless they were engulfed by a horde of zombies, fighting a few of them seemed like child''s play given the duo''s combat strength.


    Third Uncle drew his dagger and with each thrust, a zombie fell, the force he exerted not only penetrated their skulls but also flung them backward.


    In less than 10 seconds, there was a ground littered with zombies.


    The two exchanged glances, appreciating each other''s prowess.


    But Uncle was even more astonished. Despite giving his all, he had only killed half as many zombies as Third Uncle. Observing Li Yu''s Third Uncle''s method of dispatching zombies gave him the impression of special forces tactics.


    Ruthless, without a hint of hesitation.


    They conducted a thorough search of the building, cleaning out the zombies, and were surprised to find that there were nearly fifty zombies inside.


    On the 8th floor, they came across a husband and wife who had died of starvation. The door to their apartment was sealed shut. When Third Uncle forced the door open with brute strength, the scene struck a chord. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because just three rooms away and around the corner from this couple, there was some food, although expired. But by the looks of it, they never dared to leave their apartment.


    They would rather starve to death than face the zombies or fight back.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, the law of the jungle and survival of the fittest were even more pronounced.


    After cleaning out the entire building, the two secured the main entrance and made their way up to the rooftop. Behind the building were some low, rundown houses scheduled for demolition, and not far ahead was the national highway.


    Sweating profusely, they drank water on the rooftop, enjoying the cool breeze.


    Nowadays, people from the base rarely drank water from outside, often carrying several large bottles with them.


    This time, each of them brought 3L of water. It wasn''t a lot, but if rationed carefully, it could last about five to six days.


    As they sat, savoring the coolness, the sky gradually darkened, and the wind picked up. Soon, drops of rain began to fall.


    Drizzle turned into a torrential downpour.


    They quickly moved their belongings indoors, then felt the sudden drop in temperature. They wondered why the temperature had dropped so quickly with this rainfall.


    But now, with the rain pouring, would the Salvation Army still come?


    They didn''t know.


    Still, they had to wait here, anticipating the arrival of the Salvation Army.


    The rain that night was heavy, lashing non-stop. Many zombies emerged and ran out in the streets, howling and rampaging in the rain.


    Perhaps because there were more people at the base, the zombies'' sense of smell heightened during the rainfall, allowing them to detect the scent of humans inside the base. They crowded at the base''s perimeter walls.


    Li Yu, despite the rain, went up on the wall and looked down at the zombies. He wasn''t too worried about them breaching the base, but his concern grew for Third Uncle and the others.


    He had no idea how they were faring now.


    At the base, people continuously arrived on the walls, including Li Tie and others.


    Having previously experienced a Zombie Tide, they had drawn many lessons and ultimately cut some bamboo. Then, they tied spears to the tips, allowing them to impale zombies directly from the wall.


    The effect is good, and it doesn''t require much effort.


    These zombies need to be dealt with early, otherwise, as their numbers continue to increase, we''ll be overwhelmed.


    In the rain, the zombies become wildly aggressive, showing no fear in the face of the sharp spears, not that they understand fear. They keep coming, heads getting blown off one after another.


    This rain, we thought it would last for quite a while, but when dawn broke the next day, the sun emerged and the rain gradually lessened.


    The sun came out.


    The zombies, like migratory birds, leave the vicinity of the walls under this bursting sunlight to find some shady and cooler places to hide.


    Normally, after the rain, the temperature should have dropped significantly, but somehow, the sunlight is incredibly intense, and the already humid air turns oppressive and hot.


    Over at Third Uncle''s side, he and another person took turns watching out the window, six hours each throughout the night.


    After the rain, the sudden heat surprised them, but they haven''t forgotten their most important mission at the moment.


    To observe the Salvation Army''s tracks.


    Waiting, just waiting.


    A whole day passed, and during the night, a bright light suddenly flashed ahead.


    The light was long, coming from at least 10 vehicles forming a convoy.


    It happened to be Uncle''s watch; upon seeing this, he quickly woke Third Uncle.


    Third Uncle, using a telescope, saw a small bag on one of the vehicles, a bag that previously belonged to members of the Salvation Army.


    Alright, confirmed, these people are the Salvation Army!


    If Li Yu and the others were here, they would surely recognize some of these people, including Group Leader Qian, from the Salvation Army who had been here before.


    Third Uncle turned to Uncle and said, "We''ll leave one person to keep an eye on them, and one to go back to get Li Yu and the others to return. I''ll stay and track them. Go back now."


    Uncle looked at Third Uncle and didn''t argue over the decision. He simply agreed.


    They observed a while longer and clearly saw the convoy heading toward the county.


    These Salvation Army members, some of whom had been here before, had subjugated some groups and knew their locations.


    As Uncle watched the convoy depart from the national highway, he ran downstairs to an electric car below and pulled out a small folding electric scooter from the rear.


    The scooter was prepared for Third Uncle; since he needed to follow discretely, this silent and convenient scooter was perfect.


    "Walkie-talkie, we can use it to communicate," said Third Uncle after finishing his preparations.


    He packed his belongings, mounted the scooter, and followed the Salvation Army from a distance.


    Uncle nodded, turned to get into his vehicle, started it up, and hurried back to the base, a drive that would take over twenty minutes.


    Time was of the essence.


    He had to notify Li Yu and the others as quickly as possible to come and deal with this new wave of the Salvation Army.


    These Salvation Army members would definitely inquire with the small teams in the city and conduct searches.


    Although it was unclear how long the Salvation Army would stay, the earlier they arrived, the more time they''d have for tactical preparation.


    Meanwhile, Third Uncle rode a mini electric donkey, his imposing figure fully geared up on a tiny scooter, an indescribable sight amidst the absurdity.

 Chapter 154 - 146: Cant Stand It

    Third Uncle closely followed the group of Salvation Army, maintaining a certain distance while ensuring not to lose them.


    These Salvation Army members, large in number, making roaring noises wherever they went, added a layer of hustle and bustle to this city which should have been silent.


    Soon, the Salvation Army discovered a previously surviving group in the County, not many in number, around twenty people. When the Salvation Army found them, they were trying to flee.


    Seeing the fierce demeanor of the Salvation Army, it was clear nothing good would come. This small group was eventually surrounded by the Salvation Army, and overwhelmed by the disparity in strength, they were powerless to resist.


    This time, the leader of the Salvation Army was a man with a scar across his face, almost blinding one of his eyes.


    His scary scar exuded a killing aura, clearly someone who had taken many lives.


    Third Uncle was perched on a rooftop in the distance, motionless, watching these people. Due to the distance, he couldn''t hear their previous conversation, but through his telescope, he observed their facial expressions. It seemed that the leader of the Salvation Army was questioning the members of the small group.


    It was visible that the leader''s patience was wearing thin, and the panic became more evident on the faces of those kneeling on the ground. It seemed the Salvation Army said something that scared the kneeling people, followed by a look of pleading on their faces.


    Unmoved, the leader of the Salvation Army slowly walked forward and beheaded one of them.


    Following this execution, the other members of the group fought back even harder, standing up in a desperate struggle. But, due to the overwhelming power disparity, it was like moths to a flame. Although they managed to inflict minor injuries on the Salvation Army, they were ultimately annihilated.


    Seeing this, Third Uncle clenched his telescope. At the moment that man was killed, he thought about intervening to save them. But, the Salvation Army acted too swiftly in executing that man; it was sudden, and after that, the others were quickly wiped out.


    This showed that the Salvation Army was indeed tough to deal with, as if they had obliterated their humanity, killing without batting an eye and with no hesitation, which instilled a sense of dread in Third Uncle but also heightened his alertness.


    Watching these people get killed, Third Uncle reminded himself not to act rashly for the time being. Li Yu and the others had not arrived yet, and facing over a hundred people alone, he was not afraid. With the advantage of firearms, he was confident.


    However, if more people from the base could join, it would certainly be safer.


    Third Uncle hid on the rooftop, motionless, watching the movements of the Salvation Army. After killing these people, the Salvation Army quickly searched them, finding nothing valuable. After all, the apocalypse had been raging for a long while, and as a small group, they dared not venture far and had limited supplies.


    The commotion caused by the Salvation Army alerted other survivors in the County.


    The Salvation Army did not split up; they immediately drove towards another group, and Third Uncle was still closely following behind.


    Meanwhile, Uncle increased his driving speed to the fastest, rushing back.


    Under Uncle''s swift driving, they reached the gas station in about ten minutes. Uncle quickly took out the walkie-talkie and said directly, "Depart! The Salvation Army has been spotted in the County, Li Yu your Third Uncle is following them, we must hurry."


    "Okay, received, we are setting out immediately." Li Yu had been waiting on the wall, and now finally got the message from Uncle.


    At the base, Li Yu and others had prepared early. All firearms had been loaded onto the vehicles in Weng City as per their prior plan. Some people were still left at the base to ensure it was not attacked opportunistically.


    Li Gang, Li Tie, Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Second Uncle and others stayed at the base. Li Yu led the team, with Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Li Hang, Li Haoran, Uncle Zhang Qinchao, Ding Jiu, and two workers, nearly ten people in total.


    The gate of the base opened, and Li Yu and others divided into three vehicles and set out.


    Soon on the national highway, they saw cars approaching from the opposite side, it was Uncle''s.


    Uncle quickly changed direction, heading towards the destination in the County.


    ....


    In the County, Third Uncle closely followed the Salvation Army and others, and after seeing them go to the building originally occupied by Song Min, they found no trace of Song Min and the others. They then returned to the County center to look for members of other groups.


    However, after searching around the County for a while, they couldn''t find anyone else, so the personnel began to disperse. After all, moving around in such a large group makes a lot of noise. Even from a far distance, their movements could be heard.


    Seeing the people dispersing, Third Uncle had an idea.


    He checked his watch. It had been almost half an hour since Uncle Li Yu had left. He should be arriving soon.


    Coincidentally, a few members of the Salvation Army were heading in his direction. Third Uncle lowered his body, but coincidentally, these members insisted on coming in his direction, leaving him with no choice.


    Before long, these five Salvation Army members arrived in the direction of Third Uncle, who was hiding in a relatively concealed spot, but these members did not come because they had seen someone.


    Instead, they came to urinate.


    Crouching behind a door, Third Uncle watched as these few started to fiddle with their pants pockets and guessed what they were about to do. He checked his watch again; Li Yu and the others should also be almost there. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of the Salvation Army members seemed to be preparing to pee.


    Damn it!


    They were facing towards Third Uncle''s position.


    Could he tolerate this?


    Third Uncle suddenly swung the door open, sending it flying straight towards those five men.


    These five were just about to pee, each with a cigarette in his mouth, chatting at the moment. They hadn''t noticed someone behind the door, and the sudden door took them by surprise.


    They quickly used their hands to resist the door panel, without even managing to zip up properly.


    Puchi!


    Taking advantage of their struggle with the door, Third Uncle swiftly closed in, stabbing one of them directly in the neck with a dagger!


    As the dagger was pulled out from the neck, blood sprayed out.


    After killing this man, Third Uncle quickly moved towards another man to the right, who hadn''t yet had time to react.


    The dagger had just been pulled from the first man''s neck, and now, with a large swing fueled by unstoppable force and inertia, it thrust towards the next man''s neck.


    At the same time, the other three had barely started to react. Two of them were still pushing the door, staring at Third Uncle with shock and fear in their eyes!


    It was all too sudden �C one second they were peeing, and now two were dead.


    The killing continued. After murdering two, Third Uncle did not stop for a moment. Seizing the instant those three looked towards him, he stepped forward and lunged again.


    His step was heavy, his speed even faster.

 Chapter 155 - 147: Furious Third Uncle

    Since the few people were all within close range, only a step or two away. Third Uncle rushed toward the third person, who seemed to realize what was happening and tried to resist as he saw Third Uncle charging at him. Their weapons were set aside since they had just relieved themselves, and they hadn''t picked them up yet.


    Third Uncle moved forward and thrust his dagger into the man''s neck without a moment''s hesitation.


    Then he pushed the body toward the fourth person, and while the fourth man was pushing the body away, Third Uncle''s gaze sharpened as he saw the fifth person about to shout.


    With his left hand, he drew another dagger and swung it with great force, piercing directly through the man''s throat.


    As he swung the dagger, he charged forward and slashed his blade at the last member of the Salvation Army.


    However, this member of the Salvation Army seemed quite capable, reacting quickly. He pushed the body he was about to shove at Third Uncle; Third Uncle dodged swiftly, his right hand releasing the dagger, bringing it down swiftly.


    Struck directly in the last member''s abdomen.


    The man clutched his stomach, about to crouch down to pick up a weapon, but Third Uncle had already approached, pulling the dagger from the man''s abdomen with his right hand.


    With his other hand firmly covering the man''s mouth,


    the dagger in his hand plunged again, at a rapid speed, striking nearly 5 times within a matter of seconds.


    All of this happened in the blink of an eye. These five Salvation Army members had no time to react before they were all taken down by Third Uncle with his dagger.


    A gust of wind blew. Third Uncle laid down the body he was holding, pulled out the dagger, and wiped it on the victim''s clothes, seemingly unbothered.


    The reason he did not use firearms was to avoid attracting too many Salvation Army members at once. Before being discovered, he aimed to eliminate as many as possible.


    Such narrow alleys in the County were his expertise.


    Third Uncle took out his walkie-talkie, trying to communicate with Li Yu and the others, but still no sound came through. However, they had made some marks along the way and he believed they would see them. Considering the size of the County, it was possible that they might encounter the Salvation Army members who were dispersed.


    Next, Third Uncle started his fierce rampage.


    Continuously reaping necks.


    .....


    This was already the 53rd person Third Uncle had killed with his knife, and the Salvation Army seemed to have noticed something.


    Eventually, when bodies were discovered on the ground, a sharp siren sounded in the quiet County, a signal from the Salvation Army indicating they need to urgently regroup.


    Meanwhile, Third Uncle had taken down two more men.


    Hearing the siren, Third Uncle directly headed toward the sound. At that moment, his earpiece crackled with a voice: "Third Uncle, where are you? Where are you?"


    "I''m on Fumin Road, they are sounding the siren, probably gathering. Hurry over," Third Uncle responded, then took off his earpiece and rushed toward the sound.


    Now that people were arriving, it was time to fight openly. After all, these men were doomed.


    Running, Third Uncle encountered members of the Salvation Army and took them down with his gun.


    As gunshots rang out, the Salvation Army grew uncertain.


    Third Uncle ran with incredible speed, managing to maintain shooting while on the run.


    The sound of the horn was not far away, less than a kilometer. Upon arrival, Third Uncle looked ahead alone, nearly a hundred Salvation Army members formed a line across the street, filling it up.


    The leader at the front, his rank likely above that of Group Leader Qian, with Qian standing behind him.


    The leader looked at Third Uncle, who was radiating a murderous aura, and felt extremely shaken with anger. He just discovered someone targeting them, probably this very man! He''s no ordinary person; in such a short time, he managed to kill so many of their people, and without making a sound, which indicated one thing: before their death, they had no ability to resist at all.


    One can imagine how terrifying this man was.


    The Salvation Army was somewhat quiet at this moment.


    Known for terror, cold-blooded cruelty symbolized the Salvation Army; they were quiet now, especially shocked after just finding those bodies. Especially on that street, nearly 20 men were silently slaughtered.


    Like a ghost, like the sickle of death, severing their throats.


    These hundred-plus people, seeing Third Uncle covered in blood, felt as if they were seeing a demon, hair standing on end, shivers running down their spines.


    "Who are you? Do you intend to be an enemy of the Salvation Army? Were those my men you killed just now!? Do you know the consequences of opposing the Salvation Army?" the leader shouted loudly.


    In fact, he was also somewhat apprehensive, but as the third ranking officer of the Salvation Army, he needed to maintain dignity in front of others, especially since it had been several days since Xiao Mao and others hadn''t returned. They hadn''t transported the supplies back on time, which definitely indicated problems.


    He came to solve the issues, it wouldn''t make sense for him, as the current person in charge, to show cowardice now.


    Third Uncle ignored him, looking at the Salvation Army before him, he wasn''t panicked. He was only worried about someone escaping, which would be troublesome.


    The sound of Third Uncle''s gunfire just now, and the loud horn of the Salvation Army, meant that Li Yu and the others could receive the signal through the walkie-talkie, which indicated they weren''t far away.


    Let''s just hold these people off for now.


    It seemed that before Third Uncle could speak, the leader pulled out a handgun, as did Qian.


    Seeing this, Third Uncle''s thoughts flickered; though he wore a bulletproof vest and protective gear today, he wasn''t far from these men.


    Unfazed, he slightly lifted the automatic rifle in his hand.


    For a moment, both sides were as tense as drawn bows.


    The Salvation Army leader, having noticed the rifle in Third Uncle''s hands already, now began to speculate whether Third Uncle was military personnel, and if there were other military forces?


    But, hadn''t the military been gone for a long time? sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hence he spoke, "Brother, we manage as we must now, after all, someone has to do the managing, right? Moreover, the Government is nowhere to be seen, so are the troops still around?"


    Third Uncle glanced at this man; he knew that the man was probing, trying hard to ascertain his identity.


    Suddenly, Third Uncle saw Li Yu and others faintly appearing behind the group of Salvation Army. Especially Li Yu, who popped his head out and pointed to his ear.


    With a slight smile curling his lips, Third Uncle put on the earpiece.


    "Third Uncle, chat with them for a bit longer, we''ve surrounded them, let no one escape. Three minutes will suffice," Li Yu''s voice came through by his ear.


    The Salvation Army personnel looked puzzled at Third Uncle, following his gaze towards the back, but saw nothing.


    "Cough cough!" Third Uncle coughed dryly, catching the attention of the Salvation Army and others.


    "I have a little donkey, but I never ride it; do you know why?" Third Uncle''s face remained composed, as he started engaging the Salvation Army in a very serious tone.

 Chapter 156 - 148: Killing Quickly

    The leader of the enemies was flabbergasted, unable to comprehend why this middle-aged man before them was suddenly asking such a bizarre question.


    "What exactly are you trying to say?" the leader of the Salvation Army asked, puzzled.


    "It might rain today," Third Uncle continued, his eyes glancing sideways towards Li Yu and the others who were encircling to the side.


    "....."


    "Could he be an idiot?" a certain little Luo murmured.


    Meanwhile, Li Yu and those behind Third Uncle had quickly formed a surrounding position around the Salvation Army members, all hiding behind pillars without revealing themselves.


    Li Yu raised his hand to signal.


    Third Uncle realized what was happening and gently lowered the firearm he was holding.


    Relieved, the Salvation Army leader and Director Qian, both wielding guns, also slowly lowered their handguns.


    The Salvation Army had always been short on firearms and ammunition, which couldn''t endure long consumption. Now, bullets were limited and counted. Even the handgun in the leader''s hand had only two magazines.


    Li Yu, behind Third Uncle, noticed that the Salvation army had lowered their handgun and not aimed at Third Uncle, quickly fired his gun.


    A single shot struck the leader''s hand. This person could not die; he was the highest-ranking leader to have arrived here, with the most knowledge, and keeping him alive would yield more information.


    Half a second after the first shot, another shot hit Director Qian''s gun-hand, and the handgun simultaneously fell to the ground.


    With two gunshots ringing out, the Salvation Army leader hadn''t had time to shout.


    Gunfire broke out from behind them.


    Bang bang bang!


    Suddenly, gunfire erupted loudly.


    Li Yu and the others who had surrounded the Salvation Army had been prepared for this. Before arriving, they had already planned to quickly eliminate the enemy and avoid dragging things out.


    The situation on the ground was unfolding. At the front of the street was Third Uncle, wielding a submachine gun and continuously firing at the Salvation Army.


    On the left and right sides, Li Yu, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, and others rained bullets upon the Salvation Army.


    Like cutting down wheat, members of the Salvation Army fell in swathes.


    The street was already open, with nothing to provide cover, so the Salvation Army members were like lambs to the slaughter under the guns of Li Yu and his team.


    Li Yu had always had this habit, to deal with the enemy before any words if possible, so there was little room for the enemy to resist.


    And there was no time for any idle chatter.


    After being struck by bullets, the Salvation Army leader howled in agony but immediately, upon hearing the surrounding gunfire, suppressed the pain of his pierced wrist bone, clutched the wound tightly with his right hand, and dropped to the ground. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This drop saved his life, as the bullets that flew towards him soon after narrowly missed his head.


    Bullets poured down like rain upon the bodies of a hundred.


    Originally, the Salvation Army brought a little over a hundred people, fewer than two hundred.


    But before this, with Third Uncle fighting alone, nearly 60 had already been killed. Now, on this street, with about a hundred remaining, they had little power to resist against firepower.


    This was a tragedy.


    The tragedy of the survival of the fittest, the tragedy of hitting a hard rock.


    In less than a few minutes, only wails of agony remained in the street.


    After all, not everyone is a sharpshooter; people like Uncle and Fourth Uncle, although they have used firearms in the base, this time they are truly taking up guns to kill.


    There is always a first time for everything. How else can one grow?


    So, even knowing their Spear Skills aren''t very good, they were still brought along. This too, is a form of training. I believe after this time, they will become more adapted to this post-apocalyptic world.


    A single tree cannot make a forest; people at the base must grow.


    The gunfire ceased, and Li Yu and the others drew their Long Knives and started heading towards these people.


    Often in movies and TV shows, we see characters not delivering a finishing stab after defeating an enemy, allowing for the enemy to have a chance to escape and later surface to seek revenge.


    Li Yu always made it a point to deliver the finishing stab to his enemies. This habit had been adopted by everyone else at the base, who now did the same.


    Li Yu did not go to finish off the fallen enemies, but instead approached the Salvation Army leader hiding behind a few bodies. When he had shot earlier, he had been very careful to avoid this man.


    The purpose was not to kill him, at least not yet.


    There is much about Brother Mao that is uncertain, which calls for someone to verify.


    The leader squinted his eyes, searching the ground for his Handgun that had been dropped earlier,


    slowly turned his head, sinking it down as if trying to play it cool, but seeing Li Yu and his people relentlessly delivering finishing stabs,


    he figured his turn would come eventually.


    Unable to restrain himself any longer, he spied an opportunity, immediately rose to his feet, and bolted toward a narrow alley; but the alley was quite distance away from the street, not to mention the street was littered with corpses, causing him to trip.


    Li Yu watched him and yelled, "Move again, and I''ll shoot."


    The leader immediately stopped, and as if resigned to his fate, suddenly went from panic to calm.


    Li Yu saw some survivors on the ground, most with gunshot wounds, so he had Dapao gather them for questioning.


    The leader saw this man who made quick and decisive kills and roughly understood why Brother Mao and the others hadn''t returned.


    There was absolutely no room for recovery, not even a chance to speak, just immediate shooting.


    Terrifying indeed.


    He even felt that compared to these ruthless and ferocious people, they, the Salvation Army, were meek as lambs.


    "I''m coming over, I''ve been shot, don''t kick me, ah!" A cry of alarm came from nearby.


    One of the Salvation Army members was shot in the thigh but was otherwise unharmed. Lying on the ground unwilling to move, Dapao kicked him not only once but also thrust a knife into the man''s other leg.


    This Salvation Army member wanted to cry but had no tears. Seeing Dapao''s cold expression, he didn''t dare linger, but with both legs now injured, he couldn''t stand up.


    However, he couldn''t afford to pause even for a moment; on the contrary, he crawled forward with effort, moving surprisingly quickly.


    Some Salvation Army members wanted to resist, but typically Li Yu''s side worked in pairs, one delivering the stab while the other watched.


    Yang Tianlong and Third Uncle, one in front and one behind, were always watching the street for anyone trying to stand up, promptly executing them on the spot.


    Two individuals tried to play dead, only to be ruthlessly shot dead.


    In less than 10 minutes, the Salvation Army of over a hundred were reduced to less than 10.


    Survivors.


    But these Salvation Army members, mostly wounded, were huddled on the ground moaning, looking at Li Yu and the others as if they were seeing demons.


    Fourth Uncle had always been rather naive, slow to react to many things. Having killed some enemies together before, he now looked at the corpses on the ground, seemingly unfazed.

 Chapter 157 - 149: Interrogation

    But for Uncle, this was also the first time he had seen so many people killed; moreover, he himself had personally killed at least 5 people just now.


    His hand holding the knife was trembling slightly, but seeing the indifference of Ding Jiu and Li Hang beside him, he also reminded himself silently. Relax, relax, be ruthless.


    It seemed like an inner therapy, effective.


    After a few breaths, his hand was no longer trembling, and looking at these Salvation Army on the ground, he no longer harbored any pity.


    According to what Li Yu had said, if they did not kill these people today, they would be killed by them tomorrow. In this era, that''s how it is, looking at the corpses on the ground, blood flowing into rivers, intestines by the side all entangled, that person''s luck was somewhat bad, being hit by several people.


    Suppressing the urge to vomit, his eyes gradually became fierce and merciless.


    If we don''t kill them, they will kill us!


    The world is just that cruel.


    People were finishing off the wounded in the bloody mud, while Li Yu, Dapao, Third Uncle, and Yang Tianlong looked at the remaining 10 people, including the lead of the Salvation Army''s team.


    "Which one of you is the leader? Is it you?" Li Yu looked at the leader of the Salvation Army, previously suspecting, but now wanting confirmation.


    "Yes, I am." said the leader of the Salvation Army, expressionless.


    Li Yu was somewhat surprised. So calm?


    "You came here to look for the group that came before, didn''t you?" asked Li Yu.


    "Heh," replied the leader, forcing a smile without any pleasure.


    Li Yu felt uncomfortable. Damn, another tough nut to crack. Why does it always have to be tough nuts?


    He called over Dapao and Yang Tianlong to do the interrogation, they had experience in this area.


    Dapao approached with an indifferent face, but in that moment, Li Yu saw a hint of excitement in his eyes.


    Could it be that torturing people, brings out a sense of pleasure?


    He always felt that the people in his base, whether because they were influenced by him or not, were showing some signs of perversion.


    But thankfully, although they were extremely vicious towards enemies when they were on missions,


    They tended to be very harmonious and positive when they were inside the base.


    There was a sense of extreme dualism, perhaps influenced by Li Yu.


    ....


    Li Yu looked down at the others on the ground and began to ask: "Do you know why you came here?" S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nobody spoke.


    Li Yu drew his spear and pierced one of them through the head.


    The spear was very sharp.


    Li Yu''s strength was immense, and combined with his daily training since his resurrection and his refined technique, the man did not make a sound before he was killed.


    As the spear was pulled out, blood followed and sprayed out, splashing onto some people''s faces.


    The Salvation Army, who were usually fierce and vicious, now found their roles completely reversed - they had become the prey.


    Their previous silence might have been due to unfamiliarity with this shift in role, but now, right before their eyes, Li Yu had ruthlessly, decisively killed one of them.


    It snapped them awake.


    Li Yu''s gaze was like a blade as he looked at one of them.


    The man''s eyes dodged, but upon raising his head, he found Li Yu''s stare still fixed on him, unwavering.


    In the silence, after 3 seconds, unable to bear the pressure any longer,


    He spoke out.


    "We, we came to find Brother Mao and the others. They had not been in contact for a long time after coming here," the man said.


    "How many of you are there in total?" Li Yu asked.


    "The exact number isn''t clear, but definitely over 700. Last, last time we even held a big celebration. The boss said we have now broken through 700 people," said the man, his survival instinct strong, eyes seeming to want to dodge.


    Li Yu observed the man''s eyes, judging whether he was lying.


    "Where is your headquarters?" Li Yu asked with an icy tone.


    "In the suburbs of Southern City, to the west. There used to be a large factory there. We are located there because that factory was under military-style management, so it is strongly fortified, and it''s hard for zombies to get in..." For some reason, the man began to show fear, horrified.


    But once he started talking under Li Yu''s terrifying gaze, he didn''t dare to lie. Like spilling beans, he began to reveal everything he knew to Li Yu and the others.


    This was a talkative person.


    Some people become utterly silent under stress,


    Some involuntarily lose control over their bladder and bowels,


    And some just cannot stop talking when they are nervous.


    Li Yu was gratified. It seemed that the importance of the leader of the Salvation Army wasn''t as significant anymore.


    This talkative man was good. Obedient and sensible, with the right pace of speech and logical too.


    From this man''s mouth, it became known that the Salvation Army now definitely had more than 700 people, roughly in line with what Brother Mao said, and they only had 10 firearms with not much ammunition.


    Furthermore, they learned from him that the boss of the Salvation Army used to be the manager of this militarily-managed factory, which was a mould-making plant.


    Even now, many members of the Salvation Army used to work in that factory.


    So much for Salvation Army, until now he had thought that the boss of the Salvation Army was a very formidable person.


    Additionally, the Salvation Army had already expanded its influence, controlling over 20 subordinate groups, and their regular mission was to collect protection money from these groups.


    According to this talkative member of the Salvation Army, among those 20 groups, some were large, nearing a hundred people, while some were small, barely reaching 20.


    Some groups consisted entirely of women, while some had members of all genders and ages. A common characteristic was that none of these groups had firearms.


    Yes, firearms, firearms seemed like a form of de-dimensional striking in this post-apocalyptic world.


    The Government''s powers had yet to appear, as if shrouded in mystery, elusive and unseen.


    Even the military had vanished without a trace.


    There was even widespread rumor among Survivors that they were gone.


    This spurred many people to become even more reckless, daring to do things they would never have attempted before, and to do them tenfold.


    It was as if everyone had entered the age of cold weapons; no one had firearms anymore.


    After all, in this place of XX, unlike other countries, the control over guns was extremely strict, so the lack of firearms was somewhat expected.


    But how did Li Yu and his group have firearms? This was like cheating, wasn''t it?


    These were also the thoughts in the hearts of the remaining Salvation Army Survivors.


    So unfair!


    Li Yu listened carefully to the man''s narration, as if it eased some of the gloom in his heart, the uncooperative nature of the leader of the Salvation Army, tough as nails, revolting, and hard to deal with.


    Suddenly it all felt much more relaxed.


    If only all of them were like this young man.


    Obedient. And chatty.


    ...

 Chapter 158 - 150: Reaping Two Guns

    Li Yu patted the man''s shoulder to encourage him.


    He listened quietly to the man''s story. Nearby, the other Salvation Army members bore the pain of their wounds in silence, not daring to make a sound.


    Because just moments ago, someone had let out a loud wail of pain, interrupting Li Yu as he listened to the man speak.


    Li Yu speared him, giving him a chill to the heart.


    After that, no one else dared make a sound.


    A breeze passed through, carrying a heavy scent of blood in the air.


    For some reason, Li Yu looked up at the sky. While it had been clear just a second ago, now some dark clouds were gathering on the horizon.


    He had an ominous feeling in his heart, thumping rapidly.


    Palpitations.


    The chatterbox on the ground had finished laying out everything he knew about the Salvation Army. Now he started rambling about stories from his childhood.


    Li Yu lifted his long spear, his face cold and his tone indifferent as he addressed the group, "Do any of you have anything to add? A good performance might just spare your lives."


    As soon as the Salvation Army members on the ground heard this, they struggled as if camels finding an oasis in the desert. They began to blurt out everything they knew.


    Suddenly, seven or eight mouths spoke at once, a constant babbling.


    Li Yu couldn''t make out anything clear. He waved his spear and shouted, "Silence! Speak one at a time; I''ll ask the questions."


    He pointed at the chatterbox who still lay on the ground talking, though now at a much lower volume, and said to everyone, "Is everything he said just now true?"


    Silence fell as everyone seemed to wait for someone else to speak.


    Li Yu was getting a headache. "I''m giving you a chance to speak, so why the silence?"


    "You, speak," he said, pointing to someone at the front.


    "Yes, it''s true. And I also know something about our headquarters..." S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In this orderly fashion, one by one, they began to speak, and Li Yu along with those beside him slowly listened.


    ...


    Elsewhere, Dapao was as if facing the greatest enemy of his life. The ringleader was tight-lipped, not revealing a single word.


    By now, he was tortured to near death.


    Blood covered his face, and his body was marred with wounds, his fingernails all peeled back. His eyes glared murderously at Li Yu.


    Like a mummy, he remained unresponsive even as Dapao beat him and applied torture.


    "Brother Yu, over here, I, cough cough, he isn''t talking..." Dapao reported to Li Yu, looking at the half-dead leader on the ground, seemingly ashamed for not getting the man to disclose much information.


    "It doesn''t matter, I have already gathered the necessary intel," Li Yu replied indifferently.


    Suddenly, two zombies burst out from the end of the street, extremely fast, reaching Li Yu and the others in less than five seconds.


    "Watch out, zombies!" Li Hang, who had been on lookout duty around the perimeter, shouted loudly as everyone''s gaze turned towards the street.


    Third Uncle and Uncle at the front quickly reacted, their spears piercing straight through the zombies'' skulls.


    The arrival of these two zombies was incredibly strange; there had been no sign of them before, and their speed was astonishingly fast.


    Third Uncle and Uncle sighed in relief after dispatching the two zombies.


    However, more zombies appeared at the end of the street, nearly 30 of them, charging toward Li Yu and his group like madmen.


    Third Uncle, Uncle, and the others drew their spears, ready to dispatch these zombies with melee weapons.


    Li Yu looked toward the zombies at the end of the street, tensing up at their speed��so fast!


    Why?


    A sudden attack?


    As if possessed, Li Yu looked up and saw a vast expanse of dark clouds drifting from the distance, seemingly endless, while the sky above them remained clear.


    It was as if split into the realm of yin and yang; one side blanketed with dark clouds, the other clear skies.


    But from the looks of it, this dark cloud will soon reach us, too.


    Li Yu''s mind flashed with a very bad thought. Zombies often have a sharper sense for impending storms than humans, just like how ants move their eggs and snakes emerge from their burrows before rain.


    Animals always have a way of sensing extreme weather earlier than humans do.


    These zombies, being able to run out here and with such speed, surely indicate a heavy downpour is imminent.


    Judging by the situation, this storm is likely to be intense; otherwise, zombies wouldn''t dare to come out in a place that''s still basking in sunshine.


    We must move fast!


    All this contemplation happened in the blink of an eye.


    Li Yu shouted towards Uncle and Third Uncle, "Use guns! These zombies are tough to deal with. Finish them off and let''s pull out quickly! There''s trouble!"


    Upon hearing this, Third Uncle didn''t hesitate at all. He placed down his spear, raised his automatic rifle, and started shooting at the zombies.


    Bang Bang Bang!


    Third Uncle''s Spear Skills were extremely precise, both quick and accurate. Although the zombies were fast, they were killed with headshots before even reaching Third Uncle.


    Uncle and Yang Tianlong beside him also fired their guns.


    Li Yu looked down at the Salvation Army members on the ground and thought: With guns and sharp shooting, Third Uncle and the others can handle these thirty zombies without much problem.


    Looking at the people in front of them, who killed without blinking an eye, the Salvation Army members on the ground felt that their own self-proclaimed title of King Yan was nothing but a joke.


    Li Yu raised his submachine gun.


    Bang! He shot and killed a member of the Salvation Army on the ground.


    This, to the surprise of many, was Li Yu directly opening fire, followed by shooting all the Salvation Army members on the ground.


    Li Hang and Uncle beside him looked at Li Yu in a daze. Weren''t you just saying that if they confessed, you would let them go?


    Bang Bang Bang!


    The sounds of gunfire from where Li Yu, Third Uncle, and Uncle were firing shone together.


    The gunfire stopped!


    Even the loquacious talker who was very obedient and loved to speak was shot by Li Yu.


    Seemingly noticing the confusion from Li Hang and others, Li Yu said indifferently, "Honor is important, but in this post-apocalyptic world, honor depends on who it is directed towards. Spare them today and they might come to kill you and your entire family tomorrow.


    When encountering people, be friends if possible, strangers if not offending each other is an option, but once they become enemies, there''s no honor to speak of. We must be thorough in our actions."


    Li Yu previously despised something that happens often in movies.


    Clearly, the villain had killed the protagonist''s loved ones or friends.


    The protagonist would seek revenge but be compelled by something, forcing the enemy to say something. If the enemy doesn''t speak, the protagonist threatens to let them off.


    Then, once the enemy speaks, the protagonist lets them go.


    But after the enemy is spared, they often return more powerful, and the protagonist suffers as friends and family are slaughtered. Only then does the protagonist finally realize and vanquish the enemy after being tormented.


    In the end, the protagonist is alone, filled with regret for the rest of their life.


    The world is full of deceptions; apart from life and death, nothing else matters.


    Apart from the people you love and those who love you, nothing else matters.


    Righteousness and morality are like a beam of light in this apocalypse.


    If you can uphold them without harming yourself and your family, then of course, you should.


    But the fear is that kind of blind righteousness and morality concerned with saving face, where people would rather let their family or themselves starve to death than stoop to earn money.


    Li Yu is not such a person.


    Honor is not something to be upheld with everyone.


    After hearing what his older brother said, Li Hang felt it made a lot of sense; if he wasn''t holding a submachine gun, he''d want to take out a notebook and jot it all down.


    Li Yu glanced over at Third Uncle, who had already dealt with the zombies.


    Looking at the dark clouds on the horizon drawing closer, the feeling of unease grew stronger, and even the hairs on his body began to stand on end.

 Chapter 159 - 151: The Onslaught of the Storm

    Li Yu hurriedly shouted, "Everyone, clean up the battlefield quickly, let''s head back to the base! Quick! Quick! Quick!"


    Under his shouted command, everyone was somewhat startled and puzzled.


    They seldom saw Li Yu so agitated. For a moment, they didn''t know why, but after hearing Li Yu''s words, they didn''t stop their hands and quickly cleaned up the Salvation Army''s belongings, including weapons, food, and so on.


    Third Uncle quickly glanced at a Zombie less than 3 meters away from him, he also clearly felt that the Zombies now were almost in the same state as they had been in the previous storm during the Zombie Tide.


    But now, it was a clear day.


    Slowly, he raised his head and saw a dark cloud slowly drifting over from the distance.


    He immediately understood Li Yu''s intention.


    While cleaning up the battlefield, Li Yu shouted, "A heavy rain is coming! Look at those dark clouds over there! Quick, I have a feeling that this rain will be intense! It''s dangerous for us to be outside right now, let''s hurry back."


    His voice was very urgent, but also carried a trace of calmness.


    When everyone saw the dark clouds, they all felt a bit fearful. With every rain, Zombies would enter a Frenzy State. The heavier the rain, the more ferocious the Zombies became, and the longer it rained, the more insane they got.


    However, during previous rains, Dapao and the others had been outside, and although the Zombies became more agile, they didn''t feel this terrifying.


    Li Yu had already shared his suspicions with everyone. Although he also wasn''t sure why, his sixth sense told him that this upcoming storm... sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Was anything but ordinary!


    The group acted quickly, throwing the scavenged items directly onto the Salvation Army''s vehicles.


    Among the Salvation Army''s vehicles, there were a few good ones. Since it was free why not take advantage? Nearly everyone present could drive, so if each person took one vehicle, they could all just make it back.


    Everyone moved swiftly, and the battlefield was cleaned up in a mere two or three minutes.


    Li Yu had rummaged through the battlefield earlier and found the two guns of the Salvation Army.


    After finding them, he headed straight to the vehicle, then took the lead towards the base.


    Behind him, Third Uncle, Uncle, and others glanced at the ground where some items were left behind, uncollected due to Li Yu''s unshakable feeling of doom urging everyone on.


    Even to the point where in the end, Li Yu started telling everyone not to pick up any more items and just leave.


    Under such urging, the group gathered weapons and some of the food.


    "Let''s go!!!!!" Looking back at the approaching dark clouds, Li Yu felt an increasing sense of unease and shouted aloud at everyone.


    Li Yu drove fast, and Li Hang and others behind him followed closely, not daring to fall behind.


    Although Li Hang didn''t know why, he had always listened to his big brother''s words since childhood, and when he didn''t listen, the lessons were usually severe.


    As for Third Uncle and Uncle, too many past events had proven Li Yu''s correctness, so even if it was a bit regrettable, they didn''t dare to stay any longer.


    The convoy began to head towards the base.


    Everyone drove at an extremely fast speed.


    The dark clouds, which originally seemed to be in the distance, now for some reason were approaching at an increasing velocity.


    Within 3 minutes of their swift escape, they had left the city, and as soon as they got out, they heard the roaring of Zombies in the County.


    Followed by a mass of Zombie roars.


    At the city''s edge, Li Yu, through the rearview mirror, clearly saw Zombies emerging from sewer exits!


    Good thing we left quickly!


    Otherwise, if they had delayed for another two minutes just then, it would be very difficult to escape from the city by now. In the city, without the solid walls of the base, even armed with guns, bullets would be exhausted.


    And with so many Zombies in the city, if one were to become overtaken by fatigue, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Third Uncle and Uncle behind also heard the Zombie roars and watched through the rearview mirror as Zombies began to gather where the roars were coming from the County.


    Zombies are often drawn to noise: they move towards loud sounds and where there are many of them, thus, the Zombie Tide often grows over time with more rainfall leading to larger swarms.


    Third Uncle and others breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully.


    They were grateful, if not for Li Yu, they would be in trouble just now.


    Once again validating Li Yu''s correctness, Third Uncle and others secretly felt that they should listen to Li Yu in the future.


    After escaping the city, that sense of palpitation in Li Yu''s heart still lingered, and his hair stood on end.


    Li Yu felt a shiver run down his spine!


    Something was still not right, there was still a problem!


    Suddenly, two zombies charged towards him; Li Yu''s vehicle was a heavy truck selected from the Salvation Army fleet.


    The heavy truck had a strong impact force, high protection, and plenty of horsepower.


    Li Yu reacted quickly, without the slightest attempt to swerve, he rammed straight into the two zombies.


    Bang!


    Rolling, tumbling.


    Splatter!


    After being struck by the front of the truck, the zombies were swept under the vehicle. The first set of tires didn''t flatten them, but the second set did, crushing them into a pulpy mess.


    Li Yu''s vehicle had a good impact force; if the zombies weren''t killed when hit by him, then the cars behind would have to deal with them. It was better for Li Yu to clear the path upfront.


    In fact, the reason Li Yu chose this vehicle in the county was precisely for the possibility of encountering zombies on the road, hence the selection of this truck.


    There was no time to delay.


    Li Yu glanced at the sky in the rearview mirror.


    He saw the dark clouds, which were now rapidly approaching. The clouds that had previously seemed tens of kilometers away now felt just a few kilometers from them.


    Li Yu hurriedly accelerated and pressed the walkie-talkie button, speaking to the ten cars behind him: "Don''t fall behind, keep in contact at all times, don''t fall behind, don''t fall behind!"


    "Received."


    "Received."


    "Received."


    ...


    Listening to the responses coming in, Li Yu counted the people in his mind��all were present.


    He felt a slight sense of relief.


    But that feeling of palpitations still didn''t fade away.


    Another 5 minutes passed, during which Li Yu''s frown deepened. In these five minutes, they encountered nearly 30 zombies.


    From initially one every minute to five every minute, and then to ten every minute��an exponential increase.


    The day was originally sunny with a bright sun, and there were hardly any zombies on the road; now the sky seemed much darker as if it were evening, though it was only two o''clock in the afternoon!


    And on the road, what was once empty, now within sight, there were zombies everywhere.


    These zombies severely hindered their driving speed. Under normal circumstances, the drive from the base to the county would only take 20 minutes.


    In a car chase, it would probably take just over ten minutes.


    Now, with more and more zombies and the dark clouds closing in, it was getting difficult.


    The abundance of zombies hampered Li Yu''s driving speed, and if Li Yu was slow, the cars behind him were slow too.


    Li Yu saw Third Uncle following behind him in the rearview mirror and had an idea; Second Uncle''s truck was also a cargo vehicle��quite sturdy.


    Two vehicles clearing the path would be faster than one, and it would reduce the danger for the cars behind, leaving more gaps and slowing down the speed at which zombies could swarm.


    After adjusting, their speed indeed increased a lot.


    ...


    What they didn''t know was that a horde of zombies, thick as bees in a hive, lay not far beneath the dark clouds.


    And as time passed, the Zombie Tide grew ever larger.


    A blanket that seemed endless covered the sky!


    It gave an oppressive feeling, as if a dark cloud was about to crush the city.


    ......��


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    The book title is "Blind for Five Years, I Became the Human Race''s Sage of Literature."

 Chapter 160 - 152: Destroying Heaven and Earth

    Dark clouds press down upon the city, with thick clouds sealing it shut.


    Li Yu''s heart palpitated stronger as he saw more and more zombies ahead.


    No one dared to stop or get distracted; from the rearview mirror, everyone could see the dark clouds behind them.


    Yet, none had seen under those clouds, a vast tide of zombies.


    Everyone remained focused, continuously driving the cars, fearing distraction might get them trapped by zombies on both sides of the road.


    One minute, two minutes, three minutes, four minutes, five minutes.


    Under such rapid driving, with Third Uncle and Li Yu''s cars leading the way,


    the journey was smooth and without incident.


    At the very front, if Li Yu had just used an electric car, he might have been surrounded by zombies.


    At this moment, Li Yu still frowning, seeing that there was still some distance to the base, yet the gas station was not far ahead.


    However, the number of zombies was increasing. Many were climbing up from the fields, emerging from valleys, and even some were moving towards the direction they had come from.


    What was behind them?


    Just as Li Yu was puzzled, S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    suddenly, through the car window, he saw the dark clouds in the sky behind them very close, and below the sky, densely packed with zombies.


    From the perspective of the rearview mirror, it seemed like an endless sea of zombies, without an end in sight.


    Hiss!


    Seeing this scene, Li Yu gasped, feeling a chill in his heart.


    He was not the only one who saw this scene. There was Uncle at the very end. Being in charge of covering the rear, he was the first to see these zombies behind him.


    At this moment, he was extremely tense!


    Thus, he immediately picked up the walkie-talkie and said urgently: "Xiaoyu, a large wave of zombies has appeared behind us. There are many! We must speed up!"


    Hearing this, Li Yu felt bitter, as they were already driving nearly 100 kilometers per hour. Any faster, and it would be easy to skid if hitting a zombie, or lose control of the car, stalling.


    "Uncle, hang in there, didn''t we bring some hand grenades out earlier? Throw a couple of those. We''ll be at the base soon. Everyone, don''t panic, hold on!" Li Yu''s words carried a firmness, acting like a shot of adrenaline injected into everyone''s hearts.


    Uncle clenched his teeth, glancing at the hand grenades on the passenger seat, making up his mind.


    Meanwhile, at the very front, Li Yu and Third Uncle were also having a tough time.


    They encountered the most zombies ahead, constantly hitting zombies which created a ceaseless thumping noise.


    What made them even more nervous was, the front windshield was nearly shattering, the front of the car was badly damaged, and the tires were almost bursting.


    Both of them were under enormous pressure, with zombies ahead and the need to forcefully crash into them, the pressure was unimaginable.


    From Third Uncle''s position, looking ahead, these aren''t just one or two zombies; almost every five seconds, they were certain to hit a zombie.


    The cars behind them would then roll over the bodies of these zombies.


    Another two minutes passed.


    Li Yu saw the gas station ahead and slightly relaxed; finally, they had arrived there.


    However, at Uncle''s side, the situation was very precarious.


    Because the zombies were already less than 300 meters away from him.


    Logically, zombies shouldn''t be able to catch up, as the speed of the cars was very fast. But the zombies catching up weren''t chasing from afar.


    Instead, after Li Yu and Third Uncle cleared a path ahead, it broke through a gap, through which everyone drove, but soon, zombies would surround from the sides.


    Then it would merge with the zombie tide behind, forming an even more terrifying wave of zombies.


    This is it, the Zombie Tide, growing more and more.


    On Li Yu''s side, due to the approaching dark clouds, for some reason, the zombies in front became more numerous and increasingly aggressive and frantic.


    Even, two zombies directly pounced it, hitting the windshield.


    Crack! A chill ran through Li Yu''s heart.


    He had no choice but to slow down the car. Driving too fast would surely break the windshield, and the front of the car was already badly damaged.


    Slowing down, the zombies from both sides swarmed up.


    However, speeding up further would surely overwhelm the vehicles in front.


    "Switch! Dapao, you take over for me," Li Yu shouted into the walkie-talkie.


    Li Yu''s truck slowed down instantly, then let another vehicle, an off-road vehicle behind him, take over. The performance of the off-road vehicle was also adequate.


    Li Yu took the opportunity to let everyone pass him, driving alongside Uncle.


    When Uncle saw that Li Yu had also moved to the rear, he said somewhat angrily, "Why have you come to the back too?"


    Uncle clearly understood that if the situation continued like this, they might be surrounded by the Zombie Tide before reaching the base.


    Especially him, he had even thought before that at the very end he must buy some time for the others, stalling the zombies at the rear.


    "Uncle, now, like this, we, at the same time, should clear the zombies on both sides first. You throw the Hand Grenade to the right, I''ll throw to the left. That way, the number of zombies coming up from behind can be reduced a bit."


    Hearing this, Uncle thought it wasn''t a bad idea at all.


    Thus, the two agreed and rolled their windows down a bit.


    3


    2


    1


    Under Li Yu''s countdown, the two threw the Hand Grenades together. Since Hand Grenades take a few seconds to explode, this small window allowed the zombies to close in, making their density even stronger.


    A few seconds later.


    Two booming sounds came from behind.


    Through the rearview mirror, Li Yu saw dozens of zombies behind him blown away, relieved to see a lower density of zombies.


    Above, as the dark clouds drew closer.


    Large raindrops started to fall sparsely.


    Suddenly, Li Yu realized that the signal to the base was now receivable.


    So he took out the walkie-talkie and said to the base, "Tiezi, Gangzi, we''re coming back now, we''ll be there in a few minutes. It''s raining, and thundering, be quick to let us in, also, the Zombie Tide is coming again, get everyone ready to resist the Zombie Tide! This time, it''s unlike any other!"


    Li Yu almost shouted, as the glass was open and the wind outside was howling.


    Soon, a voice came from the walkie-talkie. "Big brother, we saw it was going to rain earlier, and a few of us are here, so rest assured. Also, when you guys return, watch out for the zombies under the walls, they are starting to gather now."


    Before the rain, under the blazing sun, it was hard for zombies to smell humans from a distance.


    Moreover, under the blazing sun, the zombies feared exposure and would generally hide in dark corners.


    But once it gets gloomy, at night, the zombies'' sense of smell improves somewhat, but fortunately, the zombies around the base had mostly been slaughtered.


    Unless it rained!


    In the rain, the zombies'' sense of smell is greatly enhanced, and their speed also increases. They can smell humans through the air, especially in places with more people, where zombies can sense it even more clearly.


    This time, due to the heavy rain, the zombies'' sense of smell was enhanced, now surrounding the base.

 Chapter 161 - 153: Fortunately, There is Weng City

    Before Li Yu could reply, another voice came from the other end, "Brother, don''t worry. We are currently using Crossbow Spears to deal with the zombies, trying to clear out an area before you guys return."


    "However, there are really too many zombies! More and more!" Li Tie continued to shout loudly.


    Li Yu threw another Hand Grenade out of the car window, accompanied by two booming sounds.


    Li Yu replied, "It''s fine, let them in first. Just close the main gate later, and we can take care of any zombies that got inside Weng City."


    At the very front, Third Uncle looked at the windshield, already cracked like a spider web, as if one more hit would shatter it.


    But each time, it managed to stay intact, just like some people, who seem to have reached their limits but can still go lower.


    Clearly, he was already giving his best, yet he could still push himself harder.


    However, it is uncertain whether this glass can hold on. Whether it can last until they reach the base.


    Li Yu and Uncle were at the back, with zombies now less than a few dozen meters away.


    .....


    Everyone had left the national highway and entered the rural road, where there were even more zombies.


    Although it wasn''t so crowded that it was dense, almost every second, Third Uncle would hit a zombie.


    300 meters, 200 meters, 100 meters.


    50 meters.


    They had driven from the rural road to the base wall, and from afar, Li Tie spotted their vehicles and was ready, placing his hands on the switch for the main gate.


    They planned to open the gate just seconds before the vehicles rushed in, making sure fewer zombies get in and avoiding the zombies from blocking the door and causing a loss of defense!


    30 meters!


    Around the base, the ground was littered with zombie corpses, some with arrows stuck in them, some directly stabbed, with heads pierced through.


    It seems these zombies were killed by the people inside the base.


    Yet, despite killing so many zombies, there were still nearly hundreds of zombies surrounding the wall underneath, and this was just at the front gate.


    Seeing that Third Uncle was about to reach the main gate.


    Snap!


    A zombie struck, directly shattering the windshield.


    Third Uncle''s mental fortitude was very strong. He was well aware that the gate could only accommodate one vehicle. If he blocked it, no one else could get in.


    Therefore, he remained very calm.


    In a flash, he quickly grabbed a spear from the passenger side, and stabbed the zombie that had shattered the glass and was crawling into the vehicle.


    A spear through the brain.


    Meanwhile, his other hand continuously steered the vehicle slowly but precisely into the base.


    The whole scene was such that half of the zombie''s body had already thrust into the vehicle, while Third Uncle speared it; however, due to inertia, half of the zombie''s body hung over Third Uncle.


    The vehicle drove in.


    The following vehicles tightly pursued.


    By the edge of the gate, one or two zombies were stuck tightly, but they were no match for the vehicles'' movement, which directly pushed these zombies aside.


    Li Yu was at the very back, with more and more zombies behind, almost surrounding their two vehicles.


    At this moment, the last two Hand Grenades were thrown out, and Uncle drove directly into Weng City.


    Li Yu closely followed behind.


    Li Tie on the wall saw Li Yu''s car entering.


    With a bang, two people firmly closed the gate.


    But just when they were closing it, some zombies were still coming in, fortunately, Li Tie chose the perfect moment to close the gate just as Li Yu''s vehicle entered.


    Less than a second after closing, the zombies behind surrounded and pounded heavily on the iron gate.


    After entering the base, that feeling of palpitations in Li Yu''s heart had slightly eased.


    But now was not the time to relax completely, not to mention how to deal with the zombie tide outside, even now there were some gaps between cars, and zombies got mixed in through those gaps.


    Now, with these ten vehicles entering the base, there were still nearly 20 zombies in Weng City.


    These were not the weak and slow zombies under the sun.


    Instead, they were raging, crazy zombies!


    At this moment, the sky began to drop heavier rain from its sparse drizzling state.


    It was as if someone in the heavens was pouring water down, showering rain from the sky.


    Under this rain, the combat effectiveness of the zombies soared.


    Li Yu and the others needed to put a lot of thought into dealing with these zombies.


    Third Uncle was the first to enter Weng City; he had already gotten out of the car, holding a spear, and began slaughtering the zombies that entered Weng City.


    Although the sky was dark, some spotlights within the base still made it possible to clearly see the movements of the zombies. Their speed was not slow, but how could they match the explosively powerful Third Uncle?


    On the wall, Li Tie and others supported from above, and with everyone''s joint efforts, they eventually cleared all the zombies in Weng City.


    Inside the base of Weng City, Li Yu saw Li Zhengping, Li Haoran, and others on the wall, holding spears that had been specially lengthened, like holding long spears, continuously stabbing at the zombies.


    After stabbing, it was crucial to pull back quickly, otherwise if the zombies grabbed the spears and pulled hard, it would be easy to fall from the wall.


    To prevent this situation, a rope was tied around everyone''s waist on the wall, fixed to the back to avoid being pulled down by the force of the zombies.


    Li Yu and the others stayed inside Weng City for about ten minutes, in which they gathered the zombies'' bodies into one spot. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then they began to eat in Weng City. Today, they had been running outside, killing, and fleeing without having eaten much. Later, they would have to endure on the wall to fend off zombies. If they didn''t take the time to replenish their energy now, they certainly wouldn''t last.


    Everyone ate quickly.


    Li Yu looked at the pitch-black night sky. It was only the afternoon, yet the sky was already as dark as night, and it was the kind without a moon.


    If not for the central searchlights, they would definitely not be able to see anything.


    Seeing everyone on the wall struggling to stab the zombies below, the palpitations in Li Yu''s heart were slowly subsiding.


    People find hope from despair.


    No matter how many difficulties there are, no matter how heavy the rain, as long as everyone unites, they will surely get through it.


    However, it was uncertain how long this rainstorm would last.


    In Li Yu''s memories, in the five years since his rebirth, even in the later stages, human civilization had not recovered to a decent state, nor had any superpowers emerged.


    It was because every rainstorm was a test for humanity.


    Each rainstorm meant more human bases surrounded by zombies.


    Each rainstorm was a test of humanity.


    During each rainstorm, many people would run out of all food, until death.


    It remains to be seen how long this rainstorm will last.

 Chapter 162 - 154: Hydroelectric Generator

    The rain that fell was so sudden.


    Like a broken sky, rivers poured down from above.


    Under the torrential rain, the raincoats everyone wore were of little use.


    Li Yu, after clearing all the Zombies from Weng City, entered the base, where people were coming and going as if everyone had been mobilized to fend off the Zombie Tide together.


    The base had a total of 67 people, with 59 of them over the age of 15. Aside from the elderly who were in charge of cooking and taking care of children, nearly everyone else was scheduled in shifts, defending the base around the clock.


    54 people, divided into 3 shifts, with 18 people per shift.


    Each shift made sure to have someone in charge - those with experience and strength, such as Li Yu, Uncle, Third Uncle, Second Uncle, Li Tie, Li Gang...


    From the surveillance room 1 person, front gate 6 people, back gate 4 people, patrol along the wall 4 people, rapid-response team 3 people.


    The front gate, back gate, patrols, and rapid-response team would rotate every two hours, as the pressure at each position was different, and at the most stressful front gate, it was hard for one to maintain high-intensity actions for a long time.


    Li Yu looked at how everyone organized themselves and implemented the lessons learned from previous Zombie Tides. There was no excessive panic.


    The twinge of anxiety in his heart slowly dissipated. It wasn''t until this moment that Li Yu finally felt truly safe.


    However, it wasn''t absolute safety, because at that moment, there were still many Zombies outside!


    This Zombie Tide came swiftly and fiercely.


    It was uncertain how other Survivors outside would respond, or how other forces would react.


    Shaking his head, Li Yu cleared his mind of distractions and took off the protective gear he was wearing. Although this gear provided good protection against Zombies, its joint guards would undoubtedly reduce the wearer''s agility when manning the base''s walls and fighting off Zombies with spears.


    After removing his protective gear, Li Yu saw faces on the wall drenched with what was either sweat or rainwater. But it all fell to the ground mixed with the rain.


    Li Yu picked up a spear and followed Second Uncle and others'' plans, making his way to the back gate.


    The situation with Zombies at the back gate was somewhat better than at the front gate. Li Yu and the others had prepared some loudspeakers outside the base beforehand, and they had also captured some drones.


    Now all these could be put into use. Though the transmission of sound wasn''t as effective in the heavy rain, it still had some effect.


    It was unsure how long this rain would last.


    The Zombies outside the base seemed endless. Looking down from the wall, the outside was swarming with Zombies, extending from the woods to the bottom of the wall, starting sparse but quickly becoming densely packed, until the edge was no longer in sight.


    "Big Brother, should we turn on the loudspeakers? The front gate is saying they can hardly hold on anymore. There are too many Zombies." Also at the back gate, with a walkie-talkie headset, he shouted at Li Yu. His eyes no longer showed carelessness; now, there was a sense of responsibility.


    Li Yu felt somewhat relieved and nodded, saying, "Do it!"


    He pressed the button.


    Several kilometers away from the base, the sound of loudspeakers erupted. Some Zombies directly headed in that direction, but not all of them did, a large part remained in the rain, not hearing the sound of the loudspeakers, and still lingered at the base''s wall without leaving.


    Li Yu looked towards the horizon; it was pitch black.


    The thunderstorm made the skies too gloomy. Although it had rained heavily before, it had never been this dark.


    Li Yu was stabbing zombies with a spear on the perimeter wall when suddenly someone shouted at him from behind: "Xiao Yu! The water level at Mountain Pond has risen a lot. With this rate of rainfall, it won''t take half a day before the water overflows. If it overflows, we''ll be in big trouble."


    It was May, and the early rice harvest had already concluded. Fortunately, the rice was unaffected. Although there was already a stockpile of unthreshed rice grains, without a new harvest in the granary, it''s just living off of reserves!


    Li Yu glanced back and saw it was Uncle Lai. After thinking for a moment, he finally said: "Open the sluices and let the water out. Haven''t we built several trenches at the base of Mountain Pond on the plains? Now we should open them up and divert water away from the base."


    The base was situated relatively high up, with two mountains following the plain behind it, logically directing the water flow downward.


    Originally, Li Yu''s family was in the cement culvert business, so when they first built the foundation, they installed several drainage channels leading out of the base.


    These drainpipes were constructed underground, and their outlets were about 200 meters from the base, leading to a minor ravine. The exits were also fenced off with iron railings.


    At the base, the drainage outlets were also sealed with fine steel, securing both ends and thus there''s no worry that zombies could enter the base through the sewers.


    Now, by opening these outlets, the water from Mountain Pond surged downwards relentlessly.


    Waves rolled on.


    Seeing the rushing water from atop the wall stirred Li Yu''s thoughts. Although there was still electricity in the base now, there''s no predicting if the downpour would last another week or two. During the last Zombie Tide, the base used previously stored batteries and accumulated solar energy.


    But during that period, everyone also dared not waste electricity frivolously.


    In the base, Li Yu had previously purchased several hydroelectric generators! sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the elevation difference between Mountain Pond and the plain, coupled with the fierce current,


    why not take advantage of this? As soon as the idea struck him, he was ready to act.


    He took out the walkie-talkie, shouting towards the front gate: "Xiao Hang, you and Haoran go and install one of the hydroelectric generators from the warehouse at the base of Mountain Pond."


    After only a few seconds, a reply came: "Roger that, big brother! Should we install them all?"


    "All of them!"


    Li Hang had studied mechatronics before and was quite familiar with machinery.


    Hearing the words of his elder brother, Li Hang naturally complied, letting the personnel in motion take over his position, then he and Li Haoran, also under mobilization, made their way to the warehouse.


    Hearing Li Hang''s compliance, Li Yu felt a sense of relief wash over him. Gazing into the ink-black night sky, he felt even more composed. Let it rain, let it rain, even without the sun, we''ll still have electricity.


    Li Yu was continuously resisting zombies at the rear gate, along with Li Zhengping, his Fourth Uncle, and his cousin Xiao Lue.


    Meanwhile, he occasionally observed Li Zhengping and the others. Xiao Lue''s father was Armed Police, and thus quite strict with him; Xiao Lue had always been methodical in his actions, clear-headed, and now he was killing zombies swiftly and fiercely.


    But the change in Li Zhengping was the most significant. From a clueless and naive boy who only knew how to play previously, it was as if he had matured overnight, becoming more dependable and steady.


    Li Yu silently nodded to himself.


    ....


    Time flew by.


    It was already 12 midnight, Li Yu let his father take over his post, then he went to rest.


    Including himself, Dapao, and Tianlong, who had gone out today, they had all been at the defensive positions and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 163 - 155: While Others Struggle with Life and Death, I Get Slightly Tipsy on Wine

    Li Yu stretched his somewhat sore neck after descending the surrounding wall, giving off a series of cracks.


    Li Yu saw Dapao coming down from the wall too, and seeing him do the same movements, they exchanged a smile.


    The torrential rain was not confined to one place, nor was it only Li Yu''s side that faced the Zombie Tide.


    As it''s known, the more populated the area, the larger the Zombie Tide.


    Generally speaking, there would be more resources in the County, but similarly, there were also more zombies in the County than in the wilderness.


    To the north of the base, in the city, there was an organization of several hundred people. Li Yu and others had visited this organization before and had found Second Uncle and others there.


    Jiefang City, at the entrance of Jiefang City Gate.


    Beneath that huge iron gate were throngs of zombies. It was only because the gate was built so sturdily that it could resist these zombies.


    However, this Jiefang City, originally at the city center, was relatively fine without torrential rains, with not many zombies.


    But Jiefang City wasn''t sealed tightly with walls; there were gaps in many small corners.


    Among them, the back door, close to the river, saw zombies unafraid of water directly crossing over.


    At this moment, Director Zhang stood on the rooftop, his face full of worry as he looked at the zombies below, everyone else standing on the second floor, behind the great iron gate, continually stabbing at zombies through the gaps. However, this gate, reinforced countless times, was feared to be battered open just now, with two cars blocking it.


    But still, the gate seemed unable to stand much longer.


    It was like a roof leaking in a stormy night, and just as he felt completely helpless, bang!


    The door was pushed open, and in came a person, drenched and filled with panic and unease.


    "Director Zhang, a big group of zombies have surged from the back door, probably over a hundred. They''re coming from there, we can''t hold them off!"


    "What?! Where are Captain Lv and his men? Aren''t they there watching?"


    "Captain..., Captain Lv is still at the back door holding off the zombies. It''s just that there are too many zombies, and we can''t hold them back."


    The irritation in Director Zhang''s heart grew stronger. In his side of power, although there were a few hundred people, when these people were admitted, there were no considerations made; anyone could come in without any conditions.


    Even though the population increased, the team was uneven, with diverse characters and divided hearts. It was difficult to unite them, especially now with such a torrential rain and Zombie Tide; it was tough to mobilize many to resist.


    One should know, once the main gate is breached, everyone would die!


    Even faced with such a situation, there were still many waiting for someone else to take the lead. Hiding in the back, everyone waited for others, resulting in an extremely slow response.


    This created a scenario where three monks had no water to drink.


    Even with several hundred people, the strength available was still less than eighty.


    People are self-centered, and in Director Zhang''s side, there were even some troublemakers.


    Bang!


    Another door was pushed open, apparently due to the torrential rain and the pressure of the zombies laying siege, everyone was afraid to knock and just barged rudely into Director Zhang''s room.


    "Director Zhang, there''s a fight in the left district, building 2, it started because some people were stealing others'' food, and now it''s escalated into a fight! There are some men who''ve run into the women''s area, starting... Really, everything''s a mess, a complete mess!" The man who came in said in a fluster, drenched and hurriedly speaking to Director Zhang.


    "They''re fighting? What time is it for such nonsense!!! Dammit! Are they full?" Director Zhang could not contain his anger. He had always thought to be fair, to create a relaxed team environment, which is why he wasn''t too strict with management.


    Unexpectedly, in this life and death moment, there were still brawls erupting, with some thinking that the base definitely could not be held, so they might as well enjoy themselves before death.


    Director Zhang, upon hearing this news, swayed where he stood.


    Dizzy.


    He didn''t expect that upon the arrival of the Zombie Tide, his team would become so chaotic.


    Suddenly, Director Zhang felt ruthless in his heart, seeing the Long Knife on the wall, he called a few people who were still around, gathered twenty, and headed towards the left district.


    This time, he was going to do some cleaning.


    These people, having so much energy, then let them go and fight the zombies, charging at the forefront.


    In Jiefang City, some people at the front gate have been resisting for 14 hours already, but there is still no one to replace them, everything seeming chaotic and disorganized.


    At the back gate, Captain Lv is leading nearly 40 people, resisting the zombies surging up from the river outside the back gate. It''s just that, in this resistance, a few people were directly bitten through the neck by zombies.


    But Captain Lv''s people, after all, have survived in this post-apocalyptic world for quite some time, and their experience in killing zombies is relatively rich. Even though they are outnumbered by zombies, they still present an overwhelming advantage.


    Some people, without any protection, are vulnerable, and would get bitten and infected by a zombie if not careful.


    This is a cruel battle.


    It''s unknown how much longer Director Zhang and the others will be able to hold out...


    ...


    Meanwhile, at Li Yu''s base.


    With the strength of the walls, the convenience of the equipment, and the unity of the personnel.


    Even though they also faced the impact of the zombies, everything was orderly and under control.


    Everyone was exerting their strength to maintain the normal operation of the base and to protect it!


    Rules and regulations were clear, responsibilities were assigned logically, staff postings rotated, all fair and just.


    Three shifts a day, each having time to rest, the most precious thing is that even in the face of a Zombie Tide.


    Li Yu and his people were still eating steaming hot meals!


    The rainfall was heavy, and after Li Hang took care of the hydroelectric generator, he returned to the villa.


    Li Yu was having a meal with Dapao, the food made by his aunt and grandmother was comparatively mild and nourishing.


    While eating, Li Yu suddenly remembered that there was some Tiger Brand hot sauce in the warehouse, so he asked Li Hang to fetch two jars, as spicy food makes the meals more appetizing.


    Feeling some throbbing at his brow, Li Yu realized that his sleep had indeed been poor lately, and seeing Dapao opposite him gnawing on corn, he had an idea.


    He took out half a jin of bulk white liquor from the cabinet; the heavy rain was causing the temperature to drop, and with the tremendous physical exertion, his whole body''s muscles were sore.


    Drink a little, it would also help sleep later.


    Sometimes, being slightly tipsy made it easier to fall asleep.


    Seeing Li Yu take out the white liquor, Dapao''s mouth split into a grin and he said, "Pour us two glasses, I''ll take a bath then head to sleep. I''ve expended too much energy today."


    Li Yu nodded.


    He poured the alcohol, drawing a line with it, and clinked glasses with Dapao.


    A sip, a smack, a sigh.


    Refreshing!


    Then he had another couple bites of sweet and sour Chinese cabbage, crunchy and refreshing, fresh and smooth.


    The robustness of the white liquor combined with the flavor of the vegetables, creating a unique taste.


    A treat for the taste buds, this is a rare kind of life, seizing a leisurely moment in a busy existence to drink a couple of glasses.


    In this back and forth, Li Yu and Dapao finished off the half jin of white liquor.


    With just a couple of ounces, feeling a slight buzz, somewhat tipsy.


    Li Yu went upstairs after drinking, his body slightly warm, took a shower, and washed away the chill that had crept in unknowingly from being in the rain for hours.


    His body also relaxed, feeling lazy all over.


    Then he comfortably lay down in the crisp, dry, and comfortably warm bedding. sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He quickly drifted off into sleep.

 Chapter 164 - 156: Salvation Armys Strength Halved

    The torrential rain had been pouring down for 48 hours straight.


    The angry wind howled, the night rain relentless.


    This rain was as if heaven had sprung a leak.


    North and South were both engulfed in the storm.


    Waves surged along the coastline, the sea level rose, submerging some low-elevation islands.


    In the Southern hills, the occasional small lakes dotted the landscape.


    Southern City, suburbs, Salvation Army headquarters.


    Complete chaos, this storm had cost the Salvation Army heavy losses. When the rain first struck, two teams were on their way back from collecting protection fees from other small organizations; they encountered the Zombie Tide en route, losing half their numbers.


    They were lucky to have been close to headquarters on their way back; otherwise, the losses would have been greater. In the face of an onslaught like the Zombie Tide, one must find a secure and stable place. Any random stopover would not last long.


    In the deepest part of a factory building, there was a vast meeting room of about 70 square meters, on whose leather sofa sat a middle-aged man with not a hair out of place and an extra finger on his right hand��six fingers in total.


    The man stood on the third floor, looking out the window at the drizzling rain.


    The room was lit, and he held a cigarette in his hand, taking a drag from time to time, his face stern.


    "Boss, Director Gao and Leader Qian still haven''t returned. Now, it looks like they''re not coming back," said a young man with glasses beside the middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man remained silent, ignoring the young man, instead rose from the sofa and walked towards the window, opening it slightly, letting some rainwater drift inside.


    This silent tension left the young man extremely anxious. He knew the boss was prone to anger, unpredictable, and could explode at any moment. Now, with Leader Qian and the others missing, even though other groups made it back, they lost too many men.


    Originally, the Salvation Army headquarters had over 900 people. Brother Mao and others went to Xin City to collect fees, taking over 50 people with them but never returned. Director Gao and Leader Qian then led over 180 people there, and after two days, they''re still not back. And now, the returning groups have lost half their members��that''s another 100 people.


    Now, there are only about 500 people left at the headquarters. Nearly a halving of their workforce, and what''s worse, these people were supposed to bring back this month''s supplies, which haven''t arrived yet. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the current headcount, it''s uncertain how long their supplies can last.


    The young man bent slightly, head bowed, not daring to meet the boss''s eyes, thoughts running through his mind.


    Suddenly, the middle-aged man at the window spoke, "How''s the situation at the main gate now, is it still stable?"


    Even though the young man''s mind was racing, he kept an eye on the middle-aged man''s movements. Hearing the boss inquire, he quickly replied, "Stable. Leader Zhang and his team are taking shifts, holding off the zombies. So far, only one or two unlucky ones got bitten; the rest are stable. It''s just..."


    He hesitated as if remembering something.


    "Speak up!"


    "It''s just that Leader Zhang''s team is also asking about the distribution of supplies. According to the schedule, we should be handing out some supplies today," said the young man, his voice filled with trepidation.


    After all, with Leader Qian and others not returning from Xin City and the depletion of supplies by the returning teams, if they were to distribute now, the amount would be significantly reduced. With such a severe cutback, he wondered if Leader Zhang''s team might make trouble.


    "What''s there to be conflicted about? Distribute, give them a third. Just tell them we need to conserve supplies because of the Zombie Tide. They know the other groups didn''t make it back," the middle-aged man said.


    Then, as if an afterthought, he added, "If they have complaints, let them come to me!"


    The young man inwardly sneered, thinking who would dare to confront you? They wouldn''t dare to trouble you; that would be inviting a problem. They''d only trouble me, leaving me to carry the can. Sigh, my life is hard.


    Though he thought this way, he obediently responded, "Okay, boss. I''ll go arrange it now."


    The middle-aged man, without turning around, waved his hand, signaling him to leave.


    The young man left the room, closing the door gently behind him. Only when outside did he exhale the breath he had been holding, his back soaked with sweat. Although the boss hadn''t lost his temper just now, the immense pressure he exerted was overwhelming.


    The previous assistant got into trouble for inadvertently angering the boss and ended up being thrown out to feed the zombies.


    Every report to the boss was like walking on a tightrope, feeling as though accompanying a tiger. It truly unsettled him.


    He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it and to quickly get to work.


    Yet, a trace of worry lingered between his brows, refusing to disperse.


    ...


    Xin City still had some Survivors, though in small numbers, now caught between life and death.


    The deluge had been raging for 48 hours; many of the lower areas were already flooded, and a lot of people had begun moving to higher ground.


    However, one had to be very careful of zombies during relocation.


    Amidst the pouring rain, zombies'' sense of smell and overall strength were greatly enhanced. Once discovered by a horde, one could simply await death.


    Some risked moving to higher grounds, while others, fearing detection by zombies, chose to stay put, not daring to move. Yet as the water level rose, their anxiety deepened.


    These people faced several major issues:


    1. The immediate threat of zombies. In the darkness of the storm, zombies seemed to be everywhere, and avoiding detection was crucial.


    2. The continuous downpour hindered many from venturing out to collect supplies, and it was unclear when the rain would stop. They rationed food, careful not to overeat in case supplies ran out before the rain ceased. Yet even with reduced daily rations, the dwindling supplies increased their anxiety.


    3. The dual drain on physical and mental energy. The keen-sensed zombies could easily track down people in the rain, forcing the Survivors to be constantly vigilant.


    Some clever individuals applied mud and other substances to mask their scent, which was exceedingly uncomfortable.


    Every downpour was a test for humanity.


    And a celebration... for the zombies.


    ...

 Chapter 165 - 157: I Heard There Are Many Delicious Foods

    But speaking of the base.


    In the base, the continuous fighting has left everyone somewhat exhausted, but it is not overly difficult.


    Under a clear division of labor, everyone is able to get enough rest, having only 8 hours of guard duty each day.


    Among them, the feelings are most intense for Song Min and others, who had previously faced a Zombie Tide.


    They still remember that Zombie Tide, they chose a taller building, but unexpectedly zombies kept jumping from the neighboring building, they continuously focused on resisting the zombies.


    Facing problems of insufficient manpower, physical strength, and food.


    If it were not for Li Yu and his group, before the outbreak of the Zombie Tide, because Song Min and others informed Li Yu about the enemy, he sent some supplies to them.


    Otherwise, the supplies Song Min originally had would have been depleted long ago.


    At this moment, Song Min''s wounds have not yet healed, it''s been almost a week, normal walking is no problem, but definitely can''t touch water, so Li Yu didn''t let her go to the perimeter wall to resist zombies. Instead, he arranged her in the monitoring room, allowing her to focus on the environment in the monitoring room.


    Today, Song Min is also on duty in the monitoring room, the cheerful young girl who fought zombies for a whole day yesterday, who had previously followed Song Min, now it''s her turn to rest, having a total of 16 hours of rest, after sleeping, she woke up with nothing else to do so she came to the monitoring room, keeping Song Min company.


    "Sister Song, I heard we''re having lobster and fish for lunch today!" the optimistic Xiao Han said. Her apple-shaped face beamed with a smile, radiant and naive.


    Song Min was watching the screens in the monitoring room, hearing Xiao Han speak, she turned her head to glance at Xiao Han, seeing her round, baby-fat cheeks glistening slightly, she couldn''t help but laugh.


    But it was only a quick glance, after looking at her, she quickly turned back to the screens in the monitoring room, she dared not take it lightly.


    Her tone was teasing as she spoke, "Eat, eat, eat, that''s all you know, look how chubby your face has gotten."


    "Gulp." Optimistic Xiao Han swallowed a gulp of saliva, seemingly feeling the corners of her mouth being a bit wet, then used her right hand to wipe it.


    "Have I really gotten fat? Sister Song, I''ve gotten so thin." Her apple-shaped face wrinkled in concern, and as her eyebrows furrowed, her whole face seemed to scrunch up.


    Then, she felt the flesh on her belly, not much, just a little bit.


    She started laughing again, "Sister Song, my belly has gotten smaller. I''ve lost weight, I should really eat more."


    Sister Song looked at this young Xiao Han, who had just come of age, always the cheerleader in the team, optimistic, uplifting, and adorable, almost as if carefree every day, always with a smile on her face.


    A warm surge passed through her heart, this little apple face, took the day off and specifically came to the monitoring room to keep her company, which was very thoughtful.


    "Sister Song, how''s your wound?" Optimistic Xiao Han raised her baby-fat filled face and asked with concern.


    Just a moment ago Song Min commented on her getting plump, she had already convinced herself that she hadn''t gotten fat, she could eat more, and tossed that thought aside, starting to feel happy again.


    "Much better, the wound has started to scar, Doctor Li told me to apply medicine on time every day, take some medication, and it should be healed in a few days," Song Min spoke gently.


    "Mhm, that''s good. It''s really lucky we could come in here. Thanks to you, Sister Song," Optimistic Xiao Han said.


    "The boss is a reliable person and is also very strong. Since we''ve joined, let''s work hard. You know, no effort, no gain. Since he let us join, we should also do our part well," Song Min said earnestly.


    "I know, I really cherish the opportunity to be here," Xiao Han said optimistically, nodding in agreement.


    "Sister Song, do you remember what it was like back in the county? Wow, I can''t accept going back now," Xiao Han seemed to recall the past situation and spoke with some fear.


    "Uh-huh!" As Song Min watched the team fighting zombies at the gate through the surveillance monitor, she too wanted to join, but her injury prevented her. S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Song Min only responded with a hum, this did not affect Xiao Han''s desire to speak, so she continued:


    "Sister Song, I heard that our base mainly relies on solar power generation. And I heard there are many batteries! I heard that before, even without sunlight to charge, the batteries could last for more than half a month!"


    Having said that, it seemed she still hadn''t finished, her mouth again opened: "Now they say, hydroelectric power has also been installed! If we conserve the electricity a bit, we can keep it going indefinitely. Wow, it''s so cool. I didn''t expect us to still have electricity in the apocalypse!"


    "I saw that they all have iPads. Recently, Ms. Li Yuan said that everyone joining the base would get one, and they will distribute them to us soon! Before that, they downloaded many movies, TV series, and millions of novels.


    Wow wow wow, then I can read novels again. When I get the iPad, I will read novels while sitting in my room with the window open, listening to the rain, and eating dried sweet potatoes..."


    Upon hearing Xiao Han''s incessant chatter, something caught Song Min''s interest, so she asked, "Dried sweet potatoes? Where did those come from?"


    "They planted them in the mountains before, and some of them that were hard to store were just dried to make snacks, and that corn can be made into popcorn. I heard that peanuts are planted here too, and we can roast them later..."


    When it comes to food, Xiao Han started chattering incessantly again.


    The base is large enough to not only plant rice but also cultivates some sweet potatoes, corn, and other cereals.


    Even last year, many fruit trees were planted in the mountains, and some fruits were harvested. Some were simply turned into dried fruits.


    Normally, they can also be used as snacks.


    "Oh, by the way, Sister Song, I heard we have a movie theater here too. I''ve never been to it, but I heard it''s almost identical to the ones before, just smaller."


    Song Min listened to Xiao Han talking, merely listening quietly, a faint smile appearing on her face, showing approval. This kind of life is really hopeful and full of flavor.


    This is living, not just surviving. Not struggling on the edge of life and death, hunger.


    "Sister Song, I went there yesterday, we also have a library here, and there are so many books. It seems like they moved all the books from two bookstores here. There are so many books!"


    "Sister Song, I heard that every once in a while, we hold outdoor parties! I heard that during those parties, there are lots of tasty foods; they even had a bonfire evening last time under the Big Camphor Tree. They said they had roasted a whole pig, a whole sheep, oh, and they also said there are delicious drinks like cola and Jia Duo Bao..."


    "I really want to participate too. I don''t know when the next one will be." As she spoke, her mouth began to salivate.


    "Sister Song, I also heard that in our Mountain Pond, there are a lot of fish, and due to the recent torrential rains causing the water level to rise, some fish jumped out. I heard that they are going to make fried fish for lunch..."


    "Who told you that? And how come everything you hear is about food..." Listening to her rosy-cheeked chatter, Song Min laughed and said.


    "Miss Li Yuan, she''s really nice, I asked her, she likes eating too, now we are good friends. I really enjoy playing with her..."


    Song Min smiled and shook her head.


    In the control room, two figures sat in front of the screen, with sounds occasionally coming in, primarily the optimistic Xiao Han speaking, while Song Min mostly responded with smiles and nods.


    ...

 Chapter 166 - 158: 20 Days of Torrential Rain

    The mountains were fraught with storm and rain, and occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the ink-dark night.


    The night lingered, wrapped in terror. The forest, once verdant green, now seemed like a gaping maw of blood every time lightning streaked across the sky. As if it was about to engulf people whole!


    The rain continued to pour, the atmosphere far from harmonious.


    Rain had been falling for 20 days straight. Previous storms lasted around 10 days, but this one had persisted for much longer, leaving the air damp and everything feeling sticky all day. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Every day in this torrential rain, we fought against the zombies, constantly battling to drain water.


    Facing these terrors, always...


    Even the people inside the base, with electricity, hot water, steaming food, and 16 hours of rest after 8 hours of fighting zombies, were far better off compared to others struggling to survive in the post-apocalyptic storm.


    But still, being soaked daily and facing the hideous zombies inevitably brought a sense of gloom, dampening everyone''s spirits.


    Even the usually cheerful Li Hang was feeling downcast.


    Rainy weather always has a certain impact on people''s moods.


    More than twenty days of heavy rain inundated many places. Li Yu and his group had already harvested the vegetables from their fields on the fifth day of rain.


    A drizzle or a downpour after a drought might nourish vegetables and fruits. But relentless torrential rain could cause their roots to sit in water and rot.


    After harvesting, some of the vegetables were pickled, others were stored on the second floor with two dehumidifiers maintaining a dry environment in that space.


    Aside from the dehumidifiers on the second floor, Li Yu also placed around five large dehumidifiers in the storeroom, which required emptying the water every few hours.


    When the storeroom was initially built, it was constructed to consider the hot weather and the heavy moisture from storms, preparing for various extreme weather conditions. So, the entire base of the storeroom was set low, with many waterproof and heat-insulating measures in place.


    Li Yu went down by the wall and sat quietly beneath the villa as the rain rushed down from the sky.


    Grandpa, too, had moved a small stool next to him and sat down.


    "If this rain continues, we''ll likely miss the season for planting rice. We plant late rice in June, and it''s almost the end of May now. Yu, when do you reckon this rain will stop?" Grandpa asked, puffing on his old pipe.


    Li Yu was also concerned. In his memory, the post-apocalyptic world and the heavy rains were closely linked, with major disasters often heralded by downpours.


    In the five years before he was reborn, he endured countless storms; he remembered one that lasted for months. After the rains came drought.


    Human survival was extremely difficult!


    He recalled that in the first year when the apocalypse broke out, there weren''t any storms that lasted more than a month, so after 20 days, this one should be nearing its end, too.


    So he said, "Grandpa, it should be ending soon, I guess."


    Grandpa glanced at Li Yu but didn''t say much. His question was not really seeking an answer from Li Yu but rather, it was like talking to himself.


    Without weather forecasts, after the apocalypse arrived, it''s been impossible to predict whether it''ll rain tomorrow or what the weather will be like.


    Some of the elderly, most of the time, were very familiar with the 24 solar terms and could simply look at the sky to know if it would rain tomorrow or if the sun would shine.


    However, with the arrival of the apocalypse, that kind of experience has largely become useless.


    Because, this world, is filled with uncertainty.


    Li Yu looked in front of him, where the rain fell like a curtain, cascading down like a waterfall.


    Suddenly, thinking of something, he walked towards the drainage outlet. The outlet was quite large with a diameter of one meter twenty. These concrete pipes were mixed with reinforced steel and stone, thoroughly stirred to solidity, sun-dried, and then soaked with water until hard, repeatedly. This made the concrete pipes extremely hard.


    Rain fell from the sky, water flowed down from the mountains, converging into a stream that was neither too big nor too small, rushing rapidly towards the drainage outlet.


    The drainage outlet had already been welded with steel bars, leaving only a hole about 3 centimeters in diameter between each bar.


    This drainage outlet, standing about three meters above the ground like a well, now had its water level less than 1 meter from the ground due to the influx of the water.


    Li Yu thought for a moment, then moved a large stone over the ground surface, like capping a well, and placed it over the opening.


    Lastly, he weighed it down with a few more large stones before leaving.


    Meanwhile, Li Hang, who was still heroically slaughtering zombies on the wall today, spiritedly lifted his spear then with focus, thrust it swiftly, piercing the head of a zombie.


    Then, he skillfully withdrew the spear.


    His movements flowed as naturally as cloud and water.


    Not only him, over these twenty-plus days, everyone had been continuously using spears to kill zombies, and they had even researched a better method.


    This involved tying a sturdy rope to the tail end of the spear so that when thrown, much like a javelin, it could kill zombies from farther away.


    However, this also posed certain risks. If one was slow to withdraw the spear, it could easily be grabbed by other zombies.


    This demanded everyone to be quick, accurate, and ruthless. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Now accustomed to this method, the efficiency of killing zombies increased more and more.


    It was like assembly line workers, whose mechanical motions led to a much higher degree of mastery over certain actions. In the rain, everyone continued to twist their waists and hurl the spear.


    Whether it was precision, physical strength, or understanding of the zombies'' weak spots, there had been a significant improvement.


    After dealing with the drainage outlet, Li Yu was ready to go back for a rest.


    Yesterday, he had replaced his father, covering an additional four hours for him. He had only slept for six hours and had just eaten something.


    Taking advantage of the time, he could sleep a little more now.


    Returning to the villa, there weren''t many people living in this building. It was just Li Yu, Li Hang, Li Yuan, along with their parents, and grandma and grandpa.


    Li Yu was about to go back to his room when passing through the small living room on the third floor, he saw Li Hang''s computer on the table, still on, with the screen still lit.


    "This Xiao Hang, if it weren''t for the hydroelectric generator providing electricity, the base''s power supply would be tight. Now he''s not even trying to conserve energy. Sigh," Li Yu muttered.


    Having said that, he was about to shut down the laptop and close it.


    But before he could shut it down and close it, he saw a line of text written by Li Hang on the computer screen.


    "Bad weather, but I must maintain happiness! Research on inner strength, focus on oneself, and write down your own strengths."


    Seeing this, Li Yu felt suddenly curious, but he did not want to snoop on his younger brother''s private matters.


    ..........Dividing line


    Recommend a book to a friend: "Rebirth at the End of the World: Starting from Destroying Planets"

 Chapter 167 - 159: 100 Advantages of Li Hang

    But even if he didn''t want to look, the computer screen was still large.


    The computer was too bright, and a glance caught the content written by Li Hang:


    My 100 advantages: Hmm? Advantages! Let''s see what this kid wrote. Li Yu scrolled down....


    1. Being complimented as handsome


    2. Can operate a forklift


    3. Can write a diary


    4. Can whistle with four fingers together (learned from the protagonist in Attack on Titan, that''s how he calls his horse. Super cool.)


    5. Can wiggle ears


    6. Has a gentle hand when cleaning ears


    7. Can bathe S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    8. Eats navel oranges quickly


    9. Can carry a grain thresher


    10. Doesn''t have stinky feet


    11. Was a road team leader before


    12. Can play mahjong


    13. Reached the King rank in Arena of Valor


    14. Can recite Pi to the ninth decimal


    15. Smiles with dimples and pear dimples


    16. Can blow bubbles with saliva and make them fly


    17. Can run from his house to Ping''an Junior High School in one breath


    18. Can sit alone under a tree at 4 AM in winter and space out for more than two hours


    19. Grows more confident as he ages


    ....


    ???


    As he read further, the content of the advantages exceeded Li Yu''s understanding, and he hadn''t anticipated these kinds of advantages!


    This...is really good!


    As Li Yu read, his facial expression became complex.


    This kid, is really damn interesting!


    He''s truly a talent.


    The ghastly rainy weather also made Li Hang''s mood a bit unpleasant, but even when he felt unpleasant, he would quickly cheer up.


    He always had various ways to make himself happy, always finding some fun.


    That''s excellent.


    At the end, Li Yu''s lips curved into a faint smile.


    Pretty good.


    Then he saved the file, shut down the computer, and closed the lid.


    Back in his room, Li Yu opened the sliding glass door between the small balcony and his room. Some rain sprinkled in from the window.


    The window wasn''t fully closed, and thinking it over since he wasn''t very sleepy yet, Li Yu poured himself a cup of lemon tea.


    Then he sat in the wicker chair on the balcony, watching the storm outside the window.


    A dust of storm, half a vast expanse.


    The house separated the rain; indoors and outdoors seemed like two different worlds.


    Li Yu always liked rainy days, but after the apocalypse, rainy days also brought him worry. Each rainfall meant another test was coming.


    Now, sealed by the window in this torrential rain, a trace of moisture seeping in awakened a long-lost sentiment in Li Yu.


    Lying in the wicker chair, he took a sip of the slightly sour and sweet lemon tea, with a hint of bitterness followed by a slight sweetness.


    Li Yu covered himself with the blanket beside the wicker chair and lay there.


    The wicker chair rocked back and forth slightly, and as he lay covered with the blanket feeling warm, and a slight coolness in the air, not too much, just right.


    This neither cold nor hot, with a hint of coolness yet covered by a thin blanket, was like being in the summer under a blanket with the air conditioning on or eating ice cream in a heated room during winter.


    Comfortable, cool yet warm. Not contradictory, just right.


    Li Yu gradually fell asleep.


    ...


    But it''s not just the base experiencing the storm; the entire land of China couldn''t escape either.


    The torrential rain indiscriminately ravaged the land. For some survivors who had just started to farm, everything was destroyed by the rain.


    This storm took many lives and also stole many people''s hopes.


    In Southern City, at the Salvation Army.


    They had been out of food for five days. If Brother Mao or the two groups that went out had been able to bring back supplies successfully, they wouldn''t be like this now.


    The leader of the Salvation Army had lost his former confidence; without food, he couldn''t stabilize the team, and already some people within the team were beginning to show signs of instability.


    But on this day, they suddenly had meat to eat.


    Everyone who ate the meat seemed to turn frenzied, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust and savagery.


    At the same time, there was less humanity in their eyes, replaced by the fierce ambitions and madness only seen in wild beasts.


    At first, only a few people started to eat meat, but as time passed, more and more people joined until, in the end, those who didn''t eat disappeared.


    Only those who ate meat remained.


    Finally, everyone started eating meat.


    "Today is the 28th day of the torrential rain," said the leader of the Salvation Army, lifting his head. He took a bite of the meat in his hand, lit a cigarette, and deeply inhaled.


    Looking at the pitch-black sky,


    Between the flickering light of his cigarette, occasionally, one could see the leader''s face, not quite human, not quite a ghost, always seemingly smiling yet so eerie.


    The eerie smile carried a hint of bloodlust, his gaze held a hint of wild beast''s frenzy and an indescribable rotting scent.


    The 28th day of the torrential rain.


    The location of the Salvation Army was good, situated on a relatively high point, still safe from flood risks.


    The Salvation Army, originally more than a thousand strong, had dwindled to just over 400.


    They had been stationed in this factory, which was built sturdily and managed with military precision, with stable facilities.


    However, the diesel generator was out of fuel.


    And so was the food.


    Their headquarters hadn''t been breached by zombies, but they were still losing members each day.


    The apocalyptic torrential rain was terrifying not only because of zombies; sometimes, hunger was even more terrifying and, more than hunger, humans were the most frightening.


    How do you determine if someone is a person?


    Is it by whether they look like a human? Or whether they have thoughts?


    Or perhaps, whether they have humanity.


    How do you view whether a person has humanity?


    The people of the Salvation Army could no longer be considered real humans in the true sense.


    But, apart from them, many other places were witnessing similar scenes.


    Some fortunate people might not face this issue.


    Some held on to the moral bottom line firmly, refusing to cross that red line; some of them made it through, some didn''t.


    Although,


    some people survived.


    But.


    It was as good as being dead.

 Chapter 168 - 160: Picking Mushrooms

    The livestock at the base, such as cattle and sheep, need to graze.


    The stockpile of hay has been consumed and now they are eager to be fed.


    Pigs are easier to keep, as they would eat just about anything, but cattle and sheep pose more of a challenge. So under these circumstances, Li Yu led some people into the mountains to pull some grass and bring it back to the shed.


    The rainstorm is too intense; once the livestock come out, there''s a risk of them causing a commotion and potentially running amok in the base which would just add to the trouble.


    Upon reaching the mountain forest, Li Yu and the others discovered that the pasture had grown incredibly lush; the rainstorm not only didn''t drown out the plants but actually seemed to promote their vigorous growth.


    Xiao Laotie followed behind, going to cut some pasture grass as well.


    In the midst of the downpour, everyone still preferred to wear raincoats. Although they would end up soaking wet, a raincoat could still offer some protection against the rain.


    Xiao Laotie, in her raincoat, was energetically cutting the pasture with a sickle in hand. After a while, she suddenly found a big mushroom under a small tree stump.


    The mushroom was large and white. Xiao Laotie excitedly plucked the mushroom and called out to Li Yu, "Brother Yu, can we eat this big mushroom?"


    Li Yu, who had been bent over cutting grass, looked up at the sound and saw Xiao Laotie''s tall figure standing in the storm. The weather accentuated her delicate figure. With a charming smile, her eyes brimmed with joy.


    "Let me see, one can''t be careless with mushrooms. Where did you find it?" said Li Yu as he headed towards Xiao Laotie.


    Xiao Laotie handed the large mushroom to Li Yu,


    and said, "Right there, under the pine tree, beneath the grass."


    In the process of receiving it, Li Yu touched Xiao Laotie''s hand. Her wet hand was pale, marked with a red scratch from what was likely a sharp edge of grass.


    Li Yu glanced at Xiao Laotie''s hand without a word. He then began to closely examine the mushroom in his hand. It was white, devoid of any bright colors.


    The entire cap of the mushroom was clean and smooth.


    Given that it was found on grassland, it shouldn''t be a problem.


    Finally, Li Yu gently tore the mushroom stem and squeezed it, revealing a clear liquid secretion.


    "This mushroom is edible. With the rain having lasted this long, mushrooms must have grown in abundance," said Li Yu with a nod, addressing Xiao Laotie''s expectant look.


    Xiao Laotie waved her hands happily, then with a curious glint in her eye, she remembered how Li Yu handled the mushroom and asked, "Brother Yu, how can you tell if a mushroom is edible or not?"


    Hearing this question, Li Yuan and Xiao Lue, who had come along to cut the grass, also looked up. They were interested too.


    Seeing that everyone was keen to know, it presented a good opportunity for Li Yu to teach them to prevent picking poisonous mushrooms. Holding the mushroom in hand, he began explaining, "For edible mushrooms, it''s important to look and smell.


    There are several identification methods:


    1. Growing area. Edible non-toxic mushrooms often grow in clean grasslands or on pine and oak trees, while poisonous mushrooms tend to grow in dark, damp, and dirty places.


    Just now, Xiao��," Li Yu paused, glancing at Xiao Lue who was standing beside.


    Turning his head and seeing that Yutong was listening intently with clear, sparkling eyes, Li Yu realized that Yutong had grown up and it seemed a bit inappropriate to call her ''Xiao'' with the younger Xiao Lue present.


    So he continued, "Just like the mushroom Yutong picked just now from beneath the grassland, and those found under the pine trees, these tend to be safer."


    On the other side, Yutong''s face flushed bright red when she heard Li Yu call her by her name. This was the first time Li Yu had ever called her that.


    As the sky grew dark, only the light of lamps illuminated the scene, and the rain obscured their view, so no one noticed the reddening of her cheeks.


    Li Yu continued to speak in a steady and mellow voice, creating a convincing atmosphere:


    "2. Color. Poisonous mushrooms are usually brightly colored, featuring red, green, black, blue, and especially purple, which are often highly toxic and change color after being picked.


    3. Shape. The caps of non-toxic mushrooms are relatively flat, with a smooth surface, no rings beneath, and no volva at the base. Poisonous mushrooms, however, have a protruding center and an unusual shape; their stems are either thin and long or thick and easily breakable.


    4. Secretions. Tear off the stem of a fresh wild mushroom. If the secretion is non-toxic, it will be clear as water (some may be white), and the torn surface of the mushroom body does not change color; toxic secretions are sticky and reddish-brown, changing color quickly in the air.


    5. Smell. Non-toxic mushrooms have a distinctive fragrance, while poisonous mushrooms have an unpleasant odor, such as spicy, sour, or fishy."


    After finishing, Li Yu saw that everyone was listening attentively, so he added, "Theory goes hand in hand with practice. Let''s cut the grass first; after that, we can go mushroom picking together. You can bring any mushrooms you find to me to check."


    "It''s been raining for so long, picking some mushrooms to take back would be great. Tonight, let grandma make us some chicken stew with mushrooms, and stir-fried peppers with mushrooms," Li Yu said.


    Hearing Li Yu''s words, everyone''s eyes lit up��this meant an extra meal.


    So, they quickened their pace, sliding the sickles in their hands, working hard to harvest the forage.


    Li Yu, however, walked straight towards the living area, and since everyone assumed he had something to do, they didn''t ask further questions. S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In less than 5 minutes, Li Yu returned, holding a number of gloves.


    He handed them out one by one. He had been negligent since his skin was thick, and he hardly ever got red marks from cutting grass. But the girls might.


    Yutong felt a bit sweet inside as she put on the gloves Li Yu handed her.


    ...


    Thanks to everyone''s efforts, the four of them quickly harvested a lot of forage, piled it up neatly, and then tied it with rope.


    Now it was time to start picking mushrooms.


    Under the rain, everyone searched for mushrooms under pine trees and among wild grasses.


    Mushroom picking is a joyful task, imagine: as you rummage through overgrown fields, pulling at grass and turning over branches, often finding nothing.


    It might take a dozen turns before you finally spot a tender, tiny mushroom that seems to open like a small umbrella.


    Searching through the disorderly trees and bushes, the sudden sight of these small, cute mushrooms that stand out from the surrounding environment makes all the previous hardships seem worthwhile.


    Moreover, in people''s memory of gourmet delicacies, mushrooms are a particularly flavorsome delicacy; that delicious taste makes one salivate uncontrollably, recalling that familiar, pleasing flavor.


    Mushrooms grow in abundance after the rain, and the torrential downpour had certainly helped them flourish.


    Everyone relished the fun of searching for mushrooms. Normally, with bad luck, you might search for a long time and only find a few mushrooms.


    But today, with everyone scoping the grassland and under the pine trees, the chances of finding mushrooms had greatly increased, almost finding mushrooms every half a minute, sometimes even clusters of several mushrooms together.


    "Brother! Sister Yutong, come over here and look!!!" Suddenly, while searching for mushrooms under a large pine tree, Li Yuan shouted loudly in surprise.

 Chapter 169 - 161: Playing Video Games

    Li Yu slowly walked over, guessing in his heart that Li Yuan must have found a lot of mushrooms.


    And sure enough, as Li Yu approached, he saw a cluster of mushrooms growing where Li Yuan had been digging.


    These small mushrooms, ash-white and rinsed with rainwater, looked very clean and smooth, and it was quite delightful to see.


    "Big Brother, these mushrooms should be edible, right?" Li Yuan asked with hopeful eyes, looking towards Li Yu.


    Li Yu crouched down and picked a mushroom to examine it closely. He nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, they are edible."


    Hearing this, Li Yuan''s lips spread into a happy smile. She crouched down and began to pick the adorable little mushrooms one by one into the basket.


    While everyone was busy picking mushrooms, they all had their finds checked by Li Yu. At first, some people would pick the wrong ones, but as Li Yu explained, everyone started paying more attention as they picked.


    Gradually, almost all of the mushrooms everyone showed to Li Yu were edible.


    In the rain, some wild fruits also grew very well, such as ground cherries, and those small wild fruits that are like strawberries but even smaller. There were a lot of them.


    Everyone had grown experienced and could distinguish which ones they should pick. There was one kind that looked very similar, known as snake fruit, which was inedible.


    Originally, cutting grass was estimated to take about half an hour, but now everyone was so enthusiastic about mushroom picking that, after the torrential rain, there really were too many mushrooms.


    Mushrooms have a short life cycle and grow quickly, with high nutritional value. Seeing so many mushrooms, Li Yu went back to the residential area and also brought out some of the younger children.


    Recently, there had been cousins and the children of workers from before who had all been cooped up indoors due to the rain, except for the slightly older daughter of his fourth uncle, who was monitoring the surveillance room.


    The others could only stay indoors.


    When they heard they could pick mushrooms, the children were excited. Picking mushrooms on the mountain!


    With Li Yu and others looking after them, it wasn''t a big problem. Moreover, the entire base was surrounded by a wall.


    In this way, everyone picked mushrooms for about an hour, and the harvest was tremendous.


    Two huge snake skin bags were filled to the brim from everyone''s continuous efforts.


    The people carried the forage back and, as it was still damp with raindrops, Li Yu directly put some of the grass into the cattle and sheep pens. The rest of the forage was hung between several large horizontal beams, with the gravity causing it to hang down to the ground, and the water dripped down drop by drop.


    Because it was still raining, it was difficult for the grass to dry. If it didn''t dry, it wouldn''t keep for long.


    So, they could only hang the grass up, so at least it wouldn''t be rained on, and sometimes a bit of wind could help dry it out. It might not get as dry as under the sun, but once the drops dried off, it could be stored for a while.


    Then, they moved the mushrooms back.


    At the base, Grandma and others were preparing dinner. They knew Li Yu and the others had gone to cut grass and also knew they had taken some children to pick mushrooms.


    But they hadn''t expected there to be so many mushrooms, an excess amount that could not be used all at once for cooking. If the rest weren''t processed, they would easily spoil and rot.


    This prompted quite a bit of worry for Grandma, but in the end they washed the mushrooms clean, tore them in half, and then dried them next to the stove.


    At the base, there were many kinds of energy resources. There was solar power, hydroelectric power, several small wind turbines, and electricity was used directly for cooking and other uses.


    There was also some coal, but not much. A biogas digester had been built and was occasionally used.


    However, they also frequently used dried branches and fallen leaves from the forests, directly burning them for fire. That''s why they built a traditional wood-burning stove, which was quite large. Every time they steamed rice, they could use a huge five-layer wooden steaming basket. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu and the others helped to process the mushrooms, placing them beside the stove, and then drank a bowl of ginger soup that had been prepared earlier.


    These past few days, everyone had been drinking ginger soup. With frequent rain and heavy humidity, coupled with getting drenched, it was easy to catch a cold.


    Just as Li Yu was about to head to his room, he was suddenly stopped by the haphazard Luo.


    He turned around, curious, to look at the disheveled Luo, who, after taking off her raincoat, had her body slightly damp, revealing her graceful curves.


    "I... that, that," Luo, usually quite cheerful and bold, now seemed at a loss for words. She wanted to chat with Li Yu but couldn''t find a proper excuse.


    It was just... very uncomfortable.


    "Thanks for your gloves," Luo said gently, her cheeks blushing.


    Li Yu smiled and casually replied, "It''s nothing."


    "..."


    What else to say???


    Li Yu had never been in a relationship and didn''t have much feeling for romantic matters.


    However, there were times when seeing a pretty girl would put him in a good mood.


    Luo was pretty, had a nice figure, and their personalities clicked. Li Yu enjoyed spending time with her.


    His innate sensitivity was high, and he could pick up on others'' emotions. At this moment, he could sense that Luo was somewhat nervous.


    So he gently advised, "Go back to your room and take a warm bath early, don''t catch a cold after getting caught in the rain."


    Luo nodded and agreed, her body relaxing, seeming a bit deflated.


    Seeing this, Li Yu said, "Come to the gaming room later, let''s play a battle game."


    Luo''s face immediately brightened, nodding like a pecking chicken.


    Li Yu smiled and walked to his room, and Luo also went back to hers.


    The underground gaming room was specially built in the villa where Li Yu lived, and some people at the base didn''t even know about this place.


    Later, Li Yuan brought Luo here once, and that''s when she discovered it.


    In the gaming room, the two of them were playing games; they had previously downloaded many single-player games, including some story-based ones.


    This time, they revisited classics, starting with games like Contra and King of Fighters.


    Luo played happily, her nervousness completely gone, even laughing unrestrainedly after defeating Li Yu.


    Watching Luo laugh, Li Yu''s face also showed a smile. He was easy-going with those he was familiar with and considered to have a good relationship with.


    Inherently unreserved, he didn''t often engage in arguments or conflicts in life. What he appreciated most about Luo was her cheerful and bold personality, seemingly unaffected by sadness, sometimes gentle as water, sometimes confused and adorable, but most of the time, direct and open.


    Earlier on, Luo didn''t really have any friends and only had her grandparents at home, and later on, she was left alone.


    Li Yu was also a laid-back person. Sometimes, his grandparents at home would treat Luo as their own granddaughter, and Li Yu was also very kind to Luo.


    "Another round!" said Li Yu.


    "Sure." Luo replied with a smile, her eyes squinting into crescents, two little dimples appearing, as cute as a little squirrel.

 Chapter 170 - 162: Improve Killing Accuracy

    Night, remains pitch black.


    Rain, hasn''t stopped.


    People, struggling to survive.


    In this apocalypse, some are on the brink of life and death.


    Some resist the zombies day and night.


    Some have lost their humanity.


    Yet some, amidst this apocalypse, still have hot water, warm meals, rest, and even leisure games.


    Outside the base.


    Zombies still gather outside the wall, over time, Li Yu and his team have killed many zombies, the ground outside the wall is full of them.


    To prevent stacking of zombie corpses, Li Yu also lures zombies to other parts of the wall to avoid concentration near the gate.


    Li Yu and his team seem to have gotten used to this lifestyle, facing the most brutal scenes daily at the frontlines, yet they still can quietly retreat back to the safety of their own rooms to rest.


    It''s like two worlds, two extremes, pulling people apart.


    Day 29 of the torrential rain.


    At 12 midnight, Li Yu, Dapao, Li Hang, Li Zhengping, Song Qi and others are resisting zombies on the wall. With the torrential rain, spotlights are turned on, allowing them to roughly see ahead, but it''s still not enough.


    So, Li Yu and the others took out the lasers previously gotten from the armory, and after pairing them with Night Vision Goggles, even in the pitch-black rainy night, they could clearly see the zombies.


    Everyone has grown somewhat numb to killing zombies during this period.


    Just as Li Yu stepped onto the wall today, he noticed the skin of the zombies ahead becoming exceptionally smooth under the torrential rain, and recently everyone found that spears tend to slip off easily when killing zombies.


    On the side of the wall, Li Yu, Dapao, and Li Hang, side by side, one holding a spear with a rope, forcefully thrusting, another holding a spear without a rope, stabbing at the zombies below the wall.


    In Li Yu''s hands, the spear is like a javelin. Li Yu flicked the spear in his hand, during this period, every time after getting down from the wall, he would have to grind the spear with a whetstone, sharpening it.


    The tip needs to be sharpened after every descent down the wall, otherwise, it would become a bit blunt.


    Paired with the laser, Li Yu aimed at a zombie roughly 8 meters away from the wall, leveraging the height difference, he forcefully swung, utilizing his waist to drive his shoulders, transferring the force to his wrist.


    The spear shot out like an arrow, striking directly into the zombie''s eye.


    Pfft! The zombie''s eyeball, like water, was directly pierced, and some grey-white matter splattered out.


    Penetrating through! In the zombie''s head, some red and white matter was directly ejected, like a watermelon smashed open by a fist.


    After penetration, he pulled the rope, giving a tug, and the spear gently touched in the air, hitting the wall of the wall.


    Clang!


    The metal striking the cement wall let out a piercing sound.


    Zombies under the wall, seeing the spear, all tried to reach out to grab it, but got no chance as Li Yu pulled it up.


    The entire action is fluid, and this set of movements had been performed many times. In Li Yu''s hands, they hardly ever went wrong.


    Actually, this spear is custom-made, the back end has been polished to be very smooth, so just now when he was pulling it, it went very smoothly, and it hardly ever got stuck in the body of a Zombie.


    In fact, during this period, everyone at times would make some mistakes: for example, sometimes when throwing the spear out, when pulling the spear back, it would occasionally be caught by a Zombie right below the wall, just grabbing onto the rope.


    In this case, everyone basically carried a knife with them, allowing them to cut the rope at any moment to avoid the Zombie pulling on it.


    With everyone continuously slaughtering Zombies, they have now become quite skilled. Sear?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone took turns maintaining three members per group, with one person using a spear tied with a rope, throwing it far to stab Zombies in the distance.


    Two people on the wall used extended spears to stab Zombies within 3 meters of the wall.


    Li Yu swung twice more, both times stabbing Zombies with great precision.


    His entire movement looked fast, accurate, and fierce.


    "Big brother, how do you manage to be so accurate?" Li Hang, standing next to him, asked admiringly as he wielded his spear stabbing Zombies below the wall.


    Li Yu didn''t stop his hands, he flung the rope of the spear backwards, making a clang sound.


    Then he quickly pulled the spear up.


    He then said, "Actually it''s somewhat similar to throwing a javelin, but the difference is, we don''t have a run-up; it''s more about accuracy.


    But the most important step is holding. The way to hold the spear is to place it diagonally on your palm, with the thumb and middle finger grasping the first wrap at the end of the spear handle.


    The index finger naturally curves and grips the spear, while the ring and little fingers hold the handle.


    You can also place the thumb and index finger on the first wrap at the spear handle''s end, with the remaining fingers gripping the handle in sequence. This helps you better control the spear.


    Furthermore, the position you hold should be one third from the front of the spear.


    When making the launching motion, bend your left leg quickly and elasticly extending it, while pushing your chest forward as much as possible.


    This drives the forearm to perform a dynamic ''whipping'' action, allowing the body''s power through the arm and fingers to act on the longitudinal axis of the spear."


    Li Yu explained a lot, and Li Hang, standing beside him, seemed to understand yet not fully grasping it. Actually, in the recent process of killing Zombies, his accuracy had already improved a lot, but he had not thought about so many details during shooting.


    Li Yu unfastened the rope tied around his waist and let Li Hang tie it on, then let him try according to what he just described.


    Li Hang slowly tested it, with Li Yu beside him correcting his movements, and soon, Li Hang mastered the essentials.


    The accuracy of killing Zombies was getting higher and higher, sometimes even managing to skewer them like stringing calabashes.


    In these days, amid the pitch-dark rainy nights, they continuously shot Zombies. These Zombies seemed endless, the relentless onslaught numbing everyone.


    These Zombies were like flies, swarming wherever there was meat; the longer the meat was left, the more flies it attracted.


    During this period, the batteries of the loudspeakers outside the base had also run out. This was the first time that the base had drained the power of those long-lasting loudspeakers.


    Drones were occasionally used under torrential rain, but most of the time they were not, as the heavy rain could easily bring them down.


    Li Yu stayed until almost 10 o''clock that day, waiting for his uncle to arrive to change shifts before he went down to rest.


    Before leaving the wall, Li Yu, using the light from the searchlight, glanced at the wall outside, now badly stained with blood. The constant death of Zombies, compounded by the washing of rainwater and the repeated spraying of Zombie blood, had left its marks.

 Chapter 171 - 163: A Thrilling Moment

    The perimeter wall seemed as if it had been marinated in zombie innards, reeking to the extreme, which led to Li Yu and the others often wearing masks each time they arrived at the wall.


    Li Yu glanced again at the woods 80 meters away, the dense forest shrouded in darkness, incredibly sinister.


    Rubbing his sore and swollen arms, Li Yu and those beside him, including Dapao and Li Hang, were all preparing to descend.


    Dapao still looked the same, and Li Hang''s face held some happiness. Through the recent test, his accuracy had improved to a whole new level.


    The continuous killing of zombies felt like clocking into work, monotonous, wearying, and numbing.


    In this repeated action of killing zombies, everyone started to look for some fun, sometimes competing to see who could shoot the most zombies, and then setting up some prizes like some more precious supplies. Food, for instance.


    Under this system, everyone also stirred up some passion, shooting zombies relentlessly. But it couldn''t last long, and everyone began to feel fatigued anew.


    This life of zombie-killing was as if working on an assembly line at a factory, snipping thread ends, or assembling electronics.


    But it also had its benefits, as mechanical actions were bound to increase proficiency. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s said that when you do something over ten thousand times, you develop muscle memory, and when you do it again, you are very familiar with it and become extremely skilled.


    A simple thing done ten thousand times would start to look impressive.


    Just like Li Hang today, his original accuracy in shooting zombies was average, making a hit 7 out of 10 times thrown, but today he had integrated what Li Yu said, and could now hit 9 out of 10 times thrown.


    You must know, such hits were not just about hitting the head��hitting the head was something most could do with precision.


    But to hit the eyes, the difficulty increased considerably.


    Li Yu and the others saw that Fourth Uncle and company had already arrived below the wall, so they prepared to loosen the rope and switch out.


    Suddenly!


    Just at the moment they started loosening the rope, they saw the zombies in front suddenly go mad, erupting into chaos.


    They crazily clawed at the wall beneath the fence.


    As the zombies went berserk, the night''s rain fell harder and the wind blew with even greater speed.


    In this stormy weather, Li Yu and the others on top of the wall nearly lost their footing. Thankfully, when the fence was built, the shielding guardrail had been made high enough, nearly 1 meter tall and 20 centimeters thick.


    Everyone grabbed onto the guardrail in time to prevent being blown over by the sudden gust of wind.


    But the wild wind came so abruptly that it gave everyone a scare, especially Li Zhengping, who was just then in the opposite direction to Dapao.


    He was about to undo the rope tied around him, and as he had just loosened it, he was preparing to descend when a fierce wind, particularly strong due to his slight build, blew him towards the direction of the guardrail where he was positioned upwind.


    His body tilted, and Li Zhengping nearly fell off the wall!


    Under the combination of elements: the abrupt gale, the slippery ground, the untied rope, facing upwind, and a slender body.


    That''s when a heart-wrenching moment unfolded.


    Li Zhengping ultimately clung desperately to the guardrail on top of the wall, which had become especially slippery in the downpour.


    Li Yu was about to go help him.


    But in that slow moment and swift action, Dapao quickly ran over, grabbed him with one hand, and held onto the rope with the other, stabilizing his body before pulling him in tightly.


    In this maddening wind, the force was incredibly strong. Dapao used all his might, his veins bulging, as he finally secured Li Zhengping tightly.


    As quickly as it came, the tempestuous storm passed.


    Just a few minutes later, the bizarrely fierce storm, as if heralding the end of the world, suddenly ceased.


    The zombies below also returned to their previous state.


    But that moment just then had everyone breaking out in a cold sweat.


    After this incident, everyone became even more cautious.


    Because the weather of the apocalypse, gives no signs of its coming.


    Just now Dapao went after and rescued Li Zhengping, for which Li Yu and the others were very grateful.


    You should know, in such extreme circumstances, it''s very difficult for a person to move their body. But even then, Dapao ran to help.


    Even though Dapao was closest to Li Zhengping, his hesitation-free rescue moved everyone.


    After this incident, Li Yu also admonished everyone that if the ropes are loosened during a downpour, one must descend from the walls quickly.


    This time, some issues with the wall were also revealed, such as the low guardrails, an issue that must be addressed after this wave of zombies is dealt with.


    Li Yu and the others had been fighting on the wall for nearly 11 hours, and after being relieved, they warned everyone to be careful before descending from the wall.


    By then, the raincoats were soaked through, and their bodies drenched, but when they opened their raincoats, a strong stench of sweat hit them.


    There was no helping it, everyone was in the same boat, being so heavily wrapped up and under such strenuous labor, it was normal to sweat profusely.


    Especially, that recent burst of a freak storm! It had everyone breaking out in an icy, cold sweat!


    Moreover, sometimes the hands and feet would become swollen from being soaked in the rain.


    Li Yu descended from the wall, but instead of heading straight into the villa, he made his way to the Observation Tower.


    After erecting Weng City, they connected the Observation Tower and the surrounding wall.


    High up in the ten-meter-tall Observation Tower, Li Yu rummaged through the wall and found a pack of cigarettes.


    Then he saw Dapao coming over too. Their eyes met, but no words were exchanged.


    Li Yu''s palms were somewhat pale; he poured out the water from his shoes and dried his hands.


    On the other side, Dapao was drenched in sweat, his hands outstretched, fingers trembling. He had just pulled Li Zhengping, and his palms were raw from the rope, rough from exerting too much force


    and feeling somewhat powerless, now probably even struggling to light a cigarette.


    Seeing this, Li Yu took two cigarettes from the pack, lit one, took a puff, then handed it to Dapao, who shakily received it with his right hand and put it directly in his mouth.


    Hiss~


    Dapao took a harsh drag, then exhaled it.


    Cough cough cough cough.


    He took such a fierce pull that he accidentally choked on the smoke. Li Yu quickly went forward and patted his back to ease his discomfort.


    Dapao shifted, finally smoothing out his breath.


    "Thanks for what you did just now," Li Yu said.


    Dapao shook his head, then placed the cigarette back in his mouth, took a gentle puff, leaned against the wall, and gazed at the storm outside the Observation Tower.


    No words were spoken.


    In that atmosphere, Li Yu wanted to say something more, but it felt superfluous, so he stepped forward and patted Dapao''s shoulder.


    Few could adapt to the atmosphere of sudden tension and then sudden relaxation.


    Dapao stood in the Observation Tower watching the storm outside, his gaze somewhat vacant, while Li Yu also watched the rain.


    The silence was eventually broken by Dapao.


    "Some day, you owe me a drink," Dapao said, followed by a cough.


    Hearing this, Li Yu smiled and replied, "Sure."


    ....

 Chapter 172 - 164: When the Sunlight Shines Over the Land

    The relentless rain, day 30.


    Low-lying corners of the world have already been largely submerged.


    That continuous downpour, for humanity, was not only a test of physical endurance but also of mental fortitude.


    For the people, there''s never any certainty that the rain will continue tomorrow.


    Nor do they know if they themselves will have a tomorrow.


    Amidst this apocalyptic atmosphere, pessimism spreads unabated.


    Southern City, Salvation Army, within the factory.


    The factory outskirts are still teeming with Zombies, and the people inside these tall protective fences don''t look much different from the Zombies.


    Even, judging from their eyes, these people seem even more crazed, wild, and brutal than the Zombies.


    At this moment, the Salvation Army has only about 300 people left.


    Cannibalism among one''s own kind, such is the horror.


    ...


    This rainstorm is both a test of human nature and a descent into moral decay.


    Under the torrential rain, it''s hard to tell if it''s morning or evening.


    At some point, the rain started to lessen, transforming from a downpour into a drizzle.


    At the edge of the sky, faint sunlight appears like a shy girl stealthily lifting a corner of the dark clouds, casting light upon the land.


    The heavy clouds seem to be slowly dispelled, layer by layer, weakened.


    The falling rain shifts as if a burly man from Northwest River roared past singing of the Great East River, suddenly morphing into a gentle Jiangnan maiden.


    From violent outbursts to a delicate drizzle.


    It takes but mere minutes.


    At the edge of the sky, the sunlight no longer timid, becomes more daring, transforming from modesty to audacity, boldly casting its glow into every corner.


    That patch of sunlight, fiery red, hangs in the west.


    It''s already the setting sun.


    The fading sun like blood, illuminates the walls of the base, and below the wall, patterns are mottled.


    But on the higher section of the wall, incessantly washed by rainwater, it looks exceptionally smooth, like a mirror reflecting sunlight onto the Zombies below the wall.


    The Zombies, too, slowly become calm, their ferocious faces illuminated and reflected by the light.


    Zombies dislike light and gradually retreat backward, pouring into the dark areas of the forest, but clearly, the forest can hardly accommodate so many Zombies.


    Hence, even more Zombies wander off to farther places.


    Everyone in the base watches as the Zombies retreat like a receding tide, the sound of the rain softens, the howling of the Zombies gradually fades away.


    All is silent. The world seems to grow quiet.


    From some corner, a frog croaks followed by a chirping insect.


    As if testing the waters, when their calls encounter no danger, they start to become bold, with insect chirrings and frog croakings forming a chorus.


    The pooled water on the wall slides down, colliding with the ground, emitting a pitter-patter sound.


    Everyone wanted to shout for joy, but seeing the zombies retreating in the distance, they feared attracting them again, so they suppressed the elation in their hearts.


    Zombies! They''re finally retreating!


    They had succeeded!


    "Big brother, the zombies are finally retreating!" Li Hang, standing beside Li Yu, said to him. His face was filled with a happy smile, which, under the sun, seemed to be covered in gold.


    "Mm," Li Yu replied with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.


    To Li Yu''s right stood Song Min, who had earlier volunteered to help resist the zombies, but Li Yu had asked her to heal her injuries before assisting.


    It wasn''t until a few days ago that her wounds had mostly healed, and Li Yu allowed her to come out and help. Women proving to be equal to men, Song Min was very quick at killing zombies and also very strong.


    At this moment, Song Min felt a flood of emotions. She deeply understood how difficult it was to resist a Zombie Tide; the last time, she had nearly died in one. This time''s Zombie Tide was undoubtedly the most prolonged in history, but she hadn''t expected that under Li Yu''s leadership and with the strength of the walls, everyone would unite and, fortunately, get through it unscathed.


    Furthermore, during this Zombie Tide, everyone had gotten ample rest, and each person had played their part to the fullest. The construction of the organization and the perfection of its system increased everyone''s recognition of and confidence in the base.


    Resisting the zombies together, especially during such a prolonged Zombie Tide, required mutual warmth and help. This undoubtedly brought everyone closer together.


    Some people stand together in face of difficulties.


    Others turn on one another, slaughtering and cannibalizing each other in adversity.


    At the root of it all is food!


    This is a cruel world, where if one can avoid starvation, they can regard morality, righteousness, integrity, and honor. But when starvation threatens, human nature''s darker side is magnified, driving people to commit acts previously unimaginable.


    Cannibalism!


    Without a transcendent figure to lead the people across eras, it''s hard for them to persist.


    Most people ignore pie-in-the-sky promises and value concrete benefits more.


    First, talk about survival, and then ideals. S��arch* The Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Food security is one of the most critical issues in the post-apocalyptic world, second only to the zombies.


    For the base, although there is a considerable stockpile of food and much unthreshed rice left.


    However, it''s always best to be prepared, to resolve the issue before a food crisis arises.


    Li Yu wasn''t the only person thinking about this; Second Uncle thought of it, too.


    Walking over from the wall, he said to Li Yu, "Yu, we should start planting the late rice now. It''s June, and we need to seize the farming season."


    Li Yu nodded at the words, replying, "I was just thinking about this problem. The heavy rain has dragged on too long; luckily, it has stopped. Otherwise, we would be too late."


    Second Uncle added, "Alright, then I''ll make arrangements. Our original five acres, along with those terrace fields in the mountains, should all be plantable now. With the river high and the weather warm, we need to hurry."


    Li Yu immediately said, "The vegetables we planted before, and the corn, were all ruined by the heavy rain. We need to replant them."


    Second Uncle voiced his agreement and then descended from the wall as he needed to make preparations. Hybrids seeds had been stockpiled before and could stay viable for a few years.


    But now, basically, no seeds are available for purchase, and we can only use our conventional seeds and cultivate our seedlings. These saved seeds may not yield as much as hybrids, but they are carefully selected for purity.


    Moreover, many of the seeds are original and not second-generation, so they can maintain a certain purity up to the third generation.


    Farming is a big deal, and Second Uncle and the others would be busy for a while. Grandpa has farmed all his life and is more than capable of handling such planting.


    In earlier years, Li Yu''s father and uncle told Grandpa to stop tending the fields as it was too exhausting. They gave him a monthly allowance for retirement, suggesting he should enjoy his twilight years.


    But the old man couldn''t be persuaded; he simply couldn''t stop. At over 60 years old, he was still robust.


    Thus, they managed some land �� not as much as before �� and this busy life brought them peace and stability.

 Chapter 173 - 173: Article 165: Preparing to Solve the Salvation Army

    After the rain, under the sunset, a rainbow emerged.


    This rainbow, semicircular, hung at the horizon, a vast and vivid rainbow.


    It was beautiful.


    People on the walls, all wearing wet raincoats, stretched out their hands to feel, and the rain had stopped.


    So they took off their raincoats.


    After removing the raincoats, the clothes inside were also wet.


    A few remained on duty atop the wall, while the others returned to the living quarters of the base, changing into dry clothes. These days, even the air felt damp, and clothes sticking to the body for a long time were extremely uncomfortable.


    Li Yu stayed behind, along with Dapao and others. These men just sat on the wall, puffing clouds of smoke.


    Leaning against the wall behind them, occasionally a fresh breeze blew by, making them feel unusually comfortable.


    A gentle breeze wafted through.


    The smoke drifted away with the wind.


    "Everyone get ready, in a few days, we''ll head to Southern City," Li Yu said calmly, startling everyone.


    Everyone was a bit surprised since the Zombie Tide had just ended, and Li Yu was already planning to deal with the lingering threat of the Salvation Army, but no one was overly shocked. After all, they had known Li Yu well enough to know he was not one to leave enemies alone overnight.


    Previously, they had been whittling down the manpower of the Salvation Army, and after Brother Mao and others were killed, their second in command was also eliminated.


    Now that the Zombie Tide had just ended, Li Yu and his people were unharmed, the base had zero casualties, but it was different for other factions.


    Taking advantage of the Zombie Tide, the Salvation Army might be weakened, the perfect time to strike hard!


    "Okay," Yang Tianlong was the first to respond.


    "No problem, actually there''s not much to prepare, we could go right now," Dapao took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke before speaking.


    "I''m going as well," the sloppy one said from top of the wall.


    ...


    Hearing everyone''s responses, Li Yu felt good inside.


    As they lived longer through the apocalypse, they had experienced various events together, resisted Zombies together, faced enemies together, and survived dangerous situations together.


    Their trust in Li Yu had grown even stronger, with each decision he made in countless choices gaining their trust step by step.


    This time, it would be the farthest journey they had taken in the apocalypse.


    Therefore, they needed to prepare well, and Li Yu was also contemplating how to go about this trip and who should accompany him.


    .....


    Fourth Uncle came to replace Li Yu, who then climbed down from the wall, greeted Dapao and the others, and returned to his room.


    The past month had been exhausting both physically and mentally.


    Now, he could finally take a good bath and rest a bit.


    To rest well, and then it would be time to deal with the Salvation Army, plant late-season rice, expand the wall, enhance the wall, and strengthen their power...


    He was also considering the performance of the new people who had recently joined the base.


    Those workers, who were already veterans of the base, needed to gradually have some permissions extended to them, and then there were people like Song Min who had performed very well in this Zombie Tide, showing exceptional resilience. sea??h th�� N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Last time, they had obtained many firearms from the armory, many of which had not been used, and these guns had always been in the possession of a select few, not distributed to everyone.


    Regarding the future development plan of the base, whether to expand and how to expand were questions to consider.


    Thinking about it gave Li Yu a headache, so he decided not to think anymore, climbed out of the bathtub, and dried his body and hair.


    After bathing, Li Yu lay straight on the bed, which was soft and warm, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.


    A quiet night passed.


    The next day, Second Uncle found Li Yu and they discussed matters on planting late rice. The recent torrential rain had made this the first time that the entire Mountain Pond reservoir was filled completely.


    The water level also reached its highest height, the deepest part of this Mountain Pond reservoir is over 20 meters, almost the height of 9 floors.


    Li Yu had never seen the Mountain Pond dried up before, with a very strong capacity for water storage.


    After all, this Mountain Pond reservoir had originally acted as a water retention pond in this large tract of fields, providing water through its gates to irrigate the fields during drought periods.


    Li Yu and Second Uncle went together to the edge of the Mountain Pond. Before this torrential rain, they could still walk down another 20 meters, but now, they stopped right there at the side of the mountain path.


    The recent torrential rain was immense and filled up the Mountain Pond, submerging most of the willow trees, leaving only their upper halves visible which looked quite abrupt.


    However, the small boats were still floating on the surface.


    Second Uncle looked at the Mountain Pond with some concern, finding that it was too full. Although there had never been any problems over the years, the astonishing amount of water stored still felt somewhat terrifying.


    "Yu, should we release some water from our Mountain Pond? I have never seen its water level so high before," Second Uncle hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up.


    Li Yu pondered by the shore for a while; he remembered that in the post-apocalyptic world, especially after prolonged torrential rains, droughts often occurred.


    Moreover, it was only June now; the upcoming months of July and August were the hottest times of the year, likely to experience drought.


    This stored water was very important!


    "Don''t release the water. We still don''t know what the weather will be like next. If it rains again, we can discharge the excess water, but not from the Mountain Pond. Since it''s full, let''s keep it. We''re planning to plant late rice next, and having the water keeps us more at ease too," Li Yu said.


    Upon hearing this, Second Uncle looked at the alarmingly full Mountain Pond and said, "This is the first time I''ve seen the Mountain Pond this full. I was just worrying if the pressure might be too much for the dam?"


    Li Yu responded, "I asked Grandpa before, and he said the foundation of this dam was originally laid with concrete under the ground. From here to there, it''s all concrete, quite solid. My dad also said it''s basically fine; he even replaced the cement pipes here a couple of years ago."


    "There shouldn''t be any issues. Look at the dam, it''s almost 20 meters high, and everyone usually walks on top of it," Li Yu added.


    Reassured by this, Second Uncle let go of his worries. Indeed, he was overly concerned. A normal dam is usually only about eight or nine meters high, but their dam was originally meant to be a path, so it had been specially widened, making this 20-meter wide dam easily capable of holding back the water from the Mountain Pond.


    The two walked down from the Mountain Pond, chatting as they went.


    On the way, they saw Peizhen, the young daughter of Fourth Uncle, leading several younger children with sticks, herding cattle and sheep up the mountain.


    Li Yu cautioned, "Don''t go near the Mountain Pond! Understand? The water is deep."


    "Okay, big brother," Peizhen, somewhat intimidated by her elder brother, obediently responded.


    However, cousin Zhang Zhixing wasn''t afraid of him at all. With a face full of innocence, he said to Li Yu, "Big cousin, I want to ride the cow. Lift me up."


    Li Yu was amused but ultimately let Second Uncle go back first; riding the cow wasn''t so easy. Falling off could easily result in being trampled.


    But kids are curious, and rather than having them sneak around and try, it''s better to supervise and let him experience it.


    So they found a young calf and lifted young Zhang Zhixing onto it, his face full of excitement, as he had longed to sit atop a cow.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha," Zhang Zhixing held onto the slightly protruding horns and laughed joyfully atop.


    The other kids also ran over, shouting, "Big brother, I want to too."


    "Cousin, I want to ride the cow too!"


    "I want to."


    After the rainstorm,


    The sky was clear, the mountains verdant with lush greenery.


    At the foot of the mountain, the grass was dense, swaying like waves as the breeze passed over.


    Dozens of cattle and sheep grazed, heads bowed.


    Seven or eight children surrounded a young calf.


    A handsome, tall man held the calf''s rope, steadying it, smiling as he let each child take a turn sitting on its back.


    A sound of pure, beautiful laughter filled the air, fluttering with the wind towards the gardens, the residential areas, the gates,


    and out towards the vast, blue sky...

 Chapter 174 - 166: Set Off Now

    This downpour cost many groups struggling in the apocalypse dearly.


    For the Salvation Army, it even led to a greater depletion of their strength.


    After the storm, Li Yu thought about setting out as soon as possible to deal with the latent threat of the Salvation Army.


    To him, since they had become enemies, there was no turning back; he must find a way to eliminate the enemy. This was a lesson learned from his experiences before his rebirth.


    Three days after the storm ended, Li Yu was ready to set out.


    During these days, Li Yu discussed with Second Uncle and others about the purpose of this expedition, which was to eliminate the Salvation Army.


    The number of people in the base had reached nearly 70. Some internal plans that needed executing included reinforcing the perimeter walls.


    Li Yu had considered expanding the base, but manpower was a significant issue. For now, they would just repair the perimeter walls.


    For this expedition, Li Yu again brought Li Hang, Li Tie, Li Gang, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Lai Dongsheng, and Xiao Han, but also added some new people, including workers Ding Jiu, Wang Cheng, Xie Weishan, Song Min, and two of her former employees.


    The group of 15 people boarded three cars and set off in the early morning.


    There were still some people left behind at the base, including Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Uncle, and others. Even though Li Yu took 15 people with him, more than 50 people remained at the base.


    Thus, Li Yu felt relatively reassured about heading to Southern City.


    According to Li Yu''s plan, if no accidents occurred along the way, it should take just over an hour to reach the location of the Salvation Army.


    A swift and decisive battle.


    Facing the dawn, the three cars roared along the highway in sequence.


    In the month of June, the temperature was abnormally hot, already exceeding 35 degrees in the morning, making everyone in the car sweat under their protective gear.


    Li Yu then turned on the air conditioning in the car. Opening the windows wasn''t wise as they might encounter zombies sporadically appearing en route; should any latch onto the car, it would be troublesome.


    Thus, caution was the best policy.


    In the car...


    "Big brother, this damn weather is too hot," complained Li Hang from the back seat, sweat dripping from his forehead.


    Li Yu lowered the air conditioning a few more degrees and adjusted the vents.


    "This is just the beginning; it might get even hotter," Li Yu replied calmly.


    "No way," Li Hang cried out.


    Inside the car, with the air conditioning turned on, bursts of cool air flowed, bringing some relief to everyone''s overheated bodies.


    Li Yu looked out from the car, the outside scenery flashing by like a carousel.


    Greens filled his view, but Li Yu knew this greenery wouldn''t last long.


    In the upcoming high temperatures and drought, many plants would die. Li Yu had chosen to build the base there because there was a Mountain Pond between two mountains.


    Originally, the water level of this Mountain Pond was consistently between one-third and half full until a few days ago when the heavy rain filled it up, covering an area of about 10 acres.


    This Mountain Pond was quite deep, reaching over 20 meters at its deepest point and had an excellent water storage capacity.


    This water was not only for irrigating late rice crops in the future but also in case the groundwater depleted, then they would use the water from this Mountain Pond.


    Trees densely lined both sides of the road, their branches heavy with leaves. The recent heavy rainfall had spurred significant growth in these plants, and the roadside trees, unpruned, occasionally brushed against the cars.


    Some branches scratched the paint off the vehicles, but no one cared about the appearance of the cars anymore; what mattered more was whether the cars were durable and powerful enough.


    On the road, Li Yu was navigating with an iPad map, which had the entire country''s map downloaded offline before the apocalypse. From the map, you could clearly see every road.


    You could also see the location of the Salvation Army''s factory on the map.


    It was because of this that Li Yu, after dealing with Mao Ge and others, and learning the location of their headquarters, didn''t hesitate to kill them.


    They could find the location themselves!


    Xiao Han in the car had been learning to use a gun for some time now, and as Dapao said, she had a natural talent. Now, her shooting accuracy was almost as good as Li Hang''s.


    You know, back when the apocalypse just erupted last year, Li Hang had already mastered a few guns.


    The others, like Song Min, also had emergency training at the base these days. Meanwhile, Ding Jiu and others, after going out with Li Yu a few times, had gained the permission to use firearms and were now familiar with them.


    The vehicle sped along towards Southern City.


    This direction was one Li Yu and his team had scarcely visited after the apocalypse. But looking at the map, they could determine the direction roughly.


    Plus, Lai Dongsheng had followed his father in delivering goods around the neighboring counties and cities, so he was quite familiar with them.


    As Li Yu was thinking, suddenly, the vehicle at the front stopped.


    They had gotten three vehicles, one armored van and two all-terrain vehicles.


    They divided into three teams, each with a walkie-talkie to keep in touch.


    Li Yu, Li Hang, Xiao Han, Dapao, Yang Tianlong were in one group.


    Li Tie, Lai Dongsheng, Ding Jiu, and others were in another group.


    Li Gang, Song Min, and others formed another group.


    Li Tie and Li Gang, Li Yu''s cousins, who had returned from the military, had always been valued by Li Yu, and these two lived up to his expectations, carrying the burden at critical times.


    Li Yu was in the last vehicle, and just as he was about to ask why, he heard Li Tie''s voice on the walkie-talkie: "Big brother, there are many big trees fallen ahead, about 30 meters away, we stopped first. What should we do?"


    Li Yu looked around both sides of the national highway. There was no anomaly.


    He then asked Li Hang to drive past by the side and align next to Li Tie''s vehicle.


    Through the windshield, Li Yu could clearly see several tall street trees ahead, seemingly ravaged by a storm a few days ago, and among them was one tree.


    The top of the tree was struck by lightning leaving a charred black area, bending down directly in the middle, and lying across the national highway.


    Looking at these trees, they didn''t seem like man-made damage, so Li Yu got out of the car, and instructed Lai Dongsheng and Dapao to come out too.


    The three went forward to check, while others stayed in place to observe.


    Li Yu approached the fallen tree and realized these trees were downed by the wind, which relieved him.


    However, these large trees, nearly 60 cm in diameter, couldn''t possibly be moved by a single person.


    So, he had Yang Tianlong and several workers come down as well, and specifically had Li Tie and Li Hang observe the surroundings on both sides of the national highway, to respond timely if there were any changes.


    With everyone''s efforts, soon, they managed to move the trees to the side of the national highway.


    Just a short while of effort to move the trees made everyone sweat profusely. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As they walked back towards the vehicles, Dapao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Li Yu, "Brother Yu, this crazy weather, it''s just past 8, and the sun is so intense, it''s too hot."


    Li Yu looked up at the sun, wondering if it was an illusion, but he felt that the sun seemed bigger than usual.


    "Let''s leave quickly. Let''s try to reach there as soon as possible," said Li Yu.

 Chapter 175 - 167: The Thoughtful Salvation Army

    Everyone got into the vehicles, started the engines, and set out for Southern City.


    Southern City, too, has a convoy heading in their direction.


    The convoy seemed to exude a frightening aura, even though its passengers appeared somewhat gaunt.


    These people looked fierce and ruthless, driving at breakneck speeds.


    They were no longer far from Li Yu''s group.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the base, in accordance with previously established plans, renovations were due for the base.


    Especially the walls, for which construction materials were needed. Third Uncle took a few workers to the neighboring town, where Li Yu''s group had previously moved some cement.


    Being close, they soon left in a large truck to transport some construction materials shortly after Li Yu''s group departed.


    They encountered no issues on the way and quickly transported the materials back.


    At the base, there was bustling activity to reinforce the perimeter walls.


    Raising the railings along the wall, this reinforcement and heightening of the several-kilometer-long perimeter was a substantial undertaking.


    Second Uncle, meanwhile, was walking around the base. Li Yu once mentioned to him about the water outlet locations, how debris had clogged the grating in front of the pipes after a torrential downpour.


    Second Uncle took a couple of men with him to clear up the debris under the pipes and then went to inspect the outlet outside.


    He wouldn''t have known without going there, and upon arrival, he discovered two zombies with broken legs under a metal grid at the outlet slope.


    Under the sun, the zombies were motionless, until Second Uncle and the men approached, prompting the creatures to suddenly howl.


    That truly gave Second Uncle and the others a scare.


    They speared the two zombies, eliminating the threat.


    Standing at the outlet, Second Uncle pondered for a moment. This outlet led directly into the base, and they had to be wary of zombies crawling into it.


    Although these zombies couldn''t directly enter the base due to a height difference where a tall platform was built and the area surrounded by a metal grid, like a well, it was difficult to climb up.


    But if this outlet got blocked, it would be difficult to clear.


    Second Uncle had the workers create a few more metal grids to barricade the outlet further and adjusted the outlet''s direction towards a steeper slope.


    Below the slope, a nearly 10-meter drop made it virtually impossible for anything to get to the outlet.


    The recent storms had revealed minor issues within the base, which Second Uncle and the others started repairing and adjusting.


    Back to Li Yu''s side.


    If seen from above, a three-vehicle convoy would be spotted heading south, while another of about ten vehicles with nearly a hundred people was heading north.


    And these two convoys were getting closer and closer.


    On the highway where Li Yu and the others were, they stopped forming a single line and began driving two vehicles side by side instead.


    Inside the vehicle, Dapao and others, out of boredom, were maintaining their firearms and checking the ammunition as per their military habits.


    They had already checked everything countless times back at the base.


    But there wasn''t much to do in the vehicle, so they just kept cleaning and inspecting their weapons again.


    In the Salvation Army''s convoy, inside the largest central bus, the seats were removed and converted into a makeshift small RV.


    Inside, a few people were playing poker.


    "I''m sick of eating human flesh. We need to search other places and get something tasty. King of Diamonds!" a bald man declared.


    Across from him, a man with a red birthmark on his face muttered, "Don''t know what happened to Xiao Mao and their lot when they went over there; then we sent some more people afterward, didn''t we? This damn weather! It''s roasting me alive. Ace of Hearts! Haha, I beat you!"


    The middle-aged man was about to reach out and collect the few cigarettes on the table. He thought he had won for sure.


    "Whats the rush! Royal flush!" The bald man casually tossed his cards down.


    "Damn!" The man with the red birthmark glared at another man and said, "Didn''t you just say you had the king?"


    "That guy nonchalantly said, "Must have misheard."


    "Don''t play dumb!" The bald man slapped away the other man''s hand and reached for the cigarettes.


    These cigarettes were scarce goods. Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You motherf****r, you two in cahoots? Is he the landlord? What the f**k are you doing?" The man with the red birthmark fiercely glared at the man, then suddenly flipped the table.


    The cigarettes fell to the ground.


    The middle-aged man across the table, seeing this, also became furious. He pulled out the Long Knife he had been carrying on his back, ready to stab the man with the red birthmark.


    The man with the red birthmark wasn''t afraid when he saw the action; he had killed quite a few people recently. Not only had he killed, but he had also eaten quite a lot!


    These Salvation Army members, in the midst of the torrential rain and a food shortage, seemed to have been let loose by their leader to fight among themselves, the winner gets to eat meat.


    And the loser gets eaten.


    It was on the brink of erupting.


    Suddenly, the minibus made an abrupt stop.


    Due to inertia, everyone inside the bus fell forward.


    "F**king hell, Lao Wu, what the hell kind of driving is that!" The bald man said furiously.


    "Looks like there must''ve been an accident up ahead. They slammed on their brakes suddenly. If I hadn''t stopped, we''d have crashed into them," Lao Wu said helplessly.


    Hearing that, the bald man and the man with the birthmark, after such an interruption, both lost their fighting spirit.


    Everyone was curious as to what happened that they had to stop so abruptly.


    The bald man and the man with the birthmark, each holding a knife, got out of the bus and walked towards the vehicles in front.


    In the very front of the Salvation Army, two SUVs stopped less than 10 meters from Li Yu and his group, the driver inside panting heavily and drenched in cold sweat.


    It was a sharp bend, and it was likely that neither side saw the other until the very last moment when they turned the corner.


    ...


    Time goes back to 1 minute earlier, from the perspective of Li Yu''s side, Li Hang was driving the car, turning the bend, and two cars came head-on.


    The cars opposite also saw Li Yu''s vehicle, and both sides slammed on the brakes!


    The distance was less than 10 meters.


    Both sides were silent for 10 seconds, having almost collided just now.


    The Salvation Army seemed to finally regain their composure, looking at the three vehicles ahead through the glass, not quite clear on who was in the other cars.


    But seeing that there were only three cars on the other side, they felt an even stronger sense of rage.


    The driver who almost crashed into Li Yu''s car was burning with anger, having almost had a collision.


    Rolling down his window, he yelled towards Li Yu and his group, "Are you f**king blind, motherf*****s, you douchebags, we Salvation Army haven''t come across anyone who dares to block our way. F**kheads."


    On Li Yu''s side, there was silence, as if they were dumbstruck by the scolding, or their minds were overwhelmed by the notoriety of the Salvation Army.


    Hearing the words from the other side, Li Yu and Li Hang exchanged looks, both eyes revealing a hint of excitement.


    A smile formed on the corner of Li Yu''s mouth.


    Salvation Army... how thoughtful.

 Chapter 176 - 168: Each Harboring Their Own Schemes

    Li Yu took out the walkie-talkie and whispered to the several cars beside him, "Make way, let them through." S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Salvation Army opposite them, specifically the passenger seat in the lead vehicle, was the man in charge of this operation, a middle-aged man with a long beard and wearing a hat.


    Seeing Li Yu and his men actively reversing to clear the path, he immediately told the driver, "Go!"


    On Li Yu''s side, everyone was somewhat puzzled. Having encountered the Salvation Army, why not just take care of them directly?


    What Li Yu was thinking at the moment was that at this corner, it was unknown how many members of the Salvation Army were behind them. They were retreating to get a more complete view and in a more open field of vision, the Salvation Army would also find it hard to escape.


    On the side of the Salvation Army, they started their vehicles and passed by Li Yu''s cars. The bearded man in the passenger seat glanced at Li Yu and his group.


    Then a thought crossed his mind. Since they had come out and encountered them, it must be fate. They must pillage thoroughly.


    What he planned in his mind was to first surround Li Yu and his men!


    Attacking head-on now would risk startling the quarry.


    A total of more than ten vehicles formed a surrounding pattern, enclosing all of Li Yu''s vehicles.


    More than ten vehicles, halted on this national highway, some even parked right next to the road, completely encircling Li Yu and his companions.


    Both parties wanted to wait for the other to come closer.


    Both parties had their own schemes.


    Li Yu''s side saw that instead of leaving, the Salvation Army was surrounding them, and even the leading vehicles had turned off their engines.


    Li Yu looked in the rearview mirror, then through the windshield for a better view of the surroundings.


    On the Salvation Army''s side, the people in the vehicles had all gotten out, holding iron rods with nails or long knives, advancing threateningly towards Li Yu and his group.


    The people inside Li Yu''s vehicles all held their breath, waiting for these men to get off and approach.


    "Don''t rush," Li Yu spoke up.


    Directly opposite them, the bearded man said with a grin towards Li Yu and his group, "Get out of the car, or shall we ask you to step out?"


    Li Yu glanced around; there were roughly a hundred people in the Salvation Army. He had an estimate.


    He pressed the button on the walkie-talkie and said, "Tiezi, you guys in the back. Gangzi, you take the left and right. Dapao, we''ll take the front. Move out!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Li Yu leaped out of the car, raised his submachine gun, and began firing towards the front, where the bearded middle-aged man was located. Seeing Li Yu emerge, the man''s face showed a smile as if he thought Li Yu knew his place.


    But what he didn''t expect was that bullets would greet him.


    Bang bang bang!


    The bullets that flew towards them directly gunned down the bearded man, along with the driver still seated in the vehicle, who was dealt with swiftly and efficiently.


    Others were also acting in sync.


    Dapao, Yang Tianlong, and the others were also quick and agile, dashing out of the cars without hesitation and firing all around at the Salvation Army.


    Because the Salvation Army thought they were overwhelmingly superior to Li Yu and his men and was sure of victory, their vigilance was not particularly high.


    Thus, the sudden onslaught of bullets caught all the Salvation Army members on site by surprise.


    "F*ck, you guys, how do you have guns!"


    "Run! They''ve got guns!"


    In desperation, they sought cover, but they were too close to Li Yu and his group.


    They couldn''t find any good spots to hide, now scurrying about like headless flies. Although they were brave, what good was a long knife against firearms?


    They weren''t fools, realizing as soon as they saw the guns in Li Yu''s hands that they were finished. But fleeing could leave them the slimmest chance of survival.


    The tightness of their encirclement around Li Yu was now matched only by the difficulty of their escape.


    Because the cars parked beside the national highway were jammed in between the roadside trees. Escaping now was extremely troublesome.


    Bullets wouldn''t wait for them. As Li Yu and the others disembarked from the vehicle, they opened fire, and bullets splattered against the Salvation Army''s cars, sparking upon impact.


    But more often, they hit the bodies of the Salvation Army members directly. At such a close range, even those like Song Min who had just gotten accustomed to firearms had a very high hit rate.


    At this moment, on the asphalt ground of the national highway, a group of people lay wailing.


    Li Yu stepped onto the roof of the car and, seeing some members of the Salvation Army attempting to flee, called out, "Dapao, Tianlong, Tiezi, Gangzi! Chase in all directions! Don''t let a single one escape!"


    "Everyone else, execute those still alive on the spot. Search the area, kill anyone you see!" Li Yu shouted.


    "Alright."


    "Okay."


    ...


    Everyone echoed in agreement.


    Li Yu charged towards the Salvation Army; he had seen from the car roof that several people had run off into the farmland on either side of the national highway.


    He was very close to the Salvation Army, less than 10 meters away, and he arrived in an instant.


    Thud! Li Yu stepped onto the SUV of the Salvation Army, raised his gun, and fired at several people in the farmland on both sides.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Several people fell to the ground.


    On the other side, Yang Tianlong, Li Tie, and Dapao each ran in different directions.


    Because Li Yu had initially chosen to reverse the vehicles to avoid the turn, the area was very open.


    On both sides of the national highway were vast fields, with a very wide view.


    In such an open view, it was very difficult for members of the Salvation Army to escape. Even those who had made it to the farmland were directly shot and killed by Dapao and the others.


    The sounds of gunfire were incessant.


    Five minutes later.


    The area had fallen completely silent.


    There was only the occasional drip-drip of leaking oil from car tanks onto the ground.


    They roughly counted the bodies; there were about a hundred people. In this gunfight, Li Yu and his group had been surrounded, but even though they were encircled, they caught the Salvation Army completely off guard.


    In this massacre, the Salvation Army, originally like demons, were slaughtered like lambs by Li Yu and his men.


    After killing these people, Li Yu instructed his team to move the Salvation Army''s cars away.


    They had to hurry to the headquarters of the Salvation Army.


    Uncle Lai and the others had already swept the battlefield, and after searching the national highway, they found no surviving members of the Salvation Army.


    This ambush had taken nearly half an hour; they must rush to the headquarters of the Salvation Army as quickly as possible.


    After moving the vehicles of the Salvation Army to one side, Li Yu and his group set off.


    ...


    It was 10:30 in the morning.


    The sun was rising higher, and the weather was getting hotter, the heat carrying a hint of something sinister.


    In June, the temperature had soared to 40 degrees.


    This was highly unusual.


    However, the temperature was not the main concern for Li Yu and his group at the moment.


    After nearly three hours, now they had reached Southern City.


    Had it not been for the encounter with the more than a hundred members of the Salvation Army, they might have arrived 20 minutes earlier.

 Chapter 177 - 169: Eat What!

    At this moment, it was 11:40 in the morning.


    Li Yu had asked Li Hang to slow down the car since they entered the territory of Southern City.


    Moving forward slowly and looking at the map, they were now not far from the headquarters of the Salvation Army, less than 300 meters away.


    Thus, Li Yu asked Li Hang to find a relatively hidden spot to park the car.


    This hidden spot was next to a few roadside small grocery stores, surrounded by several large trees, exceptionally lush, especially with some perennial greens around them that had grown exaggeratedly over 3 meters tall after the heavy rain.


    A very concealed location.


    After parking the car, Li Yu and his group got out and headed towards the headquarters of the Salvation Army.


    They walked slowly, forming a triangular formation.


    And the last person kept watch of the movements behind them.


    Looking at the map, opposite the Salvation Army there were a row of residential houses, none of them very tall.


    But they were very close to the Salvation Army.


    As per usual habit, Li Yu and his group would observe the enemy before making a move.


    "Big brother, let''s go to this house, we don''t need to go around, and it''s less likely to be discovered," Li Tie pointed at a house on the map.


    Li Yu nodded, then everyone slowly walked forward for nearly 100 meters.


    To avoid being noticed, everyone tried to find routes with obstructions as much as possible.


    A few minutes later.


    The house Li Tie pointed out was now right in front of them.


    This house was a small three-story residential building, with several other buildings nearby.


    This house was exactly opposite the factory of the Salvation Army.


    Among the row of houses on the opposite side, this house was situated at the very edge.


    Li Yu looked back at everyone; there was no fear on anyone''s faces, and even from their eyes, a subtle excitement could be seen.


    "Let''s go!" Li Yu whispered.


    The group headed quietly towards that house.


    Meanwhile, at the Salvation Army side. A refined-looking man stood next to the boss of the Salvation Army, reporting some information: "This morning, Brother Dapao took people there. They should have arrived by now."


    The boss of the Salvation Army nodded, somewhat puzzled: "We sent so many people there. What exactly is going on. I should have gone this time. Sigh! What''s going on with Minister Zhang today? I just heard them quarreling downstairs."


    "Minister Zhang, he set up a betting game over there. Uh, it''s about two people fighting. Whoever loses, pays some goods."


    "Goods? What goods do they still have?" the boss of the Salvation Army asked with some confusion.


    "Uh, some items of women, cigarettes, and some�� meat," the refined man replied.


    The boss of the Salvation Army hmm''d, then reminded, "Tell them later when you go down, not too many people should die. Do you understand?"


    The refined man nodded and echoed: "Yes, boss."


    Leaving the Salvation Army''s side, let''s look at the outermost house of the factory compound.


    This house had already developed some black spots on the outer layer where the putty powder brushed on the walls had fallen off.


    Behind this house, Li Yu and his men vaulted over the small fence of this house and then moved towards the back door.


    The back door was tightly locked.


    Li Yu took the gun barrel and smashed it directly on the lock, whereupon the lock was directly knocked off.


    Li Yu and his group entered one after another.


    Inside the house, they began to check their equipment once again.


    "Tiezi, you and Dapao go check out the situation with the Salvation Army on the third floor," Li Yu said.


    "Everyone else, rest here, have something to eat; we''ll be taking action shortly." Li Yu, along with Li Tie, headed upstairs to observe, then turned back and spoke to the group.


    This building seemed to have been uninhabited for a long time, not just since the apocalypse erupted. Judging from the dust inside, it seemed no one had lived here for several years.


    The group didn''t bother to clean up either, swiftly cleared a spot on the ground to sit and started their meal.


    Li Yu, along with Li Tie, proceeded to the third floor.


    On the rooftop, Li Yu and his group took out a telescope, carefully observing the situation of the Salvation Army across the street.


    Through their telescope.


    They could clearly see two security booths at the factory gate, one on each side.


    The gate seemed to be made of fine steel, tall and large. Although there were some gaps in the middle, the thick bars indicated that the gate was very sturdy.


    At the two security booths, there were nearly ten people in total, five on each side.


    Li Yu saw that the people on both sides seemed to be clustered together, as if there was something interesting going on. He adjusted the telescope''s focus, zoomed in, and saw that they were playing poker.


    All were shirtless, the weather far too hot, making everyone reluctant to wear much.


    Seeing how lightly they were dressed, Li Tie felt a bit warm himself. This time out, everyone was fully armed, wearing protective knee pads and other gear.


    Li Yu squatted on the rooftop, observed again, and noticed that these people had not eaten yet.


    As he was pondering this, he heard a burst of cheering.


    He frowned and looked over, only to see a large group of people behind the security booth, lifting someone and heading towards one of the rooms.


    The person being lifted was covered in blood and motionless.


    Li Yu grew curious.


    In the scorching heat, Li Yu also felt overwhelmed, so he took out his water bottle and took a couple of sips.


    Then he pulled out some simple rations he had brought along and began to eat.


    Li Yu was patient. Although today they were in a rush to deal with the Salvation Army, knowing the enemy better before an attack could significantly increase their chances of success. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Li Yu crouching outside the factory, thought about the actions of the Salvation Army earlier and felt puzzled.


    Beside him, Dapao, also puzzled, was eating while watching through the telescope and said, "Brother Yu, what are they doing? Why are they lifting a person? Ugh...f***."


    "F***, f***!" Dapao''s hands shaking the telescope suddenly, as if he''d seen something disgusting, quickly lowered the telescope.


    "Yue?gulp?yue?gulping"


    Trying to spit out the food in his mouth, but in the apocalypse, food was too precious to waste, he forced himself to swallow it again.


    However, perhaps the scene he saw was too disgusting, Dapao''s face turned red, and his mouth made gurgling noises.


    Li Yu, still eating, heard Dapao''s question but didn''t know how to respond. However, Dapao''s reaction made him more curious about what had just happened with the Salvation Army.


    Quickly, he picked up the telescope and looked through it.


    .....


    After a long while, Li Yu put down the telescope, the food in his hands suddenly less appetizing.


    However, considering the physical exertion to come, they had to eat.


    Li Yu expressionless, swallowed the dry rations one by one.


    As if he were an emotionless machine.


    The scene he had witnessed just now, he had seen it before his rebirth.


    Actually, it wasn''t a very unusual phenomenon.


    Yet, seeing it again, he couldn''t help but feel angry.

 Chapter 178 - 170: Begin Action

    Dapao and Yang Tianlong both got hold of a telescope and witnessed everything that had just happened within the Salvation Army, which plunged them into silence.


    Li Hang was somewhat curious and reached for the telescope, Dapao wanted to stop him, but the hand that was raised suddenly lowered again.


    A person''s understanding can be quite limited; sometimes it is only through seeing with their own eyes that they can comprehend certain things.


    Li Hang picked up the telescope, and from his point of view at that moment.


    The person who had been carried away was no longer in sight, and the group of people remained in place, engaged in a duel.


    Li Hang was a bit puzzled; this didn''t seem serious enough to elicit such a strong reaction from Dapao and the others.


    Suddenly, he saw a room where someone was holding a knife in one hand and carrying a bucket in the other, walking out.


    Walking up to a spot near the outer fence, this place was very close to where Li Yu and the others were.


    He saw the person dig a hole and empty a pile of bloody, indistinguishable things from the bucket, scattered with a lot of hair!


    This person was adept; after dumping these things into the hole, they picked up a shovel from the side and shoveled dirt over to bury them.


    Li Hang saw those strands of hair and had a disturbing suspicion in his mind.


    Right after, the person returned to the room, and not long after, white smoke began to rise from the top of the room.


    The wind started blowing, carrying the cooking smoke towards Li Yu and their side.


    Li Hang on the rooftop was the first to smell this odor; a strong aroma of meat, very appetizing!


    However, as Li Hang smelled this meaty fragrance, his stomach kept heaving, and he was overwhelmed by the urge to vomit.


    He, now understood why Dapao and the others suddenly became so silent, why they couldn''t eat a single bite just now.


    He looked through the telescope again and clearly saw the group of people bursting into the room, beginning to gnaw and feast...


    Seeing this scene, Li Hang''s worldview seemed to be severely shaken; he never thought he''d witness such a raw reality!


    Cannibalism!


    The act of devouring one''s own kind, how cruel.


    ...


    10 minutes later, Li Yu came downstairs. He glanced at everyone and said, "Has everyone rested well? We are ready to move!"


    Just now, Li Yu noticed that the management of these people wasn''t very strict, especially now during their "lunch" time, the guards at the door seemed to be worrying they wouldn''t get their share of the food, rushing in swarms towards the place where "lunch" was being made.


    Now, there was no one guarding the gate of the Salvation Army.


    A month ago, the Salvation Army wasn''t like this; they were strictly guarded, formidable. Ordinary people found it very hard to get in, and even getting close would get them detected.


    However, the prolonged lack of food had everyone on the brink of life and death due to starvation, and other things no longer mattered.


    When Li Yu said they could move, everyone immediately got to their feet.


    After coming out, they were always in a state of intense excitement; this state was exhausting, and they wanted to complete the mission as quickly as possible to return home early.


    Everyone quickly got their gear sorted; in less than 10 seconds, they began to gather on the first floor.


    Li Yu stood in front of everyone and said, "According to the previous plan, me, Li Hang, Litai, Dapao, and Yang Tianlong. We''ll form one group, attacking directly through the main gate.


    Li Tie, you lead Lai Dongsheng, Ding Jiu, and others in one group.


    Li Gang, you lead Song Min and the others in one group.


    You will outflank from the side, enter, and encircle.


    Remember one thing, this time, don''t leave any survivors.


    Move out!"


    After Li Yu finished speaking, Dapao, Li Hang, Yang Tianlong, and Litai followed behind Li Yu.


    Li Yu immediately broke into a run, heading towards the Salvation Army.


    The Salvation Army''s heavy iron gate had been previously scouted by Li Yu; it could stop zombies, but was no match for humans. One could easily climb through the gap between the two railings.


    Within less than 14 seconds, Li Yu had already made it to the bottom of this large gate of the Salvation Army. It must be said, the gate was indeed very thick, and the neighboring fence, standing 4 meters tall, was topped with inverted hooks.


    These hooks weren''t blunt; under the light, their sharp tips gleamed menacingly.


    Upon reaching the gate, Li Yu slung his gun over his shoulder, grabbed the iron bars with his hands, and started climbing.


    Li Yu moved agilely; the iron railings, after being baked in the sun, had some rust protruding from the surface, providing enough friction for Li Yu to climb upward with force.


    The iron gate was very tall, standing at about 5.5 meters, and it was incredibly strenuous to scale.


    In under 20 seconds, Li Yu had climbed over the gate and snuck in. Behind him, Dapao and the others also wanted to climb in, but Li Yu waved them down, whispering, "Wait a moment."


    After speaking, he headed directly for the security room.


    Entering the security room, Li Yu swiftly surveyed the area.


    Inside the security room, there was no one, and the tiled floor was covered in dark, unidentifiable substances; the walls were also covered in black mold. Recently, with the sun out, some of the mold had fallen off, while some still stubbornly clung to the walls.


    In the security room, there was a large table with a deck of playing cards on it.


    Several chairs were covered with a few articles of clothing.


    Li Yu glanced at the wall and saw two keys, which he went over and took.


    When he arrived at the chairs, as if he remembered something, he searched through the clothes and, sure enough, found another key inside.


    Examining the three completely different keys in his hand, he realized the only way to know which one would work would be to try them.


    Dapao and others, holding their guns, kept a tight watch behind the iron gate, not knowing when the Salvation Army''s gatekeepers would return.


    Having obtained the keys, Li Yu rushed towards the iron gate and then took out one key to unlock it.


    Dapao and the others, seeing the key, their faces lit up with joy. This would save so much trouble.


    The first key was inserted, but it wouldn''t turn. Not this one!


    Seeing this, Dapao was about to climb up, but Li Yu took out another key.


    It still wouldn''t turn, and Dapao and the others were getting frustrated.


    Both of these keys had been on the wall. Li Yu then took out the key he had found on the piece of clothing.


    Finally, with a click, the lock was opened.


    With the horizontal lock pulled back, Dapao and the others outside pushed hard.


    Creaking, the heavy iron gate was slowly pushed open.


    At that moment, at the rear, the scruffy-looking guy saw some people from the Salvation Army coming their way with basins in their hands.


    One of them, with sharp eyes, noticed Li Yu and his group and shouted, "We have intruders!"


    But it was completely too late.


    As seen at the gate, Li Yu and his group had already surged in from the outside.


    Dapao, Li Yu, and the others, upon seeing these Salvation Army people, opened fire immediately.


    Bang bang bang! sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The gunfire was rapid and dense.


    Under the hail of bullets, those Salvation Army members were thrown into chaos; two of them immediately hid in a nearby room, while the others were too slow to react.


    And were killed by Li Yu and his group!


    The gunshots also alerted the other members of the Salvation Army!


    Within the furthest building of the factory, the Salvation Army boss was reclining, resting.


    The sudden burst of gunfire caused him to sit up from the couch.

 Chapter 179 - 171: Boss, Save Me!

    Gun!


    This gunshot definitely did not belong to any firearm that the Salvation Army had, because during this period, bullets became increasingly scarce, and eventually, in the entire Salvation Army, only his location had the last two ammunition clips left.


    How could there still be gunfire? It must be others!


    Thinking this, the leader of the Salvation Army immediately got up, crossed the sofa in big strides, and walked towards the desk drawer.


    In this drawer, there was a handgun and two magazines.


    The leader of the Salvation Army directly loaded the magazines into the handgun and turned off the safety.


    Suddenly, a knock came from outside the room.


    The leader of the Salvation Army immediately pointed the handgun at the door, without uttering a word.


    A familiar voice came from behind the door: "Boss, I just heard gunshots, it might be outsiders!"


    Hearing this familiar voice, the leader of the Salvation Army breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Come in and talk."


    A refined-looking man entered, his face marked with a look of confusion.


    "Go, ring the alarm bell, and get everyone to gather here," the leader of the Salvation Army said.


    "Alright, I''ll go right now!" The refined man said, and immediately ran out of the room.


    Before he could even get out, gunshots were heard coming from another direction.


    Bang bang bang!


    It was Li Tie and his men, attacking from the flank.


    The gunfire had just ceased, when from the right direction, another round of gunshots was heard.


    Bang bang bang!


    The leader of the Salvation Army sighed and said to the refined man who was about to run out, "Don''t go. Forget it, it''s no use."


    He was very clear that such intense gunfire, coming from different directions, indicated that there was more than one person, even over ten people. If judging solely based on the sound of gunfire, there were already more than ten people.


    On the Salvation Army''s side, there was only one small handgun.


    Even though they had over two hundred people.


    But under such overwhelming armed force, how could they resist? Besides, these people had been hungry for so many days already. Everyone''s condition was on the verge of collapse!


    If resistance was futile, then they must escape as soon as possible! No matter why these people came after them. The primary task at hand was to flee from here.


    The leader of the Salvation Army thought:


    Since they could find this place, it definitely showed that they had some understanding of the Salvation Army.


    From Xiao Mao, to team leader Qian going to Xin City in the north, he had never come back.


    They sent some more people there today, and until now, none have returned, and this group has come over; maybe all those who went before encountered them.


    Damn! Running into tough resistance!


    Could it be the military, thought the leader of the Salvation Army.


    Impossible, the military wouldn''t attack us without cause.


    But how could ordinary people possess so many firearms!


    What exactly is going on, the leader of the Salvation Army stood there, somewhat lost in thought.


    "Boss, what do we do now?" Standing opposite him, watching his boss''s expression alternate between confusion and certainty, he could not help but speak up.


    Hearing the refined man speak, the leader of the Salvation Army suddenly looked up. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Right, whoever they are, they are definitely here to cause trouble.


    Escape!


    "You, come with me!" The leader of the Salvation Army glanced at this loyal subordinate. Although he was a person who trusted no one, this ''dog'' was very obedient.


    The leader of the Salvation Army, behind the desk on that wall, directly pulled aside a painting, revealing a small hole with a button inside.


    The boss pressed down with a slap, then stumbled a few steps backward.


    The wall in front of them started to slowly part, revealing a corridor about 2 meters wide.


    Inside the corridor, various items were piled up.


    Food! Tobacco and liquor! Medications! Gold!...


    Seeing this, the refined man''s eyes widened.


    "This, this, this, isn''t this too much?! Weren''t we said to be out of supplies?...." The refined man seemed to realize something and immediately shut up.


    He spoke no more. He was well aware of how ruthless the boss could be when it came to killing.


    The Salvation Army boss gave the refined man a deep look and said, "Go in, take as much as you can carry, here."


    The boss threw a large backpack over: "Use this to pack!"


    The refined man hesitated, saying, "Boss, this is yours. How dare I. This, this, this...."


    The Salvation Army boss, impatiently said: "Hurry up, start packing!"


    Feeling his tone was a bit harsh, he then patiently said: "I value you the most, I''ve always valued you, that''s why I''ve kept you close. You know, you''ve also made many mistakes, and I''ve forgiven you.


    From now on, what I have, you will have too. Go ahead and pack, big brother will take care of you!


    Now, look, the enemy is coming, I plan to take you and run. Hurry up."


    These words moved the refined man to the point of wanting to cry, he never imagined the boss valued him so much.


    Exhilarated inside, like he was injected with adrenaline, he ran inside and packed some food and medications.


    The Salvation Army boss also took a bag, packed his cherished compressed biscuits, thought for a moment, and added a pack of cigarettes.


    After that, he didn''t pack anything else; he knew clearly that to run, one must travel light, being greedy now could weigh them down later.


    At the moment, escaping here alive was the most important thing.


    In the future, as long as he was alive, he could definitely make a comeback.


    Compared with the refined man''s huge backpack, the Salvation Army boss''s appeared somewhat small.


    "Let''s go!" The Salvation Army boss, hearing another gunshot nearby, immediately said.


    "Where are we running to?" the refined man asked.


    The Salvation Army boss glanced back at him and said, "Just follow me. Keep up. Did you hear?"


    The refined man felt a warm flow in his heart, the boss, even at this time, was worried he couldn''t keep up, it seemed he really did value him, unlike the others he had not taken, he chose to escape with him.


    "Mhm!" The refined man complemented a series of ideas and nodded vigorously.


    The Salvation Army boss came down from the third floor, stood behind the door on the first floor and listened for a moment.


    Thump, thump, thump!


    He heard a series of footsteps, then a loud shout: "Boss, trouble''s here! Help me!"


    Hearing this shout, the Salvation Army boss was internally furious!


    Damn it, capture the king first. The enemy has come looking for trouble.


    No matter what, as the boss, he was definitely facing the most fire from the enemy.


    This idiot''s shouting just attracted the enemies over, didn''t it?


    What the hell can I do now? Fight with my small handgun?


    Holding back the urge to shoot that person, he spat.


    He patted the refined man on the back and said, "Go through the back door."


    The refined man also understood the boss''s mood at that moment; when fleeing, the last thing you want is to be spotted.


    Now that idiot outside shouting so loudly definitely attracted the enemies over.


    Now, their difficulty in escaping had increased!

 Chapter 180 - 172: I Really Want to Escape

    The sunlight was just right, the breeze not too dry.


    The sun hung overhead, shining so brightly that it was dazzling.


    Normally, before this storm, the leader of the Salvation Army would have been sunbathing on the rooftop, enjoying the wind and leisurely drinking wine.


    But now, in this life-or-death situation, his mind was full of thoughts about how to escape from here.


    "Let''s go!" the Salvation Army leader pulled the refined man next to him, who sternly glanced at the man running towards them.


    The two quietly slipped out the back door, the refined man poking his head out and seeing no one outside. Then he said to the leader, "It''s clear, boss."


    The Salvation Army leader nodded and sprinted outside.


    Meanwhile, at Li Yu''s end.


    After he had dealt with the people running towards them, two others were still hiding inside the house.


    The five of them hadn''t split up; in enemy territory, even with the advantage of firearms, the number of opponents was just too many.


    Plus, being unfamiliar with the place, it was easy to be ambushed during their search.


    Therefore, they must not split up.


    However, Dapao, upon seeing the two enemies hiding, rushed forward single-handedly.


    Li Yu urgently shouted: "Kill the majority first, deal with the few slowly. We must not split up."


    He had already emphasized this point with Li Tie and Li Gang before.


    It was crucial to resolve the trouble, but even more important to ensure that they could all make it out and back.


    Otherwise, merely getting them out but losing people on the way back would also be a failure.


    Dapao scratched his head and said, "Alright, Brother Yu. What do we do next?"


    Li Yu responded, "Keep searching inside!"


    Previously, the gunshots had mostly drawn curious members of the Salvation Army; they, unlike their leader, didn''t immediately think trouble was coming.


    So, as Li Yu entered, many curious members of the Salvation Army ran towards the direction of the gunfire.


    At any time, curiosity and a penchant for watching the excitement are innate in nationals.


    Even in dangerous situations, people enjoy watching the action.


    Quite often, in watching the excitement, they themselves become the spectacle.


    After the gunfire, Li Yu and others continued to charge deeper inside.


    Before they even reached the factory hall, they saw a large group of Salvation Army members��some holding pans, others shirtless, some washing their hair��all in various states, walking towards them.


    Just as they walked out of the factory hall and saw Li Yu''s group holding firearms,


    suddenly, the atmosphere stilled.


    But Li Yu and his team didn''t hesitate at all.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    The gunshots rang out, dense like a tidal wave.


    The crowd of the Salvation Army who had come to watch dropped like harvested wheat.


    Those at the back who hadn''t yet arrived hadn''t even seen Li Yu and his team before they were swallowed by bullets.


    And further back, some who hadn''t yet made it out the door, upon seeing the fallen Salvation Army members, finally realized what was happening and ran back inside.


    "Chase!" commanded Li Yu.


    Chasing the enemy must also be done together.


    Their numbers were few; five men made a perfect combat team.


    Even with overwhelming firepower, caution is the parent of safety.


    Li Yu and his team ran towards the factory hall, inside which chaos reigned.


    Some people shouted: "There are attackers outside! Run, they have guns!"


    "What the fuck?"


    "What''s happening, why are there gunshots outside?"


    "What''s going on?" S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, some people seemed immersed in something else, as if they hadn''t heard the others'' shouts.


    "Hit 2! Damn! I won!" A man sitting on the mat shouted excitedly.


    But when he looked up, he realized that the two people who were sitting next to him had vanished.


    "What''s going on?" The man''s joyful expression hadn''t faded yet, but now he looked puzzled.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out, and the man fell down with a puzzled look on his face.


    Inside the factory, there was chaos everywhere.


    Some people ran straight out through the windows. Some hid deeper inside the factory.


    While others, seeing that Li Yu and his team had surrounded the factory exit, grabbed Long Knife weapons and charged fiercely.


    But what greeted them was relentless bullets.


    This time, Li Yu and his team had brought a lot of bullets, each carrying nearly 20 pounds.


    On them, they wore a tactical backpack, carrying nothing but weapons.


    This activity was themed: Massacre!


    Boom!


    Li Yu threw a Hand Grenade, which exploded amidst the group of Salvation Army members.


    For a moment, flesh and blood flew everywhere, with body parts scattering all around.


    Li Yu looked around; at least 50 people had died from that round of firing.


    But there were still some people hiding on the second floor.


    "Brother Yu, switch with me, I need to reload," Dapao said.


    Within the team, everyone synchronized perfectly, ensuring that always more than two people were firing; anyone needing a reload had to call out.


    This gave others a window of opportunity.


    This time, apart from carrying Submachine Guns, they also brought some Handguns.


    ...


    Li Tie had just entered the Salvation Army headquarters when he heard the first gunshot.


    The side guards were lax; in fact, there was nobody around at that moment.


    He walked boldly and smoothly into the headquarters of the Salvation Army.


    Under a large tree, three men were enjoying the cool shade. The weather was abnormally hot for June.


    "Second Brother, let''s go swimming in the afternoon. It''s way too hot," said one short-haired man, his shirt soaked with sweat.


    "Sure. Huh? Someone there?" The slightly older man sat up.


    "You, who are you, who let you in? You...." The man was cut off mid-sentence with a shot.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    A few gunshots later, these men were down.


    And it was during these gunshots that the leader of the Salvation Army was about to run outside.


    ...


    At the back door, just as the leader of the Salvation Army ran out and saw no one around, he felt slightly puzzled. Normally, although rarely people came around this building, it wouldn''t be completely deserted.


    Though curious, he was more excited; no people meant a smaller target.


    So he headed towards the side door.


    "Boss! Trouble is here! There are so many of them, so many guns! And women!" Suddenly, a bunch of people poured out from the opposite house.


    A crowd shouted loudly: "Boss, people are coming from the right door, they are heading our way now. What should we do?"


    "Boss! What do we do?"


    "Boss! I don''t want to die."


    "Boss!"


    ...


    Salvation Army leader: "..."


    I really want to escape!

 Chapter 181 - 173: But Cant Escape

    The Salvation Army boss said with a smile, "Brothers, grab your gear, let''s take them down, the Salvation Army, is all about giving others trouble, not the other way around!"


    "Boss is right! We must overcome difficulties."


    "Boss Weiwu, Boss is awesome!"


    "Let''s applaud for the boss!"


    "Boss, just give the order, and I''m all in with my 220 pounds."


    "Boss, what do we do now?"


    The Salvation Army boss, hearing the gunfire getting closer from the front, and even louder on the right, as if it was right next to his ear.


    Felt anxious.


    He calmed down a bit and said, "Brothers, let''s go straight up and fight. We have so many people, and they don''t even know if they outnumber us. All of us together, we can definitely take them out."


    "That�� I''ll just go grab a weapon, you guys go ahead."


    Suddenly, the air quieted down.


    A bit awkward.


    The Salvation Army boss, however, was lightly moving his feet, heading towards the back door, knowing there was unlikely to be any enemy there.


    Because, behind the back door was a river!


    There, was a small boat, which he had left there previously; people like him always had an escape route ready at all times.


    But he had not expected to need this escape route so soon.


    Some brothers fell silent, while some still had excitement on their faces, holding Long Knives and running towards the direction of the gunfire.


    But many more stood still in silence, motionless, watching the Salvation Army boss.


    Seeing this, the boss stopped paying attention to anyone else, pulled a refined-looking man aside,


    And strode towards the back door.


    Some wanted to follow but were stared down by the boss, who said, "Go resist! I''m going to get a weapon. I''ll be right there."


    These people''s gazes suddenly became opaque, staring at the Salvation Army boss with a hint of rebellion.


    The boss had always known fear or awe in the eyes of his followers, but never questioning gazes like now, which had never survived before.


    At this moment, seeing such a gaze, anger bubbled up inside the Salvation Army boss.


    Suddenly, he pulled a handgun out of his pocket and shouted at the people opposite, "Go fight the enemy! What are you looking at me for?"


    "Go!!!" His voice carried a hint of threat, as if he would shoot if these twenty or so people stayed any longer.


    Some trembled, some had resentful looks in their eyes and ran off in other directions.


    The enemies were approaching quickly; better to run than to follow the boss.


    Those who had gathered scattered like birds and beasts.


    The Salvation Army boss took one look and didn''t linger, heading straight for the back door.


    The gunfire got closer and closer.


    On the other side of the side door, it was Li Gang leading Song Min and others coming from the right towards this side.


    They killed anyone they encountered on the road.


    But what made them curious was why there were still a few people, desperately rushing towards them with Long Knives.


    From such a distance, wasn''t that suicide?


    They thought there might be a trap, but after Li Gang and Song Min opened fire, they realized it was indeed a death mission.


    "Do they have a problem?" Song Min was a bit confused.


    Li Gang was also silent; he had never encountered such a situation.


    "No matter, the task Big Brother gave us is to kill on sight!" Li Gang said outright.


    Suddenly, after killing one person, another with a look of spite pointed in a direction and said, "Our boss ran that way!"


    "Oh? Why tell us?"


    "He didn''t take us with him, he abandoned us."


    "Hmm, let''s go take a look. Thanks." Li Gang said.


    Bang!


    Eased his departure from torment.


    The group continued forward, encountering fewer and fewer people.


    Their direction was precisely where the Salvation Army boss initially wanted to escape, but after meeting some people, they learned that a group was coming from the right side towards them.


    Originally, the Salvation Army boss planned to escape through the chaos, on the right side, because there was his second escape vehicle prepared.


    An off-road vehicle, parked inside the guardrail on the side.


    All he needed to do was to open the guardrail gate, and this car could immediately whisk him away to escape.


    But now, there''s no way to head in that direction.


    Only the back door is left. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Salvation Army boss rushed frantically with the refined man towards the back door.


    The refined man had a lot of stuff on his back, drenched in sweat as he ran at full speed, his clothes already soaked through.


    "We''re nearly there! Hurry up! Why are you so damn slow?" The Salvation Army boss complained, seemingly dissatisfied with the refined man''s pace.


    "....."


    The refined man was carrying over 40 pounds, while the Salvation Army boss had less than 10.


    This....


    Just as the Salvation Army boss spotted the back door, he also noticed several people racing towards it.


    "Shit, this is bad!" The Salvation Army boss angrily exclaimed.


    Although the location where he had placed his boat was very hidden, it was easy to find by the riverside due to the limited space.


    The Salvation Army boss quickened his steps and ran in that direction.


    The Salvation Army members ahead, upon seeing their boss following behind, said, "Boss, you''re coming too?"


    The Salvation Army boss looked at the man in front of him meaningfully.


    Then, without further attention to him, he took a few more steps forward.


    He descended to the sand, and from behind the bushes, he pulled out a small boat.


    This small boat was very tiny, fitting at most three people.


    After dragging out the boat, the Salvation Army boss sprinted straight towards the riverbank.


    Seeing that they were about to reach the river, the people standing on the sand suddenly realized something and ran shouting towards the Salvation Army boss, "Boss, take us with you."


    "Boss, let us go together."


    "Boss!"


    "Boss!"


    "Boss, I''ll help you."


    The Salvation Army boss: "....."


    I''m really grateful!


    Two people stepped forward to help the Salvation Army boss carry the boat to the river''s edge.


    Just as they got to the river, two of them sat down immediately, patted the last spot, and said, "Boss, take a seat. Let''s make a quick getaway!"


    Witnessing this scene without yet making a move, the refined man instantly got pissed, thinking, Do I really have no spot?


    The other three who were a step behind crammed onto the boat, beginning to fight for a place.


    The struggle for positions was fierce, with everyone pulling and tugging at first.


    3 seconds later, someone pulled out a Dagger and slashed another person''s throat. The victim immediately went limp and tumbled off the boat.


    The Salvation Army boss heaved a long sigh to the sky!


    Shit!


    With the sound of gunfire drawing nearer from behind, the Salvation Army boss opened fire on the group.


    Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!


    The Handgun fired. All bullets were spent.


    On the boat, the five men who were fighting all lay dead.


    The refined man''s mouth twitched slightly, and then he felt somewhat happy inside, thinking that it seemed the boss still favored him.


    Hey!


    "Get on the boat!" ordered the Salvation Army boss.


    "Right away."


    Driven like possessed, the Salvation Army boss looked back for a moment.


    Li Gang, Song Min, and the others were already at the back door, less than a hundred meters from them.


    This glance filled the Salvation Army boss with a sense of agonizing frustration.


    Damn these people for wasting time, now we might not be able to run away.


    ...


    I really want to escape, but I can''t!


    "...."


    Fuck!

 Chapter 182 - 174: Smart Person

    The boss of the Salvation Army, somewhat desperate.


    Reluctantly, he threw his belongings onto the boat, and hurriedly boarded it.


    The scholarly-looking man beside him tossed his backpack onto the small boat, at the moment the backpack was thrown.


    Thud!


    The small boat suddenly sank a bit, and the scholarly man pushed it forward a bit more.


    The small boat was already in water about half a meter deep, and the scholarly man hastily climbed aboard.


    But as he climbed aboard, the small boat seemed unable to bear the weight of the heavy backpack and two adults, showing some signs of tilting.


    Upon seeing this, the boss of the Salvation Army glanced at the backpack behind him, then at the scholarly man who had just boarded the boat.


    Without any hesitation, he kicked forward.


    The scholarly man was caught off guard, a kick landed on his back, and with his unstable seating, he was kicked down by the boss of the Salvation Army.


    Splash!


    The scholarly man looked at the boss incredulously, thinking, why did he kick him down?


    He tried to get back on the boat, but the boss of the Salvation Army pointed a gun at him, his other hand furiously rowing with the paddle.


    He should have bought an electric one, damn it!


    The scholarly man stopped moving forward, looking at the muzzle of the gun.


    His eyes wide, as if saying: Boss, don''t leave me behind.


    Meanwhile, behind them, Li Gang was nearly at the riverside, he saw two people by the river, preparing to escape by boat.


    He lifted his submachine gun, and fired directly.


    The scholarly man was hit by bullets directly! With widened eyes filled with pleading and confusion: Previously, the boss clearly said he would take me with him!


    Until death he could not understand, until death he could not rest.


    The position of the boss of the Salvation Army was blocked by the scholarly man, seeing the scholarly man collapse a few meters away, and seeing Li Gang now less than 20 meters away.


    His anxiety grew, pulling out a handgun and firing two shots towards Li Gang.


    "Dodge!" Li Gang saw the boss of the Salvation Army pull out a handgun and shouted loudly.


    Song Min and others quickly lay down.


    The bullets hit a tree about 10 meters away from them, at that moment, their lying down seemed somewhat superfluous.


    Those two shots hit nothing, the boss of the Salvation Army seldom used guns, his marksmanship was simply poor. Moreover, he was on the boat, which was shaking, making it even easier for the shots to go astray.


    The boss of the Salvation Army didn''t intend to hit them, he just hoped to slow down their approach.


    After two shots, he continued furiously to row, the small boat drifted forward along the river.


    Seeing the boss of the Salvation Army fire two stray shots, Li Gang was about to shoot when he heard the bang of a gunshot.


    It was Song Min!


    After lying down, she found a suitable position and aimed at the boss of the Salvation Army, firing her gun.


    Ah!


    The bullet hit the boss of the Salvation Army directly in the shoulder blade, causing him to fall directly into the river.


    This river, nearly 100 meters wide, had somewhat turbulent waters. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this, Li Gang became anxious and ran forward.


    By the riverside, there was a series of suspended wooden walkways, where many people walked and played before the apocalypse.


    Li Gang aimed his gun at the spot where the boss of the Salvation Army had just fallen, and fired several more shots.


    On the river surface, there were no traces for a moment.


    10 seconds.


    Li Gang followed the direction the river flowed downward, running.


    The river was turbulent, and it was very possible that the boss of the Salvation Army had been carried downstream after falling from the boat.


    Li Gang ran, keeping his eyes on the river. Song Min and the others followed behind him.


    20 seconds, Li Gang had already run more than a hundred meters along the river.


    There was still no one on the river surface.


    30 seconds, Li Gang continued running forward along the river.


    A normal person can hold their breath for about 60 seconds, but in this turbulent river, it would definitely be less.


    Suddenly, Song Min, following behind Li Gang, instantaneously turned her head back, shifting her attention to look at the spot they were previously.


    She ran in the opposite direction of the river''s flow.


    "Um, Sister Song?" the optimistic Xiao Han called out beside her.


    Song Min ignored her and directly ran towards the place where Li Gang and the others had been.


    Li Gang, hearing the noise, turned around to glance at Song Min, somewhat puzzled, but he didn''t stop his steps and continued running downstream.


    40 seconds, there was still no sign of that person. Suddenly, he realized why Song Min had run in the opposite direction.


    According to normal logic, after jumping into the river, one would definitely swim downstream, which saves energy and is faster.


    Swimming against the current, in this turbulent river, would be exhausting.


    Moreover, considering the leader of the Salvation Army had just rowed a boat downstream, under the inertia of thinking, Li Gang and his team would definitely assume the leader of the Salvation Army would swim downstream.


    Therefore, the leader of the Salvation Army, knowing this, would very likely do the opposite!


    Swimming upstream against the current.


    Even if he couldn''t swim far upstream, just swimming against the river to stay in place, even slowing down the force of the river carrying him downstream.


    While Li Gang and his team ran downstream, focusing their attention in the downstream direction, it was very possible for the leader of the Salvation Army to directly land ashore. And escape!


    Realizing all this, Li Gang said to Xiao Han and the others, "You continue chasing downstream. If you see anyone emerging from the water, shoot to kill!"


    He had just thought of the high possibility of the leader of the Salvation Army swimming upstream.


    However, there is another possibility that the leader of the Salvation Army, being an exceptional swimmer, was still heading downstream.


    Hearing Li Gang''s words, Xiao Han and the others nodded and continued running downstream with their handguns.


    Li Gang ran upstream.


    60 seconds had passed.


    For Song Min, she had already been running towards upstream for 30 seconds.


    At this moment, she was close to reaching the spot where they had stayed earlier. Song Min ran ten meters upstream, then suddenly stopped, intensely focusing on the river surface ahead.


    1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 4 seconds, as Song Min was unsure whether to check further upstream.


    About 5 meters from the riverbank, a dark spot appeared.


    Song Min took a few more steps towards it, standing by the bank with her submachine gun ready.


    Staring intensely at the river surface.


    Two more seconds passed. 3 meters away from the bank, with a splash, a head emerged.


    The leader of the Salvation Army had just surfaced and immediately looked towards the downstream left, then moved to the right, checking the spot where they had left the scholarly man.


    No one there! Probably they''re still searching downstream for me.


    Huff! Puff! Huff! Puff!


    Gasping loudly, a slight smile appeared on his face, which was also somewhat pale.


    Good thing I was clever!


    Slowly, he started to stand up, as he was not far from the shore and the water wasn''t deep, less than a meter.


    Half of his body slowly emerged above the water surface. One of his arms trembled, blood trickling down from his shoulder.


    His gaze continued moving to the right!


    Less than 8 meters away, a woman was holding a submachine gun aimed at him.


    The smile on his face instantly froze, his pupils slightly constricted, eyes filled with intense shock!


    The expressions on his face were incredibly vivid!

 Chapter 183 - 175: Annihilated the Salvation Army!

    Standing by the shore, Song Min had been watching the surface of the river, originally planning to shoot the moment he surfaced.


    But after the man got up, he never looked her way. Perfect, she thought, just wait for him to rise from the water, the more of his body showed, the bigger the target for her to shoot.


    The leader of the Salvation Army''s expression changed quickly upon seeing Song Min.


    He thought about drawing his handgun, but it had somehow been lost while swimming.


    Bang bang bang bang bang bang!


    The moment he reached out his hand, Song Min shot.


    Firing a full burst.


    The distance was close, and the bullets mercilessly hit his chest, head, thighs, and other places.


    The leader of the Salvation Army had no chance to resist. He was sent off by these bullets.


    His face still held a trace of shock.


    Splash!


    The leader of the Salvation Army fell backward directly and sank.


    A few seconds later, the body floated up and began to drift downstream with the river.


    At the same time, Li Gang had just arrived.


    He saw the body that had floated to the surface, waded through the water to it, and saw that the leader of the Salvation Army''s entire body had been riddled with bullets, dead beyond dead.


    So he dragged the body back toward the shore.


    Li Gang was dragging the legs of the Salvation Army''s leader, and under the force of gravity, the head was directly immersed in water.


    Not long after, the body of the Salvation Army''s leader was dragged to the shore. Xiao Han and the others had also returned, looking somewhat downcast. They had followed the river for kilometers but found no trace, so they had no choice but to come back.


    Suddenly, they saw the body Li Gang was dragging. Wasn''t this the leader of the Salvation Army?


    This...


    They pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood why Song Min had turned back earlier.


    "Sister Song, how did you think of that?" Xiao Han asked Song Min cheerfully.


    Song Min waved her hand. She wasn''t in the mood to answer these questions and said to Li Gang, "What do you think we should do next?"


    Li Gang looked at the things on the ground and at several others killed by the leader of the Salvation Army, then said, "Go back, continue searching for the rest of them."


    Their mission this time was very clear, to eliminate the Salvation Army!


    The group put away the things brought out by the Salvation Army under a large tree and ran toward the factory buildings.


    ...


    Li Yu and his team attacked from three directions: the Main Gate, East Gate, and West Gate.


    In this factory, there was a cafeteria towards the main gate direction, with a house next to it; beside the house, there were three long factory buildings to the west;


    To the east, there were three buildings for accommodation. In the central area, there was an open space with two basketball courts and some table tennis tables.


    There were also a few scattered buildings.


    Li Yu entered from the main gate, first encountering the cafeteria, then running in the direction of the factory buildings. Li Gang and his team came in from the East Gate, fighting their way to the back door.


    Li Tie and others entered from the West Gate and now saw Li Yu and his men fighting in the factory buildings.


    The two groups met, and the way was littered with bodies.


    The factory buildings were spacious and very close to the cafeteria; often they would stay in the factory buildings for leisure and rest.


    Li Yu had cleared the people in one of the factory buildings. When he came out, he saw many of the Salvation Army like headless flies, fleeing the factory buildings.


    Li Yu said to Li Tie, "You go and search the other factory buildings again, I''ll handle these!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed over and joined with Dapao and others, firing at those running out of the factory buildings.


    Originally, Li Yu and his men had surrounded the area in an attacking posture, killing Salvation Army members along the way. Many were forced to run towards the center, some directly into the factory buildings, while others headed towards the back door.


    But in the back door direction, Li Gang and his men had just finished off the leader of the Salvation Army and reached the back door.


    Right after dealing with the leader of the Salvation Army, Li Gang faced dozens of Salvation Army members carrying big and small bags, and some, carrying nothing and even shirtless.


    Li Gang and his men didn''t hesitate and opened fire.


    Another group fell.


    This is a massacre!


    On the other side, Li Yu, holding a submachine gun, watched the formerly domineering and menacing Salvation Army being annihilated by bullets one by one. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His heart was undisturbed.


    Bullets tore through bodies, splattering scarlet blood on the pristine white walls.


    It was as if blossoms of plum were blooming.


    Li Tie, leading Ding Jiu and others, rushed towards the factory building. Before entering, they threw several hand grenades. Amidst the booming sounds, heart-wrenching wails ensued.


    Bang bang bang!


    There was a sustained period of gunfire.


    Li Gang killed his way to the central area, shooting anyone he encountered.


    At this point, the squads led by Li Yu, Li Gang, and Li Tie converged in the center.


    Li Gang caught his breath at the sight of the bodies strewn across the square and inside the factory; he thought he had killed enough but hadn''t expected so many here.


    "Big brother, we killed the leader of the Salvation Army, by the shore," said Li Gang.


    Li Yu nodded, seeing the surroundings gradually quiet down. It was already 3 p.m., and it was still extremely hot.


    "Continue in two squads and search again. Leave no survivors! Finish the search in one hour," Li Yu ordered.


    "Let''s move quickly," Li Yu looked at the many bullet holes on the distant wall behind the square, adding further instructions.


    The group started to move.


    They began searching every building, each floor, every room in the entire factory.


    And they kept close; in unfamiliar environments, small team tactics prevented surprise attacks.


    Occasional sporadic gunshots were heard from the factory��hidden people being found.


    Li Yu had said before coming, no survivors; so any pleas for mercy, any resistance, was met with a bullet.


    .....


    An hour later...


    The sun was setting.


    "Big brother, I just found some good stuff in a building! Look what''s this?" Li Tie, accompanied by Ding Jiu and a few workers, carried large bundles.


    Inside were cigarettes, imported ham, and some red wine...


    And all sorts of high-end food.


    This made Li Gang, who just entered the dining hall, feel regretful.


    Earlier, as he led Song Min and others searching the dining hall, they discovered clean bodies laid out on chopping boards.


    Beside them, something was being steamed...


    When they realized what had happened,


    Song Min and the others behind him vomited.


    Once again, their search uncovered members of the Salvation Army, and their glances grew colder, and their actions, more ruthless.


    Li Yu and Dapao and the others fell silent at the sight of the food.


    Clearly, there was so much food, yet it wasn''t shared with everyone.


    Their leader preferred to let his men eat each other rather than distribute some food to them.


    This... perhaps this is what the apocalypse is.


    There is no right or wrong in what the leader of the Salvation Army did.


    But, whether it''s Dapao or Song Min and the others, they momentarily thought of Li Yu''s approach:


    At the base, everyone eats the same food, the type and amount are basically the same.


    This instantly made them feel they were following the right person.


    Without comparison, there is no hurt. Without comparison, one doesn''t know how fortunate they are.


    This also made their resolve to follow Li Yu,


    even more firm!

 Chapter 184 - 176: Getting a Ten Million RV!

    Salvation Army boss, till death. Li Yu and the others didn''t even know his name.


    But that didn''t matter, Li Yu had seen the body by the riverbank, it matched the descriptions given earlier during the interrogation of Mao Ge and others.


    Confirming it was him, taking him out was enough.


    The name, it was just a name.


    This trip was originally just to deal with the Salvation Army.


    Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise in the Salvation Army boss''s room - so many supplies!


    You know, it had rained heavily for almost a month, during which going out to search for supplies was almost akin to seeking death.


    Unexpectedly, such a large pile of supplies was found from the office where the Salvation Army boss was, those that Li Tie just took out were already considerable. And these were only part of it, Li Tie hadn''t moved everything out yet.


    Even, there were two packages, one big and one small, that Li Gang found by the riverbank. There were many things, a great variety, and of very high quality.


    After scouring the area, they found these in the secret room of the Salvation Army boss. But among the other hundreds of people, there were barely any valuable things.


    After tallying up the loot, they found they had these things:


    Several antiques, they looked like they were from the Tang or Song dynasty.


    Rum, 2 boxes; Whiskey, 2 boxes; Tequila, 2 boxes; Gin, 2 boxes; Vodka, 3 boxes.


    Moutai 4 boxes; special edition Zhanggong Wine 2 boxes.


    Various brands of red wine 6 boxes.


    Imported ham, 10 pieces.


    Zhonghua Cigarettes, 20 packs; Panda Cigarettes 10 packs; Golden Saint Supreme 10 packs. Cigars 10 boxes.


    Compressed biscuits 10kg, 5 boxes. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Various types of canned fruit, 4 boxes.


    Inner Mongolia Beef Jerky, 500g/bag, 50 bags.


    Jianlibao, 24 bottles. Coke 500ml, 36 bottles.


    Master Kang braised beef noodles, 5 boxes.


    Ham sausages, 5 boxes.


    Keebler potato chips, 3 boxes


    ...


    And so on.


    It included a variety of items, but most importantly were food and tobacco and alcohol.


    The remaining hundreds of cash from before were of no value, only useful as waste paper, used to pad the table and keep it stable.


    All these items crammed the hidden room on the third floor of the office.


    The things that the Salvation Army boss had previously directed the scholarly man to take away were only a drop in the bucket.


    If Li Yu and the others hadn''t been discovered, it wouldn''t have mattered, but since they found it, they had to take it away!


    However, taking so much stuff was also a problem. Although they had driven several cars here, they definitely couldn''t fit all these items.


    Li Yu originally wanted Li Gang to bring the vehicle over, but then at the East Gate, they unexpectedly found a motorhome known as the king of off-road vehicles��the Unimog RV!


    This vehicle was once dubbed the Doomsday Battlewagon!


    From the outside, this armored motorhome looks like a steel behemoth, even bulletproof. Not to mention resistant against zombies.


    The motorhome has a length of 6 meters and a height of 3.6 meters. The price reached an astonishing 12.68 million!


    The range can reach up to 2500 kilometers, fill up just once, and you can drive directly from Beijing to Xinjiang without refueling. Moreover, the chassis is comparable to a Leopard 2 tank!


    300 liters freshwater tank, no need to refill for a whole month.


    Power is provided by a 7.2T L6 turbocharged diesel engine, with a maximum horsepower of 327 and a maximum torque of 1300 Nm, even greater than the torque of cars like Pagani, fitting the definition of an "all-terrain off-road RV!"


    The interior is quite luxurious, with a ring of observation windows above, sitting at over 2 meters high, and the windows are made of bulletproof glass, with an additional layer of fine steel railings outside.


    There''s also a large skylight on top, offering good translucency and relieving any sense of spatial oppression inside.


    At the very front is a U-shaped sofa guest area, with a retractable bed hidden above. Usually, it doesn''t consume the overall space but can still meet the sleeping needs of two adults.


    Furthermore, this bed is not just an ordinary bed; below it, there''s a chandelier designed such that when the bed is lowered to the sofa level, this chandelier neatly flattens out, no need to worry at all.


    Behind the sofa is a kitchen counter, equipped with fairly complete cooking facilities, and further back is a set of storage cabinets to fulfill daily storage needs.


    Additionally, this set of storage cabinets doubles as a ladder, because there''s a "Sky Terrace" at the rear top, accessible via these ladder-style storage cabinets.


    The whole vehicle''s bathroom is located behind the passenger door, with a partitioned shower area featuring an artistic pyramid-shaped toilet, a floating washbasin, and a rainfall shower.


    In front of the passenger door, there''s an extra-large side-by-side door refrigerator, providing ample storage space for food.


    Even before the apocalypse, this motorhome was a rare sight! Li Yu didn''t expect to find such a thing in Southern City.


    It''s unclear how the Salvation Army commandeered it, but now Li Yu and his group are the lucky ones.


    They definitely need to drive the Unimog RV back. Although this off-road RV is fuel-consuming, its spacious interior and luxurious fixtures are a plus. Li Yu just took a look inside, and the interior has been revamped, all in suede!


    Besides this luxurious off-road motorhome, they also found a Jeep Wrangler, 2 Mercedes-Benz vans, several trucks, and freight vehicles. Just right, all these items can be loaded up!


    After counting, basically all the men present could drive, and among the women, the sloppy one, Song Min, also knew how to drive. In total, more than 10 people could drive.


    Li Yu got into the Unimog, with half a tank of fuel still left, more than enough to head back to the base.


    Everyone began transporting these supplies, with a dozen people, more hands make light work, and in less than 10 minutes, all these supplies were loaded into 3 trucks.


    The trucks were packed full, and everyone felt a great sense of achievement after seeing them loaded.


    They broke open two packs of Zhonghua Cigarettes, distributing two packs to each man present. For the women, they distributed some sausages or chips. Everyone got something.


    Additionally, each person also received 500g of Inner Mongolia Beef Jerky.


    Taking this trip out and distributing some benefits also helped to motivate everyone. As for the remaining supplies, they were all temporarily stored away.


    Regarding the storage of supplies, no one had any complaints. Currently, everyone''s daily food and drink were still from the supplies Li Yu initially stockpiled, and even the base was constructed by Li Yu''s own hands.


    Being able to live so comfortably was all thanks to Li Yu and his crew.


    Although everyone gradually made some contributions, being able to secure their daily meals was already the greatest reward for them.


    "Big brother, can I drive the Unimog later?" Li Tie is a motorhome enthusiast and, seeing the vehicle, touched its body gently as if he were caressing a beloved.


    The body''s rigid material exuded a cold metallic texture.


    "Sure. You drive." Li Yu tossed the keys, which he had found on the Salvation Army leader, to Li Tie.

 Chapter 185 - 177: The Way Home

    Li Tie swiftly caught the keys Li Yu tossed to him, his face breaking into a radiant smile. He laughed and said, "Got it, bro."


    Li Yu smiled and glanced back to see that everyone had already loaded the goods onto the vehicles.


    Li Tie drove the Unimog SUV while Li Yu drove a different truck, having the others drive back the vehicles they had brought this time.


    For this trip, there were about ten people who could drive. Excluding the vehicles driven this time, there were six vehicles, which were sufficient for everyone to drive back.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, any useful supplies should be collected as quickly as possible.


    "Big brother, I''ve loaded all these knives onto the vehicle," Li Gang told Li Yu.


    This time, in that huge factory, they found some usable items, including knives and some equipment.


    However, they did not enter the cafeteria, where all the equipment seemed as if it were cursed, touched by human blood and corpses.


    They also didn''t take any private items from the Salvation Army, owing to a sort of mental cleanliness.


    Li Yu nodded, then motioned for everyone to drive off.


    The sun was setting in the west; it would take some time to return.


    They needed to hurry back.


    The convoy headed toward Xin City.


    The vehicles were arranged in a line, making more room for driving, with Li Yu at the rear and Li Tie driving the Unimog at the front.


    Li Tie was an RV enthusiast. Ever since the apocalypse broke out, he had always maintained a reliable and steady image, but today, seeing the Unimog made him giddy like a child.


    Li Yu, seeing his cousin this way, felt a great happiness in his heart.


    The vehicles drove towards the sunset, heading towards the light.


    ...


    Li Tie, driving at the front, wore a child-like smile. He had known about the Unimog long before, having attended some car shows.


    He was deeply fascinated when he first saw this vehicle. It was too cool.


    Due to its high price, he had given up hope of owning one, but unexpectedly, after the apocalypse broke out, he got to drive it and bring it back to the base.


    The journey was joyful.


    Dapao, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding a cigarette between his index and middle fingers, rolled down the window, letting the wind rush in. He took a drag from his cigarette, then lazily rested that hand on the window.


    The wind smoked half of his cigarette, and he smoked the other half.


    Behind him, Song Min drove and noticed Dapao''s protruding hand from the vehicle in front, her gaze complex.


    Further behind, Li Hang, holding a freshly distributed cigarette, gleefully tore at it with one hand while driving. After thinking for a moment, he finally decided not to open it.


    The vehicles continued towards the base.


    With ten vehicles, the convoy was a considerable target. Li Yu kept observing the surroundings, checking for any hidden Survivors.


    Occasionally, through the rear-view mirror, he watched for any followers.


    The journey was uneventful.


    In the quiet of the road, everyone''s emotions varied.


    Having killed so many people, it was strange how there was no sense of pressure, especially for Li Hang, who felt as if nothing had happened. He even thought about what tasty food there might be when he got back home.


    Thinking about continuing the console game at home after arriving because he was close to beating it.


    He had tried this level several times already and had recently felt a breakthrough, making smooth progress.


    The other girls, meanwhile, thought about having a good bath at the base tonight. It had been a tiring day.


    They had traveled far, and faced immense pressure back at the factory with endless killing, killing, killing.


    Especially after entering the cafeteria and witnessing a scene that devastated their morals.


    It was truly shattering.


    Time slowly passed.


    No other complications arose on the road.


    Over half a year since the apocalypse erupted, Li Yu had always adhered to a principle: to grow stealthily, never provoke others, but eliminate any potential threats at the earliest.


    He was well aware that in the first five years since the apocalypse broke out, there were no particularly large groups.


    Because it was a true apocalypse.


    Not just the zombies. There were also natural disasters. Under the dual impact of natural disasters and the apocalypse, it was very difficult for any power to grow.


    Especially the heavy rains, followed by extremely hot weather. High temperatures were expected next.


    Lack of soil, water, and food.


    Especially the lack of food, without a stable food supply, it was fundamentally impossible to sustain a sufficient population, let alone expand to a very large power.


    No.


    So, Li Yu had a very clear goal from the beginning.


    He was not a Savior, nor was he a great man; he did not want to save all of humanity, he did not want to sacrifice the individual to achieve the greater good.


    He did not want to become the hero of all mankind.


    He just wanted to cultivate his own small plot of land well, only wanting to be the hero who protects his family.


    If he couldn''t even protect his own family, yet talked about saving humanity...


    Li Yu once watched a movie called "A Better World," which told the story of dealing gently with school violence.


    Facing violence, not resisting, not fighting back.


    Because if you fight back, you are just as despicable as the bully.


    To make the world better, hence it advises people to be kind.


    Bullshit.


    Li Yu couldn''t help but criticize this nauseating plot.


    Why? Why can''t you fight back when you are hit? Then, you endure this bullying, constantly comforting yourself, while the bully never realizes their mistake.


    Even, they might never realize their mistake throughout their life.


    And you, might live under this shadow of humiliation for a lifetime. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Every time you remember the scenes of being bullied, your heart suffers unbearably.


    Why should kind people always be bullied?


    If it was before the apocalypse, under any circumstances, one should not be too proud, not bully those less fortunate than you. Because they could give up everything at any moment to take your life.


    The rope always breaks at the thinnest part, sickness always strikes the most miserable people. It''s a kind of sorrow.


    And to gamble today on tomorrow without any burden, is also a kind of sorrow.


    In both kinds of sorrow, it''s always the same group of people who suffer.


    That''s the greatest sorrow.


    Yet, in any era.


    There are common men, when a common man gets angry, blood will spatter three feet high!


    The former Li Yu was kind, gentle, harmonious, and quiet.


    Until, during the apocalypse, amidst the killing, he suddenly realized: everyone will die eventually!


    Yes, everyone will die, so what is there to fear?


    Life has its length and its quality.


    So, Li Yu figured it out, any potential crisis must be eliminated.


    If anyone dares to impose moral obligations on him, he will retaliate.


    If you find yourself in darkness, don''t fear the dark.


    If you are darker than darkness, there is no obstacle to fear.


    His murderous aura was strong, and so was his fierceness. His heart was even colder, sometimes ruthless.


    Being prepared for the worst, he feared not even the destruction of the universe.


    All he wanted was to protect his family and the people at the base.


    That was enough.

 Chapter 186 - 178: Sense of Belonging

    The meaning of rules is not just for a part of the people.


    If it''s only a part of the rules, then the worldly rules might as well be discarded.


    Along the way, although Li Yu was lost in thoughts, he occasionally turned back to observe the situation around him.


    The sun was setting in the west, hanging on the edge of the sky, its afterglow painted the horizon a brilliant red.


    As the sun was about to set, the zombies on the national highway were fewer, making their return journey smoother. The days have been too hot. Even the zombies rarely came out to move.


    In the past, even under the sun, there were zombies everywhere when a storm was coming.


    Li Tie was at the forefront, accelerating to the highest speed; driving in the night was undoubtedly very dangerous.


    The speed was very fast, and the people behind closely followed the vehicle.


    The sun set faster and faster, every second was critical.


    In such a state of urgency, everyone focused their attention on the road ahead, and on the steering in their hands, daring not to be distracted.


    Even so, the setting of the sun did not delay.


    Looking at the horizon, the sun was no longer visible, hidden behind the mountains ahead, but the sky still had light.


    This light wouldn''t last long; sometimes it only takes about ten minutes for it to turn dark once the sun sets.


    After the sunset, the sky darkened rapidly, and they had to turn on the vehicle lights.


    By now, they had finally arrived in Xin City, not far from the gas station in the town.


    On the national highway, zombies gradually increased, but there were not many; they encountered a zombie about every minute. Perhaps today''s weather was too hot, and the sun had just set; the temperature on the asphalt road of the national highway was also relatively high.


    Zombies dislike high temperatures, dislike light, prefer humidity and cold.


    Li Tie, leading at the front, drove the Unimog, crushing and sweeping any zombie in the way, almost flattening them under the vehicle.


    The vehicles behind tightly followed, with ten pairs of headlights lit, illuminating the road ahead.


    After reaching the gas station, Li Yu took out the walkie-talkie and shouted to the base, "Second Uncle, Second Uncle."


    Second Uncle seemed to have been waiting all along for Li Yu''s return, instantly replying, "Xiao Yu, why so late, it''s already dark. Have you arrived at the gas station now? Was it smooth?"


    Listening to the caring words from Second Uncle through the walkie-talkie, Li Yu continued, "We were held up for a bit. This time it went smoothly, we dealt with the Salvation Army, and even collected some supplies from them. Unexpectedly, they still had so much."


    "It''s been raining so long, how do they still have so much supplies, hmm... hurry back. I''ll open the gate soon," said Second Uncle.


    Li Yu replied with an okay, then set aside the walkie-talkie.


    The convoy moved quickly. Despite the increasing number of zombies around, they finally reached the gates of the base.


    Second Uncle from Weng City, seeing the convoy, was a bit stunned at first, but after taking a glance with a telescope confirmed all the people in the cars were Li Yu and his team, and he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Then he opened the gate of Weng City, which is around four or five hundred square meters, enough to accommodate the ten vehicles.


    Heading straight for them was the Unimog RV, its huge body directly passed through the gate of Weng City. From afar, it looked as if it was about to stuff the gate full.


    Fortunately, when it was built, they considered large vehicles, so the gate of Weng City and the gate at the back were built high and wide.


    Keeping the convoy formation, vehicle by vehicle entered Weng City.


    Then stopped.


    Li Tie jumped down directly from the Unimog, which is quite high; ordinary people have to use steps to get in.


    Second Uncle and others, seeing Li Yu and his team returning with so many vehicles, were temporarily at a loss for words.


    It wasn''t until Li Yu got out of the vehicle and opened the trunk that Second Uncle, seeing it full of supplies, exclaimed in surprise, "Did you bring back all their supplies?"


    Li Yu replied indifferently, "These are all from the boss of the Salvation Army; you don''t know, the people under him have started cannibalism, and he''s still enjoying fine food and drinks."


    Song Min and others, who had also witnessed the scene in the cafeteria, felt uncomfortable hearing what Li Yu said.


    Second Uncle didn''t come down from the wall, as per the rules on their side, after returning from outside, they must wait 10 minutes before entering the base.


    Those on the wall must also wait ten minutes before coming down.


    After waiting for ten minutes, Second Uncle and Li Hongyuan opened the gate allowing Li Yu and others to enter the base.


    At this moment, the main lights of the base were turned on, very bright; Li Yu drove the truck directly towards the warehouse and then turned back to the people driving the other trucks following him and said, "Follow me, let''s unload the goods first."


    Li Gang and others responded, "Okay."


    Li Yu and his team began unloading the goods, and a messy-haired young man, after parking his vehicle, voluntarily walked over to Li Yu to help with unloading.


    Other workers and family members from the base also came out to help bring the items inside.


    Many hands make light work; essentially, after everyone made three trips, almost all the goods were moved.


    In the base, dinner was just prepared.


    Li Yu and his team returned just in time for dinner.


    During this period, due to the torrential rains destroying many vegetables, though they were rescued, many vegetables were turned into pickles or brined.


    There were only some mushrooms and bean sprouts as fresh vegetables, and some hydroponic ones were set up in the living quarters of the base, but those grown in soil always tasted better.


    This meal was quite good, especially since Li Yu incorporated some ham seized from the Salvation Army into tonight''s dinner, making it a very satisfying meal for everyone.


    Dapao, Song Min, and others, mainly those who went out with them today, saw everyone enjoying their meal harmoniously at the table, everyone eating the same thing, and the main food was filling.


    They deeply felt a sense of solid existence, community spirit, and a sense of belonging.


    Such a place truly felt like a community.


    And all this, Li Yu was unaware of. S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beside him, the messy-haired An''an sat quietly, eating gracefully.


    During this time, An''an often deliberately or unintentionally stayed close to him, helping him out on many occasions.


    Quiet, yet considerately not disturbing.


    An''an, oh no, Yu Tong.


    Yu Tong was originally a very pretty girl, and with her tall figure, she hid a stunning physique under loose clothing.


    In this somewhat ambiguous yet not entirely ambiguous atmosphere, Li Yu could somewhat understand some of Yu Tong''s thoughts.

 Chapter 187 - 179: Do Whatever You Want (Seeking All Kinds of Votes)

    But,


    Li Yu was somewhat afraid.


    Afraid of hurting this wonderful girl, afraid that he couldn''t protect her. Afraid that he would change into someone she wouldn''t like.


    And even more afraid that one day, he would lose her.


    After dinner, Li Yu took a walk alone around the base.


    He climbed onto the walls and saw the gradually perfected barriers, heightened, becoming firmer.


    His mind gradually started to ease.


    In the distance, the bright moon hung in the sky.


    The hot air slowly dispersed with the breeze.


    The temperature was just right, neither cold nor hot. In the gentle breeze, Li Yu saw a few zombies outside the walls, mouths agape, howling.


    Li Yu heard these howls, looked at the bright moon, and took out his earphones. He played some pre-apocalypse music downloaded on his phone, listening to light music.


    Instantly blocking out the zombies'' howling.


    On the high wall, Li Yu with his hands behind his back, admired the white moon, looking at the stars in the sky.


    His heart felt like the breeze, drifting farther and farther away.


    He had once loved a woman during the apocalypse.


    In this era of moral degradation during the apocalypse, he had loved someone.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t end well.


    Li Yu deep down was a person of extreme romanticism, both emotional and rational.


    In his view, life has its lengths, but human emotions are priceless.


    If a person were to be fully rational, worrying about every small gain or loss, fixated on minor details every day, then what''s the point of living.


    The moon in the night sky was bright. At this moment, his mood was very low.


    He remembered that woman, who might not understand the effort he made, and instead might feel that Li Yu did not understand her at all.


    Love is never perfectly complete, meeting the person you want to meet is difficult, thus it is a form of despair.


    A despair that is indescribable.


    Li Yu shook his head.


    Suddenly, he saw the shadowy figures of trees and came to his senses.


    Life is only a few decades, one must live for oneself.


    Living freely and unrestrainedly, that''s what truly makes sense.


    Whatever you want to eat, whatever you want to do, just go for it. No need to hold back, no need to be afraid anymore.


    Li Yu felt as if a weight had been lifted from inside him.


    ...


    He got down from the wall and walked toward the residential area of the base.


    It was late at night, time to sleep.


    Today, he was very tired, the overwhelming numbers made him feel that combating the Salvation Army would be very stressful.


    Fortunately, it was all resolved.


    He slept peacefully, without any incidents. S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    The next day, Li Yu woke up at the same time as usual, then he put on his clothes and started running around the base. Yutong, who once saw him running in the morning, followed his habit and started running with him.


    Upon seeing Yutong, Li Yu greeted her with a smile and said, "Morning."


    Yutong found Li Yu''s attitude unusually pleasant today, and although curious, her heart was still very happy: "Good morning."


    Her smile was radiant.


    Li Yu nodded, with Yutong following behind.


    In the early morning, there was little dew. Yesterday had been extremely hot, and this morning, upon waking up, there was a stifling feeling suggesting an impending drought.


    In his reincarnation memories, he remembered that after this upcoming downpour, a severe drought would follow.


    This drought would kill many plants and even some people would die of thirst.


    In this regard, Li Yu had foresight. The reservoir''s immense capacity could sustain them until the next rainfall.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, whether it rained or the sun shone, his heart was always in turmoil.


    Without rain, it was hard to grow rice paddies.


    But with rain, lots of zombies appeared, and there might even be a Zombie Tide.


    In this recurring cycle, either situation was a worry.


    During the morning run, Li Yu checked the water level by the Mountain Pond��its storage capacity was quite impressive.


    The pond had reached its historical highest water level, and upon Li Yu''s advice and order, everyone was advised not to release water.


    Only if the rice paddies completely run out of water would they release some; no drop of water would leak out of the base otherwise.


    The base also had five water wells that served as everyday drinking sources.


    After his morning run, Li Yu washed up and began his breakfast while contemplating the future development of the base.


    Next to him, Yutong was also having breakfast, silently sitting beside Li Yu.


    It seemed like Li Yu thought of something and then said to Yutong, "How about we go rowing together today?"


    Du Yutong''s face showed a stunned expression as she pointed at herself with her index finger asking, "Just you and me?"


    Li Yu smiled and replied, "Yes, let''s go later. I bought some boats before and rowing on the Mountain Pond is really nice."


    It seemed like she just realized, and like a little chicken pecking at grains, Yutong nodded eagerly.


    She had never been in love and didn''t know how to express her feelings for Li Yu, she just knew she wanted to be by his side, even doing nothing, just staying close and looking at him felt incredibly beautiful.


    She was also a passive person, silently watching everything quietly.


    Actually, like now, being able to stay by Li Yu''s side, like this time when they went to deal with the Salvation Army together, she was already very happy.


    At this moment, hearing Li Yu inviting her explicitly to go rowing, she felt nervous and excited.


    "Sure. Let me change my clothes first," Yutong said. She was still wearing her athletic clothes from the morning run and would change into something more relaxed.


    In her mind, this might count as a date, so perhaps she should dress up a bit.


    Yutong began pondering with her head bowed, thinking about how to dress up.


    Her skin was good, she had never worn makeup and didn''t know how to apply it. Li Yu actually thought that with Yutong''s natural beauty, even before the apocalypse, she could have outshone many celebrities, not to mention those internet stars who relied on makeup and beautification.


    "Don''t be too nervous, just accompany me for a walk and some rowing, just to relax," Li Yu said with a warm smile on his face, speaking softly.


    I don''t know how to put on makeup... Yutong thought about who might help her with makeup later.


    Seeing Yutong''s shy face, Li Yu found it somewhat amusing.


    He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, saying, "Let''s go after we finish eating. We''ll row and also catch some fish."


    Hearing the words ''catch fish'', Yutong suddenly remembered something and burst into laughter.


    Li Yu''s face turned stiff; he felt insulted, while Yutong realized she might have laughed a bit��


    So, she held it in and stopped laughing.


    Li Yu watched her shrug with a stern face again and said helplessly, "Just laugh if you want to."


    "Giggle giggle giggle giggle��" Yutong laughed like a goose.


    Li Yu, with a face full of black lines

 Chapter 188 - 180: Drought

    After the storm, Li Yu resolved the matter with the Salvation Army on the third day.


    He rested for a week and didn''t go out again, but people like Third Uncle and Second Uncle occasionally took some workers out to collect building materials.


    Moreover, Uncle often led people out to bring back anything from the surroundings that could still be used.


    Time passed little by little, and the height of the surrounding wall got higher and higher. The original intention was just to increase the height of the guardrail a bit, but after Li Hongyuan saw it, he suggested raising the height of the wall even more.


    This would make it safer against Zombies. The height went from almost 8 meters to nearly 10 meters.


    A lot of cement and steel reinforcement were used. Fortunately, these materials were plentiful in the surrounding factories.


    This was a long-term project, and when the wall just reached 9 meters, 10 days had passed since the storm.


    In these 10 days, the wall had increased by a meter. But on that day, Li Yu called a stop to it.


    After the storm, there had been 10 days of hot weather, from 25 degrees to 35 degrees, and now frequently 40 degrees, even reaching 44 degrees at midday.


    Under such temperatures, the water in the Mountain Pond had diminished a bit, with the water level dropping by nearly half a meter.


    This Mountain Pond now was at its highest-ever recorded water level in history.


    The Mountain Pond is U-shaped, and at the top, for the water level to drop by half a meter, the consumption has been quite astonishing.


    During this time, the base continued to use groundwater for daily needs. Although a pipe had been installed from the Mountain Pond to bring water into the base, it was barely used.


    In July, the crops were robustly growing, precisely when they needed water the most. A few days earlier, water from the Mountain Pond had been released twice to irrigate the fields.


    The previously planted sweet potato and corn used less water. Watering through a pipe thoroughly twice didn''t consume too much moisture.


    On this day, Li Yu specifically gathered everyone for a meeting.


    Li Yu stood in the center, except for those like Li Haoran who were on duty, almost everyone from the base was present.


    "Everyone can see that the weather has been extremely hot recently and there hasn''t been any rain. No rain is a good thing; it means there''s no Zombie Tide. But it''s also a bad thing. You can see that the water level at the Mountain Pond has gone down," Li Yu said.


    "So, what I want to tell everyone is to save water in the near future. Don''t waste water. We don''t know how long this hot weather will last."


    "Understood."


    "Alright, we all need to be aware of this."


    "Got it, boss."


    ...


    Everyone was thoughtful, especially Uncle who had noticed during his recent scouting that some of the small low-lying ponds formed by the previous storm had mostly dried up.


    "Then everyone save water and don''t waste it. We don''t know how long this scorching weather will last," Second Uncle added beside him.


    "Okay, Second Uncle."


    "Alright, Li brother."


    "Okay."


    In this dry and hot weather, it was easy for everyone to get heatstroke.


    So, in the past couple of days, most outdoor activities had come to a halt.


    Although there were fewer Zombies outside, the high temperatures still made it very uncomfortable to be out.


    However, there was a silver lining��these sunny days brought an abundance of solar energy. There was more electricity than could be used daily, and even the batteries were fully charged.


    Everyone could even run the air conditioning all day without worrying about electricity. This allowed everyone to rest fairly well; despite the heat, the coolness of the air-conditioned rooms provided good rest.


    Additionally, since there was plenty of electricity, people were more liberal with the electricity used for electronic devices.


    On the cooler evenings, sometimes they would play movies outdoors at the center. This evoked memories of old times for the parents and grandparents generation.


    The hot weather was extremely annoying, making everyone feel lethargic.


    Two air conditioners were installed in the duty room because in this weather, if exposed to direct sunlight, it wouldn''t take long before someone got heatstroke.


    Today, it was Li Yu''s turn for duty, and in the air-conditioned room, he didn''t want to step outside for even a minute��it was simply too hot. It felt like after a while, you could get cooked.


    He poured a glass of lemonade and added two ice cubes, gulped down a couple of sips, and looked out towards the base to monitor the situation.


    Beside him was Li Hang, who felt bored and glanced at the electronic device next to him, then at his elder brother.


    Eventually, he sighed and said, "Big brother, I''m going to use the restroom."


    Li Yu said speechlessly, "Go ahead. No need to tell me..."


    ...


    Li Hang wasn''t gone long before he returned, then said, "Big brother, after our shift, can we go fishing again?"


    Li Yu shook his head and replied, "If you want to go, you can. I''m not going today."


    Li Yu had been disappointed by fishing too many times before and was not so eager to fish anymore.


    Outside the base, the sun blazed overhead.


    The cicadas had stopped. The trees outside appeared wilted.


    The leaves hung listlessly on the branches, deprived of vigor.


    The drought following the storm, under the scorching sun, dried out much of the soil outside the base, making it hard and clumpy underfoot.


    There were also some fields outside the base which had some crops growing, remnants from harvested rice fields.


    But under these days of intense sunlight, the water in the paddies had completely evaporated.


    The crops had been dried out, withering, and eventually turned into wisps of dry yellow straw.


    The ground showed large cracks, the result of this natural disaster.


    The storm was a natural disaster, and now the drought was another.


    These sunny days had drained the energy from everyone.


    But whether it was Second Uncle or Grandpa, they all cared deeply for the crops in the fields��these were their future food supplies, even though they still had plenty of food for now.


    In this hot weather, some green flotation devices popped up in the paddies, and with temperatures soaring over 40 degrees, bubbles started forming on the surface of the water.


    With each step, it felt like the foot might catch fire��it was that hot.


    To avoid wasting water, Li Yu also planted some other crops around the paddies.


    In this hot weather, there was no breeze, no chirping of insects or birds, and the whole earth was eerily silent. sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was the other extreme from the storm.

 Chapter 189 - 181: Its Hard to Live

    A highly noisy one, a hypnotic murmur. The visible threat, zombies. A feast for the plants.


    A profound silence, a heart-pounding quiet. Concealing a great crisis, water shortage, a disaster for the plants!


    There used to be a saying among country farmers: No rain for five days, a minor drought; no rain for ten days, a severe drought; no rain for a month, the earth smokes.


    It means: During the dog days of summer, if there''s no rain for five days, the land begins to dry up; if no rain for ten days, the drought becomes severe; if no rain for a month, it means a drought disaster is imminent.


    In this silent, hot, and dry weather, there are still people walking outside.


    Though hot, the threat of zombies has diminished significantly. Seizing this season, many people begin to search for basic supplies.


    The hot weather continued for another 5 days. sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It has been 15 days without rain, not just without rain, but 15 days of scorching sun, without a cloudy day.


    In the county not far from them.


    A small group, this group had previously been exploited by the Salvation Army. The leader used to work in catering in the county.


    Together with family and friends, the group barely numbered 12 people. Initially, they had over thirty people, but after encountering the Salvation Army, a few were killed and they had to submit.


    Then later, they encountered torrential rain, some starved to death, and others were bitten to death by zombies.


    From over thirty people, they quickly decreased to less than one third of that number.


    They survived the torrential rain, endured the Zombie Tide, and even after the heavy rain, they were anxious and fearful, worrying that the Salvation Army would come again to rob them of protection money.


    What they didn''t expect was, after the rain ended, the Salvation Army didn''t come, the weather outside was hot, and there were few zombies. This made them happy for a good while.


    But, before their happiness lasted long, the ongoing hot weather hit them hard!


    The hot weather caused many previously undiscovered foods in the city to rot and breed worms.


    The hot weather forced them to walk outside under the scorching sun, facing the danger of heatstroke.


    Today, one person suffered from heatstroke.


    It was the daughter of the leader, whose name is Tan Guohua. Originally in this apocalyptic world, he deeply understood that human nature was the most terrifying thing.


    He was also considered mature and experienced, having been in the hotel restaurant business for half his life, seen all kinds of people, and his methods were very ruthless.


    Right when the apocalypse burst forth, he led a few colleagues from the restaurant directly home to gather his family.


    Then they barely survived for a while.


    To be able to survive in this apocalypse until now, none are simple individuals.


    But, amidst such natural and man-made disasters, even he could hardly bear it.


    Today, they still went out to search for supplies. The place they were staying was discovered by zombies last night, so they had to find a new place to live today.


    During the daytime, his daughter Xiao Yu suffered heatstroke under the scorching sun.


    They searched many places, but found no water.


    At last, they ran 3 kilometers to the other side of the city, and by the riverside of the opposite district, they finally found some water.


    But the water they found was very murky.


    The weather was so hot that even this river was nearly dry.


    The water level has already dropped to its lowest point, and although there were times in the past when it didn''t rain for over a dozen days, the temperature never reached above 40 degrees Celsius every day during the day.


    In the past, during hot weather, it barely reached 38 degrees, and that was only for a few days. Sometimes, upstream, they would open the sluice gates to ensure that the river would not run dry.


    But now, this river is already beginning to dry up.


    Barely managing to get some water from the turbid river, they took the opportunity to collect more water, because they didn''t know whether the river would completely dry up the next time.


    "Little Fish, Little Fish. Open your mouth." Tan Guohua pried open his daughter''s dry, cracked lips with his hands.


    Little Fish was unconscious, but her forehead was still feverish, covered in sweat.


    A woman beside him said, "Guohua, don''t hold onto her, put her down. Ah, what a hardship for the child."


    Tan Guohua''s wife had survived the outbreak of the apocalypse, but not that encounter with the Salvation Army.


    Because of his daughter, he gritted his teeth and endured, he had to live for his daughter.


    If it wasn''t for his daughter, he would have fought desperately with the Salvation Army long ago.


    But now, his daughter also fell unconscious due to heatstroke.


    They had searched many city pharmacies, but it had already been nearly a year since the apocalypse broke out, and supplies like medicine had long been looted.


    Now they didn''t even have a bottle of herbal essence tonic water.


    Tan Guohua, looking at his daughter''s pale face, the man who had never shed tears, now let large drops fall.


    For his family, he could do anything. When the Salvation Army arrived, he had informed them of everything he knew about Li Yu.


    Because he had never directly encountered Li Yu, he knew very little, he didn''t even know where they lived, so when the Salvation Army asked, he could only share what he knew.


    But even so, the Salvation Army still killed his wife, and it wasn''t until after they killed five people that the Salvation Army finally believed him.


    His wife was dead, and now his daughter was in an unknown condition due to heatstroke.


    Their team of 12 people had packed their water and were in a hurry to move to a new place, to find a new refuge.


    Their food supplies could only last two more days.


    Actually, they had already reduced their daily food intake to half a week ago.


    A man following Tan Guohua, who also had some family members with him, and was also a middle-aged man, saw Tan Guohua grieving while holding his daughter.


    Although he understood, he couldn''t help but speak, "Guohua, we need to quickly find a new place to live. And our food is not enough either."


    "None of my fucking business! Damn it! Don''t disturb me!" Tan Guohua suddenly burst into anger, like a furious lion, this time, his daughter''s heatstroke was making it impossible for him to hold on.


    The middle-aged man, hearing this, also felt anger rising. His own relatives had died in the last Zombie Tide, but he hadn''t said anything.


    Seeing that it was getting darker, the other few people also wanted to say something, but seeing Tan Guohua obviously out of sorts.


    So they went over and started discussing with the middle-aged man about where to move next.


    "Brother Sun, Guohua is not really in a good state right now. We really need to find a place fast," said the young man with concern all over his face.


    "Yeah, Brother Sun, we need to make a decision quickly about where to go, we need to leave soon, otherwise staying here, zombies still come out at night. It''s dangerous."


    Brother Sun looked troubled and worriedly glanced at Guohua, then nodded and said, "Then let''s go to the wholesale city across the river, maybe there''s still some stuff there."


    He then looked around at these people, each one thin and pallid, their hair like straws. There was no vigor in them, and Guohua was holding his dying Little Fish.


    Brother Sun sighed, "Living, truly is hard."

 Chapter 190 - 182: Difficult Survival

    Brother Sun''s words resonated with everyone present.


    Indeed.


    Survival is tough.


    Brother Sun looked at Tan Guohua again, sighed, and began to pack and tidy up after giving a few instructions to the others. They needed to set off quickly, heading for the wholesale city across the river.


    Soon, everything was packed up. In fact, they didn''t have much to pack��after this harsh period, they owned very little.


    After packing up, Brother Sun approached Tan Guohua: "Brother Hua, should we head out?" He was cautious as Tan Guohua seemed off at the moment.


    Tan Guohua''s eyes, bloodshot, looked somewhat bewildered. However, after the initial confusion, he came to and asked, "Where to?"


    Brother Sun sighed before responding: "Brother Hua, we''re getting ready to leave this place and head to the wholesale city across the river to search for supplies.


    Brother Hua, let''s try the other side again and see if we can find some medicine you can use. You''ve got to stay strong."


    Hearing this, Tan Guohua clung onto it like a lifeline. Hurriedly getting up, he moved quickly yet didn''t jostle his daughter in his arms, gentle and careful. Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beads of sweat dripped from the tip of his nose.


    He hoisted his daughter onto his back, supporting her with one hand and holding up a sun umbrella with the other, shielding her from the sunlight as they walked towards the river''s opposite bank.


    Under the scorching sun, there were many others like Tan Guohua.


    ...


    In the city, things were also extremely hard for Director Zhang. After last month''s torrential rains, the ensuing high temperatures brought about severe losses.


    Just in terms of personnel, they had lost over thirty people. During the storm, the eastern gate had been breached. Even though they managed to seal it eventually, they had suffered heavy losses.


    Now, with the blazing hot weather, they faced trouble. Without air conditioning indoors, trying to find relief with just fans was futile.


    Initially, they could go to the river to cool down, but as the temperature rose and endured longer, the river gradually shrunk, turning almost into a stream, and even the water began to get murky.


    The riverbed''s sediment was exposed, and the water level had never been so low for many years.


    Due to the operations of sand mining companies over the years, the riverbed''s sand had been excavated, and now the water quality was terrible.


    In Jiefang City, inside a gray house located towards the rear right.


    "Captain Lv, isn''t it just too hot today? Look, my freshly changed clothes are soaked through again," said Director Zhang, wearing a white shirt, his beer belly making it bulge.


    Glancing at the shirt clinging to the body, clearly showing the undershirt inside, Captain Lv replied to the sweat-drenched Director Zhang: "Another one of the duty officers got heatstroke today; that makes it the third one. I checked the river, and the water level is getting lower and lower. Ah, such a drought!"


    He also hadn''t been sleeping well lately; even though the temperature dropped slightly at night, it was still over 35 degrees, making the sleep quality poor. The daytime''s even higher temperature meant that they hadn''t had good rest for a long time.


    "It''s just that our supplies are getting lesser recently. Logically, with such high temperatures, Zombies should be less active, so shouldn''t gathering supplies be more convenient when you go out?" After some small talk, Director Zhang quickly moved on to the main topic.


    Captain Lv had a troubled look on his face. He said, "The temperature now... outdoors it has reached 48 degrees, and even indoors it''s around 43 degrees. So much of the food has started growing bugs directly. With this kind of temperature rising higher and higher, it''s really difficult to manage..."


    Captain Lv continued, "The same item, let''s say a can, it doesn''t matter if it''s past its shelf life, we would still eat it. But now, some of the food we find is already infested with bugs. I think what Old Ma said before was right, we still need to plant our own food."


    Director Zhang sighed. He could guess some of it, but he didn''t expect it to be this serious.


    "Old Ma''s suggestion, we''re also working on it here in internal affairs. We''ve mobilized some people to plant some corn and vegetables and such. With that downpour, everything''s gone. And now look at how dry the weather is, Old Ma also said, without water, we can only be finished!" Director Zhang sighed.


    Both men furrowed their brows, the water on the table was somewhat turbid, but this was already filtered by them. This water came from the river, and now the river''s water is getting shallower and has turned into a very narrow stream.


    It''s unknown when it will dry up, and in order to solve the water supply problem, they are preparing to drill a well recently.


    ...


    Xin City, across the river.


    Tan Guohua and others arrived on the opposite bank from the big bridge.


    On this side of the river bank, everything was in ruins.


    Wholesale City, the people searched around here for a while, and finally gathered dispiritedly in the middle of an open space.


    Wholesale City, although there were a lot of items, everyone knew that there was a lot here, so many Survivors had scavenged here, round after round, and the items were already very thoroughly picked over.


    Digging three feet into the ground, they only found a bag of bread that had already expired and half-eaten by bugs, and two pieces of smoked bacon that were hanging from the rafters, turned black. Besides these, no food was discovered.


    There were some other supplies, like a pile of blankets and quilts, but that''s not what they needed at the moment!


    "Where''s Brother Hua? Brother Sun." A young man asked.


    Brother Sun wiped the sweat from his forehead, glanced at the slowly setting sun, and asked with a bit of confusion, "Didn''t you see him?"


    "We all split up to look for supplies. We had just arrived at the Wholesale City here and then dispersed," said a woman.


    "Could he have gone to the pharmacy? Around the Wholesale City, there seems to be a civilian pharmacy. Didn''t we talk about coming here to find medicines when we first came to the Wholesale City?" Another man said.


    At this time, a middle-aged woman walked out from a nearby place that was ventilated and seemed slightly cooler. She was pulling a long bamboo chair on which Tan Guohua''s daughter Xiaoyuer was lying.


    On her forehead, there was also a wet towel.


    However, Xiaoyuer seemed to be in very bad condition. The middle-aged woman taking care of her next to her also looked very anxious.


    "Brother Sun, Brother Hua asked me to take care of Xiaoyuer while he went to the pharmacy. He''s looking for Shidian Water, Ren Dan, and Huoxiang Zhengqi Water to treat her, to see if there''s any of these things," the middle-aged woman said.


    After she finished speaking, she added with great worry, "Xiaoyuer has such a frighteningly high temperature, what can we do now? At such a young age, to suffer like this!"


    While she spoke, she took the towel from Xiaoyuer''s forehead, rinsed it in water, and then lightly placed it back on Xiaoyuer''s forehead.


    Her movements were practiced, looking like she had done this many times before. After doing all this, she picked up a fan and waved it, trying to make Xiaoyuer a bit more comfortable.

 Chapter 191 - 183: Dawns Light

    The setting sun hung low in the west, the heat unyielding.


    On the road, such temperatures seemed visible to the naked eye.


    The air itself appeared blurred by the heat.


    In these concrete buildings, a middle-aged woman had little Fish lie down in a cool spot, fanning her occasionally and refreshing her with water.


    But her entire body was soaked in sweat, with large beads of perspiration falling from her forehead.


    Brother Sun walked over, recalling Little Fish''s previous heatstroke episode when her face turned red.


    Now her complexion was ashen, and despite being fanned, she was still sweating profusely. He reached out to touch Little Fish''s forehead and then checked her heart rate.


    Hiss!


    "So hot, it must be over 40 degrees!" Brother Sun said worriedly, "Little Fish is in bad shape. This is a severe case of heatstroke, and it could very well be heatstroke illness."


    Hearing the gravity in his tone, the middle-aged woman anxiously asked, "Brother Sun, what is heatstroke illness? Is it serious?"


    Before becoming a restauranteur, Brother Sun had been a barefoot doctor in his village for two years. As the village population shrank with people moving to cities, he eventually followed suit.


    Once in the city, he found that running a clinic was not as simple as in the countryside; a whole slew of certifications were needed, and his half-baked medical background was insufficient, leading him to change careers.


    So, he had some medical knowledge, not extensive, but useful enough to treat minor ailments.


    Listening to the woman''s question, Brother Sun explained, "The most severe form of heatstroke is known as heatstroke illness, caused by a dysregulation of the body''s temperature control in the presence of high heat, resulting in excessive heat accumulation and damage to the nervous system."


    He sighed before continuing, "Heatstroke illness is the most severe level of heatstroke, a potentially fatal condition with a high mortality rate."


    Upon hearing the word "death," the surrounding people couldn''t bear it, their hearts in agony at the sight of the pale-faced young girl.


    Brother Sun looked at Little Fish with a mournful expression, "Her face is so pale, her heart rate so fast and weak. We must quickly rehydrate her, providing saline, glucose solution, and potassium chloride promptly.


    She also needs external cooling and deep body cooling treatment, ideally with ice packs applied externally."


    "But we have nothing here now, alas!"


    Fate sometimes plays cruel tricks on people. Long ago, Li Yu had stocked up on a vast array of medical equipment and consulted his sister about the basic drugs commonly used in hospitals.


    Then, he found a familiar clinic in the county and, after offering a significant incentive, stocked up on a considerable amount of medication.


    After the zombies emerged, he led his workers to clear out the nearby town clinics, health stations, county hospitals, taking much of their supplies. Even in the city, they would habitually collect some drugs from drugstores and hospitals.


    Not everything was taken, though; some medications were left behind for others.


    Li Yu knew well that a few things are most crucial in a post-apocalyptic world: a safe shelter, food, medicine, and weapons. And, trustworthy people.


    After they took much of the medicine, what was left was gradually carried away by subsequent scavengers.


    Chinese people have a habit of hoarding, collecting items that might not be useful now but could be in the future.


    Thus, the habit of hoarding was common.


    But for Tan Guohua and his small group, hoarding was a luxury��they had no stable homes and spent every day searching for food and safer places.


    So for them, the less they carried, the better, as it allowed them to move more easily.


    Brother Sun looked at Little Fish, his heart aching.


    Heatstroke illness, with a mortality rate between 20-80%.


    Thud thud thud!


    The sound of hurried footsteps grew louder. Everyone turned their attention in that direction.


    It was Tan Guohua, carrying a backpack, his face tense.


    Tan Guohua didn''t glance at anyone; his focus was solely on the small figure lying on the bamboo chair below the house.


    A trace of tenderness flashed in his eyes��it was his precious daughter.


    But seeing her pale face, his heart clenched, breathless with pain.


    He rushed forward, and without catching a breath, opened his backpack and said:


    "Sun, Brother Sun, my daughter, I, I''ve only found a bit of Ten Drops Water, cough cough cough cough.


    And, there is also some saline, and some infusion things," Tan Guohua panted as he rushed to speak.


    Brother Sun looked at Tan Guohua, sweating profusely, with a sense of helplessness, but he still needed to inform him of the worst-case scenario, finally saying:


    "Brother Hua, Little Fish has a heatstroke illness, with a very high mortality rate. We don''t have ice now, and we''re missing other medications��it''s tough. Also, we''ve been delaying for too long. Sigh."


    With that, he took the backpack from Tan Guohua''s hands, fed Little Fish the Ten Drops Water, then inserted an IV for the infusions.


    Hearing Brother Sun''s words, Tan Guohua momentarily froze, incredulous.


    Always decisive and tough, Tan Guohua was a ruffian in his youth, having bullied honest folk and committed many wrongs.


    Only after he became a father did he mature, taking on responsibility.


    Now his wife had been killed by the Salvation Army.


    His daughter had survived through heavy rains and zombies, but now, in this scorching weather.


    Severe heatstroke? Heatstroke illness? A high mortality rate?


    These few words, in his mind, suddenly exploded.


    The explosion resounded incessantly in his mind, buzzing and echoing.


    His daughter was only a few years old. She had never lived a good day with him.


    In the early years due to his own misdeeds, he did not work hard, bullied many, and offended many.


    Only later did he finally get married, have a daughter, and start a catering business.


    Just as it was taking off, the zombie outbreak erupted, and his daughter lived in fear with him.


    Now, he can''t even save his daughter?!!


    Tan Guohua, stumbling, fell backward.


    As if struck by a heavy hammer, he slumped to the ground.


    "Cough cough cough cough..."


    The sound of a child''s coughing came through, Tan Guohua hurriedly sat up, only to see, his little girl coughing up blood from the corner of her mouth.


    The medicine he had just fed her was all coughed up, and fresh blood kept spewing out.


    Seeing this, Tan Guohua''s heart shattered, unable to breathe, his hands trembling, he gently wiped the blood from his daughter''s mouth, speaking softly, "Little Fish, Daddy''s here, Daddy''s here, Daddy''s here, Little Fish, don''t be scared, don''t be scared, Daddy''s here, wuu wuu wuu wuu."


    The blood at Little Fish''s mouth was still being coughed up.


    The man, bowing his head, wept bitterly.


    A feeling of despair swept through his entire body.


    He cried for less than 3 seconds, then as if he remembered something, Tan Guohua hurriedly turned back.


    Thud!


    He knelt down directly in front of Brother Zhou: "Brother Zhou, I beg you, please, think of a way to save my daughter, I will do anything. Even if it means my death. Please."


    He kowtowed!


    Tan Guohua knelt on the ground, his voice was hoarse with desperation.


    Begging as he looked at Brother Zhou.


    Brother Zhou, too, was in agony; he was fond of Little Fish as well, but her coughing up blood indicated a coagulation dysfunction, the heatstroke was very serious.


    He had no solution either!


    The temperature was too high, 48 degrees! Coupled with dragging on for too long, without medication, and Little Fish''s poor nutrition post-apocalypse, she was now as skinny as a stick.


    Seeing Brother Zhou''s expression, Tan Guohua seemed to understand something.


    Tears streamed down his face.


    ...


    12 hours passed, Little Fish stopped coughing blood, but she never woke up again.


    A sudden convulsion.


    Her small body also started to turn cold.


    No more breathing.


    In an instant, the pair of rough and warm hands holding Little Fish trembled.


    Trembled, his whole body began to shake.


    Tan Guohua clenched Little Fish''s hand, guarding by her side,


    Watching over her for the entire night.


    Until that small body slowly turned cold.


    Tan Guohua, his lips turned pale, his appearance withered.


    His hair turned white overnight.


    His eyes were red as blood. Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next day before dawn, morning light began to show.


    The morning looked up at the sky, where the clouds were thinly veiled. It crept into the woods, looking around, all was quiet, silent as crows, in complete serenity.


    He climbed up the highest building by the river.


    And leapt down.


    Plunged!


    In the moment of the descent, dawn, like a sharp sword, split the silent night curtain, welcoming the rising sun.


    The sun just emerged from behind the vast mountain peaks, the warmth of its first few rays mingling with the cool of the fading night, bringing about a sweet sense of drowsiness.


    In this radiant light, he saw his wife leading his daughter, smiling as they walked towards him.


    Behind them was the house he had always wanted to buy.


    He smiled.


    Thump! A muffled sound.

 Chapter 192 - 184: Disaster and Famine

    It''s already July.


    Five days without rain brings a minor drought, ten days brings a major one, and a month dries the earth to dust.


    After the torrential rain, it has been one month without a drop.


    The whole earth, a picture of desolation, with many former fields now lined with gullies.


    Within the base, thanks to earlier water storage in Mountain Pond, the water level was raised to its maximum.


    Now, a month of continuous drought is causing the water in Mountain Pond to gradually decrease daily.


    At this point, the water in Mountain Pond has diminished by one-third.


    Inside this base, everyone has already been conserving water, but the greatest consumption remains in the fields, which at this stage, is a necessary compromise.


    Li Yu clearly understood the pros and cons of drip irrigation; on the plus side: theoretically speaking, drip irrigation indeed saves water and fertilizer while reducing labor and effort.


    However, in practice, it has many issues. The first being that drip emitters are easily clogged, and the water used for drip irrigation must meet certain standards��minimum of which is to be clean and free of debris.


    Growing field crops with two harvests a year and with complicated planting methods makes the constant assembling and disassembling of drip irrigation equipment a hassle.


    Crops installed with drip irrigation cannot be mechanized for planting and harvesting; otherwise, it''s too much trouble to dismantle and reassemble, and dragging the equipment through the soil can easily clog the drip holes.


    Just like with large field crops like corn, wheat, peanuts, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and beans, you need to plow, turn the soil, and relevel before reshaping the beds for planting; installing drip tubes is more laborious, not less.


    In summary, whether a crop is suitable for drip irrigation depends on many aspects��it''s not something you can judge on paper, one must adapt to local conditions.


    Considerations must include whether planting and harvesting are convenient, if external conditions are favorable, whether it is cost-effective, and so on.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, the most important thing is to survive. The main staples needed are rice, corn, wheat, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.


    Rice cannot use drip irrigation, as it needs to be grown in water; simple drip irrigation cannot meet the plants'' growth requirements.


    Potatoes and corn also require plowing and leveling the soil, which makes installing drip irrigation a labor and time-intensive endeavor.


    Moreover, droughts like this one do occur, though Li Yu''s region experiences a subtropical monsoon climate, with generally abundant precipitation throughout the year.


    Therefore, Li Yu never planned to use drip irrigation from the start. The reason for building the base here was because of the presence of a large Mountain Pond, which could satisfy the water supply needs.


    Now, all that was left was to wait for the drought season to pass and for the rainy season to arrive.


    In the fields, under the glaring sun, water quickly evaporated; about every three to five days, water had to be released from Mountain Pond.


    Fortunately, the entire Mountain Pond was no longer irrigating each family''s individual fields but was focusing on just a few acres within this base, so the consumption wasn''t as extreme.


    The high temperatures continue, and droughts are occurring everywhere.


    Due to water issues, scenes of Survivors relocating are constantly unfolding. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the process of relocation, some died on the way due to sheer exhaustion; others died from heatstroke without effective aid; and still others were literally starved to death.


    Inside the base, preparations were busily underway for a resilience competition.


    In Li Yu''s plans, there were two paths for future development of the base: one is to continuously expand its sphere of influence. The advantage is having more people to get things done and more strength for self-preservation. The downside is that the core problem of food cannot be avoided��in this post-apocalyptic world, without sufficient food, more people only add to the burden.


    The other path is to focus on elite troops, to arm every citizen, staying strong with limited personnel. The advantage here is fewer people to manage and less pressure on food supplies. The disadvantage is that the overall strength definitely cannot compete with larger groups.


    Li Yu was currently taking the second path, improving the overall quality of personnel. At the same time, at the beginning, he had acquired a relatively large amount of firearm firepower.


    But bullets would eventually run out, and in this apocalyptic world, frequent natural disasters could easily cause some groups to collapse.


    Years after the apocalypse, torrential rain, drought, blizzards, and cold continued to destroy the world. They destroyed many industrial facilities.


    And led humanity gradually into the era of cold weapons.


    The civilization of humanity was gradually being destroyed.


    In the face of the most critical aspect of survival, food is the fundamental element to reaching the end.


    Maintaining a sufficient food supply is the only way to truly survive.


    Reborn Li Yu was very clear about one thing.


    This world had no supernatural abilities, nor a child of the era to lead humanity to rebuild civilization.


    What existed was only endless despair, endless desolation.


    Humanity could only struggle to survive in this apocalyptic environment.


    Another evening came, and Li Yu went to the fields to observe the rice and corn planting situation.


    Before he even got close, he saw Grandpa rolling up his trouser legs, going down to the field to block off the ridges, and repairing some small gaps at the edge of the nearby fields.


    Hearing the footsteps, Grandpa straightened up, looked up to see Li Yu, and said, "Li Yu, why are you here?"


    "Grandpa, it''s so hot, you should come out less and avoid heat stroke. I''m here to check on the crops," Li Yu replied.


    Grandpa wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel on his shoulder, his eyes filled with anxiety: "The water in Mountain Pond is getting less and less. We still don''t know when this drought season will end, sigh. Your Second Uncle said that the well we drilled before has a lot less water in it. This is not a good sign."


    Hearing Grandpa''s worried words, Li Yu also felt anxious. According to his reborn memories, this drought lasted two months. Now, relying only on the water in Mountain Pond, it should last until the end of the drought.


    "Grandpa, let me help you." Li Yu also rolled up his trouser legs, went down to the field, and repaired some of the small gaps along the edges. To prevent water from leaking out, because water was precious now, all of it needed to be used for planting crops, and allowing water to leak out through these gaps was undoubtedly a waste.


    Just like today, many plants and flowers in the garden had already withered and died.


    Except for those few big osmanthus trees that were occasionally watered, other plants and flowers could only be left to wither and die.


    ....


    In this world, every time there was war or drought, a food crisis would inevitably lead to the migration of people.


    Even in the apocalypse, this was no exception.


    In a place far from the base, a large group was migrating to the Southern regions.


    They didn''t know where to go, but staying put would only mean death.


    The supplies in their original location had been completely looted, and many people had to move to other places.


    Some groups also tried to plant crops, but they could not withstand the prolonged drought.


    Eventually, the crops withered and died, and they fell into despair. While they still had some food left, they needed to prepare in advance.


    In the end, they were forced to go elsewhere in search of food.

 Chapter 193 - 185: Thousand Refugees

    Moreover, some groups are guarding large reservoirs, or stationed beside major rivers and lakes.


    Because there are still some water sources that haven''t completely dried up.


    Thus, they are able to grow some crops to barely maintain survival.


    Among them, some kind-hearted people extended help to these Survivors, yet the massive influx of survivor population has completely overwhelmed these groups.


    In the desperate mob, there are no morals to be found, no systems to adhere to. One day they thank you for the food with immense gratitude.


    The next day they are back to beg for more, and the moment they don''t get food, they instantly become enemies, sparking violent conflicts.


    The transformation between benefactor and enemy


    Can hinge on a mere loaf of bread.


    If you can''t provide continuous benefits, you are an enemy.


    The habit forms, and the moment you stop helping, you become an enemy.


    Human nature is so vile.


    This has led these already precarious bases to eventually be breached by the surging tides of refugee Survivors.


    ...


    Among them, by the side of Poyang Lake, there was a group of over 100 people, led by a man who used to be a soldier named Zhou Wulu.


    After the apocalypse erupted, the military dispersed.


    Eventually, with a few of his subordinates by his side, he came here and, through nearly a year of recuperation and growth, his population has steadily increased.


    Their overall strength also increased significantly, and they even managed to build some walls. But these walls weren''t tall, only two to three meters, barely enough to delay the Zombies.


    Then, one day, a stream of refugee Survivors poured in from the north.


    These refugee Survivors were gaunt and haggard, exuding a stench from their emaciated bodies.


    Among them, they saw a pitiable mother and child within the crowd, weak and defenseless.


    Moved by his past as a soldier, a sense of compassion spurred him to extend a modest handout of food, after which these refugee Survivors left.


    The next day, those same refugee Survivors returned, bringing even more Survivors with them.


    Looking at the dense crowd, Zhou Wulu felt a tingle on his scalp.


    This mob must number at least 1500 people.


    He was shocked because, after the apocalypse and the Zombie rampage, many humans were bitten and assimilated by Zombies.


    This was the first time he had seen so many people.


    Actually, it was understandable considering the country''s population base was here. Even if only one in ten survived, the number of people was still very large. They all hid in every nook and cranny. With each wave of Zombie Tides, the numbers dwindled.


    After continuous heavy rains, the ensuing hot weather gave humanity a breather, at least there were no Zombie attacks.


    Thus, many people emerged, but what followed was a food crisis. In the heat, food that could have been stored longer spoiled and became infested, invisibly adding to the survival pressures.


    They were forced to come out in search of food.


    More and more people emerged, ultimately forming streams of humanity.


    Without a leader, there were only Survivors.


    No hope, just desperation.


    ...


    ...


    At this moment.


    These people clearly hoped that Zhou Wulu and others would help them.


    They needed food!


    The crowd grew and gathered under that wall, watching intently.


    Zhou Wulu ordered his team to stand ready, to resist the assault from these people.


    This was their hope for survival.


    Behind them, they had planted some vegetables and crops which would be ripe in a month or two; all of which were their hope to keep living.


    He did not wish to see it destroyed by these roaming Survivors.


    The flood of people surged.


    A group driven by hunger would not fear Zombies; if there was even a sliver of hope to survive, they would go mad.


    Among them, a person shouted at Zhou Wulu: "Captain Zhou, we don''t ask for much, we just want some basic sustenance, we''re really on the brink of starvation. Please save us."


    Others around him quickly chimed in: Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Exactly, save us, please. Have mercy on us."


    "Help us, my son hasn''t eaten for three days, he''s nearly starving to death."


    "Open the gate, let us in."


    "Captain Zhou, please let us in."


    ....


    Voices melding into a torrent.


    The soundwaves vibrated, buzzing loudly.


    Captain Zhou, hearing this from inside, turned ashen-faced, looking extremely troubled.


    If the gate were opened, the refugee Survivors would inevitably break through and the consequences would be unimaginable.


    10 seconds.


    20 seconds.


    One minute.


    Outside the door, the crowd heard no response from Captain Zhou.


    Their words began to lose their courtesy.


    "How can you be so selfish? How can you stand to watch a 3-year-old child starve to death? Inhumane!!!!"


    "We''re not asking for much, just a bite to eat, just to stay alive."


    "Yeah, you''re going too far!"


    "Hogging such a good spot and still unwilling to help others."


    "Squatting over a toilet and not pooping. Break in!"


    "Break in!"


    "Break in!"


    "Break in!"


    ....


    Eventually, "break in" became the unison chant.


    The sound was massive, the roar of over a thousand people.


    Echoing through Yunxiao.


    At this moment, Zhou Wulu deeply regretted, had he known, he wouldn''t have saved the first person who came; saving that one person led to a second, a third, a fourth...


    Endless.


    The regret was almost turning his intestines green.


    Thud!


    A sound, the gate vibrated with a strike.


    Then, on the perimeter wall, dozens of people climbed straight over.


    Seeing this, Zhou Wulu immediately shouted, "Counterattack!"


    Inside the wall, over 100 people armed with spears staunchly resisted those jumping down from the wall.


    Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!


    The continuous sound of flesh being pierced by sharp spears.


    But still, the people outside the wall were crazed.


    They desperately rushed into the wall, stacking like acrobats.


    Zhou Wulu had a gun initially, but after the outbreak had gone on for so long, there were no bullets left. Now, holding a long knife, he directly brought down a person who had just barged through the gate.


    The wall is long, and without heavy firepower, it''s virtually impossible to resist these thousands.


    They outnumbered them tenfold, and they were a group of starved people.


    These people were terrifying.


    Before long, as more and more people leaped into the wall, casualties began to appear among Zhou Wulu''s men.


    The gate was breached!


    Like a tide rushing in, people crazily squeezed through.


    Once inside, they ran straight for the houses in search of food.


    Some people, upon seeing corn that had just begun to tassel, began to gnaw at it raw.


    Others went straight into their houses, scavenging for food.


    Some of Zhou Wulu''s people tried to escape with food but were immediately tackled by the hordes.


    Among these hordes,


    There was a man, at the forefront of the charge; he was lucky not to have been speared.


    In the first moments inside the house, he found where the food was stored; soon, many followed.


    He kicked aside the woman guarding the food, then ran out clutching a small bag of millet.


    The few who saw what was in his arms scrambled over to grab it from him.


    He was tackled but still clutched the millet to his chest.


    As a few people pummeled him with fists and feet, they still couldn''t snatch the food from his arms.


    Finally, a large stone smashed heavily onto his head.


    His head lolled, blood gushing out.


    Dead.


    He died full of unwillingness; his daughter and son waited a kilometer away for him to bring back food.


    ....


    At this moment, Zhou Wulu''s face was covered in blood.


    He couldn''t see any of his brothers nearby. Others who had previously joined him were scattered by the crowd.


    Suddenly, the mob and his men intermingled.


    Indistinguishable.

 Chapter 194 - 186: Chaos

    A scene of chaos.


    Screams, pleas for mercy, scolding, roaring, shouting...


    Blending into a noisy cacophony. Sear?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Running people, people killing each other with knives, people snatching food, people getting tripped and trampled...


    Blending into a terrifying scene.


    In the air, a strong smell of blood permeates, along with some foul odors.


    Zhou Wulu is among the crowd, as if in a dream.


    He seems to have seen a similar scene in a dream before.


    It feels like a dream, but these sounds and images are so vivid.


    He stares blankly at the people around him, unable to find his brothers.


    Suddenly, a stone hits his head.


    Bang!


    A piercing pain, blood begins to flow from his head.


    Only then does he fully awaken.


    This is not a dream.


    At the same time, a burly man spots him and quickly runs towards him.


    "Squad leader, our people have scattered. Those guarding the food in the warehouse have been killed! And the crops we had planted... they''ve been pulled up and eaten. Now, we have nothing," his voice filled with despair and sorrow.


    Zhou Wulu snaps out of his daze upon hearing this.


    "What about Liuzi? Did you see him? Losing food doesn''t matter, as long as the brothers are still alive. Where there are people, there is a world," Zhou Wulu says.


    "Liuzi, Liuzi, he tried to save the food for us, but...those people chased him, and beat him to death! Dead! Dead! Xiao San, I haven''t seen him at all; only Xiao Si, he was upstairs just now, I told him to come down and meet up," the burly man says sorrowfully.


    "What!?" Zhou Wulu''s face shows disbelief.


    Followed by a face of anguish: "It''s all my fault for putting them in danger. If I hadn''t saved that mother and daughter, so many Survivors wouldn''t have come here, they wouldn''t have died."


    His body hunches, completely drained of spirit.


    The robust man crouches down, whispering, "Squad leader, our priority now is to find our other people."


    "Okay!" Zhou Wulu, eyes bloodshot, looks around with hatred.


    "We''ll go find Xiao Si, right now," Zhou Wulu states.


    The two rush toward the house.


    While running, they still see some people who had joined their base before, all of them looking bewildered.


    Zhou Wulu thinks, and decides to find Xiao Si first; after all, his brothers are the ones truly worth trusting.


    On the way,


    They see Liuzi, beaten to death, his head covered in blood, with a 5-centimeter hole in his skull.


    His eyes wide open, staring at the sky, unblinking.


    Passing by, Zhou Wulu lifts Liuzi''s body without a word.


    In silence, they walk to the house, where 5 or 6 early joiners gradually gather around Zhou Wulu without waiting for him to call them.


    Zhou Wulu nods at them, and the group finally reaches the house.


    Down at the house, Xiao Si is in a dispute with a group of people. But alone and outnumbered, he is unable to defeat the seven or eight people.


    Next to them lies a body.


    These thousand refugees, having no leader or commander, only form small groups, banding together for warmth, but none among them can direct the others.


    Their sole purpose is to find food and survive.


    They act only for themselves, driven solely by where they can find food.


    They swarm like locusts, a disorganized mob.


    At this moment, Xiao Si is fighting with a few people. Though at a disadvantage, he has no fatal injuries.


    It seems these people don''t really want to fight; they just want to leave, holding some items in their arms.


    But Xiao Si doesn''t plan to let them go, blocking their way.


    Upon seeing this scene.


    Zhou Wulu and the athletically built man, without any hesitation, took their Long Knife and charged forward, followed by several others who hesitated for a few seconds before ultimately rushing forward as well.


    When Xiao Si saw Zhou Wulu and the others approaching from behind, a flash of joy crossed his face, but it quickly turned to sorrow: "Third brother was pushed down the stairs and trampled to death alive. He had already given them the food, yet they still wouldn''t spare him."


    On hearing this, Zhou Wulu and the muscular man felt a surge of magma erupting in their hearts��rage, grief, despair, hatred!


    Hatred!


    "Motherfucker!"


    "Shit! Shit!" Zhou Wulu swung his knife while charging forward, leading the charge.


    Holding the knife with both hands, he struck from behind, splitting someone''s head in two from the top.


    The force was immense!


    That person''s head was directly chopped into two halves.


    The knife stuck in the neck, but Zhou Wulu quickly pulled it out.


    Another slash went towards the person next to him, who hadn''t even reacted before half of his body was chopped off.


    He was dead beyond dead.


    Two people dead.


    This immediately caught the attention of others.


    The seven or eight men opposite saw the fury in Zhou Wulu''s eyes and moved backward in fear, trying to shift their positions secretly.


    Old Second charged forward too, they had to avenge Old Third!


    After killing these two, the hatred in Zhou Wulu''s heart had not subsided at all.


    Instead, with his face smeared with human blood, he felt a strange joy.


    Killing. Killing. Cleansing everything.


    He hadn''t failed to consider that one must guard against others.


    He hadn''t failed to consider that in this post-apocalyptic world, one should trust no one.


    But, right before his eyes, was a living mother and daughter.


    It couldn''t be fake, it had to be real.


    The starving mother and daughter were real, their skeletal appearances were real, their pleading eyes were real.


    The gratitude in their eyes after receiving food was real.


    But, the fact that they brought more Survivor refugees was also real, they brought immense trouble, and the deaths of Lizi and Third at their hands were also real.


    And other people from the base who followed him also died, that too was real.


    Nothing was fake. Everything was real.


    No right or wrong, only pros and cons.


    Could it be, the so-called right things in value systems are also wrong?


    At this moment, Zhou Wulu completely turned dark.


    He wanted to kill all the refugees here.


    Perhaps killing would cleanse it all.


    He trembled, human hearts, can indeed be so vile.


    They were clearly such pitiful mother and daughter.


    Leading the few beside him, they charged towards the several people opposite.


    Zhou Wulu, Old Second, Xiao Si, and a few others, charged towards those seven people.


    With a surge of hatred, with a resolution to kill.


    These seven people, fearful, moved back.


    But, other surrounding refugees were unmoved, these refugees didn''t know the seven well either, they had only met while drifting. No one knew anyone.


    They were just together looking for food, that''s all.


    For them, finding food was more important.


    Indifferently observing from the side.


    The seven were caught up by Zhou Wulu and the others.


    All killed!

 Chapter 195 - 187: Heading Southward

    One day later.


    The base that had existed for over half a year was completely ransacked.


    On the ground, not even remnants of food were left.


    Many Survivors would not hide food away, instead, they would eat it the moment they got it.


    They stuffed their bellies even when they could eat no more.


    There were one or two who choked to death, alive.


    Most didn''t dare to hide food, because it would be found sooner or later, only what was eaten was truly theirs.


    In the scramble for food, big fish ate the small fish, and the small fish ate the shrimps.


    There were some children originally, but children often had a hard time surviving, and now, most in this group of refugees were adults.


    Zhou Wulu had found six others who had joined the base before.


    Now, excluding number two and number four, there were 12 people. Including Zhou Wulu, there were 15 people on their side.


    They did not leave these people.


    Because Zhou Wulu wanted revenge, among these thousands of people, hid the one who killed Six.


    After burying Six and number three, Zhou Wulu gathered the rest of the people.


    "We have no food now, and it''s difficult to find food. We have searched the vicinity and there is hardly any new food source. It means that if we don''t find food, we will starve," said Zhou Wulu.


    "Squad leader, what do we do?" asked number two.


    "Squad leader, we''ll still follow you," said number four.


    "Zhou brother, we believe you. Even if you hadn''t given that mother and daughter food, the other Survivors would''ve come for it. You don''t have to bear the responsibility alone."


    "Yeah, Zhou brother, we trust you!"


    ....


    Zhou Wulu''s eyes welled up, almost shedding tears. But in the end, they did not fall.


    His eyes blazed with hatred, speaking viciously: "Since they robbed us, we''ll join them. We''ll follow this crowd, they''re headless anyway; if we unite, we can rob them."


    "I must find the person who caused the death of little four. I want revenge, I need to follow them and keep killing them," Zhou Wulu said with hatred in his eyes.


    Those few who had joined the base showed hatred in their eyes as well; this sudden attack had robbed them of some family and friends. There were too many people and in the end, they didn''t know who initiated the attack �C perhaps all had taken part.


    It''s a choice when the law does not punish the many.


    But.


    One can also choose, to kill the many!


    This too is a choice.


    Follow them, join them, kill them.


    Kill slowly!


    No one objected.


    No one thought it was wrong.


    No one thought it immoral.


    In this end-times, morality only makes one die faster.


    Morality can enlighten one person, maybe even a group of people.


    But it can''t enlighten a group on the verge of starvation.


    Because, the will to survive, is human nature.


    Most people cannot escape their nature.


    That is to say, for starving people, having morality is a luxury.


    After the agreement was made, they began to search among these nearly 2000 people for anyone who still had food.


    Among these nearly 2000 refugees, there was chaos and disorganization.


    No one trusted anyone.


    This was not like ancient times with refugees, most of whom were Tenant Farmers. They were either people without their own land or landlords who were overthrown by farmers, though the latter were fewer.


    Most of these refugees had been through nine years of compulsory education, and many had received higher education; their wisdom had been awakened.


    They had their own thoughts; they wouldn''t easily trust anyone, especially against the backdrop of an apocalyptic world.


    They believed in only one thing - food.


    Wherever there was food, that''s where they would run to, it was the only thing driving their actions.


    In such an atmosphere, human nature was brought down to its lowest level.


    Occasionally, among these refugees, the struggle for a piece of biscuit...


    Puff!


    The man had his back to the woman and saw his abdomen pierced by a knife.


    He seemed to want to struggle but was quickly stabbed twice more by the woman.


    Throughout the process, the woman had no expression at all��numb, rigid.


    She took out the half-pack of biscuits from the man''s pocket, shook the crumbs into her mouth from the pocket.


    The woman wiped the dagger on the man''s pants, thought for a moment, then stripped the upper garment off his body.


    This was the first time the woman had killed a person. She had killed Zombies before, but never a human.


    Yet, she did it very cleanly and decisively, without trembling or fear.


    Calmly, as if she had done it countless times before.


    Ever since her parents died, her husband who protected her and her son died.


    Her son was bitten to death by a Zombie.


    She lost her purpose to live.


    But the deep-seated will to live prevented her from dying too easily.


    So she continued to survive amidst various complex situations.


    After the drought, she had exchanged her body for food, sometimes with success, other times with failure.


    Those who took advantage without paying��she had wanted to kill them more than once!


    She had planned it countless times in the depths of her heart.


    Which knife to use, when to strike, from which angle, how she would feel afterward...


    She had imagined it countless times in her mind.


    Even fantasized about whether she''d be nervous after killing someone, whether her hands would shake.


    Whether she would be afraid.


    She even imagined that after killing someone, she would feel calm, her hands steady, and perhaps even manage a smile on her lips.


    Until this moment, when she truly killed someone.


    It seemed, killing a person was no big deal.


    Because the trembling after killing comes from fear, fear of being punished.


    From external punishment by others, from inner moral condemnation, and the worry that the ghost of the slain might come after her.


    But if she wasn''t even afraid of dying, if moral values and ghosts no longer mattered��if there were ghosts, she''d fight them when she''s dead!


    Then, what''s there to fear?


    ...


    Scenes like this woman''s were numerous, and not just due to sexual acts. There could be other reasons.


    Fathers killing sons. Brothers slaying each other. Sisters killing each other.


    It all happened.


    Rites collapsed, music corrupted. Morality completely lost.


    Those without morals could live, but didn''t live like humans. S��ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Those with morals couldn''t live, but died like humans.


    As time went on, the number of immoral people increased.


    In this apocalyptic world, there was an abundance of murderous intent, spite.


    An abundance of malice.


    ...


    Zhou Wulu and others followed the main force heading south.


    On several nights, they had robbed a few smaller groups, killed them, and seized the well-hidden food.


    After grabbing the food, they killed them. After killing, Zhou Wulu and the others no longer felt any guilt.


    Because this was their counter-attack; sometimes they would feel inner torment and fall into confusion.


    But they were good at convincing themselves not to feel guilty.


    To survive was not disgraceful.


    Humanity''s baseline kept sinking lower.


    They, pressing on towards the south.

 Chapter 196 - 188: Rumors Abound

    July 15th.


    One and a half months after the torrential rain.


    It has been a month and a half without rain.


    Bare trees, fallen leaves, and the dry rot of decay. Ruin was everywhere.


    The flow of people moving from north to south was increasing. At night, among these streams of refugees, occasional cries of agony, piercing wails, could be heard.


    But no one cared, not even paid any attention to it all.


    The fact that they gathered together was for greater safety. Although competition for food was fiercer, dealing with zombies was easier at night.


    And staying put simply spelled starvation.


    By following the larger group, there might still be food to be found, and at least the possibility to keep living.


    They continued southward, drawing ever closer to Xin City.


    Along the national highway, they scoured the houses on either side, seeking food like a swarm of locusts, sharing whatever scarce provisions they found.


    If Li Yu and his group were here, among these people, there were some they had seen before.


    This group of refugees followed the national highway south, with some growing thinner as they trudged on, eventually collapsing on the road.


    Others, unable to keep up with the stream of people, stationed themselves in place, only to still face death within a few days!


    The horror of post-apocalyptic refugees, the famine of the apocalypse, was terrifying.


    Among these people, there was a brother and sister pair.


    At the outbreak of the apocalypse, they were in Xin City; that was their home.


    Li Yu had encountered them before (Reminder: Chapter 42).


    Back then, Brother Sheng who had detained Song Min and others, after discovering the location of the base, later used human blood to lure zombies and siege the city, planning to kill this brother and sister and place them beneath the walls to attract more zombies.


    But they were rescued by Li Yu and others on the national highway outside the base. They were even given some food.


    After being saved by Li Yu and the others, the siblings fled northward.


    All they wanted was to escape this place as quickly as possible.


    Before leaving, they had expressed their deep gratitude to Li Yu and his group.


    No words could express the debt of a life saved.


    Except... to repay kindness with hostility.


    ...


    The further south they went, the more familiar they became with the road.


    They had traveled this way before.


    Not more than ten kilometers ahead was the place where they had been rescued by Li Yu and his party.


    They remembered: after being rescued by Li Yu and his group, they had been given some food.


    They thought that if they could save them back then, maybe they could help them now.


    So the siblings discussed it and planned to find that base, to find Li Yu and his people. To have them save their lives again.


    They followed the refugee caravan, having seen many dirty deeds occur among the refugees.


    They encountered various troubles but solved them one by one, managing to survive up to this point.


    It was a matter of luck.


    They had also "elevated."


    Staying alive was most important; nothing else mattered now.


    One night, each refugee found a place to rest, not too far from each other but still at a distance.


    The brother looked around and began to discuss:


    "Sis, do you remember this road? It seems we''re not far from that place now," said the now somewhat mature brother.


    "Shush! Keep it down," his sister glanced around.


    "Have to be careful about every little thing, why are you even bringing this up?" The sister took a few steps away.


    There were some people nearby, not too far from them, thankfully not looking their way; it seemed like their earlier conversation had not been overheard.


    "Brother, I''ve also been thinking these past days, those people who gave us food, maybe they aren''t short on it. It''s possible," the brother lowered his voice.


    Under the dim moonlight, a distorted smile appeared on the sister''s beautiful face: "Let''s not follow the main group then, let''s stay near there. Search. See if we can find them. And then, see if we can join them."


    The brother nodded in agreement but hesitated in saying, "But, will they take us in? After what we did back there..."


    He seemed to recall some vile act, yet there was neither regret nor fear on his face, just concern, concern that Li Yu and the others might find out.


    The sister''s face twitched as she responded, "As long as you don''t tell, I don''t tell, who else would know? Only the two of us survived back then."


    "If that baby hadn''t cried, we wouldn''t have had to..." The brother recalled the scene with some indignation.


    "It''s all in the past, act as if it never happened. Those people''s deaths have nothing to do with us. Killing that baby was for survival..." The sister''s face twisted with madness, displaying a perverse sort of beauty that was chilling, yet strangely alluring.


    "So do we sneak away when the time comes?" the brother whispered, barely audible.


    "Yeah. It seems like, at our current pace, we should get there the day after tomorrow," the sister said.


    "Okay," the brother nodded.


    Having finished their talk, they returned to where they had been resting before.


    However, just behind a large rock they had passed, two people had overheard, albeit not clearly.


    But it didn''t matter; skulking about at a time like this meant either food or something to do with food.


    Following them would surely have its benefits.


    This was the law of survival.


    There is no such thing as a secret that doesn''t eventually come out; sometimes, if one person knows something, it''s as if the whole world knows it.


    Before they could set off the next day, just as the siblings rose and left their tent, they found many people around them, seemingly looking their way, casually but deliberately.


    Many people kept silent.


    But some others, out of impatience, wanted to rush forward and inquire but were restrained by others around them.


    They worried that once the question was asked, what if the siblings refused to answer?


    But there were always people who couldn''t bear the silence, their attempts to stop them unsuccessful, and finally someone stepped forward to ask: "Hey, do you know where there''s a food storage warehouse?"


    "???" The siblings were full of question marks.


    Where did that even come from?


    The siblings were baffled; they knew where there was food, but how could they not know about this?


    Rumors often grow from one person''s words to another''s, and soon they can turn into something completely different.


    "We don''t know. Why would you think that? If we knew where food was, we''d have gone there already. Why would we wait until now?" the sister claimed.


    The brother also spoke in annoyed disbelief: "How could that be possible!"


    The person laughed, clearly not believing them, and said: "It''s all over the place, everyone knows. What, you want to take it all for yourselves?"


    The siblings exchanged a glance, understanding each other''s thoughts: Had their conversation from last night been overheard?


    But what was this all about? S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Why was it a food warehouse?


    "How could it be, that''s absolutely impossible," the sister vehemently denied.

 Chapter 197 - 189: Stewing in Ones Own Pot?

    "Hahaha. Did everyone hear that?" They''re not taking us.


    Around them, everyone was paying attention to this scene. Upon hearing the man''s words, some of them picked up their spears and came over with ill intentions.


    The siblings exchanged a glance.


    This is bad!


    They must not let them find out. What if Li Yu and the others don''t accept them?


    If they let them know, these people would certainly follow them.


    If they let them know, wouldn''t that be just like what happened at the base near Poyang Lake?


    Then, going to find Li Yu and the others wouldn''t be seeking help but... destroying them.


    Faced with the crowd inching closer.


    The siblings did not hesitate for a second.


    They made a decision.


    One must be grateful for kindness received.


    A droplet of kindness should be repaid with a spring. Li Yu and the others had saved them and given them food. That was a huge favor!


    Crows feed their parents, and lambs kneel to suckle.


    As humans, one should be thankful.


    So, in unison, the siblings said: "I''ll tell!"


    The greatest wisdom the siblings learned from surviving until now is that one must read the times to be a true hero.


    Better others die than themselves.


    Repaying kindness and holding grudges? Morality? What is it worth, can you eat it?


    Look at how profound Chinese culture is.


    No matter from which perspective, one can always find ancient sayings to justify their own behavior''s reasonability.


    The crowd paused, their long knives and spears not lowered, waiting for them to speak.


    "We don''t know where the food warehouse is. We only know that there might be a base not far to the south. The people there might have some food," the sister said.


    "Oh? How do we know you''re not lying?" One of them asked.


    The sister was momentarily at a loss for words. After a few seconds of silence, she recounted over again how they had been captured by Brother Sheng and then saved by Li Yu and the others, who provided them with food.


    "Chicken Feathers, is what this woman''s saying true? You were the first one to talk about it last night," a man turned to a skinny man.


    The man with sparse hair scratched his head and said, "I couldn''t hear very clearly, I just heard that it seemed not far away, that they were to join them. Food in abundance. These key points."


    Everyone''s eyes were on the siblings. Finally, one man said, "No matter what they say, since you mentioned it''s not far, we''ll just follow you. Hope you don''t forget your gratitude."


    The siblings nodded.


    The brother said, "Anyway, didn''t we already go through this at Poyang Lake? The more people, the greater the strength. When we get there, we''ll break in together. Once found, everyone will have something to eat, and then we can all survive."


    The brother had already resigned himself to the fact that sneaking away was definitely not an option anymore. Keeping silent was also impossible.


    The siblings, they just wanted food to survive.


    As for the consequences of breaking in for Li Yu and others.


    Sorry, they didn''t want to think about that.


    Better to betray a friend than to perish themselves.


    Repaying kindness? Can you eat kindness? Can it let them live on?


    "Right, everyone, at that time, the two of us will lead the way. But we''re not too sure about the exact location, though I feel their base is around that area. When we get there, we''ll find it together. Haha," the sister laughingly brought everyone into their group, volunteering them in.


    But, everyone still watched them. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In these times, food is most important.


    What''s said aloud has no persuasive power.


    Since they''ve heard there''s food ahead, they now have an even stronger motivation.


    The journey begins.


    A vast tide of refugees flows on.


    Heading south.


    To the south, Li Yu sneezed twice and suddenly shivered all over.


    An inexplicable sense of crisis overwhelmed him, yet he could not remember what it was about.


    Since the last time they killed members of the Salvation Army, the girls Song Min brought with her had also learned to shoot.


    These workers had started learning how to use guns early on, and at the base, Li Yu''s family members, given an ample supply of bullets, had also begun to learn.


    Now, out of the 70 people in the base, aside from those too young or too old, there were fifty to sixty people capable of using firearms.


    But these guns were strictly controlled.


    Except for, during the last Zombie Tide, when they were forced to place a Light Machine Gun at both the front and back doors due to the gates being breached.


    At other times, one needed to obtain Li Yu''s approval to use firearms.


    The guns were under strict control. Random use was not permitted.


    An absurd fact was that ever since they acquired firearms, more people had been killed with guns than zombies.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, dangers come not only from zombies but more often from people!


    .....


    July 16th.


    The refugee group had been on the move for a whole day and had rested for a night.


    They set off again this morning.


    The impatience on the faces of the dozens of men surrounding Zhou siblings became more and more apparent.


    "Wasn''t it supposed to be just a couple of days? How come we haven''t arrived yet?" one man said.


    "Are you two fooling us or not? Huh? Damn," another man, muscular even under these circumstances, entirely owing to taking by force.


    At that moment, he stepped forward and lifted up the brother forcefully. His face was ferocious.


    As if he would kill them in the next second.


    "Don''t be rash, Daxiong," a man with a friendly smile and a charming mature air cautioned nearby.


    Upon hearing this man''s voice, Daxiong''s large and powerful body even trembled a bit.


    He let go and stepped back.


    "How long do you say we still need?" the mature man asked with a gentle voice as if he were talking to a friend.


    The sister looked at this man with profound eyes. For some reason, despite his gentleness, a chill of fear surged from the bottom of her heart.


    She was certain that if she didn''t give him a satisfactory answer, the outcome for them as siblings would be extremely gruesome!


    The sister looked around her, pondered a moment, and then cautiously said, "Half an hour''s walk, not far. Really not far anymore.


    When we get there, they should be close by; we''ll need everyone to search. We don''t know the exact location, but they must be around here."


    "Haha, don''t be nervous, I was just asking, it''s okay, it doesn''t matter if we can''t find it. Relax," the mature man said elegantly.


    In this apocalyptic world, amidst refugees lacking food, the mature man still maintained the demeanor of a gentleman.


    As soon as these words were spoken, his mellow voice came through once again: "You siblings, lead the way well, no rush, let''s go with what you said, half an hour."


    "If after half an hour we still haven''t reached the place you mentioned, I''ll give you one more hour. If we don''t find it, you can cook yourselves."


    Stew themselves in a pot?


    The siblings knew that this mature man, sporting a slicked-back haircut and wearing a POLO shirt, was not joking.


    What''s so strange about cannibalism?


    But still, everyone maintained that if they could avoid eating humans, they would.


    After all, such meat is not good for the body when consumed in excess.


    The siblings broke out in a cold sweat and nodded repeatedly.


    Then they hurriedly continued walking southward, moving quickly.


    They must search quickly.


    ....


    The base was not far off.


    The massive flow of people, hardly distinguishable from zombies, dehydrated and disheveled.


    Their eyes were lifeless.

 Chapter 198 - 190: Search

    Tattered clothes, pale lips.


    He looked like a skeleton wrapped in skin, his face carrying a whiff of death.


    This is the state of this group of disaster victims.


    Blindly following the crowd ahead.


    The fields by the road, so dry they couldn''t clump together, seemed like flowing sand.


    And some trees, their leaves already withered.


    The siblings stopped at a spot, right on the national highway outside the base, less than a kilometer away from the base.


    "It should be around here. Remember?" The sister suddenly stopped, turning to her brother.


    The brother looked at the nearby buildings, then at some of the farmlands. He remembered it was raining at the time, with farmlands and trees around, but now it has been dry for so long, some trees had already died.


    Even the weeds by the roadside no longer grew, because they also had died.


    "It should be here. But it was raining, couldn''t see clearly. But it''s more or less correct," the brother said.


    The two looked back.


    Some men who were intently staring at them approached.


    A mature man said, "Arrived?" His tone gentle. It felt like a breeze in spring.


    "Arrived," the sister and brother said in unison.


    The mature man with a big back hairstyle smiled slightly: "Arrived, huh? Then shall we start looking?"


    The siblings nodded. They were about to leave this place and search around.


    "Hold on. You two stay here, we''ll go search," the man with the big back said.


    The man with the big back thought for a moment. Then spoke a few words to a few men beside him.


    Beside him, there were about a dozen men following him, these people spoke a few words to the displaced people behind them. The crowd of displaced people scattered instantly.


    They were many, and they dispersed quickly, searching for traces of the base.


    The siblings stood on the spot, somewhat nervous, because they also were not too sure if it was here.


    Moreover, what''s crucial was, they weren''t sure if the base was around here.


    But, they were also extremely exhausted, their bodies almost reaching a critical point. For days they hadn''t eaten, surviving only on wild vegetables and tree bark.


    If they couldn''t find it, then so be it....


    These displaced people, like an anthill exploded, scattered.


    Some people came from the direction of where the base was.


    Since these displaced were composed of different people divided into small groups but not united as one cohesive group, many times no one could control anyone, sporadic fights occurred, but others simply watched indifferently.


    ....


    Today in the base, it happens to be Lai Ropke and Li Yu on duty, both of them on top of the wall, somewhat listless.


    They chatted sporadically.


    "Brother Yu, if one day the apocalypse ends, what would you want to do most?" Lai Ropke initiated.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu thought for a moment. He couldn''t think of anything.


    His interests were very simple, reading books, fishing, painting, and watching movies.


    What else?


    Didn''t know, in his previous life in M city, living a fast-paced life in the big city, every day was bustling. Although he had visited some scenic spots, the lowest bars, and the top **, it seemed all very dull.


    In such a noisy environment, everything seemed unreal.


    Conversely, returning to the countryside seemed to bring peace to his heart instantly.


    In this apocalypse, they built this base.


    They could shoot arrows, fire guns. Go up the mountains to gather wild fruits, swim in the Mountain Pond.


    They could watch movies in the basement while eating. They could barbecue and drink whenever they wanted.


    Families, friends, brothers, all around.


    ....


    Although facing the danger of zombies in this environment, it is not so perilous behind the walls.


    It''s like a sanctuary in tumultuous times.


    It seems he is already living the life he wanted.


    If the apocalypse hadn''t come, people might not have united and lived together in one place.


    If the apocalypse hadn''t come, people would probably just be thinking about how to pass exams, how to improve their studies, then get into a good university, only to find out that working after university is even more exhausting. They would see how hard it is to make money, realize how complicated the workplace is, discover there is still much to learn, and realize how tiring it is to live.


    Besides these basics, they would have to consider comparisons between people, worry about others'' opinions, and consider everything.


    But with the apocalypse, it seems the most important thing is just to survive, and they can still live well.


    Living is not just surviving.


    The apocalypse, it''s quite good.


    Li Yu did not respond for a while.


    Seeing that he did not reply, Yutong said, "If the apocalypse ends, I definitely want to travel, and visit the entire world."


    Listening to the sweet voice beside him, Li Yu smiled and said, "Sure, I''ll go with you. Driving a motorhome! Haha."


    Yutong glanced at the Unimog behind them in Weng City, its steel cold luster exuding a strong sense of security.


    She nodded her head.


    Soon, it was twelve noon.


    Li Hang came to deliver the meal, today''s food was also simple, just sweet and sour cabbage and stir-fried kidney. Two corn on the cobs. The aroma was enticing.


    At the base, Lai Dongsheng''s wife, who had also previously cooked canteen-style meals, was the cook.


    It must be said, the taste is really good.


    Smoke curled up. The aroma wafted outside the base.


    Outside the base, not even a hundred meters away, some people smelled the fragrance of the food, drooling.


    They had not smelled this scent of food for a long time.


    Before the apocalypse, at meal times, you could often smell the food from next door.


    That scent, it''s like the smell of home.


    Some people, upon smelling it, burst into tears.


    This scent awakened their pre-apocalyptic memories, they had not smelled this aroma for a long time.


    This almost one year has been like a dream, so hard.


    Yesterday is like the wind, making them infinitely nostalgic.


    Following the scent of the food, they walked towards the base.


    In less than a few minutes, they reached the outside of the base.


    They saw, 30 meters away, a gray wall like a huge dragon stretched out before their eyes. From their angle, the wall seemed endless.


    Nearly as high as a four-story building, the wall also had electric fences.


    Sparkling occasionally, as if telling people that the fence was electrified. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Refugee A: This is like fantasy...


    Refugee B: I want to eat, the food smells so good, too good.


    Refugee C: This is shocking.


    Refugee D: Haha, those people ahead have never seen the world. Not like me.


    Refugee E: ....


    .....


    For a moment, they were all stunned on the spot, they didn''t expect, in this rural area, such a structure.


    If not for the scent of the food, they might have had a hard time finding this place.


    It''s well hidden, nestled among the trees, very hard to find.

 Chapter 199 - 191: Conspiracy

    Some people wanted to approach the perimeter wall again so they could get a clearer view.


    After all, it''s quite normal for someone to think they are seeing an illusion when a huge wall suddenly appears in a wilderness.


    A buzz-cut headed straight out of the forest and walked toward the direction of the wall.


    "Stop! Don''t go out." Suddenly, a man behind him said in a low voice.


    The buzz-cut didn''t want to pay attention to him. Who are you to tell me what to do?


    Seeing that the buzz-cut ignored the man, another man with tattoos immediately stepped forward, grabbed him and dragged him back toward the forest.


    On the wall, atop the Observation Tower, Li Yu seemed to hear something, as his hearing was usually quite good.


    He turned his head and looked in one direction, catching glimpses of several figures.


    But the figures moved quickly and disappeared in an instant.


    "People? More than one." Li Yu narrowed his eyes. He doubted if he had seen wrongly. But being cautious, he picked up the walkie-talkie.


    Speaking to his aunt, who was on duty in the monitoring room, he said: "Auntie, check camera number 35. Look at the footage from 2 minutes ago, see if there were any people."


    "Okay," she replied immediately.


    There were too many cameras, not seeing immediately was quite normal, but the cameras were recording.


    Yu Tong was sitting beside him, arranging lunch, and upon hearing what Li Yu just said, she spoke with a hint of alarm, "Brother Yu, are there people?"


    Li Yu hesitantly replied, "Not sure, I didn''t see clearly. Let Auntie check the cameras."


    Messy Yu Tong put down her food, her gaze fixated on the area outside the base, she looked for a while, then took out a telescope to look further afield.


    But the forest obstructed the view making it hard to see clearly.


    Less than 30 seconds.


    The aunt replied, "Li Yu, Li Yu, there are people, lots of people. I just saw 7 people, but they appeared briefly then left, just now there was one trying to come towards our base, but someone pulled him back."


    Li Yu remained calm.


    He pressed the walkie-talkie and said to Second Uncle, who was having lunch in the base, "Second Uncle, situation here. Call Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Uncle, Yang Tianlong to come here. Urgent! Bring guns. Also, inform everyone else, the base is entering Level Three security status."


    Since some people could find this place, not clear how many there are��maybe just these seven, but possibly many more. This uncertainty made him very uncomfortable.


    Not knowing the enemy''s strength, it''s better to assume they are stronger than they appear.


    Second Uncle was eating when he heard Li Yu, didn''t ask questions.


    He immediately put down his food and informed everyone about the situation.


    Calling Third Uncle and others, carrying guns, they ran toward the wall, not forgetting to take his share of food along.


    Humans are iron, food is steel, felt anxious without a meal.


    Especially in post-apocalyptic times, wasting food is exceedingly foolish.


    Everyone ran to the Observation Tower, which was connected to the wall, the tower couldn''t accommodate so many people, so some were on the wall.


    "What''s happening, Li Yu?" asked Second Uncle.


    "People are coming, I saw a few figures just now, and later got confirmation from my aunt, she told me there were seven or eight people outside our base just now," Li Yu said gravely, with a stern look.


    "People?" Yang Tianlong said nearby.


    "Then, let''s get ready earlier. We don''t know how many of them are coming. We need to increase our vigilance. Our base''s perimeter wall is too long," Second Uncle furrowed his brows, speaking coldly.


    "That''s what I was thinking too. Today Haoxian and Haoran are on duty at the back door, Xiao Hang, you go there and take a look," Li Yu said.


    "Now our base wall is manned by 4 people, two in the Observation Tower, two patrolling the wall. In this situation, I think we should directly quadruple that."


    "16 people, ensure this number stays constant on the perimeter walls, all equipped with submachine guns, rifles. Two per team, four teams stay in fixed positions, four teams patrol the perimeter walls continuously.


    Additionally, move the light machine gun at the main gate, and all the bullets there. Also, move up the hand grenades.


    Furthermore, add two more people to the surveillance room, report immediately if anything happens."


    Li Yu methodically arranged what needed to be done.


    Everyone agreed, countless decisions had proven Li Yu''s correctness.


    "Should we go out and search?" Second Uncle thought and asked.


    Everyone pondered, Li Yu thought as well, but ultimately felt it was inappropriate. They were unclear about the enemy''s situation, whether they had guns, and how many people they had.


    Recklessly going out, what if they get defeated one by one.


    Hearing Li Yu''s arrangements, everyone started to act according to the assigned tasks.


    ....


    On the other side, the tattooed man was pulling the small buzz cut guy, retreating backward.


    There were also some people trying to rush to the perimeter wall, but they were stopped by a dozen individuals, the very group from Poyang Lake. Squad leader, Second, Fourth...


    "Squad leader, what should we do?" Fourth asked.


    "Wait and see, see if we can get a piece of the action." the squad leader said.


    .....


    After locating the people at the base, they returned to the main troop, the big-headed mature man saw them returning and asked, "Did you find them?" S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The tattooed man replied, "We found them, by the time we got there, they were just cooking, it smelled incredibly good, and they have a super tall perimeter wall, about 12 meters high."


    "How many people?"


    "Only saw two for now, they probably didn''t notice us," the tattooed man said.


    "Hmm, you did the right thing," the mature man seemed to recall something, saying to the others, "Do you guys want to eat? If you want to, then don''t go over there. Can you climb over the wall?"


    Many people, after hearing the big-headed man''s words, suppressed their thoughts. They indeed thought about going over, but after seeing that wall, a lot of their ideas were dismissed.


    How to storm inside was a big problem.


    The squad leader felt extremely uneasy, originally because the defense was not strong enough, which led to it being overrun by these refugees.


    Sigh...


    The big-headed mature man asked, "Did you see what weapons they have?"


    The tattooed man replied, "I just saw a crossbow. And spears."


    The big-headed mature man breathed a sigh of relief and seemed to remember something else, "Do they look like soldiers or something?"


    "Probably not, they were a man and a woman."


    "A man and a woman, hmm."


    The big-headed mature man then looked towards the brother and sister squatting nearby. A thought emerged in his mind.


    Since they have seen them.


    Since forcefully breaking in is difficult.


    Then let this brother and sister go ask for help, if they can open the door.


    Maybe there''s a chance.


    With his mind made up, the big-headed mature man put on that warm jovial smile and looked at them: "Do you want to do a good deed?"

 Chapter 200 - 192: Siblings Come to Join

    The siblings looked at the gentle and refined man. Although the man had a friendly face, they couldn''t tell why, but seeing his smile sent shivers down their spines.


    "Hmm?" the man voiced his doubt.


    "You, you speak," the sister said.


    "Like this, we have found the base of that group of people. You two siblings should go there and seek asylum with them," the man said evenly, his tone persuasive.


    "Just go there directly?" The brother looked at the man incredulously, as if he couldn''t believe the man would be so kind-hearted.


    "Yes," the man said, smiling.


    The siblings exchanged a suspicious glance. They didn''t believe this man was so benevolent.


    "Sister suddenly said, "Can we not go?"


    "That won''t do," the man said gently.


    Several men approached from the side, their long knives vaguely pointing towards them.


    The sister, feeling helpless, could only reluctantly say, "Fine, but I can''t guarantee they will accept us. We''ll try."


    "Mhm. Just don''t expose us," the man said with deep meaning, glancing at the two of them.


    Inside the base.


    A Level Three alert had been activated, with the number of people on duty on the walls increased to 16, placing someone at short intervals along the walls.


    Although no enemy could be seen, seeing Li Yu''s stern face, everyone braced themselves, their spirits heightened by the tense atmosphere, as if sensing the impending storm.


    "Li Yu, if someone attacks later, what shall we do?" Li Hongyuan, the father, also came up to the wall, nervously addressing Li Yu.


    "If they are enemies, we''ll eliminate them," Li Yu replied.


    Second Uncle glanced at Li Hongyuan, then proceeded to check his firearm, loading the bullets into the magazine one by one.


    The wind had not yet risen, but hearts were already raging.


    Outside the base.


    A group of refugees escorted a pair of siblings towards the base.


    As they neared the base, some tens of meters away, the people stopped and watched the siblings advance.


    To conceal themselves, they crouched low, lurking behind the trees.


    Most of the trees in the forest were pines.


    Pines are very resilient, with an extraordinarily tough vitality, even in extremely dry weather, they still do not perish.


    Pine needles rustled down, pricking the skin uncomfortably.


    Some people also chewed on pine needles, tasting an intense sourness that spread over the tongue, quickly followed by a strong bitter flavor.


    While pine leaves are indeed inedible, they can be used to make tea, providing a source of vitamins to the body.


    A few lucky individuals found some pine fruits, pine nuts, which they cracked open and chewed. But pine nuts were too scarce, with just a little bit of flesh that could hardly satisfy hunger.


    The siblings took a few steps, then looked back at the man with a pompadour, who had a smile on his face, slightly encouraging.


    But after taking a couple more steps, the siblings paused again. The pompadoured man was getting impatient, his eyes carrying a fierce gleam, glaring at them.


    Seeing the fierce-looking crowd behind them, the siblings steeled themselves and walked towards the base.


    In less than 10 seconds, they reached the edge of the forest and the base.


    Stepping out.


    Li Hang''s eyes were the sharpest. He was the first to notice and pulled out a walkie-talkie and said, "We''ve got company."


    And the people on the base, already watching the surroundings of the forest, turned their gaze where Li Hang was looking, and immediately spotted the pair of siblings.


    They didn''t raise their weapons or stand up. Instead, they observed through the gun muzzles peering over the metre-high railing.


    Following Li Yu''s previous instructions, until the enemy''s strength was clear, they tried to conceal themselves within the fence atop the perimeter wall.


    This brother and sister duo appeared on the side of the main gate, about 20 meters away from it.


    Li Yu and the scruffy Yutong had been standing all along, looking down at the siblings from a higher position.


    However, due to the angle of view, the siblings below did not spot Li Yu and his companion immediately.


    The scruffy Yutong was seeing them for the first time, with a hint of confusion on her face.


    But Li Yu recognized at a glance that he had encountered this pair of siblings before.


    After being reborn, Li Yu found that his memory, hearing, and reaction speed were all much better than in his previous life, perhaps due to the accumulated BUFFs of rebirth.


    Especially his memory, which was almost photographic, remembering anyone he had once seen.


    Li Yu''s crossbow in hand was nonchalantly aimed at the siblings.


    His peripheral vision was also watching behind them. According to what he had seen in the surveillance room earlier, there should be at least seven or eight people, but now only these two appeared, and they were familiar faces.


    There must be a trick afoot.


    His thoughts raced, all these considerations happening within two seconds.


    Yet, these siblings were unaware that Li Yu had seen them before, they just didn''t know that it was them.


    At this moment, the siblings thought they had not been discovered.


    The siblings, with a tinge of curiosity and excitement on their faces, seemed to be seeing the base for the first time, filled with anticipation and yearning.


    They walked towards the perimeter wall.


    When they were less than 10 meters away from the wall, Li Yu came out of the Observation Tower and walked to the edge of the wall.


    From above, he spoke to them, "Halt, you two, why are you here?"


    The siblings appeared startled by Li Yu''s presence.


    The sister''s face was a canvas of emotions. When she saw Li Yu, she first showed surprise, then calmness, followed by a sense of grievance, almost on the verge of tears.


    In less than 3 seconds, two streams of tears fell, as if she had endured untold grievances and hardships and finally saw a relative.


    Her brother, however, did not have such good acting skills. The moment he saw Li Yu, he quickly glanced at him and, meeting Li Yu''s questioning gaze, lowered his head rapidly like a thief.


    While the sister cried to herself, Li Yu grew impatient and asked again, "I''ll ask once more, why are you here?"


    The sister widened her beautiful eyes, which fluttered rapidly. Her slim figure stood lonely amidst the tall forest and the imposing wall. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her tears were heart-wrenching, making one want to embrace her and offer comfort.


    After being questioned by Li Yu again, the sister finally spoke: "I... I have finally found you. Wuu wuu wuu..."


    Hearing this, Li Yu felt a gaze on him from the side. Without looking back, he knew it was Yutong watching him.


    The sister''s words at the foot of the wall sounded as if Li Yu had wronged her and then heartlessly abandoned her.


    Damn it. I want to shoot you with an arrow right now, Li Yu cursed internally.


    Wait and see, what does she really want?


    "You motherfucker, can you speak properly?" Li Yu couldn''t help but curse aloud.


    His voice reverberated like a large bell.


    Li Hang, standing beside him, inwardly exclaimed: Big bro is so cool, big bro is mighty!


    As Li Yu spoke, Yutong slowly approached as well.


    The sister under the wall saw a beautiful girl standing next to Li Yu.


    Her face changed color instantly, looking as if she were constipated.


    Amidst her frantic expression, there was a sense of regret like someone failing to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.


    Whether it was her mind playing tricks or she had been fully immersed in the earlier performance, experiencing the emotions of being abandoned, she blurted out: "I... I missed you."

 Chapter 201 - 193: Luring the Enemy into the Pot

    No sooner had his voice fallen than, seeing Li Yu''s face turn ugly, the sister standing under the wall immediately said: "No no no, what I meant to say is, we have been wanting to come find you, but we never got the chance..."


    Li Yu looked at her, his expression as still as an ancient well, without a ripple.


    Not until she talked and talked and felt she could no longer continue.


    Li Yu slowly raised the crossbow in his hand, his tone ice cold, saying: "What is your true purpose?"


    The sister still wanted to say something, to defend herself.


    But Li Yu had already run out of patience. In this situation where it was unclear who the enemy was or what their capabilities were, the two people pushed out here were clearly just decoys.


    "We want to join you? Can you let us in? We will be very obedient," the sister said resolutely, directly stating their intent.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu''s eyes narrowed slightly, the fox''s tail finally showing.


    His mind whirled, suddenly thinking of a plan,


    a faint smile appearing on his face as he said: "Alright then."


    The siblings under the wall were somewhat stunned. Based on their brief conversation just now, the likelihood of Li Yu letting them in was still very low. But now he suddenly agreed to let them in.


    They still had so many lines prepared that they hadn''t said yet!


    What was happening?


    The plot shouldn''t be like this, right? This was going too smoothly, wasn''t it?!


    From a distance of 60 meters away, hidden behind the forest, Dapao heard their conversation and was somewhat puzzled as to why the man on the wall had suddenly agreed.


    But he was certain that as soon as the door was opened, their more than a thousand people would rush in, and the gate would surely not close in time.


    Then, they would be able to seize their base!


    With this thought, Dapao felt a surge of elation in his heart.


    The siblings looked at each other in disbelief and, looking up to Li Yu on the wall, said joyfully: "Thank you, thank you for accepting us."


    The two headed towards the direction of the gate.


    Li Yu turned his head to look toward Weng City and the huge fine steel door leading to the interior of the base. The fine steel door had been custom-made for a hefty price, and it was basically impossible to force open by manpower alone, without machinery.


    Not to mention, behind this fine steel door, there was another door made of iron bars.


    Inside Weng City, they were already prepared.


    After Li Yu saw people outside the base for the first time and initiated Level Three martial law, he had already cleared out all the vehicles inside.


    Now, Weng City was empty. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu turned to Yutong at his side and said, "Open the gate, let them come in."


    For a moment, Yutong did not understand what Li Yu meant. She hadn''t even asked for clarification yet.


    Could he really believe such an obvious lie?


    But things Li Yu decided always had his reasons, but opening the gate... was this tantamount to letting the enemy in?


    In her hesitation, Second Uncle, crouching behind her, whispered: "Do as Li Yu says, quickly!"


    Seeing Yutong still in a dilemma, Second Uncle immediately added: "Close the door to beat the dog... Quick."


    Yutong immediately understood, walking straight to where the gate was operated.


    On the other side, Third Uncle, Yang Tianlong, Li Gang, Li Tie, Dapao, and others had already been informed of the situation in front of the gate and had come from other parts of the wall.


    Now, on top of the Weng City wall, there were nearly 10 people up there.


    Li Hang, however, was somewhat befuddled. Why were they letting people in?


    The gate made a creaking noise as it slowly opened.


    Seeing the gate gradually open, the siblings finally let go of their inner worries and walked slowly toward the gate.


    80 meters behind them, without waiting for Dapao to give the command, this group of refugees crowded and ran towards the direction of the base.


    Boom boom boom.


    The footsteps of over a thousand people, sounding in unison. Like a massive army.


    The sound was enormous.


    Li Yu, listening from the wall, thought to himself: As expected!


    The man with the slicked back hair and a few others had just charged out of the forest when he saw the gate open, a strange feeling arose in his heart.


    Suddenly halting, this stop left him behind many others nearby.


    It was no more than 80 meters away, at the speed of a 100-meter sprint, it took only about 10 seconds for this crowd to reach the gate.


    The gate, 8 meters wide, could admit twenty or thirty people in one second.


    The siblings were just about to enter the gate, their front foot barely stepping in, when the mob of refugees had already run up to within less than 10 meters behind them.


    The refugees surged forward as if, to them, merely entering the base meant victory, meant they could once again fight for food like at Poyang Lake.


    Such a vast base, lasting this long, must have a substantial reserve of supplies.


    The refugees, with high hopes, swarmed in.


    The siblings, at the very front, had just entered Weng City when they saw, to their surprise, another gate behind it.


    Before they could react, they were squeezed in by the refugees behind them.


    The first wave of refugees charged the fastest, as rapidly as a raging river.


    It wasn''t until they reached the halfway point of Weng City that they began to realize�� there seemed to be no road ahead!


    The ones at the front were frantic; they were the ones most in need of food, and under extreme hunger, they had no intention of being cautious anymore; they had wanted to rush through the base directly.


    Previously, they were held back by the slicked back hair man and others, barely suppressing their urges, but now, as the gate swung open, the urge surged even stronger!


    All they wanted was to rush in faster.


    Because according to past experience, the quick get and the slow miss out.


    Those who came in later wouldn''t even get to eat warm leftovers.


    So in this situation, they had nearly no capacity left for thought.


    They just wanted to rush in, to seize the food!


    In a mere ten seconds, nearly 300 people had poured in.


    At this moment inside Weng City, Li Yu looked at the stream of people who had rushed in, and his heart shook with alarm.


    In this apocalyptic world, how could there be so many people!


    But he also felt some relief, glad that they had been led into Weng City.


    Meanwhile, on the city walls of Weng City, Second Uncle and others, crouching down, felt a wave of relief on seeing so many people inside the city.


    There were just too many people!


    Simultaneously, they started to check the firearms in their hands, suddenly realizing why Li Yu wanted to let them in.


    If so many people were to surround and break through the perimeter, it would be extremely difficult to defend.


    But if they were all led into Weng City, these people would be like fish on a chopping board, waiting to be slaughtered!


    At this moment, Li Yu''s decision was proven correct once again!


    The crowd was congested.


    Those at the very front now had some realization��there was another gate behind them. How had they not noticed it until now?


    What should they do now?


    Some of the smarter individuals, after their initial impulse subsided, saw the tall walls and felt a foreboding sense of danger.


    Thus, one person started to run against the current of people, towards the outer gate.


    Then followed the second, the third��


    But those outside, unable to see the inside situation, continued to push forcefully to get in.


    Those who had come to their senses, struggling against the crowd, pushed toward the outside, shouting, "Can''t get in, can''t get in, get out quick!"


    But with the noise and clamor, people outside couldn''t make out what they were saying.


    The scene was somewhat like the rush hour in big cities, where a few trying to get off the subway are overwhelmed by the many getting on.


    Those wanting to get out are swept in by those wanting to get in.


    People were packed like sardines at the gate.


    And those who had run to the middle of Weng City couldn''t possibly squeeze through to the gate; they were pushed further by the people from behind toward the inner parts of Weng City.

 Chapter 202 - 194: Caught Off Guard

    The crowd surged.


    Li Yu was focused on the people below from atop the wall, with Second Uncle beside him, watching as people flooded into Weng City from the forest, stretching endlessly as if there was no end.


    There were just too many people.


    10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds.


    Weng City was crammed with countless people, the space of several hundred square meters becoming congested for a moment.


    As time passed, the counterflow of the crowd increased, and finally, from the forest side, no more people were seen pouring in.


    At this moment, if viewed from the entire perspective, more than half of the people had already flooded into Weng City, with half of them inside Weng City.


    Li Yu roughly estimated, both inside and outside Weng City, there were at least 1500 people.


    The counterflow increasingly grew, and at the gate, the incoming flow of people also stagnated.


    It was clear that the entrance was getting congested by those moving in the opposite direction.


    If the gate wasn''t closed now, instead of allowing more people into Weng City, on the contrary, those already inside Weng City would start to flee.


    "Close the gates!" Li Yu shouted towards Li Hang beside him.


    Li Hang and Second Uncle triggered the button to close the gate.


    The iron gate made a creaking sound.


    This heavy iron gate, designed with bearings, now seemed like a giant rock, lowering with a creak.


    People around the gate, upon hearing this noise, frantically moved away from the gate''s vicinity, fearing being crushed by it.


    Closing the gate took some time, and those far outside the gate, seeing it about to close, thought they no longer had a chance to enter and started shoving the people in front of them fiercely toward the gate.


    Meanwhile, the people inside the gate realized something was wrong, pushing hard in the opposite direction, towards outside the gate, hoping to escape before it closed!


    These two streams of people.


    Like water and fire, moving in opposite directions, incompatible.


    Around the gate, people divided into three groups, one portion surged into Weng City, another spilled outwards, and another portion seemed unsure of which way to run.


    But the overhead iron gate slowly descended, forcing them to make decisions in these urgent moments.


    Exit, or enter.


    Often at such critical moments, some people always become panicked, whether advancing or retreating is a decision, but at such a critical time, some seemed either too scared or indecisive.


    Staying put on the spot.


    The gate gradually lowered, yet beneath it, six or seven people remained motionless.


    Just watching as the iron gate descended.


    2 meters, 1 meter.


    Among them, two to three people, under the congestion of others, managed to escape towards outside Weng City.


    The gate''s closure became increasingly evident, akin to a mandarin duck hotpot blazing at its highest fire, both sides of the broth boiling - one spicy and one mild.


    This closing caught them off guard.


    Sensing the timing was almost right, Li Yu then shouted towards Second Uncle and the others: "*!"


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    **Ringing out!


    In an instant, everyone straightened up from below the parapet, holding machine guns, pouring fire down towards the crowd below.


    Yang Tianlong and Li Tie along with others arrived later and were now inside Weng City.


    The idea of luring them into the trap had been a sudden stroke of inspiration for Li Yu; they originally thought this moment would be used to eliminate the people inside Weng City.


    But, the influx of people was way beyond their expectations.


    Over a thousand people.


    Even though there were already so many people in Weng City, less than half were outside the city.


    As Li Tie and others fired, people inside Weng City fell like wheat.


    Shock, despair, regret...


    A chorus of wails rose.


    ...


    On the other hand, Li Yu on the city gate, when he shouted "Fire!", raised his gun and started shooting at the people outside Weng City.


    Second Uncle, the scruffy Yutong, Li Hang, and Third Uncle beside him also aimed their guns outside Weng City.


    At this moment, the people outside Weng City needed to be dealt with.


    Those inside Weng City were doomed to die, to be slowly taken care of later.


    The people outside Weng City were now the primary targets.


    Boom.


    Boom.


    After firing a salvo, Li Hang, feeling unfulfilled, threw two grenades several meters away from the wall, causing figures to tumble wildly in the blasts.


    People outside Weng City, hearing the gunfire, especially seeing people falling from the bullets beside them, wished they had extra legs to run towards the forest.


    In the forest meanwhile, the big-backhaired mature man, hearing the first gunshot, began to feel lucky.


    He hadn''t run fast, even stopping later.


    Because he always felt something wasn''t right, especially the conversation just now between the siblings and the man on the wall seemed abnormal, suddenly opening the gates.


    Reasonably speaking, such a big base that had operated until now, in this apocalyptic world, the survivors couldn''t be ordinary.


    How could they easily let people in?


    Something was amiss.


    While he was thinking outside, seeing the influx of people inside, he almost felt like an observer watching everything unfold.


    Later, hearing some chaotic noises inside saying "No way out." "Get out." From the voices of over a thousand people, it wasn''t clear enough.


    Unexpectedly, in less than 30 seconds.


    The gates fell, gunfire rained down.


    Behind the big-backhaired man, another dozen people were following him. Seeing people running from the gate, they felt relieved as Li Yu and others fired upon them.


    Ratatat!


    Suddenly, the urgent sound of machine gun fire rang out. Li Yu, with his submachine gun, didn''t stop, fluidly changing to a loaded magazine, snapping it in, and continued firing towards the edge of the forest.


    He intended to prevent these people from escaping into the forest, so he didn''t kill the ones below the wall first, but targeted those who had already reached the forest''s edge.


    Hearing the noise beside him, through peripheral vision, seeing Li Tie and others seeing Li Yu''s group shooting outside the wall, they quickly reacted, rushing to the gate to attack. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, the firepower greatly increased.


    On the wall, over thirty streams of bullet flashes poured down outside the wall. As Li Yu lured these people in, Second Uncle had already turned on the walkie-talkie, summoning other members of the base.


    This gunfire was the loudest sound in the area.


    All the screams of sorrow, curses, pleas for mercy.


    Were drowned out.


    In less than 10 seconds, nearly a hundred people had run from under the wall towards the forest.


    This was unavoidable, a strategy hastily thought of by Li Yu, under those pressing circumstances, with Second Uncle and others beside him reacting swiftly.


    At this moment, achieving such an effect was already quite impressive.

 Chapter 203 - 195: Becoming a River

    After all, the number of people was beyond Li Yu''s imagination.


    Bullets constantly pierced through the bodies of those beneath the wall, as the Light Machine Gun swept over them, the killing efficiency greatly increased.


    In less than 10 seconds.


    Outside the wall, more than 300 people had already died under the gunfire of Li Yu and others.


    These people were initially crowded together below the main gate, all at a considerable distance from the forest.


    Except for some people already hidden in the forest, such as those with buzz cuts.


    So, to flee towards the forest, they were also more than 30 meters away.


    This stretch was their death distance.


    As they rushed forward, Li Yu and his people first shot those who were closest to the forest.


    This resulted in them being trapped in a dilemma for a moment. If they insisted on breaking through to the forest, they would be the first targets to be killed.


    Yet, if they did not break through, and stayed behind, although not being killed immediately, the outcome would be the same death eventually!


    In times of crisis, a person''s choices are extremely important.


    This one choice,


    is life or death.


    Some faced death squarely, and instead might find a slim chance of survival.


    Some were hesitant and indecisive, with only death waiting for them.


    In these past dozen seconds,


    more than a hundred people had escaped from under the wall,


    and over three hundred people had been killed.


    At this moment, there were still more than 200 people beneath the wall.


    The gunfire never stopped.


    The wailing, also never ceased.


    "Run fast!"


    "Stop blocking me!!" S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My hand!"


    "My belly."


    "Wife, why did you run away? Wife, wait for me.... Old Wang, Old Wang save me."


    "Old Wang, how could you all��"


    ....


    Human horror.


    In the face of absolute violence, people seemed particularly fragile.


    No one on the wall had a soft hand, no one stopped their firearms.


    The strafing continued.


    Gunshots persisted.


    The crowd was no longer as dense as before, and Li Yu and his crew had gone all out with their firepower, but the efficiency of the killing was not as high as it was at the beginning.


    At the very beginning,


    Li Yu could kill someone with a single bullet,


    Even in such crowded streams of people,


    he could kill two, three with one bullet.


    The crowd was so dense and easily penetrated.


    Now, outside the wall, most people had already been killed.


    Those under the wall had no idea that there were only two people initially, why suddenly dozens appeared.


    And they all freaking had guns!


    Even Hand Grenades, Light Machine Guns!


    This must be an army, right?


    But an army, how could it kill ordinary civilians?


    They couldn''t understand, but the majority of them no longer had the chance to think.


    Felled in death.


    Bang bang bang!


    The gunfire continued!


    And in less than half a minute, more and more people were on the wall, people rushing from the base, those guarding from other directions on the wall. They were continuously coming over.


    Originally, if all the people in the base who could handle guns were called up, there would be nearly 60 people.


    However, just the appearance of a few people outside the wall had them imagining the number in the largest possible terms, yet who could have expected it to be over a thousand people.


    This is the apocalypse!


    And to ensure the safety of the base, it is necessary to maintain a certain number of people in other directions of the wall.


    Thus, at the very beginning, there were only about a dozen people allocated to the gate area.


    Plus, the idea Li Yu had just had to get these people into Weng City was a sudden stroke of brilliance, so the results achieved now were already extremely remarkable.


    Over a thousand people, confined in Weng City accounting for more than 800 of them.


    This is the greatest achievement.


    Moreover, a large part was also killed outside Weng City.


    Not killing everyone is normal.


    Bang bang bang! The sound of gunfire continues!


    From the initial sweeping fire to precise single shots.


    Hand Grenades are not thrown anymore, as throwing them now would not be very meaningful.


    But thanks to more and more people rushing over to the wall, the number of people killed is no less than before.


    Of these remaining 200-plus people,


    less than a hundred managed to flee.


    Adding the initial hundred or more who escaped, the estimated number of those who fled is probably around 200.


    Over 1500 attackers, with 800 inside Weng City, those in Weng City during these short two minutes, seemed as if they had been forgotten.


    About 200 who fled, and outside the wall, nearly 500 bodies lay!


    These bodies,


    were incredibly dense, some even piled on top of each other.


    They had all been trying to crowd into the gate just before, like sardines, which gave Li Yu and the others a more convenient shot for the kill.


    In this battle, Li Yu''s maneuvering was nothing short of miraculous.


    Cleverly thought to open the gates, lure them into the trap, and at just the right moment, ordered the gates closed.


    Then reacted swiftly, directing everyone to first deal with those outside Weng City.


    This series of actions all took place in an extremely short time. Many people haven''t even realized what happened, but they followed Li Yu''s lead.


    So far, this battle has been 99% successful.


    The remaining 1% is to deal with the people inside Weng City.


    Those inside Weng City definitely cannot escape.


    Before the apocalypse broke out, the wall that Li Yu built was already more than a meter thick, and after finding cement and steel, he reinforced the wall again.


    By using poured-in-place construction methods, pouring vast amounts of steel and concrete, he had already collected most of the cement from the surrounding County.


    At this moment, the wall''s thickness was nearly 3 meters.


    With walls that thick, how could those inside Weng City break through with just Long Knives and spears in their hands?


    The only way is to open the gate that leads into the base, but that gate cost nearly a million.


    Armored door!


    Protecting against bullets was a minor issue, the only possibility of it being broken through would be with a Bomb.


    But then the back of this gate was reinforced with more cement and steel, its sturdiness further enhanced, whether a Bomb could break it is questionable.


    The Weng City wall, over ten meters high, with four stories, and smooth surfaces, how could they possibly climb out.


    At this moment, the people within Weng City, like lambs waiting for slaughter, in despair.


    ...


    Outside the wall.


    Bodies lay everywhere.


    Blood,


    flowed into rivers.


    There are also some who have not been killed but are severely injured, now unable to move their bodies.


    Lying where they fell, waiting to die, continuously howling.


    They understand very clearly, in such a sudden assault, having killed so many, their pleas for mercy are meaningless.


    Because, either way, it''s death.


    Li Yu orders the group to split into two parts, one continues to kill those who are still alive under the wall.


    The other group gets ready to kill those inside Weng City, there are too many in there, and it''s unsettling not to kill some.


    Certainly, some need to be left alive, but there are simply too many now, which is discomforting.


    "Xiaoyu, should we go out and chase after those who fled towards the forest?" Second Uncle looked towards those who escaped.


    Li Yu narrowed his eyes, pondering.

 Chapter 204 - 196: Kind-hearted People

    Li Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Don''t go out for now, deal with the people inside Weng City first. A desperate enemy shouldn''t be pursued. Let''s resolve the issue with the people inside Weng City first."


    Second Uncle nodded his head.


    Inside Weng City.


    A dense crowd of people, at this moment in Weng City, like ants on a hot pot.


    The noise was chaotic, mixed with various pleas for mercy.


    ...


    The sounds were desolate, and everyone looked emaciated. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a sight that evoked sadness.


    "Li Yu, how should we handle these people?" Uncle, seeing the people in Weng City, a trace of reluctance flickered in his eyes as he spoke.


    So many people, what to do?


    If it were said that they were still outside the base before, they posed a threat to Li Yu and the others.


    But now, they are confined within Weng City, surrounded by thick walls on all sides, with only spears and long knives as weapons, without any long-range offensive capabilities.


    They''re like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.


    Others in the base were also watching, their feelings towards those people were complex.


    The hardships of this post-apocalyptic world were known to all, especially those who joined the base later, who only survived after countless instances of despair and pain.


    Only after joining the base did they start living like real people.


    What to do? Li Yu was also struggling.


    On one hand, there were a lot of people; keeping them could help with later construction of the base and enhance the overall strength of the team.


    On the other hand, he didn''t trust these people. These people had attacked the base, and to forgive them, Li Yu thought it would be insane to make such a decision.


    And this wasn''t before the apocalypse, where one might spare those who could be spared. This was the post-apocalypse, where even surviving was a challenge, let alone expecting gratitude for showing mercy.


    Moreover, before his rebirth, Li Yu rarely saw large bases during the apocalypse, primarily because of food issues.


    There wasn''t enough food to support so many people.


    How could they feed more people under these circumstances?


    In this post-apocalyptic world,


    it''s not only the threat of zombies, but also natural disasters like heavy rains and droughts that are challenging.


    Recently, many low-lying areas were submerged, and with the ongoing drought, some areas are starting to resurface.


    For Li Yu and his group, at this stage, being able to protect and provide for the few dozens in the base was already an achievement.


    They could feed them!


    The water in Mountain Pond was dwindling, needed also for irrigating the fields. If the drought continued, the rice planted in the base might not get replenished with water.


    Priority must be given to ensuring there is enough drinking water.


    In the warehouse, a lot of food was still stored, which could last about 7 years for the current 70 people.


    So, Li Yu and their base couldn''t support so many people.


    Since the outbreak of the apocalypse, many resources had already been scavenged multiple times.


    Especially food, the most critical resource, had been the first to be thoroughly looted.


    Li Yu thought for a long time, and finally looking down at the people below Weng City, he said coldly, "We can''t support them, letting them go will lead to greater troubles."


    Mercy is not a trait of the commanding.


    In this apocalypse, the first rule of survival is not to be kind to your enemies.


    Being merciful to your enemies is being cruel to oneself.


    Li Yu was cruel to himself, and even more ruthless towards his enemies.


    Uncle, hearing Li Yu say this, sighed. He didn''t speak because he knew Li Yu was right.


    Beside them, other people from the base, holding submachine guns, awaited Li Yu''s final decision.


    After all, it was a difficult decision.


    Although those who had made it this far had survived a long journey, where the old, weak, sick, and young were mostly no longer present.


    "Alas, let''s begin," Li Yu sighed, finally saying helplessly.


    ...


    ...


    ...��


    After a while, the air was permeated with a desolate aura.


    ...��


    ...


    In the apocalypse, humans are a valuable asset.


    However, they are also one of the threats in this apocalypse.


    In today''s unpredictable extreme weather, to survive, one must be ruthless.


    This is not something that can be overcome by simply uniting.


    Even if Li Yu shelters and recovers these people,


    there will still be other disasters later, not to mention the threat of zombies.


    Managing over 800 people, unpredictable natural disasters to come, and then the crisis of zombies.


    Li Yu did not have the confidence to bear it all.


    The gunfire lasted for a long time.


    Li Yu didn''t talk to the people below.


    There were too many people, let''s talk later.


    Even the sky lamented, but Li Yu had no choice but to do so.


    Once the wait ended, the people on top of Weng City felt like it was all a distant dream.


    Leaving behind a small group of people, they would have to be interrogated later.


    A breeze began, carrying a strong scent in the air.


    Drifting into the distance, floating up into the sky.


    Following the direction of the wind, drifting farther away.


    It seemed like someone in the distance was singing, listening, telling something.


    In this world, there is no absolute right or wrong, only what you want to do.


    Anything that doesn''t weigh on your mind, everything else is just fleeting to you.


    ...


    ...


    In a farther place,


    various scenes were unfolding.


    The cracked earth resembled the deeply etched, helpless, sad wrinkles on an old man''s face.


    In these hot days, some rivers and wells had dried up, leaving many people without water,


    the vegetation had also dried up,


    many forests caught fire because of the dry conditions;


    many animals also died of thirst due to water shortages...


    After famine occurred, humans, out of necessity, couldn''t just wait to die at home; anyone who could still move had to go out in search of food.


    In these times of severe resource scarcity, wild vegetables became a staple.


    After wild vegetables were exhausted, people ate tree bark and roots, and when the bark was completely stripped, they began to "eat dirt."


    Of course, this dirt wasn''t ordinary dirt; this edible dirt was called "Guanyin soil," which had fine particles and strong cohesiveness,


    it resembled flour and clay, and could be mixed with water to form mud cakes.


    Guanyin soil tasted like steamed flour buns, soft and slightly less grainy.


    In the famine-induced drought of the apocalypse, this taste was considered a delicacy.


    When eating Guanyin soil, the poor usually used the steaming method, mixing Guanyin soil with wild vegetables into dumplings and steaming them, swallowing them like baos.


    Guanyin soil was very satiating; it caused bloating and made it hard to defecate.


    But, given the circumstances today, being able to survive was already something to be grateful for.


    When the world collapses, often no one can escape, struggling to live.


    It''s still better than death.


    With such thoughts, many people were supported and resiliently survived.

 Chapter 205 - 197: Stop Killing by Killing

    More than 200 people who escaped from Weng City have now scattered.


    They are still exhausted, still without food, still struggling on the brink of life and death.


    They have no food; the bark on the roadside trees has been eaten clean.


    Having just escaped from death, although they stole a breath of life, they are not far from death now.


    The man with the pompadour is now somewhat frantic.


    People around him dare not speak to him.


    "Damn it, they actually have guns! How are we supposed to deal with this?" the pompadour man growled under his breath.


    "What about the siblings? Did they make it out?" he continued.


    "No, I saw them at that time; it seemed like they were instantly overwhelmed by the crowd. They''re probably dead by now," a muscular man next to him said.


    As he spoke, the images from just before flashed through his mind; the people at the base were too ruthless. They opened fire and if he hadn''t been following the pompadour man closely, he would have been dead by now.


    "Alas, we''re hopeless now, we can only look elsewhere," the pompadour man sighed.


    "Big brother, where can we go now?" the muscular man asked.


    "Where can we go? I don''t even know," the pompadour man said bleakly, looking up at the sky with a long sigh.


    On the other side, there was a group that included the squad leader, who was also somewhat shaken.


    Just now, he saw the people at the base pulling out submachine guns, which really made him envious and resentful. If only they had these weapons back at Poyang Lake, it wouldn''t have come to this.


    "Old Four, how much food do we still have?" the squad leader suddenly asked the person next to him.


    "Well, well, less than 5 pieces of bread, also two bottles of alcohol, and 4 chocolate bars. That''s it," Old Four checked the shriveled pack and sighed.


    "Eh, these things won''t last us long. We need to find food quickly, or we''ll end up like them," the squad leader glancing at some people a few meters away.


    These people are extremely emaciated, practically skin and bones with their skeletal structure clearly visible.


    The skin on their faces clung directly to their bones, making them look like skeletons.


    Their complexions were waxy yellow, and they didn''t look like they would live much longer.


    Moreover, due to a long time without food, extreme hunger, and physical weakness, as well as having gone through a rigorous excursion just now.


    Humans have a great desire to live; just now, some people, having barely any strength, still squeezed out their last bit of essence in the face of a chance to live.


    At this moment, their physical stamina, nearly exhausted during the escape.


    Watching, over 20 people here are about to collapse.


    Where should they go from here?


    ....


    Atop Weng City.


    Li Yu stood with his rifle, watching over Weng City below.


    At the spot closest to the inner gate, the siblings were already dead. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From the perspective of Yang Tianlong, Dapao, Li Hang, and others, it was this pair of siblings that caused so many to attack.


    Initially, they had also seen these siblings, so when they opened fire and killed them, they paid special attention to this pair.


    The siblings were riddled with bullets.


    Those who were still alive saw that the gunfire had finally stopped and looked around.


    Bodies were everywhere, some people were frightened to madness.


    Some stood frozen in place.


    Some eyes held a hint of hope.


    Two others simply knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.


    "Where did you all come from?" came Li Yu''s cold voice.


    From the perspective of their group of ten, the voice sounded like a booming bell, since Li Yu was speaking from a higher position.


    With Weng City being enclosed, Li Yu''s voice seemed to come from the heavens.


    Then it echoed continuously within Weng City: where are you from, where are you from.


    From, from.


    From. From.


    No one dared to answer.


    Their bodies shook like sieves.


    Fear. Fear. Desperation.


    Li Yu''s patience with enemies was always low, and at this moment, he just wanted to get their information as quickly as possible and finish this matter.


    A full ten seconds passed without a response.


    Li Yu fired directly, a shot to the head of one.


    Pfft!


    The head burst like a watermelon.


    It shocked several people nearby.


    After the killing, someone from Weng City said: "We are not together, originally, we came from the border."


    Hearing this, Li Yu was not surprised.


    In chaotic times, refugees are good at banding together.


    Uniting is the only way to conquer another base, although many might die in the assault, some will survive and get food.


    It is a survival of the fittest. It all depends on one''s luck and courage.


    "Whose orders are you following?" Li Yu asked again.


    The same man, looking at Li Yu fearfully, said: "We don''t necessarily follow anyone''s orders, but during this period, there happened to be a man who suggested we rush in. Seizing the opportunity, under his encouragement, we all rushed in."


    Li Yu narrowed his eyes and asked, "Where is that man?"


    The people from Weng City looked at Li Yu and then at the bodies around.


    Said: "I''m not sure."


    Li Yu responded: "Then you remember his face, right? Now, find him among these bodies."


    Li Yu''s voice was unquestionable.


    Upon his command, most people began to search.


    Just that there were one or two people, still frozen in place.


    Li Yu fired a shot next to them. He didn''t kill them because he wanted to keep them to find the man.


    Yet, these two remained motionless.


    No sign of movement.


    Seeing that the remaining eight men were moving slowly, Li Yu fired two shots.


    He killed these two men.


    Under the new threat of these two lost lives, the other eight moved faster.


    They flipped over bodies, searching.


    Some bodies had their heads blown off, recognizable only by their clothing.


    Some were uncertain and sought others'' confirmation.


    Over 700 bodies, they searched for over ten minutes.


    Li Yu, patient, waited upstairs for those minutes.


    The others from the base had also come to the wall.


    Li Yu dispatched about ten people to guard the entire perimeter wall of the base.


    Except for the older children, he asked them to return to the base.


    The other 30 or so people watched from the wall of Weng City.


    Later, they would also have to clean up the bodies.


    Li Yu''s grandmother was a Buddhist.


    Li Yu specifically forbade her from coming to the wall to witness these killings.


    Grandma had accepted killing zombies and killing in self-defense, but killing so many people at once.


    It could easily give an old person nightmares.


    The act of killing is a sin, a type of evil karma.


    If there must be a reason found for killing, there is only one: such killing can prevent the killing of those one cares about, this type of killing can seemingly cease the endless cycle of killings.


    To stop killing by killing!

 Chapter 206 - 198: The Chase

    Below Weng City, these people searched for a while.


    After a full half-hour had passed, they still hadn''t found the man, or even the few who''d always been by his side. They looked at each other and, finally, shook their heads.


    "We can''t find him here, not even those who were always following him."


    As he spoke, his expression was filled with anger, feeling as though he had been used as a pawn. The others shared the same sentiment. The man with the pompadour had provided suggestions and ideas, but when the crucial moment came, he didn''t join the fray.


    Originally...


    However, regret and remorse were useless now. All they could do was wait for death to come.


    Li Yu looked at them with some regret, but in the end, he still fired his gun.


    Bang bang bang!


    A series of gunshots rang out, and those people were all killed.


    For Li Yu, once he had achieved his goal, he didn''t look back or weigh his options. He wasn''t constrained by morality either.


    In those tough five years, although he had been somewhat bewildered, they also made him colder and stronger.


    "Li Yu, we need to dispose of these bodies quickly. With the high temperatures right now, if we don''t take care of them soon, they could easily lead to an epidemic," Second Uncle said.


    Li Yu nodded, then his gaze turned towards the outside of the base.


    Those people couldn''t have escaped far.


    "Now that we''ve dealt with these people, we should take the time to take care of the ones outside the base next. Just be very careful," Li Yu said.


    After interrogating these people, it became clear that they were just a ragtag bunch. Apart from those who had fled from the base, there was no one else.


    With that in mind, they could chase after them with relative confidence.


    Thinking this, Li Yu turned to look at Yang Tianlong and the others, and without hesitation went over to say, "Dapao, Tianlong, we''re going out for a bit."


    Yang Tianlong, Dapao, and the others nodded. They were experienced in matters like this and Li Yu generally made sure not to leave any loose ends when handling affairs.


    Going out meant certainly resolving any lingering threats.


    The group descended from the walls of Weng City and went to the warehouse to stock up on ammunition. The recent battle had consumed a lot of ammunition, and they needed to replenish.


    Meanwhile, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Uncle, and others descended from Weng City to finish off the wounded. These corpses definitely needed to be dealt with, just like the previous Zombie Tide, they had to be transported away.


    But some of these people might have been feigning death, so it was critical to finish them off to avoid being ambushed during transportation.


    Whether it was the bodies of humans or zombies, mechanical means were used for transportation. The base had excavators, forklifts, and other equipment, which made the task much easier.


    However, transporting these bodies a good distance away from the base was a troublesome matter.


    While Second Uncle and others did the finishing, Li Yu led Yang Tianlong, Dapao, Li Gang, Li Tie, Li Hang, Yutong, Song Min, and the others��a total of eight people��in two vehicles.


    To go out and resolve the aftermath.


    Li Tie originally wanted to drive the Unimog RV, but the vehicle was too large, and although its defenses were very strong, it lacked agility.


    After being stopped by Li Yu, Li Tie drove an armored car, while the other, driven by Yang Tianlong, was a Jeep Wrangler.


    They cleared a path through the blood-drenched corpses of Weng City large enough for vehicles to pass through, and the two cars slowly drove through it.


    The path they cleared was a red road.


    Even after leaving the base and the village roads, the tires still left several bloodstains on the roads outside.


    With so many people and so many corpses, they had to be taken care of quickly. Once night fell, zombies could easily pick up the scent of blood and swarm in, which was another troublesome matter.


    Li Yu and his group had to pursue the remaining refugees as quickly as possible.


    Every second counts. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Outside Weng City, chaos reigns.


    Some people, because of this incident, hold deep grudges against the man with the large back haircut and no longer trust him. They scatter in all directions.


    There are also those who have despaired. After fleeing the base, they rest under the big trees by the national road, clueless about where to go next.


    Meanwhile, the man with the large back haircut and his group are escaping towards the city. Perhaps worried about being hunted down by those from the base, they avoid the national road and take the rural paths instead.


    The squad leader and his group, after seeing the direction the man with the large back haircut is heading, hesitate for a moment. They also have a provincial map. If they follow that direction, it would lead them to the city.


    In the end, they decide to follow, but they keep a distance from the man with the large back haircut and his group.


    Others are conflicted; after watching people scatter in all directions, they ultimately decide to follow the man with the large back haircut.


    After all, that group is the largest, numbering over 150 people. With more people, there''s a slim hope of safety if they stick together.


    ...


    When Li Yu comes out, most people have already left the area. On the national road, only a dozen or twenty people remain.


    Li Yu exits the vehicle with a gun and asks, "Where are the others?"


    These people seem dispirited, having already given up on survival. Some casually point in one direction, some to the north, some to the south. Some even absurdly point towards the direction of their home base...


    Damn!


    Li Yu is displeased and kills the person who pointed towards the base in one strike.


    Are they taking me for a fool?


    Through Dapao''s unique and severe interrogation, they finally ascertain the whereabouts of the others.


    Scattered.


    Trouble.


    The few scattered individuals aren''t much of a threat, but that largest group of over a hundred, heading towards the city, is concerning.


    Heading towards the city? There''s Jiefang City, and people like Director Zhang are there.


    Li Yu hesitates for a moment, but eventually decides to head into the city.


    Li Yu has always been one to seek immediate revenge for any grudge. He wouldn''t wait till tomorrow, let alone ten years from now.


    He doesn''t have the time, nor the energy.


    Taking out the walkie-talkie, he discusses the situation with people at the base, and in the end, decides to blockade the man with the large back haircut and his group, who have yet to be punished for their assault on the base.


    Li Yu must settle the score with him.


    However, finding these people is a very troublesome matter.


    They''ve been gone from the side paths next to the national road for nearly an hour now, and catching up by foot at this point is certainly implausible.


    But if they drive directly to the city, the man with the large back haircut and his group, relying on foot, would definitely take a long time.


    In the end, Li Yu decides to first go to some key roads in the city and stake out there.


    Waiting for them to arrive in the city, he plans to capture them all in one fell swoop.


    As thoughts race, since they''re going into the city for battle, more manpower is needed.


    Hence, he calls up Song Min and several of her sisters from the base, as well as Lai Dongsheng and others.


    At the base, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Uncle must stand guard.


    They cannot afford to withdraw all key figures at once.

 Chapter 207 - 199: Dealing with the Corpse

    Inside the base, Li Hongyuan and several workers were lifting the corpses with forklifts and then transporting them onto trucks.


    There were over a thousand corpses, and dealing with them all was an extremely troublesome task.


    But even so, they had to be disposed of as quickly as possible.


    It was already past 3 p.m., and only half of the corpses had been dealt with; if they weren''t dealt with promptly, it would be a disaster come nightfall. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The corpses were being transported to a huge pond a bit far from the base, which used to teem with fish and shrimp, but due to the hot and dry weather, the pond had already dried up completely.


    One after another, the corpses were dumped into the pond like unloaded goods.


    Under the scorching heat, everyone started to sweat.


    Even with masks on, the blood odor could not be blocked.


    It was too intense.


    Everyone worked against the clock, not daring to delay, but during their transport, they also had to consider that some refugees might still be lurking around.


    Therefore, each truck had to have one person with a gun on guard.


    To prevent any surprise attacks.


    The number of corpses gradually decreased.


    The bloodstains outside the base could not be completely cleaned and certainly not washed away with water, so they had to use an excavator to dig up the earth underneath, and then a road roller to flatten the dug-up soil.


    To cover up the blood contaminated soil.


    The same was true in Weng City; because various factors were considered, when Weng City was constructed, cement flooring was not laid, which made this task more convenient now.


    In fact, the primary reason for not laying cement flooring was to avoid wasting cement.


    The corpses were all transported to the pond far from the base, which was already half-filled.


    These bodies could not be left exposed like this; the blood would attract a large number of zombies.


    Burying them with soil was a massive project, the simplest method was to burn them with oil.


    Third Uncle and several others took a large barrel of gasoline from the base''s tanker truck and poured it over the corpses.


    Then they lit a match and threw it into the pile of corpses.


    Whoosh!


    The corpses instantly caught fire.


    Fortunately, the surrounding area of the pond was dry and barren, otherwise, it could easily have caught fire too.


    Amidst the flames, the sun set in the west.


    As night was about to fall, Second Uncle and the others glanced at the mountains and forests behind the pond and squinted their eyes.


    They finally got into their vehicles, returning to the base.


    Inside the base, Weng City had been plowed through. The ground soil was overturned, and even in such an environment, a faint blood scent could still be discerned.


    Second Uncle stood atop Weng City, looking towards the front''s forest, the dusk was urgent and chaotic.


    Soon after, Third Uncle''s voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Big brother, we''re back, open the gate."


    There was a hint of fatigue evident in his voice.


    The gate was slowly opened, and Third Uncle along with a few others drove into the base.


    After this battle, everyone in the base began to heighten their vigilance.


    Third Uncle got off the vehicle and climbed the wall, standing shoulder to shoulder with Second Uncle as they watched the distant forest.


    "I wonder how Li Yu and the others are doing now? It''s night, and that''s not safe," Second Uncle said.


    Third Uncle''s face didn''t show much concern; his two sons had gone together, and after so many years in the military, he was accustomed to being calm in face of incidents.


    "Li Yu is right," Third Uncle suddenly said.


    Today, many people were killed, so many in fact that it overthrew the values of many; tonight there might be nightmares.


    It might also raise doubts over whether Li Yu''s decision was the right one.


    "So, we need to do ideological work for them." Second Uncle, having heard what Third Uncle said, agreed.


    Tonight, on the city walls. The watch is still maintained by 8 people.


    After the great battle, we cannot relax all at once. Furthermore, having killed so many people today, it''s very possible that zombies will come over.


    All of this, they need to remain vigilant for.


    ��


    Inside the base, everyone starts to have their meal.


    The food cooked today, just as before, is delicious, but everyone tastes nothing.


    Too many were killed today, truly witnessing what it means by, "Killing people like slaughtering chickens."


    Second Uncle was also there, seeing that everyone seemed not too willing to talk, silent, in this depressing atmosphere.


    Second Uncle spoke up: "Everyone. Perhaps. Some of you are puzzled, why we had to kill them."


    Second Uncle''s sudden words were like a stone thrown into a still lake.


    People raised their heads one after another, turning their gazes toward Second Uncle.


    Feeling everyone''s gaze, Second Uncle slowly began to say, "Letting them go, they would surround us, having twenty times our number nearby is a huge hidden danger, think about it, if you were attacked while out there, what would you do?"


    "Some have said, why not just take them in? I want to ask one question, how would you feed them, take from your own food?"


    As soon as these words came out, many remembered the times of hunger, willing to sacrifice friends before themselves.


    "Also, you may feel, we killed so many, that''s very cold-blooded! But, what the fuck kind of times are these, are we still supposed to talk about kindness?"


    Second Uncle''s voice was forceful and resounding.


    For a moment, everyone didn''t know what to say.


    Suddenly, a worker who had joined the base spoke up: "Brother Hongda, we have no qualms, in fact, on the contrary, I think what we did, the decision made by Boss Li Yu, was absolutely correct."


    "I only know one thing, the person who saved me, saved my family, was Boss Li Yu. Without him, we would still be livestock, being farmed for food. We are very clear how difficult it is to survive in this apocalypse. So we are grateful."


    "Yes, yes, that''s right."


    "We actually think Boss Li Yu''s decision was right."


    "We just need some time to accept it."


    ��


    Second Uncle, seeing these people start to speak up in agreement one by one, did not know what to say for a while.


    Perhaps he indeed thought too much, yet he had to consider more things, the base cannot be in disarray, nor can the people''s hearts.


    When people''s hearts are in disarray, the team is hard to lead.


    Perhaps, it''s just that everyone killed too many today, and need some time to accept it.


    Night falls, and many are sleepless this evening.


    It''s a purification of the soul, a sublimation, and all of these will only make them stronger!


    In the base, the cattle and sheep seemed to smell the scent of blood, they too were bellowing.


    Outside the base, as expected, some zombies came. But they were stopped by the walls of the base, ineffectively knocking against the thick walls.


    The duty on the walls was the cheerful and optimistic Xiao Han, who at the moment was also somewhat distracted, thinking: "I wonder how Sister Song and the others are doing now (???.???)????"


    Her round little face, full of worries.


    But who would know, after Li Yu gave the order today, she was the second one to open fire.


    After killing so many, she was also one of the first to recover.


    Just as they say, ferocious yet cute, simple-hearted, but with a ruthless hand.

 Chapter 208 - 200: Time Flies Like an Arrow

    Li Yu and his team had been stationed in a building at the main road junction leading from Xin City to the city center for a full eight hours.


    Still, Big Mohawk and his people had not appeared.


    According to the walking speed, they should have arrived by this time.


    But as the sky was getting dark, normally no one would choose to travel at night because traveling at night was akin to seeking death. Zombies would come out during the night, and in the pitch-black darkness, facing the zombies was extremely dangerous.


    Li Yu, holding a telescope, watched the national highway far away.


    Then, he turned his gaze towards the road that led directly to the city center.


    Cross-river Bridge was still void of any human figures.


    He sighed, handed the telescope to Li Hang beside him: "My eyes are a bit blurry from watching, you take a look."


    Li Hang took the telescope and began to carefully watch for any movements around.


    At a location less than 5 kilometers from them, Li Tie and others were guarding another main road.


    "Any movement on your side?" Li Yu spoke into the walkie-talkie to Li Tie and the others.


    "Big brother, none. The sky''s turned dark, I reckon no one will show up today," Li Tie replied.


    "Yeah, they are unlikely to enter the city at night, but we still need someone on duty to keep watching," Li Yu said.


    Although generally, no one would venture out at night, they still needed people on duty, just in case they weren''t afraid of death and chose to enter the city at night.


    "Okay," Li Tie answered.


    Quickly arranging the duty roster, a total of 16 people came out this time, now divided into two teams.


    At Li Yu''s side, eight people were divided into four groups, each group on duty for three hours, the other groups could rest in place when not on duty.


    Flexibility and relaxation were always the principles Li Yu followed in managing his personnel.


    One couldn''t just keep demanding from someone just because of their outstanding ability. Though the work done by that person might be good, relying solely on one person was not sustainable.


    Humans are flesh and blood, once exceeding the limits of the body, it''s easy to fall.


    Therefore, everyone needs to have equal opportunities, on one hand, it prevents laziness, on the other hand, it trains everyone so that the strong are not too strong, and the weak not too weak.


    Under such arrangements, everyone had already gotten used to it, and there was no opposition.


    Fairness and justice. That was always the underlying tone of Li Yu''s team management.


    Dusk fell.


    They came out in a hurry, but also brought enough food and weapons.


    As the night came, so did the temperature drop, bringing a slight chilliness with occasional zombie howls.


    Li Yu stood behind a window of the building, lighting a cigarette, the flickering cigarette butt illuminated his face, showing a hint of subtle distress.


    In this world, things seldom go as one wishes.


    Opposite this building, he remembered there was a Jiujiang Bank, where he and his first love had once eaten Sanxian noodles below this building.


    Now, the world had changed, and the neon sign of the Jiujiang Bank no longer shone brightly.


    Even further in the distance, the Cross-river Bridge was also devoid of neon lights; the world seemed to have plunged into darkness.


    In this darkness, in countless streets and alleys, it felt like a giant demon''s hand, like a black hole, swallowing people up!


    The wind blew past, carrying away fragments of Li Yu''s memories.


    All these had passed, now, the priority was to locate Big Mohawk and his people.


    His heart was also unusually troubled; why is it that when one wave settles, another rises?


    There were always so many issues.


    Originally, he wanted to find a place to quietly survive the apocalypse, neither seeking to rule nor harm anyone, and hoped others wouldn''t disturb him.


    But the tree desires calm yet the wind continues to blow, there''s always someone causing trouble.


    It''s freaking apocalypse, and still, so many people cause trouble.


    Troubles are always present in this world - endless and messy. S��arch* The N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Always one thing after another, no matter done, never done.


    Sigh...


    Li Yu let out a sigh.


    Then he turned back and saw Li Hang behind him holding the telescope, looking at the national highway, his eyes wide and naive, and he couldn''t help but smile.


    Compared to his previous life, where he had spent five years alone in the apocalypse.


    This life was undoubtedly much better.


    Once in a lifetime, one must find a purpose to live; Chinese people have always lived for others, those living for themselves are very few.


    As if always needing to find a spiritual reliance, a reason to strive for.


    Maybe family, maybe a lover...


    Li Yu couldn''t achieve great detachment; he could only manage small contentment. That was, within his limited capacity, to help and protect his family.


    To let his family still live well during the apocalypse.


    Family first.


    At any time, when family is there, your inner strength is there, your motivation to strive is there, and the place you want to sleep is there.


    "Li Hang, I''ll take over, you go eat something," Li Yu said.


    The two of them were one team, the first duty group, and it wasn''t even midnight yet. Li Hang had been holding the telescope all afternoon without much food.


    Li Hang nodded, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Brother, take over for me."


    Then he handed the telescope to Li Yu and took out some food. He stood by the window, chewing on the food while staring blankly into the distance.


    Seeing Li Hang in a daze, Li Yu asked, "What''s up?"


    Li Hang looked towards the Cross-river Bridge and pointing in that direction said, "I remember, after I graduated, I stayed here, right across from this Cross-river Bridge, that''s where I lived."


    "That day I was thinking about how I would live my life. I had just quarreled with my boss and was wondering what job to do next. I remember how happy I was when you called me then."


    "But never thought, time flies so fast, soon after returning to the base, zombies appeared, and the apocalypse came. Now thinking about it, it feels like yesterday."


    ...


    Listening, Li Yu also zoned out a bit, time had passed too quickly, it''s almost been a year since the apocalypse began.


    He had been reborn in May of last year, and now it was already July.


    Time flies so fast!


    The past is like this, unceasing by day and night.


    Li Yu shook his head; he didn''t have the energy for melancholy.


    He had a secret, whenever his emotions were brought to a state of sadness or joy, he would always delay his response.


    This way, large emotional upheavals wouldn''t occur at critical moments, thereby preventing regrettable decisions due to emotional impulsiveness.


    But often, after some time, these emotions would come back, and for a second or two, would surge forth.


    That was somewhat sigh-inducing.


    But things had happened long ago, looking back now, the decisions he made with a relatively calm mind back then, he still did not regret.


    That was enough!

 Chapter 209 - 201: Escape to Jiefang City

    Three hours later, Song Min and Lai Dongsheng took over from Li Yu and Li Hang.


    Li Yu didn''t just lie down on the ground; he found a worn-out wooden bed to sleep on. He was very tired lately and wanted to rest well.


    This feeling of exhaustion came over him like a tide.


    Tired in heart, tired in body.


    He always worked incessantly, like a never-stopping, constantly running motor.


    Before the apocalypse, he was thinking about building a base, gathering supplies, rescuing family members, and keeping them close.


    After the apocalypse, it was all about how to resist zombies, resist humans...


    He never stopped.


    Very tired.


    The Salvation Army had just been eliminated, and these refugees came, some of whom had fled, causing trouble.


    As Li Yu thought, his mind gradually became muddled, and he entered a light sleep.


    Since his rebirth, he still dared not, nor was able to, enter deep sleep; only occasionally, he could achieve this state of sleep.


    Li Yu quietly fell asleep, making no snoring sounds, breathing unevenly.


    ...


    No talk throughout the night.


    At six in the morning, Li Yu opened his eyes on time.


    He saw the morning sun lightly casting onto the room floor.


    This room had clearly been flooded before, with some mold growing everywhere, but the intense sun in recent days had eradicated it.


    However, the walls had begun to crack.


    After waking up in the morning, Li Yu habitually picked up his water bottle, rinsed his mouth, and then gulped down a large amount of water.


    Sleeping through the night, replenishing hydration was beneficial for a clear mind.


    After drinking water, Li Yu ate something simple and walked out of the room.


    His front foot had just stepped out the door when the walkie-talkie rang.


    "Big brother, it''s Tiezi. I''ve spotted those people''s tracks," came Li Tie''s voice from the walkie-talkie.


    "Where?" asked Li Yu.


    "We just found them behind the Cross-river Bridge. There are about a dozen people there, likely the ones who came to our base before," reported Li Tie.


    "Hmm? How did they directly get to the Cross-river Bridge?" asked Li Yu.


    "We''re not sure. Maybe they passed through at night. After all, if you take detours, there are still roads leading to the city," sighed Li Tie.


    This was actually normal, as there were many roads leading to the city center, and Li Yu''s group was guarding the most likely path.


    Since these people made it here, why are they still lingering on this side of the Cross-river Bridge?


    "Let''s go! Go find them," Li Yu decisively said.


    He didn''t want to stay any longer and needed to resolve these problems quickly.


    He went downstairs, took the car, and drove to the bridge.


    Beneath the bridge, the river had turned into a muddy stream, the water above murky.


    The dozen or so people at the river''s edge had just drunk some murky water and come ashore.


    To see Li Yu and his group standing before them.


    Seeing Li Yu and about a dozen others holding submachine guns, watching them.


    They were scared out of their wits.


    Fire immediately!


    Bang bang bang!


    Li Yu believed that when enemies meet, dropping a few harsh words was merely a waste of time, a waste of life.


    And it could also allow for the loss of opportunities, easily going from offensive to defensive.


    If there''s a chance to wreak havoc, don''t waste words.


    In just a few seconds, more than half of these dozen people had been killed.


    Li Yu, upon seeing the situation, hurriedly shouted, "Leave one or two people behind."


    Bang!


    After the last gunshot, all the people on the opposite side had fallen.


    "Big brother, you spoke too slow," Li Tie scratched his head and said.


    "Don''t you guys think with your heads? They have so few people, where did the others go, shouldn''t you ask clearly?" Li Yu said somewhat angrily.


    Then he walked forward, turned over a body, and finally saw that one person was not fatally hit and was still gasping for breath.


    Li Yu stepped forward and said, "Tell me, where did the others go? I''ll let you die more swiftly."


    His tone was icy cold.


    The man who was shot in the abdomen knew he was not going to survive, but he wanted to die swiftly; already starving, and now bleeding out. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, he just wanted a quick death.


    He had long felt that living was a painful thing for him.


    "Go, go, to the city center, they said there''s a base there, recruiting, sheltering anyone," the man said breathlessly.


    Li Yu then asked, "Why is it only you left? Why didn''t you all go?"


    The man''s eyes filled with hatred, said, "That person said to hurry, so we ran here at night, but then we encountered zombies. The others ran ahead, leaving us behind."


    "We didn''t dare move and just waited until the next day. But, many of us died. It''s all that big-backed guy''s fault," the man said with resentment in his eyes.


    Li Yu sighed. He roughly understood what had happened; surely the big-backed guy, fearing being surrounded by Li Yu and the others, fled to the city center at night, then encountered zombies, betraying these people to die in their place.


    "Alright! I will give you a quick death, may you have better luck in your next life," Li Yu said and then fired his gun.


    Bang!


    The man died, his face showing a sense of relief.


    Finally, he was free.


    Seeing this, Li Yu''s heart felt complicated.


    But it didn''t affect his actions.


    "Let''s go to Jiefang City!" Li Yu said.


    The group drove towards Jiefang City.


    In Jiefang City, the big-backed guy with over a hundred people had already arrived early.


    Upon seeing the big-backed guy and his group, Director Zhang appeared.


    He always believed that more people make it easier to manage matters.


    Although now in Jiefang City, food was also a problem, he still felt that having more people was better.


    So, upon seeing so many refugees, his first reaction wasn''t to resist them.


    Jiefang City already had several hundred people, with the number advantage, they weren''t afraid of these hundred-plus causing trouble.


    Thanks to Li Yu dealing early on with another force in the city center, Jiefang City''s influence became the strongest in the city.


    As their numbers grew, the food they had previously scavenged also accumulated to a certain extent.


    This Jiefang City indeed seemed fortunate.


    In the beginning, near Yugu Platform, there was a group hostile both to Jiefang City and Li Yu; Li Yu eliminated them, aiding Jiefang City indirectly.


    When the Salvation Army first invaded this city, Li Yu''s base, being in front of Jiefang City within the city, was unnoticed by the Salvation Army, thus they escaped unscathed.


    Later, the Salvation Army was directly dealt with by Li Yu and his group.


    Avoiding another conflict.


    Li Yu actually had no intention of destroying this Jiefang City; after all, they had not offended him.


    Moreover, previously, no matter what, his aunts had stayed in this Jiefang City.


    On the road, Li Yu pondered how to deal with this situation.


    Based on Director Zhang''s way of handling things, perhaps he really would shelter these displaced people.


    Li Yu was certain he would kill the big-backed guy and his group.


    It just depended on whether Director Zhang and his people would protect them.


    Li Yu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his gaze.

 Chapter 210 - 202: Gathering Forces to Demand Justice

    Jiefang City.


    The gate still stood, and some people were on guard by the entrance.


    But opposite them, Li Yu and his group had lined up three cars, and the people in the cars got out, all armed with guns.


    Li Yu was in the front, gazing at Jiefang City, the place he was visiting for the second time.


    Now his feelings were completely different from the last time he came here.


    This time, he came with the intention to definitely kill the pompadour man.


    In his conviction, he was determined to protect his family; they were his courage and foundation in this apocalyptic world.


    Since someone had set their sights on the base, that person must be dealt with.


    Perhaps the other refugees who were coerced by the pompadour man might be given a way out, but this chief culprit, pompadour man, had to be taken care of.


    At the entrance to Jiefang City, the dozen or so guards saw Li Yu and his group''s menacing approach and hurriedly ran to report to Director Zhang.


    At this moment, Li Yu was in no hurry to enter Jiefang City directly; barging in could easily cause collateral damage.


    He intended only to kill those who deserved it, sparing those who did not as much as possible.


    He was actually curious to see how Director Zhang would handle this situation.


    After waiting at the gate for about 3 minutes, they saw Director Zhang walk out wearing a white shirt that had turned somewhat yellowish, still unwashed, signaling how severe the water shortage was.


    Director Zhang''s large belly had visibly shrunk, and to Li Yu and his men, the miniaturized version of Director Zhang still seemed composed.


    However, when Director Zhang saw Li Yu and his group armed and standing outside the gate, less than 30 meters away,


    His expression instantly became somewhat panicked; they still had no clue why Li Yu and his team had come.


    A forced smile stretched across his face as he said to Li Yu and the others, "Director Li, what brings you here today?"


    No sooner had he finished speaking, he gave a side-eye signal to someone next to him, urging them to quickly find Captain Lv and others. If Li Yu and his group were to attack, they would stand no chance, but having Captain Lv and the others around would make him feel more secure.


    Yes, that''s right, a sense of security.


    Director Zhang suddenly realized this and felt a chilling sensation, a strange thought flooding his mind.


    He shook his head and focused his gaze on Li Yu and his companions.


    Li Yu looked over at Director Zhang with a calm tone, "Yesterday a group of people came in, those people intended to seize our base."


    There was a pause in his words, and Director Zhang''s mind raced, suddenly turning to look at the buildings behind him.


    This area was allocated to those who had joined them yesterday.


    Could it be that these were the people Director Li was referring to?


    Li Yu continued, "Those people have now joined you."


    He finished speaking without saying what Director Zhang should do, but just quietly watched them.


    In this silence, the overwhelming pressure was extremely intense.


    It was like a silent oppression; under this pressure, Director Zhang felt a chill inside.


    It''s over.


    What to do?


    Panic flitted across his face, but he quickly regained his composure. Deny it?


    That seemed unrealistic. With so many people, to say they weren''t involved would be a blatant lie to Li Yu and his men, especially since Li Yu and his team had already come knocking, surely confirming that those people had entered Jiefang City.


    It seemed that Director Li and his people knew that these people had joined Jiefang City.


    But he didn''t know how Director Li wanted to resolve it. With the appearance of coming to hold someone accountable, he surely expected them to hand over those people.


    Not to hand them over would surely bring trouble upon himself. But the thought of handing them over had just surfaced in his mind when it was quickly extinguished.


    After all, he had boasted before that he would accept anyone into Jiefang City, saying just yesterday that once they came to Jiefang City, they would all be family. There was no need to worry about being harmed by others anymore.


    If he surrendered these people now, where would his credibility and honor be?


    These thoughts flashed through his mind in just a few seconds. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that Li Yu was watching him, he put on a smile again and said, "Director Li, it''s like this... we''re in an apocalypse now and life is difficult for everyone, you know? Could you perhaps spare them for my sake?"


    His tone was pleading and ingratiating.


    He was very aware that Li Yu was a killing god, having previously slaughtered everyone from Yugu Platform without mercy.


    He was not someone to be trifled with.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu raised an eyebrow, noncommittally.


    Li Yu remained silent, but Li Hang, Li Tie, and the others beside him seemed eager to move. Under the influence of Li Yu, they had all become somewhat bloodthirsty.


    These guys were quick to fight at the slightest disagreement. It had become a habit.


    When Li Hang and Li Tie heard Director Zhang''s words, they subtly lifted their guns.


    Director Zhang''s eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing their movement, and someone by his side also gently tugged at him.


    Just then, Captain Lv approached.


    Captain Lv was someone Li Yu had a relatively good impression of. He was kind but not blindly so.


    A hint of relief appeared in Director Zhang''s eyes upon seeing Captain Lv, as if he had found some backbone.


    But when Captain Lv saw Li Yu and his group, he had a bad feeling. Although they also had a few handguns, the recent battles had depleted a lot of their ammunition.


    They weren''t like Li Yu and his group, who had acquired two complete gun arsenals and had more bullets than they could count.


    They only had a few bullets each, and as the apocalypse dragged on, they hardly used firearms anymore, using guns only as a weapon of intimidation.


    They were to be displayed, but hardly used.


    Feeling inwardly anxious, he took the initiative to step forward and say, "Director Li, what brings you here?"


    Before Li Yu could answer, Li Hang spoke up, "Yesterday, some people entered your base; these people attacked our base a few days ago. Hand them over."


    Li Hang shrank a little under Li Yu''s glance.


    Li Yu did not stop Li Hang, as having Li Hang speak up now was, in fact, a rather good approach.


    Hearing this, Captain Lv became anxious and, recalling the people who had entered Jiefang City yesterday, he grasped the situation and said quickly, "Director Li, we can understand how you feel right now, but it''s not feasible for us to hand over so many people at once; it would lead to chaos within."


    During his talk, he glanced back at the building behind him.


    Captain Lv, who had been an experienced police officer before, had seen all sorts of people. He had reservations about those who joined Jiefang City yesterday; after all, feeding so many in this weather was a big hassle, and now they couldn''t even sustain themselves.


    Yet they were taking in these people.


    Sigh...


    Upon hearing Captain Lv''s implications, Director Zhang became anxious.

 Chapter 211 - 203: For Your Own Good

    "Does Captain Lv mean to hand over some people?"


    After hearing Captain Lv''s words, Director Zhang frantically gave him pointed looks.


    Captain Lv saw Director Zhang''s gestures and felt very helpless inside. In Jiefang City, he understood what Director Zhang wanted to do, which was indeed justifiable��Director Zhang wanted to unite more people together.


    But the current situation was that internal management issues were increasing. Without him and a few old comrades supporting and deterring, Jiefang City would have been in chaos long ago.


    And there were many times when he was cleaning up messes for Director Zhang.


    Director Zhang isn''t a bad person, but he is too idealistic.


    Actually, Director Zhang should thank Li Yu. If it weren''t for him solving the problem with Yugu Platform and dealing with the Salvation Army, Jiefang City would have been occupied by others long ago.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu''s eyes carried a hint of profound meaning.


    He spoke, "You want to protect them?"


    His tone was calm, yet it carried an indescribable intent to kill.


    Upon hearing this, Captain Lv shuddered and was just about to speak.


    But then he heard Li Yu say, "Among them, there are eight led by a man with a large back head. They must die."


    Li Yu had learned from the earlier situation at the Cross-river Bridge that there were a total of eight people led by the man with a large back head.


    Li Yu said this because he didn''t want to harm the people of Jiefang City, which had taken in all sorts of people in an attempt to build a human settlement to help everyone.


    The intention was good, and the starting point was good. Director Zhang and Captain Lv weren''t bad people. Although Director Zhang was somewhat blind to the situation, the fact that they were attempting such a task was brave nonetheless.


    If it weren''t for them, his aunt and the others might have encountered even greater problems at the beginning. So, in essence, he really didn''t want to clash with them.


    There is a time for revenge and a time for gratitude. Li Yu had a sense of balance in his heart.


    Back then, they took in his aunt and the others, and he also left some things for Jiefang City, even indirectly helping them deal with Yugu Platform and the Salvation Army.


    That could be considered repaying them, even exceeding the help they had given his aunt and the others at the beginning.


    Nowadays, the population of Jiefang City was increasing, now totaling several hundred people. The recent addition of over a hundred people brought the count to nearly 600.


    That so many people had survived to this point was a miracle, especially during this drought where there had been no rain for a month.


    He guessed they were going to have a very, very difficult time.


    Since they wanted to take in these refugees, let them see what it''s like to support so many people, to care for a group accustomed to hunger, and witness the consequences.


    After pondering for a moment, Captain Lv spoke, "Is this really necessary?"


    Li Yu nodded with absolute certainty.


    Captain Lv glanced at Director Zhang and said, "Fine. Follow me inside to take your people."


    He gestured with his hand to have the gates opened.


    In fact, they weren''t worried about Li Yu and his people taking advantage while entering. With such a large gap in weapons, having more people was meaningless.


    If Li Yu wanted to attack them, he wouldn''t be standing so obviously at the gate waiting for them.


    The gate slowly opened. Li Yu left three people behind to watch the vehicles.


    The rest followed him inside.


    Director Zhang looked as dejected as a defeated rooster, hanging his head as he followed behind. He wanted to save those people, but they lacked the strength.


    Moreover, Li Yu''s brazen entrance to take people away was akin to a slap in his face.


    When Li Yu and his people entered, some of the refugees had already seen them.


    They were now looking to flee in fear, but Captain Lv had been cautious; after these people had joined, he had some watch over them.


    They needed to pass some days before they could fully trust them.


    But just those people alone surely couldn''t stop them. Just now, several refugees had run to the gates and eavesdropped on their conversation.


    Now hastily returning to the crowd of refugees, they relayed the recent happenings.


    "The people from that base outside have come knocking. They''re only asking for Manager Zeng and his group. We can''t let them get away," said the person who had just escaped back.


    "Yes, yes, if it weren''t for Manager Zeng, we wouldn''t have foolishly run to them."


    "It''s all Manager Zeng''s fault. He is the main culprit; we can''t let him drag us down."


    "Hand them over." sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ....


    At that moment, everyone wanted to strike at General Zeng and his people.


    Surrounded, the man with the crew cut looked at this motley crowd; indeed, they were a rabble.


    He sighed, but wasn''t willing to let himself be killed by Li Yu and the others just like that.


    So he gave a cue with his eyes to several men nearby.


    Taking advantage of the reduced number of people to the north, they dashed in that direction.


    Eight men made a ferocious dash; the crowd couldn''t stop them immediately, but eventually, two men were grabbed and held back. After being caught by the crowd, the crew cut turned his head for a look, then immediately ran.


    Just as he was running out of the hall and heading to the side, Li Yu and his group happened to come over.


    Seeing the man with the crew cut, Dapao raised the firearm in his hand, aimed, Bang!


    A gunshot blew his head clean off.


    The crew cut''s head burst open like a watermelon.


    Fragmented.


    The few people behind him also paused momentarily.


    The group of refugees behind them also fiercely captured these men, pressing them down.


    Seeing this, Li Yu gave them a complicated look.


    Then he walked forward to face the remaining seven men.


    Around these refugees, some of the residents of Jiefang City had also come to join in the excitement.


    The gunshot earlier had startled them as well.


    Especially upon seeing Li Yu and his group wielding submachine guns, they felt fearful yet couldn''t help their curiosity.


    Seeing Li Yu and his group approaching, some recognized them, some did not; but now, seeing Director Zhang and Captain Lv following Li Yu, they felt reassured.


    Li Yu walked up without any hesitation and plunged a knife into one of the men.


    Li Hang, Li Tie, and the others also stabbed these men one by one.


    The scene was exceptionally bloody.


    The people from Jiefang City, witnessing their actions, were scared and started looking at Li Yu and his group with terror.


    The tip of Li Yu''s knife was still dripping with blood.


    He looked at the group of refugees with a murderous aura, causing them to retreat rapidly.


    Li Yu sheathed his knife and turned to leave.


    Without a single unnecessary word.


    Li Hang and the others followed him, walking towards the door.


    This scene not only deterred the group of refugees but also shook the other residents of Jiefang City once again.


    Director Zhang''s face was ashen; he felt that Li Yu had severely slapped him across the face.


    As Li Yu passed by Captain Lv, he paused, and then finally said: "Refugees will be refugees; take care of yourselves."


    He was aware that among these refugees, there certainly were those with a taste for human flesh; such people had no bottom line left.


    Moreover, with so many people, whether they could survive was a question mark.


    After all, this hot, rainless weather might continue for a while.


    Lack of food, lack of water, lack of morals.


    So, having given the warning, whether they listened was up to them.


    ��...��Divider Line


    Here''s a book recommendation; it''s not bad, give it a read:


    "Da Ming: Transported Three Days Later, the Entire Family Was Executed" by Qing Fei He Fang

 Chapter 212 - 204: Exhaustion

    Li Yu didn''t bother with these people for now. As for Jiefang City, he had done all he could.


    Perhaps in their eyes, Li Yu hadn''t given them enough face, but in this apocalyptic world, did face matter?


    Without Li Yu, their Jiefang City would probably have fallen apart long ago.


    What happened next was up to their own fate. He had no extra energy to care for these people, nor did he want to.


    If they wanted to do such things, they would have to bear the consequences.


    Without further ado, Li Yu got into the car and sped toward the base.


    Recently, Li Yu felt worn out, and he didn''t know why, but this tiredness seemed to permeate from his soul to his body, from his body into his heart.


    He wanted to sleep well.


    Since the apocalypse began, he had never had a good night''s sleep, not even within the walls of the base, protected by its high walls, for he dared not fall into a deep sleep.


    He was afraid, afraid that if he slept too soundly, something uncontrollable might happen.


    Although there had been times in the base when he relaxed a bit, the sense of urgency within him grew day by day.


    Especially with the consecutive troubles of Salvation Army, the Zombie Tide, the drought weather, and the group of a thousand displaced persons. It seemed as if the problems would never end.


    He had killed many people.


    And even more zombies.


    But for some reason, the sense of brutality within him grew stronger, and just now, outside Jiefang City, there was a voice in his heart yelling: Kill them all!


    This inner darkness drew him deeper into it.


    Yet reason pulled him back out. He realized that he needed to adjust his state of mind.


    ....


    The afternoon sun shone through the car window, warming the interior.


    Li Yu had never been an optimistic person. He was once soft-hearted, kind, and shy, but in the years since his rebirth, he had grown numb, resigned to the collapse of the universe, to the destruction of everything, thus he could withstand all suffering.


    So, he could fearlessly face everything, living through death.


    But deep down, had he not thought about making amends if he could do it all over again...


    After his rebirth, it all seemed like a dream. The countless scenarios he fantasized about during those five years before his rebirth were now realized before his eyes. So why were there always moments that felt so desperate, so sad?


    He did not tell anyone. In the eyes of his parents, his family, the people at the base, Li Yu was the soul of the base, strong, assertive, visionary.


    Bearing all these expectations and dependencies, he was under a lot of pressure; he could not afford to be weak.


    He had thought about confiding in others, but he just couldn''t.


    He really couldn''t.


    It was like a person drowning in water, constantly on the verge of suffocation.


    But the icy rationality inside him allowed him to postpone various emotions, making decisions mechanically, like a machine.


    By isolating emotions, one might become stronger, but as a normal human being, the occasional surge of emotions could come crashing like a tidal wave at any moment.


    Having dealt with Dapao and the others, he felt he could no longer hold on.


    His eyes were blurry, staring straight at the sun until he started to feel a bit dizzy.


    Yutong next to him noticed something odd about his condition and reached out to hold his hand.


    Li Yu turned his head, a hint of gentleness flickering in his eyes.


    After hesitating for two seconds, a smile appeared on his face as he spoke: "It''s okay, just a bit tired. I''ll rest well when we get back. Everyone has worked hard." Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He seemed to avoid looking at Yutong any longer; he didn''t want to, afraid that others might see him in such a state.


    His teeth clenched firmly, restoring his complexion to normal.


    He was afraid. He had to enter that ruthless mindset, one that could accept the death of anyone, accept any dreadful outcome.


    In that state, he wouldn''t act on emotions but could better protect himself and others.


    Yet, he wasn''t heartless; he was aware of his emotions.


    He simply used opposing emotions as a counterbalance to grow more serene.


    Through this counteraction, he could maintain his cool.


    At certain moments, the demon inside would surface, inciting him to kill everyone from Jiefang City, everyone outside of the base.


    He knew it was wrong, so he needed to hold on to his bottom line.


    However, the malevolence of human nature often emerges after committing evil without facing punishment. He didn''t believe in fate. But he believed in the rightness of goodwill.


    He wanted to be a good person.


    The vehicle drove swiftly, arriving at the base by a little past four in the afternoon.


    As the post-apocalyptic world pressed on, it was only a matter of time before the base would be exposed.


    But for the moment, the base had grown into a formidable power. While not numerous, its people had grown stronger after numerous battles.


    He firmly believed that in the post-apocalyptic world, the greatest advantage wasn''t in numbers but in solidarity and faith, and... ample food.


    One must first survive before dreaming of ideals.


    This principle had been an axiom even before the apocalypse.


    As he returned to the base gate, the corpses outside had been cleaned up, and the soil seemed turned over and flattened.


    No blood was visible.


    Li Yu felt somewhat relieved; he wasn''t alone. At the base, centered around Li Yu, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Uncle were all very stable and highly capable individuals.


    Second Uncle was shrewd and thoughtful, sometimes cunning like an old fox, often with sinister ideas against enemies.


    Third Uncle spoke little but was incredibly strong in combat, like a cheetah or a shadow hidden amongst the crowd, delivering a fatal blow to enemies at critical moments, like when he slaughtered dozens of Salvation Army men without injury, terrifying as it was.


    Uncle had formerly been an Armed Police squad leader, with strong leadership and decision-making skills. He preserved some professional ethics, even now holding on to some principles which were all correct, adding a touch of warmth to this post-apocalyptic world and now came to understand Li Yu.


    Within the base, he was a strong and thoughtful individual.


    Besides these three, Li Tie, Li Gang, Dapao, and Yang Tianlong were all veterans.


    Li Tie was quick-witted, often grasping Li Yu''s intentions.


    Li Gang, Dapao, and Yang Tianlong all had high combat abilities, with Dapao being an excellent shooter and Yang Tianlong strong in hand-to-hand combat.


    Additionally, those who joined later like Song Min and Ding Jiu, were steady individuals, decisive and bold in handling affairs, often relieving Li Yu of many burdens.


    As for Lai Dongsheng, he was loyal and had commendable fighting skills.


    The workers and Song Min''s sisters had all faced hardships and were grateful to be part of the base. They also performed well in execution.


    Whether killing people or zombies, they showed no mercy.

 Chapter 213 - 205: Get Some Sleep

    These people, none of them exceeded Li Yu''s expectations.


    The only one who exceeded his expectations was Yutong. He didn''t expect that Yutong, whether in temperament or combat ability, would exhibit far more strength than an ordinary person.


    Having only recently come into contact with firearms, her spear skills were already incredibly accurate.


    Plus, she had already learned some fighting techniques before the apocalypse, and her current close-combat level was also quite remarkable.


    Most of the time, she would quietly listen to others talk, but sometimes, she would provide Li Yu with some ideas, ideas that he had not considered before��very detailed, yet potentially problematic issues. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for the other people at the base, they also witnessed the cruelty of the post-apocalyptic world through repeated crises.


    Becoming stronger.


    After entering the base, Second Uncle and Third Uncle, stepped forward.


    They were somewhat concerned, seeing that Li Yu''s expression was still as unfathomably calm. The two exchanged a look.


    After pondering for a few seconds, Second Uncle spoke, "Li Yu, did you find them this time?"


    Hearing this, Li Yu nodded and said, "Found them. They''re in Jiefang City."


    Before setting off this time, Li Yu had already spoken with Second Uncle and the others.


    "Did Jiefang City release the people?" Second Uncle''s eyes were fixed intently on Li Yu.


    "Well, how should I put it? I killed those few ringleaders, and I haven''t touched the others for now," Li Yu replied.


    Upon hearing this, Second Uncle heaved a long sigh of relief. His fear was that Li Yu, in a moment of impulsiveness, would fall out with Jiefang City and then kill all of its people.


    Although, in this post-apocalyptic world, the lines between good and evil were blurred, if innocent people were killed, it would unsettle the people.


    Especially for leaders, their actions needed to be convincing.


    That way, the team would be easier to lead, people''s hearts wouldn''t waver, and humanity wouldn''t descend into depravity.


    Third Uncle was observant and his gaze flickered. He saw a trace of fatigue in Li Yu''s eyes.


    So, he said to Li Yu, "Alright, you should also get some rest early. There have been too many things happening lately. Take a good rest. Everything is taken care of by us."


    After speaking, he patted Li Yu''s shoulder.


    Li Yu trembled slightly.


    He responded with an "okay."


    Then he went back to his residence. It was too dry now; had it been any other time after returning to the base, he would have definitely taken a bath. However, water was now a major issue.


    Thus, he could only pour a little water to wipe his body clean of the dust, mud, and sweat.


    After cleaning himself, he changed into a comfortable and lightweight Fenteng homewear. When not killing zombies or people, in this safe and stable environment, putting on such a set of comfortable, smooth, and thin homewear.


    Made him feel very comfortable.


    Mmm, it was a bit hot, so he turned on the air conditioning.


    Under this blazing sun, solar energy was in abundant supply, and the batteries were fully charged.


    With plenty of electricity, everyone could freely use air conditioning to cool down.


    It was only July now, and the weather would get even hotter in August.


    After turning on the air conditioner, a cool breeze blew in.


    He lay down comfortably on the recliner. The recliner was soft yet resilient, and after he won the lottery, he used those millions to leverage resources worth hundreds of millions.


    He bought a lot of supplies, and even for the daily-use equipment he purchased, he opted for high-quality items.


    Even this recliner cost a pretty penny.


    His head slowly leaned back, swaying gently.


    With a touch of his right hand, he activated a pre-downloaded media player.


    It played some relaxing and pleasant songs, instrumental without lyrics.


    Instrumental songs allowed him to relax even more.


    The breeze was gentle, the curtains were open, and the room was bright. Through the window, the remnants of the scorching sun were still present.


    Originally, when constructing the entire villa, his room was made quite large, including an 8-square-meter balcony, a bathroom, and a projector.


    The room adds up to almost 40 square meters, not small at all.


    In an apocalyptic world, besides safety, one must also consider comfort.


    Within the walls of the base, a lower perimeter wall was also built around the residential area.


    Listening to soft music, Li Yu squinted his eyes, wanting to think about nothing at that moment. He just wanted to be quiet for a while.


    At dinner time, Li Yuan came up to call him, and he had just taken a nap.


    He was now full of spirit, as if completely restored.


    He stretched lazily and patted Li Yuan on the head.


    Li Yuan, touching her head, pouted and said, "Brother, I''m not a kid anymore."


    Li Yu laughed and said, "Haha, you''re not a kid, you''re a big kid now."


    Li Yuan was at a loss for words.


    Suddenly, she remembered to say, "Brother, today I want to invite Sister Yutong, Sister Xiyue, Sister Xiaozhu..., to watch a movie and play Werewolf together. Are you coming?"


    On hearing this, Li Yu, uh...


    After thinking about it, he finally said, "Forget it, I want to rest well tonight. You guys have fun."


    Yang Xiaozhu has liked following him around since she was little, and she has always had a crush on him as she grew up, something he was aware of, but most of the time, he saw her as a sister.


    And then there''s Xiyue, who also seems to have a bit of a crush on him.


    Kind of troublesome...


    Now all of them gathered, it''s not a game, it''s a battlefield.


    In this situation, not going is the best choice.


    "By the way, brother, I think I just saw Song Min, Sister Song, coming over with Dapao. It seems like they have something going on. Hehehe." Li Yuan had a gossipy look, her eyes sparkling.


    Li Yu was somewhat speechless, are all women this gossipy?


    Another cuff on the head, he said, "Mind your own business, even if they are together, so what?"


    Among the younger generation, Ding Jiu''s daughter Ding Qingqing has a thing for Li Hang, and now it seems that Song Min and Dapao also have something going on.


    It''s not necessarily a bad thing.


    For dinner, we had steamed spicy dried small fish and fried fish. With the water levels decreasing lately, eating some fish appropriately also means leaving some living space for them.


    After dinner, Li Yuan took some people to play in the underground amusement room. Li Yu greeted them briefly and then walked up the mountain.


    Every time any worries weighed on his mind, a walk in the mountains always made him feel a lot better.


    By the lake in the mountains.


    The night, a gentle breeze.


    Peaceful.


    The night sky was bright, stars twinkling.


    He took out a bottle of white liquor and some peanuts from his pocket.


    Just lying on a big rock, he took a sip of liquor and ate a couple of peanuts.


    The peanuts were fried by his mother, fragrant, crispy, and crunchy with a bite.


    The white liquor was the classic 53-degree sauce-flavored type, he took a swig in one go.


    The fragrance of the liquor, the smoky aroma of the peanuts mixed together, creating a simple yet unique flavor.


    This flavor is that of the world, of life, and also of the common folk''s taste of life after meals.


    After drinking to a slight buzz, Li Yu stopped drinking.


    Li Yu never drank himself into oblivion; he only enjoyed the feeling of being lightly tipsy.


    He exhaled slowly, looking up at the stars and overlooking the distant plains.


    His heart swelled with pride.


    With a smile, Li Yu packed up, humming a tune as he headed back to his room to sleep.

 Chapter 214 - 206: End of July

    Time swiftly passed.


    A week had passed since returning from Jiefang City. It was now the end of July. Tomorrow would be August.


    The sun blazed high in the sky, and the water in Mountain Pond was dwindling. Previously, to prevent evaporation by the sun, a layer of black sun-shading spheres had been laid over it.


    This black shading sphere effectively eased the evaporation from the sun, saving a significant amount of water.


    Otherwise, the water would largely be wasted due to direct sunlight.


    Therefore, the rate at which Mountain Pond''s water levels decreased was significantly relieved.


    Not only were these black shading spheres used in Mountain Pond, but they were also used in the rice paddies, and the results were satisfactory.


    The rice was already entering its earing stage.


    Within the base, there were old farmers like Grandpa, real experts in farming who had farmed for a lifetime.


    The old man knew clearly what to do at each stage.


    Here at the base, apart from the hot weather, everything else was normal.


    No messy problems occurred, and thanks to ample electricity, many people watched movies and TV series at night.


    The older generation also enjoyed watching various dramas. Originally, Li Yu had downloaded many types, covering various genres.


    It was a way for everyone to relax.


    However, things were not going so well in Jiefang City.


    Even before accommodating the refugees, Jiefang City was already facing various issues �� food was scarce, and water was a major problem. Though there was a river not far away, it was drying up under the blazing sun.


    As for tap water, it had been cut off two weeks after the apocalypse erupted.


    Now, their water mainly came from pumping it from the river.


    There had been thoughts of drilling wells, but in the highlands of Jiefang City, water could only be found at great depths. Thus, after drilling a well and reaching 10 meters without finding a water source, the project was temporarily shelved.


    However, as the water shortage increasingly became a problem, well drilling was resumed.


    Without the necessary equipment, they had to rely entirely on manual labor.


    Finally, after 7 days of drilling, at a depth of 30 meters, water finally began to spring forth.


    The water issue was temporarily relieved, but another huge problem loomed �� food.


    Jiefang City had previously relied on gathering supplies from the city and planting some crops within the city. However, these crops had not yet reached maturity.


    The food that had been stockpiled was also gradually dwindling.


    Originally, they had a considerable stock of food. Without the oppression of the Salvation Army, they had managed quite well in the first half of the year.


    But now, more and more people were joining, and Director Zhang acted with the intention to help, lending two days'' worth of food to new arrivals. After two days, they were expected to find food themselves in small teams and hand over a portion.


    After more than half a year, supplies were increasingly scarce. Moreover, due to the hot weather, much of the food had spoiled and was no longer edible.


    The food crisis, like a huge mountain, made it hard for them to breathe.


    The newly joined refugees also went out to search for supplies, but often, they did not hand over what they collected. They knew too well the horror of hunger.


    Thus, various tactics emerged to hide the supplies.


    Actually, Jiefang City had developed a mechanism of rotational duties; some people had to go out and find supplies, handing over a part and keeping the rest.


    Some needed to stand guard, protecting the base; others had to do tasks like drilling wells and farming.


    Those in the latter group were somewhat like wage earners, receiving basic life-sustaining supplies allocated by the community.


    Originally, those who went out would also hide most of the supplies, giving very little to the community, but some team leaders would oppress their subordinates to hand over most of their finds.


    There were many small teams, and there was already much conflict, which had yet to erupt.


    But after the addition of the refugees, some were unwilling to hand over most of their supplies, leading to direct confrontations.


    As the amount of food available continued to decline, these confrontations grew more severe.


    One day, after failing to find any supplies the whole day, the conflict erupted even more intensely.


    Everyone hid their food, some team leaders used their power to allocate more supplies, thus managing to live normally.


    But for some at the very bottom, once their continuous supply of food stopped, they were cut off from food entirely.


    In the face of hunger, the conflicts grew.


    Internal strife began over food, and there were even incidents of bloodshed.


    In the face of hunger, any semblance of order maintained by frail rules was violently torn away.


    Chaos began.


    Director Zhang and others were aware of this issue, but they were powerless��the fundamental problem was food!


    Without food, survival was impossible.


    Just now, another fight had occurred; many refugees went to seize food from the original residents of Jiefang City, and a fierce fight ensued.


    This last struggle was eventually stopped by Captain Lv and others, who fired a shot into the air and intimidated all present.


    But after this conflict, people''s mindsets completely changed.


    Refugees had conflicts with local residents, early joiners with those who joined later, team leaders and other managers with the lower-level people.


    With the blazing sun high above and zombies recently absent during the day, the absence of external conflicts meant that internal conflicts were magnified.


    "Old Zhang, the situation is very serious," said Captain Lv to Director Zhang.


    Director Zhang sighed and then said, "How did it come to this? And, is our portion of the supplies okay?"


    Captain Lv glanced at Director Zhang, sighed and finally said, "Although it''s okay, it''s not much."


    "How did this happen?" Director Zhang asked in surprise. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Captain Lv looked at Director Zhang somewhat speechlessly, "The supplies we''ve been collecting recently are pitifully small, and we''re running out..."


    Both were momentarily silent until Director Zhang suddenly said, "Actually, we still have supplies, but... I think, we can negotiate with them. Everyone is arguing over food, and although Jiefang City has always promoted fairness and justice, without us, they wouldn''t have such an environment."


    Director Zhang continued, "We should find those team leaders, ask them to give up some of what they''ve taken. I know they''ve been greedy, spared them because they are old folks. We can''t watch this polarization continue."

 Chapter 215 - 207: The Grand Award of Classic Nonsense

    Captain Lv looked at Director Zhang incredulously, as if seeing him for the first time, and said, "Do you think that''s possible?"


    Director Zhang muttered, "We have to at least try. Moreover, they were the ones in the wrong. Offering some supplies now to support the community shouldn''t be a big problem."


    Captain Lv lamented internally. Long ago, he had suggested addressing the issue of corruption, but Director Zhang always excused it by claiming they were the old-timers and never let him interfere.


    Moreover, most of the people in Jiefang City were initially Director Zhang''s men. Though Captain Lv had his reservations, he did not feel it was his place to meddle.


    In fact, the reason he indulged Director Zhang was that, even though Director Zhang often took things for granted, Captain Lv agreed with his ideals and intentions...even though, deep down, he knew it was all doomed to fail.


    But, he''ll do what he can.


    ...


    August 5th. Noon at 12 o''clock.


    Director Zhang and Captain Lv, among others, gathered everyone at the central square. The call to assembly had left people with varied sentiments.


    Yet, amidst this eerie atmosphere, some still had rosy cheeks, while others were skin and bones.


    A striking contrast.


    Director Zhang took out a megaphone, looking at the people before him with a hint of achievement.


    From the initial dozen people to dozens, then over a hundred, and eventually several hundred, Jiefang City had grown bit by bit.


    Despite numerous problems, they had reached these numbers.


    "I''m Lao Zhang, and I''m not unfamiliar to most of you. The main purpose of today''s meeting is to discuss a very simple issue. So now, I will briefly talk about this very simple issue. Why do I call it simple?


    Because it is a minor issue, one not significant enough to warrant our full attention. Therefore, I want to emphasize it briefly here so that everyone can focus on it and thus solve it."


    The crowd, already accustomed to Director Zhang''s classic verbose introductions and lengthy discourses, listened on.


    Director Zhang coughed and continued, "We all come from different places, and gathering here is a kind of fate. You may have had your own stories before coming, but once you''re in Jiefang City, you are family!


    How exactly do we solve this minor issue? This is actually a very simple issue. As long as we can muster the resolve and confidence to tackle it, and the courage and determination for it, then, solving this issue will not be an issue at all.


    Of course, when dealing with it, the focus should be on identifying the problem and aiming to correct it. That is, using the discovery of issues as a guide, seizing them as a means, considering them as a philosophy, and resolving them as a goal.


    In summary. To summarize it all, this issue requires our comprehensive understanding, our thorough implementation, and it cannot be overlooked. Should we overlook it, many new issues could arise.


    As a principal leader, I do not want new, bigger, or unimaginable problems emerging before we have addressed the old ones; problems beyond our estimation...


    Of course, this is not because I fear or avoid problems; rather, it''s because, as a member of the Jiefang City family, we should always be alert to identify, contemplate, research, and explore problems.


    Only by doing this can we prevent the emergence of severe issues and put a stop to the occurrence of serious problems.


    ...


    We all know that, since the apocalypse occurred, we''ve faced the Zombie Tide, torrential rains, and various other challenges together...and we''ve survived..."


    For almost 45 minutes, Director Zhang spoke continuously, as though he was indeed about to get to the point.


    Impatience was visibly growing on the faces of some at the very front, clearly written with a desire for him to finish!!!


    Murmurs started among the crowd. Most people had not been swayed by Director Zhang''s words and were busying themselves with their own affairs, heads bowed.


    "Director Zhang, could you speak a bit faster?" some people asked.


    "Yeah, Director Zhang, it''s too hot, and we don''t have a lot of water, we''re really thirsty."


    ...


    However, Director Zhang seemed neither to hear nor see this, his face flush with enthusiasm.


    Captain Lv was somewhat speechless��what was all this for? Just get on with it.


    He tugged at Director Zhang''s sleeve.


    Director Zhang ignored it and went on, "Family members, when facing major issues, we must maintain a sober mind. We must not handle them blindly, view them incorrectly, or trivialize them.


    We must take each issue seriously, thinking from one to the next.


    What''s important to note is, we must consider whether these issues are caused by our own problems.


    If they stem from our own shortcomings, they are not simple issues anymore. They become an issue of work attitude, work style, and work responsibility."


    A question of whether we can take high responsibility for everyone''s survival, a question of whether we can serve the people wholeheartedly. So, I want to emphasize this issue briefly here; we must pay great attention to this issue and fully implement it.


    ...


    ...


    The noise from below gradually grew louder.


    Dammit...


    We haven''t even gotten to the point, haven''t even started, or even...


    Some in the audience rolled their eyes, others cursed outright.


    "Director Zhang, are you done yet?"


    "F**k," a man with an asymmetrical haircut said angrily.


    "Director Zhang, when are you going to start?"


    ...


    The sound grew from soft to loud, buzzing all over the venue.


    Director Zhang''s performance was affected, and he suddenly said, realizing this, "So! I''ve decided!"


    As he said this, the room fell silent, finally waiting for the ultimate result.


    Then


    "Now, so, we''re all family, we must unite and overcome difficulties together..."


    ...


    Damn it.


    "I''ve decided...


    In the anticipatory silence of the crowd, Director Zhang finally continued,


    "I plan to establish a ''Problem Research Group'' after this meeting, with me as the head and Comrade Lv as the deputy head. We will not only organize a ''Problem Discussion Assembly'' for everyone,


    but also hold a ''Problem Discussion Competition''. We will use this issue as an opportunity to spark a fervent wave of studying ''problem work''.


    Comrades! As long as we work hard, cut down on empty talk, unite our hearts and efforts, and work together, we will surely achieve a great victory in this ''problem work''!"


    ...


    "Xiao Zhang, can''t you talk like a normal person..." said one of the lower-level residents.


    "Hurry up, I''ve been waiting so long I''m wilting," said one of the displaced people.


    "F**king hell, Bullshit Zhang, what the hell are you trying to say?" the man with the asymmetrical haircut stood up and cursed.


    ...


    Director Zhang, unable to save face, remembered this man; he was one of the former team leaders, all of them together, relying on the fact they joined earlier and acting arrogantly.


    Just as he was about to get angry, Captain Lv reached out and pulled him.


    Director Zhang raised an eyebrow, thinking back to the earlier conversation with Captain Lv. Originally, they were going to negotiate with the team leaders to see if they could spare some resources and distribute them to those without, to create unity and suppress dissent.


    That way, they thought, would be better to handle.


    Now these people were being so brash. He was suddenly displeased.


    That the team leaders were so blatant, and that both the displaced people and other residents of the base were also so impolite.


    He immediately changed his mind.


    So he directly said, "Then I''ll be frank. You team leaders have been embezzling a part of the resources every time you go out; don''t think I don''t know. Now! Each person, divide half of your resources to contribute to the collective."


    His tone was condescending and extremely impatient. He always felt he deserved everyone''s respect.


    After all, he had lofty ideals, saved so many people, helped so many people, had grand goals�� he regarded himself as great, and a great person should be respected!


    Hearing Director Zhang''s last remarks, Captain Lv inwardly thought, this is bad! sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His expression panicked!

 Chapter 216 - 208: Director Zhang Gets Hit by a Brick

    At the very moment Director Zhang finished his words, the scorching summer heat seemed to drop a few degrees.


    There was a chilly feeling, due to the people underneath this square staring straight at him.


    An indescribable aura was spreading.


    Immediately after, a brick flew up, striking Director Zhang''s head directly.


    Bang!


    The brick hit Director Zhang''s head squarely, and he was knocked down to the ground.


    Blood flowed down from his head.


    His life or death was unknown.


    Captain Lv, who was beside him, reacted immediately, raising his gun and aiming it at the person who had just thrown the brick.


    It was that young man, Xie Liuhai, now looking furiously angry.


    Moreover, some other junior leaders behind Xie Liuhai also looked very angry.


    Captain Lv cried inwardly, what the hell is this.


    He glanced at Director Zhang lying on the ground and sighed.


    He went forward to check Director Zhang''s condition; the brick had hit him at a tricky angle right on his temple, and now the blood kept flowing.


    "Doctor Song, Doctor Song, come here and have a look," shouted Captain Lv loudly.


    However, there was a buzzing noise beneath the square, nobody heard what Captain Lv had said, and they didn''t care what Captain Lv was saying either.


    At this moment, everyone was only concerned about one thing, the whereabouts of the food.


    The people at the bottom only wanted a share of the food, but as Director Zhang had just said, it seemed that the food had nothing to do with them.


    For those junior leaders, it was even worse, extracting some of the food from their supplies to give to others, who the hell would want to.


    Seeing Director Zhang lying on the ground with an unstoppable flow of blood, they felt a rush of satisfaction.


    Well done.


    It should be this way, dammit, they had also risked their lives to seize those supplies.


    Why should they share with others.


    Why.


    At this moment, Captain Lv had a rough idea; back when Xie Liuhai threw the brick, he had thought of avenging Director Zhang with a bullet, but upon seeing the angry crowd behind him, he suddenly realized something��these people were very angry.


    Without Director Zhang being injured or dead, the anger of the crowd wouldn''t subside. Shooting that Xie Liuhai man could easily trigger internal chaos and lead to the disintegration of Jiefang City.


    Director Zhang lying on the ground might be the best outcome currently.


    "Quiet! Everyone, quiet down!" Captain Lv shouted loudly.


    But no one paid attention to him, and the noise was incessant.


    Bang! A gunshot from Captain Lv.


    There was immediate silence, and people looked at Captain Lv.


    "This base was established by Director Zhang himself. Without him, ask yourselves, could you have survived until now? Who took you in, who gave you a safe place when you were most in need?"


    Silence!


    "Speak up!" Captain Lv looked at the critically injured Director Zhang on the ground, his face complex, his eyes filled with anger and despondence.


    Below the square, people had varied expressions. Some people''s eyes flashed with guilt, but it didn''t last long as it quickly returned to indifference; some were indifferent throughout, it was none of their business; and some also looked pleased, after all, Director Zhang had intended to take their supplies.


    Such is human nature, nothing more.


    Captain Lv said to a few people standing next to him, who had been following Director Zhang, "Move Director Zhang to a room."


    A few people stepped forward, lifted Director Zhang, and carried him towards the room. Along the way, drips of blood fell to the ground.


    Once Director Zhang was removed, the scene returned to calm.


    Captain Lv stood in the same spot outside, pondered for a moment, and finally spoke up: "I won''t mince words, it''s not easy to have built up Jiefang City, now with this drought, we need to face it together. Some people don''t have food, we all need to face this! I know, in these difficult times, everyone wants to keep some supplies, but can you bear to let other people in Jiefang City starve to death?"


    These words were a bit melodramatic, but they also clearly explained for whom the food was being contributed�� for others who were starving.


    But, human nature is selfish. Even with so much said, there was still no response from the crowd.


    Captain Lv sighed. At this moment, he was also a bit exhausted, helplessly, as everyone thought about themselves. This is the real situation, this is the real human nature.


    "Everyone, if there are people who can contribute some supplies, please come to Yifu Building to find us. These supplies, we won''t hold back, we will give them all to those who need them, who have no supplies. I hope those who have supplies can contribute some. On behalf of those in need of supplies, I thank you.


    Hope by today at 4 p.m., everyone can contribute some supplies. That''s it, thank you. Meeting adjourned."


    After his speech, those people at the bottom. A glimmer of hope flashed in their eyes, but not much. They had been disappointed too many times. They did not harbor much hope for this time. They had gotten used to being let down.


    ...��


    The meeting dispersed, and the crowd in the square quickly scattered.


    Captain Lv watched the empty square, then looked at the few teammates still beside him, and sighed.


    He said to his teammates nearby, "Wait at Yifu Building for a while later, see if anyone brings any supplies over."


    "Okay, Captain Lv."


    "No problem, Captain Lv."


    "Captain Lv, don''t worry, if someone brings them, we will tell you right away."


    Captain Lv looked at a few of his old teammates beside him, his eyes filled with some guilt. Following him, they had never enjoyed any privileges; on the contrary, they were always fighting on the front lines.


    Now in Jiefang City, if the drought continues, the food issue can''t be resolved in a short term, the crops planted would also not yield any results anytime soon.


    At any time, he didn''t want his brothers to end up starving to death because of food issues.


    They had shed blood, they had sweat, he didn''t want them to end up with family members starving to death because of food. So he said, "Xiao Wang, Xiao Li, gather our families together, then the supplies. Gather them all in one place and guard them strictly, it must be foolproof. This is our last line of defense."


    Actually, in his heart, he had already made a final plan. Even if Jiefang City collapsed at the end, they, these people, could still survive.


    Hearing what Captain Lv said, the teammates looked at each other, they all guessed something, realizing how important this matter was, and immediately said, "Okay."


    Captain Lv nodded. S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he walked towards the room of Director Zhang, now also unclear about Director Zhang''s condition. He hoped he was alright.


    Doctor Song''s condition was also unknown now, he scratched his head, finally sighed again.

 Chapter 217 - 209: Chaos (Rewritten, readable now)

    (I rewrote it, took a while to edit, should be readable now)


    Captain Lv walked into the room and saw Director Zhang lying on the bed, life or death unknown.


    Beside him were a few of Director Zhang''s closer associates, who were currently winding gauze bandages tightly around his head. However, the angle of the brick that had struck him had been too cunning, leaving a huge gash on Director Zhang''s head. Even though Hemostatic Powder had been applied just earlier and bandages wrapped, the effect was not significant.


    Captain Lv asked, "Why won''t the bleeding stop?"


    A man next to Director Zhang spoke up, "The brick hit Director Zhang right in the temple, the sharpest edge of it, the wound is too large, can''t stop the bleeding."


    Director Zhang''s complexion was pale at this moment; he looked like he was on the brink of death, having lost too much blood...


    "You stabilize his condition first, I''ll go find Dr. Song to come over later," Captain Lv said.


    Just as he was about to leave the room, a sudden rush of footsteps came from the doorway.


    Looking up, it was a policeman he had worked with for many years, his face full of urgency, who anxiously said, "It''s bad, Captain, Zhang Qi and his men have fled. They''ve taken stuff and run."


    "Fled?" Captain Lv asked, puzzled.


    "They''ve already run off? That shouldn''t be possible. We have guards at the main gate, and I''ve just issued an order forbidding anyone from leaving here with supplies. Isn''t there anyone guarding the gate?" Captain Lv continued.


    "No, they haven''t escaped the base yet, but they''re now in conflict with the refugees who joined us recently. There''s a riot happening! It''s all in chaos now. After Zhang Qi and his lot left, a bunch of people swarmed to loot. It''s a life-and-death fight out there!" his teammate said.


    "What about the others, didn''t you try to stop them?" Captain Lv said.


    "It''s no use. There are too many of them, it''s completely out of control. Zhang Qi''s wife was chopped with a knife by a refugee, just over their food. Many people were already dead by the time I came over," the team member said, taking a gulp of air.


    "What?" Captain Lv''s head began to throb.


    People died, not just one, and now the situation had unwound beyond any amends.


    Without food, the unity among the people was dissipating, and it was certain the ranks would fall apart.


    His mind raced, glancing at Director Zhang lying on the bed, he said to the men beside him, "Go to Lao Xie and the others, don''t split up now."


    He then said to the teammate who had just come in, "You go find Dr. Song, have him come here and treat the wound."


    Hearing mention of Dr. Song, the teammate sighed helplessly and said, "Dr. Song, I actually ran into him on the way here. I wanted to call him over, but he and a bunch of people were looting supplies too. Ended up being killed with a knife. I couldn''t stop them..." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Captain Lv was about to say, why didn''t you stop them, but after hearing the last part from the teammate, he let out a sigh, the most he had sighed in a single day.


    It seemed even fate wasn''t on your side...


    He had done all he could; whether Director Zhang could survive was now up to his own destiny.


    So he said to the team member, "Take me there, let''s check out the situation."


    Finishing speaking to the few men behind him, "Hurry up and go join with Lao Xie and the others. This time, the problem seems hard to solve."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he dashed out of the room, running outside. The team member closely followed behind.


    As soon as he ran out of the room, a large group of panicked refugees, carrying big and small bundles, approached. There were visible items and food poking out of their wraps. Captain Lv was about to say something when he heard a loud shout from behind, "Don''t run!" �C it was some of the elderly from Jiefang City, brandishing knives and spears, chasing desperately.


    Besides those few, Captain Lv looked around at the chaos; there were people running everywhere, people chasing, and some directly killing others.


    Everything had become bloodthirsty.


    The noise of the commotion, wails, and the sounds of looting filled the air.


    Chaos, that was Captain Lv''s first impression.


    Everything had descended into chaos. Captain Lv stopped, realizing it was pointless to try and intervene any further.


    "Let''s go back," Captain Lv said painfully to the team member behind him.


    The team member also understood Captain Lv''s feelings and nodded, "Captain, let''s leave too. There''s no reason to stay here any longer. Without food, those people might come after us. By then, it might be too late for us to leave."


    "Mm," Captain Lv replied.


    He naturally understood this logic; otherwise, he wouldn''t have ordered Lao Xie to pack and secure their supplies early on.


    The refugees were like a rat dropping that ruined the whole pot of porridge, and this particular rat dropping was not small, a good hundred people. He suddenly understood the warning Li Yu had given him before leaving Jiefang City.


    Sigh...


    He felt a bit powerless as he walked towards their living quarters.


    After less than 5 minutes, he saw at their living place, a group of refugees had gathered around, with Lao Xie and the others inside holding weapons, confronting them.


    It seemed that because of the handguns in Lao Xie and their hands, the refugees didn''t dare to come close. But the number of people increased, even including some local residents who were already at the end of their rope.


    They also had no food left.


    Lao Xie recognized some of the residents across and said, "Lao Huang, Lao Ma, why... why are you like this? It''s one thing for them to cause trouble, but why are you joining in as well? We''ve always treated you well."


    Lao Huang and Lao Ma were men in their thirties; their expressions were also somewhat complex as they spoke up, "Lao Xie, we can''t survive anymore. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have to do this. How about you share some food with us and we''ll leave right away. How about that?"


    Lao Xie saw more and more people gathering; he was very clear, too many mouths and not enough to go around.


    Once you give to one person, how can others not have the same thought? Once you give, nothing will be left for sure.


    Once a gap is opened, those behind will be even more frantic, and they will leave nothing behind.


    He looked back at his men, including the team members and those he was closer with, there were about 20 plus people, half the number compared to the people on the other side.


    At this standoff, Captain Lv appeared.


    "Captain."


    "Captain."


    "Captain, you finally came back."


    ...


    Captain Lv glanced at the refugees and residents eyeing them greedily, at this moment, he had lost all hope.


    Originally wanting to stop the conflict between the two sides, now these people had turned their sights on them.


    These people, like hungry wolves, could neither be satiated nor tamed.

 Chapter 218 - 210: Escape from Jiefang City

    Since everything is in chaos, since there''s no room for redemption, no more need for efforts, then one should think about giving those loyal old brothers following him a way out.


    Captain Lv walked from the side to where Old Xie and the others were, no longer paying attention to the refugees behind him.


    "Go pack up the stuff, we''re preparing to leave," Captain Lv said.


    His voice wasn''t loud, just enough for Old Xie and the others to hear, while the refugees and some residents ten meters away couldn''t.


    Upon hearing this, Old Xie understood that the captain also wanted to give up on this place.


    Boom!


    A vibration.


    At the gate, a car was directly blown up.


    On both sides of the vehicle, people were desperately fighting; some ignored the violence, picked up things scattered on the ground, and ran, but were stabbed to death after only a few steps by someone behind.


    The person who just picked up something dropped on the ground, thinking of running to the side, was surrounded by several others vying to snatch it away from him.


    Rip, that was a bag of whole wheat bread, scattered in the air.


    A few slices of bread hadn''t even fallen to the ground when they were snatched and stuffed into mouths.


    One person who didn''t get any started fiddling with another person''s mouth.


    The person who managed to grab a piece of bread stuffed it crazily into his mouth, causing his dry, peeling lips.


    Another person was frantically pulling at him, trying to pull out the bread from his mouth, but the man was desperately swallowing.


    However, due to the dry throat and the bread being stale and rough, it was impossible to swallow. For a moment, the whole piece of bread got stuck in his throat, preventing him from breathing.


    Struggling, this person''s eyes rolled back as the bread blocked his airway, completely unable to breathe.


    Eventually, he collapsed to the ground, limp and powerless.


    Another person, seeing the situation, continued to fiddle with his mouth, but to no avail.


    The piece of bread had already gone down his throat, and his eyes fell on a nearby knife.


    An idea formed...


    Captain Lv watched this scene unfold before his eyes, a particularly intense feeling of shared death and misery in his heart.


    He must leave quickly.


    Walking into the room, Captain Lv saw his wife and daughter looking panicked; the refugees had almost broken in, scaring them greatly.


    Aside from the five people confronting the refugees at the door, there were about ten family members in the room. That''s all the family left for everyone, some lost due to illness, some due to various incidents encountered before, and some at the very outbreak of the apocalypse.


    "How many people do we have here?" Captain Lv asked.


    The team member behind him counted and said: "We have 32 people in total, plus Director Zhang and his group, roughly 40 people."


    Captain Lv looked around, not seeing Director Zhang, and asked: "Where is Director Zhang?"


    "We haven''t seen them; they never came over," said one who had been staying in the room.


    A bad premonition flashed through Captain Lv''s mind. Director Zhang and his group were likely more dead than alive.


    After all, there would be many who hated him. There is some distance to travel from their place to here, and who knows whether they would encounter others on the way, and considering the scene he just witnessed, there probably was major trouble.


    Captain Lv couldn''t comprehend why things had suddenly turned out this way.


    Everything was fine just moments ago, and now the situation is completely out of control.


    In reality, what he didn''t know was that people in Jiefang City had long wanted to loot; it was just that no one had taken the lead yet. They were still waiting for them to donate some food, clinging to hope.


    But human nature is such that the bottom line can be continuously broken, as long as there is a glimmer of hope to survive. Clinging to this hope, one can endure great pain.


    After Director Zhang spoke those words, being hit and knocked unconscious by Xie Liuhai, his fate unknown.


    They became clear that Director Zhang and Captain Lv no longer had the ability to help them.


    That is to say, their chance of survival was cut off.


    Then, to survive.


    Forget about morals and order, there''s just one word: loot!


    Desperately looting might lead to death by starvation too, but it also might offer a chance to keep on living.


    Since death is inevitable either way, might as well go all out.


    "Is everyone ready? Get ready to move out." Captain Lv said.


    "We''re all ready." Another team member across from him responded.


    "Then let''s move out!" Captain Lv said.


    A commotion came from up ahead.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out, fired by Old Xie.


    Captain Lv hurriedly ran out of the room, only to see outside the building, the refugees had stopped in their tracks, staring straight at them.


    "They just tried to rush in, but I stopped them," Old Xie explained uncertainly to Captain Lv, not sure if he should kill these refugees and residents.


    Captain Lv glanced at the refugees in front of him, his eyes filled with deep disappointment and helplessness.


    He gritted his teeth and said, "Well done. On the road, if anyone dares to ram us, kill them!"


    His voice carried an icy, bone-chilling cold.


    This statement was heard by the people opposite them, some looked at the guns in Director Zhang and the others'' hands with timidity, some with an undaunted look, as if they had nothing to lose since they were starving to death anyway.


    "Let''s go!"


    People started emerging from the room, carrying various items, some with backpacks.


    Not much stuff, not much food.


    Compared to the food Xie Liuhai had, what they had really wasn''t much.


    "Move aside!" Captain Lv shouted loudly.


    The refugees and residents didn''t budge.


    Bang!


    Captain Lv shot dead the one in the front, Old Huang, a long-time resident of Jiefang City, now killed by a single shot from Captain Lv.


    It was clear evidence of Captain Lv''s determination.


    The crowd quickly made way.


    Captain Lv and his party of 32, only 6 of whom had guns. Only four had bullets in their guns, and not many at that.


    But the refugees didn''t know Captain Lv''s real situation, so they stepped back.


    Captain Lv and the others headed towards the garage. They had quite a few vehicles, but not much gas.


    Under the threat of firearms, no one else dared to approach.


    Although everyone knew their bullets were running low, no one wanted to be the sacrificial bird. The sacrificial bird is dead and meaningless. S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As soon as Captain Lv and his group left, the group of refugees and residents swarmed into the room.


    They rummaged through the place, and after a short while, came out looking discouraged.


    Damn it, there was nothing of value left.


    Some set their sights on others fighting on the other side, initially thinking that as the base''s managers, Captain Lv and his group would have the most food. Turns out, not so much. They might even be better off...


    In the crowd, some immediately left the building and ran towards the direction where Xie Liuhai had fled. There was more to be had there, and no guns �C might as well give it a shot.


    But some were eyeing Captain Lv not far away, their thoughts unstoppable.


    Their eyes were filled with madness.


    The hunger in their bellies surged like a tide, ever more turbulent!

 Chapter 219 - 211: Hidden Supplies

    Xin City, a gas station, a base city hidden at the edge of the forest.


    A peaceful scene.


    Due to the consistently high temperatures, working outdoors for long periods easily led to heatstroke, so Li Yu asked everyone to minimize going out.


    To avoid the risk of heatstroke.


    Everyone stayed at home, each busy with their tasks. In this environment, people relaxed and leisurely engaged in activities regularly organized at the base, as well as their own private gatherings and games.


    The overall atmosphere in the base was good, with everyone becoming more familiar with each other and deepening their feelings for one another.


    A person cannot be completely idle; whether busy or idle, one must learn to find joy, whether in work or life. As long as you desire, you can always find happiness; it requires an ordinary heart.


    During this period, Li Yu still didn''t abandon his training regimen. He got up at 6 a.m. every day for a morning run, rain or shine, and this motivated some others in the base, which sparked a trend of physical exercise.


    At 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. in the evening, you could always see a group of people running, exercising, or doing farm work around the base.


    Li Yu always believed in one thing: if a person''s physical functions are sufficient, their mood will improve; if their mood is good, their character will be resilient; with a flawless character, their actions will turn out well.


    Whether before or after the apocalypse, the body is the fundamental capital.


    A healthy body infuses everything one does with energy and passion.


    Everything happening inside the base felt like a utopia.


    Outside the base, every place faced human tragedies.


    The ground cracked, trees wilted.


    Food was scarce, and everyone had a fierce look in their eyes, turning into beasts for food.


    Civility and morality completely collapsed.


    ....


    Speaking of Jiefang City.


    Captain Lv and his team were heading toward the garage. There were many vehicles there; each time they went out to gather, they found some good vehicles and would drive them back if there was still gasoline.


    The surrounding group eyed them tigerishly but dared not get any closer; the killing of Old Huang by Captain Lv earlier served as a warning.


    Nobody wanted to be the next person shot dead, waiting for others to make the first move. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Surviving to this point in the apocalypse, no one was a fool.


    Before long, Captain Lv and his team reached the garage, which was already chaotic. Captain Lv looked toward the two minivans at the back, pulled out his keys, and instructed his teammates to drive those vehicles over.


    He glanced around and then walked toward a small door next to the garage.


    Inside this door, which was always locked, there used to be an electricity room before the apocalypse. After the outbreak, it had been abandoned.


    Captain Lv unlocked this door with his keys, brought out a few barrels of gasoline, and some supplies.


    He had often thought, if Jiefang City became untenable, this was the backup plan he prepared for himself and his family.


    Inside the garage, some cars had been driven away, but most lacked gasoline.


    Often, Jiefang City had to use electricity and would consume diesel and gasoline for generators.


    Since the apocalypse began, everyone had been like nomads, relocating periodically because staying in one place for too long meant local supplies would be found and exhausted.


    They had stayed in Jiefang City, and the useful supplies around the area were mostly found and used up by them.


    The crowd, seeing what Captain Lv took out, was puzzled but more surprised; having additional supplies during such a flight was crucial.


    Rumble~


    Two buses roared closer to the crowd, and everyone hurriedly boarded.


    Together, there were 32 people in their party, easily accommodated by two mid-sized buses.


    On the spare seats, they placed their belongings; though items could also be stowed on either side of the bus, in this post-apocalyptic world, precious food was safest kept close at hand.


    Captain Lv looked at the two mid-sized buses, then glanced towards a truck nearby which they often used for collecting supplies but had recently stopped refueling. It was left unused.


    Captain Lv thought for a moment and then said to Lao Xie standing behind him, "Lao Xie, go get that truck over here, and bring this barrel of oil."


    Lao Xie nodded, called another teammate, and together they went to drive the truck over.


    Captain Lv held a handgun in his left hand and a Long Knife in his right, vigilantly keeping an eye on a group of people 20 meters away.


    He didn''t want to kill anyone, but he couldn''t help it if they attempted to stop them.


    The families of their team had already boarded the two mid-sized buses.


    Seeing this, Captain Lv called out to his teammates who were also on guard, "Hurry up and get on, we need to leave quickly."


    Teammates hurriedly boarded the vehicles, leaving only a few armed with handguns behind.


    Thunderously, the truck also arrived.


    Captain Lv got on immediately, and then said to his teammates nearby, "When we break out, if anyone tries to block the car, kill them directly. Don''t hold back."


    During this critical moment, he couldn''t afford any mishaps.


    In fact, in Jiefang City, most of the maintenance personnel usually listened to Captain Lv, but somehow Director Zhang was always leading.


    Everyone was extremely alert, believing that following Captain Lv was the key to survival.


    Actually, in this apocalyptic world plagued with natural disasters, large groups weren''t suitable for survival because massive numbers meant needing to sustain more people, placing great pressure on logistics.


    The key was that in this chaotic end times, it was not only about guarding against zombies but occasionally surviving extreme weather, like this enduring drought season.


    "Let''s go!" Captain Lv boarded the truck and called out to the two buses behind.


    Driving slowly towards the outskirts of Jiefang City.


    Desperate refugees rushed forward, attempting to board the vehicle; some people thought it better to climb aboard and follow Captain Lv to seek new opportunities, considering the chaos staying here.


    Seeing this, Captain Lv urgently ordered the vehicles to stop.


    He got off then, along with a few teammates from the vehicles, and chased away the people trying to board.


    Bang!


    Seeing that the group showed no intention of leaving, Captain Lv fired his gun and killed one of them.


    The group, seeing this, hurriedly fled from the vehicles.


    Watching Captain Lv and his team from a distance.


    "You guys drive; Lao Xie and I will figure out our next move after walking out."


    Inside the garage, the speed of the vehicles was too slow, making it easy for them to be followed.


    Thus, Captain Lv and a few escorted the vehicles slowly out.


    Approaching the gate of Jiefeng City, the crowd gathered more and more.


    Captain Lv gave a warning look to the people around and finally boarded the vehicle.


    The vehicle quickly sped up and promptly escaped Jiefang City.


    ...

 Chapter 220 - 212: Where to Go?

    After leaving Jiefang City, Captain Lv''s group led with a cargo truck, followed closely by two buses behind.


    Under the setting sun, the sunlight was not fierce, as if there was an infinite beauty.


    However, they couldn''t feel happy.


    Looking through the rearview mirror, they saw smoke rising from Jiefang City behind them, not knowing what had caught fire. In such dry times, it was easy to start a fire. sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Faintly, they could see people coming out of the city gates of Jiefang City, but some couldn''t escape.


    In such chaotic moments, once all order was lost, the evil in humanity would be infinitely magnified.


    At this moment, unspeakable horrors were happening in Jiefang City.


    In this riot, no one was a winner!


    ...


    In the cargo truck, Lao Xie, who was driving, looked through the rearview mirror and sighed.


    Then he said, "Captain, where are we heading now? It''s getting darker, and it might be dangerous at night."


    Captain Lv, who had just gotten a moment to breathe from the chaos, saw the setting sun. For some reason, his first thought was of Li Yu and his group.


    He then wondered why they would take in people like Li Yu and his group.


    The apocalypse''s drought made them understand one thing - in the apocalypse, having more people wasn''t necessarily better.


    Although having more people meant more power, it also meant higher costs. In such an uncertain apocalypse, the first priority was survival.


    Why should Li Yu''s group take them in? And after a few encounters, his most profound impression of Li Yu was of his decisive killing - killing at the slightest disagreement.


    Speaking of combat ability, although most of them were ex-police officers with strong fighting skills, from their previous encounters, he realized that the people around Li Yu were no ordinary folks.


    Moreover, he didn''t even know where Li Yu''s base was, though he roughly knew Li Yu''s location from the group of refugees.


    Near a gas station not far from Xin City...


    Shaking his head, he gave up any fantasies. Although joining Li Yu''s group seemed like a direction, it raised a question - why?


    You see, Jiefang City could take in so many refugees because they were being chased down by Li Yu''s group. According to the refugees, Li Yu''s group had many people and were well-equipped, having already killed many.


    Such a killing god.


    Better not to provoke.


    "Where to go?" Captain Lv murmured.


    "Let''s leave the city first, there''s no point in staying here anymore," Captain Lv finally said to Lao Xie beside him.


    Where to go was a complex question to consider.


    He was not alone; he had to think of his brothers and their families.


    Now, the city had essentially lost its water supply, making getting water difficult, not to mention zombies appearing at night.


    Moreover, the supplies in the city had been completely scavenged by them, and staying in the city no longer held any meaning.


    The countryside��while spacious��was hard to defend against a massive array of zombies. The only way to resist the Zombie Tide was with the advantage of buildings; otherwise, low fences alone would not hold.


    A small town!


    Captain Lv suddenly thought of it. The town also had some seven to eight-story buildings, and there were many rural areas nearby. It was feasible to live near the town, where they could advance to attack and retreat for defense.


    The vehicles drove out of the city.


    Seeing Captain Lv undecisive, Lao Xie asked, "The road ahead leads toward Xin City. Should we go there? Or head south towards Guangdong Province? Captain, make a decision."


    "How do you think?" Captain Lv saw Old Xie seemed to have some thoughts, so he asked.


    "Anyway, it''s all the same wherever we go; wherever there are fewer zombies and fewer people, that''s where we''ll head to," Old Xie said.


    Captain Lv looked at Old Xie and finally said, "Towards Xin City direction!"


    In his heart, he actually had a high appreciation for Li Yu. Only a team led by such a person could truly go the distance, he was clear about himself, leading some people to kill zombies, to protect the base, he could do it.


    But to be the leader of a group, he actually didn''t inherently have that intention, even just leading these people out now made him feel overwhelmed by pressure.


    In Xin City, he didn''t know what they would face, but now letting him go even further to Guangdong Province, he''d rather (prefer) go to Xin City; after all, he had been to Xin City many times before the apocalypse, and even had some people from Xin City in his team.


    Going to a familiar place always felt somewhat more reassuring.


    The cars continued roaring, driving towards the Xin City direction.


    The sky gradually darkened; Captain Lv took out a map, and saw there was still a long distance to go.


    The sun had already set, dusk had arrived.


    He was very clear that it would not take more than 15 minutes for the sky to completely darken.


    Although it still seemed bright now, it would soon turn dark.


    The cars raced along the roadside, just ahead there was a small town, also next to this national highway.


    Captain Lv saw a building there and said, "That Dingsheng Haotai International." The sign was very prominent.


    From a distance, it was easily visible. Previously, Captain Lv often came to this place to perform his duties, capturing quite a few people and taking them to the station.


    Because he had been there, he knew it was the most luxurious place in this small town.


    "Okay, Captain Lv."


    The vehicles slowly pulled over, finally stopping next to this building.


    This building was tightly adjacent to another tall building, which also had a sign saying Dongsheng Hotel.


    Everyone got out of the cars, Captain Lv thought for a moment, had several team members drive the cars and create a V-shaped barricade around the Dongsheng Hotel which could also serve as a certain form of protection.


    Old Xie was a bit confused and asked, "Aren''t we going to look for Dingsheng Haotai International?"


    Captain Lv shook his head and said, "No, we''re staying here; there should be more rooms inside."


    He didn''t explain further; he summoned a few teammates to go inside and scout first.


    The others started unloading things from the cars; after all, they wouldn''t be staying inside the vehicles. Although there were no people around now, it would be terrible if someone came to steal things in the middle of the night.


    Captain Lv led a few teammates upstairs.


    As dusk deepened, it was already getting dark inside the building.


    In the apocalypse, there were always some ways to deal with darkness.


    Although they didn''t have ample electricity, they had scavenged some generators while in the city, so they were able to charge flashlights for illumination. Just this time, the generator wasn''t brought along because of the rush.


    Actually, finding a generator is still possible, but gasoline and diesel are incredibly precious.


    With the advent of mobile networks, most gas stations used scan payments, and getting fuel was easy with electricity at the stations.


    Otherwise, you could only use an electric pump to extract the oil.


    Jiefang City had operated this way before, but later the electric pump broke, making refueling much more troublesome.


    Turning on the flashlight, illuminating the inside of the building, Captain Lv put away his handgun, holding a dagger, and cautiously checked each room.


    "Every room must be carefully checked!" Captain Lv said.

 Chapter 221 - 213: Half a Bag of Rice

    Captain Lv led everyone to start inspecting every corner of the house; every room had to be checked, including corners behind doors and other inconspicuous spots.


    Being cautious is wise in this post-apocalyptic world; when approaching an unfamiliar dwelling, the first priority is inspection, to resolve any potential hazards.


    A loud thump caught everyone''s attention.


    Captain Lv furrowed his brows, signaling the team to encircle and approach the direction from which the sound had emanated.


    He gripped the short blade in his hand tightly, focusing intently in that direction.


    Under the illumination of the light, the room ahead was lit up; just as a teammate was about to enter�� S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Captain Lv hurriedly said, "Hold on!"


    The teammate immediately stepped back, looking at Captain Lv with confusion, unaware of any issues.


    "Wait a moment, the sound just came from inside the room; whether it''s a person or a zombie, we must be cautious!" Captain Lv saw the confusion in his teammates'' eyes and patiently explained.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the door of that room creaked halfway open, and then silence fell again.


    Captain Lv glanced around, took a small iron tin from a nearby table��a tin previously used for tea leaves, now empty except for a bare, echoing interior.


    Captain Lv shook the tin in his hand and then threw it into the room.


    Clang!


    The tin hit the floor with a jarring sound, piercingly loud in the silent house.


    Following that, several growls were heard, moving towards where the tin had landed.


    Through the flashlight''s beam, they clearly saw four or five zombies hiding behind the door; zombies lack intelligence, it must have been a coincidence or perhaps the sun didn''t reach behind the door during the day.


    The teammate who had almost entered the room felt a sense of relief. Thankfully, Captain Lv had warned them not to rush in carelessly; otherwise, facing these few zombies at such close quarters, it would''ve been easy to get overwhelmed and bitten.


    Captain Lv exchanged a knowing look with his teammates. As if reading each other''s minds, they stepped back a few paces and waited at the door.


    The zombies moved towards the location of the tin''s sound but found nothing and soon noticed Captain Lv and the others, instantly surging out from the door.


    The small size of the doorway limited the number of zombies that could pour out at once.


    The first zombie to emerge, almost skeletal, had decomposed over the hot days and the passage of time; it had mostly lost human features, with flesh rotten and clothing tattered and decayed, scraps barely clinging to its frame.


    Captain Lv charged forward, the blade of his dagger nearing the zombie''s head, and stabbed!


    He withdrew quickly��no blood spurted out, just some black, rotten fluid oozing out, stinking horribly.


    The several zombies that followed were also promptly dispatched by teammates.


    To have survived up to this point, almost everyone with Captain Lv had killed zombies, not just once; they had grown accustomed to killing zombies.


    From initially believing it was some kind of disease and that the zombies were still humans, reluctant to strike with lethal force,


    to being forced into life or death situations that brought on guilt, and eventually rising to resistance,


    in the later waves of the Zombie Tide, after killing a multitude of zombies, their hearts had become desensitized.


    Simply dispatching a few zombies left them utterly unaffected.


    Looking at the fallen zombies, Captain Lv then said, "Laoshan, Laoli, let''s go check it out. Don''t just head in��sweep the doorway with a glance first, if there are no zombies then enter."


    Logically speaking, there should be no more zombies inside the house.


    Lao Xie and Lao Li leaned against the door, one on each side, using the light to illuminate the interior and carefully checked before saying, "There should be no problem. Let''s go inside and have a look."


    The two went in and, after another thorough inspection, said, "This room is safe."


    "Mm, let''s stick together and not split up. Let''s check the next room," said Captain Lv.


    "Okay."


    "Alright, Captain."


    ....


    Following this pattern, Captain Lv led his team members and checked each room thoroughly.


    Zombies were found in two of the rooms, but with prior experience to draw from, and with their careful approach, none of them were injured.


    Inside a small room at the back of the second floor, they found some disposable toothbrushes and daily necessities, which they gathered. Later, in another room��where zombies were encountered��they found half a bag of Wuchang rice, though it was crawling with rice weevils.


    Still, this discovery delighted them for a long time. What were rice weevils anyway? They were still edible. As long as the rice wasn''t completely moldy, it could be cooked and eaten.


    They continued searching the room for supplies and found the following items:


    26 unopened towels.


    34 disposable toothbrushes, with matching small packets of toothpaste.


    3 large bottles of shampoo, all of which had been used.


    4 sealed 20-liter containers of water with some sediment due to age, but still drinkable. Water, as long as it''s sealed, can still be consumed after a year or half a year.


    Two canisters of gas, both half-used.


    Half a 100-pound bag of Wuchang rice with weevils.


    A complete set of kitchen equipment, although some knives seemed to be missing.


    Plus some miscellaneous items that weren''t very useful but better than nothing, which they all gathered.


    Finding these items truly made them happy for a long time.


    There were signs that the house had been rummaged through, but it seemed to have been done in haste, perhaps due to the presence of zombies, and the person searching had not looked carefully, leaving the find to them.


    The supplies they found rekindled every person''s hope to survive. The little they had harvested wasn''t much, but in this desperate situation, it gave them the courage to keep persevering.


    By the time they completely checked the rooms, nearly an hour had passed.


    The others weren''t idle, either��they tidied up the rooms they had inspected on the second floor, and finally, they started cooking in the kitchen on the second floor with the rice they had just found.


    After the rice was cooked, everyone gathered to sit in the large hall on the second floor.


    All the windows on the first floor were closed.


    They had carefully considered whether to remain in this building since it was near a highway, and it was not a place to stay for long.


    Drinking the rice porridge, which had too many rice weevils to bother removing��besides, the weevils were high in protein and still edible.


    Sipping the black-and-white rice porridge, with its steaming vapors curling up, even though they were few in number, their hearts were calm at this moment.


    Back in Jiefeng City, although there were many people, they had various intentions, with each family forming its own small group.


    But here, the 32 people were all based around Captain Lv, with the team members as the link, forming a small group. This group was not large, but exceptionally familiar and united.

 Chapter 222 - 214: The Riot with No Winners

    Let''s not discuss Captain Lv and his companions for now.


    At the same time, in Jiefang City, it was plunged into complete chaos.


    In an environment without management, people would drag their moral standards to the lowest point.


    Among them, there was a person, who was the group leader of the group where Li Yu''s aunt initially belonged.


    In her thirties, relying on courage, support from some sisters, and her own decisive nature, she had always done well.


    The moment Director Zhang fell, she knew that Jiefang City might be scattered.


    So, she and a few close sisters packed up their things, intending to leave Jiefang City; originally, they wanted to follow Captain Lv and his team, but seeing the many refugees and residents around them, they could only give up the idea.


    In this day and age, one still has to rely on oneself.


    However, as they were packing up, before they even left the house, a scabies-ridden troublemaker they''ve always clashed with brought a bunch of people to their doorstep.


    "Hey hey, Bai Jie, where are you going? Take us brothers with you."


    The scabies-ridden guy, carrying a big machete and wearing a perverted smile, said.


    Leader Bai saw the seven or eight people opposite her and measured her own group, also seven or eight people.


    With a grim expression, she said, "It''s none of your business, move aside."


    The scabies-ridden guy, still smiling, responded: "You can go, just leave the stuff behind. I won''t stop you."


    "Heh!" Bai Jie looked at him with contempt, full of disdain.


    Seeing Bai Jie''s expression, the scabies-ridden guy suddenly remembered that he had pursued this woman before, but she was impervious to his advances.


    One day he ran out of patience, and took advantage of a mission return at night, trying to forcefully take her. Unexpectedly, Bai Jie was competent; with a loud bang, she threw him over her shoulder, smashing him into a mess.


    At that time, it was with this contemptuous look that Bai Jie said, "You''re too weak."


    The scabies-ridden guy, as if stung by a sore point, couldn''t hang onto his face anymore, his expression suddenly changed: "Ms. Bai, don''t reject the toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Initially, I just wanted you to leave the stuff, but now, you and your things must both stay."


    No sooner had his words fallen than he slowly approached with several men beside him.


    Bai Jie, fearless, firmly gripped her spear and headed straight towards the door, her several sisters seeing Bai Jie''s actions, felt their blood boil and tightly followed her with their packs.


    The men behind the scabies-ridden guy, seeing Bai Jie approaching step by step, immediately remembered the fate of those who previously had their eyes on Bai Jie; one man had been directly kicked until he burst.


    And then there was this scabies-ridden guy himself, who had previously been severely beaten by Bai Jie.


    For a moment, the idea of retreating arose in their minds.


    Seeing this, Bai Jie remained unflustered, although a strong sense of contempt surged within her, she felt it was not the right time to provoke them. Right now, she only wanted to leave Jiefang City as soon as possible and find a suitable place to stay for a while.


    The scabies-ridden guy hardened his heart and charged forward.


    "Lass, reject my toast and you will drink a forfeit!"


    Clang!


    Bai Jie''s spear parried the long knife the scabies-ridden guy slashed down, swiftly rotating her spear and thrusting it straight to his head.


    The scabies-ridden guy, with a roll, seeing the men still standing behind him, shouted loudly: "Come on, don''t just watch, help..."


    Before he could finish speaking, a woman next to Bai Jie also chopped down with a knife. The scabies-ridden guy was caught off guard and got chopped on the arm by the woman.


    Ah!


    Blood gushed out.


    Seeing this, Bai Jie seized the opportunity and went for his life.


    She thrust forward aggressively with the spear aiming at scabies-ridden guy''s chest, piercing through!


    Behind Sister Bai, the other women also stepped forward, you with a knife, me with a knife, chopping at the body of the scabies-ridden guy.


    The men standing at the door, seeing how brutal these women were, ran away in a flash.


    On the brink of death, the lice-ridden man saw the "bros" running away from the door and muttered, "Such friggin... traps..."


    Pshhh!


    Bai Jie''s spear was pulled out from the lice-ridden man''s chest, bringing with it a spray of blood. Bai Jie quickly backed away; she didn''t want to get her clothes stained with blood.


    Thud! The lice-ridden man fell straight to the ground, dead as can be.


    Without looking back, Bai Jie ran outside, with several other women closely following her.


    Looking around at the chaos, some physically weak people simply could not resist being looted by the stronger ones.


    Violence, and crimson blood, were unfolding at this moment.


    On their escape route from Jiefang City, they witnessed one tragic scene after another, but they didn''t stop since the area was crowded and they might be trapped by others.


    Fortunately, since they didn''t carry much, they didn''t attract too much attention. And since many people knew that Bai Jie was not to be messed with, their escape from Jiefang City went relatively smoothly.


    ...


    In Jiefang City, the man who killed Director Zhang with a brick gathered several squad leaders and some close acquaintances, totaling about twenty people.


    They were the perpetrators, but with the chaos of the fleeing population behind them, they became targets for the majority who had no resources.


    Usually meek people, who wouldn''t dare make a peep, under the pressure of the crowd, started to attempt to rob Xie Liuhai and others.


    The more, the mightier.


    Xie Liuhai couldn''t resist the crowd, so he threw half of his belongings and ran towards the West Gate.


    The goods were thrown on the ground and instantly fought over.


    Fleeing civilians and lower-class residents scrambled on the ground, fighting each other in the scramble.


    The scene was bloody, and it kept happening.


    However, there was still a portion of people who didn''t manage to grab anything who turned their focus back on Xie Liuhai and his group.


    After all, Xie Liuhai and his people were the plumpest targets.


    Xie Liuhai and his people fought back hard.


    But they couldn''t resist the overwhelming numbers; several squad leaders were chopped to death.


    Xie Liuhai was also injured, and by the time he staggered out of the West Gate, there were only four or five people left with him. They only had one last package.


    Perhaps because Xie Liuhai had thrown away too much, causing internal fights among the refugees, not many followed them in the end.


    Hatred, in the face of food, isn''t worth mentioning.


    Xie Liuhai glanced back fiercely at the group of fleeing civilians, a twinge of regret surged in his heart, but it quickly disappeared. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s head east, I know some people over there. We''ll go and find them," Xie Liuhai said, having previously led teams to gather resources and visited the neighboring area, where he met people from the East.


    Among them was a person from the East, a former colleague of his when he worked outside, who said they came from the neighboring province.


    ...


    The people who left Jiefang City were each looking for their own refuge, while those who stayed were still fighting over resources; one moment someone secured resources, the next moment they were stabbed to death.


    Unknown who started it, a massive fire began to engulf Jiefang City.


    As night fell, there were few final victors.


    But because they didn''t evacuate early, zombies still emerged at night, carrying food soaked in blood, fighting the zombies on their own!


    In this night, survival was a difficult thing.

 Chapter 223 - 215: Where to Go

    On the other side, where Captain Lv and others are located, it''s not far from Xin City.


    In the base...


    A scene of tranquility.


    Yet within this tranquility, Li Yu was also thinking about how the base should develop in the future.


    In this apocalyptic world, weakness is a sin and strength is the only truth.


    No one will talk to you about morality, rule of law, or relationships; only when your fists are strong enough can you feel confident.


    The old ways of connections, power, and money before the apocalypse have all become utterly useless now. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Interpersonal communication has become more realistic, somewhat cold, but highly efficient in dialogue.


    No one talks about ideals and freedom, no one discusses dreams and the future, because in this apocalypse, being able to survive till tomorrow, getting a full meal, is already a fortune.


    Currently, the base has 70 people, of which more than 60 are capable of fighting, both men and women.


    This number has roughly reached the scale Li Yu had anticipated.


    He too had thought about expanding the number of people, but before his rebirth, he had seen too many large gathering places that eventually fell apart due to food issues, causing internal conflicts and making management extremely difficult.


    In the fifth year before his rebirth, there were hardly any large gathering places left because they couldn''t be sustained.


    Under the dual threats of natural disasters and zombies, there was an abundance of uncertainties.


    He had personally experienced it; a gathering place that looked exceptionally strong, with thousands of people!


    Yet, due to a blizzard, the crops froze to death followed by torrential rain and a Zombie Tide.


    Food crisis, too many people, extremely difficult to manage, differing opinions, and finally, it collapsed!


    Under a ruined nest, how can there be any intact eggs.


    That time, he almost died too.


    Afterwards, he never joined any large gathering places again, because although they meant more strength, they also meant, should there be a problem that couldn''t be solved, the consequences would be even more tragic.


    However.


    If he doesn''t expand the base, it also means fewer people, and perhaps by leveraging a head start, he might snatch some firearms, but after all, bullets will run out. It''s not a long-term strategy.


    However, if you want to expand the group''s size, you''re faced with the same major problem: Food!


    He had thought about forming a strong team, recruiting talent, building factories, developing technology. But doing all these needed people and finding these people.


    No doubt, this was extremely difficult.


    Take the simplest example. Manufacturing firearms and bullets �C just making bullets was already tough enough.


    Bullet manufacturing involves pressing, requiring a large number of molds, the specific dimensions of which are confidential; generally, workshops don''t have such conditions. If you want to make your own bullets, you must overcome the challenge of mold dimension control.


    Then talk about guns!


    The structure of firearms can be broken down into the stock, magazine, barrel, cartridge, piston, gun mechanism, firing pin, sights, front sight, trigger, receiver, grip, gun cleaning rod, recoil spring, piston cylinder, gas vent, trigger stop iron, bullet in the chamber, muzzle brake, magazine clip, and safety stop iron, among other components!


    Among them, the most challenging one is undoubtedly the "barrel"!


    The barrel, as a major component of a firearm, runs straight through the chamber.


    On the battlefield, when the bullet is fired, the expanding gases produced by the explosion of gunpowder or by air pressure push the bullet through the barrel, turning it into a high-speed projectile that ultimately strikes the target.


    If pulling the trigger doesn''t smoothly release the high-energy bullet from the barrel, it can cause a "chamber explosion," which harbors a fatal risk!


    To ensure good hardenability, through hardenability, and machinability, the material''s grain size must reach level 4-6 and the structure must be uniform!


    After resolving the material issue, one faces the exacting challenge of crafting the gun barrel. One must consider numerous details, such as the firing pin and linkage engagement points, and even pull out fine rifling in the already thin inner wall of the barrel.


    Rifling is the soul of the barrel! It imparts the rotational force to the bullet, allowing it to maintain its predetermined direction and hit the target after leaving the barrel!


    If we are just making simple ones, that too requires many processes, perhaps before the apocalypse, some parts could be purchased and assembled.


    But now, in the apocalypse, everything is desolate, and there are no complete parts available, just making them on our own. The difficulty is too high.


    To produce these things, it is necessary to have professional talents, and the number of people must inevitably increase.


    Only by achieving a certain scale can we support this venture. We need some people for protection, some for farming, and some specifically for scientific and technological production.


    But once again, it falls into a vicious cycle.


    Too many people �� natural disasters, Zombie Tide, various accidents, not enough food, prone to collapse.


    Too few people �� unable to achieve economies of scale, lack of talents, not enough strength for resistance.


    It seems that whether there are too many or too few people, the end is always extinction.


    This apocalypse is not friendly to humanity.


    This apocalypse is not just about zombies; it''s also just about his rebirth skills bringing a Prophet-like advantage.


    No superpowers, nor systems, what he has is just his ferocity!


    Kill to stop killing! The killing intent is severe!


    But as time passes, it''s not just him who is ruthless. Everyone who has survived is ruthless.


    This issue still troubles Li Yu.


    Originally, his initial plan was to not have too many people, but later when farms were planted at the base, it was discovered that it could support more people, and then more people were admitted.


    These people were all carefully vetted before they were allowed to join.


    So far, based on his interactions, these people have still satisfied Li Yu.


    Standing on the base''s wall overlooking the distant mountains, Li Yu feels the heat gradually lessen.


    A breeze blows by, and Li Yu hears footsteps beside him.


    It''s Second Uncle.


    Second Uncle looks at him, then stands next to him, and neither of them speaks.


    He lights a cigarette.


    After taking a puff, he lets the smoke blow away in the wind for a while.


    Second Uncle then says, "Li Yu, sometimes, you can share your thoughts or concerns with us more. Don''t keep everything bottled up."


    Li Yu nods silently, stays quiet for a few seconds, and then says, "The base has inevitably been exposed by now. I have no regrets about the people I''ve killed, but I always worry about the development of the base. With more people, management inevitably becomes difficult, and food becomes the biggest problem. But with too few people, it''s also hard to survive in this apocalypse."


    Second Uncle reflects for a moment, then directly says, "What''s there to be conflicted about? Just carefully choose your partners, control the number of people within a range we can handle, isn''t that good?"


    Li Yu feels as if a fog has lifted upon hearing this. The observer is confused; his constantly perplexing issue seems trivial when Second Uncle mentions it.


    Right! If it''s hard to manage many people and we can''t afford to keep them, why not just carefully select useful people to join?

 Chapter 224 - 216: I Can Only Be Heartbroken for Big Brother

    Li Yu quickly thought about the terraced fields now built in the base, as well as the fields on the plains, which currently can sustain about 80 people, and this was after planting.


    There were also enough supplies stored in the warehouse for all of them to use for 8 years.


    If they chose not to expand further, about 4 more acres of land could still be reclaimed on the plains of the base.


    That would surely increase the grain yield again, and with crops like corn and sweet potatoes, it would be more than enough to sustain a hundred people.


    And about 100 people is considered to be a medium-sized group in this post-apocalyptic world.


    Not too small to easily catch the attention of larger forces, yet also not too large to put excessive pressure on logistics.


    But all this is a matter for later; having more people is naturally advantageous, but it also requires the right people.


    .....


    It is already August, and more than half of the water in the Mountain Pond has been consumed. Even with the use of black Sun Protection Balls to save a lot of water, the water levels continue to drop steadily under daily use, including irrigation of the fields.


    According to his memory, the rainy season should arrive by the end of August.


    When the rainy season comes, although it can solve their drought problem, it will also bring a wave of Zombie Tides.


    Droughts, torrential rains, ice and snow, zombies, always cycling over and over.


    Occasionally, several of these problems overlap.


    Walking through all these adversities together has turned into nourishment for their friendship, increasing their tacit understanding.


    Three days later.....


    On the southern side of Xin City, Captain Lv and his team had already left the original Dongsheng Hotel and had now arrived in Xin City.


    In fact, they already knew the general location of Li Yu''s base; the group of refugees had told them. But now he hesitated.


    When Li Yu killed the guy with the big back head right in front of them, he whispered to Captain Lv to be careful of the refugees.


    He took it to heart at the time, arranging for some people to be on guard, albeit not many.


    The collapse of Jiefang City was mainly due to the unresolved food problem, a very thorny issue.


    The uprising led by the refugees merely served as the last straw that broke the camel''s back.


    It was just a fuse.


    Now, he didn''t really know where to go, but compared to heading towards other unfamiliar places, it seemed better to move towards Xin City.


    Because early on, Li Yu had dealt with many of the surrounding forces near Xin City.


    So, on the third day of their arrival, Captain Lv''s team surprisingly found no other Survivors.


    Perhaps there were some, but definitely very few.


    "Captain, where do we go now?" Old Xie asked, looking at Captain Lv.


    Captain Lv was torn inside. He wanted to seek refuge with Li Yu and his group, but he was also very aware that his people might not be accepted.


    The incident in Jiefang City made him understand one thing; having more people doesn''t necessarily mean it''s beneficial.


    Allowing them to join means feeding thirty more mouths.


    Why should they be allowed to join?


    Furthermore, Captain Lv thought of something��although he heard from the refugees that Li Yu''s group had tall walls and a Weng City and indeed possessed strength, he didn''t know if their food supply was sufficient.


    Food!


    Food!


    Food!


    This had become the most urgent problem for them to solve at present.


    Now, they couldn''t seek out Li Yu, at least not yet.


    Based on Captain Lv''s understanding of Li Yu, he felt Li Yu was a very cautious person. If his people rashly went to their base, the likelihood of being rejected was quite high.


    Forget it. Let''s look for something else in the city then.


    ...


    In the city center, to the east.


    Xie Liuhai, who had escaped from Jiefang City, only had four or five people left with him. The rest were killed by the rampaging refugees.


    They didn''t carry much with them, only a backpack, but it was filled with food.


    The food was enough to last them for over half a month.


    "Bro Hai, where do we go now?" asked a young man with a big mouth.


    He had an enormous mouth with yellow teeth, and when he spoke, a pungent bad breath washed over you.


    It was enough to make someone retch.


    Xie Liuhai turned his head, and was immediately assaulted by a strong, indiscernible odor, like a blend of sewer stench, rotten eggs, and a pungent metallic smell.


    Ugh~


    Xie Liuhai retched on the spot.


    He waved his hand, signaling Dash''s mouth to get lost.


    Oblivious, Dash saw Xie Liuhai''s discomfort and approached with concern, getting closer.


    Bringing his mouth near, he patted Xie Liuhai''s back with his right hand and said, "Hey, what''s wrong, Liuhai, are you feeling unwell?"


    He said those words as he leaned in close to Xie Liuhai, making the odor even more distinct and intense.


    The overpowering stench made a few of the men nearby step back.


    Xie Liuhai was hit front and center by the overwhelming stink.


    Blargh!


    Xie Liuhai vomited right then and there.


    TMD.


    Don''t you have any brains?


    Dash''s eyes were full of concern, and seeing his traveling companions staying far away, he felt a bit angry: "Liuhai is unwell, feeling sick, and you guys don''t care, just keeping your distance."


    His gaze was filled with contempt, as he followed up, "Not like me, I''m the only one who feels sorry for Liuhai."


    Damn it!


    Xie Liuhai saw that inexplicable emotion in Dash''s eyes.


    Feeling it carefully, the hand on his shoulder, indeed, was patting him.


    But the pats gradually slid lower.


    Subtly, and at one point even patting his bottom.


    Pia~


    The palm struck the buttocks, making a crisp sound.


    At that moment, Xie Liuhai experienced a kind of humiliation he had never felt before!


    A surge of heat flowed up from the soles of his feet, into his lower abdomen, chest, and up to his head.


    Xie Liuhai suddenly understood what it meant to be infuriated beyond endurance.


    He punched Dash squarely in the face.


    Ah~


    Dash''s mouth opened slightly, and a thick, clear fluid flew out.


    It was somewhat yellow, crystal clear, but somehow muddled.


    Pia!


    It splattered onto Xie Liuhai''s face.


    Sticking firmly.


    Ugh!


    Xie Liuhai knelt on the ground, vomiting violently.


    This was the most regrettable incident of his life.


    Why, oh why, did he bring Dash along.


    It wasn''t until he was retching up bile that he started to recover.


    Raising his eyes, he saw Dash sitting on the ground, one hand covering his face, looking up at him with pitifully large, tearful eyes.


    As if Xie Liuhai owed him, as if he had committed some unforgivable sin against him.


    The red mark on his face was clearly visible.


    Perhaps it was Dash''s pitiful look that reminded Xie Liuhai of when they set out today, how Dash had desperately fought by his side, slaughtering the refugees.


    When things got most perilous, it was Dash who covered the rear, allowing him to escape.


    Looking at the six-foot-three-inch tall Dash, now on the verge of tears, Xie Liuhai suddenly felt a sense of guilt. After all, Dash had good intentions, and he had saved him.


    Was he being too harsh on him?


    His heart softened, tempted to go over.


    But then he almost vomited again from the residue that had been wiped from his face and the faint odor that lingered.


    He''d thrown up so much that his intestines were starting to convulse.


    In an instant, his heart turned to stone. Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 225 - 217: The Strange Old House

    When Xie Liuhai and his group fled from Jiefang City, it was already evening. They took a brief pause amid the twilight.


    And then they started heading east. Dazui also picked himself up from the ground.


    He didn''t say much, but he didn''t approach Xie Liuhai again.


    Seeing Dazui''s cautious demeanor, a hint of guilt rose in Xie Liuhai''s heart, but it was fleeting.


    He immediately shifted his focus. The sun had already set and they had not yet reached their destination.


    There wasn''t a single tall building nearby, only a few residential houses in this secluded place, and those were tile-roofed houses.


    Surrounded by mountains and forests, this desolate place was pierced through by a national highway.


    But because it was too remote.


    After leaving Jiefang City, they had driven a car, but after less than 30 kilometers, they ran out of gasoline.


    A car without gasoline is akin to scrap metal.


    At this moment, the most pressing issue facing them was whether to continue forward or find a place to survive the night. As it is extremely dangerous at night.


    Nearly a year had passed since the apocalypse; roadside weeds grew wildly, and those residential houses were dilapidated. These houses, seldom lived in, now appeared even more sinister under the gloomy night sky.


    "Brother Hai, what should we do? It''s getting late," a man asked beside Xie Liuhai.


    Xie Liuhai glanced at the horizon where the sun had set, and darkness was creeping in.


    In the apocalypse, everyone feared the night, but not because of ghosts; they feared zombies.


    Zombies, different from daytime, had their sense of smell and mobility greatly enhanced at night.


    Especially on rainy nights, it''s practically home field advantage for zombies.


    Xie Liuhai pondered for a moment before asking, "Are you familiar with this area?"


    "Not really, I''m not from this county, and this is my first time here," a man replied.


    "Brother Hai, I''ve been here before. There are lots of woodlands around. I used to drive through here on my way home. There''s probably a big bamboo forest up ahead if I remember correctly. This place used to be called the Bamboo Sea," Dazui mentioned.


    Xie Liuhai nodded, and after taking a final glance at everyone, he said: "It''s not suitable to move about at night. We don''t know how much longer we''ll have to walk. Let''s find a place to stay for the night."


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    But where should they stay tonight?


    Continuing to stay in the car was an option; it had seven seats and was spacious enough for a few of them.


    But the car was out of gas. It couldn''t be started.


    Moreover, the car was parked in the middle of the national highway��if zombies passed by, wouldn''t they become targets?


    If not staying in the car, then where could they go?


    Everyone looked toward the few residential houses fifty meters off the highway.


    These houses, nestled in the night with tile roofs and at the foot of the forested mountains,


    looked like something out of a horror movie, potentially hiding rustic undead corpses.


    But they still headed in that direction. Staying in the car definitely wasn''t an option.


    They could only find a building to hide out in for the night.


    Sigh...


    They encouraged each other and slowly walked toward the house.


    Upon closer inspection, the foremost house had a collapsed fence, and when they drew near, they saw a long rope hanging inside the house.


    Its purpose was unclear.


    Behind the rope, the bamboo pole was broken, but it still held a white cloth aloft, staunchly.


    The white cloth was stained with some black marks, and it was tattered, fluttering in the evening breeze.


    Beyond this fence was a dense forest.


    In the darkness, it was hard to discern clearly.


    They drew closer and closer, approaching this fence.


    Entering.


    Suddenly, a round grave came into view.


    The grave had no tombstone.


    An eerie vibe circulated around them.


    Everyone felt a chill rising from their tailbone,


    Hiss.


    The crowd gasped, drawing in a chill breath.


    This is just too eerie.


    There''s no way we can stay in this house, who''s ever heard of building a grave for the living.


    Besides, it''s constructed right there in the yard, facing directly towards the interior courtyard of the house.


    Inside the courtyard is the Si Shui Gui Tang, an architectural feature meaning ''four waters returning to the hall''.


    It''s quaint, yet somewhat strange.


    No signs of life, but then what''s with the fabric on the outer walls? No one could figure it out, and they didn''t want to.


    At this moment, they all felt a tingling sensation on their scalps.


    They wanted to escape from this place as quickly as possible, sensing that something was off.


    They switched on their flashlights, but the battery was running low, casting a feeble light.


    Damn it!


    "Who brought a flashlight?" Xie Liuhai asked.


    "I didn''t. Who would bother with that? Better to save space for food," someone replied.


    "Brother Hai, I didn''t bring one either," another person said.


    "Hai Hai, I''ve got some candles," Big Mouth said.


    Hmm? Candles, very thorough, or should I say... never mind, let''s not talk about it.


    Xie Liuhai nodded, noticing Big Mouth pulling out two candles from his backpack - they were even red.


    Quite festive.


    But now was not the time to light the candles.


    They hurriedly fled the premises.


    Glancing back at the other houses, they felt torn.


    Should they check out the houses towards the back?


    Seeing that dusk was gradually setting in, Xie Liuhai realized that if they didn''t find a place to stay and set up some defenses soon, they''d be done for if zombies showed up.


    Unable to see clearly, how could they fight off zombies? Especially if there were many.


    Quick!


    Quick!


    Quick!


    "Hurry up, let''s check out that house at the back, that one!" Xie Liuhai pointed to a building behind them, which seemed more intact.


    Although it was also a tiled house, it appeared to be somewhat safer.


    Yes, a bit safer.


    They sped up, running the few dozen meters to the house.


    This house had no yard. Seeing that there were no graves in front of it, everyone let out a sigh of relief.


    It was good there were none; they feared encountering another one. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The grave they had seen earlier was just too creepy.


    Xie Liuhai turned on his flashlight and slowly walked inside.


    The light revealed some farm tools, a broken bucket, some black and grey towels, and a somewhat old table and chairs.


    No problem.


    Xie Liuhai breathed a sigh of relief.


    In this silent mountain forest, next to the national road, inside a house.


    They had finally found a place to stay.


    Everyone there had survived up until now thanks to their experience with survival. They began to inspect the house.


    In fact, there were not many rooms inside the house, just four, each located in the east, south, west, and north, surrounding the central hall.


    They split into pairs and checked the four rooms.


    Big Mouth followed by Xie Liuhai''s side, lighting the candle.


    Seeing the light grow, Xie Liuhai turned around and noticed Big Mouth had lit the candle, feeling somewhat apologetic.


    So he asked, "Big Mouth, why did you bring red candles?"


    Big Mouth looked somewhat embarrassed, lowering his head and muttered, "I wanted... to have a candlelit dinner with you."


    Before Xie Liuhai could listen closely, a loud scream pierced the air from nearby!

 Chapter 226 - 218: Terrifying Tomb

    A scream made Big Mouth''s hands tremble, almost toppling the candle he was holding.


    But even though the candle didn''t fall, the wax flew out and dripped onto Big Mouth''s arm.


    Ah!


    Big Mouth whimpered softly.


    Xie Liuhai didn''t care about him, instead, he paced quickly towards where the scream had come from.


    The scream just now was from someone who had come out with them.


    There must be a problem; otherwise, they wouldn''t be shouting like that.


    What exactly happened? Was it a Zombie, or...


    Xie Liuhai''s mind immediately conjured images of horror movies he had watched before the apocalypse, and he shook his head.


    How could it be.


    Impossible.


    Absolutely impossible.


    But his legs were still trembling.


    Holding the flashlight, he reached another room in a few strides.


    These three people also had flashlights. They were shining their flashlights inside this room.


    From Xie Liuhai''s perspective, he saw three people with their backs towards them, staring straight ahead.


    But he couldn''t see what they were looking at because these three people completely blocked Xie Liuhai''s view.


    Xie Liuhai breathed a sigh of relief.


    No Zombies, no ghosts.


    "What the hell are you screaming for, scared the hell out of me." Xie Liuhai walked forward and approached them.


    He patted one of the person''s shoulders and said: "I''m talking to you guys, why aren''t you responding, what are you all looking so intently at?"


    His line of sight gradually shifted to where they were looking.


    ...


    In this room, by the bed, there was another grave.


    A small one. No tombstone, just a small mound of earth.


    There was a photo placed on it.


    A little girl, smiling happily.


    But, if it were just that, it wouldn''t be so frightening.


    What was terrifying was that the little girl was dressed in white, and that white clothing seemed to be made from the same white fabric seen earlier in the house.


    It looked extremely eerie.


    Moreover, around the girl''s neck, there was a long rope.


    Her eyes were bulging.


    Staring wide-eyed with a smile, as if fixated on them.


    As though, the little girl could walk out of the photo album.


    Hiss!


    Xie Liuhai''s scalp went numb instantly, his body started trembling involuntarily.


    "This.... WTF." Xie Liuhai blurted out this phrase.


    The men next to him seemed to finally react.


    Suddenly, they rushed out of the room in a panic. By the time Xie Liuhai realized what was happening, he found himself alone.


    Coincidentally, at this moment, his flashlight also ran out of power.


    Xie Liuhai deeply engraved the image of the little girl from the photo in his mind.


    At this time in the night, he felt a force approaching him.


    Damn!


    Xie Liuhai hurried out of the room. "Why the hell didn''t you guys say anything when you left?"


    Xie Liuhai shouted angrily.


    Two candles were lit, finally illuminating the space.


    Everyone gathered together, feeling terrified from what they had just seen.


    Big Mouth hadn''t seen it, but listening to their description, he also felt some fear when he looked in the direction of that room.


    Awoo...


    From somewhere, a howl of a wolf was heard.


    With the apocalypse, many animals in nature were proliferating.


    But, often, many also died at the hands of Zombies.


    "Big Mouth, go close the door," Xie Liuhai said.


    "Let''s go together," Xie Liuhai said, seeing the frightened look on Da Mouth''s face. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone walked towards the main door. The tiled house had its windows sealed with wood, leaving only small cracks.


    Da Mouth closed the main door, slid the bolt into place, and then found a carrying pole to secure behind the door.


    "Hai brother, what we just saw was really bizarre. Have you ever seen someone build a tomb in their yard, and inside their room?" one man said.


    "Do you think someone could be playing tricks on us?" another man said.


    "That''s probably impossible. We''ve seen inside this house, the dust is so thick. If someone were living here, it wouldn''t be this dusty," Xie Liuhai stated.


    "So, what exactly is going on? What do we do now?" another man asked.


    "Let''s just stay put for now; it might be even more dangerous outside," Xie Liuhai said.


    "Right. Should we check the remaining rooms?" another man asked.


    "Let''s take a look," Xie Liuhai said as he walked to another room, passing by the room with the tomb, and gently closed its door.


    They checked another room, and it was normal��everything seemed fine.


    Apart from the initial room that Xie Liuhai and Da Mouth checked, and the room where the tomb was just discovered, including the room they just inspected, only the last room remained.


    This room was locked.


    But not completely; it was just latched.


    Xie Liuhai glanced at his companions and then took a deep breath.


    He opened the door to the room.


    The moment it opened, light shone into the room.


    What they saw were bones scattered on the floor!


    White bones reflecting a pristine glow under the candlelight!


    These bones were clearly human bones.


    Everyone felt the shock, their faces filled with horror.


    They continued to look inside.


    Roar~


    Suddenly, a faint zombie growl caught their attention.


    They directed their gaze towards the back of the room.


    They saw a small zombie with its waist chained to a large cabinet.


    It was gnashing its teeth and growling at them.


    The large cabinet, rattling with the growls of the small zombie, was shaking slightly, moving forward.


    This small zombie seemed quite strong, but seeing the bones scattered on the floor, Xie Liuhai and the others could guess what was going on.


    A zombie that hasn''t fed for a long time has significantly reduced mobility.


    This small zombie seemed to have had a good supply of food.


    Food supply?


    What do zombies eat?


    Humans.


    Damn.


    Everyone suddenly realized this and felt a chill run down their spines.


    "This... this zombie, isn''t it that little girl from the other room?" one man exclaimed, suddenly realizing.


    The others looked closely, indeed.


    But the difference was that this little girl was now wearing a red dress, not the white clothes from before.


    Also, the marks on her neck were still very visible.


    What exactly is happening here?


    Everyone felt very uneasy.


    Xie Liuhai looked at the small zombie in front of him, feeling determined.


    I''m not new to killing zombies; what''s to fear about this small one?


    Just kill it and be done with it.


    With that thought, he slowly walked forward, drawing his Long Knife from its sheath.


    He was just about to strike.


    Bang!


    A scream came from behind.


    It was Da Mouth''s voice.


    -----------------------------


    Recommend a book "Scared by System Notifications" by Huai Yi, brothers and sisters interested can go check it out.

 Chapter 227 - 219: Its a Human Sabotage!

    The night was seductive.


    The shriek from Big Mouth startled the man with angled bangs at the front.


    He quickly turned his head, only to see Big Mouth collapsed on the ground, blood spurting from his neck.


    The candle fell to the ground, and under the faint candlelight, it seemed to flicker as a pair of shoes appeared, but then they quickly vanished.


    "Did any of you see what just happened?" the man with angled bangs asked the men behind him.


    "I, I was just watching that little Zombie, didn''t see anything, just turned my head and saw Big Mouth on the ground," said one of the men.


    "I, I, I didn''t see anything either," another man said, his eyes wide with terror as he saw Big Mouth lying on the ground.


    There was a horrific wound on the neck, a fatal blow. The blood was still flowing from the wound.


    Big Mouth''s mouth was wide open as if he wanted to say something, but it seemed like his throat had been cut by a sharp weapon, leaving him unable to speak.


    The man with angled bangs tried to remain calm, approached, and squatted down, saying to the other men, "Something''s wrong, keep an eye on our surroundings. I''ll check on Big Mouth."


    It seemed Big Mouth heard a response he wanted, his eyes showing a relieved expression as his mouth opened wide.


    The man with angled bangs squatted down, lowered his head and asked, "Big Mouth, did you see anything just now?"


    Big Mouth used all his strength to open his mouth wide, but still couldn''t say anything.


    He struggled for a while, and then said nothing.


    His head tilted, and he was gone.


    A trace of sadness flashed in the eyes of the man with angled bangs; throughout their journey, although Big Mouth often spoke rudely, he had been incredibly loyal to him, saving him more than once.


    The man with angled bangs sighed deeply, and then closed Big Mouth''s still-open eyes with his hands.


    "Big Bro Hai, let''s leave this place, it''s too eerie here," one of the men said.


    As soon as he finished speaking.


    Crash!


    A sound of something falling hit the ground, making a piercing noise.


    Someone!


    There definitely was someone!


    The man with angled bangs was furious, there must be someone else in the room.


    He turned on the already low-battery flashlight, shining it towards the location of the noise.


    But under the light, there was nothing to be seen.


    Just as the man with angled bangs was about to check other places.


    Ahh!


    Another scream echoed from nearby.


    Just 3 meters away, another companion''s neck was also spurting blood.


    The wound was neat, clearly cut by something sharp!


    After the man fell, he said in terror on the ground, "There''s a man in the room, he''s right here in the room!"


    After saying these words, it seemed he used up all his strength, and finally lay there motionless.


    ...


    At this point, the man with angled bangs went from initial shock to now raging fury.


    Was someone messing with them?!


    "Come out! If you dare, come out! Damn it! What do you want?" yelled the man with angled bangs hysterically.


    No response came back, two people had died consecutively. But they hadn''t seen a trace of the enemy, which made the other two people consider retreating.


    "Maybe, Big Bro Hai, we should leave?" said one of the men tremblingly.


    The man with angled bangs didn''t reply, looked at the Long Knife in his hand, and gripped it tightly.


    With his other hand, he held the candle, waving it fiercely towards the dark space ahead.


    I don''t know what''s in the darkness, but Xie Liuhai was just trying to force the person hiding in the dark to come out.


    "Come out!" Xie Liuhai roared angrily.


    The remaining two, seeing Xie Liuhai who seemed to have gone mad, exchanged glances.


    Silently, they headed toward the door, just wanting to leave this place.


    Bang!


    The door suddenly shut, stopping the two in their tracks, turning their gaze toward the direction of the door.


    The darkness made it hard to see clearly.


    But one could vaguely make out some blurry shapes. Still, nothing concrete was visible.


    No one.


    What exactly was going on?


    Everyone stopped speaking, and Xie Liuhai also seemed to regain his composure, slowly walking towards the other two people.


    "Don''t split up, everyone. We shouldn''t be defeated one by one. There are definitely no ghosts here; it must be someone''s doing!" Xie Liuhai stated confidently.


    "Yeah, Brother Hai, I believe you, let''s... Ah!" The man hadn''t finished his sentence when he seemingly noticed something. His body slightly turned, and he was struck by a knife on the shoulder.


    A cut opened up instantly on the shoulder. Seeing this, Xie Liuhai threw the Long Knife he held straight towards the fleeting shadow he had just seen.


    From there, a muffled cry of pain followed.


    Xie Liuhai seized the opportunity to strike while his adversary was weak.


    Without a word, taking two steps in stride of three, he picked up the spear from the ground and ran in that direction.


    But when he got close, besides a few drops of blood on the ground, there was nothing else to be seen.


    Seeing the blood, Xie Liuhai confirmed something��there were definitely people causing trouble here.


    "Brother Hai, I''ve been stabbed," the injured man said painfully.


    "Yeah, Old Wang, take care of him. I''m going to deal with that bastard," Xie Liuhai said angrily.


    After speaking, with a flashlight in one hand and the spear in the other, he fearlessly searched around the room.


    He was determined to deal with that bastard.


    Big Mouth''s death couldn''t be in vain!


    But after searching around the small room of barely twenty square meters twice, he found nothing. Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xie Liuhai and the remaining two people stood together, lighting two candles and illuminating a five-meter radius around them.


    Xie Liuhai stood in place, staring into the darkness ahead, lost in thought.


    By their side, the small zombie continued to roar incessantly.


    Suddenly, a thought flashed across Xie Liuhai''s mind which occurred the moment they were attacked when they were near the small zombie.


    Could this person have some connection with the small zombie? As soon as this idea came to him, Xie Liuhai immediately thought of the grave he saw in the other room earlier.


    There definitely had to be a connection.


    Thinking this, Xie Liuhai whispered to the two men on guard beside him: "Be alert."


    Then he took a few steps towards the direction of the small zombie. This small girl-zombie wasn''t far from them originally, and after a few steps, he reached her.


    Xie Liuhai lifted the spear in his hand, glanced at the darkness behind him, waiting for any movement to come.


    Positioning himself as if he was going to kill the small zombie, still no movement occurred.


    Gathering strength, just about to stab.


    A small glass bottle flew towards him, smashing in Xie Liuhai''s direction.


    Xie Liuhai tilted his body, not only did he not retreat, but he also ran towards the direction from which the bottle was thrown, shouting, "Control the small zombie."


    His intuition was correct; the person in the room definitely had a connection with the small zombie. Just as he was about to deal with the small zombie, the glass bottle was thrown.


    The small zombie was the weak spot of the person in the room, whoever they might be.

 Chapter 228 - 220: It Gets Hungry

    The night was pitch black like ink.


    Cool as water.


    At this moment, Xie Liuhai felt a raging fire within him, fueled by anger. It seemed ready to burst forth from the top of his head.


    He had not expected that, without zombies, a person could be so ruthlessly treated.


    His footsteps didn''t stop, heading towards the direction lit by the light, he gradually could see clearly.


    It was a man.


    The man was scruffy, with long hair and a ragged beard, looking like a wild man. His whole body was tattered.


    In his hand, it seemed he held a long weapon.


    It seemed he no longer wanted to hide, at this moment he no longer concealed himself, instead he walked directly towards Xie Liuhai.


    This is good!


    Xie Liuhai was furious, thinking, "Watch how I deal with you."


    Pretending to be a ghost!


    The two got closer.


    Xie Liuhai thrust his spear straight at him.


    The man on the opposing side leaned his body, bypassing Xie Liuhai, without stopping his steps.


    Instead, he ran towards the direction of the little girl zombie.


    Seeing this, Xie Liuhai yelled frantically, "Use the knife to kill that little zombie!"


    Just as the companions controlling the little zombie took up the Long Knife and hacked at the body of the little zombie.


    "No!" The wild man shouted in pain.


    "Please, don''t kill my daughter!"


    But the Long Knife could not stop, although it veered off slightly, the Long Knife only chopped off the arm of the little zombie.


    The wild man, seeing this scene, became furious, his eyes almost bursting, and he shouted in a non-human voice: "You all must die!"


    "Step back, or I''ll kill her right now." Even a fool, through this series of events, would understand what was happening; the man beside the little zombie said.


    "If you don''t step back, I''ll kill her right now," the man with the hastily bandaged shoulder said harshly.


    "Don''t kill, don''t kill, I''ll step back right now." Pain flickered in the wild man''s eyes.


    He slowly retreated.


    Xie Liuhai said, "Put down the weapon in your hands!"


    The wild man hesitated, and the man controlling the zombie girl, seeing his hesitation, placed the edge of the Long Knife against the girl''s neck.


    The little zombie, without any consciousness, swung her head clumsily, the sharp tip of the knife dragging across her face.


    Now, it looked even more terrifying.


    But the wild man, seeing the little zombie, showed a tender expression in his eyes, and seeing her cheek being cut, his eyes burned with rage: "Don''t hurt her."


    The fierceness in his eyes was clear.


    "Put down the weapon in your hands!" said Xie Liuhai, coming closer as he spoke.


    Clang!


    Finally, the wild man put down the Long Knife, a sharp boning knife.


    Exceptionally sharp, just now Big Mouth and another man had died under that knife.


    Xie Liuhai took the opportunity to get closer, then placed the knife against the wild man''s neck.


    With anger flashing in his eyes, he said, "Why did you ambush us?"


    The wild man remained silent. Just staring straight at the little zombie.


    "Why? Speak!" Xie Liuhai pressed the Long Knife against the wild man''s neck, cutting it. He said harshly.


    Indifferent, the wild man turned his head, the Long Knife leaving a deep mark across his neck.


    "Because... She is my daughter!"


    Xie Liuhai said speechlessly, "Then what the fuck is that related to you ambushing us? Are you sick or something, attacking us out of the blue. Fuck."


    The savage man, looking affectionately at the little Zombie, softly said, "She gets hungry."


    These light words suddenly made everyone present feel as if they had fallen into the dead of winter.


    Everyone thought of an unbelievable reason.


    Following that, the savage man confirmed their speculation, "Feeding her with you, she won''t be hungry anymore. She is always like this, never getting enough."


    The affection in his eyes, the gentle tone, even had a hint of a father doting on his daughter.


    "It''s a Zombie, not a person. You feed it live people, are you even human?" Xie Liuhai exclaimed frantically, he didn''t expect that someone as morally deficient as him would be condemning another person''s lack of morals.


    A sickly smile flashed across the savage man''s face: "It doesn''t matter anymore, it''s not the first time anyway."


    With these words, Xie Liuhai and the others were reminded of the pile of human bones at the entrance. It seemed that no less than 20 people had died at this man''s hands, being fed alive to this little Zombie!


    Hiss!


    Everyone gasped in shock. The human bones they recalled, all were used as food, fed to the Zombie. Was this really something a human would do?


    No, this could no longer be considered a human.


    They had also committed some horrifying acts, but they had never thought of feeding live people to a Zombie.


    This, once again, shattered their understanding.


    "What should we do now?" The man with the Long Knife looked at the small Zombie by the door and said to Xie Liuhai.


    Xie Liuhai glanced at the savage man who seemed insane, yet spoke completely rationally.


    A sigh of frustration seemed unable to be vented.


    He could understand the man''s love for his daughter. But he couldn''t comprehend, feeding live people to her, is this something a human should be doing?


    He asked himself, if a loved one turned into a Zombie, would he do something like this.


    This father''s love, it was heavy, it was twisted.


    Carrying such complex emotions, Xie Liuhai sincerely felt the hostility this end of the world held against humanity, driving people to become like this. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This, damn end of the world!


    Xie Liuhai muttered under his breath, swearing.


    After speaking, he swung the Long Knife in his hand, chopping down fiercely.


    The savage man was brought down by the Long Knife!


    Blood burst forth, staining the ground red.


    As the savage man fell, his eyes still on the little Zombie, he said, "Don''t harm her... she..."


    His words were cut off, as he breathed his last. There was no more movement.


    But him, with his eyes wide open, his gaze bore reluctance, guilt, a bit of self-reproach, and a bit of relief...


    He, finally, could stop killing.


    Xie Liuhai watched the fallen man, feeling very uncomfortable inside, without the satisfaction of revenge, without the relief of having resolved a problem.


    Instead, it felt like a heavy stone pressed on his chest, so heavy he couldn''t breathe.


    "Hai, what should we do with this little Zombie?" a man asked.


    Xie Liuhai took one last look at the fallen savage man, sighed and said, "Kill her."


    Swish!


    The Long Knife chopped down, killing the little Zombie.


    The little Zombie then thudded to the ground.


    Xie Liuhai looked at the fallen savage man on the ground, his gaze still on the little Zombie.


    Inside, it felt like a volcano wanting to erupt.


    Suppressed, yet unable to find release.

 Chapter 229 - 221: Eastern Powers

    Xie Liuhai lingered in the room for a while but eventually still walked out.


    He didn''t want to stay in this place any longer; everything in the room felt somewhat oppressive to him.


    The two men following him then also walked out.


    The dim candlelight illuminated the old residential house.


    "Brother Hai, what do we do now?" The injured man asked, his face pale from the loss of blood.


    Xie Liuhai went to the door, checked the horizontal bolt again to make sure it was locked tight, and then said, "Seal that room up, let''s rest up nicely tonight, and we''ll set off tomorrow."


    The two men nodded, went over, and directly sealed the room door. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three of them then tidied things up a bit in another room.


    This room actually had two wooden plank beds, and the bedding on them was somewhat musty. They shook out the bedding a little and it was okay enough to sleep in.


    The weather in August was a bit hot, and it only cooled down at night; at this time, they could somewhat rest sleeping directly on the hard plank beds.


    The night passed without words.


    The next day, Xie Liuhai got out of bed early, ate something simple, and called the two men next to him.


    But after calling them several times and seeing they were still in deep sleep,


    somewhat impatient, he went over and slapped them awake.


    "It''s time to set off. Let''s leave early to make good progress on the road," Xie Liuhai said impatiently.


    The two men opened their eyes, their gaze somewhat vacant as they had just woken up, their beautiful dreams suddenly interrupted, they were bleary-eyed.


    Xie Liuhai was speechless; in this kind of environment, these two men could actually sleep so soundly.


    Meanwhile, he thought about that wild man all night and couldn''t fall asleep; he couldn''t understand why such a thing had happened.


    "Hurry up," Xie Liuhai said.


    The two men quickly got ready, and followed Xie Liuhai out of the house.


    Dawn was breaking, under the morning sun, the mountains and forests were filled with mottled colors, blending lusciously with the greenery.


    It was beautiful.


    The few houses they had seen yesterday looked gloomy.


    But now under the sunlight, they took on a rustic charm.


    "Let''s go," Xie Liuhai took the lead, heading towards the direction of the national highway.


    According to the journey, it would take them roughly 3 hours to reach their destination.


    And so the group set off.


    Previously, when Xie Liuhai was scavenging for supplies in the area, he had come across a team, and one of the sub-leaders was a friend from before, with whom he had a pretty good relationship.


    He had tried to recruit him before, but later Xie Liuhai thought staying in Jiefang City was quite comfortable. There was enough food, and he also had a certain status.


    If it weren''t for these displaced people messing things up, he should still be enjoying himself right now.


    Food, although still available, would still pose some danger for the three of them in this post-apocalyptic world.


    Of course, humans might be more dangerous than zombies.


    But this friend, with whom he had a good relationship, was someone he wanted to try his luck with.


    To see what their situation was like.


    The three of them thus headed towards the east direction of the national highway, not moving fast but not slow either.


    After about three and a half hours of walking.


    It was midday, with the sun blazing overhead.


    The three of them were parched and dry-mouthed.


    "Brother Hai, how much farther to the place you mentioned?"


    Xie Liuhai glanced at a small town that had come into view ahead, which according to his friend, should be nearby.


    "Let''s check out this town first." A hint of indecision also flashed in Xie Liuhai''s eyes.


    He, in fact, was also wondering whether or not it was reliable to seek out this friend of his.


    After all, most of the supplies he had were already snatched away by the refugees, and the little he had left was not enough to sustain them.


    Food was now precious, and joining them might not necessarily result in getting some help with it.


    But in this apocalypse, relying on just the three of them, if they encountered even a small increase in zombie numbers, it would be difficult to resist.


    As for being accepted, he had already thought of a speech. He had come to know from those refugees that there was a well-supplied base in Xin City.


    He had seen people from this base before and had even witnessed them kill.


    To join this group from the East, one must have some value.


    Besides being able to slash zombies, he planned to leak the entire base of Li Yu and their group to this power in the East.


    He would simply exaggerate that the group in Xin City had plentiful resources and a significant influence.


    To pass on the information was his role; whether they wanted to go and plunder was their business.


    He was merely responsible for delivering the information as a bargaining chip for joining them.


    They stayed in this small town for over an hour.


    Suddenly, a person came walking from outside the town. Xie Liuhai had seen this person before; it was his friend''s teammate.


    So he ran out from under the eaves and waved and shouted, "Hey! We''ve met before, remember me? I''m a friend of Old Zhong. He even asked me to join you guys."


    Xie Liuhai''s sudden appearance startled the man.


    A few more people emerged behind this man.


    They were all people who had seen Xie Liuhai before; now they saw the three of Xie Liuhai.


    They stood there watching them, their Long Knifes faintly pointing towards them.


    "Me? I''m a friend of Old Zhong. We met last time, remember?" said Xie Liuhai.


    The people opposite seemed to recognize him, and they whispered to each other for a bit.


    Xie Liuhai was patient, waiting for them to finish their conversation.


    With a smile, he quietly watched them.


    "Do you have something for Brother Zhong?" An older man asked Xie Liuhai.


    "Er, it''s a long story. Can you take me to see Brother Zhong?" Xie Liuhai asked politely, with a smile on his face.


    "Brother Zhong is at the back; I''ll call him. Just wait a moment."


    Xie Liuhai didn''t approach. Even though they had met before, acting rashly would only raise their guard.


    The older man said a few words to a teenager about fourteen or fifteen years old. The kid sprinted to the back �C it seemed he was going to call Brother Zhong.


    In a short while.


    The boy returned with a man wearing a red scarf.


    Xie Liuhai''s face lit up with joy when he saw the man, shouting, "Brother Zhong, it''s me, Little Hai. I''ve come to join you."


    The man with the red scarf had an odd attire; his whole outfit was primarily black and red, but the most striking was the red scarf on his chest.


    The red scarf was tied ingeniously. On him, it gave the impression of a trendy, fashionable vibe �C an ordinary red scarf on his body seemed to embody an avant-garde trend.


    The red scarf man recognized Xie Liuhai.


    Approaching, he asked, "Why have you come to find me? Last time I told you to join us, and you refused. What''s happening now?"

 Chapter 230 - 222: The Cultured Man, Mr. Wang

    Xie Liuhai''s face flashed a hint of awkwardness; the last time Brother Zhong invited him, he was extremely enthusiastic.


    But he refused very directly, making Brother Zhong somewhat displeased.


    So, coming over under these circumstances was really awkward.


    However, thinking about it, as long as the goal could be achieved, what''s the loss of face?


    In just a few seconds, Xie Liuhai sorted out his thoughts on how to reply: "Brother Zhong, I was blind before and didn''t recognize a good thing. Now I realize my mistake, and I want to come and join you."


    Brother Zhong''s face eased a bit, but he still had some doubts: "You said before that you were doing quite well over there. Why do you suddenly want to join us?"


    When this was mentioned, Xie Liuhai lowered his head: "It''s a long story..."


    Xie Liuhai approached Brother Zhong and told him about some things that had happened recently, just omitting some details.


    It just created the illusion that in Jiefang City, there are still a lot of resources that have been looted by some refugees. Additionally, there is another group with a lot of resources. Their strength... seems quite weak.


    When he said this, Brother Zhong''s eyes lit up.


    So he said: "As such good friends, I wanted you to join us back then, mainly because I was short of people. Now, as you know, food is scarce. I need to discuss your joining with Mr. Wang."


    Xie Liuhai was a bit puzzled and asked: "I don''t know who this Mr. Wang is?"


    "Mr. Wang is our boss, but he likes us to call him Mr. Wang," Brother Zhong said.


    "Oh, this Mr. Wang must be very learned, he sounds cultured. I must learn from him when I get the chance to see him," Xie Liuhai said with feeling.


    Brother Zhong''s expression grew complicated. He had known Xie Liuhai, aka Slant Bangs, for a long time.


    The guy Xie Liuhai, he''s quite the sweet talker.


    "Alright, I''ll take you to meet him, but whether you can stay or not will be up to Mr. Wang," Brother Zhong said somewhat helplessly.


    If it had been before, Xie Liuhai could have been accepted without much ado; but now, during these special times, more caution is required.


    "Yeah, and then I have these two brothers here, I don''t know if they could join..." Xie Liuhai glanced at the two men following behind him.


    Along the way, they had encountered various difficulties and had gotten through them together.


    If they could join together, they would have someone to watch their backs.


    Brother Zhong looked troubled and said, "Anyone joining must bring value; I can recommend you, and Mr. Wang might consider my face and not be too strict. But as for these two... I don''t know what they could contribute..."


    Uh...


    Value.


    Xie Liuhai thought for a moment and couldn''t think of anything; their combat ability was far worse than his, other skills?


    Does being especially good at flattery count?


    Eh...


    Sorry, brothers, it''s your lack of significant usefulness.


    Xie Liuhai looked helplessly apologetic.


    He then followed Brother Zhong out of town. They didn''t live in the town but in a farm stay not far from the town called Harmony Garden.


    This Harmony Garden was originally converted from farmland.


    It was encircled by iron railings, took up a large area, had a river running through it, and even had some camellias, rapeseed flowers, and other plants growing inside.


    With water sources, land, and housing, it was very suitable for survival.


    The biggest disadvantage, however, was that the place was somewhat large and had only been simply enclosed with iron railings when originally built, to a height of less than 2.5 meters.


    It could somewhat protect against zombies but was difficult to defend against humans.


    There was a Zombie Tide previously that had breached it once. In that incident, many people were killed, so Mr. Wang relaxed the conditions afterward, and Brother Zhong thought about recruiting some new people.


    It''s just that Xie Liuhai didn''t agree at that time.


    The sun is so intense now, and after such a prolonged drought, the river that flowed through Harmony Garden has dried up.


    In the fields, besides the drought-resistant potatoes, the other crops have basically all perished.


    At their base now, things are not easy either. Although they can grow some things on their own, they''ve already consumed a lot in the past month or so.


    The two men following Xie Liuhai, seeing that Zhou seems to have no intention of taking them along, grow anxious and start shouting, "Xie, what do we do?"


    Xie Liuhai turns around with a look of guilt, at a loss for words. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Eventually, he follows Zhou''s lead, hoping to plea one more time, but Zhou''s expression is already very impatient.


    Xie Liuhai sighs, and in the end, says nothing.


    The two men stand in despair, and suddenly they exchange a glance.


    "Shall we... follow them anyway?"


    "That''s exactly what I was thinking."


    .......


    Let''s not dwell on this; Harmony Garden is on the border of two provinces, but belongs to Min Province.


    And about a 3-hour drive from Harmony Garden is Qian City.


    Right now, at the city center of Jiefang City, complete chaos reigns.


    In the rooms inside, zombies still roam at night.


    Only broken bones and charred walls remain.


    Telling people what had happened here.


    ....


    On the outskirts of Xin City, a small town. Less than 10 kilometers away from Li Yu and their base.


    Captain Lv and his group.


    They have just endured a night.


    Everyone''s mood is downcast, sadness pervades the space.


    Last night, they experienced a fierce battle, with their numbers dropping from 32 to 24. Last night, several of Captain Lv''s teammates, and some of their family members, all perished at the hands of zombies.


    They''ve finally understood why no one thoroughly searched this building.


    Not far from this building is a gathering place for zombies, a memorial hall.


    At 2 AM, the zombies smelled humans and started crawling over. Even with vehicles as barriers, it was no use; the zombies'' activity increased tremendously at night, and they just crawled under the vehicles.


    A battle ensued!


    Captain Lv and his group didn''t know how they made it through the night.


    From the second floor, they retreated all the way to the top floor, until they leveraged the narrow corridor of the top floor to lessen the pressure.


    After resisting all night, everyone''s eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.


    They had checked every room the day before, but the zombie issue still persisted.


    They only considered the inside of the building, but never thought there would be problems outside as well.


    There was already someone on duty yesterday, but when the zombies arrived, they were still caught off guard.


    Actually, they had always stayed in the safe Jiefang City, which could be considered a solid refuge.


    It is only now that they''ve left they realize how difficult it is to find a safe place to sleep soundly at night!


    In this apocalyptic world, even though the weather is sweltering during the day and the zombies seldom come out, last night''s events brutally reminded them: this is still the apocalypse, and zombies are still terrifying!


    Especially... in the dead of night.

 Chapter 231 - 223: The Grass that Grows Through the Cracks

    August 10th, still scorching hot.


    The drought and heat had withered and killed many trees.


    In the base, these fruit trees on the mountain would have probably died too,


    if it weren''t for Li Yu and some people slightly watering them a few times.


    However, some trees by the Mountain Pond were doing quite well.


    The water in Mountain Pond was only one third left.


    According to Li Yu''s rebirth memories, it should rain in about two weeks. Everything will be different then.


    But others still don''t know; for many of them, it''s the first time in their lives seeing such long periods without rain, filling their hearts with despair.


    In the base, fortunately, there are two wells, thanks to which, built before the apocalypse started, it was quite a hassle to drill these wells.


    Logically, since they are at the foothills and surrounded by forests, some people''s wells are only a few meters deep to hit water, so in Southern plains, most wells are typically around ten meters deep.


    The well water is particularly good, warm in winter and cool in summer; many village wells are quite good.


    But, Li Yu insisted on hiring a professional well-drilling team, using professional drilling machinery, and drilled over a hundred meters deep, which are considered deep wells.


    Normally, wells ranging from ten to sixty meters are considered shallow wells.


    Now, the two wells Li Yu has built are considered deep wells.


    The long periods of drought in the apocalypse caused many rivers to run dry, however, deeper underground, there still is some water.


    But in most places in the Southern region, wells are generally around ten meters deep, at most thirty meters, which are considered very deep already.


    The deeper the well, the harder it is to construct, this hundred meters deep well required professional equipment to be drilled.


    In the base, everyone had been resting for a long time, not exactly resting, but compared to the previous months, where every day was spent resisting zombies, improving the base, and fighting with people.


    The current state of life is considered resting.


    Except for the young Li Suxin, the nine-year-old Xuanxuan, and a few other young children from uncle and aunt''s families, who still need to continue their studies, but without subjects like English.


    Nine years of compulsory education are essential, being illiterate, not understanding some of the most basic things, sometimes, learning is not just knowledge, sometimes it''s about learning thoughts, some cognitions.


    These things enrich a person''s thoughts, supporting someone to bravely do things.


    The way of viewing the world, the way of solving problems, will undergo different changes.


    Of course, what they are learning now differs from pre-apocalyptic content, currently studying things that better suit the apocalyptic environment.


    For instance, there are teachings on how to combat zombies, methods to dispose of zombies, and practical courses.


    There are also other more pragmatic subjects like how to grow crops, among other practical courses.


    These courses are taught collectively, such as Martial Arts taught by Third Uncle and Li Yu, shooting courses mainly by Li Tie and Dapao.


    Course like farming and breeding, Grandpa would narrate in the simplest words alongside Uncle Lai, and other subjects are taught by various people.


    However, academic subjects are mainly taught by Lai Xiyue.


    Furthermore, other people also need improvement; thus, the base regularly organizes activities to facilitate interaction among everyone.


    Enhancing everyone''s shooting and combat skills.


    ....


    Li Yu, having more free time recently, had more chances to interact with Yutong.


    Actually, it was mainly Yutong often coming to find him, sometimes accompanied by Yang Xiaozhu.


    Yutong also frequently sparred with Li Yu but often got beaten badly by him.


    Yang Xiaozhu also occasionally joined the fun, leaving Li Yu feeling quite desperate.


    Both women were quite admirable, with distinct differences.


    Yang Xiaozhu had more of a girl-next-door vibe, with a pretty face and a hint of baby fat.


    When she smiled, her big eyes twinkled, reminiscent of the animated character Asuna.


    Du Yutong, on the other hand, exhibited a mature allure, yet she was exceptionally gentle in front of Li Yu. She was slim due to frequent exercise,


    her sportswear concealed her figure, but the occasional movements offered breathtaking glimpses.


    Both were tall, one standing at 165 cm and the other at 175 cm. Standing together, they each had their own charm.


    Li Yu''s head ached slightly. Yang Xiaozhu had grown up following him and Li Hang around, just like Yang Tianlong. He had watched her grow up.


    He hadn''t expected her to blossom so beautifully as she grew up. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Du Yutong had always been on good terms with him; he highly admired her strength externally and her soft heart internally, a genuinely kind person.


    Moreover, both her EQ and IQ were high, and she was also a strong fighter. Most importantly, after meeting her in the post-apocalyptic world,


    during their trips outside, Li Yu often didn''t need to speak; a simple glance was enough for Yutong to understand his thoughts, which sometimes moved him deeply.


    Apart from Yang Xiaozhu and Yutong, during their school days, Lai Xiyue also had a subtle interest in him. But Lai Xiyue was gentle, possessing intellectual beauty and a strong scholarly aura.


    Ah....


    Thinking this, Li Yu felt overwhelmed.


    Watching Yutong and Xiaozhu practicing together in the sweltering weather, sweating profusely in the dueling arena,


    their sportswear clinging to them.


    Damn it


    During a recent battle with Yang Xiaozhu, she had resorted to cheeky tactics.


    ��


    These two formidable challenges weighed heavily on him, something that Li Yu found unbearable.


    Life was filled with difficulties, and he needed to keep going.


    Which was already a challenge.


    At the core strategic point, he felt utterly suppressed by these overwhelming challenges.


    Like the grass that refuses to succumb to the world, even in the narrowest spaces, it strives upward, growing towards a broader world.


    In that moment, Li Yu felt the world''s malice towards him.


    The world always imposed many limitations, tightly bounding people.


    But, he had an unyielding spirit and was determined to break free and rise.


    Yang Xiaozhu, na?ve and romantic, though she was no longer young, pouted with her adorable face and said to Li Yu, "Brother Yu, I can fight too, take me with you next time."


    After speaking, the challenges seemed to intensify with her words.


    Shaking with difficulty.


    Li Yu felt sad.


    He was just one person, just a blade of grass, though this blade of grass had already grown.


    Now, beneath the two shaking mountains, the constraints tightened even more.


    He desperately wanted to escape, but couldn''t.

 Chapter 232 - 224: Theres Always Someone Better

    The world is always so cruel; when you try to break free with all your might, you discover that after breaking free, you face even greater difficulties.


    Finally, Yang Xiaozhu went down, and Li Yu felt somewhat unwell.


    This world had too much malice towards him.


    He wanted to rest for a while.


    He mentioned that he was going to get some water and left the training ground.


    This training ground was built in a villa, dedicated to Li Yu''s use.


    ...


    Yutong''s gaze was a bit cold.


    When he came back, he saw... that scene just now.


    Yutong and Yang Xiaozhu were sparring, trading blow for blow.


    This damn... =.=


    Both were beauties. Watching beauties fight was also a kind of spectacle.


    Li Yu suddenly felt much more relaxed for some reason, and fetched some sunflower seeds and made some ice lemon water from the back of the room. He sat there cracking seeds, watching the two fight.


    The fight reached an exciting moment, and Li Yu couldn''t help but cheer internally.


    Indeed, women needed to fight with women to get a real thrill.


    Just don''t break anything, okay?


    Eh.


    Li Yu felt like he had changed, his mentality seemed much younger.


    The occasional impulsive acts made him feel like he was still young.


    Indeed, he was only 23 years old now, in the prime of his youth, able to face any difficulty.


    At this age, he was not afraid of any difficulty, whether it was one or two, he was confident he could overcome.


    In fact, in the post-apocalyptic world, where moral decay and survival of the fittest reigned, many previously held values had crumbled.


    Without the sanctions of the law, people could do whatever they wanted without repercussion, unless they angered someone stronger than them.


    He had to be filled with a sense of crisis.


    Li Yu ate sunflower seeds, his mind wandering to other matters.


    Suddenly, the two women stopped.


    "Brother Yu, eating seeds? I want some too," Yang Xiaozhu said sweetly.


    "Want to spar a bit more?" Yutong cut to the chase and asked directly.


    "Ah? Weren''t you two doing fine?" Li Yu couldn''t help but say.


    "I want to spar with you." Yutong pouted slightly, her face carrying a hint of inquiry.


    Li Yu sighed and finally said, "Alright."


    "Let''s do it together!" Yang Xiaozhu said with a smile.


    Li Yu: "..."


    Yutong gave Yang Xiaozhu a deep look, seemingly thinking of something. She then adopted a fighting stance.


    Eh>...


    "Ya~" Yang Xiaozhu charged over, roaring in a cutesy voice like a little dinosaur from some pre-apocalyptic TikTok.


    Li Yu actually had many ways to deal with her, but he was afraid of injuring them, so with one hand, he pressed on Yang Xiaozhu''s forehead.


    And pushed forward.


    Thump!


    Yang Xiaozhu tumbled and landed on her butt. It was a bit painful for Yang Xiaozhu, but she still crawled over and wrapped her arms around Li Yu''s legs.


    Li Yu pressed down on her head, and Yang Xiaozhu looked up, her face full of stubborn expressions.


    Damn it!!!


    Can you be a bit more serious?


    Yutong moved on the other side. Yutong had formal training, so Li Yu watched her seriously.


    He had sparred with Yutong before, and while she couldn''t beat him, her fighting ability was still very formidable.


    At this moment, Yang Xiaozhu had locked one of Li Yu''s legs, leaving him immobile.


    He could only rely on his upper body.


    Li Yu looked serious, watching Yutong''s movements closely.


    Yutong lunged forward, her guard down. She rushed over just like that.


    Li Yu was about to land a punch on Yutong, but she suddenly opened her arms and exposed herself to his attack without any resistance.


    Damn it!


    Is she crazy?


    Li Yu quickly withdrew his hand.


    Yutong just pounced on him.


    Thump!


    Li Yu was directly toppled to the ground by Yutong.


    The instant he fell,


    it was as if practiced many times before, Yutong just like that


    Li Yu took a deep breath, with a wry smile he looked over Yutong''s shoulder at Yang Xiaozhu, who was clinging to his thigh, Xiaozhu also seemed a bit stunned. She hadn''t expected that Yutong could also perform such a fierce move.


    He exhaled.


    Helplessly said, "Yutong, you''ve turned naughty."


    "Oh!" Yutong responded noncommittally.


    In this world, if you were to say, there are some difficulties that are most despairing.


    None would surpass the consecutive trials and tribulations.


    In such adversities, human conviction is the last line of defense.


    Striving to survive in the crevices is the human physiological response.


    In life, pain and pleasure always accompany each other.


    Li Yu was no exception.


    ....


    In the end, they got up; this villa training field was rarely visited by anyone, fortunately, it was just the three of them right now, unseen by others.


    But, even if seen, actually, it wouldn''t be too critical.


    In the post-apocalyptic world, as long as the basic moral line is held, these kinds of intimate feelings between men and women are really of no concern to anyone.


    Eh...


    After his bath, Li Yu was lying in his room with the air conditioning on.


    He felt a little sad.


    A kind of sorrow mixed with joy.


    This sorrow, he had not experienced in the years since his rebirth.


    Perhaps, this was another kind of growth.


    ...


    At a place more than three hundred kilometers away from them.


    At the border between Fujian and Gansheng, there is a Harmony Garden.


    The rivers inside Harmony Garden were dried up, and it supported the lives of some people.


    At this time, a new recruit was brought in here.


    Xie Liuhai followed behind Brother Zhong, he felt a bit nervous; everyone in the base seemed to respect Mr. Wang highly.


    Just now he wanted to ask why Mr. Wang should be called Mr. Wang, when he was rebuked by the person next to Brother Zhong.


    "Mr. Wang is just Mr. Wang, he saved all of us, he is the true Savior!"


    Xie Liuhai: "..."


    Little Brother A: "You have a doubt?"


    Xie Liuhai said with a smile, "No, no, no, it''s just the admiration for Mr. Wang, like the endless flowing of a mighty river, I wanted to understand Mr. Wang better."


    Little Brother A: "Humph, don''t ask too much. You''ll understand when you should."


    Little Brother B: "Don''t poke around in society''s business!"


    .....


    Xie Liuhai: "Mm, haha...haha. Okay."


    A socialite? Xie Liuhai thought of this term.


    Looked at his two arms, the dragons tattooed over his shoulders.


    Sigh, the dragon is aggrieved.


    ....


    Finally, he was taken to a large house exterior.


    The house was probably used as a guesthouse before the apocalypse, and there was a yard...


    Brother Zhong entered, stayed for a brief while.


    Then came out, without too much expression, calmly said to Xie Liuhai: "Go in, Mr. Wang wants to ask you something."


    Xie Liuhai felt apprehensive, along the way, he felt that Mr. Wang was mysterious and powerful.


    In his mind, he painted a portrait of Mr. Wang: cultivated, thick-skinned, wearing glasses, ruthless...handsome.


    With Brother Zhong leading the way, Xie Liuhai bent his back, followed closely, and apprehensively walked from the yard and inside. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 233 - 225: Ah, Xin City

    "The rain pours all night, my love overflows like the rainwater


    The fallen leaves in the yard, stack up as thick as my longing


    A few words of right and wrong, can''t cool my passion


    You appear on every page of my poetry~


    ..."


    Before Xie Liuhai stepped into the room, a pleasant song could be heard, not coming from Boss Zhou''s voice. But it had its own flavor.


    Was it Mr. Wang?


    Mr. Wang is so....


    With curiosity, Xie Liuhai followed Brother Zhong into the room and what caught his eye was an antique large table, on which was placed a Taihu rock. Its form was unusual but full of charm.


    And behind the rock, a man in sportswear was humming the song and writing with a brush.


    From behind, this man seemed tall and carried an air of ease, but the song he sang, though sounding quite nice,


    didn''t seem to match his demeanor.


    "Mr. Wang. I''ve brought the person over," Brother Zhong stated softly from behind Mr. Wang.


    Mr. Wang''s singing halted, and the brush in his hands paused, then he slowly turned around.


    What kind of man was he?


    Mr. Wang was young, not yet thirty, his clean and fresh face made him look much younger than he really was because he wore sportswear.


    "Come, sit," Mr. Wang said as he sat down and gestured with a wave of his hand for the two to sit at another table set beside them.


    After sitting down, Mr. Wang did not speak right away.


    He took a moment to size up Xie Liuhai and said with a beaming smile, "Nice hairstyle."


    His tone was very sincere, and his eyes showed earnestness.


    At this moment, Xie Liuhai felt a surge of warmth. Mr. Wang had noticed and commented on the aspect of his appearance he cared about most and took the greatest pride in.


    In the past, so many people had misunderstood him. Many even ridiculed him, thinking his hairstyle was outdated, and behind the times.


    But they didn''t understand, it was a vestige of past glories. That was the eternal faith of the Funeral Homeboys; such spirit would never be behind the times, never outdated!


    As the city''s individualistic Sea Young Master, he would never allow his standard to fall.


    This was the first encounter with Mr. Wang, yet Mr. Wang seemed to understand him so well.


    Xie Liuhai felt a great sense of recognition, his eyes even reddening slightly. All these years, he shouldered the mission of the Funeral Homeboys alone, marching forward. Now, someone understood and appreciated him.


    He felt that coming here was the most correct thing he had done.


    "Thank you, Mr. Wang," Xie Liuhai said with gratitude.


    Mr. Wang still wore a smile, and upon hearing the thanks, replied: "Must''ve been tough coming here, with the drought and heat. I welcome you joining us."


    Upon hearing this, Xie Liuhai felt extremely comfortable; such pleasant words to hear.


    Xie Liuhai quickly responded, "I''ve heard a lot about you and greatly admire you. Actually, I''ve wanted to come over for a while, but couldn''t leave at the time..."


    Mr. Wang let him finish speaking, then casually asked, "I heard there was some trouble over at Jiefang City?"


    Xie Liuhai immediately nodded, "Ah yes, yes, yes..."


    Then Xie Liuhai told Mr. Wang about some of the things that happened in Jiefang City.


    Mr. Wang nodded and squinted his eyes, "Seems like I heard from Little Zhong that there''s a group in Xin City?"


    Xie Liuhai''s heart skipped a beat. While discussing Jiefang City, he purposely avoided mentioning the situation regarding Li Yu, and now faced with the question, he originally didn''t intend to disclose that Li Yu''s group had firearms. sea??h th�� Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, if he were to join them, providing useless information could likely result in being excluded.


    Li Yu''s side probably has a lot of food. But he wasn''t clear on how strong Li Yu and his group actually were, anyway, I''ve told you now.


    But, from the brief contact just now, he felt that Mr. Wang was truly a good person.


    Someone who knew how to appreciate him. Appreciate his hairstyle.


    Yet after some internal conflict, he eventually said, "Yes, yes, I''ve seen them before, their supplies should be very plentiful, but I''m not exactly sure where they''re located."


    Mr. Wang asked a few more questions, and Xie Liuhai shared what he knew, discussing everything that didn''t affect his interests.


    After about 20 minutes of conversation, Mr. Wang nodded and said to Brother Zhong, "Alright then, take our brother here to rest for now. He''ll follow you after that."


    Mr. Wang then said to Xie Liuhai, "Do a good job. Right when I saw you, I knew you were a reliable and capable person."


    Being praised by Mr. Wang in front of Brother Zhong, Xie Liuhai''s face seemed to glow.


    He was eager to try.


    At any time.


    Words are an art form.


    Spewing lotus blossoms.


    Thus, there are some who know the art of winning people over, those adept in linguistic arts, who are often good at commending others, and they do it in front of that person and others.


    This sort of praise ignites the urge to ''die for a friend who truly knows you.''


    This is the real morale booster.


    Giving face to someone, genuinely praising them in the presence of others.


    Who could resist...


    After Xie Liuhai left the room, Mr. Wang stood inside, gazing at a map on the wall, took out a pencil, and circled Xin City. He calculated the distance, hundreds of kilometers.


    "Xin City..." Mr. Wang murmured.


    A gleam of wisdom flashed in his eyes.


    He then marked the position of Jiefang City on the map. It was much closer to them.


    ...


    ...


    Nevermind their group, there were many others who had left Jiefang City.


    Split into various sized organizations.


    But come nightfall, many organizations suffered terrible losses due to zombies.


    Too few people, impossible to establish a base, hard to fend off zombies.


    Too many people, impossible to sustain them all.


    Seemed to be an unsolvable problem.


    ...


    However, at Li Yu''s base, it seemed possible to balance these aspects.


    With tall walls surrounding, growing crops inside, plus having a vast stockpile of supplies.


    The number of people was neither too many nor too few, and their combat strength was remarkable, overall a very strong community.


    Recently, due to the drought, some water-intensive vegetables were not planted anymore. However, there were still seeds, safely sealed in the dry, room-temperature storage room.


    Li Yu had hoarded an incredible amount of seeds, and using vacuum packaging, they should be preservable for an extended time. After all, normal seeds can be preserved for several years under common conditions.


    Even more so, under meticulous packaging and room temperature, the preservation time would be much longer.


    Aside from these seeds, some of the crops Li Yu and his group cultivated could also be used for seed propagation.

 Chapter 234 - 226: Leisurely Post-Apocalyptic Life

    This damn weather, it really is getting hot.


    Li Yu and the others mainly drink water from the well, while the water from Mountain Pond is mainly used for irrigating crops.


    One day, Li Yu went swimming at Mountain Pond with Dapao and the others.


    It was so hot that as soon as they stepped out of the room, they were drenched in sweat.


    Thus, often times, Li Yu would go swimming in Mountain Pond with Yang Tianlong and Dapao.


    "Holy shit, Brother Yu, I just felt a huge fish!" Dapao surfaced from the water and shouted loudly.


    "Hm? How big?" Li Yu laughed, swimming backstroke and looking up at the sky as he spoke.


    "It might be a water ghost," Li Tie frowned, somewhat worried. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Water ghost? Hahaha, how could that be!" Li Hang laughed.


    Many ponds or reservoirs actually don''t like having big fish, as these big fish eat the smaller ones.


    When big fish eat the smaller ones, it actually results in a significant loss for them.


    But big fish are very cunning, often difficult to catch.


    It is also now that the water level isn''t as deep as before, currently just barely under 6 meters.


    "Big fish?" Li Yu thought for a moment, then suddenly swam out of Mountain Pond.


    Big fish are useless, might as well slaughter them and eat them.


    These days, they''re almost getting sick of bland food.


    Just squeezed peanut oil, fry the big fish with it. Later, this big fish can be divided into many portions.


    One portion can be used for pickling, one portion for braised fish, one portion for deep frying��


    A little drink in the evening would pair nicely.


    That would be simply delightful.


    Recently, due to the drought, everyone''s meals have worsened.


    Let''s do this!


    Thinking this, Li Yu said to Dapao who was still swimming, "Are you sure it''s a big fish? How big?"


    "Definitely. It just swam past me, I swear it''s at least 1.5 meters!" Dapao said.


    That big!?


    Everyone was somewhat skeptical, especially Li Hang. He often came here to swim and he had never seen it.


    Let''s try.


    Li Yu thought for a bit and had Li Tie and Li Gang get two boats, then placed a big net between them, about ten meters long.


    Additionally, Dapao, Li Hang, Li Yu, and Yang Tianlong coordinated.


    Li Yu took some fish feed from home and sprinkled half a bucket down.


    This fish feed, which had always been stockpiled because Grandpa would go up the mountain to cut grass to feed, was now finally being used.


    As the dry season arrived, although there was still some grass, it wasn''t much, and the fish were probably pretty hungry.


    The moment the fish feed was scattered, many fish could be seen swimming towards the net.


    The water sounded with splashing.


    The net sank, and with the reflections of the setting sun, the water surface sparkled.


    Everyone waited for a while, but still did not see any big fish, only some smaller ones.


    The biggest one they saw was only around ten pounds.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and threw all the remaining fish feed in the bucket towards the net.


    Another tumbling occurred.


    Just as Li Yu was about to give up hope.


    Suddenly!


    From not too far away, a huge surge occurred.


    This surge made everyone incredibly excited; this had to be a big fish!


    The big fish instantly entered the net, and it seemed to even flip over, not quite clear from the surface of Mountain Pond, but anyone with sharp eyes could tell, this fish was definitely not small.


    As they watched the big fish devouring clumps of fish feed, by now the big fish was already in the center of the net.


    Li Yu hurriedly shouted, "Quick, pull up the net!"


    The others then snapped out of their daze.


    Several people took a corner each and quickly lifted the net.


    The net slowly rose, and the large fish inside was strikingly conspicuous.


    In the instant it emerged from the water, Li Yu clearly saw that this fish was definitely more than 1.5 meters long. It looked like it weighed at least 200 kilograms; so fat.


    No wonder when his family used to breed fish, they always found very little harvest every year.


    So, you are the main culprit.


    In the fishing net, there wasn''t just this large fish, but also a scattering of other smaller fish.


    At this moment, as the fishing net was lifted, the large fish slowly surfaced,


    seeming to realize something, the cunning old fish fiercely thrashed its fins.


    It was very strong.


    Li Gang over there, being the closest to the large fish, almost lost grip on his fishing net due to its flicking and nearly let go.


    "Hold tight. Xiao Hang, Dapao, you two slide the boat to the shore. We might not handle this fish in the water!" Li Yu shouted.


    With everyone''s combined effort, even though the fish was powerful, it still couldn''t escape under the strong fishing net.


    Soon, everyone reached the shore and pulled the fish onto the bank.


    Li Yu noticed that the fishing net had torn a hole and was somewhat surprised, as the fishing net was specially made, yet it still got ripped.


    Looks like it needs mending soon.


    Everyone hauled the large fish onto the shore.


    The large fish had extraordinarily large eyes and an open mouth, desperately gasping for air.


    Yang Tianlong suddenly said, "I heard that big fish have spiritual energy. It''s not easy for this fish to grow this big."


    Li Yu glanced at Yang Tianlong and said, "Then don''t eat it later!"


    Yang Tianlong immediately became anxious and said, "Having spiritual energy would be great for nourishing our bodies. Hehehe."


    Li Yu gave him a look; this big fish must have eaten plenty of smaller fish.


    Li Hang brought a scale, weighed it, 218 kilograms.


    Its length was a full 2.14 meters.


    This was the largest freshwater fish anyone present had ever seen.


    Hmm. Should taste great.


    This is a post-apocalyptic world!


    While still gasping, Li Yu and Li Tie carried the fish back to the residential area.


    Everyone, bare-chested, followed behind Li Yu and the group.


    The group, as if generals who had just won a battle, strode off proudly.


    On the way, they ran into Third Uncle who was patrolling and he too was somewhat surprised.


    This is, damn, too big.


    This fish is huge.


    Soon, the news that Li Yu and his group had caught a big fish spread throughout the entire base.


    Many people from the base came to watch.


    When Li Suxin saw the large fish, her kind-hearted child''s heart pitied the poor fish as Li Yu knocked it dead with a club, tears uncontrollably flowing from her mouth.


    That was too cruel.


    In the evening, after Lai Dongsheng''s wife''s superb cooking, Li Suxin devoured two large bowls of rice in one go.


    With the fish weighing over 200 kilograms, yielding more than 100 kilograms of meat, even distributed among everyone, there was more than two kilograms of meat per person.


    So, definitely, this meat couldn''t be finished in one meal.


    Three-quarters of the fish, after being processed, some was saved for curing.


    Another part was frozen, saved for next time.


    ....


    On the walls, there maintained a guard of four people, with an additional two patrolling flexibly, and another in the monitoring room.


    At night, Li Yu, picking his teeth, patting his belly, holding a beer, walked up to the villa rooftop.


    Enjoying the cool breeze after the day''s heat.


    Full of food and drink, the weather just right, lying down to watch the stars.


    This..... damn, this is how life in a post-apocalyptic world should be.


    .....

 Chapter 235 - 227: The Drought Continues (Still)

    Before rebirth, Li Yu would always feel terrified at night.


    In the pitch-dark night, where you couldn''t see your fingers right before your eyes, zombies were invisible, and if you were outside, it was easy to get bitten by a zombie.


    However, after rebirth, Li Yu was never again afraid of the dark.


    This tall fence protected them.


    More than that, Li Yu''s heart had grown stronger, knowing he was not alone. There was the support of a team.


    The dark night, the gentle evening breeze.


    Seemed to blow away many of the ressentiments harbored deep within Li Yu''s heart.


    Focused on the present life, improving the overall strength!


    ...


    The next day, they went to the Mountain Pond again, watching the crops in the field wilt due to the sun''s scorching, which caused a lot of water in the soil to evaporate.


    They needed to replenish it.


    Li Yu opened the sluice gate by the Mountain Pond, using pipes to channel water into the fields.


    If they relied solely on ditches, a lot of water from the Mountain Pond would be wasted before reaching the farmland, but if they used pipes to directly deliver to the farmland, a lot of water could be saved.


    Before the rains, they had to save and use every bit of water they could.


    Following the flow from the pipes, water rushed downhill under the pressure of the height difference, Li Yu stood by the edge of the Mountain Pond watching the entire base.


    A few months ago, the base was brimming with life, but after a sustained drought, it now seemed somewhat bleak.


    This was still much better than outside the base, where some trees had completely dried up and died, and even those that hadn''t were yellowing.


    In theory, they could plant autumn beans, cauliflower, radish, bean pods, chives, asparagus, carrots, cabbage, onions, lettuce, and other crops in August, but now the water shortage was a huge problem, making Li Yu and his team quite distressed.


    They had already eaten bean sprouts many times.


    Lucky that they salted many vegetables before, otherwise, they''d also have a big problem with their vegetable supply.


    Less than ten kilometers from their base, there was a small town.


    The town was deserted, and after moving out from the large building they had previously occupied, Captain Lv and his team had scoured the town for goods in the daylight before leaving. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Taking precautions, they settled in a more secluded village.


    During the day, they did a quick search of all the buildings in the village, encountered some hidden zombies, and dealt with them.


    Then they stayed in the Village Government Building, the best-built structure in the village, and importantly, it was surrounded by walls and equipped with tall iron railings adorned with sharp spikes on top.


    This place was quite satisfactory to them. Under the Village Government Building, there was a sandy area with some cars nearby.


    Upon checking, they actually managed to start two of the vehicles.


    That night, they finally settled down.


    The night passed without incident.


    ...


    Several hundred kilometers away from the base was Harmony Garden.


    Mr. Wang got up very early, and after waking, he walked around the amusement park. Their population was less than a third of Jiefang City''s.


    A group of over a hundred people was quite a burden to them.


    Originally, they had occupied this blessed location with ample land for farming, but the continuous drought had withered many of their crops.


    They felt impotent and helpless in the face of a lack of water.


    Now, they could only drill wells manually, but these wells had been drying up with the persistent drought, forcing them to dig deeper, reaching nearly 35 meters now.


    Sigh...


    Mr. Wang was troubled by this and met some people from Harmony Garden along the way, who all greeted him with respect. Mr. Wang was, after all, the big boss of Harmony Garden. After the apocalypse broke out, he had sheltered the nearby villagers along with some permanent employees of Harmony Garden.


    And that''s how their community was sustained.


    In the beginning, some people with ulterior motives wanted to take over Harmony Garden, but Mr. Wang was a local man who had made his mark in the big city for a few years and wanted to come back to contribute to his community.


    Besides Harmony Garden, he had other fruit and vegetable farms hiring locals, so many villagers didn''t need to find work elsewhere��they could earn a salary at home. Therefore, most villagers were very grateful to him.


    Some hoodlums tried to seize power.


    Having experienced life''s harsh realities, Mr. Wang had anticipated this and arranged loyalty amongst his ranks.


    He made an example out of the troublemakers and deterred the villagers once again.


    So up till now, the villagers followed him with gratitude and a hint of fear.


    After all, Mr. Wang was the first to shed blood.


    Although he seemed amiable and approachable, that was only when he was not angry. When Mr. Wang got angry, the consequences were usually severe.


    Harmony Garden, true to its name, had many amusement facilities constructed, such as merry-go-rounds, water swings, vast fields of oilseed rape flowers, etc.


    There was also a pond specially made for fishing, which was now barren due to drought.


    Mr. Wang had spent a substantial part of his fortune on Harmony Garden. Despite looking young, he was actually approaching forty.


    He had invested a lot of money and effort here, advertised it widely in the surrounding areas, and the crowd from the city was growing steadily, drawn to this interesting place.


    But the apocalypse had turned everything into the past.


    Luckily, when the apocalypse erupted, Mr. Wang happened to be in Harmony Garden. By closing its gates, he accidentally turned his misfortune into a blessing.


    Not only did he avoid death by zombies, but he also turned Harmony Garden into a base.


    By accommodating these villagers, he suddenly became the owner of the entire base.


    Originally, there were twice as many people as there are now in Harmony Garden.


    But several ferocious zombie tides had caused severe losses.


    However, it was also because of the zombie tides that their numbers reduced, and they could now barely sustain the current population.


    But if things continued this way, they could only hold out for less than two months.


    Two months��if no solution was found, they would be in a dire situation.


    However, after some time, they hoped that some crops, which are less dependent on water, might supplement their food supply.

 Chapter 236 - 228: Planting

    "Mr. Wang, should we go check out Jiefang City to see if there''s still anything we can scavenge?" Brother Zhong came to ask Mr. Wang early in the morning.


    He had already discussed this matter with Mr. Wang before.


    Mr. Wang poured a cup of water and slowly drank it down.


    After some thought, he said, "Jiefang City collapsed for three reasons: the most fundamental one is the lack of food and the overpopulation, it was impossible to sustain so many people.


    The second reason is due to management issues. Indeed, scavenging for supplies and providing dividends is good, as it gives everyone greater motivation, but at the same time, it inevitably leads to corruption, which they did not take seriously enough in the early stages, until it finally erupted.


    The third reason is the complex makeup of the people. With such a large number of people not united, it was bound to cause significant problems."


    Brother Zhong nodded in agreement. He had this feeling too. At first, he thought that the more people they had in their team, the better, because the more people meant stronger strength.


    This realization became particularly clear when facing the Zombie Tide.


    However, when faced with the current drought crisis, especially with the food issue, he suddenly realized that having more people isn''t necessarily a good thing.


    In such a chaotic environment with unpredictable weather, having too many people to feed is indeed a difficult task.


    Moreover, in this apocalyptic world, it''s very difficult to control people''s hearts.


    Once there are too many people, if there is no absolute power to keep them in check, people can easily become fickle.


    After all, without legal and moral constraints, actions aren''t subjected to legal punishment, making the cost of crime extremely low.


    Managing a large number of people is a big problem.


    "How about this, you guys go and take a look first. Take seven or eight people to scout it out. The incidents in Jiefang City happened so long ago, I guess there''s probably nothing left there. But still, you can take a look. Be careful in everything," Mr. Wang instructed briefly.


    Brother Zhong asked, "So, our main purpose this time is to recon the situation over there? Is there any other objective?"


    Mr. Wang responded dismissively, "What do we lack the most right now?"


    "Supplies? Food," Brother Zhong answered.


    Mr. Wang said, "Right, your main goal is to see if there are any supplies you can bring back. However, I don''t have high hopes. Sigh, anyway, you guys still go and see what the situation is."


    "Safety first," Mr. Wang added in the end.


    Brother Zhong nodded, called a few people, and they set off in two trucks.


    They filled up with gas and headed in the direction of Jiefang City.


    What they didn''t know was that Jiefang City had already become ruins, and all its inhabitants had left.


    .....


    ....


    Putting aside the situation in Jiefang City and at Harmony Garden,


    It is now mid-August.


    Xin City is bustling with a series of tasks around the rice fields.


    One of the especially important things to pay attention to in mid-August is the prevention of pest infestations.


    In the high temperature and humidity environment of August, it''s easy for diseases and pests to propagate, so it''s necessary to do preventative work in advance to avoid the outbreak of pests affecting the rice yield.


    In addition, it''s essential to clear out weeds early on, and for the remaining weeds within the fields, manual weeding should be done once or twice after the rice has headed, which is beneficial for field ventilation and light transmission, as well as for the growth of rice.


    Therefore, during this time, Grandpa is leading some people from the base to weed the rice fields to prevent weed infestation. They are also meticulously removing any pest eggs found among the rice.


    Although they still have some pesticides, they know that the supply will eventually run out.


    Currently, they have enough manpower, and there isn''t anything else particularly urgent to attend to, so they are willing to expend human labor on this task.


    They have already sprayed pesticides once at the beginning of August, so there are fewer insects now.


    And most of these affairs are typically handled by the adults in the base, but the minors start learning about planting techniques at an early age.


    In their classes, there is often an emphasis on learning and combining that with practical application. Their teacher for this session is Grandpa, who has planted crops for decades, and Lai Xiyue, who summarizes and then shares the insights with the children.


    Grandpa rolls up his trouser legs in the rice field, pointing at the plants and saying, "Look, now is the time to weed. Pull out these barnyard grasses, these are the rice plants. Don''t get them mixed up. Pay attention to this area..."


    Grandpa points out various detailed things for the children to see.


    Back in the classroom, Lai Xiyue also integrates the knowledge shared by Grandpa and summarizes it for the children:


    "The steps of rice cultivation actually divide into the following:


    1. Plowing


    Before planting rice, plowing is an essential step. Previously, animal power and plows, mainly water buffaloes, were used to plow the fields, but now machinery is more commonly used for soil preparation.


    2. Seedling Cultivation


    Seedling cultivation is critical in the early stages of rice growth. Nowadays, specialized seedling centers use seedling trays to grow the seedlings, and good seedlings are key to successful rice farming.


    When the seedlings are about eight centimeters tall, it''s time to transplant them. Transplanting can be either mechanized or manual, chosen based on the scale and the shape of the land.


    3. Weed and Pest Control


    During the growth of the seedlings, weeding and pest control are essential.


    When weeds start poking through the field, they must be cleared promptly.


    4. Fertilizing


    When the seedlings start to elongate and produce the first stalk joint, this period is called tillering, and fertilization is often needed during this time to encourage robust growth and later contribute to the fullness and quantity of the rice grains.


    5. Irrigation and Drainage


    Irrigation and drainage are critical aspects for rice, and for upland rice, the process is different since it''s grown in dry fields. However, typically, irrigation is needed after transplanting, during the formation of the young panicles, and especially during the earing and flowering stages.


    6. Drying and Sorting


    The harvested rice grains need to be dried, which in the past was often done in the front courtyard of a compound, needing to be turned frequently for even drying.


    The sorting process involves removing shriveled grains and other impurities, using an electric grain separator, windmills, or manually shaking the grains and using the wind to automatically separate the full, heavier grains."


    After explaining these, Lai Xiyue continues, "What conditions are needed for planting rice?


    1. Rice grows best in warmer climates; the higher the temperature, the faster it grows, and the higher the yield.


    The environmental temperature for rice growth must be above 13��C. Below this temperature, rice will stop growing. All green plants grow and undergo photosynthesis in light, and rice is no exception.


    Rice grows normally with adequate light, slows down when natural light is at 50%, and will cease growing or even die when light intensity drops to 5% of natural light levels. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    2. Rice growth needs sufficient water. When there is not enough water supply, the plant''s physiological functions decrease.


    The tillering stage of rice is when the demand for water peaks, and a lack of water is absolutely not permissible.


    During its growth, rice also requires ample nutrients. Under the premise of routine root-zone fertilizing, applying urea, ammonium sulfate, or green manure, and foliar feeding helps rice growth and can buffer against adverse environmental influences.


    Of course, in the absence of these chemical fertilizers, we can actually use other types of fertilizers like cow and sheep dung, which can also play a certain role in fertilization."


    ...


    ...


    Lai Xiyue in the classroom, sharing knowledge about rice planting with everyone.


    In this country, agriculture is the foundation of everything.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, food is the ultimate support for survival.


    Therefore, knowing how to farm and being able to farm are the most practical skills in the post-apocalyptic world.

 Chapter 237 - 229: The Cripple Steals a Car

    That night, Li Yu had an unusual dream.


    He dreamed of returning to his reborn apocalypse, alone in that cold basement, shivering.


    He once thought, if the Earth exploded, humanity took a holiday, and it all ended in a shower of blossoms.


    Everything would be over, and nothing would matter anymore.


    But when he recalled it, it seemed that it was from that moment that his heart became incredibly strong.


    Facing any adversary, he was no longer afraid, even if they were more powerful than him.


    A person walking alone in the darkness, unable to see their hand in front of them, might feel fear.


    Fear of other people walking in the dark, worrying whether they could be bad people, whether they could harm you.


    However, when you yourself become darkness in the night, imagining yourself as a villain, it''s no longer you who''s afraid, but others.


    Only by merging with the darkness, becoming one with it, can one resist the darkness and no longer fear it.


    This was the post-apocalyptic survival rule that Li Yu comprehended; one doesn''t have to be a bad person, but must harbor a sense of fearlessness in their heart. Only then, one can be invincible.


    Without fear of life and death, all other fears can cease to exist.


    Once you accept the worst outcome, any problem you face can be solved. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This is a person''s defense mechanism, just a way to protect oneself.


    ...


    Li Yu wiped the sweat off his face and looked out of the window, the sky was getting light with a hint of dawn.


    Getting out of bed, Li Yu prepared to continue his usual exercises.


    Since his rebirth, he acutely felt the preciousness of time.


    He realized:


    Life has no end result; if there is one, it is only death, and death is forever.


    The only cost is time, once a day is used up, it cannot be retrieved, and there''s no way to save it up, nor is there interest with time.


    The only truth in this world is that those who live every day well will not have regrets before they die.


    Live well every single day.


    Dressed in sports attire and shoes, he ran towards the woods with the morning light.


    In this apocalypse, there will be many uncomfortable things; but even before the apocalypse, there were things that went against one''s wishes.


    If one only dwells on these, life would be miserable.


    Living in this apocalypse, Li Yu was actually very conflicted, wishing life could be simple and to go with the flow.


    But the reality of zombies and enemies forced him to resist and grow continually.


    After these days, from initially building the base to now with an expanded team, he slowly found his own rhythm.


    A balance between tension and relaxation, everything in moderation.


    Ruthless outside, carefree within the base.


    Go with the flow, be content with what comes, defecate wherever you are, carefree and happy at any time, anywhere.


    Living like a wild dog to truly live like a human.


    Madness.


    Gentleness.


    Two extreme attributes interwoven in Li Yu, yet not contradictory.


    ....


    On the outskirts of Jiefang City.


    Zhou, leading some people, arrived at the entrance, staring at the already dilapidated walls. Trash was strewn everywhere.


    For a moment, they were dumbfounded.


    They had actually seen Jiefang City from a distance before, but what they saw then was worlds apart from the scene before them now.


    Jiefang City now resembles a garbage dump.


    "Big Bro Zhou, should we go in and have a look?" A man following Zhou said, his expression filled with doubt.


    This Jiefang City looks kind of creepy.


    Zhou furrowed his brows, and finally said, "Then let''s go have a look. After all, having come all this way, if we don''t take a look, how can we explain to Mr. Wang when we return."


    "Let''s go!" said Zhou.


    With Long Knife in hand, he got out of the car vigilantly and headed into Jiefang City.


    The group had a total of seven people.


    This seven-person team moved at a very slow pace.


    They carefully observed their surroundings, ready to retreat at any moment.


    Once they entered the interior of Jiefang City, out of their sight, a few men appeared in a corner.


    Thin as rails, their eyes gleamed with a sharp light.


    "Lame, didn''t you say you could drive the cars away without a key? Let''s go, now that we have the chance, why not take it?" said an older fellow nearby.


    "Hey, call me ''lame'' one more time and you''re not getting in the car, old fart..." the Lame sneered.


    "Ah, Boss Duan, Boss Duan, please take me with you," The older man, a bit on the older side, with somewhat grey hair, and a face full of resentment, said.


    "Hmph!" Lame ignored him.


    He walked towards where Zhou had parked the car alone.


    It was unexpected, they had originally thought that with four cars, there would surely be someone on guard. But they didn''t expect that Zhou and his men held them in such low regard.


    In fact, it''s not surprising from Zhou and his group''s perspective, as Jiefang City was already deserted.


    Moreover, Xie Liuhai had mentioned before that people from Jiefang City should have already evacuated.


    Also, having few people, should they encounter others and spread out, their strength would diminish and they would be easily defeated one by one.


    So, that''s why no one was left to guard the cars.


    "Motherfucker," Lame cursed, seeing that old man dawdling behind.


    After being cursed at, the old man didn''t retort but instead continued to follow with a flattering expression on his face.


    Lame went up to a car and picked up a large rock from the ground, smashing the window glass with a bang.


    Then he climbed through the window into the car, and the few men behind him followed suit, smashing the glass of another car.


    After Lame got inside the car, he took less than two minutes to start the car without a key.


    At that moment the car ignited, the men around him were ecstatic.


    "Drive!" Lame reversed and headed towards the end of the street.


    The moment they saw Lame start the car, the other men had already climbed onto this car, then skimmed away from Jiefang City.


    They had long wanted to leave this place, but among them was an old man, two with disabilities, and two who were ill.


    They were the weakest, but being weak didn''t mean they were kind-hearted.


    Just like Lame and his group, given the chance, they would be ready to steal a car and drive away.


    In Jiefang City, Zhou and his men had not noticed anything yet.


    They continued to head deeper into Jiefang City, along the way there were some corpses, already stinking to high heaven, with flies hovering above them.


    Buzzing annoyingly, enough to make anyone frustrated and upset.


    After walking around, they didn''t find anything of use.


    The entire Jiefang City was as if it had been thoroughly looted, not a single useful thing left behind.


    Having circled back to the entrance, everyone felt somewhat frustrated and incredulous.


    Was this all that was left of the previously grand Jiefang City with so many people?


    Suddenly.


    Zhou looked at the entrance and said, "How many cars did we drive here today?"

 Chapter 238 - 230: Getting Through It

    "Huh... I remember there were four vehicles. Right?" a man glanced at his companion.


    Seeing the anger slowly surface on Brother Zhong''s face, his companion weakly said, "Should be..."


    "Then where the heck did the other vehicle go?" Brother Zhong roared furiously.


    Nobody knew how to respond.


    Brother Zhong gave them a look. He knew that they had come in four vehicles and now only three remained.


    He immediately stepped forward and saw that one of the vehicles'' windows had been smashed.


    "Someone! Someone drove off with our car," Brother Zhong stated coldly.


    "But, when we went in earlier, we clearly didn''t see anyone. How could it��" The man who first spoke said.


    Brother Zhong took a deep breath and then exhaled. He was very angry today.


    This trip was utterly unnecessary. The time spent was one thing, but they had come to find some supplies.


    In the end, they didn''t find any supplies. Instead, one of their vehicles was stolen.


    Not only had they gained nothing, but they had also lost a vehicle. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Damn it.


    Everyone was somewhat upset.


    But looking down the street, they had no idea where the car thief could have gone.


    Brother Zhong surveyed the area, finding no trace of anyone. Staying here served little purpose now.


    One reason was the lack of useful supplies in the area. Another was the theft suggesting someone might be lurking nearby in Jiefang City, silently observing them from a hidden corner.


    It was unwise to stay here any longer.


    There was no point in staying.


    Therefore, Brother Zhong led the group onto the road back home.


    As they drove back, the vehicles went at a very high speed.


    Since the distance was considerable, they had left as soon as the sun came up today.


    Rushing and hustling, they arrived around noon, just 20 minutes upon reaching.


    Zero gains and a stolen vehicle, such was the end of their trip to Jiefang City.


    "Sigh... drive faster. I don''t want to stay here anymore," Brother Zhong said.


    Racing swiftly, they arrived back at Harmony Garden by four in the afternoon.


    At Harmony Garden, Brother Zhong told Mr. Wang about everything that had happened today.


    Brother Zhong had braced himself for Mr. Wang''s scolding, but Mr. Wang didn''t scold him.


    Seeing the dust-covered Brother Zhong, who had rushed back with such urgency, Mr. Wang revealed a smile and said, "Little Zhong, don''t blame yourself for this. They left in a hurry and didn''t even drive all of your cars away.


    Plus, you know, gasoline is rarer than cars these days. If they had just taken the gasoline, you all might have found it very difficult to return."


    Listening to this made Brother Zhong feel a chill. If all their vehicles had been stolen, they would have ended up living around Jiefang City. In this post-apocalyptic world, no one wants to live in an unfamiliar environment.


    Meanwhile, in Harmony Garden, they didn''t have to worry much about safety and could sleep peacefully at night. If they couldn''t return and had to live outside, it would be an unspeakable luxury.


    Mr. Wang noticed Brother Zhong''s look of relief and grew a bit more serious, "In the future, handle things with more care. If you really had no vehicles left, could you have made it back?"


    Now, with the scarcity of gasoline, some gas stations still have fuel, but they require electricity to pump, or a pump is needed.


    They had neither. This was already the norm.


    Mr. Wang then had Brother Zhong leave. There were no scoldings, just reminders on how to handle things next time.


    Brother Zhong felt much calmer inside, relieved that Mr. Wang wasn''t blaming him.


    Mr. Wang stared off towards Xin City, further away from Harmony Garden, also in turmoil.


    It should be noted that, in this apocalyptic world, many vehicles were simply abandoned on roadsides, and since the road surfaces hadn''t been maintained for nearly a year, they were pitted and uneven, greatly affecting driving speed.


    "Never mind, it''s not a good idea to go looking for trouble with them now," Mr. Wang muttered to himself.


    After Xie Liuhai joined in, he quickly became one of Mr. Wang''s most loyal men.


    True friends are hard to find.


    Mr. Wang understood him so well, he had to show his worth.


    However, at Harmony Garden, the crops planted were already sown, chosen for their durability in dry conditions.


    Currently, there was a shortage of well water in Harmony Garden. Thus, he decided to dig the well deeper.


    This well was the lifeline that allowed them to keep on living.


    Why did digging wells to a certain depth require professional equipment?


    Because beyond a certain depth, water naturally emerges. Once the water appears, digging deeper becomes incredibly difficult.


    Especially when using manual labor.


    It''s not feasible to hold one''s breath and dig underwater.


    Impractical.


    In Harmony Garden, water was continuously pumped from this well, never stopping.


    Because there were just too many uses for water in the base.


    Just watering the crops was a major demand. Those crops, though drought-resistant, still couldn''t be left unwatered, especially after being scorched by the sun during the day.


    Thus, there was this scene where everyone was drawing water from the well while Xie Liuhai was digging deeper into it.


    This depth was, in truth, quite frightening.


    Xie Liuhai felt the slow, steady seepage of water from the earth walls, not fast but persistent.


    As the water just seeping in was continuously pumped out from above, Xie Liuhai kept digging bit by bit.


    However, the sense of pressure was exacerbated in such deep wells��over 30 meters down.


    After only a short time, he had to come up for breath.


    The deeper he went, the harder the geology, increasing the difficulty of digging.


    Imagine a person digging a well three stories beneath the ground.


    "It''s too dark down there. I feel like I could be swallowed up at any moment. When I talk down there, it takes you guys a long time to reply," Xie Liuhai complained after reaching the surface.


    "Why don''t I go down?" Brother Zhong suggested.


    Xie Liuhai quickly replied, "It''s alright, Brother. It''s not a big deal. I can manage."


    "Alright then. You''ll continue digging in a bit," Brother Zhong said.


    "...."


    Xie Liuhai couldn''t help but grumble to himself: I was just being polite. Didn''t expect you to take it seriously.


    He sighed, looked at the bright sky with newfound appreciation for something he never before found precious. Just moments before, while at the bottom of the well, all he wished was to see that light.


    Xie Liuhai returned to the depths. After two days, he had managed to deepen the well by five meters.


    Originally, they had tried to dig a few more wells, but discovered that the new wells, even after digging nearly 10 meters, yielded no water.


    They needed to dig deeper for water.


    Time passed by little by little.


    And they persevered day by day.

 Chapter 239 - 231: Happy Times

    Compared to the harsh conditions at Harmony Garden, the atmosphere at Li Yu''s farm base was relatively relaxed.


    The water from the well, being drawn from deep underground, did not pose much of a problem for drinking.


    Accessing deep groundwater manually is quite inconvenient, but fortunately, there is ample electricity in the base to power water pumps, making it as convenient as tap water.


    In fact, it could be achieved without electricity if the water pressure was sufficient.


    With decent water purifiers installed, the water could be drunk directly if one isn''t too particular.


    However, with elderly at home, a lot of boiled water is often made, sometimes adding various herbs from the mountains that help reduce bodily heat, improve eyesight, prevent heat stroke, and so on.


    In the post-apocalyptic world, many people see the elderly as a burden, as was the case even before the apocalypse, treating the elderly as a liability.


    But this isn''t necessarily the case; many elderly people, having experienced much, often offer advice filled with simple wisdom.


    Especially the elderly from rural areas, who have lived through turbulent times, know how to survive and how to utilize everything in the forests.


    Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure.


    It is nothing but the truth.


    .....


    At noon, the smoke from cooking rose early at the base.


    Li Yu, outside the base, carried some dead trees back to the base. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some of the trees were actually of very good quality, and some had quite large diameters.


    From the harvested trees, Li Yu took some to make arrow feathers, with steel used for the arrowheads, which he had stockpiled early on from construction markets during the initial wall fortification.


    Now was the perfect time to use them.


    Li Yu stretched lazily, having been in one position while making arrows, and now stood up, his bones cracking.


    "Let''s go, time to eat," Li Yu said smilingly to the people in front of him.


    Xuanxuan looked up and smiled.


    After entering the base, Xuanxuan became more optimistic and cheerful. Initially, she had an unapproachable demeanor, only fully trusting Li Yu.


    Later, in some classes, Xuanxuan showed good talent, especially in Martial Arts, as if she had an intrinsic fierceness.


    However, she was still a child, and with the company of peers, Xuanxuan returned to acting her age.


    Yet, she occasionally showed a mature and decisive side, still liking to stay by Li Yu''s side, also crafting arrow feathers at this time.


    As the year passed, at the age of 9, since she wanted to help, Li Yu let her lend a hand.


    Li Yu rubbed Xuanxuan''s head and picked up Zhang Zhixing, his aunt''s son, who was dozing off.


    Carrying him directly to the dining area.


    Zhang Zhixing slept deeply, still asleep even when Li Yu lifted him.


    Seeing this, Li Yu remarked with a laugh: "This naughty boy."


    Zhang Zhixing inherited his aunt''s fearless personality, unusually bold and carefree, insisting on helping to make arrows.


    But then did nothing but sleep, right up to now.


    Li Yu thought, it seems necessary to increase the homework for these younger siblings.


    The dining room.


    Today''s dish was spicy dried fish, a delicacy stockpiled long ago; such preserved food has a long shelf life.


    Some cured hams could last for decades without any issue.


    Spicy dried fish, accompanied by shredded ginger, was aromatic.


    This dish was Li Yu''s favorite, and upon encountering his favorite dish, some alcohol was a must.


    At the table, they drank a few pounds of laobaigan (sorghum liquor), just a little bit.


    Li Yu drank just two liangs (a traditional measurement of weight, about 50g each), slightly tipsy, then patted his full belly.


    As he walked to his room, he recently uncovered some documentaries.


    These documentaries, while watching, always brought him a tranquil state of mind.


    A long-lost, ineffable feeling surged through him.


    "Shadows Beneath the Iceberg," a documentary that Li Yu watched halfway last time, and now he returned to his room to continue.


    Expertly turning on the projector, Li Yu reclined on a rattan chair and switched on the air conditioner.


    A gentle breeze blew as Li Yu sipped some water.


    As he looked at the screen, the flickering images, like the beguiling hand of a hypnotist, made his eyelids increasingly droopy.


    The remote in his hand accidentally fell, as he lay there, the rattan chair gently swaying.


    The afternoon sunlight slowly crawled onto the windowsill of the room.


    He slept until two in the afternoon, roughly an hour.


    That nap was unusually restful, dreamless and undisturbed. Very comfortable.


    Upon waking, he felt immensely happy.


    An assurance of a safe place, the availability of drinks, good food, and time to rest.


    Isn''t life beautifully simple?


    Yet sometimes, people need little, but desire too much.


    Desires can never truly be satisfied; continually seeking more means one can never experience this type of relaxed happiness.


    He stood up, washed his face, and headed downstairs.


    Today he had scheduled a task; he needed to continue making arrow shafts this afternoon.


    ....


    In the evening, at the base''s square, 11-year-old cousin Xu Xiangchen, 10-year-old worker''s daughter Wang Xiaoguo, Xuanxuan, and Li Peizhen along with other children around the age of ten.


    They were playing hopscotch at the center.


    At dusk, they hopped on one foot, moving forward step by step.


    Throwing a stone, or barely missing the boundary, Xuanxuan''s eyes sparkled with joy, "Xiaoguo, I want to claim a square later too."


    After saying that, she hopped forward step by step.


    Reaching the last square, Xuanxuan turned around, then reached down with her hand to feel for it. She didn''t touch it.


    Then the second try still didn''t succeed. Xuanxuan recalled where she had thrown the stone just now, reached down one last time, and finally, she caught the stone.


    Xuanxuan was extremely pleased. She straightened up her little face, trying to remain calm.


    No more mistakes were made, and finally, she hopped out successfully!


    Then she threw the stone backward.


    Snap!


    It landed perfectly in the middle square, the most challenging square because it could create the biggest trouble for the opponent. For her, it was a game-changer.


    Yes! Xuanxuan jumped up and down on the spot with joy!


    Li Yu, sitting on a chair, watched the younger children play.


    He couldn''t help but feel sentimental.


    He remembered having such happy times himself.


    Playing hopscotch, throwing sandbags, spinning tops, playing marbles, tossing cardboard, picking up stones, playing checkers, climbing trees, fetching water, catching fish and shrimps, playing in the mud...


    Those joyous times from his memories came flooding back; he felt fortunate to have lived through such experiences in a rural village.


    He remembered, on the way home, if he had a stick in hand, he would chop at every little flower on the way!


    He remembered, as the sun set, playing on the roadside with a bunch of friends, scooping up pebbles.


    He remembered playing hopscotch with the neighborhood girls, jumping and jumping unceasingly.

 Chapter 240 - 232: Yutong First Blood!

    He kept jumping until, from the kitchen two houses away, his mother called him by his pet name to come home for dinner.


    Reluctantly, he didn''t leave until his mother came after him with a stick.


    Some happiness, is truly in the past.


    He suddenly understood why people always say, you should do certain things at certain ages.


    There are many people in this world, many professions, and many ways to live.


    But in childhood, one should have beautiful memories.


    These childhood experiences, after you grow up, will become the wealth of a lifetime.


    Li Yu dashed over and said, "Add me in. Hahaha."


    Xu Xiangchen called out cousin, then handed him the stone he was holding, and added, "You can use mine."


    At this moment, Li Yu was somewhat moved. As a child, he was always quick-witted, often keenly aware of others'' joy and sorrow, and always hoped for a friendly atmosphere.


    He feared conflicts, he detested quarrels.


    Timid yet bold.


    Wanting to be powerful, yet not knowing how to proceed.


    He desired acknowledgment, but was always faced with setbacks.


    A little success would make him happy for a long time.


    He was always like this, always like this, always like this.


    "Alright." Li Yu took the stone, tossed it, then started jumping.


    He tried hard to immerse himself in that childhood happiness, the joy in his memories was profound, but when he tried to recreate it, he felt nothing.


    It turns out, it has ultimately passed.


    It''s not the same age, not the same state of mind, naturally it feels different.


    Li Yu played for a while, then stepped aside and quietly watched them play.


    It wasn''t embarrassment, but when he joined in, the happiness he felt was no longer the sensation from his memories.


    The more you know, the less happy you become.


    The more you grow up, the less happy you are.


    He suddenly envied the carefree old children in the world of martial arts.


    Li Yu shook his head, somewhat mocking himself.


    Why have I become so melancholic and sentimental recently.


    Li Yu reminded them a few times that they should head home after the sunset, then he went alone to the mountains.


    At his age, in these fiery years, his vigor was at its peak.


    He was also slightly influenced by all the minor disturbances.


    He suddenly remembered, having seen in the preface of Plato''s "Ideal Country" a few days ago, that the happiest times come during old age because one is rid of the torment of sexual desire.


    If sexual desire influences people, or manipulates them like a devil, then the various continuous melancholies and emotional impulses caused by sexual desire can result in a mild neurological disorder.


    Can''t figure it out.


    Just let it be.


    Recently, his relationship with Yutong has grown closer, and during a few one-on-one moments, Yutong even kissed him.


    In the darkness.


    Li Yu is not a person willing to accept loss, after being kissed, he naturally kissed back.


    However, Yang Xiaozhu is always causing trouble, and he is well aware that Yang Xiaozhu also likes him.


    But in the current situation, he can''t ride two boats at once.


    Complicated.


    Li Yu stopped thinking, some issues, if unclear, it''s better not to think about them anymore.


    Some questions will naturally find their answers as time passes.


    Li Yu descended the mountain.


    Just in time for dinner, and he had a couple of shots of white liquor.


    However, Li Yu felt not quite satisfied, so he returned to his room and took out a precious bottle of liquor from the cabinet.


    Drinking alone.


    The most comfort.


    Drinking with friends is also very refreshing.


    But, drinking alone, though some may find it depressing, others find it extremely liberating.


    With a small glass of liquor, Li Yu''s eyes became hazy.


    He has become increasingly listless recently.


    I have been increasingly enjoying these carnal pleasures. Recently, during the fight between Yang Xiaozhu and Yutong, I almost couldn''t hold back.


    I am still too young.


    In the base, after nearly a year of development and establishing a system,


    managing it has become much simpler.


    For many tasks, there are designated people responsible for them.


    With family as the core, supported by friends and supplemented by some well-vetted outsiders.


    With stable supplies as the foundation and shared interests as the anchor.


    Deepening everyone''s emotions, Li Yu has managed the base as solid as iron.


    Under such circumstances, it is not without reason that Li Yu has been increasingly listless lately.


    In the evening, Yutong invited Li Yu for a walk.


    The two walked through the woods.


    In the forest, there were several narrow paths lined with pebbles.


    On both sides of the road, every ten meters or so, there was a solar light that stored energy during the day and released it at night.


    It must be said, Li Yu had magicked this place up before the apocalypse even burst out, throwing a large sum of money to transform this place into a fortress-like tourist lodge.


    He used many high-quality materials.


    And this place, Li Yu had considered comprehensively, taking into account safety, comfort, and other aspects.


    For Li Yu, he believed that just barely surviving in this apocalyptic world, living a life not better than a dog''s, although alive, what''s the point?


    He wanted to live very comfortably even in this apocalypse.


    Enjoying life in post-apocalyptic times��that is called living! S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two continued walking through the woods.


    Side by side, neither spoke, an ambiguous atmosphere enveloping them.


    In fact, both were well aware of each other''s thoughts.


    Li Yu was quite assertive in managing the base but not particularly proactive or clear in relationships.


    But, they had already kissed.


    At this moment, there was no need to be subtle.


    So, Li Yu directly held Yutong''s hand tightly, even sliding his fingers gently a couple of times.


    His heart marveled: So smooth.


    Yutong did not resist, just gazing at him with beautiful eyes, her look daring him.


    Seeing this, Li Yu couldn''t just do nothing.


    He gently embraced Yutong in his arms.


    Yutong''s body trembled slightly and then quickly returned to normal.


    She then embraced Li Yu in return.


    Li Yu felt the warmth of the beauty in his arms and thought of the times Yutong had been by his side.


    His heart swelled with emotion: "It''s good to have you."


    Yutong shook her head, softly saying, "Brother Yu, I really like you."


    Li Yu''s heart felt sweet as if he had eaten honey, he leaned close to Yutong''s ear and breathed out warmly, "I like you too."


    The two held hands as they walked down the hill.


    On the way down, it was as though butterflies were dancing everywhere, filling the air with a pink hue.


    Holding Yutong''s hand tightly.


    A night of dancing and joy.


    The next day, Yutong with her lovely eyes stared at Li Yu, her look full of reproach.


    Not listening to a word.


    Not knowing at all how to be tender to others.


    Seeing Yutong beside him, different from usual, filled with a feminine charm, Li Yu teasingly flicked her nose and said, "Don''t move, just rest well here today. Don''t worry about anything, just be good and obedient."


    Li Yu''s tone was like coaxing a child.


    Yutong was indeed susceptible to this approach.


    She lowered her head and hummed in agreement.


    Li Yu stroked her hair and then went out to bring her breakfast.

 Chapter 241 - 233: Its Raining

    At the end of August. sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A moist wind began to blow from the east.


    Wet at the tip of the nose.


    Li Yu looked up at the sky.


    On the horizon, a dark cloud floated by.


    One, two, three, four clouds.


    A gust of wind passed.


    One, two, three, four drops.


    In this persistent drought and sweltering weather, the air was stifling.


    That recent gust of wind made Li Yu take a deep breath, feeling much relieved.


    The irritating heat in his heart was carried away by the wind.


    A thought struck Li Yu, and with childlike excitement,


    He stood on the windowsill and shouted, "It''s raining, time to bring in the clothes!"


    The rain followed in quick succession, and Li Yu did not stop; he quickly found Second Uncle and others to discuss what needed to be handled after the rain.


    According to the previous arrangement.


    After the rain, these tasks needed to be completed:


    1. Replant some of the crops, and sort out the drainage channels.


    2. The defense of the base needs to be strengthened, especially during the rain.


    Although the rain wouldn''t last long, Li Yu knew it was still important to prepare in advance.


    Finding Second Uncle, Li Yu approached and said, "Second Uncle, it''s raining, we need to prepare early. We need to double the guard strength on the wall.


    Also, we need to plant some vegetables on the farmland urgently, as it''s almost the end of September, which is time for the late rice harvest. We mustn''t miss the farming season.


    I''ll take some people to remove the Sun Protection Ball from Mountain Pond to prevent water evaporation.


    After discussing for a while, Li Yu took Li Hang, Li Zhengping, and others towards the mountain.


    By this time, the rain was shifting from a fine drizzle to a steady patter.


    Because of the need to conserve water, everyone had not bathed properly for a long time, often just wiping themselves down with a basin of water.


    The boys could swim in Mountain Pond, but the girls were too shy and didn''t come down often.


    Amidst the gentle breeze and soft rain, many people who had been indoors ran outside.


    Running in the rain, freely running.


    Just like a fish that''s survived a drought encountering water, pleasure in finding rain at last.


    The parched earth also got its nourishment from the rain.


    The cracked soil, upon being drenched, made crackling noises.


    It was as if you could hear the plants absorbing water, pushing their roots deeper.


    Finally, it was raining! That was the heartfelt cry of many, long-awaited,


    For a long time, the long-awaited rain had finally come.


    The rain was here; the earth rejoiced.


    The long-slumbering earth was now effervescent; many seeds that had been dormant awoke, poking their heads out to sip the sweet dew, sprouts unable to contain their joy, dancing alongside the earth.


    The fragrance of moist soil helped the furrowed sky take a long, relieved breath.


    The rain arrived, and with it ripples of longing, rippling across the heart''s field.


    A tranquil heart was suddenly amidst thunder and lightning. The longed-for rain, the longed-for yearning.


    A long-awaited rain was like a serendipitous encounter with hope, allowing the seeds that wished to survive to root themselves in the land of hope.


    A long-awaited rain was also a conversation with the soul, washing away the deep imprints that time had etched into our memory.


    Li Yu and his companions ran to the edge of Mountain Pond and collected the Sun Protection Balls that had been scattered across the lake.


    The willows by the river remained lush green.


    The lake was showered with slanting wind and fine rain.


    After Li Yu gathered up all the Sun Protection Balls, he leaned on the lakeside, panting for breath.


    The rain smoothed the pond''s surface, like a lightly ground mirror reflecting the eaves.


    The east wind sprung forth and liveliness stirred in the willows, making a sound like a thousand raindrops touching the heart of a lotus.


    Rain is good.


    But if it keeps raining and the Zombie Tide comes, that would be far from wonderful.


    This downpour brought hope to people, easing their anxiety.


    Like a gentle nurturing rain, it brought more peace to their hearts.


    At night, it continued to rain outside.


    The rain wasn''t heavy, nor was it pouring down rapidly.


    Listening to the rainwater falling from the eaves, Li Yu felt incredibly content.


    Mom made a big pot of ginger soup. Since the rain started in the afternoon, young children and adults like Li Yu were all running around in the rain, taking in deep, refreshing breaths.


    But getting drenched always comes with the risk of catching a cold, and even though there''s a doctor at home now and plenty of medicine, it is still better not to fall ill if possible.


    Everyone drank a big bowl of the ginger soup, dispelling dampness and chill.


    After a single bowl of ginger soup, you''d feel warm all over.


    Li Suxin also had half a bowl. During today''s rain, she was the liveliest, hopping and jumping in the rain, originally prohibited by her grandmother.


    But Zhang Zhixing, who was two years her senior, was already outside, so she stood pitifully under the eaves.


    Grandma held her tightly while many people ran about in the rain.


    Finally, seeing that the rain wasn''t heavy and the weather wasn''t cold, they let her play outside for a while.


    Unexpectedly, Li Suxin especially loved to step in puddles, splashing water everywhere.


    Her small face beamed with an innocent smile, bubbling with joy.


    Li Yu lifted her up, pretending to be an airplane flying in the sky.


    Running with her in the rain, Li Suxin felt as if she really were a bird, spreading her arms to embrace the wind and rain.


    Soaring freely.


    At last, she resisted leaving and after her little bottom was smacked a few times, she quieted down quite a bit.


    Now, her cheeks flushed, she looked up at Li Yu, not forgetting that it was her big brother who had scolded her.


    Li Yu found it amusing.


    He said, "Do you want to fly again next time?"


    Li Suxin blurted out, "Yes!"


    Li Yu laughed and said, "Then behave better."


    Little Li Suxin: "..."


    Hahaha, Li Yu saw Li Suxin making a helpless little expression at such a young age.


    He laughed.


    Li Suxin, seeing Li Yu laughing, came over and hugged him, saying, "Big brother, I want to play again next time."


    Li Yu felt a softness in his heart for the youngest cousin in the family, touched her little head, and said, "Okay."


    ...


    This rain, it took away the stuffiness, it took away the monotony.


    But it also brought Zombies.


    In the past two months, especially in the past half month.


    They hardly saw any Zombies outside the base during the day.


    But now, it hasn''t rained for even a full day, yet you can already see a few Zombies appearing during daylight.


    These Zombies seem extremely famished.


    Looking up at the sky, rainwater flowed down from their mouths. It might be an illusion, but Li Yu thought he saw a trace of satisfaction on their faces.


    The rain seems to enhance the Zombies'' mobility, sensitivity, and strength.


    What exactly is the reason for this relationship? Li Yu fell into deep thought.


    But all these are not important, the pattern is what matters.


    Understanding these deeper issues is probably left to the scientists.


    Swoosh!


    An arrow flew towards the Zombie!


    Pfft! The arrowhead hit squarely on the Zombie''s head.


    The tail of the arrow was still quivering.


    Thump!


    The Zombie fell to the ground.


    Li Yu took out his telescope to carefully examine the depth to which the arrow had pierced.


    "Not bad, the wooden shafts paired with iron arrowheads we made earlier are quite effective!"


    Li Yu muttered to himself.

 Chapter 242 - 234: Busy Farming Season

    The slanting wind and fine drizzle provided irrigation for the earth.


    In early September, everyone began to plant various crops all over the hills.


    Taking advantage of the plentiful rainwater.


    The plains were full of busy figures.


    In this season, it should have been a time of harvest, but due to the drought, the fruits on the trees had all grown very small.


    But they were very sweet.


    The area where Li Yu lived had a subtropical monsoon climate, mainly growing crops like navel oranges.


    However, at this latitude, there were many other types of fruit trees that could be cultivated, so Li Yu had also planted some other varieties of fruit trees.


    It was still raining; the rain was not very heavy, just constant without ever stopping.


    By the mountain pond, Li Yu accompanied Grandpa to mow the grass and feed the fish, one following the other, without much conversation.


    Grandpa had always been a man of few words, often silently doing his work.


    Sometimes enjoying a few sips of his favorite wine, listening to operas, half-closed eyes.


    In Li Yu''s childhood memories, Grandpa always seemed reticent.


    But he remembered, when he left to study in another place, Grandpa prepared many local farm products and a red envelope...


    An elder''s love is often like this, although not verbose, yet their actions are filled with love. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Grandpa, do you think our base needs to add more people? Do we need to expand?" Li Yu suddenly asked, curious to hear what Grandpa would say.


    Grandpa paused in his use of the sickle, straightened his back, hammering it.


    He shook his raincoat briskly and finally said, "I''m not sure if we need to add more people; you should discuss it with your Second Uncle, who is better at contemplating these matters. Ambition is a good thing, but it''s important to have self-awareness.


    With every choice, there are pros and cons, but sometimes, particularly in these troubled times, one should be cautious and not let things get out of control. That''s it."


    Grandpa''s words didn''t give a direct answer, but they gave another perspective to consider �� whether they could control and support more people, which was the fundamental issue.


    Li Yu nodded and swung at the grass with his sickle, cutting it with great effort.


    In the rain, mowing grass is a laborious task; after a week of growth, the grass was sharp and could cut one''s hands.


    Leaving red marks, which then itched as the raindrops fell on them.


    ...


    In fact, this rain not only brought vitality to Li Yu and his people.


    For many others, this rain was a lifesaver.


    Some much drier areas survived because of this rain.


    ...


    This rain lasted for nearly 10 days, always at a steady pace.


    Sometimes there was a light drizzle, and other times it was a bit heavier, but never a particularly heavy downpour.


    Although not heavy, the rain never stopped.


    It''s not known if the drought had massively weakened the zombies, but now the rain also gave a respite; there was no wave of zombies these days.


    But it was evident that there were many more zombies after the rain than during the dry weather before it.


    These days, Li Yu had also taken people from the base with hand-made arrow feathers to shoot zombies outside the base, finding that these arrow feathers worked quite well.


    This was a pleasant surprise.


    There were many trees, and if bullets ran out, these arrows could still be used continuously.


    Initially, only a few high-end Compound Crossbows were bought, 20 pieces costing 50,000 yuan each.


    Another 20 Compound Crossbows costing 20,000 yuan each were also bought, and the quality was quite good.


    Although they had been restocked later, and with the capture from battles with the enemy over the past year, the number of crossbows in the base was still less than 100.


    But, for the moment, they managed to equip one crossbow per person.


    Time quietly passed by...


    Half a month later, the time reached the end of September, the beginning of October.


    It was the peak time for agricultural work.


    As soon as it rained in early September, Li Yu began to gather people to plant crops, corn, rice �C no problem there; one was always watered, and the other was relatively drought-resistant.


    Crops like lettuce, with a short growing cycle, were planted in abundance.


    Crops like radishes, with a one to two-month growth cycle, were also planted extensively since they could be conveniently stored.


    The end of September, the beginning of October, was the peak time for agricultural work.


    They began harvesting rice.


    The old threshing machine was long disposed of, and Li Yu was using a harvester in the rice field.


    Back then, some had accused him of being extravagant, as purchasing a harvester was not considered cost-effective in the south.


    But for Li Yu, anything that saved energy was worthwhile.


    Driving the rumbling harvester, he finished harvesting the several acres in the plains.


    However, the terraced fields in the mountains had to be manually cut.


    Many hands make light work, and it only took them less than an hour to finish harvesting the six acres in the mountains.


    Ten-plus acres of paddy rice, five acres of corn, two acres of sweet potatoes.


    Adding up to more than twenty acres for staple crops.


    In fact, a safe and healthy diet for a person for a year requires the consumption of 500 jin (250 kg) of food.


    Ranging from 400 to 800 jin (200 - 400 kg).


    If no fertilizers and plant protection measures are used, and only poverty-resistant crops like sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn are grown, the yield in the south can reach about 1500 jin (750 kg) per acre per year, considering the possibility of two crops a year. Hence, 0.3-0.5 acres of land would be sufficient.


    In the Central Plains, with two crops in three years, an average yield of 1200 jin (600 kg) per acre can be expected. 0.4-0.5 acres would be enough.


    With fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural measures, a yield of 3000 jin (1500 kg) per acre (of course, all high-yield crops) would mean only 0.15 acres would be necessary.


    At Li Yu''s location, it''s possible to achieve two, even three crops a year.


    Currently, their yield far exceeds the needs of the base, even allowing for a substantial surplus.


    Li Yu made some calculations and thought to himself, "Fortunately, I expanded the fields in the mountains back then, otherwise the original four acres of paddy rice would definitely have been insufficient now."


    During the busy farming season, it wasn''t too hectic, thanks to the plentiful labor coupled with their coordination, they quickly processed all these foods.


    However, for the rice to be preserved for a longer time, it needed to be dried, and Li Yu''s group adopted the most rudimentary method �C sun drying.


    After almost a week of drying, the rice was finally dry.


    Packed and stored in the warehouse.


    They still had to consume the old stock first, and of course, they also took out a portion of the new rice for everyone to taste.


    Li Yu looked at the warehouse full of rice and felt a sense of solidity in his heart; in this apocalyptic world, only with ample food could one feel safe.


    .....

 Chapter 243 - 235: The Innate Ferocity

    The navel orange trees on the mountain, although lacking water in the latter half of this year and not bearing large fruits, when tasted, are sweeter than ever before.


    Sufficient sunlight has accumulated more sugars.


    Mobilizing people at the base to go up the mountain to pick these navel oranges and other fruits, some of which can be made into dried fruits and preserves.


    Navel oranges, originally able to be stored for a long time, can be kept for up to two months in a well-ventilated and dry place.


    But Li Yu felt that wasn''t long enough, so he made some into canned fruits, which could then be stored for over a year.


    Navel oranges are a specialty of their area.


    On the mountain, children came running, racing across the fields.


    Picking fruits and placing them in baskets, transporting them to the residential area for mom and others to handle.


    The peel of navel oranges actually has many benefits.


    Navel orange peels can be extracted for essential oils, used in shampooing for smooth and soft hair, or in face washing for skin whitening effects. Dried navel orange peels can also be used in traditional Chinese medicine to aid digestion, and in cooking to remove unwanted odors or as decoration.


    Containing essential oils, navel orange peel emits a faint orange fragrance, refreshing the air and invigorating the mind.


    Especially effective in enclosed spaces, in the winter when windows are seldom opened, placing some orange peel can improve air quality too. For those who get motion sickness, placing some orange peels nearby can prevent it during long car rides.


    Additionally, navel orange peel can remove stains.


    Rubbing ceramic dishes with orange peel dipped in salt is particularly effective in removing grease. Burning dried orange peels in a metal box can quickly remove toilet odors and also repel mosquitoes and flies.


    Orange peel also acts as a natural air freshener, rivaling professional air fresheners, and when placed in cabinets, it can remove odors and repel insects.


    Placing orange peel in a microwave and heating on low power for 1 to 2 minutes can eliminate any odd smells; putting it in the refrigerator can help freshen the air.


    ...


    The aroma of navel oranges is quite distinctive; Li Yu has always enjoyed smelling this scent.


    "Big brother, I picked a triplet navel orange," called Li Suxin, her hair in pigtails, excitedly towards Li Yu.


    "Good sign! That''s wonderful!" Li Yu smiled as he looked at Li Suxin.


    Li Suxin, holding the three connected navel oranges, her little face flushed, the orange fruit paired with some lush green leaves, looked truly pleasing.


    The harvest season is always joyful.


    Amidst the laughter, everyone picked and processed the fruits.


    Last month''s newly planted vegetables, some matured quickly, were harvested and dried in the recent sunny days to make pickles and preserved vegetables.


    Early October, during the National Day holiday.


    That night, Li Yu stood at the Observation Tower on the mountain peak, the highest point in the base, from where he could see far into the distance. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    ...


    Li Yu lit a cigarette, the evening breeze blowing as fragmented memories flashed before his eyes.


    He remembered, in the year he graduated from university, during the National Day holiday, when he had just started his career, and was incredibly busy.


    While others were on vacation traveling or spending time with family,


    he could only pitifully run to the client''s company, time and again, endlessly revising proposals, editing reports.


    He worked hard, but what left the deepest impression from that job was on the second day of the National Day holiday, during a business trip, a colleague


    suddenly collapsed on the ground while buying breakfast at a convenience store, bleeding profusely, later diagnosed at the hospital as sudden death.


    It was truly terrifying.


    It happened right by his side, a person a year older than him, occurring directly before his eyes, giving him a great shock.


    Since then, he started going to bed earlier, always eating breakfast.


    But, the melancholy in his heart persisted, the bitterness of the workplace where his immediate boss always took credit, Li Yu''s work invariably became the leader''s.


    He always ended up taking the blame for project mishaps, more ludicrously, when Li Yu stayed after hours to self-study and grow, discovered by his boss, the underminings continued,


    Feeling that Li Yu''s workload wasn''t intense enough, he was directly assigned a bunch of tasks outside of his job.


    Personal tasks.


    At work, one should work for themselves, learning and growing are what matter most.


    Working overtime is fine if it means something, then just do it.


    But if it''s just to run errands and buy random stuff for your boss and then deliver it from afar, it''s totally unnecessary.


    In the workplace, serving tea and opening doors are normal, everyone has gone through this.


    But, incessant suppression, relentless oppression, docking pay, deducting from an already minimal salary through various means.


    ...


    If that was all, it might be okay, but the coercion extends elsewhere.


    Most people might have already bowed their heads and resigned on their own.


    But Li Yu wasn''t willing to give in, the company wasn''t the problem, the problem was this woman.


    He wouldn''t feel right until he let out this breath.


    Clearly, he worked so hard, clearly was observant, clearly....


    Perhaps Li Yu''s belligerence was innate.


    The usually gentle him, one day found that female leader.


    A so-called Christian who still ate beef and mutton blood.


    A woman who fawns to superiors and bullies subordinates, good-looking but sinister in mind.


    A person who could say to the cleaning lady, "You people just waste food and don''t deserve respect."


    And to the big boss, "Dad, I brought you coffee, it''s a bit hot, be careful~"


    ...


    One day after work, Li Yu called the female leader out.


    "Stop pushing me, stop insulting me, I know where you live. The barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes. If you push me too far, I don''t know what I might do."


    At the company''s courtyard downstairs, Li Yu said calmly.


    He might not be very smart, might not think of any sneaky tactics to retaliate, but he was ready to face the destruction of the world, so what wouldn''t he dare to do?


    The female supervisor trembled slightly, forcibly smiled and said, "Li Yu, I didn''t see this coming, you really chill my heart, I''ve always wanted to nurture you, and yet you treat me like this. Oh, I really can''t..."


    Covering her chest, she made a hurt expression.


    Li Yu''s eyes were sharp, like a hawk''s, staring directly at the female leader.


    Silently.


    "Hahaha, why do you look at me with those eyes, you''re too scary. Hahaha." The female leader tried to calm herself down by forcing a composed demeanor and easing the atmosphere.


    "Don''t push me, I have nothing to lose. The barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes. Just think about it yourself," Li Yu said softly, just like that.


    The female leader was frightened.


    Then she tried to ignore Li Yu, and immediately got up to leave for the office.


    "Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou City xxxx," Li Yu stated an address.


    The female leader looked at Li Yu with some shock, unable to believe that Li Yu actually knew where her hometown was.


    Suddenly, she felt that Li Yu was serious!


    Mad!


    Crazy!


    "Is it necessary?"


    "It is necessary."

 Chapter 244 - 236: When is it not the apocalypse?

    The world has never been fair, Li Yu the madman, might be foolish, but he never considers the consequences.


    He dares to speak out, not afraid that the woman would dare to trip him up again.


    Dare to provoke him, and he really dares to do something that she will regret for a lifetime.


    The world is just so ridiculous.


    The day after he spoke out, he clearly felt that the female leader''s attitude towards him improved a lot.


    Damn it, it deserves it!


    Afterwards, Li Yu also felt that what he did, wasn''t really worth it.


    His life is very precious, he still has plenty of time, beautiful landscapes he hasn''t seen, a wonderful future waiting for him.


    But, at that moment, he was overwhelmed.


    Just having that kind of desperate determination at the time gave him the fearless strength to persist.


    Only then did he dare to say those words.


    Immature, too childish.


    But what is being mature anyway? He tried, reading extensively, chanting Buddhist scriptures, but still couldn''t calm down.


    Actually, there are many better methods, but at that time, the inherent violence in Li Yu


    made him lose his ability to think��


    Li Yu is tragic; there are many people like the female leader in the world,


    Does everyone have to act that way?


    Is there a better way?


    Yes, becoming stronger.


    But, it''s not that easy.


    ...


    This world, it''s always like this, those with more wealth and honor are always more fearful of losing their lives.


    Those with less are inherently disposed to risk their lives in struggle.


    So, people with more should not oppress those with less.


    Because you never know, your whole family might be exchanged for someone else''s life.


    There''s also a saying:


    Don''t bully honest people, or you might not even have the chance to kneel!


    All is settled.


    This society always grinds down the downtrodden, as a saying goes:


    Who would risk their life for tomorrow without a heavy burden?


    Those living at the bottom of society, with parents to care for and children to feed.


    Even if they suffer countless humiliations in the workplace, they swallow their teeth and endure.


    For middle-aged men in the workplace, it''s the toughest.


    Li Yu is still alright, being young he doesn''t have so much pressure.


    And maybe, he is quite selfish.


    Selfish enough to disregard everything else.


    ...


    All of this, resurfaces with memories, gradually becoming clear as if it just happened yesterday.


    In the midst of swirling smoke, he remembered a few things.


    In Liao Province, something like this happened.


    There was an elderly couple, both in their sixties.


    They made a living selling pork, running a stall on the roadside, always diligent and unobtrusive.


    One day, a family moved in next door.


    They also sold pork, and business competition is normal.


    However, doing business usually thrives with goodwill; businesses compete but it''s nothing unacceptable.


    In commercial competition, darker methods often emerge, it''s just a case of big fish eating smaller fish, and the smaller fish having no power to resist.


    The elderly couple sold pork for 8.5 yuan per pound, which was about the price in the area.


    The family that moved in next door, priced their pork at 8 yuan.


    It was a case of undercutting, when faced with someone with a bad temper, they just started a price war, you sell for 8, I''ll sell for 7.5.


    But the elderly couple didn''t, the people next door acted this way, but the elderly couple, being older, preferred less trouble, so they ignored it. sea??h th�� Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Who would have thought that this concession would only fuel the flames of aggression from the family next door.


    The family next door directly moved their stall forward from the neighboring spot.


    Day by day, bit by bit, they occupied more and more space.


    Originally, the elderly couple had set up their stall here, having been in this spot for decades.


    The elderly couple endured it, not arguing with them, and thus moved back.


    One day, the family next door overstepped, placing their pork stall right in front of the elderly couple''s stall, completely blocking it.


    The old man, holding back his anger, then moved his stall to the right.


    The next day, the young man from next door moved his stall again, completely blocking off the elderly couple''s stall.


    This elderly couple, honest all their lives, were about to retire, yet still faced such bullying.


    Severely affecting their business, the elderly wife went forward to talk, but to her surprise, the young folks from next door pushed her.


    The elderly wife fell to the ground.


    Some fellow vendors in the area tried to intervene:


    "Why resort to violence? It''s tough for these old folks too...."


    "Seriously, you shouldn''t always bully honest people."


    "Let it go, don''t hit anyone."


    .....


    "It''s none of your business, mind your own business! Scram!" yelled the man next door.


    .....


    The elderly wife packed up and went home, sharing the incident with her husband.


    "Why don''t we just stop setting up the stall? Sigh. It''s time for us to retire anyway," said the elderly wife with a sigh.


    She felt some pain in her shoulder, furrowing her brows.


    The old man noticed and gently pulled her clothes aside to see a large bruise.


    The old man said nothing, patiently applied ointment on her, and asked her to rest well at home.


    The old man took a bath, sharpened a knife in the kitchen, and then hid it in his pocket.


    He casually walked to the market, heading towards their own stall.


    Upon arrival, he saw the family next door had knocked over their stall, with items scattered all around.


    The old man approached to challenge them: "We''re all just trying to do business here, we didn''t provoke you, why do you keep troubling us?"


    The butcher next door, strong and muscular, with sleeves rolled up, ferociously retorted: "Because we''re picking on you, what''re you gonna do about it? Get lost."


    The old man immediately pulled out the knife from his pocket and stabbed the man.


    The man, caught off guard, didn''t expect the old man to be so ruthless.


    The knife plunged straight in.


    The man fell down, and the old man stabbed him several more times.


    The man''s wife screamed upon seeing this and the old man rushed over and brutally continued his attack.


    Next to them was a couple and their sister-in-law.


    At that moment, the sister-in-law at the scene trembled in fear, looking at the old man.


    The old man had been a butcher for decades, and had been patient for too long over the past half year.


    He was already prepared to be executed, and was now eerily calm.


    He told the shaking woman sitting on the ground, "I won''t kill you. You can call 110, but don''t call 120. If you dare to call 120, I will kill you."


    The old man was not afraid of death; he just didn''t want those two to live, which is why he forbade calling 120.


    This woman courted death by calling 120 upon seeing that the old man didn''t seem like he would kill her.


    In a rage, the old man swiftly killed the woman.


    Blood was everywhere, three corpses laying on the ground.


    The old man lit a cigarette, placing the blood-stained knife on the pork table.


    With a calm face, the elderly wife sat on the ground, crying in pain, looking at the old man, her heart too full for words.


    The old man himself dialed 110, and when Government arrived, he was very cooperative.


    Calmly he said: "I know I will die, but their bullying was too severe, bullying me is one thing, but bullying my wife, that I cannot bear. I''m old and don''t want to argue anymore, I''ve been driven to this point by them."


    No one could say anything.


    What is right, and what is wrong?


    .....


    When is it not the end of times?

 Chapter 245 - 237: Ammunition Crisis

    Li Yu thought about these things at the mountaintop, unknown to the people at the base.


    The night grew late, and Li Yu went back to his room to rest.


    The next morning came early.


    Second Uncle came to find him, his expression tense. The first words he said were, "Li Yu, our firearms and ammunition are now only one-tenth of what we initially had."


    Li Yu was eating breakfast when he heard this and was startled.


    During this period, he had indeed relaxed too much and hadn''t noticed this issue.


    It made sense, though; after facing that wave of a thousand refugees, they had used quite a lot of bullets.


    Second Uncle originally did not have the keys to the warehouse, but seeing how Li Yu had become lax recently, caring less about many matters,


    he felt anxious as he watched.


    Later, after discussing with Li Yu''s parents, they checked the warehouse and discovered the ammunition was indeed insufficient. Based on the current amount, it could only support two instances similar to the last refugee wave.


    He had to mention it.


    After being reminded by Second Uncle, Li Yu immediately realized the severity.


    Having come back from a post-apocalyptic rebirth, although the first five years post-apocalypse had seen no major power groups, and firearms were much less used, S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but for their base, why they could battle enemies victoriously several times, having firearms played a part of that advantage, yet now, the shortage of ammunition had become a huge problem!


    Li Yu fell into deep thought. He remembered that in that previous apocalypse, before his rebirth, there were two groups that maintained full firearm utilization. After the apocalypse, no group managed to restore normal armament factories.


    Yet these two groups managed to maintain sufficient ammunition because they had acquired a vast cache of weapons hoarded by the Government in the previous century.


    But as for how these two groups obtained those weapons, opinions varied and there wasn''t a definitive answer.


    One group was in the north, the other in the Southern region.


    Legend had it that the Southern group was located in a military base found in some hills in the South.


    This military base had hollowed out an entire mountain range, storing inside billions of bullets and massive amounts of firearms.


    Li Yu had thought about finding this entire military base, but in this lifetime, after the apocalypse erupted amidst chaos, it was difficult to gather any effective information.


    But, prior to the apocalypse''s onset, he managed to find some clues on the internet.


    However, there were several locations. No exact spot.


    This military base was elusive, but the police armory was precise, hence, after the apocalypse broke out, Li Yu first emptied the weapons from the two nearby armories.


    But even so, after consuming without resupply for half a year, they now faced a shortage of bullets.


    Li Yu faintly perceived this issue, which is why recently he began crafting arrows for crossbows��an alternative, yet still not as effective as firearms.


    Seeing Second Uncle''s worried expression, Li Yu reassured him, "Don''t worry, we''ll always find a solution."


    He seemed to remember something and then said, "Second Uncle, help me call Uncle and Yang Tianlong, and Li Tie over. I need to ask them some questions."


    Second Uncle, looking perturbed, nodded and said, "Alright, Li Yu. You must pay attention to this situation, under these circumstances, we must resolve it, or else maintaining our current operations will be difficult. We''ve also ventured around the vicinity, and some new power groups have emerged.


    We need to be prepared; otherwise, if the enemies surpass us, we will be in a tough spot."


    Li Yu tensed up; before his rebirth, he had always stayed in the north. He wasn''t much familiar with the developments and power groups in the south post-apocalypse.


    With a solemn look, he felt he indeed had been too relaxed recently.


    Sense of crisis!


    His sense of crisis had indeed diminished a lot. Second Uncle''s words made Li Yu realize that the base couldn''t remain stagnant; it must continuously progress.


    "Okay, Second Uncle, please find them now."


    Second Uncle took a sip of water and then headed out.


    Today was Uncle''s duty day, but he switched posts with someone else and came to the villa in the middle of the residential area.


    Uncle saw Li Yu in the villa''s lobby on the first floor and while walking said, "Your Second Uncle was looking for me. He said you had something for me. What is it?"


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Uncle, let''s wait a moment, wait until Tiezi and the others are here, then we''ll talk."


    Uncle wanted to inquire more, but hearing Li Yu mention waiting for others, he ultimately closed his mouth.


    So, they waited.


    Few minutes later, Li Tie, Li Gang, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, and others arrived one after another.


    Li Yu saw that everyone had arrived.


    Without any preamble, he directly said, "Our base is almost out of the ammunition we previously acquired."


    Li Tie heard this and immediately grew anxious, he was very clear that their current advantage was not only due to ample food but also because their firearms were adequately powerful��simply put, they had bullets and guns.


    "Didn''t we stockpile the bullets from two armories before?" Dapao asked.


    "They will run out, think about it, how many bullets we have used up until now��" Li Yu stated calmly.


    "Ah, what do we do then?" Li Tie sighed.


    The atmosphere suddenly turned suffocating; everyone was worried.


    Seeing everyone''s mood, Li Yu stood up and said, "I remember, it seems like there is a military base around here, right? I recall it was set up in preparation for World War III, and the Government built these military bases all over the country.


    Do you guys have any related memories or impressions?"


    As soon as Li Yu spoke, it sparked a discussion among them.


    "I remember there being one. I heard my squad leader mention that in our province, there''s one near Pangu Mountain. Not sure if it''s true or false," Li Tie said.


    "Right, right, I remember, I heard people say that too. They say the whole nation was armed, especially in the north. There were so many stocked up there, and that Cao County. Lots of airplanes..." Li Gang added on the side.


    "What about you? Have you heard similar news?" Li Yu looked at Dapao and Yang Tianlong.


    Dapao said, "The version I heard was in the western region, about 300 kilometers from us, they said it''s in XX city''s XX county."


    Yang Tianlong said, "Uh... I''m not that gossipy; I don''t know anything."


    Li Yu: "..."


    Alright.


    Li Yu continued saying, "The bullets from the two armories our base collected previously are now scarce; we need to find new weapons.


    ...

 Chapter 246 - 238: Establishing a Search Team

    "Under the current circumstances, manufacturing weapons is extremely difficult. Let''s go search for a military base. If we manage to find one, we won''t have to worry about running out of bullets for decades, or even a hundred years."


    "Alright, let''s start searching now."


    Hearing everyone''s thoughts on needing more bullets brought Li Yu some relief.


    After all, if we really need to go to that military base, whose existence is uncertain, it''s hard to convince people.


    But even so, we must still make the trip.


    Second Uncle listened to their conversation and had a thought.


    He spoke up: "Li Yu, since the drought has just passed and there are currently no major forces around us, we can definitely form a team and start searching. Whether it''s in the East or the West, we can search on the way."


    Li Yu nodded and turned to Uncle and others, "As Second Uncle said, we''re running low on bullets and some firearms are also having issues.


    If we want to manufacture bullets, we don''t have the necessary talent or industrial infrastructure here. Even if we did, creating them wouldn''t happen overnight.


    So,


    let''s start searching now."


    Before his rebirth, Li Yu hadn''t returned to his hometown and hadn''t heard about any significant forces there, but he did hear from some people who came from the Southern region.


    There''s a group in the South, they have more guns and bullets than they can use, in an era that has reverted to cold weapons. A group with ample bullets can make a significant impact.


    Finding the military base is crucial.


    "When we were in the military, we once went to the Western side for training. The platoon leader I mentioned earlier, he told me about it, it''s at that Old House Mountain, that area is restricted.


    It might be there. We could start by checking there first," Li Tie said.


    Li Yu upon hearing this, looked at Li Tie and said, "Well, now that we know a few places, Old House Mountain, Silver Mountain in the East, and Zhugao Mountain in the South, let''s check those first."


    "Okay, I''m fine with that," Dapao said.


    "Alright, we''ll listen to you," Yang Tianlong said.


    ...


    Everyone agreed.


    "Then, let''s form a search team first. Me, Uncle, Tiezi, Gangzi, Tianlong, Dapao, umm... and bring along Ding Jiu, Song Min, and Xiao Hang.


    At the base, Third Uncle and Second Uncle, you guys keep an eye on things temporarily. With you here, I''m more at ease."


    Second Uncle thought for a moment and said: "Why not let Wang Cheng go too? He is strong, then you have ten people."


    Li Yu thought about it, one more person wouldn''t hurt, and said, "Okay, I''ll talk to Wang Cheng in a bit."


    Uncle, who had been quiet, suddenly asked, "When are we likely to set off?"


    Li Yu and Second Uncle exchanged a glance. Second Uncle remained silent, and Li Yu pondered:


    It''s October now, according to his rebirth memory, a harsh period of blizzards and cold is coming soon. At that time, he was around M City, and the temperature had already dropped to minus 50 degrees Celsius, and in more northern areas, it reportedly fell to minus 80 degrees.


    That cold period claimed many lives.


    Later, from what he learned from people who came from the South, the temperature here will also drop to around minus 40 degrees in a couple of months.


    In their current location, such cold is unimaginable, the last time it snowed here was in 2002, Li Yu''s first-ever snowfall was that very snowfall in 2002.


    Although that snowfall came later than many people remembered.


    But for Li Yu and many people from the South, it was their first-ever snowfall.


    The frigid blizzard conditions were bound to bring them enormous troubles.


    They had to make preparations ahead of time.


    In fact, Li Yu had thought about this issue earlier, so he built photovoltaic solar power capable of generating enough electricity to be converted into thermal energy, sufficient to power air conditioning or anything else they might need.


    At present, they had a surplus of electricity, and not just by a little.


    As Li Yu pondered this, he became lost in thought.


    Second Uncle, seeing that Li Yu was spacing out instead of responding after hearing Uncle''s words, couldn''t help but remind him, "Li Yu, your Uncle is asking you a question, when do we depart?"


    Only then did Li Yu snap back to reality and after some thought, said:


    "The sooner the better. We definitely can''t delay this matter, although we don''t know if it still exists or even if it ever did, but we need to act quickly.


    Let''s set it for two days from now.


    There''s just one thing, something I''ve been thinking about recently, that I need you, Second Uncle, to coordinate and plan to see how we should proceed.


    ...


    Given the unpredictable weather nowadays, torrential rains, droughts, and possibly an extremely cold winter, we need to plan ahead soon. Second Uncle, what do you think about setting up an indoor greenhouse?


    Since nobody lives in the underground floor of the two rows of residential buildings and there''s enough space, those long residential buildings, but my dad said each floor is about 2000 square meters, which is roughly 3 acres.


    Together, the two rows are estimated to be about 6 acres.


    Second Uncle, could you find some people to refurbish this underground floor?


    Also, I believe I bought a lot of LED lights before, there should be some grow lights among them, please look for them, get Grandpa and the others involved, experiment with planting in this sublevel floor.


    ..."


    Li Yu briefly mentioned this, actually, he had contemplated building indoor planting facilities before the apocalypse, so he had purchased many related devices beforehand.


    But there hadn''t been a need to use them until now.


    In two months, they would face the icy weather, and preparations were necessary.


    "Oh, I see. I was wondering what all that stuff in the warehouse was for when you bought it. Okay, leave this to me.


    Actually, we could set up steel frames for aeroponics in the air, or use soil, or other methods. We could plant lettuce, green onions, radishes, even try rice," Second Uncle suggested.


    Li Yu''s eyes lit up, his initial thought had been to make an indoor greenhouse or similar, but the idea proposed by Second Uncle was much better; his idea had only been to use the ground on the underground floor,


    but based on Second Uncle''s suggestion, by using the steel frames, they could save a lot of space. With 6 acres, if utilized well and elevated, it could nearly function like 20 acres.


    And since it would be suspended, it was even more convenient to manage.


    "Okay, I''ll have Xiao Hang help you, he knows machinery. We can use a drip irrigation system, that would save even more water," Li Yu said.


    Having delegated this task, Li Yu felt much relieved.


    Food was essential, weapons were the tools to protect oneself.


    Both were indispensable, both fronts had to be grasped firmly. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because in two days, they would depart to search for a secretive military base built by the Government, Li Yu decided to relieve the departing members from duty, to rest well and prepare thoroughly.


    These hidden military bases were built under threats from a major power back in the day; it is understood that these military bases were incredibly large, even though post-apocalypse, some were submerged,


    or those who knew about them, died, sealing their existence forever there.


    And from the memories before Li Yu''s rebirth, only two groups had ever found such bases, though they were very small military ones.


    But these discoveries allowed these two groups to become powerful forces.

 Chapter 247 - 239: Its Still So Hot in October

    Early the next morning, Li Yu took Second Uncle to the underground first floor of the two long buildings.


    This underground floor was completely enclosed, but it also had several dozen ventilators.


    Opening the large doors of the underground floor, it was mostly used for storing various items. It had been a long time since the doors had been opened, and now, an unpleasant smell assaulted them as the doors were opened.


    Li Yu switched on the lights.


    Clattering...


    The incandescent bulbs overhead flickered on one after another, like carousel lights.


    With the lights on, the two stood in the vast space, silent.


    Their footsteps echoed back at them.


    Li Yu then turned on the ventilators.


    The sound of the ventilators broke the silence in the space.


    Li Yu looked at some building materials in front of him, along with a collection of other miscellaneous items, and said, "Second Uncle, get someone to clean up here. We should have enough seeds. Coordinate with my mom on this.


    Get this sorted out as soon as possible. By the time we return, I hope this place will be on the right track."


    Second Uncle replied, "Don''t worry, leave it to me."


    Li Yu then looked around the basement. When it was constructed, they had anticipated all sorts of extreme weather, so the construction took these possibilities into account.


    The basement, as it stands now, may look dusty, but it''s waterproof and exceptionally sturdy.


    Because it''s underground, it naturally has a temperature-regulating effect. Although it''s not entirely constant, the temperature variation is much smaller compared to above ground.


    Since they plan to grow crops here, the most important factor is lighting. There''s LED grow lights for that, and then there''s the water source. For the water source, they can do soil culture, hydroponics, or even aerosol cultivation.


    Aerosol cultivation is similar to a humidifier, placing the roots of plants in a closed space and supplying water through a mist.


    This method of farming through misting was essentially invented to conserve water resources, and it works quite well.


    In terms of temperature, that''s not the biggest issue for the base. The base has tens of tons of gasoline and diesel for power generation; there''s also a hydroelectric generator; currently, they mostly use solar photovoltaic power, and they can''t even use all the electricity generated by it.


    In this basement, they could run the central air conditioning 24 hours a day, and use humidifiers to maintain the temperature as well.


    After checking the basement twice without finding any issues, Li Yu left the basement.


    The departure was set for the day after tomorrow, and he needed to prepare properly.


    According to their plan and estimates, there are three possible locations for the military base: the western Old House Mountain, Silver Mountain in the East, and Zhugao Mountain to the south.


    They couldn''t split their forces to search these three places. Since they were already choosing a lean operation approach with limited manpower, splitting up would mean dividing their strength by three.


    Unable to split up meant they needed to prioritize: first, they would head to Zhugao Mountain in the south, then to Silver Mountain in the East, and finally, they would return to the farm base to resupply before heading to Old House Mountain in the West.


    To the south...


    Li Yu fell into contemplation.


    Wiping sweat, it was already October, yet the temperature was still above 39 degrees, with outdoor temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees from noon to evening.


    It was indeed quite hot. He had planned to stroll around the base at noon to get a feel for the weather, but now he thought better of it.


    Just the other days, after a spell of dry weather, it had rained for a while, and the weather cooled down quite a bit.


    Who knew that come October 1st, the temperature would really feel like baking.


    He waited until the evening before leaving the villa to go to the garage and saw a row of vehicles.


    There were ten people going on this trip. It would be best to take more vehicles, ones with larger capacity, so they could transport things back.


    But then he thought, if they really found a military base, one trip would definitely not be enough to haul everything back, so after weighing it all up...


    They would go in five vehicles. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One riot control vehicle, three heavy trucks, and one Unimog.


    These five vehicles were the most reliable ones at the base.


    The Unimog could travel from Beijing to the westernmost part of Xinjiang on a single tank of gas, so as long as it was filled up, no additional fuel was needed.


    The three heavy trucks could reach up to 1000 kilometers on a full tank, so this time they could bring some oil, but not too much.


    After inspecting the vehicles, Li Yu returned to his room and got all the things he should take ready.


    Protective armor, helmets, Night Vision Goggles...


    Other than him, everyone else who was going on the trip was also preparing their stuff.


    Since they would mainly be traveling by vehicle this time, they were able to bring a lot more, so they carried quite a bit of food.


    ...


    Time flies by in the blink of an eye.


    Before long, it was October 7th. Everyone was spirited that day, with Dapao even feeling a bit excited.


    Looking for arms, on a killing spree against anyone they encounter.


    Li Yu looked at Dapao, then at Song Min standing beside him. The two of them were now officially recognized as a couple.


    They didn''t hide anything. Li Yu advocated for freedom in love; if they got together of their own accord, he''d let them be, as long as it didn''t affect the task at hand.


    The troop was ready to move out, and the gate opened.


    And so they set off. Li Tie drove the Unimog, his face full of excitement, taking the lead; Li Yu was in the last riot control vehicle, with Li Gang driving next to him, and Li Hang maneuvering the drones, flying them into the sky to observe the surroundings.


    Li Yu looked out the window; the weather was great, and the sunshine was bright, albeit a bit scorching.


    He thought of a few days ago, Yutong and him...


    Since then, their relationship had grown closer. They were like a couple in their daily comings and goings, but this time, he didn''t let her come along for certain reasons. Recently, she had been feeling unwell, and Li Yu, wanting to take care of her, decided not to have her join.


    Thinking of how he didn''t let her come along, he imagined her being slightly upset.


    Li Yu thought of Yutong''s somewhat angry expression and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.


    He would deal with her when he returned.


    The group drove southward, although the original plan was different. At first, they intended to head to the East, then to the South, and finally to the West, which would have been a logical route.


    But they had to consider the fact that it was about two hundred kilometers to Zhugao Mountain to the South, then over three hundred kilometers to Silver Mountain in the East. To cover the whole distance in one go and then return would pose a refueling issue.


    Besides, they couldn''t stay outside for too long, so they decided to go South first, East afterward, return to the base, and finally head West.


    The vehicles stopped at the gas station in town and, according to the navigation map, heading directly south to Zhugao Mountain would be a detour if they took the national highway.


    They chose a more direct route instead.


    Although this road wasn''t as broad as the national highway, it could still accommodate vehicles like the Unimog.


    Heading southbound, at a location ahead of them, Captain Lv''s group was living.


    From the initial group of thirty-plus people, Captain Lv''s team had now dwindled to fewer than twenty.

 Chapter 248 - 240: Encountering Captain Lv and His Party

    Li Hang operated the drone, maintaining a 2-kilometer distance, gazing down from the sky.


    Suddenly, Li Hang saw someone on the street in front, on top of the Government Building!


    Lowering the drone slowly, it let out a whirring sound.


    This attracted the attention of the person on the rooftop, who, panic-stricken upon seeing the drone, hurled stones at it.


    But the altitude was too great, so after several throws, none of the stones struck the drone.


    "Big brother, there''s someone on the street ahead, by the Government Building. Look," Li Hang said, pointing at the control screen in his hands.


    Although it wasn''t very clear and the person''s specific features could not be made out, their actions unequivocally informed them that this was a real person!


    Li Yu looked closely, puzzled; they had come to this area many times before. They should take a look.


    Having made up his mind, Li Yu took out his walkie-talkie and said to Li Tie: "Tiezi, stop by the Village Government Building in Pei Xiang for a moment later; we saw someone from the drone over here."


    "Someone? Alright, I''ll stop for a bit," Li Tie responded.


    ....


    Meanwhile, the person on the rooftop, after failing to hit the drone, immediately ran down from the roof.


    "Captain Lv, there''s a drone on the rooftop, keeping an eye on us over here," the person said.


    "A drone?" Captain Lv frowned; it had been a year since the apocalypse erupted, who could still be using such a thing?


    Who exactly was it? They had not easily escaped the danger of zombies and finally found a relatively safe place, this Government Building.


    And now there''s someone else?


    Captain Lv felt a headache coming on.


    At that moment, Old Xie, who was on sentry duty at the door, also ran over to Captain Lv, saying, "There''s a convoy coming to the entrance."


    Hearing this, Captain Lv''s gaze sharpened: "Call everyone; arm yourselves."


    Right now, with people coming over rashly and using drones for reconnaissance, whether they''re friend or foe was unknown, but in any case, they had to prepare for combat.


    Before Captain Lv even made it to the entrance, he saw Li Tie approaching him, holding a submachine gun.


    Li Yu stood behind him, observing the house from atop the vehicle.


    Then he suddenly saw a familiar face, Captain Lv?


    Actually, he had always had a good impression of Captain Lv.


    Back when they were hunting down refugees, his intention was to eradicate future threats; those refugees had exposed their base''s location.


    He had painstakingly managed and cautiously protected it, and just like that, the refugees became privy to it, and the information would inevitably spread.


    Although the exposure of their base''s location was unavoidable, he still wanted to hide it as much as possible.


    Chasing them to Jiefang City, not killing all the refugees, not simply wiping out everyone in Jiefang City, was because he still had some conscience.


    Jiefang City insisted on sheltering these refugees; he also wanted to see how Jiefang City would meet its end!


    "Captain Lv? Haven''t seen you in a long while," Li Yu said with a smile, his tone conveying a sense of friendliness.


    Captain Lv nodded at Li Tie, who was approaching from the front, by way of greeting, then heard Li Yu''s voice.


    Looking up, from below, he saw Li Yu looking down at him with a friendly face.


    Captain Lv''s expression was complex, mixed with shame and regret; amidst those emotions, there was a slight relief.


    He regretted not taking Li Yu''s warning seriously when it was given.


    And that they had sheltered these refugees, although it was mainly Director Zhang who was responsible, in the end, Jiefang City collapsed and became like this...


    At that time, they should have been more resolute in opposing the refugees'' entry into Jiefang City.


    There is no such thing as a pill for regret in the world, and Director Zhang has already paid with his life for what he has done.


    Being a good person, in this apocalyptic world, sometimes means being cruelly fast to die.


    "Director Li, long time no see..." Captain Lv wanted to say that Li Yu had mentioned before they could join them, and asked if that was still an option.


    But what happened in Jiefang City slapped him hard across the face.


    Li Yu had already warned him. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the end, he only has himself to blame, looking at Jiefang City from Li Yu''s perspective.


    Imagine if Li Yu wanted to deal with the refugees, Jiefang City resisted, and took them in. Li Yu kindly warned them, but they did not take it seriously.


    Now they are running around like homeless dogs, hoping others will still shelter them.


    The deaths of those recently, especially those close to him who fled Jiefang City, made Captain Lv no longer care about face.


    Thinking of the goodwill Li Yu had shown him before, he wondered if Li Yu would let him join.


    So, swallowing his pride, he said: "Director Li, can we join you?"


    He went straight to the point, expressing what he most wanted to say as his first words.


    Li Yu looked at Captain Lv in surprise upon hearing this. He hadn''t expected Captain Lv to be so direct and to change his mind so quickly.


    "How about Jiefang City now?" Instead of answering immediately, Li Yu asked him about the situation in Jiefang City.


    Hearing that Li Yu didn''t respond directly, Captain Lv felt disappointed and, with some sadness, replied, "Jiefang City is gone. We shouldn''t have let those refugees in without listening to your advice. After the refugees came, the tensions escalated, and a riot broke out."


    "Where are the others? And Director Zhang?" Li Yu asked.


    "Director Zhang was knocked unconscious by a brick, and later, without timely medical treatment, he died. The others are scattered everywhere, probably all fled to various places," Captain Lv said, looking like a man hammered down, as if his spine had been crushed, shrinking his height.


    Li Hang, listening in the background, seemed somewhat smug, with a sense of satisfaction on his face. If they had just killed those refugees, they wouldn''t have had all this trouble.


    Not only did they prevent them from dealing with the refugees, but they also ignored the warnings.


    Heh, serves them right.


    Li Tie, Li Gang, and others were lamenting when they heard this. They didn''t expect the refugees to have caused the collapse of Jiefang City, becoming the last straw that broke the camel''s back.


    Li Yu, hearing what Captain Lv said, was expressionless, showing neither Schadenfreude nor sympathy.


    Every action has consequences that one must bear.


    Li Yu had once greatly admired the Captain Lv in front of him, competent, yet somewhat indecisive.


    As for the refugees in Jiefang City, Captain Lv had also felt they should not let them in, but he didn''t insist.


    What a pity.


    As for whether to let him join the base, Li Yu was in deep thought. Currently, they were about to seek out a military base, a matter of great importance, and they absolutely could not let them know about it for the time being. Secondly, Captain Lv currently had four or five people who seemed to be his family with him, which was not very convenient.


    They couldn''t let them join for now, but there could be another way��at the base''s periphery, they could still make use of a few people.


    After pondering for a while, Li Yu said, "Here''s the deal, for now, you will act as our external team. If you encounter problems, we will try to help you solve them, and if other forces come, we will protect you.


    And your part is to help us gather news from around, and report to us in a timely manner.


    Let''s arrange it like this for now. How about it, do you agree?"

 Chapter 249 - 241: Raining on the Road

    Captain Lv, upon hearing this, even though Li Yu did not directly agree to let them join, the promise of protection was already not bad.


    "Alright then, Director Li, we now..." Captain Lv had a complex expression, as though he wanted to say something but seemed embarrassed to do so.


    Li Yu noticed his expression and immediately glanced at the people around Captain Lv, who were looking pale and malnourished, instantly understanding that Captain Lv must be running into food issues.


    Turning back, he addressed Li Tie, who was behind him: "Divide our food in half and give it to them."


    This time they had brought a considerable amount of food, enough to sustain their group of ten for about a month.


    The trip definitely wouldn''t take a full month, but Li Yu and his team always came prepared. This time, driving out in vehicles meant they could load up a lot and were not worried about supplies.


    "Thank you, Director Li, thank you so much," Captain Lv said with full gratitude after hearing Li Yu''s words. He felt somewhat ashamed inside, but even more so, moved. Before he could even speak, Li Yu had seen the problem and acted in support.


    Li Tie and Li Gang took the food from the riot vehicle, carrying box after box in front of them.


    The people behind Captain Lv saw the food and breathed hurriedly; they only had food left for less than three days, and that was under frugal calculation. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once everything was moved down, Li Yu glanced at Captain Lv and his group, "Alright, we have to get going for other matters. If you encounter any situation, contact us at the base."


    Captain Lv nodded and said, "Thank you, Director Li, thank you."


    Li Yu didn''t say much else and headed towards the riot vehicle.


    Li Tie and the others followed, the car engine started, and they set off.


    Captain Lv and his group left the Government Building, watching them drive away.


    ...


    Captain Lv''s team watched until Li Yu''s convoy was completely out of sight. Old Xie spoke up, "Captain, what are they up to?"


    Captain Lv turned back and said seriously, "Don''t ask. They have given us food. Now that we are Extra Staff for them, we need to do what they''ve entrusted us with. Don''t just take their food without doing anything. When we go out to search for supplies, keep your eyes peeled."


    Old Xie nodded and agreed.


    "Let''s move the stuff inside..." Captain Lv said.


    Meanwhile, Li Yu''s group had left the Government Building, heading south.


    In the vehicle.


    Li Hang had been wanting to speak, but seeing that Li Yu had already made a decision, it didn''t seem right for him to interrupt. Finally, he couldn''t help saying, "Bro, why do we have to give them food? Our supplies are hard to come by too, why should we supply them?"


    Li Yu glanced at Li Hang, "Captain Lv and his team have some strength, and they are decent people. Our base needs to expand; we always need eyes and ears outside. Let''s still evaluate them..."


    Li Hang appeared to be deep in thought.


    Along the way, the vehicle sped without encountering any trouble.


    However, by the afternoon, dark clouds drifted into the sky, followed by a gust of wind.


    "It looks like it''s going to rain, let''s find a place to take shelter," Li Yu got on the walkie-talkie and spoke to Li Tie, who was in the lead.


    "Okay, big brother, we''ll move ahead and find a place," Li Tie responded.


    ...


    Driving along the road, which wasn''t a national highway but still a major route, many houses from the villages and towns were constructed alongside it.


    They continued on and finally found a gas station turnoff before the rain started.


    At the intersection of the two roads, there was a gas station on the left and a rural-style inn on the right.


    The inn was situated between the two roads, with an overgrown yard lying behind it.


    "Big brother, how about we stay here? This place seems pretty suitable," Li Tie suggested via the walkie-talkie.


    Li Yu rolled down the window, surveyed the surrounding environment, as drizzles began to fall from the sky.


    "Alright, we''ll take shelter here for now," Li Yu said.


    When it''s raining, one should really try to avoid running around outdoors, as the most terrifying aspect is the zombies. Braving the zombies and the rain isn''t exactly wise.


    The group parked their vehicle in the desolate area, then moved some important items out of the car. Just as they reached the ground floor of the hotel, rain began to pour down outside.


    Had they been any slower, they would have been drenched to the skin.


    Li Tie picked up a large rock and smashed the lock on the back door of the hotel.


    Clang!


    The lock was violently broken open.


    Li Yu glanced at the small door next to the back door, pushed it, and it opened.


    Well...


    Li Tie felt a bit embarrassed.


    This is just...


    Li Yu hung the submachine gun on his chest, took out Long Knife, and turned on the flashlight to sweep the room.


    After a quick inspection revealed nothing out of the ordinary, he slowly entered.


    Li Tie, Li Hang, and the others closely followed behind.


    "Tiezi, Gangzi, go search the house thoroughly. Don''t overlook any detail," Li Yu said without looking back, his eyes fixed ahead.


    Li Yu has always been very cautious. Upon arriving at any place, the first thing is to check the surrounding environment.


    Li Tie and the others formed groups of three and searched through the nine-story building.


    They moved quickly, and it took them less than 10 minutes to search the entire building. Nothing unusual was found.


    The rain outside continued to fall relentlessly.


    The rain pelted against the parked vehicles outside, striking the iron roofs with a clattering sound.


    For some reason, a peculiar calmness settled in the heart.


    "Bro, eat something," Li Hang brought some food over to Li Yu.


    Li Yu took it, looked into the distance, and narrowed his eyes slightly as he said, "Have Tiezi keep watch for a while, and observe the surroundings."


    After this brief downpour, some scattered zombies had already appeared outside.


    Li Yu and his group brought with them a specially made spray, the purpose of which is to mask their human scent.


    This spray was produced after they killed zombies and then formulated it themselves, and they always bring it when they go out.


    They also sprayed some on themselves.


    Additionally.


    When they alighted from the vehicle just now, and later when they entered this building, they sprayed some around the area as well.


    The spray was quite effective, and so far, these few zombies hadn''t noticed them.


    However, it was uncertain how long the rain would last; the longer it rained, the more zombies would inevitably appear.


    Trouble! Li Yu felt somewhat irritated in his heart.


    But listening to the rain, he felt slightly more at peace.


    He hoped that the rain would end soon, as he did not want to waste bullets on these zombies.


    Their ammunition was already running low, and to ensure safety in their search for the military base, they had brought along a relatively large amount of bullets.

 Chapter 250 - 242: Zhugao Mountain

    A rain had been pouring since 4 p.m. until evening.


    At night, it''s far too dangerous, so they try not to travel during the nighttime.


    Li Yu took out the electronic map and calculated the distance, estimating that it would take about 2 hours to reach Zhugao Mountain.


    There''s no choice for tonight; they can only reside here temporarily and rest. They''ll continue the journey tomorrow.


    In fact, if they had traveled at a normal speed today, they should have already reached Zhugao Mountain. However, some cars on the road hindered them.


    But that''s unavoidable.


    "Tiezi, Gangzi, Dapao... arrange a shift for guard duty. It''s raining now, and some zombies might come looking for us," Li Yu said to them as they were eating.


    "Alright, Brother."


    "Okay, Brother."


    "Sure, Brother Yu."


    ....


    "This is not like the base. Everyone, be alert and don''t get overturned," Li Yu said.


    At night, the rain drizzled.


    It rained all night.


    ...


    The next day, Li Yu rubbed his somewhat sore eyes; sure enough, they had been discovered by zombies last night. Fortunately, there weren''t many zombies around, and no one got hurt with their resistance.


    Everyone hadn''t rested well, especially Li Yu, who didn''t sleep at all last night while the others managed to get two or three hours of rest.


    It was already 6 a.m.


    The rain became lighter, and the sky gradually brightened.


    After eating some food, they rested briefly.


    Half an hour later, the rain stopped outside.


    "Let''s go!" Li Yu announced.


    They picked up their things which were already packed, and pushed open the main door.


    They couldn''t push it open, but Li Tie finally managed to open it with force through a smaller door.


    It seems that last night still attracted some zombies, and as they came out of the house, they saw zombie corpses all over the ground.


    They didn''t linger and headed straight to the vehicles.


    After checking the vehicles and finding no problems, they set off again on their journey south.


    The night''s rain left the air with a scent of freshness.


    The ground was damp, which made it hard to drive fast.


    Although they occasionally cleared the road, more often they used the Unimog to forcefully push through the vehicles blocking the way.


    This Unimog had long been modified by them; they had added a V-shaped bar at the front. After collisions along the way, the bar had deformed a little but still maintained its general shape and could be used for some more time.


    The journey was silent.


    Nearly 3 hours later, at 10 a.m., they arrived near Zhugao Mountain.


    This mountain could have been easily missed without a precise map.


    Zhugao Mountain, although a mountain, resembled more of a sinkhole.


    They left the main road, took a smaller path, and after nearly 20 minutes, there was no road ahead.


    Li Tie in the Unimog stopped the vehicle, and the others followed suit.


    "What''s going on?" Li Yu asked Li Tie through the walkie-talkie.


    "Well, Brother, there''s no road ahead. According to the map, they should now be near Zhugao Mountain. If we continue forward, it''s a different place.


    Li Yu rolled down the window, looked at the surrounding mountains and forests, took another look, and got out of the vehicle.


    Li Hang followed suit.


    No road...


    That''s not right. If it''s really a military base, there should be a road for access.


    All those munitions would definitely require vehicles to transport, and it''s unlikely without stable and solid roads.


    "Tiezi, Gangzi, Dapao, Wang Cheng, the five of us will get out and walk to take a look. Everyone else, stay with the vehicles. Keep in contact with us at any time if there''s an issue," Li Yu gave the order.


    "Brother Yu, can I go too?" Song Min had been hesitant for some time but finally spoke up.


    Li Yu shook his head and said, "Just keep watch here, and stay in touch with us about any situation. That''s the plan, follow the arrangement."


    Song Min didn''t insist, nodded and said, "Okay."


    Li Yu and the others got out of the car, carrying submachine guns and holding long knives.


    "Big brother, that must be Zhugao Mountain! We can only get there by the small path," Li Tie said, looking at the map and pointing to a mountain in the distance.


    Li Yu looked at the mountain; it wasn''t very tall but looked quite steep.


    "Let''s go, let''s get there and have a look," said Li Yu before heading in that direction.


    It had rained all night, and both sides of the path were farmland, making the road somewhat muddy.


    After walking a few steps, their shoes were full of mud.


    They all wore Martin boots, which, although slightly heavy, were durable.


    A pair of these boots could last a long time, especially outdoors; they could be washed clean after wading through water or mud.


    The group headed towards the mountain.


    In no time, they had reached the foot of the mountain.


    There was a big iron gate at the base of the mountain, next to which was a stone plaque.


    The plaque read: Red Army Base Site.


    ...


    What the hell.


    Li Yu was somewhat speechless; a site, what could possibly be there?


    The gate was locked, and Li Yu watched as Li Tie looked around the gate but didn''t attempt to open it.


    He said somewhat exasperatedly, "There doesn''t seem to be any other way around; I''ve checked, there is a small path that should lead to the summit. We''ll check it later; for now, let''s open this gate and take a look inside."


    Li Tie touched his head and then forcefully broke open the lock.


    Bang bang bang


    Under the force of destruction, Li Tie hammered open the ordinary lock.


    As the gate swung open, a row of bluestone bricks forming a one-meter-high wall came into view.


    The wall also had some bullet holes.


    They slowly walked inside; indeed, this Zhugao Mountain was a natural cave, and behind the bluestone bricks, there was a staircase leading downward into the dark.


    "Turn on the flashlights. Tiezi, Gangzi, and I will go down and take a look, the rest of you wait up here," Li Yu said before heading down.


    The flashlight, a very powerful one, was turned on, illuminating up to 30 meters ahead, but the light failed to reach the deepest part.


    It felt like the darkness swallowed the light.


    Thud thud thud.


    Step by step, Li Yu and his companions descended slowly and cautiously.


    Drip-drop drip-drop, the sound of dripping water could be heard.


    Squeak squeak squeak�C


    Suddenly, a noise similar to that of rats was heard.


    Li Yu directed his flashlight upwards.


    Hiss!


    Everyone looked up and gasped; the cave ceiling was covered with dense clusters of bats.


    "Big brother... this place doesn''t seem like it would have any military supplies," Li Tie said, his voice trembling. He wasn''t afraid of much, except he detested bats.


    "We''re already here, let''s have a look," Li Yu said calmly.


    Li Yu looked back; they had walked 50 meters, and the place where they came down still had a hint of light.


    But looking around him, it was pitch-black, indeed a spine-chilling place.


    Li Yu thought for a moment, stopped moving forward, picked up a stone from the ground, and threw it with force.


    Thud!


    The stone seemed to have hit something, followed by a hissing roar.


    Zombies!!! S��arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The faces of the group instantly changed.

 Chapter 251 - 243: Perilous Climb

    "Run!" Li Yu shouted loudly.


    Immediately, he dashed toward the cave entrance, and with the light from his flashlight, the path ahead brightened somewhat. Fortunately, they hadn''t gone far since entering, just about 50 meters, but within this 50-meter distance, sounds of zombies also came from both the left and right sides.


    Nobody dared to stop; Li Tie and Li Gang were running like mad.


    Li Yu was in the lead when suddenly a zombie lunged at him from the left. He sliced at it with his Long Knife without breaking stride and continued to rush towards the cave entrance.


    In this moment of crisis, Li Tie and Li Gang didn''t dare to be distracted, closely following behind Li Yu.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    Four seconds.


    Everyone was sprinting with all their might.


    The growling of the zombies from behind grew louder and closer.


    Just as they were about to reach the bright cave entrance, some zombies emerged from both the left and right sides. Li Tie and Li Gang were at the rear, and these zombies had been hiding in the darkness, unnoticed by the group at first. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, hearing the commotion from Li Yu and the others, the zombies ran towards them.


    Li Yu was at the front, and the cave entrance ahead was lit up. Zombies disliked light, so there were none around the entrance.


    Li Yu looked back when they were less than 5 meters from the entrance and saw that Li Tie and Li Gang were not keeping up, but they were not far behind, just less than ten meters away.


    Four or five zombies emerged close to Li Tie and Li Gang, who were trying to fend them off.


    Li Yu frowned slightly, and flashed his light behind the two men, only to see a mass of zombies running towards them.


    They were less than 10 meters from Li Tie and Li Gang, who were still dealing with the zombies on both sides and were trapped, unable to break free quickly.


    "Quick," Li Yu called out.


    Then he ran back, lifting his Submachine Gun and firing at the zombies behind the two men.


    Bang bang bang!


    A swath of zombies fell, and Li Yu, without stopping, reached the two men''s side to help them dispatch the surrounding zombies.


    "Big brother, let''s go," Li Tie yelled.


    Upon seeing Li Yu return to help dispatch the zombies, Li Tie felt a surge of warmth in his heart.


    Just a moment ago, they had been focused on dealing with the zombies on both sides but had failed to realize that more zombies were coming up from behind.


    After clearing the nearby zombies, the three of them picked up speed and ran toward the cave entrance.


    In just a few seconds, the three reached the entrance.


    And then they ran out of the cave.


    Dapao and Wang Cheng saw Li Yu and the others running out with sweaty faces and an expression of intense anxiety.


    Having heard the gunfire from inside, they had a rough idea of what had happened.


    Dapao took out a Hand Grenade tied around his waist, ready to throw it into the cave.


    Li Yu saw his action and quickly called out, "Don''t blow it up yet; the whole cavern might collapse. It''s easy for us to get buried."


    Li Yu waved his hand, signaling for everyone to run towards the large iron gate outside.


    "Let''s get out first and close the gate," Li Yu shouted while speaking.


    Dapao reacted quickly to the words.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, he ran towards the big gate.


    He was the first to reach the gate. Looking around, he picked up two thick sticks from the ground, then closed one side of the gate, leaving the other side open.


    Holding the sticks, he waited for everyone to come out and then barred the gate with them.


    Wang Cheng quickly followed, running out of the gate.


    Next was Li Tie, Li Gang, with Li Yu coming out last.


    The moment he came out, Wang Cheng shut the other door, and Dapao immediately secured it with two wooden sticks.


    Right after securing it, a series of pounding and the zombies'' roaring could be heard from behind.


    That was close!


    Everyone felt a wave of fear afterwards.


    It was a near miss. As the space inside was very cramped, fighting zombies there was akin to seeking death.


    Should there have been too many zombies and they ran out of bullets, that would have been the moment of their death.


    Sweat dripped profusely down their brows.


    That was way too thrilling, such a close call.


    Dapao was pushing hard against the door, and although the wooden sticks were somewhat effective, the tireless onslaught from the zombies might still break through; the sticks couldn''t hold out much longer.


    Dapao shouted: "Tiezi, bring that iron chain you used to unlock earlier. Tie it up. These sticks won''t last long."


    Li Tie, still catching his breath, searched around where they had been smashing the door and eventually found a thick and sturdy iron chain.


    Wang Cheng and Dapao braced themselves against the big iron door, as the force from the other side grew increasingly stronger, Li Yu also stepped forward to push.


    Resisting the zombies'' assault.


    Li Tie hurriedly locked the door with the iron chain, wrapping it around twice and finally tying a knot, pulling it down hard. Secured tightly!


    The two wooden sticks were still fastened on the other side.


    With the chain in place, everyone backed away.


    Boom, boom, boom!


    After the chain was secured, the impacts on the door caused the chain to tighten.


    The zombies pushed frantically against the door, but despite the impacts, it failed to give way.


    Only then did the group start to feel a bit of relief, taking deep breaths.


    It was unclear how many zombies were inside, but Li Yu had caught a glimpse of dozens of zombies in a brief look.


    The extent of this cavern was also unknown.


    Just looking at this mountain with its rugged rocky landscape, it''s no wonder it''s a battleground.


    There were also many shooting holes, all in an inverted triangular shape.


    This inverted triangle design was meant to repel attacks from outsiders, allowing for gun placement and reducing vulnerability to enemy fire.


    The group waited outside for a while, with the zombies'' roar still emanating from behind the door.


    It seemed the zombies were relentless, pushing tirelessly against the door.


    "Big brother, what do we do now? Are we going back in?" Hearing the persistent roars of the zombies inside, Li Tie hesitated, finally asking.


    Li Yu checked his firearms and ammunition, then thought for a moment and said, "We''ve come all this way, so we must go back in and take another look. If we leave just like this and there are indeed weapons stored inside, wouldn''t we miss out for nothing?"


    He then walked towards another narrow path they had passed earlier to take a look.


    After observing from a farther distance, he said, "This cavern must have more than this one entrance. Let''s go check out this path."


    Everyone nodded and headed towards the adjacent mountain path.


    The path was rough, consisting of large rocks which naturally provided cover, perfect for resisting enemies.


    Walking along the path for less than two minutes, they found the path ahead ceased to be, although it wouldn''t be right to say it completely disappeared.


    Instead, the path before them was just extremely rugged, with an almost 85-degree incline.


    There were marks on the path of people having climbed before. Li Yu stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the path. There were some protruding rocks and trees, suitable for climbing.


    Even if one were to fall while climbing up, they would not fall to their death, as there were many trees that could provide protection against a tumble down.

 Chapter 252 - 244: Blow Them Up

    Entering through the front door was definitely not feasible; once the iron gate was opened, zombies would swarm out, making them difficult to deal with.


    Furthermore, Li Yu didn''t want to waste any more bullets at this time. It so happens that a good number of hand grenades were taken from the armory, rarely used, but this time a lot were brought along.


    Just now they stood at the entrance of the cave, and if they threw hand grenades into it, the cave might collapse. If it collapsed, any military supplies inside would be of no concern to them.


    So it was not an option to detonate at the entrance, but between the entrance and the iron gate, there was a blank space of more than ten meters.


    It was just that it would be difficult for them to handle from outside the door.


    ...


    Everyone began to climb, slinging the Long Knife onto their backs and clambering up the mountain with hands and feet.


    Less than 40 meters up, they saw a wall to the right.


    Li Yu stood at a higher position and spotted this wall; he figured out where it connected to the front entrance.


    So he said, "Let''s go over there."


    The wall was five meters tall, but there were many large boulders underneath it, interspersed. Next to this wall grew two trees.


    The trees were tall and robust. Although it was impossible to determine their species, this tree was exceptionally lush.


    During previous droughts, many trees had directly died, and some managed to survive but with some branches being dry. This tree, however, was extraordinarily tenacious.


    Its branches were intact, and its leaves were green.


    The tree, which grew out from between the rocks, looked extremely resilient, and the hard lines on its bark seemed to attest to that fact.


    Climb up.


    The tree was very close to the wall, at a distance of less than 50 centimeters, and the wall also had many firing ports that could be utilized.


    Everyone climbed up the tree and quickly made it on top of the wall.


    After getting onto the wall, they discovered they were now above the front entrance of the cave they were at before.


    Behind this wall were three tiled houses, but the blue tiles were rusted, fallen to the ground, the wooden beams inside the houses were rotten and worm-infested, and one of the houses had half-collapsed.


    This site had not been well preserved...


    Everyone silently criticized.


    Descending from the wall, the group saw a two-meter diameter hole behind a boulder.


    This hole...


    Based on its location, it should be the same one they had entered before, meaning they were now positioned directly above its entrance.


    Li Tie shone a flashlight inside, but it was pitch black, and nothing was discernible. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The cave was twisting and turning. When they were inside, apart from the light at the entrance, there were no other sources of light; the convoluted paths must have swallowed up the light.


    Li Yu glanced at the hole and walked toward the direction of the house''s front door.


    The rest followed closely behind.


    As they walked, they saw a long corridor, built against the rock with green bricks constructed on top. These bricks appeared to be extremely sturdy.


    After so many years, they were covered in dust, and some moss had grown in the darker areas.


    Yet the corridor stood tall and unyielding, still equipped with some firing ports.


    Looking out from the firing ports, they could see the position of the main entrance they were at before.


    Below came the zombies'' growling sounds, and as they followed the direction of the noise, they approached the vicinity of the main entrance.


    Hiss!


    Everyone gasped in shock.


    Luckily, they hadn''t opened the gate. From the cave to the main entrance, a gap of less than 20 meters was now densely packed with zombies surrounding the hefty iron door.


    At a rough glance, there were no fewer than 200 zombies.


    From their elevated viewpoint, these zombies had not noticed them yet.


    They stood on a wooden structure, which was built against the rock, giving the appropriately constructed building an antique charm and character.


    This loft leads directly to the main gate, yet due to its age, the steps descending from it are damaged, breaking into piles of wooden debris.


    The loft is about 5 meters above ground. Nobody dares to step on the wooden floor of the loft, instead relying on the rocks to walk over it.


    This loft looks too precarious, the wooden floor is full of holes and depressions, and it seems like it might break as soon as one steps on it.


    There is a blank space between that cave and the main gate which presents a good opportunity.


    Tossing hand grenades from here won''t harm the cave and can effectively deal with the zombies.


    Li Yu says, "Throw the hand grenades from this side to blast them. What do you all think?"


    Dapao nods and says, "Good plan, let''s do that."


    No one else has any objections, and they don''t have better ideas, anyway.


    Actually, from the start, Li Yu thought about lying on top of the iron gate, but, after all, this was initially used as a fortress against the National Army.


    Above the front door, there''s a 10-meter-tall tower wall, built of sturdy blue bricks. Although the surface is full of bullet holes, it''s slick and impossible to climb up from the front door.


    Now, they have climbed up from the side, and it indeed is a good approach.


    Li Yu glances at Li Tie, who instantly understands.


    Right hand pinched at mouth, emitting a sharp whistle.


    Whistle~


    The whistle echoes instantly throughout the area.


    The sound reaches underneath the main gate, because the area below is sealed off, with a main gate in front, a cave in the rear, a tall wall with some rocks on one side, and Li Yu and the others on the other side.


    The whistle sound reverberates in this enclosed space.


    Whistle~Whistle~Whistle~


    They clearly see the zombies near the main gate start to stir.


    The zombies in the blank area between the gate and the cave all turn their heads to look in their direction.


    Upon seeing Li Yu and the rest on the high rocks, they go insane.


    Rushing in.


    Li Yu exchanges looks with everyone, and they all know what to do. They pull the hand grenades from their waists.


    The zombies run over.


    Li Yu waits for the zombies to gather before tossing down the hand grenade.


    Then everyone moves closer to the rock wall, pressing their bodies against the rocks for protection.


    Boom!


    A loud explosion!


    Zombies 7 or 8 meters away are blown into a cleared zone.


    As the zombies are packed closely together, this blast kills at least dozens of zombies.


    Li Tie and Li Gang also seize the chance to throw two more hand grenades down into the densest parts of the zombie horde.


    Just as they throw the fifth hand grenade, half of the loft collapses.


    The group feels somewhat relieved; they''re lucky they weren''t standing directly on the loft, or they would have fallen.


    And been overwhelmed by the zombies.


    Amidst the roaring, more zombies emerge from the cave.


    These zombies are attracted by the noise, and upon seeing another 200 or so zombies appear, the group is speechless. What the hell, is this cave a zombie nest?


    However, being able to blast all these zombies out is also a good thing. Otherwise, if there were still so many zombies hiding when they went down again, that would be even more troublesome.


    First draw them out, then kill them.


    As the group continues to throw hand grenades, amidst the roaring, more and more zombies fall.


    In no time, there are only about a dozen scattered zombies left, all missing arms or legs.


    "Let''s go down," says Li Yu.

 Chapter 253 - 245: A Hole Within a Hole

    Li Yu finished speaking, and everyone slowly climbed down from the rocks.


    After disposing of these scattered Zombies with a few strokes of their blades, Li Yu thought for a moment, then asked Li Tie to find an iron rod and strike it at the entrance of the cavern.


    Clang clang clang~


    The sound was loud.


    It echoed down below. After striking for a while, there still were no signs of Zombies coming up.


    "Big brother, should we still go up?" Li Tie, remembering the dense bats inside and the recent chase by the Zombies, shuddered at the thought.


    "Um...let''s go down. In a moment, Dapao and Wang Cheng, go back to the car and bring the high-powered spotlight over," Li Yu said.


    Recalling the pitch-black cavern, even the portable flashlights they currently had, though not low in power, were clearly inadequate in the cavern.


    "Oh, okay, wait for us," Dapao responded to Li Yu''s words without hesitation and immediately headed towards the road where the car was parked with Wang Cheng.


    After waiting for a while, Wang Cheng and Dapao returned, each carrying a high-powered searchlight. These devices were very powerful and could easily illuminate up to a hundred meters away, highlighting the area with clarity, not just a vague light.


    "Dapao, Chengzi, turn on the lights at the edge of the cavern. Dapao, keep an eye on the entrance, and Chengzi, keep watch around the perimeter for any abnormalities. Tiezi, Gangzi, we''re going down," Li Yu briefly assigned their tasks.


    Li Tie then took another high-powered searchlight and walked inside.


    The searchlight turned on, sweeping to the left and right, surprisingly reaching the ends.


    It seemed that both sides were not deep; at the ends, there were no Zombies, only some water clinging to the cave walls, occasionally dripping from the cavern ceiling, leaving the ground soggy.


    Under the light of the powerful searchlight, everything within a hundred meters was clear.


    This provided everyone with a great sense of security.


    The sense of fear in humans always stems from the unknown. The less understood things are, the more likely they are to provoke fear. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, Li Tie''s light illuminated a spot on the wall to the right-front, revealing a small hole about 1 meter high and 3 meters wide.


    The three of them walked forward, reaching the hole and shining the searchlight inside, but they could only see a corner. It appeared there was more space inside, but the view was blocked by rugged rocks.


    "Big brother, should, should we go in?" Li Tie asked.


    Li Yu lowered his head and bent over to look inside, eventually saying, "Let''s not go inside for now; let''s keep moving and see if there are any other similar holes."


    Li Tie nodded and continued shining the searchlight inside, the path ahead still not visible to its end. Everyone continued moving forward.


    The light from the cavern entrance no longer reached their position; Li Yu and the others had ventured in more than a hundred meters deep.


    After walking for another minute, they suddenly saw light ahead, shining down from above.


    It was an opening that seemed to be on the mountaintop.


    Everyone circled around and eventually reached the deepest part of the cavern and came to an end.


    There was nothing there...


    The three of them were somewhat speechless. On their way here, Li Yu and the others had also seen other holes similar to the first, although differently shaped. However, they all had one thing in common��they all looked rather peculiar.


    It seemed these openings were all naturally formed.


    "Let''s head back and take another look at those holes," Li Yu said.


    The group found the largest hole and knocked on it for a while, but still, no Zombies appeared.


    Just because of the knocking, many bats flew out from inside, creating a bat frenzy at the entrance where Dapao and the others were guarding outside, nearly scaring them to death.


    After the bats flew away, the three exchanged glances��should they go in?


    The entrance to the cave is quite narrow, not likely to hide many zombies, and even if there were zombies, the threat wouldn''t be very big in such a cramped environment, as you''d only face one at a time.


    Yet, the entrance seems rather small, could it really fit ammunition? This place doesn''t look like it''s meant for storing ammunition...


    "Let''s go in, I''ll go first, then Tiezi, you follow last." Li Tie said.


    Li Yu led the way, bending his waist as he walked inside.


    As Li Yu walked further, he noticed some doggerel written with charcoal on the wall.


    Seeing the doggerel, Li Yu''s mood instantly soured.


    Damn it... This definitely means someone has been here before.


    But now that they''ve entered, they definitely had to check it out further. Thinking this, Li Yu suppressed his reluctance and sped up as he went deeper.


    Inside the cave, the rocks were of all shapes and sizes, and the space was extremely narrow, making it very difficult for the three of them to move.


    Walking through, they inevitably brushed against the wet walls, getting dust all over themselves.


    In this narrow cave, some areas required them to hunch over to get through, other areas were a bit bigger, and some places were even around five or six meters wide, varying greatly.


    They had just reached a slightly wider area.


    Suddenly, as Li Yu moved forward, the spot illuminated by his flashlight reflected a light back at him. He looked closely and saw a long object.


    The key thing was that this object was moving.


    Li Yu hastened his steps and realized it was a snake!


    White, glowing white.


    It was about two meters long, roughly the thickness of a wrist.


    This snake looked rather odd. Its head slightly protruded, appearing to have two small horns.


    Its whole body was covered with barbs, and the tail looked extremely strange, as if it had a small head.


    At this moment, the snake wasn''t afraid of people. It curled up into a lump a few meters away, spat out something resembling silver apricot seeds, seemingly watching them.


    Li Tie, looking at this white snake, recalled some supernatural films he had watched.


    "Big brother, is this the descendant of Bai Suzhen?" After saying this, Li Tie laughed twice, but Li Gang and Li Yu didn''t.


    Tiezi felt a bit awkward and coughed a few times.


    Li Gang seemed to recall something and said, "Old folks at home say, white snakes have a certain significance, I specifically forgot whether it''s a good or bad omen... but it''s best not to bother about it."


    Li Yu nodded, picked up a rock and threw it by the roadside to scare the snake away; it was blocking their path.


    The snake twisted its body, stood up, and spat out a long tongue.


    Li Yu was running out of patience; he just wanted to find the ammunition quickly, and even if it wasn''t here, he wanted to finish searching and get out soon.


    Li Gang also picked up a stone and threw it, and the white snake immediately lunged at them.


    MD, courting death.


    Li Yu directly waved the Long Knife in his hand, swinging it twice quickly, chopping the snake into three pieces.


    Looking at the snake''s body chopped into three sections, still writhing on the ground.


    Li Yu picked up a large stone from the ground and smashed it hard, turning the snake''s head and body into a mushy mess.


    "Damn, I hate snakes the most. Damn!" Li Yu cursed.

 Chapter 254 - 246: Obtaining a Tree

    ...


    Li Tie and Li Gang looked at the mess on the ground, barely recognizing it as the corpse of a snake.


    Somewhat speechless.


    It was a white snake, with a somewhat peculiar appearance.


    Big brother is truly formidable, fearing nothing.


    "Let''s hurry in and check, if there''s nothing here we''ll move on to another place quickly," Li Yu said, feeling somewhat down. Walking all the way here, especially inside the limestone cave, he would occasionally see messages from others declaring their visit.


    And some people would leave messages like: XXX and XXX checked in here in XXXX year. Seeing these made Li Yu feel like punching someone.


    The trio continued to walk a distance forward.


    They passed by a small pond, which had some cool air coming from it, and water dripping from the rocks above formed numerous stalactites.


    Li Yu and the others were not in the mood to appreciate these and hastened their pace towards the deeper parts of the cave entrance.


    After walking for nearly 10 minutes, Li Yu began to wonder, is this cave really that big?


    Walking for another two minutes, suddenly there was a bright light ahead, and a surge of joy in Li Yu''s heart.


    In a few steps, he reached the end of this cave entrance, only to find an entirely different world inside.


    The surrounding space was suddenly expansive, the searchlight couldn''t even find the end.


    It seems this place really is different!


    Thinking like this, Tiezi and Gangzi following behind him were also a bit excited.


    This kind of exploration, quite thrilling, was all the more so when searching and encountering something that felt like a remarkable adventure, and to find a hidden paradise.


    The three explored the surroundings full of expectation.


    However...


    As everyone walked a few steps and observed the surroundings, they had a sense of d��j�� vu.


    Suddenly, Li Yu stopped in his tracks at a spot.


    ...


    Seeing Li Yu standing there looking ahead, Li Tie and Li Gang also came forward. The three of them looked at the cave entrance in front of them, without uttering a word.


    At last, Li Gang spoke with doubt: "Isn''t this the cave we just entered?"


    Li Tie said: "It seems like it."


    Li Yu: "...."


    Damn it, no wonder it felt like the cave was so long; it turns out they had gone in a circle, turning round and round, and damn it, ended up back here.


    Li Yu felt awful and exhausted.


    Thinking about the other caves they had encountered a moment ago, perhaps it was all the same.


    At this moment, he wanted to leave this sad place immediately, but he still felt some reluctance after having come all this way, was it really just for fun?


    An adventure trip?


    Reluctantly, Li Yu and the others continued to explore the remaining caves, and sure enough, as they expected, entering one cave inevitably meant you could exit from another.


    There was even one cave entrance that led to several others.


    Half an hour later, the three of them, dirty and disheveled, looked ahead.


    They were not in a very good mood.


    With nothing to show for it.


    Damn, there was nothing inside, just some rotten wood and the like.


    "Let''s go. Let''s have a look around the top of the mountain." Li Yu sighed and headed toward the outermost cave entrance.


    Li Tie and Li Gang also looked at the cave entrances with some annoyance.


    Waiting impatiently outside, Dapao and the others saw Li Yu and his party emerge and asked, "Brother Yu, how did it go? Did you find anything inside?"


    Li Yu shook his head and said, "Nothing. There is nothing at all. You and Wang Cheng go up the mountain and look around; see if there is anything suspicious. The three of us will rest for a bit."


    Seeing the three were all dirty, Dapao understood they had a tough time inside, so he nodded and said, "Alright, Chengzi, let''s go take a look."


    The trio of Li Yu left the mountain''s main entrance and sat on the large stones at the entrance to rest.


    "Big brother, this mountain doesn''t seem like the kind of place where arms would be hidden," said Li Tie.


    "I know, but we''ve come all this way; we definitely have to look more, otherwise, why did we come? Let''s search carefully; the weaponry is surely hidden very well," Li Yu lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said.


    After resting for a while, the three got up and walked around the mountain, which was not very big but had many small caves inside.


    Everyone searched for nearly half an hour and found nothing, but Li Tie found a chestnut tree and directly chopped it down.


    He picked the fruit from the tree.


    The five of them then returned to the vehicle. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Uncle had been waiting outside for more than two hours and finally saw Li Yu and his group come over looking disheveled, especially the trio of Li Yu, all covered in dirt.


    Seeing the chestnuts Li Yu and the others were holding, "Is this it?"


    But he didn''t ask anything further; their appearance said it all.


    Li Yu still spoke up, "Zhugao Mountain, it''s just a site, and not a very significant one at that. There''s nothing inside; let''s hurry to the East."


    Uncle nodded, asked no further questions, and agreed.


    Li Yu handed out the chestnuts to everyone; the chestnuts were plentiful, and it took Li Yu and his group making five large bundles with their clothes to barely transport them.


    Li Yu, Li Gang, and Li Tie got on the Unimog, all covered in mud and dust from the cave, and in a hurry, they had passed through various caverns while sweating through their clothes, which was uncomfortable.


    The vehicle started up, and without stopping, they continued driving towards the East.


    They had left early this morning, arriving here after 10 am, and the five, including Li Yu, spent over two hours inside.


    Uncle Li Hang and others outside had already had lunch and rested for more than two hours.


    Whereas Li Yu and the five who had gone inside, especially the trio with Li Yu, hadn''t really rested at all.


    On the Unimog, Dapao and Wang Cheng didn''t drive; they ate on the vehicle and then rested for a while.


    In the Unimog, Li Yu, Li Tie, and Li Gang took turns showering in the bathroom; the two Unimogs also had some clothes stored.


    Just in time to use them, they ate a simple lunch after showering and took three bottles of ice-cold Coke from the car fridge.


    "How come there is still Coke?" Li Tie asked, astonished.


    Li Yu smiled and said, "We always have some treasures."


    The three gulped down a big mouthful and let out a loud belch.


    That first sip of Coke was the most refreshing.


    Just moments ago, they were sticky and famished; now, they were sated and even enjoying a can of Coke.


    Followed by a cigarette, it was as if they were living the life of gods.


    Li Yu and his two companions took turns driving and resting like this.


    It was about a four-hour drive to Silver Mountain in the East��if everything went smoothly, they would reach their destination before 5 pm.


    But it was clear that they wouldn''t be able to search Silver Mountain today; they would have to wait until tomorrow morning to inspect it.


    However, today, they must find a shelter near Silver Mountain.


    It''s not safe to be out at night.

 Chapter 255 - 247: Overnight in the Wilderness

    Before the sun set, Li Yu and his group arrived near Silver Mountain.


    And they stationed themselves about 2 kilometers away from Silver Mountain.


    Near Silver Mountain, it was all rugged mountains without many residential houses.


    Only two pavilions were seen earlier; these pavilions were open on all sides and couldn''t provide any protection.


    Therefore, Li Yu and his group decided to simply rest in the vehicles tonight.


    One of the vehicles they had was a riot-control vehicle; its back seats could also be folded down, and each of the three heavy trucks had a resting area in the cabin where one person could lie down.


    As for the Unimog RV, it was even more exaggerated, with beds in the driver''s cab and seating area. By folding down the table in the middle of the sofa, sleeping four people was a piece of cake.


    Moreover, the Unimog RV even had a rooftop terrace installed, which just required finding a stable place to park and then raising the terrace.


    The Unimog RV itself was already 3.4 meters tall, and with the terrace set up, it was over 5 meters tall.


    The group finally chose a mountain hollow near Silver Mountain, which also happened to serve as a temporary parking spot on the road.


    Parking the five vehicles was not an issue; the formation showed the Unimog RV on the outside, then a row of trucks, with the riot-control vehicle at the very end.


    After unfolding the rooftop terrace of the Unimog, it could provide a lookout spot nearly 4 meters above the ground, which made it very difficult for zombies to reach the people above.


    After discussing, it was decided that those who slept in the Unimog RV would take turns on duty. In the pitch-black night, everyone agreed not to leave the vehicles unless absolutely necessary.


    Everyone carried a walkie-talkie, so they could report any situation at any time.


    Once the rooftop terrace of the Unimog RV was raised, it could accommodate five people; one person could sleep in another truck, and two in the riot-control vehicle.


    Under the ambiguous gazes of the group, Dapao and Song Min went to the riot-control vehicle.


    Meanwhile, Uncle, Li Tie, Li Gang, Li Hang, and Li Yu stayed in the Unimog RV.


    At this time, the sun was setting, and everyone had their dinner early.


    Everyone then went back inside their vehicles to rest.


    The maple forest was sorely withered by the dew of jade; the atmosphere of Wushan was chillingly bleak. S��arch* The Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The terrace of the Unimog RV was quite large, able to seat five or six people.


    Li Yu smoked a cigarette, gazing at the mountains and forests in front of him, which appeared ethereally beautiful under the sunset.


    The sunset was like the dawn��so mesmerizing, yet so hard to let go.


    In October''s autumn, the sun set much earlier. By 7 PM, the sky was pitch black.


    "Let''s arrange shifts among the five of us, two and a half hours each. Uncle, you take the first shift, Tiezi the second, Gangzi the third, I''ll take the fourth, and Xiao Hang the fifth," Li Yu said.


    The most exhausting shift was from midnight to 4 AM, and Li Yu volunteered for this time period.


    Uncle and the others wanted to swap with Li Yu and Li Gang, but Li Yu and Li Gang insisted.


    So everyone restfully washed up and went to bed.


    The Unimog RV had a large interior space with a toilet and a shower room.


    The few vehicles were very close to each other, with the three trucks and the riot-control vehicle encircling to form a secure zone inside.


    People could exit from the left side of the vehicles directly to the Unimog, and if anyone needed to use the restroom at night, they could reach the toilet in the Unimog RV rather than going outdoors.


    This made things much safer.


    The night grew deeper.


    In the distant forest, there were cries of forest owls.


    Hoo hoo hoo~


    The sound echoed in the night sky, making the surroundings lonelier.


    Near the vehicles, a special spray was dispersed, and a circle of lime powder was sprinkled around to repel mosquitos and eliminate odors.


    Everyone gradually drifted into sleep. Li Yu glanced at the riot-control vehicle, seeing no signs of disturbance there eased his mind a bit.


    In such a dangerous environment outside, if those two were to engage in anything risky like having sex in the car, he would have to reassess their capabilities.


    He greeted Uncle and then went to the bed at the back of the vehicle to sleep.


    He entered the sleep state very quickly, holding a submachine gun in his hand, with the pillow behind his back, and seemingly fell asleep as soon as he leaned back.


    He was indeed a bit tired today, the journey today at Zhugao Mountain was truly grinding, and in the pitch-dark environment, it kept them in a state of constant anxiety and tension for nearly 2 hours.


    This was a great load for them, both physically and mentally.


    Li Yu fell into a light sleep.


    The night passed without incident.


    This was the first time Li Yu and his team slept outdoors, and surprisingly, nothing happened throughout the night.


    Perhaps it was because this place was desolate to the point of barrenness.


    On their way here, they rarely saw any buildings, just a few tunnels that pierced through the mountains.


    The nearest village on their way here was more than ten kilometers away.


    Morning.


    The air was a bit moist.


    Li Yu had slept for over 8 hours last night, and after taking turns on watch, he rested for a while.


    Now he was lively and energetic, sitting on the roof deck of the vehicle, eating breakfast.


    There was a kitchen inside the Unimog; Li Yu simply fried a dozen eggs and boiled two pots of noodles.


    He brewed a large pot of green tea and distributed it to everyone, each dining on the vehicle.


    At 7:30 in the morning, everyone had had their fill.


    The sky was already very bright.


    Looking at Silver Mountain not far away, everyone was full of motivation, having rested well last night.


    There was no rain today, everything seemed to be a sign of good things to come.


    United in purpose.


    They drove towards Silver Mountain.


    The group looked at the map and found a small path that led directly to Silver Mountain.


    This path was not an asphalt road, but it was a concrete road, wide enough to accommodate their vehicles.


    Entering this small path, there were ditches on both sides, and there was some water flow in these ditches, probably from the rain in the past few days. These ditches were flowing down from the forests ahead.


    The group continued driving forward, rolled down the windows, and the air was actually quite fresh.


    It had a slightly sweet smell :)


    How nice it was.


    The vehicle continued moving forward and stopped at the foot of this high mountain, where the entrance was blocked by a circular fence.


    Seeing this fence, their hearts thumped wildly.


    This place was actually quite hard to find, the journey here had been quite desolate.


    The fence was not very sturdy, it was a mesh fence.


    The group looked around and simply could not find an entrance.


    Finally, Li Tie drove the Unimog right over it, flattening the fence.


    Entering the foot of Silver Mountain, they found some buildings around, including an empty parking garage.


    But on the wall was written: "Fire Safety Notice!"


    These four big words gave off a bit of a military vibe.


    After searching again at the foot of the mountain, they found nothing else and felt somewhat dejected.


    The group ventured further into the mountain and looked up.


    Suddenly, they saw something on the mountainside.

 Chapter 256 - 248: The Secret Path in the Mountains

    Before them,


    A winding cobblestone path, leading to the mid-mountain architecture.


    This building on the mid-mountain looked quite peculiar, a retro-style structure somewhat reminiscent of ancient pavilion eaves.


    Approaching it, they saw pavilions, terraces, and towers �� everything a classic architecture would include.


    Standing mid-mountain, they could finally see the distinct front and back of Silver Mountain; at the front was a huge stone inscribed with: Ziyu Hot Spring Club.


    ...


    Damn.


    That''s a bit much, isn''t it?


    A club?


    Everyone traveled so far, and this Silver Mountain turns out to be a hot spring club?


    They all felt somewhat unwilling to accept this, so they entered the club to look around.


    The environment inside the club was exceptionally nice, with pavilions, artificial hills, and various precious trees.


    Although some trees had died, others had stubbornly survived.


    Inside the club, the items were very well preserved, perhaps due to the whole world being affected by, you know, that XG thing.


    Since it wasn''t operating at the moment, and seeing how nice the place was, especially with some items that looked quite expensive, everyone turned into bandits, packing up everything usable to take with them.


    Li Hang even found some trolleys in storage to make transporting goods more convenient.


    Speaking of the storage, we have to mention the wine cellar discovered here��it housed over a hundred barrels of wine, all original imports, and some internationally renowned rare wines:


    Romanee Conti, Ripon wines, Lafite, Ausone Red Wine, Chateau Latour, Hua Estate wines, Mouton Rothschild, and Chateau Haut-Brion. There were many kinds��all quite impressive, though it was unsure if they were authentic.


    For spirits, there were surprisingly only a few kinds: Mao Five Swords.


    There were some craft beers...


    Everyone was a bit excited to see this��it was good booze!


    Li Tie simply led some people to drive the vehicles up from the foothill. In doing so, they completely ruined the exquisitely paved cobblestone road.


    But that did not matter, they wouldn''t come back again anyway, and it seemed like they wouldn''t find any military supplies this time either.


    So they took this opportunity to vent their frustration, to compensate for the disappointment of not finding any arms.


    This place was located in the wilds, with no human footprint within 10 kilometers, which is probably why there was such an abundance of stored goods.


    Maybe it was precisely because the area was so deserted that the items in the manor were preserved.


    Otherwise, Li Yu and his group wouldn''t have been so fortunate.


    Aside from these alcoholic beverages, they also found some cigarettes.


    In the storage room, considering that people would be gone for a long time, and the space was relatively sealed.


    There were no vegetables, although there was some frozen meat in the fridge, but most of it was no longer edible.


    These were useless, but after some searching, they found some pasta.


    Around 5 boxes of it, plus 10 bags of rice.


    There were 7 boxes of puffed snacks and 4 boxes of candied fruits.


    ...


    Additionally, there were some other foods, these had relatively long shelf lives, and even though some were only labeled for a year, fried or vacuum-packed items actually had an extended shelf life.


    There was no problem eating them now.


    Uncle liked some peculiar trees and rocks, and he moved one extremely rare Taihu rock.


    This Taihu rock alone, if sold before the apocalypse, would be worth at least a few hundred thousand, and he also took several of the largest Huashan pines, ancient plum trees...


    Without taking up space in the heavy truck, these trees were tied to the roof of the car, from afar it looked as if the vehicle had grown trees on it.


    Li Yu: "..."


    Li Tie: "..."


    ...


    Song Min had less interest in these things; after everyone had gathered food and daily necessities that could be used, she found a makeup room and cleared out all the beauty products, lipsticks, and perfumes.


    ...


    Everyone acted independently since they hadn''t found any arms this time and were about to return to the base. Since they were going back anyway, it made sense to take some things with them.


    Moreover, after searching two places and finding nothing, everyone needed to vent their frustration somehow.


    And that meant... try to empty this place as much as possible.


    While everyone was busily moving stuff, Li Hang suddenly found Li Yu with an excited face.


    "Bro, I just found a secret passage. Holy shit! It''s so thrilling," said Li Hang, excited.


    "Secret passage?" Li Yu said in confusion.


    Could it be that this place is a hot spring club on the surface, but stores arms in secret?


    That shouldn''t be right. Places like this shouldn''t...


    Li Yu was puzzled, so he called over Li Tie, who was carrying an antique blue and white porcelain vase, and asked him to go check it out with Li Gang.


    This hot spring club seemed very high-end; there were antiques enclosed in tempered glass at the heart of the venue, whether they were authentic or not, Li Tie wanted to take them.


    "Oh, okay." Li Tie said as he let go, and a blue and white porcelain vase smashed to the ground, breaking into pieces.


    ...


    Uncle was somewhat knowledgeable and picked up a piece of the shattered base of the vase, saying somewhat spasmodically: "This seems genuine; before the apocalypse, it could have been worth hundreds of thousands..."


    "It''s fine, there are two more over there," Li Tie pointed out.


    Alright, it doesn''t seem to be a big deal.


    The rest didn''t feel much either; antiques weren''t very valuable in the post-apocalyptic world, but they could be worth something.


    The group then approached the secret passage Li Hang mentioned.


    It was at the very back of the club, hidden behind a fire door.


    Behind the fire door, there should be a small electrical room.


    But this electrical room was strange; it was quite large, and there wasn''t much in it.


    In the largest area was another door, about 3 meters tall and 2 meters wide.


    There was a red button right in the center of it, which, when pressed... S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The door slowly moved to the right!


    Inside wasn''t dark; it was filled with light. The design was quite ingenious, using differential separation, transparent glass guided light into the space.


    Through this design, the room didn''t appear dark at all.


    A long corridor stretched downward, leading to another place.


    The opening of this door was like in many movie scenes, its light shining on the faces of the three men.


    Opening this door felt like opening a gateway to a new world.


    Where did this door lead? All three were filled with anticipation.


    Just from this setup, one could tell there was definitely something extraordinary inside.


    The group continued to walk inside; the entrance was narrow, allowing only two people to walk side by side, but after several dozen steps, the path suddenly opened up.


    The space ahead was vast, at least a few hundred square meters, with a massive turntable in the front that had some chairs on it.


    The walls around were resplendent with gold; a giant Crystal Lamp hung from above, casting a dreamlike glow in the sparkling light.


    This place was quite upscale.


    That was the first impression as the three entered.

 Chapter 257 - 249: Truly Splendid Play

    Uncle and the others followed behind also entered and saw the scene inside.


    Just as everyone was marveling, Uncle''s expression became complicated. Based on his experience as a cop, some aspects of this place... reminded him of somewhere he had previously investigated.


    Entering through the secret passage, they discovered a whole new world; the space was beyond their imagination, and the luxurious decor inside was simply staggering.


    Luxurious, grand, wealthy!


    The group continued to explore inside and found many rooms of varying sizes, but even the smallest was over 30 square meters.


    Inside were bathrooms, bathtubs, and some strange props, but the most prominent feature was an enormous bed.


    Even more so, in one of the rooms, they found a piece of cloth hanging from the big bed.


    Seeing this, everyone thought of the movie "Due West: Our Sex Journey."


    It seemed they understood everything all at once.


    This freaking...


    Had they really thought they would find something in the secret passage, only to find this?


    After a further search, they discovered a massive gambling den in a different direction in the hall, complete with mahjong, poker, and dice.


    Wow!


    They really had everything set up.


    The group had to admire the creator of this base, someone had built such a villa on the side of a deserted hill.


    Concealed by a hot spring on the outside, the interior housed high-end XX clubs and gambling dens.


    This was truly a vast treasury.


    The group found some cash in the gambling den on the right, filling nearly half a room; it was the first time any of them had seen so much money.


    But no one was interested.


    Money had lost all its value by then.


    It wasn''t even as good as a piece of waste paper, at least the waste paper wouldn''t jam and was smoother when wiping one''s butt.....


    Everyone felt a bit dejected; they had expected there to be more to the secret passage �C maybe even the potential for firearms �C but instead, they found a den.


    There was nothing useful in this treasury, and after searching below and confirming there were no other secret passages, they returned outside.


    The work of transporting supplies continued; there was actually a lot that could be useful from the items found there.


    They kept transporting supplies until midday. The mountain also had its wonders �C a natural hot spring pool.


    After the recent rain, the pool had filled up again.


    The group cooked on the spot with some of the food they brought along and prepared a simple meal in their kitchen before sitting down to eat by the pool.


    Li Yu opened two bottles of red wine found in the wine cellar earlier to relieve fatigue.


    Everyone had a small glass each, just enough to quench their thirst.


    After eating and drinking their fill, they resumed transporting goods. The villa had many valuable items �C food, tobacco, alcohol, daily necessities filled two large trucks.


    And these weren''t ordinary trucks; these could haul tens of tons.


    The group thoroughly ransacked the villa for anything usable, filling up the trucks to the brim.


    Then they prepared to return to base. As they descended the mountain, the trucks left distinct tire tracks on the ground.


    Everyone felt a bit less disappointed driving back �C at least they had some gains.


    They set off officially at two o''clock.


    On the road, the scenery outside the window kept receding.


    Li Hang remembered the many things he had never seen before in the secret passage �C the odd objects on the chairs, the rope above the bed, and various bizarres props.


    Although he roughly knew what the place was for, he didn''t understand the use of those props.


    So, he asked Li Yu, "Big brother, how are all those things used? They seem so sci-fi." S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu glanced at him and said, "Just drive, I don''t understand them either."


    The vehicles continued to forge ahead, crossing about 10 kilometers of uninhabited land.


    Having left the base for several days, everyone was tired from being outside. Although they had rested, the constant potential for zombies to emerge kept them on edge.


    Everyone was longing to be back at base. Typically, that one wall didn''t seem so vital.


    But now, they felt all the more the sense of security it gave them.


    Go home early!


    This thought was unanimous among the group.


    So, everyone drove quickly. As they were heading west, they took a different route than the one they came by.


    So they had to follow the map.


    Not far from them, separated by two mountains.


    There was Harmony Garden, where a thriving community resided.


    Though not populous, each person was busily engaged in some task.


    Some people from Harmony Garden were preparing to cross the woods back to the national road.


    Suddenly, they saw a convoy passing on the national road.


    It was strange �C some of the vehicles even had trees tied to them.


    This made them stare in astonishment.


    "Get down, don''t let them spot us," said one of the older-looking men.


    "Big brother, why do they have trees tied to their vehicles?" asked the younger boy, puzzled.


    "I don''t know either; maybe it''s for decoration..." the older man guessed after thinking for a while.


    "They''ve come from the east, now heading west... I wonder where they''re going?"


    "It doesn''t matter, let''s hurry back and tell Mr. Wang and the rest."


    ....


    Meanwhile, the people driving on the national road were oblivious to the fact that someone in the mountain woods had seen them.


    They sped past.


    The road was somewhat special �C as if someone had cleared it, which allowed them to speed up their journey.


    "Tiezi, estimate the distance �C can we make it back to base before sunset today?" asked Li Yu.


    Li Tie pulled out the digital map, looked at it, and said, "We''ll need about 4 more hours to get home. It''s 1:30 now, so we should reach home around 5:30."


    "5:30, that''s about the time of sunset. Let''s hurry up so we can make it home before sundown," said Li Yu.


    He then relayed the message to the others in the vehicles via walkie-talkie. Hearing that they could return today, everyone began to liven up, as they all wanted to avoid another night outside.


    The speed of the vehicles increased once more.


    They roared by.


    The roadside forests, revived somewhat by rain after a drought, were ignored by the group.


    They were all eager to get home and had no time to enjoy the scenery.


    Although they hadn''t found any armament in the two places they visited, the supplies they had loaded onto the trucks meant the trip wasn''t in vain after all.

 Chapter 258 - 250: What is Pure Desire?

    The setting sun dipped below the horizon, and the group had seen countless sunsets before.


    But this time, they felt the most urgent.


    Looking at the familiar gas station, their desire to return home grew more intense.


    In order to save time, the plan Li Yu had to meet with Captain Lv and others was temporarily canceled.


    They''ll visit next time they''re passing by, Li Yu thought.


    They sped all the way.


    Finally, they arrived at the base before the sun completely set.


    At the gas station, Li Yu had contacted everyone at the base via walkie-talkie.


    They only stayed in Weng City for about ten minutes. S��ar?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During these ten minutes, Li Haoran and Li Haoxian, who were on duty today, were wide-eyed with astonishment.


    Everything seemed fine when they left, but why were there trees growing on top of the car now?


    While the two were puzzled, Second Uncle and others came down from the wall to chat.


    There wasn''t much detail given over the walkie-talkie earlier because they were in a hurry.


    The center of Weng City.


    Searchlights switched on, shining brightly.


    Inside Weng City, it was as bright as day; Li Yu and others got out of the cars, smoking and talking with Second Uncle and the rest.


    "Nothing went wrong on this trip, I hope?" Second Uncle checked everyone and saw no injuries.


    Li Yu replied, "No, we just didn''t find any munitions, neither in Zhugao Mountain to the south nor at Silver Mountain to the east."


    Second Uncle nodded and said, "Don''t be too disheartened, these military bases aren''t so easy to find. We''ll rest a bit, and then there''s still that Old Hu Mountain to the west we can check out. If all else fails, we can make some more arrows."


    Li Yu frowned slightly. Although the world had largely reverted to the era of cold weapons before his rebirth, he still wanted to secure more firearms and ammunition as soon as possible.


    After all, some of the sealed bullets can last a hundred and eighty years.


    If they could find a military base, they wouldn''t have to worry about it afterwards.


    "Alright, everyone has had a hard time these days. But, what''s with these trees on the car?" Second Uncle asked with some confusion.


    "Uh..." Li Yu thought for a moment, glanced at Uncle, and then saw him blushing.


    So he directly opened the truck''s cargo door.


    Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and the others gathered around to look.


    Inside the cargo area of the truck, it was crammed full of supplies.


    Li Yuan, standing behind Second Uncle, seemed to see something and let out a shriek of joy, rushing forward.


    "PS5!!! Ah, I''ve wanted one for so long, wow, and chips..." Li Yuan exclaimed with delight, loudly.


    "...You''re not young anymore, how can you still love snacking so much?" Li Hang covered his head.


    Though he said this, as her second brother, he knew best what his little sister liked. So when they were at the hot springs, he made sure to save these items for her.


    Song Min even waved at some sisters and then saw Yutong standing by, looking at Li Yu.


    Yutong also missed him, and while Second Uncle was speaking with Li Yu, she stood aside, staring blankly at Li Yu.


    Song Min walked up to Yutong, handed her some cosmetics and other things, and Yutong politely thanked her.


    Yutong was naturally pale-skinned with delicate features.


    When she was little, her family was poor and couldn''t afford makeup, but on her face, even without makeup, she looked especially beautiful.


    Seeing Yutong''s lack of excitement for the cosmetics and gazing at her exquisite face, Song Min thought it made sense. With such stunning natural beauty, she looked great even without makeup.


    Yutong saw that Second Uncle and Li Yu had almost finished chatting, so she walked up.


    She stood in front of Li Yu, smiling radiantly at him.


    A warmth surged through Li Yu''s heart.


    This woman, usually not much of a talker, rarely expressed her care for him verbally, often showing her affection through her actions.


    Silly girl!


    Li Yu stepped forward and held Yutong tightly in his embrace.


    Feeling the faint scent at the tip of his nose, Li Yu sensed a stirring within him.


    Lately, he felt a bit of heat; his gums were bleeding, and he thought he should soak some chrysanthemum tea to drink later.


    ....


    The crowd couldn''t help but exclaim as they moved these items down.


    They originally thought Li Yu and his group hadn''t found any munitions and had come back empty-handed.


    But these vehicles, be it the cargo trucks, riot control vehicles, or RVs, were stuffed full of stuff.


    Everyone was excited; among these were many daily necessities that were currently in short supply.


    There were even some soaps, though they could now produce soap themselves.


    But having more is always better, right?


    The night.


    Li Yu was lying on a recliner on the balcony.


    Looking up at the stars scattered across the sky.


    He recalled the conversation he had in Weng City with Second Uncle.


    They had already scouted two places, and next was the third one, Old House Mountain.


    Although Second Uncle said it was fine, Li Yu still felt that finding what they needed would be a quantum leap for the base''s strength.


    He must find it.


    Li Yu even thought that if he couldn''t find it at Old House Mountain, he would look elsewhere for clues.


    After spending some time on the rooftop, Li Yu felt a slight chill; October was getting cool.


    He went downstairs.


    Back to his room.


    Inside the blanket, there seemed to be a person.


    Li Yu was puzzled and approached.


    Just as he was about to ask, the blanket was quietly lifted.


    Li Yu''s pulse raced with excitement.


    Black stockings.


    Long legs.


    Slender calves and rounded thighs.


    Toned and shapely.


    In a provocative and sexy outfit, Yutong filled it out perfectly.


    Her figure was even more exaggerated under the attire.


    Especially Yutong, who was shyly looking at him at the moment.


    Her face was blushing, her gaze timid.


    An innocent fa?ade with a hint of seduction.


    How could anyone resist?


    In a world in turmoil, passions are fleeting, their delight indescribable to others.


    The next afternoon, Li Yu walked out of his room with a refreshed expression.


    There would be no morning exercise today.


    Actually, it''s not exactly true that there wasn''t any morning exercise.


    As he descended the stairs, Mrs. Li on the second floor watched Li Yu with a content look, noticing that he seemed to want to bring up the topic of marriage.


    But before his mother could speak out, Li Yu had already left.


    Today, he was to check the solar photovoltaic panels.


    Yesterday, upon returning, he heard from Second Uncle that there were some anomalies with the solar power.


    Normally, these photovoltaic panels should last quite a while; why were there problems?


    Luckily, when they installed the solar panels, he had sent Li Hang to learn about them for a while, and Li Hang himself had studied the field before working at an appliance repair company after graduation.


    The two of them ran up to the mountaintop, took down the solar panels, and carefully inspected them.


    Li Hang frowned slightly and then relaxed: "No worries, brother, I can fix this. It''s a small issue; we bought some spare parts back in the day. Just replace them and it will be fine."


    Li Yu laughed: "That''s good, go ahead and replace it."


    When they were stockpiling supplies in the past, they had anticipated wear and tear on various items��especially the solar panels, for which he had bought many sets. Even if an entire set broke down, they could still replace it with a new one, not to mention they also had spare parts.

 Chapter 259 - 251: The Domineering Explosive Package!

    Li Yu and the others rested at the base for two days, their condition had mostly recovered, and they were ready to set off for the second time.


    They replenished their ammunition and gasoline, and it was still the same group of people.


    But this time, they added Yutong; she had wanted to come out last time, but it wasn''t very convenient.


    This time she wanted to come out, and Li Yu agreed.


    Thus, they set off, their destination this time being the old house mountain in the west.


    A long time ago, Li Yu had been around this place, and he remembered there was an old house village.


    It was another early morning when the group set off in their five vehicles.


    Every time Li Yu went out, he would always look back at the base, the vast walls. Second Uncle and the others would always watch them leave.


    They sped along their way.


    It didn''t take long for them to reach a small town nearby, where Captain Lv and the others were still present.


    Originally, when they returned to the base last time, Li Yu had thought about meeting with Captain Lv and his team again, but due to time constraints, he hadn''t.


    This time it happened to coincide with their outing, so they went to find them first thing.


    From a distance, they saw the Government Building, and before Li Yu and his team could get closer, the big doors of the Government Building in the town opened.


    Coming out to meet them were Captain Lv and Lao Xie, among others, their faces showing delight upon seeing Li Yu.


    The vehicles came to a stop, and Li Yu got out of the car.


    He directly said to Captain Lv, "Captain Lv, have you encountered any new people around here in the past two days?"


    Captain Lv nodded and replied, "Yesterday we met a man surnamed Sun, with a group of about a dozen people. But they were just passing through, so we didn''t speak in detail. They were also quite wary of us��"


    Li Yu immediately asked, "What are you lacking right now?"


    Captain Lv seemed to accept his role as a vassal to Li Yu and his group, responding to Li Yu with the attitude of a subordinate: "Director Li, what we lack the most right now is food. At this time, it''s very difficult to find supplies in the surrounding buildings."


    Li Yu looked at him and then said, "The courtyard in your Government Building is actually quite large and surrounded by walls; it could be used to plant some crops. I brought you some seeds, which you can use to grow your own."


    Upon hearing this, Captain Lv nodded happily and said, "Sure, we were thinking about planting some things, but couldn''t find any suitable seeds in the surrounding areas. Most of the seeds we found had been soaked in water."


    "Hmm. Tiezi, give them some seeds, and also a box of noodles," Li Yu said.


    Li Yu and his group were not short of food; in fact, they had plenty. But that didn''t mean that they would give a lot to Captain Lv at once, so the aid Li Yu provided was always just a little bit.


    Giving too much would provoke greater greed. Giving just a little conveys the value more effectively.


    After all, so far, Captain Lv and his group had not made any substantial contributions. Providing even this bit of food was already being kind to them.


    Providing them with seeds was in hopes that they would be self-sufficient in the future.


    After chatting with Captain Lv for a bit more, Li Yu boarded the vehicle and they set off.


    After the last time Li Yu returned to the base, he discussed with Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and others in the base whether to let Captain Lv and his team join them.


    The final answer was to not let them in for the time being.


    So far, everyone who had come in was either a close relative of Li Yu or someone who had made some contributions to the base, and they were admitted only after being thoroughly vetted.


    ...


    Heading west.


    This trip, they arrived at their destination around two o''clock in the afternoon.


    Looking at the somewhat familiar Old House Village, the village now seemed like a ghost town.


    He remembered that Old House Village had many centennial camphor trees and some Red Army historical residence attractions.


    Although Old House Village also has the words old house, it was still some distance away from Old House Mountain.


    On the Old House Mountain, the peaks are steep.


    At an altitude of over 800 meters, it is the highest mountain in the area.


    Li Yu stood at the foot of the mountain, taking out a map to carefully examine the terrain of Old House Mountain.


    There must be a more convenient place for transportation outside the military base; otherwise, it would be very difficult to transport munitions in.


    After inspecting the area, Li Yu and the others found that there was only one cement road leading up the mountain.


    However, this cement road was built on a particularly steep slope.


    In fact, the road wasn''t built steep on purpose; it was simply because Old House Mountain itself was too steep.


    The road was constructed in a "zigzag" pattern; otherwise, it would have been a straight 90-degree incline.


    Yet, even with the zigzag shaped road, one side of the road was a sheer cliff, and the other side a precipice, with the risk of falling if one was not careful while driving.


    Falling from such a height meant almost certain death.


    To reduce the risk and to be able to more carefully locate the military base, Li Yu decided to get out of the car and climb the mountain.


    Leaving Li Tie and Wang Cheng behind, Li Yu and the rest got out of the car to start searching for the military base.


    Taking out their detection equipment, everyone began slowly making their way up the mountain.


    Along this road, they checked along the cliff face without missing any spot.


    Aside from Li Gang and Li Hang, who were carrying detection equipment and slowly moving along the wall, the others were tapping here and there with iron rods and hammers.


    As everyone continued to move forward, suddenly at mid-mountain, Li Hang excitedly shouted, "It''s hollow, this place is hollow inside."


    Everyone''s attention quickly focused on the spot.


    Li Gang even brought over his equipment to check again.


    "Yes, there definitely is something wrong here, hahaha," said Li Gang excitedly.


    Even Li Yu''s face could hardly hide the joy.


    Everyone started using hammers they had prepared, then military shovels to dig. Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But alas, the wall was entirely made of granite mixed with soil and was extremely sturdy.


    It took everyone over ten minutes of pounding just to break open a small area.


    Seeing this, Li Yu glanced at Dapao, who had a backpack full of hand grenades and explosive packs.


    Dapao immediately understood Li Yu''s expression.


    "Everyone, clear out," Dapao said, holding two explosive packs.


    "Everyone, clear out," Li Yu echoed.


    Using hammers and picks to break open the cliff would obviously take too long; it would be faster to blast open an entrance with explosive packs.


    Everyone immediately moved up towards the mountain peak, so that if the blast was too powerful, they wouldn''t be struck by any rolling dirt or rocks.


    Dapao put the explosive packs in position,


    lit the fuse of the packs, hissing as the fuse began to burn.


    He quickly hurried away; they had tested these explosive packs on zombies before, and the explosive force was exceptionally strong!


    The fuse burned for nearly 30 seconds, and Dapao had already run over a hundred meters away.


    Everyone watched the explosive packs. The fuses on these packs had been extended to avoid injury from the blast.


    The fuse kept shortening.


    Boom!

 Chapter 260 - 252: A String of Mysterious Numbers

    The entire cliff face was blown apart.


    Smoking, mud, rocks, and debris flew into the air.


    Boulder fragments, under the force of gravity, rolled down onto the cement road below.


    A cloud of smoke....


    Everyone muttered in relief: Thank goodness we ran far enough.


    Just a moment ago, we thought a few dozen meters would suffice, but seeing the power of the blast, anyone closer would surely have been hit by the flying stones.


    Waiting for the smoke to dissipate, a huge cave entrance became visible, and the group slowly advanced towards it.


    Before they even reached the entrance, they saw several pythons rolling out from within....


    Dapao was at the forefront; he saw the cave was tightly packed with snakes.


    Of various sizes; the largest one was nearly 20 centimeters in diameter, almost as thick as a person''s thigh.


    Seeing the cave filled with pythons, Dapao''s scalp tingled, and he felt the urge to vomit.


    Li Yu also came over, and upon witnessing the scene, felt his entire being sour.


    The cave was stuffed full of snakes, curled up together, with two smaller ones already squeezed out.


    They were flicking their tongues, twisting towards them.


    CTM!


    Li Yu was furious.


    He freaking hated snakes the most.


    He remembered as a child watching Animal World, seeing the giant pythons of Africa, and having nightmares in the middle of the night.


    This freaking...


    Kill them!


    "Damn it, Dapao, later throw one, no, two, no, three packs of explosives. Toss them over and blow these things to hell. So freaking disgusting," Li Yu said,


    While running towards the upper part of the cement road.


    Yutong, Song Min, and others who followed wanted to crowd in to see what exactly happened inside.


    Li Yu told them not to look, but seeing everyone was still curious, he let them go.


    But Yutong was directly led by the hand by Li Yu, running up the mountain.


    When the group arrived at the cave entrance, standing about 20 meters away, the sight inside made everyone''s face turn a shade of green.


    Indeed, it was disgusting.


    Especially how they were coiled up in mounds, intertwined with one another.


    It was clear that some snakes seemed to sense the entrance had been opened and were trying to escape, but they were tangled with other snakes and could not break free at once.


    Everyone retreated.


    Dapao''s scalp tingled too. Li Hang and Li Gang went up to help.


    "Xiao Hang, you throw it over there, Gangzi, you too," Dapao, who used to be an expert in demolition, had calculated how to blast the snakes more efficiently.


    The three of them threw the explosive packs in their hands simultaneously, each holding the fuse line, which was about ten meters long.


    Dapao''s pack landed perfectly through a gap between the snakes right into the cave entrance.


    Nice throw!


    The three lit the fuses in their hands at the same time.


    Sssss~~~


    The fuses were ignited. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the snakes at the entrance continued to entangle, and even as they did so, pushed Dapao''s recently thrown explosive further inside.


    Dapao and the others quickly ran up the mountain.


    This time, everyone ran even further, nearly two hundred meters away from the explosive.


    They stopped, finding a suitable vantage point.


    The cement road they were on was winding, and from their position, they could just see over to the other side.


    After a few seconds...


    BOOM! BOOM!


    Two loud explosions.


    Huh?


    Li Yu looked at Dapao, puzzled; weren''t three explosive packs set?


    Dapao was also a bit confused; as they ran over, he saw his explosive pack being squeezed deeper in, could it have been extinguished by the pressure of the snakes'' bodies?


    ...


    Dapao''s face turned somewhat awkward.


    At this moment, BOOM! A louder explosion than the previous two shook the air!


    Li Yu immediately pulled out his telescope to look over.


    Tsk tsk.


    Through the telescope, he saw a giant snake, smashed in mid-air, directly blasted into smithereens like a spray.


    Damn disgusting.


    Even more disgusting than a Zombie, tenfold. After three loud booms, a voice came through the walkie-talkie.


    It was Li Tie.


    "Big brother, what are you guys doing up there? It''s been booming non-stop, did you find anything?" Li Tie spoke from the other end of the walkie-talkie.


    "Uh, found some pythons, really disgusting, blew them up." Li Yu said with irritation.


    "....."


    The group waited in place for five minutes.


    Waiting for the smoke to disperse, Li Yu and the others slowly approached the area.


    As everyone got closer, they were greeted by the stench of blood, and a disgusting smell hit their faces.


    Everyone hastily put on anti-poison masks as the odor was indeed hard to bear.


    The entrance of the cave that was there before had been greatly enlarged, with segments of snake corpses scattered everywhere.


    Some were still wriggling.


    It was enough to make one''s scalp tingle.


    Hanging on a tree in the back were two sections of snake carcass.


    Just dangling there, they gave off an extremely chilling sight.


    ...


    "Truly damn disgusting." Li Yu exclaimed.


    These snakes had to be thoroughly cleaned up. If the cave hadn''t been blown open it would have been fine, but once opened, and if there were snakes inside, they could easily be bitten while ascending or descending the mountain.


    Might as well go all in and blow them all up.


    On the ground, there were no live snakes to be seen, but the concrete road had also been partially destroyed by the explosion. However, since the blast opened up the inner cliffside, it actually made the road wider.


    The group composed themselves and continued their investigation up the mountain.


    Along the way, everyone was extremely cautious and thorough.


    Li Gang and Li Hang, each holding detection equipment, went back and forth to ensure every place was checked twice.


    Unfortunately, along the way, no more anomalies were found.


    The group felt somewhat deflated, but atop the mountain, the view was indeed beautiful.


    Behind this mountaintop, there was a temple, which everyone thoroughly searched.


    No one was found, and neither was anything else.


    The group sighed.


    Li Yu felt even worse.


    The group wandered around the mountain for a while longer, detecting everywhere with their equipment.


    But still, they found nothing.


    The sun was setting towards the west, as it would soon set in an hour.


    Their mood was heavy.


    After bustling all day, everyone wanted to rest for a while.


    So, they each found a spot to sit down.


    Everyone sat by the concrete road, while others found stones to sit on.


    Li Yu, on the other hand, sat down on a large marble stone.


    Li Hang, seeing Yutong sitting together with Li Yu, felt awkward to go over and sit with them.


    Suddenly, he spotted something protruding and ran over, plopping himself down on it.


    Uncle hastily said, "Xiao Hang, where you''re sitting is a tombstone, what I just saw, it should be an unmarked grave."


    Upon hearing this, Li Hang immediately stood up in alarm, asking, "What''s an unmarked grave?"


    Uncle sighed, "Usually it''s for those who die young and unmarried, without children. Often, these people will have an unmarked grave."


    Li Hang felt somewhat saddened and then bowed respectfully towards this unmarked grave.


    As he was bowing, his eyes sharply caught sight of something.


    On the bottom left of the unmarked grave was a sequence of numbers: 89800


    What''s this?


    Li Hang hurriedly called Uncle over: "Uncle, what does 89800 mean?"


    "What?!!" Uncle''s expression changed upon hearing this.


    Li Gang, hearing the number from behind, also felt a sense of familiarity.


    So, he took the detection equipment over to measure it.


    Although the detector had measured various spots along the way, not every place could be checked, and this small tombstone had been missed.


    As soon as the detector started scanning, it began to beep.

 Chapter 261 - 253: There Are Way Too Many Firearms

    Hearing the beep beep beep sound, everyone gathered around.


    Uncle looked at Li Yu and said, "This place might be hiding something."


    These mysterious numbers on the tombstone are highly secretive, and their appearance on the tombstone definitely indicates a problem.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu picked up the shovel in his hand and began to dig, while the others stepped forward to help.


    With everyone''s effort, they dug a hole nearly one meter deep around the tombstone.


    Dapao couldn''t help but say, "Brother Yu, should we use explosives?"


    Li Yu thought about it and finally said, "We''re not on the side, if there''s a mechanism below, it must be a descending staircase, which is different from the previous one."


    "....Alright." Dapao put away the explosive packet.


    Everyone continued digging, expanding the diameter of the hole centered on the tombstone and digging downwards.


    Half an hour later, with everyone''s efforts, there was a clank sound.


    Li Gang, who was digging forcefully at the bottom, heard the sound and yelled, "Big brother, we''ve hit something."


    Li Yu went down into the hole, and since there were too many people, only three were kept inside for digging, but to facilitate going down later, steps were also dug around the hole.


    Li Yu took the military shovel and knocked on the bottom of the hole, making a pounding sound.


    This sound was clearly not that of soil. Li Yu crouched down and swept away the surface dirt.


    What was revealed was an iron plate about two meters in length and width.


    On top of the iron plate, there was a ring attached.


    "Gangzi, let''s pull this ring up together," Li Yu said.


    The two of them stood on the side, feet on the iron plate, exerting their maximum strength to lift it.


    Crack crack crack.


    The iron plate made a harsh sound.


    The two exerted all their might as if the iron plate seemed to be opening, but it still clung tightly to the ground.


    "Xiao Hang, scrape from the front," Li Yu looked at the visible gap and shouted loudly.


    At this time, the sun was setting.


    It was hard to see clearly inside the hole.


    Everyone above turned on their flashlights to illuminate the environment inside the hole.


    Li Hang took out his shovel, aimed at the gap, and dug in, lodging it into the gap.


    Li Yu and Li Gang forcefully pulled up. Finally, the iron plate was slowly lifted by the two.


    Seeing this, Li Hang hurriedly pushed the iron plate to the back.


    With the efforts of the three, the iron plate was finally opened.


    The iron plate was lifted toward the outside of the hole, and people outside quickly caught it with their hands.


    Clang.


    The iron plate was tossed aside by the people outside.


    Inside the hole.


    Li Yu and Li Gang were somewhat dumbfounded.


    A straight staircase appeared before their eyes.


    This staircase was much larger than the outer iron plate.


    It was about three meters wide, and the entrance inside was dark.


    Under the light of the lamp, Li Yu could hardly conceal the joy in his heart, finally finding a reliable one.


    "Flashlight!" Li Yu shouted to the people above.


    Uncle bent down and handed the flashlight to Li Yu.


    After receiving the flashlight, Li Yu was about to step forward when he saw Li Gang already stepping onto the staircase. He quickly held him back and said to the people above, "Bring down those two anti-poison masks."


    This place must have been sealed for a long time, the air down there must not circulate well, and if there''s something wrong with the air, it would be disastrous if both went down.


    After putting on their anti-poison masks, the two took their flashlights and descended.


    With the illumination from the flashlights, everything inside the cave was exceptionally clear.


    Li Yu was at the front, seeing the thick dust on the stairs and not minding too much. It definitely had been sealed for a long time.


    The flashlight lit up the path ahead, and Li Yu slowly walked down.


    The steps underfoot made a creaking noise; Li Yu stepped on them and felt relieved realizing they were made of iron.


    They continued downward.


    Uncle and Li Hang also came down afterward.


    Li Yu proceeded slowly, being extremely cautious.


    After going down about ten meters, a corner suddenly appeared.


    There was a door at this corner.


    The door above wasn''t locked, but it had a hammer and sickle symbol on it.


    Seeing this symbol, Li Yu''s heart leapt with joy.


    He was very clear about what this symbol represented.


    This place might be a hidden military base, just extremely hard to find��


    Li Yu tried to push the heavy iron door open with his hands, but it wouldn''t budge.


    So, he had to wait for Li Gang to come down.


    The two of them exerted their strength together to push the door, but due to disrepair over the years, dust fell in showers, yet the door still wouldn''t open.


    Seeing this, Uncle and Li Hang hurried over to help.


    "Ready, one two three, one two three, one two three," Li Yu chanted the rhythm, then they all pulled together with concentrated effort.


    The heavy iron door finally began to slowly slide open.


    "Again, one two three. One two three."


    Click click click.


    The iron door slowly opened.


    A gust of wind emerged from inside the door.


    The wind carried various dust particles, but fortunately, everyone was wearing anti-poison masks and didn''t inhale the dust, though it wasn''t easy for those outside, who hurried to dodge the incoming dust.


    Above, Rong Yu shouted into the inside: "How is it inside?"


    Li Yu replied, "Haven''t gone in yet, there''s another door inside; just opened it, it''s all dusty, can''t see anything. Hang on."


    After waiting nearly 5 minutes, the dust in the air finally settled.


    Li Yu and the others immediately looked inside and saw a vast space, almost a thousand square meters large, resembling a library with rows of boxes.


    These boxes were well-preserved, and just the color of the boxes filled them with joy.


    Green iron boxes.


    So familiar.


    Li Yu hurried inside, approached the nearest row of boxes, and saw one labeled with 64 Handguns.


    Next to it, another box labeled: Type 81 Automatic Rifle.


    Following were: Type 03 Automatic Rifle, Type 85 Sniper Rifle, Type 95 Squad Machine Gun, Type 69 Rocket Launcher...


    All sorts of mainstream firearms were available. Further back were supplies of ammunition, landmines, hand grenades, and more.


    Li Yu excitedly opened one of the boxes, saw the bullets wrapped in grease that were yellow-orange in color, looking like ripe fruit which made him happy.


    Li Gang, Li Hang, and the others also opened their boxes one after another and looked at each other with surprised eyes upon seeing the contents. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Understanding each other''s discoveries, their joy became even more evident.


    It was indeed effortless fortune; this trip was really worth it!

 Chapter 262 - 254: A Million Bullets

    At this moment, Li Yu didn''t let the sight of these weapons cloud his judgement. It was now 5:20 in the afternoon.


    Based on the sunset time in October, the sun would set in about fifteen minutes.


    So he turned to Li Gang and Li Hang beside him and said, "Three of you go down and drive our cars up here."


    Night was falling, and it was uncertain if there would be any zombies outside, so getting the cars up first would allow for prompt transportation. Everyone could also sleep in the cars.


    "Okay, big brother," Li Gang climbed up without any hesitation, Li Hang greedily touched the sniper rifle in his hands, then finally put it down.


    Then he followed Li Gang up, and Uncle also went up.


    Li Yu then checked the other boxes inside and found that there were no empty ones; they were all packed full with weapons and ammo.


    Just looking at this space of over a thousand square meters, although not stacked very high, moving everything out at once would still be a great problem.


    The five vehicles they brought were simply not enough to move all these items.


    What a blissful trouble to have. Too much.


    Yutong and others also came down. Only Ding Jiu and Tianlong were left on top to keep watch, both of whom wanted to come down to take a look, but it wouldn''t do to leave the top unattended.


    Although they hadn''t encountered anyone on the way up the mountain nor any zombies, they had encountered three zombies at the temple behind the mountain earlier.


    Staying vigilant was necessary.


    "Yutong, Song Min, the two of you count the quantity of weapons and ammo here," Li Yu said.


    After Yutong and the others came down, they were shocked by the massive arsenal.


    It was really too much, and they wondered just how many trips it would take to transport everything.


    But still, they were very excited; with enough weapons, their combat power had jumped to a much higher level.


    Yutong and others started counting, and in order to avoid mistakes, Yutong and Song Min counted separately.


    ...


    A few minutes later, Li Tie who drove up was excitedly rushing down, dizzied by the sight of the green boxes packed with weapons.


    "Did you position the cars well?" Li Yu asked.


    "Yes, they are positioned in a ''Ʒ'' shape, surrounding this entrance," Li Tie said without turning his head.


    "Brother Yu, we''ve finished counting," Yutong said.


    "How many?" Li Yu asked impatiently.


    Song Min looked at Yutong, Yutong nodded, both had checked, and although there were minor errors, they were very small.


    Song Min said directly, "64 handguns, with 20 boxes, each containing 20 pieces, totaling 400 handguns.


    81-type automatic rifles. There are 20 boxes, each containing 10 pieces, totaling 200.


    03-type automatic rifles. There are 20 boxes, each containing 10 pieces, totaling 200.


    Type 85 sniper rifles. There are 10 boxes, each containing 10 pieces, totaling 100.


    Type 95 squad machine guns. There are 10 boxes, each containing 10 pieces, totaling 100.


    Type 69 rockets. There are 10 boxes, each containing 2 pieces, totaling 20.


    ....


    There are also 7.62 mm bullets, 1000 rounds per box, with a total of 300 boxes. Totaling 300,000 rounds. These ammo boxes are relatively small.


    ....


    In total, there are 1300 firearms of various kinds, and 1 million rounds of ammunition. There are also 4000 hand grenades and other explosives."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu was ecstatic; it was basically the firepower of a whole battalion.


    Though lacking in heavy weapons, they did now possess machine guns and rocket cannons, weapons with extreme lethality.


    However, with just the vehicles they had now, there was no way they could transport all this back.


    It seemed that multiple trips would be needed for transport, and if they were transporting, they definitely had to leave people here, in case someone stumbled upon this place, which would be very troublesome.


    For now, these concerns were put aside.


    Everyone picked up some firearms they liked, and basically, each person carried two handguns. Such items always provided a sense of security in the apocalypse.


    Li Yu ascended the steps and saw the sky had already darkened.


    Three heavy trucks, a riot control vehicle, and a Unimog were positioned in a pinwheel formation, encircling the entrance.


    On the elevated terrace of the Unimog, Yang Tianlong stood at the highest point, surveying the surroundings, with a lamp placed above the entrance, illuminating its perimeter.


    Everyone else came up as well, feeling an indescribable sense of security surrounded by these vehicles in the night.


    "Let''s have some food first." Yutong took out the food stored in the RV, heated it up, and distributed it to everyone. They all sat around the entrance on the ground, eating their food.


    Everyone was very tired, from continuous driving and then the recent searching and digging��all physically demanding tasks.


    After eating, the group rested on the spot.


    Uncle approached Li Yu and asked, "Xiao Yu, do you think we should start transporting now?"


    Li Yu looked at the surrounding darkness and finally said, "Let''s do it tomorrow. Night has fallen, and we need to change the formation of the convoy. Even if we start transporting now, with our speed, it will only take two hours to fill these vehicles, so it''s better to wait until tomorrow morning." sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu paused, took a sip of water from his hand, and then continued:


    "At that time, Uncle, you''ll take Tiezi, Gangzi, and the others to transport a portion of the firearms and ammunition back first, and then have Second Uncle send some more people over. You go back in the morning and come back in the afternoon; we can manage roughly one trip per day this way."


    Uncle nodded and said, "Okay, as you say. If we can successfully transport all these firearms and ammunition back this time, we won''t have to worry about it for a long time."


    Their last raid on two Armed Police armories yielded less than one-twentieth of the supplies they had now.


    "Yeah, I hope we can transport these firearms back smoothly and safely," Li Yu said.


    Suddenly, a scream rang out.


    Everyone turned their attention to the source of the noise; it was Song Min. Song Min was running toward the side where Dapao was stationed.


    At Song Min''s previous spot, there was a giant rat, about three times the size of a normal rat, its beady eyes were rolling around, watching the group.


    Under the light, the rat''s eyes reflected a strange gleam, and there was an eerie sense of human intelligence in its gaze.


    It''s a sight seldom seen; this was the first time anyone had seen such a huge rat. And indeed, some people were afraid of rats. They were not afraid of zombies, but they feared creatures like rats.


    Seeing Song Min frightened, Dapao quickly took his military shovel and smacked the rat with it.


    With a thud!


    The military shovel, with its sharpened edge, struck the rat precisely. Despite the rat''s attempt to escape, Dapao accurately predicted its path and hit it with one strike.


    Immediately, the rat was split in two, but Dapao, still not satisfied, flattened the shovel and smacked it again, turning the rat into a pile of mush.


    The group was somewhat speechless; was that really necessary?


    "You deal with it now," Li Yu pointed at the smashed remains on the ground, not wanting blood and gore nearby while sleeping in the vehicle, potentially attracting zombies.


    Dapao scratched his head and then went to take care of it.

 Chapter 263 - 255: Is it Raining!?

    Mid-October, the night is chilly, like water.


    The verdant in the distance is stained by the night''s black, turning into a faintly ghastly green blur.


    Unclear to see, within the vagueness, the mountains and nearby branches form some eerie imagery.


    Mysterious, carrying the chill of the night.


    Li Yu stands at the top of this mountain, on the highest point of the RV.


    In the darkness, he surveys the surrounding forest.


    All mountains seem minuscule, he feels more of his own insignificance...


    "Li Yu, tomorrow I''ll take Tiezi, Gangzi, Tianlong, Dapao, and Ding Jiu back with me first; you all just wait here for us," Uncle also comes up to say.


    Li Yu gathers his thoughts and says, "Okay, you guys don''t need to stand watch tonight; Xiao Hang, Wang Cheng, and I will take turns. You will have a long trip tomorrow, and it''s a long time coming and going."


    Uncle does not refuse; after all, early tomorrow they have to move firearms, and by noon transport the guns back to the base, then bring some more people over here. Driving for so long there and back, they will definitely be tired.


    "Get some rest early, Uncle," Li Yu says.


    Uncle finishes the hot water in his cup, looks at Li Yu, and says, "It''s getting cold; wear more clothes, don''t catch a cold."


    Li Yu zips up his jacket fully and says, "Don''t worry, I''m also wearing thermal underwear."


    At the top of this mountain, the temperature at night falls below 10 degrees Celsius, and there''s a whooshing night wind; indeed, not dressing warmly is asking for illness.


    Li Yu wears a hat and then sits on the bench on the rooftop terrace, on which a blanket is also laid. Drinking the hot water from his cup, he watches the white mist from it dissipate. His surroundings gradually become quiet.


    His heart is extraordinarily calm. His eyes scan the submachine gun placed beside him; from this position, he can pick it up at any time.


    As night falls, everyone, having had their fill to eat and drink, goes back to their places to rest and sleep.


    Hearing the faint sound of breathing, Li Yu feels that his hearing is indeed quite good; ever since his rebirth, he''s not sure if it''s because he returned to this younger body or because of the rebirth itself, but he clearly feels that his physical fitness has improved a lot.


    Whether it''s vision, hearing, sensitivity, strength, etc., all have climbed several notches.


    "Goo goo goo~"


    From farther away, he can hear the calls of some nocturnal animals he doesn''t know the names of.


    "Whoosh!"


    Tree shadows sway, like dancing girls of the night, graceful and stunningly beautiful.


    In many cases, the sky suddenly turns gloomy, and then the wind blows, shaking the Bamboo Forest, swaying.


    The branches move with the wind, and when rain is about to come, it''s most beautiful.


    But, Li Yu doesn''t think so now.


    A gust of cold breeze blows over, and he feels a touch of moisture.


    Li Yu senses something is not right.


    Then, Li Yu feels a drop of rain fall on his face.


    Not good, it''s going to rain!


    Really, heaven doesn''t give people a break.


    Raining at this time, isn''t this causing trouble?


    Drip drip drip, the rain starts to fall, tapping against the windows.


    Li Yu turns his head to see that hole they covered up again; although they covered it, to avoid it being so hard to open next time, they only covered it halfway.


    Some raindrops begin to fall in.


    Li Yu quickly grabs the walkie-talkie and says, "Wake up, it''s raining; let''s tidy up this hole."


    No sooner had he spoken than Dapao and Li Tie, and Uncle come out from inside the RV; they had already woken up at the sound of rain hitting the roof.


    At this moment, the three of them came out immediately, hastily took out military shovels, and shoveled away the previously dug-up soil to other locations; Li Yu got out of the car, opened the sunshade/rain cover of the Unimog RV, and just managed to block the entrance of the hole.


    At the very edge of the sunshade, they dug a small trench to drain the water away.


    They had no idea how long the rain would last or how heavy it would be, so it was better to make preparations first. Should the rain become too heavy and flood all the firearms below, the loss would be substantial.


    The others also awoke and each grabbed a shovel to dig small trenches, directing the water toward sloping terrain.


    Fortunately, the area they were in was on higher ground, so water would naturally flow downward without deliberate channeling.


    Crash!


    The rain was getting heavier.


    After they had finished digging, everyone hurried back to their vehicles; just that short while outside had gotten their clothes somewhat wet.


    At least there were spare clothes in the vehicles, which they could change into.


    But Li Yu, standing at the top of the RV, was somewhat worried��with rain this heavy, it wasn''t clear whether they could safely return tomorrow.


    During the rain, the ground would be wet and slippery, and the mountain path was already treacherous. Heading back in the rain was prone to accidents.


    Moreover, with the current rain, it was uncertain how long it would last. If it continued, zombies would inevitably start to appear in the vicinity, and their numbers would increase.


    They were also unsure of the situation back at the base.


    As Li Yu was thinking, the rain grew more intense The terrace did have a roof, but the sheer volume of rain, blowing at an angle, was proving impossible to keep out entirely.


    There was nothing else he could do; Li Yu shook off the rainwater on his body and headed inside the vehicle.


    He pressed a button to retract the rooftop terrace.


    Li Yu went to the bathroom, changed into a new set of clothes, and then stood by the monitors.


    The vehicle was equipped with surveillance cameras at the front, back, left, and right, allowing those inside to somewhat clearly see the surroundings from within the vehicle.


    No one in the vehicle was asleep; Li Tie, deciding not to sleep, sat up and said to Li Yu, "Big brother, with the rain this heavy, are we still going back tomorrow?"


    Li Yu looked out of the vehicle window, saw the torrential downpour resembling water being poured down, the fierce winds howling, and within the vehicle, it was impossible to see anything outside.


    Snap, snap, snap!


    It was as if a firefighter''s hose was blasting at the vehicle, causing a slight tremor.


    The rain was too heavy...


    Li Yu did not respond to Li Tie''s words but walked over to the window to check on the entrance. The iron plate sealing the hole was secure, and they had also placed a waterproof fabric over it.


    It should be fine.


    There was nothing more to do now, just wait. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu thought for a bit and then said, "You all get some sleep first, we don''t know when this rain will stop. If it ceases soon, you''ll be rested enough to head back to the base tomorrow."


    He then remembered something and took out the walkie-talkie to say, "Everyone should rest for now, we don''t know how long this rain will last. You take a rest, and also, Wang Cheng, keep watch in that vehicle. I''m back inside and can''t see what''s happening in your direction."


    "Okay."


    "Okay."


    "Okay."


    "Okay, I''ll keep watch from here."


    ...


    If it had been before the apocalypse, being indoors, watching the forest be buffeted and swayed by the wind and rain, observing the sudden downpour outside, and listening to the pitter-patter or the pouring sounds.


    The air would be moist and carry a hint of freshness.


    Before the apocalypse, being in a room at such a time would strangely instill a sense of bliss.


    But, for Li Yu and the others at that moment, it was a problem!


    Li Yu looked out of the window with a complex gaze, it was always like this��whenever you had some gains or things were looking up, there would always be difficulties thrown your way.

 Chapter 264 - 256: Descending the Mountain

    The rain lasted for half an hour before it stopped.


    It came quickly and left just as quickly.


    Li Yu then propped up the rooftop terrace, shook off the rainwater, and lit a cigarette.


    There were still some drizzles in the air, but the moon was visible in the sky. Now that the moon had emerged, it likely wouldn''t rain anymore tonight.


    He exhaled a stream of smoke slowly; the mist was disrupted by the raindrops, creating a blur of white.


    The wind had stopped too.


    The trees on the mountain appeared disheveled from the wind, some even snapped in half at the trunk. Their twisted shapes seemed to tell of the storm''s intensity just moments ago.


    After finishing his cigarette, Li Yu suddenly felt hunger pangs, so he quietly stepped into the vehicle and took out two packs of instant noodles, pausing for a moment before feeling around in the dark for a sausage.


    He took out an aluminum eating box and added some hot water to the kettle.


    With careful steps, he climbed up to the terrace.


    He remembered a movie with a star who looked a lot like him, that guy had a real knack for making instant noodles.


    Recalling this, he tore open the instant noodle packaging and placed its contents into the aluminum box.


    He poured in hot water, just enough to submerge them, then covered the box.


    As soon as it was submerged, Li Yu glanced at his wristwatch and started timing.


    60.


    59.


    58.


    57.


    ...


    3.


    2.


    1.


    With a sharp eye on the time, Li Yu quickly drained the water from the noodles.


    He added the seasoning pack and stirred vigorously, all-around. The aroma from the cooked noodles, now blending with the spice mix, intensified with each stir.


    After stirring a few more times, he picked up the kettle again and poured in the right amount of hot water.


    Then he waited another 30 seconds.


    He lifted the lid.


    In the cold night air, the noodles'' steam rose up, the fragrance aimed straight for Li Yu''s nose.


    This strong, familiar food scent offered salvation for the soul in the depths of the night.


    Li Yu swallowed hard.


    Sslurp~


    A rushing sense of satisfaction climbed to the top of his head.


    The familiar taste stimulated his taste buds, making Li Yu eat faster.


    Sslurp~ Sslurp~ Sslurp~


    Li Yu took several large bites in a row, chewing and swallowing simultaneously.


    Delicious!


    The noodles in the bowl disappeared in no time under Li Yu''s onslaught.


    Then, in one gulp, he drank all the soup and let out a loud, satisfying burp.


    Contented.


    Li Yu lit another cigarette and began to smoke with great pleasure.


    The seat on the terrace had been dried, leaving no water stains.


    Li Yu checked the time; it was 10:30 p.m. If it didn''t rain by morning, the ground would likely be much drier.


    In that case, returning to base wouldn''t be much of a problem.


    Thinking about it made him tired, and he was probably on duty until one o''clock, after which Li Hang would take over.


    ...


    During Li Yu''s shift, nothing happened. It had just rained, and the air was somewhat stuffy.


    But because they were on high ground and there was a breeze now and then, it wasn''t that suffocating.


    After Li Hang took over, Li Yu went down to rest. A lot had happened today, and Li Yu felt tired. He lay down on the bed and fell into a light sleep within a minute.


    The night passed.


    At 6 o''clock in the morning, Li Yu woke up on time, quickly washed up, and went downstairs to find many people already awake.


    The first thing Li Yu did upon waking up was to check the dryness of the concrete floor since they would be going downhill and definitely needed to brake continuously.


    If the ground was wet and slippery, it would be extremely dangerous.


    Weapons are certainly important, but the people at the base are even more so!


    Uncle and the others were already transporting guns, moving the firearms and ammunition from the ground to the surface.


    Many boxes had already been piled up on the ground. Li Yu simply asked Li Tie to move the vehicle a bit to free up more space, which would make it more convenient, whether it was loading the boxes on the truck or otherwise. S��arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This time they had prepared many small tools: hand trucks, small mechanical carts, etc., all of which could save them a lot of effort.


    Li Tie backed the vehicle out, then drove the truck to a small slope ten meters away, opened the doors of the cargo area, which was just at the right height from slope.


    This way, they wouldn''t have to lift each box up; they could simply push the carts directly into the truck.


    Everyone began to get busy.


    The break of dawn.


    The mountain they were on was the highest in the vicinity.


    While they were transporting the boxes, after moving a few, they straightened their backs, wiped off sweat, and saw the red sun on the horizon, slowly rising.


    The surrounding sky was also stained red, a giant orb of sunrise, slowly ascending.


    It symbolized a beginning, symbolized endless hope, and everyone was in high spirits upon seeing it.


    As they were on the mountaintop, the temperature had dropped recently. Although the sun had risen, there was still a bit of chill.


    But because they were continuously moving, they didn''t feel cold.


    With everyone''s concerted efforts, they managed to fill three large trucks to the brim before 8 o''clock.


    Everyone was drenched in sweat.


    Song Min also cooked some porridge. After having a few bowls, they were ready to head back to the base.


    Uncle, Li Tie, Li Gang, Dapao, Tianlong, Ding Jiu, five of them boarded the vehicles. They had driven out three heavy-duty trucks this time, had filled them up, and had also laden a lot of equipment onto the armored car.


    These three vehicles could barely contain less than one quarter of the firearms and ammunition.


    These heavy-duty trucks, weighing dozens of tons, require a lot of skill to drive.


    Li Tie and the others had good driving skills and had been soldiers with strong adaptability. Having them transport the goods back was more reassuring.


    Uncle sat in the first armored vehicle, holding a Submachine Gun, sitting in the passenger seat.


    Someone definitely needed to escort and protect along the way, and this armored car could serve that protective purpose.


    In case someone showed up on the way, they wouldn''t be without the ability to resist.


    Four vehicles, five people, four veterans, and one former Armed Police captain.


    "Li Yu, we''ll leave first. Take care over there. We should arrive tomorrow at noon," Uncle said.


    Li Yu waved his hand and said, "You too, take care on the way. Drive slower, especially on the middle of the mountain slope. Although it has been cleared, you still have to be careful there."


    Farewells were said one by one.


    Due to the tight schedule, Uncle and the others then departed back to the base.


    The heavy-duty trucks filled with firearms and ammunition made the concrete pavement crackle.


    But fortunately, it could withstand the weight.


    The convoy of four vehicles left at an extremely low speed.


    20 minutes later, Uncle''s voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Li Yu, we''ve reached the foot of the mountain safely. Don''t worry about us. We''re leaving."


    Li Yu and the others finally relaxed, and quickly replied, "Good."


    This descent by vehicle was only half the time it would take for a person to climb up, which was about 30 minutes, showing just how cautious they were on the way down.

 Chapter 265 - 257: A Close Call without Danger

    After descending the mountain, Uncle and his team were able to drive much faster.


    Although it rained yesterday, the ground had mostly dried up overnight.


    In the cold wind, everyone closed their car windows.


    ...


    Atop the old house mountain, Li Yu and his team waited on the spot. They didn''t have many people and needed to prevent others from coming, so they blocked the cave entrance.


    Rui Tong, Song Min, Wang Cheng, Li Yu, and Li Hang were bored on the mountaintop.


    Li Yu simply took out an assortment of weapons and introduced them to everyone, instructing them on how to use each one.


    Everyone was very interested, but it was not convenient to test fire the weapons there, or they certainly would have given it a try.


    As the explanations continued, time slowly passed.


    ...


    Viewed from above, Harmony Garden was to the east, the base in the center.


    The old house mountain was to the west, with forestry filling the space between the mountain and the base.


    Many sections of this national highway cut through the middle of mountains.


    Many were through tunnels, where one might occasionally encounter zombies.


    So every time they passed through a tunnel, they always turned on the lights, or it would be pitch black and impossible to see anything clear.


    It had been three hours since Uncle and the others left the old house mountain, but in order to save time, everyone mostly ate in the car.


    Suddenly, Li Tie braked sharply in the tunnel.


    Squeal~


    The following cars all slowed down in time, avoiding a collision.


    But in the first car, Uncle, who was in the passenger seat, nearly hit the windshield.


    Luckily he was wearing his seatbelt, or he would have been injured for sure.


    "What happened?" Uncle asked Li Tie with a mix of alarm and confusion.


    "Uncle, that person over there seems to be alive..." Li Tie said somewhat awkwardly.


    Uncle was at a loss for words, wondering what had influenced his thoughts at the moment:


    A living person?


    Why not just hit them, after all...


    Uncle suddenly snapped out of it, wondering when he''d become so cold-blooded. Thinking this, he realized he had changed too much, as Li Yu often muttered by his side: family first, everyone else outside is just a bunch of bad people.


    This influence was somewhat significant.


    Uncle shook his head; even though these were apocalyptic times requiring vigilance, human life shouldn''t be treated with contempt.


    So he said to Li Tie, "No problem, let me check the situation."


    The person opposite was tall, wearing tattered black stockings. They were just a bit far away to see the person''s true face clearly.


    So Uncle rolled down the car window a little, and after rolling it down, he heard the person opposite saying, "My name is Yang Xuan, my name is Yang Xuan, I come from HanX, I''m looking for my wife, where are you, wife?"


    Upon hearing this voice, Uncle''s body went numb.


    Li Tie sitting beside him also went numb.


    The man''s voice was robust, very masculine, only somewhat deranged.


    Wearing black stockings? Wearing a Superman costume on the outside, but repeating these words continuously, in a particularly masculine tone.


    His voice echoed continuously, giving Uncle and the others the creeps.


    Uncle and Li Tie exchanged glances, guessing that the man''s mental state must be disturbed.


    In this place, without car headlights illuminating, they would not be able to see other people clearly.


    Suddenly, Uncle saw a shadow appear behind the man and yelled out, "Watch out!"


    No sooner had Uncle shouted, the man in black stockings was bitten on the neck by a zombie emerging from behind.


    Crack!


    The man''s fresh blood spattered onto his black stocking-covered legs.


    Under the illumination of the lights, it was strikingly grotesque.


    "Ah... Just run him over, he can''t be saved," Uncle said.


    With that, he drove the car forward, and the man and the zombie were struck and sent flying.


    Li Tie and Uncle felt very uncomfortable; this man must have experienced a severe trauma to have ended up in such a state.


    This tunnel was long, taking nearly 5 minutes to drive through.


    As they neared the end of the tunnel, they saw a thin, bony female corpse lying at the roadside exit.


    They hadn''t seen this body on their way in, perhaps it was that man''s wife.


    It was pitiable.


    In times of chaos, there are always all kinds of tragedies, but they could only look after themselves.


    Facing such situations, they were powerless to help.


    This trip, aside from this small episode, they encountered no other incidents.


    They sped along, everyone concentrating on driving.


    The firearms on the car were of utmost importance.


    They were crucial for their future.


    Soon, they reached a gas station on the national highway, where Uncle immediately reported everything to Second Uncle over the intercom.


    Doing so, they could save some time.


    They arrived safely in Weng City, where everyone from the base came out to meet them.


    Dozens of people gathered around joyously.


    Everyone was eager to go down and check, but the base''s rules couldn''t be broken; they had to wait for ten minutes.


    After ten minutes, Second Uncle and the others went down, followed by Third Uncle.


    Opening the trunk of the car, they saw it filled to the brim with firearms and ammunition.


    Third Uncle picked up a sniper rifle, his face showing a simple and domineering smile.


    Old friend, we meet again.


    Not much was said over the intercom, but the gist was conveyed.


    Now, Uncle continued, "We found over a thousand firearms at the old house mountain, plus a million bullets. Right now, we''ve only transported back a quarter. There''s still more we need to transport back quickly."


    "Li Yu and the others are still waiting there. Let''s unload quickly and then take some people back," Uncle said after catching his breath.


    "Alright! Let''s store these firearms in the underground warehouse for now. We can keep the well-preserved ones in those square basement spaces. Let''s unload them first. After unloading, you guys head back, so you can return before nightfall," Second Uncle said.


    Apart from a few on-duty personnel, every person in the base pitched in, but because firearms and ammunition were so important, Li Yuan and Li Yu''s mother meticulously inventoried every single weapon.


    Ensuring each one was registered, with no omissions.


    With everyone''s effort, it took less than half an hour to transfer all the boxes off the trucks. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Uncle and the others took a breath, drank some water,


    then took three workers from the base, plus the optimistic Xiao Han and Teacher Liu, and set off again with Lai Dongsheng.


    Initially, Third Uncle also wanted to come, but as there were a few key combatants needed at the base, he gave up upon Uncle''s persuasion.


    In total, the base had only six heavy trucks and one minibus and one truck available.


    Eleven people in eight empty trucks began their trip back to the old house mountain.

 Chapter 266 - 258: Coincidence or Something Spooky?

    On Li Yu''s side, everyone had already had lunch.


    Standing on the terrace of the Unimog, they removed the waterproof cloth.


    The weather was getting colder, and sunbathing at noon was quite nice.


    Li Yu shielded his eyes with his hand to prevent them from being sunburned.


    Suddenly, he heard a cursing sound from behind.


    It was Li Hang.


    Li Yu quickly got up and looked down at Li Hang, asking, "What''s wrong, Xiao Hang?"


    Li Hang pointed to a big tree in front of them and said, "Big Brother, the snake we blasted that day seems to still have some alive, look, there are two more over there."


    Following the direction Li Hang was pointing, Li Yu saw two snakes, black and white, intertwined on the opposite big tree, hissing in their direction.


    Li Yu had good eyesight, he looked into the snake''s eyes, and he wasn''t sure if it was an illusion, but he felt like the snake was staring at them.


    Snakes generally don''t have good vision.


    Damn!


    Seeking revenge?


    Li Yu hated snakes the most.


    At this moment, he was somewhat unsettled and said to Li Hang, "Eliminate them."


    Both Yutong and Song Min next to him also disliked snakes, even feeling somewhat fearful.


    Wang Cheng used to be skilled at catching snakes, so he volunteered eagerly, "Brother Yu, let me do it, I used to catch snakes for a while to sell."


    Li Yu looked at Wang Cheng unexpectedly and said, "I didn''t see that coming, you have this skill. Alright, but be sure to be careful."


    Li Yu thought for a moment, handed him a bomb-proof helmet, and then put gloves on him.


    Wang Cheng: "...."


    Unable to climb the tree, he directly picked up a tree stick to knock the snake down.


    The two snakes were promptly knocked down, and Wang Cheng started to catch them.


    Seizing the opportunity, Wang Cheng accurately grabbed the snake by its lifeline.


    However, at that moment, the other snake, being quite cunning, quickly slithered towards Yutong''s direction after Wang Cheng caught the first one.


    With ferocity.


    Crack!


    On the concrete road.


    A large Martin boot firmly stepped on the snake''s head, crushing it into a pile of mush.


    The rest of the snake''s body was still wriggling.


    Li Yu stomped again.


    Crack!


    The snake''s body was crushed into two halves.


    "That''s brutal..." Li Hang opened his mouth wide, witnessing this scene.


    Yutong stepped forward, looked at the snake below with some fear in her eyes but quickly overcame it, then said to Li Yu, "Go wash your shoes, the snake might be poisonous."


    "Okay." Li Yu turned his head and then stepped into a nearby puddle to wash.


    The high-top Martin boots had the advantage of being sturdy and durable.


    Not easy to get water inside. After washing it twice, it finally got clean.


    Li Yu saw Wang Cheng holding the snake and somewhat disgustedly said, "Go ahead and butcher it."


    Wang Cheng, having seen those snakes blown to bits before, felt a bit sorry.


    Those were good ingredients for making snake soup, he hesitated but finally said, "Want me to kill this one for you to try? My cooking skill is quite good."


    "Are you sure it''s edible?" Li Yu asked.


    Wang Cheng licked his lips and said, "Don''t worry, it''s edible. I make excellent snake meat."


    Li Yu saw his eagerness to eat and said nothing more, simply waving his hand and letting him handle it.


    Time passed by bit by bit.


    The discovery of these two snakes made Li Yu keep a vigilant heart, taking Li Hang to search the surroundings again to see if any snakes were missed.


    After two rounds, they found two more and simply dealt with them all.


    After addressing these hidden dangers, his heart felt slightly better.


    The sun gradually slanted westward, and Li Yu would occasionally stick his head out to look in the direction of the foot of the mountain.


    Waiting


    ....


    At sunset, the old house mountain has an altitude of more than 800 meters.


    The birds return to the trees at sunset, and Li Yu watched them in a daze.


    Before his rebirth, he had never seen the existence of zombie birds among the birds; if there were zombie birds, humanity would have been doomed long ago. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Li Yu was lost in thought, the sun slowly descended.


    The setting sun was endlessly beautiful; high up in the mountains, one could see far away, see the hills draped in golden hues, the leaves swaying, everything in the mountains bathed in the golden afterglow of the sunset.


    It was beautiful!


    But Li Yu was in no mood to appreciate all this. According to his agreement with Uncle, he was supposed to be back in about 5 minutes.


    Why hasn''t he returned yet?


    Li Yu anxiously glanced at his watch again; in just this short period, he had already checked it nearly 10 times.


    5:00 PM


    Still no sign of them.


    Could something unexpected have happened? Li Yu thought worriedly.


    But just as he was thinking about it, a voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu, we''ve arrived; move the car a little."


    It was Uncle!


    Li Yu excitedly replied: "Okay, okay."


    Then he asked Li Hang to drive the car aside, as there would definitely be other vehicles coming.


    After waiting for a few minutes, a convoy appeared in front of them.


    One vehicle.


    Two vehicles.


    ....


    A total of 8 vehicles.


    Li Yu estimated it in his mind and realized that even with these vehicles passing through, there might still be some shortfall.


    They probably need to make two more trips.


    But no worries. Slowly does it.


    It was now 5:00 PM, and the sun would set in another half an hour.


    So, transporting stuff today was definitely not an option; they might as well park the convoy in a suitable position.


    Arranged in a circular formation, with the Unimog still at the forefront, next to the cave entrance.


    Nine vehicles surrounded the cave entrance, creating a large space in the middle.


    Li Tie, Li Gang, and the others got out of their vehicles and lay down in that open area to rest.


    They had been moving these firearms early this morning and then transported them back, and now they have driven the vehicles back.


    Going back and forth, although not a particularly long time, still made them quite tired.


    Song Min and others were preparing dinner, fortunately, they had brought enough food, and managed to make some.


    But for the few workers and Teacher Liu, they were exceptionally excited, so Li Hang took them down to have a look.


    Their expressions upon seeing the heaps of firearms and ammunition underground were the same as when Li Hang first went down.


    Having these things really provided a great sense of security.


    Everyone felt even more reassured.


    After eating something, Uncle and Li Yu talked about the man with black silk they encountered on the way back today.


    Li Yu''s hand, holding food, paused for a moment, then he said, "Could it be some kind of trap set by someone?"


    Uncle immediately replied, "It''s not very likely, although it happened inside the tunnel, we didn''t see the presence of other people."


    Li Yu''s eyes turned a bit cold, emitting a slightly terrifying aura as he said, "If he really is a madman, could he survive until now in a bridge hole where zombies hide?"


    Uncle fell into thought.


    Li Yu then said: "Anyway, remember one thing, in any situation, do not get out of the car. Do not stop!"

 Chapter 267 - 259: Li Yu Leads the Team

    The night was deep, but Li Yu couldn''t sleep.


    This time, eleven people had come from the base, and together with the original five, there were sixteen people in total.


    Tonight, Li Hang, Song Min, and Wang Cheng were on duty while Li Yu lay in the RV, unable to fall asleep.


    He always felt that the black-haired boy Uncle mentioned today was problematic.


    An indescribable sense of discomfort, his intuition, seemed to warn him that nothing had happened when Uncle and the others returned last time, but this time it might be different.


    After thinking, he decided he would go back with them tomorrow, just in case.


    Having made up his mind, Li Yu entered a light sleep.


    ...


    Early next morning, Li Yu found Uncle: "Uncle, I''m going back with them today. I always felt that the person you encountered yesterday wasn''t just a coincidence."


    Uncle yawned, and after hearing what Li Yu said, he pondered for a moment and seriously replied, "Okay, you mean for me to stay here?"


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Yes, Uncle, you stay here, and there might be another trip."


    Uncle didn''t refuse, and simply acknowledged with an "okay".


    Like the day before, everyone started moving firearms and ammunition. Although there were more people, this time there were also several more vehicles to load.


    It took half an hour more than last time to finally load the guns onto the vehicles.


    This time, those who stayed here were Uncle, Dapao, Li Gang, Lai Dongsheng, and the optimistic Xiao Han.


    The others went back, in a total of eight vehicles, packed full.


    Driving down the mountain was again the most perilous moment.


    Li Yu sat in Li Tie''s car, and behind were vehicles driven by Tianlong''s people.


    The long convoy advanced, facing the morning sun, like a golden dragon.


    On the vehicle, Li Yu was pressing bullets into magazine after magazine.


    Seeing this, Li Tie, while driving, asked, "Big brother, what is this about?"


    Li Yu thought for a moment and responded, "Didn''t you guys run into some people last time? I think there was something off about that."


    Li Tie considered it; the person they encountered last time did seem a bit insane, but as for problems... there seemed to be some.


    As the vehicles moved forward, Li Yu felt increasingly uneasy.


    ...


    Meanwhile, still some ten kilometers away from where Li Yu and his group were, right outside the entrance to that long tunnel.


    Above the tunnel stood a line of people, about a dozen or so, looking pale but wearing clean clothes.


    "Brother Hua, will they come back?" Xiao Kalemimi asked.


    "Tau Pi, since they went there and then drove so many cars back, they must have discovered something. It''s a pity we can''t find a car with gasoline, otherwise we could have followed them to see," Brother Hua said.


    "The lunatic last time, after we let him go down, never came back out," Kalemimi remarked.


    "Never mind him, this time I won''t let them enter the cave. Seeing them driving the truck, they must have good stuff, might have found the Government''s strategic food depot," Brother Hua said.


    Xiao Kalemimi replied excitedly, "Heh, we''re going to get rich this time."


    Brother Hua thought for a moment and then asked, "The nails you guys were supposed to scatter, did you do it?"


    Another Kalemimi replied, "They were scattered long ago, heh, scattered a lot."


    "Didn''t I tell you to scatter them all?" Brother Hua frowned and said.


    Kalemimi promptly responded, "Right away, Brother Hua. I''m on it."


    "Such a minor task, and I have to keep reminding. Hurry up, and don''t get caught," Brother Hua said.


    ...


    And here on Li Yu''s side, they didn''t know any of this yet. Li Yu was just pressing bullets into the magazines.


    One after another.


    Several minutes flew by.


    On this national highway, by the tunnel entrance on both sides, Brother Hua led his crew crouching by the entrance.


    They had scattered nails at the tunnel entrance as a trap.


    It was easy for cars to slip and even crash directly into the tunnel.


    This was their method. According to their observation, this time eight cars passed, the number of people was a bit troubling, but not a big problem. In this regard, Brother Hua was utterly confident.


    Waiting.


    Li Yu and his group were getting closer and closer.


    Meanwhile, in the car, Li Tie noticed this tunnel and said, "Big brother, last time it was in this tunnel where we encountered that boy in black silk."


    "Hm?" Li Yu lifted his head and looked toward the tunnel in front.


    They had encountered many tunnels along the road, but this one seemed much larger.


    Ever since his rebirth, Li Yu''s eyesight had improved significantly. Under the sunlight, he slightly narrowed his eyes as he saw the tunnel ahead.


    The car wasn''t moving slowly, and Li Yu seemed to have spotted something.


    He quickly said, "Stop the car, stop the car!" Urgency in his eyes, his hands reached towards the steering wheel but didn''t move it.


    Li Tie reacted quickly and immediately braked hard.


    The vehicle swerved like a dragon tail, swinging over.


    "Screech~~"


    The tires squealed sharply from braking.


    They narrowly missed a spot that was brightly lit. From a distance, people might not see clearly, but Li Yu''s good vision caught a vague glimpse.


    Yet, he felt something was off.


    "Bang!"


    The sound of a tire bursting.


    The front side tire had driven right over a nail at the front.


    Indeed!


    This sound definitely wasn''t due to tire wear; it must have been something sharp.


    Through the window glass, Li Tie looked toward the road ahead with a lingering fear, sitting in the car, now clearly seeing nails covering the surface ten meters ahead.


    What a mess.


    The vehicles behind, as instructed by Li Yu, were all large vehicles, so the distance between them was a good twenty meters.


    At the same time.


    By the tunnel, Brother Hua and a few others watched the leading car brake sharply and perform a miraculous maneuver, managing to swerve around.


    Although the last tire did burst, this was not at all what they had anticipated. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    According to their plan, a vehicle speeding would definitely slip and flip over after hitting the nails, causing a chain reaction of accidents with the following vehicles.


    But now this...


    Except for the first vehicle, which only had one tire bursted, the other seven vehicles had no issues at all and calmly stopped.


    This was unexpected...


    "Brother Hua, should we still go over and rob them?" asked Little Karl.


    Brother Hua looked at him speechlessly. The people opposite had no problems, at least eight people in eight cars, and they only had a dozen men; what could they do.


    "Forget it, let''s retreat. They might still come back, and next time we''ll change the spot; they can''t always be this lucky."


    "Okay," Little Karl responded.


    As Karl and his gang retreated from both sides, they sent a secret signal.


    "Bu Gu Bu~~"


    In the car, Li Yu heard the sound of the cuckoo and asked Li Tie, "Aren''t cuckoos supposed to call more often around April and May?"


    "I think so." Li Tie scratched his head, the tire was burst, and it needed to be replaced.

 Chapter 268 - 260: Big Brother, Stop Chasing...

    Li Yu responded immediately, taking out a walkie-talkie and saying, "Tiezi, Xiao Hang, Tianlong, Ding Jiu, Yu Tong, get off with your guns, the rest stay alert. There''s someone!"


    After speaking, Li Yu quickly got out of the car, and Li Tie followed him from the other side.


    When Yu Tong, Tianlong, and others saw the vehicle ahead stop, they sensed trouble and reacted very quickly. Hearing Li Yu''s words, they jumped out of the vehicle.


    Li Yu jumped off the vehicle and saw Yu Tong and the others disembarking at the same time.


    A warm pride surged in his heart.


    Look, this is a team!


    They certainly had everything ready in response even before Li Yu had spoken.


    Li Yu ran towards the direction of the sound he had heard from the cuckoo bird after he got out.


    Less than twenty meters away.


    He could see the foxtail grass swaying from side to side, on both sides!


    In an instant, Li Yu had made up his mind.


    "Tiezi, Xiao Hang, Tianlong, take them down," Li Yu shouted.


    Immediately, Li Yu didn''t stop; he unlocked the safety and started firing towards one side, thinking these bastards dare set up a trap, they are dead.


    Bang bang bang!


    A burst of gunshots and two screams came from the bushes on that side.


    Li Yu continued running towards it, but by the time he got there, he could only see about seven or eight people frantically running away at the edge of the woods.


    Running so fast!


    "Damn, why do they have guns!" Hua''s brother cursed quietly, glad that he didn''t approach them earlier.


    But how could these people be so sharp-eyed, knowing exactly where they were before he even started the trouble.


    How did they get exposed?


    However, now wasn''t the time to think about this, as two of his men lagged behind because they were too slow and got shot.


    These people are not to be messed with.


    "Hua brother, what do we do now? Which way do we run?" asked the most beloved Kaledi by Hua''s brother.


    "Phew, phew, run in different directions quickly!" Hua''s brother said, breathing heavily and hurriedly.


    At this time, of course, running away was the priority.


    Seven or eight people were about to split up.


    But Li Yu was very fast, running and shooting at the same time.


    Bang bang bang.


    Three consecutive shots hit three persons accurately while he was sprinting.


    Hua''s brother, who was running for his life, almost had his eyes bulging out at this accuracy.


    He dared not stop his pace, but the rough stones and annoying branches in the forest kept hindering their escape.


    After killing three people, the remaining few didn''t dare stay together and split into three directions.


    One to the left, one to the right, and one in the center to escape.


    Yu Tong was slightly slower, but she was not far from Li Yu.


    Ding Jiu, running behind Yu Tong, complained internally: Damn, how can Yu Tong, a woman, run faster than him, a big man.


    Crazy.


    He had to speed up and crazily ran forward.


    After Li Yu had killed three, four were left.


    Li Yu looked at the two on the far left, then spoke to the back, "We must kill them, you all have your walkie-talkies, right?"


    "All here!"


    "All here!"


    Yu Tong and Ding Jiu shouted from behind.


    They were using shortwave walkie-talkies that could transmit over a long distance and could communicate with each other within 10 kilometers even in these woods.


    Unexpectedly, Li Yu''s random choice of direction happened to be where Hua''s brother and his group were, which infuriated Hua''s brother. Why him?


    He didn''t expect that the most ruthless person would choose his direction.


    He was going to die.


    Hua''s brother was somewhat in disarray, stumbling and running forward.


    But the mountainous area with its rocky ground was too treacherous; he had just started running when he slipped and fell to the ground.


    The Kaledi following him quickly helped him up.


    "Run!" After helping Hua Ge up, Ka Lemi hurriedly supported him and ran forward.


    Although Hua Ge had fallen, he was not seriously injured. sea??h th�� N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, the scorching sun was overhead, and the sun shone through the trees onto the people below.


    Shining on the road below, in the forest, the sunlight scattered in spots on the lush branches.


    It was beautiful.


    Under the sunlight, the dust was all too visible.


    Li Yu raised the gun in his hand and fired.


    Bang!


    Ah!


    Li Yu hit one of them, and Ka Lemi, behind Hua Ge, was hit in the shoulder by this bullet.


    Little Ka Lemi fell, reaching out as if trying to grasp something.


    Hua Ge looked back, running all the while, in that brief second.


    He saw the pleading in Little Ka''s eyes.


    Hua Ge''s gaze was somewhat icy, without any hesitation, he turned his head and continued running forward.


    In that second, as Little Ka made eye contact with Hua Ge, the iciness in Hua Ge''s eyes shattered his heart.


    Heh~


    He gave a bitter smile, originally thinking...


    Unexpectedly...


    In the end, embracing the notion of death, he closed his eyes, planning to use his battered body to wait for Li Yu to approach, then grab Li Yu''s legs when he got close, to buy Hua Ge some time.


    After all, if it wasn''t for Hua Ge back then, he would have died long ago.


    Waiting, Little Ka felt Li Yu getting closer.


    His heart was somewhat excited, somewhat frightened, but a surge of absolute bravery welled up; he was going to die anyway, being able to buy Hua Ge time now was worth it.


    Listening to the footsteps.


    He had made all the preparations, first to roll over, then use his hands to directly grab the person''s legs, and while he was caught off guard, ideally pull him down, hehe, then snatch his gun, maybe even kill him...


    As he was thinking.


    Bang!


    A gunshot.


    The last thought Little Ka had in this world was that after he grabbed Li Yu''s legs...


    As Li Yu passed by Little Ka, just a few meters away, he casually fired another shot that blew Little Ka''s brains out.


    He had hit this person''s shoulder just now; what did it mean for him to be lying motionless on the ground now.


    ...


    Continued the chase.


    At this critical moment of life and death, Hua Ge unleashed his greatest potential, he''d never thought he could run so fast.


    His clothes were already torn and ragged from the branches in the mountain forest.


    On his legs, face, and hands were full of scratches from the tree branches.


    But, at this moment, Hua Ge didn''t feel the pain, he just wanted to survive.


    Bang!


    A gunshot.


    Hua Ge suddenly twitched.


    A bullet hit just a few centimeters from Hua Ge''s ear, brushing past the edge and striking the tree in front.


    "Huh? What''s going on?" Li Yu was somewhat speechless, wondering why he hadn''t hit his target.


    He had already fired twice during this chase, but each time he narrowly missed.


    Logically, this shot should have hit.


    Twice now, each time it seemed like he would hit Hua Ge, Hua Ge was always able to dodge, not knowing if it was luck, or luck.


    Both shots were so close to him, and Li Yu was getting closer.


    This made Hua Ge feel humiliated.


    He ran another three kilometers.


    In this desperate running, Hua Ge was panting like a dog.


    Li Yu had fired three more shots. Still, he had not killed him.


    Li Yu was furious, feeling that something was wrong with his marksmanship.

 Chapter 269 - 261: Keep on Running!?

    Li Yu was chasing after this man, and yet, after firing so many shots, he hadn''t hit him.


    He began to doubt his spear skills, wondering if there was a problem.


    At this moment, Huage up ahead was also internally ranting: Dammit, toying with me, even though the guy behind clearly has great spear skills, he keeps missing him by just a bit, playing with my mind.


    But right now, Huage was still thinking about escape, figuring being alive is always better than being dead.


    Another chase ensued, and they probably ran another two kilometers.


    Huage felt completely drained, gasping for air in big breaths.


    His body went limp and he collapsed onto the ground.


    Looking up at the sky, he had never felt so tired before.


    He knew there was still someone chasing him, but he just couldn''t run anymore.


    Fine, if I can''t run, then I''ll just die...


    "Tap tap tap." The sound of footsteps approached.


    Upon hearing the footsteps, the spirit of resignation that had just arisen in Huage, the readiness to just die, suddenly changed.


    At that moment, his will to live surged forth; mustering the last bit of his strength, he raised his hand weakly and said, "Hey bro, being chased... Just, cough cough cough, just don''t kill me, anything goes."


    Li Yu ran until he was a few meters away from him and then stopped, gasping slightly.


    This kid could really run; if it weren''t for Li Yu''s good physical fitness and regular training, he wouldn''t have been able to catch him.


    Hearing the man lying there, weakly raising his hand and uttering those words,


    Li Yu didn''t say another word.


    .....


    Bang bang bang!


    A series of gunshots rang out, turning the man into a sieve.


    Huage''s eyes bulged, his hand still raised just before death, but after the bullets pierced his body,


    his arm limply fell.


    "Tell you to run, shit." Li Yu spit out a mouthful of saliva.


    He then searched Huage''s body for a while, didn''t find anything useful, gave Huage''s body a kick with his foot, and left.


    Elsewhere, apart from those two being pursued by Li Yu, Ding Jiu had better luck; his quarry stumbled in a panic, allowing Ding Jiu to catch up and shoot him dead.


    Li Yu had always emphasized at the base, when facing an enemy, if you can deal with it by action, never waste words.


    If you can kill the enemy ahead of time, never let them speak a second sentence.


    Especially since Li Yu had already ordered to kill them.


    Back in Weng City, Ding Jiu had also killed dozens of people.


    After all, they had already killed over a thousand people back then.


    Now, killing just one more was nothing trivial.


    Yutong, on the other hand, encountered a tough one, but when this man saw that the person chasing him was a woman, he relaxed a bit.


    But Yutong was no ordinary woman; her physical fitness was even better than that of an average man, and during the chase, she even outpaced Ding Jiu by a lot.


    On top of that, her spear skills were excellent. Right now, during the pursuit,


    She came upon a slope, and as the man ahead turned back, that moment of hesitation.


    Yutong stood her ground, took aim from the base of the hill, and fired a shot.


    Striking the man right between the eyebrows.


    Bang!


    The gunshot echoed in the mountains and woods.


    The man, just before death, mumbled, "So accurate..."


    Yutong didn''t immediately leave; following Li Yu''s instructions, when outside facing an enemy, if possible, always fire a confirmation shot, at least to ensure the person is dead.


    It''s known that many people die due to carelessness, lack of caution.


    To live longer, one must be more cautious.


    After checking and seeing the man was indeed dead, she took out a dagger and stabbed the man''s heart twice more.


    This person made no reaction.


    Yu Tong left there only then.


    At the same time, a voice came through the radio: "Yu Tong, did you and Ding Jiu take care of it?"


    Yu Tong quickly picked up the radio and said, "It''s taken care of. I''m heading back now."


    "Okay, see you later. What''s the situation with Ding Jiu?" Li Yu said.


    "I''ve just dealt with it too. This person is dead. I''m heading back." S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good."


    Twenty minutes later.


    Li Yu and the others returned to the national highway.


    Standing on the highway, Li Yu saw that the spikes in front of the vehicle had already been cleaned up.


    So he said to the optimistic Xiao Han, "Xiao Han, has Tiezi and the others come back yet?"


    Optimistic Xiao Han''s eyes widened as she responded, "Brother Tie and the others had just chased after those people on the right, they haven''t come back yet."


    While she was speaking, a voice came from behind, "Big brother."


    "Brother!"


    "Yuzi."


    Li Yu turned around and saw Tianlong''s face splashed with blood, his whole face was gruesome and terrifying with fresh blood.


    "What happened to you guys?" Li Yu looked at Tianlong with confusion.


    Tianlong was also bewildered; he didn''t know why Li Yu was looking at him that way.


    Tiezi, who was beside him, quickly caught on to where Li Yu was looking and explained, "Just now when we were chasing those guys, Tianlong dropped his gun, then he pounced and killed one of them with a knife."


    "....Alright."


    "Has everyone been taken care of?" Li Yu asked.


    "We''ve taken care of them all," Li Tie replied.


    "That''s fine, let''s go then." Li Yu got into the car and waved his hand.


    Everyone also got into the vehicles; dealing with those people had taken a fair bit of time, and they still had to rush back today.


    Time was very tight.


    Rumbling.


    Amidst the roar of the car engines, Li Yu and the others set off again.


    It was as if nothing had ever happened, for Li Yu and his team, all this was just a minor incident.


    After killing so many people in Weng City, most of the people at the base seemed to have undergone a baptism.


    The gang they had just encountered was merely an appetizer to them.


    In this era, in the apocalyptic environment, it''s about who is more ruthless, and whose equipment is better.


    Everyone understood this truth, so they appreciated the importance of the guns and ammunition in their vehicle even more.


    Tianlong, in the car, looked at the fresh blood on his face in the rearview mirror, wiped it with a towel casually, and finding the bloodstains had dried up and weren''t wiping off after a couple of tries, he didn''t bother with it any longer.


    The journey went on in silence.


    Everyone arrived at the base before one in the afternoon. Seeing the blood on Tianlong''s face, Second Uncle and others at the base were startled.


    But after Li Yu and the others explained, they were reassured.


    With Li Yu there, Second Uncle and the others felt more at ease.


    The unloading of the guns and ammunition was quick, as they needed to make up for the time lost on the road by working faster.


    People from the base came down to help carry the load, and after laboring for a while, Li Yu and his team went to eat, having spent a large amount of physical fitness in the morning chasing and dealing with Hua Ge and his people.


    By then they were so hungry their stomachs were sticking to their backs.


    Li Yu and his team devoured their food ravenously; the food on the table was swept clean in no time.


    After finishing their meal and resting for a while, they prepared to set out again.


    This trip would be without a load, so they could drive faster on the road.


    But Li Yu''s mood wasn''t very good; until those guns and ammunition were transported back, his heart was hanging in suspense.

 Chapter 270 - 262: 1300 Guns!

    They set off on their journey, everyone accelerating their driving speed.


    Returning, the road was devoid of any incidents.


    Speeding along.


    The group drove on, racing against the sun.


    Finally, they arrived at the Old House Mountain before sunset.


    Those on top of the Old House Mountain felt a great relief when they saw Li Yu and the others appear.


    Li Yu and his team had overcome those people and fought against the clock on this trip.


    Once they arrived at Old House Mountain, Li Yu and the others quickly had something to eat and prepared to rest and sleep.


    ....


    A peaceful night passed.


    Early the next day, Li Yu was up.


    After a night of rest, he felt rejuvenated.


    Despite having killed some people yesterday, everyone''s condition seemed unaffected.


    They resumed the tasks that needed to be done.


    At this point, for Wang Cheng, who had been staying here, it had been three days since he left the base.


    Now feeling an urgent desire to return to the base, he was very proactive in moving the firearms and ammunition from below up to the surface early in the morning.


    "So early?" Li Yu looked at him curiously.


    "Yeah, if we load up the vehicles early, we can head back to the base sooner. I can''t even sleep well here," Wang Cheng said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.


    Li Yu remembered that Wang Cheng had family back at the base, which seemed quite normal.


    Li Yu nodded with a slight smile, feeling a myriad of emotions. This was good; it meant that Wang Cheng saw the base as home and would surely protect it with all his might, given his strong sense of belonging.


    As time went on, everyone woke up and after breakfast, they began to join the team transporting the firearms.


    For this last trip, they didn''t fill up all the vehicles.


    Li Yu went down to the bunker and saw it was now completely empty.


    Then he went back up, thought for a moment, and instructed Li Hang and the others to reseal the metal plate and cover it again with dirt.


    The group then began their journey back to the base.


    On the way back, everyone''s mood was very jubilant, as this successful trip meant that the base would not have to worry about weapons and ammunition for quite a while.


    However, since the incident with Brother Hua blocking the road only happened yesterday, there was no need to rush back this time; they had plenty of time.


    If it hadn''t been for Li Yu''s sharp eyes spotting the nails on the ground last time, they might have had multiple car accidents.


    The tire that was punctured by the nail last time had already been replaced.


    This served as a reminder to Li Yu and the others that they should always carry spare tires when driving out, in case they encounter any unforeseen accidents and are stranded midway.


    The weather these past two days had been good, with bright sunshine. It had been raining when they first found the military base, and later they encountered Brother Hua and his group on the road.


    Now that all issues have been resolved, it''s just a matter of returning to the base.


    The weather was perfect.


    Driving under the bright sunshine, they slowly made their way back to the base.


    They didn''t encounter anything else on their way.


    .....


    Back at the base, Second Uncle and others cleaned up the items in the flat house, and after a reasonable arrangement, they only occupied less than 400 square meters of space.


    Seeing Li Yuan repeatedly checking the numbers on the paper, Second Uncle chuckled and said, "Yuan girl, do the numbers all add up?"


    Li Yuan nodded, then said, "It''s about right. Isn''t this too much? Second Uncle, how long does it take for us to use all these firearms and ammunition? When are Big Brother and the others coming back?"


    Second Uncle smiled, dusted off his clothes, and said softly, "Probably in the afternoon. It''s always good to have more, it feels reassuring to have these things in abundance."


    Then Second Uncle added, "With more bullets, you need to practice your spear skills more. Last time your big brother already talked to you about it."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yuan slumped. Back in medical school, she was taught to save lives and heal the wounded, to save other people''s lives.


    But last time, in Weng City, she killed so many people.


    It completely overturned her values.


    Later, she came to understand that if it wasn''t for her big brother and the others standing in front to protect her, it would be very difficult for someone like her to survive in this post-apocalyptic world.


    The post-apocalyptic world is so cruel.


    Looking at Second Uncle, Li Yuan, with determined eyes, said, "I will!"


    Everyone has been anxious this time, busy with the affairs of this military base. S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although people like Second Uncle were just waiting at the base for Li Yu and the others, they still had to ensure the base''s security when Li Yu and the team left.


    To prevent the scenario where after Li Yu and the others, who have relatively strong combat skills, go out and painstakingly gather firearms and ammunition, only to come back and find their home has been invaded.


    While such a situation was unlikely, as they had practically eliminated all powers in the vicinity.


    Still, the defensive forces within the base were tripled just in case.


    Third Uncle even stayed and ate in the Observation Tower.


    Time flew by.


    At two o''clock in the afternoon.


    Third Uncle and Li Zhengping were on duty in the Observation Tower, and recently, Third Uncle was pulling some of the younger generation in the base to join the duty shifts.


    During their shifts, he never stopped teaching them everything he had learned from his time in the military.


    After all, Third Uncle was once known as the King of Soldiers in the army, only retiring due to certain events later.


    At that moment, Third Uncle was sitting on a chair, observing through a telescope.


    Suddenly, a voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, we''re almost there. Help open the gate."


    It was Li Yu''s voice.


    "Big Brother," Li Zhengping shouted excitedly.


    "Yeah, we''ll arrive soon, we''ll open the gate in a bit," Li Yu replied flatly on the other end.


    The closer it got to the end, the calmer yet more cautious Li Yu''s mood became.


    To survive in this post-apocalyptic world, one needed to be ruthless, thick-skinned, and cautious.


    Seeing the vehicles approach slowly, Third Uncle and Li Zhengping opened the gate, then waited for the vehicles to enter before closing the gate.


    Inside Weng City.


    Li Yu got out of the car to check a cargo truck; the one Tianlong had been driving had a tire blowout, which wasn''t caused by a nail.


    It was pierced by a sharp stone at the roadside.


    Luckily, they had brought some spare tires last time, so after a quick change, there wasn''t much delay.


    Once back in Weng City, everyone relaxed.


    As usual, they waited for another ten minutes or so.


    Everyone, in a rush to drive, had a simple meal in the vehicles.


    Now they were all a bit hungry, and Liu Fanghua had prepared a feast to treat everyone.


    But before that, they needed to move all the firearms and ammunition to the basement. Everyone sprung into action, transporting the items downstairs.


    When they were in the old Laoshan house, it was Yu Tong who recorded the numbers of firearms and ammunition. After everything was moved, Yu Tong and Li Yuan checked and confirmed the numbers were correct.


    The firearms and ammunition for the military base had been safely and securely transported back.


    1,300 firearms, a million rounds of bullets...


    Looking at this mountain of firearms, Li Yu felt thrilling satisfaction with just one word: Awesome!

 Chapter 271 - 263: Stranger

    Emerging from the basement, having a meal and taking a midday nap, time crawled by as slowly as a snail.


    Li Yu immensely enjoyed this busyness, the relaxation that came after tension.


    Li Yu stood on the balcony, gazing up at the myriad of stars, the speckled night sky held a tranquil beauty.


    His thoughts flew about for a moment, touching on many things:


    Killing is a complex matter, but also the simplest of acts.


    In this apocalyptic world, it''s often unclear what constitutes justice and what constitutes evil.


    When a person''s heart is shattered, right and wrong no longer matter; what''s more important is to find the meaning of existence.


    Human nature is inherently evil. If you have no expectations from the world, any warmth encountered is a delightful surprise.


    Contentment brings happiness; lower your expectations and happiness is easily attained.


    Li Yu''s heart no longer discerned between good and evil, his sole focus was on protecting his family and loved ones, to live a stable life.


    After sweating profusely, taking a refreshing bath is happiness, after being busy for a long time, eating the delicious food cooked by mom is a joy; when you occasionally feel emo, getting a hug from the person you like is joy.


    If none of these exist, then just live on. Wood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, and arranging time wisely is a way of life. It may be tedious, but after doing it, there''s a calm happiness in your heart.


    ...


    Night deepened, and now it was the middle of October. In a short while, the weather would turn cold. Recalling his past life''s memories, this winter would be tough to endure.


    He remembered, from before his rebirth, that one winter, he was nearly frozen to death. The zombie crisis, food crisis, and weather crisis had overwhelmed many people at once.


    That winter, many died, not from zombie bites, nor from starvation, but because the weather was too cold, they were frozen to death.


    He must prepare in advance. Although Li Yu had already instructed Second Uncle and others to cultivate some indoor crops in the several thousand square meters of basement space underneath the single-story houses, he felt it wasn''t enough.


    Solar energy could provide them with heating, but if the heater was left on throughout the winter, it would consume too much electricity. In the past, the northern regions used to rely on burning either electricity or coal for heating.


    There was some coal. Over in Bamboo Forest, there was a house that was used to store miscellaneous items, and some coal was among them.


    When the heating system was constructed in this base, neither Li Yu''s parents nor the construction workers could understand why. This is the Southern region, after all, where winters are hot with temperatures sometimes exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, and even at their coldest, they stay above 0 degrees. Typically, winters range from 7 to over 20 degrees.


    Below zero was rare, extremely uncommon. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, many people found it hard to comprehend Li Yu''s decision, but Li Yu ignored their opinions and installed the heating system anyway. Since it was his own money, others had no say.


    And the heating system built back then could come in handy this winter!


    In this winter, according to his memories, there were days without sunlight. No sunlight meant insufficient power generation, even though they had also added wind turbines.


    But now, there are quite a few places in the base that use electricity �C the fridge, freezer, cold storage, as well as everyday domestic electricity usage, and the newly built indoor plantations that require heating and supplementary lighting.


    All these consume electricity.


    Although they have batteries for power storage, it''s best to make additional preparations.


    It''s now late October, and even within the mountain forests of the base, there are some dry branches, but these are relatively rare within the base.


    Outside the base, however, dead trees are plentiful.


    For example, there''s a dense forest surrounding the base.


    "It''s time to start stockpiling some wood," Li Yu murmured to himself as he tightened the clothes around his body.


    The season of October was upon them, and the evenings carried a chill.


    ...


    After a night had passed and Li Yu had just gotten up, Li Haoran came looking for him.


    Li Haoran was on guard duty by the door last night, and Li Yu looked at him curiously, "Wasn''t it your shift? Why are you here now?"


    Clearly having run over, Li Haoran, panting slightly, immediately said: "Big brother, there''s someone at the door looking for you. He says his last name is Lv. Then there are two more people."


    On hearing this, Li Yu quickly brushed his teeth a couple more times, rinsed his mouth, splashed some water on his face, and then ran towards the door.


    On the way, he asked Li Haoran who was following him, "Did they say what it was about?"


    Li Haoran shook his head, "They just said they were looking for you, so I came to find you as soon as I heard. Haoxian is still down there, and Zhengping is watching over them right now."


    "Mhm."


    Li Yu''s pace was quick, and it took him only a few minutes to reach the gate.


    Standing atop the wall, Li Yu saw several people below.


    Among them was Captain Lv, and beside him should be the Elder Xie he had referred to before, and another seemed vaguely familiar.


    Currently, Captain Lv and his group were marveling at the encircling wall; it was their first time here. Although they knew the approximate location, they had never bothered to visit. Had it not been for an urgent matter, he wouldn''t have rashly come.


    "Captain Lv!" Li Yu called out.


    Hearing the voice, Captain Lv looked up, and without any pleasantries, he got straight to the point, "Director Li, we discovered some strangers in the vicinity."


    Li Yu thought about it and asked, "Strangers, are there many of them?"


    The wall was rather high, and Captain Lv was below it, craning his neck at a ninety-degree angle, which was inconvenient. So, he stepped back a few paces and said, "There are two vehicles in total. But we saw someone familiar, this person is from Jiefang City! The destruction of Jiefang City has something to do with him."


    Upon hearing this, a chill crept into Li Yu''s eyes.


    Then, seeing Captain Lv and his group looking up at him uncomfortably, he decided and told Li Zhengping behind him, "Zhengping, open the gate, let them into Weng City."


    Li Zhengping, upon hearing the order, didn''t hesitate much. Although he was worried about strangers entering the base, he had blind adoration and confidence in his big brother.


    Creak creak creak~


    The gate gradually opened.


    "Come inside for now," Li Yu said from atop the wall.


    Captain Lv and his two comrades hadn''t anticipated being allowed entry to the base, yet they had not dismissed the thought of joining Li Yu and his group. Now that Li Yu was letting them in, it seemed like a signal had been given.


    Captain Lv slowly headed towards the gate, with Elder Xie and the others closely following.


    Once inside, they realized how desolate it was. Li Yu observed the three men.


    After entering Weng City, the three voluntarily placed their weapons near the gate.


    "I''m going down. You guys keep watch from up here, and call Second Uncle over," Li Yu said.


    He then headed down, while Li Haoran on top of the wall picked up his gun and subtly aimed at the three men.


    These three, whom Li Haoran had never seen before, were met with no objection from Li Yu when he saw the gesture. After all, such caution was good.

 Chapter 272 - 264: Murderous Intent

    "What''s the situation?" Li Yu plopped down onto the platform at the center of Weng City, looking lethargic and casual.


    Captain Lv didn''t beat around the bush and said, "Our team at Jiefang City disbanded due to some squad leaders. They hoarded a lot of supplies, then the conflicts intensified. The person I saw yesterday was one of those former squad leaders."


    He swallowed before continuing, "He came with a group of people and started searching around there; not sure what they were after.


    We wanted to follow them, but it was getting dark, and we lost them. It''s too dangerous at night, so I didn''t come to report immediately. That''s why I came over first thing this morning as soon as it got light."


    "Did you see them when you were coming over just now?" Li Yu''s eyes flashed with thought.


    Since the last time they killed a thousand refugees, some people fled to Jiefang City. Even though some refugees were killed in Jiefang City, the majority of them were still alive.


    These refugees must know where our base is, and it''s possible they have talked to these squad leaders from Jiefang City.


    If this squad leader from Jiefang City knows the location of our base, then...


    As Li Yu kept thinking, the chill in his eyes grew more apparent.


    Not to mention how early he had secured the firearms and ammunition from the military base. Now he feared nothing.


    It''s just that the number of people now...


    70 people, still a bit few, but it''s enough for now.


    Too many people would not only pose management issues, but the logistical pressure alone would be overwhelming.


    "How many people do you have on your side?" Li Yu suddenly asked.


    Hearing this, Captain Lv replied with a hint of surprise, "We still have 16 people. 12 men and 4 women..."


    As he spoke, he recalled the 30 people who had escaped from Jiefang City, only to be reduced to a mere handful now.


    He sighed.


    Looking at Li Yu in his tracksuit, he thought back to when he had been warned before, but...


    That''s all in the past.


    "Keep an eye on things, yes, and make sure to watch closely. Contact me with any news; I''ll give you a walkie-talkie. Then you can reach me," Li Yu said.


    Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one for himself, and handed the rest to Captain Lv. Captain Lv accepted without refusal �C it had been weeks since he last had a smoke.


    For a heavy smoker like him, it was akin to losing his life.


    Exhaling slowly with the smoke, Li Yu asked, "Do you still have enough food?"


    Every time Captain Lv heard this question, he felt an indescribable emotion, but he was very grateful that Li Yu would bring it up proactively, so he said, "We still have some."


    Li Yu, seeing Second Uncle appear on the wall, said, "Second Uncle, could you bring a couple of bags of potatoes and sweet potatoes over here? Yeah, and a bag of corn, too."


    Second Uncle had been standing on the wall for a while, observing Li Yu talking with them and didn''t go over to disturb them.


    At first, Second Uncle didn''t know who these people were, but Li Zhengping beside him clued him in. He then remembered that Li Yu had mentioned before that he used to admire Captain Lv, and they had some interactions later.


    When he went out before, he even greeted him, telling him that if someone surnamed Lv came by, they could be welcomed.


    It must be them, Second Uncle had just thought.


    Hearing Li Yu addressing him, Second Uncle then said, "Alright, I''ve asked Haoran to fetch them just now."


    Second Uncle was speaking as he came down.


    Li Yu saw Second Uncle coming down, so he introduced him to the three people beside him: "This is my Second Uncle. Second Uncle, these friends here are from Jiefang City and are now in the neighboring town."


    Captain Lv and the others quickly said, "Hello, Second Uncle."


    Second Uncle saw that Captain Lv was only about five years younger than him, especially another person beside him who seemed a bit older, also calling him Second Uncle.


    For a moment, being called Second Uncle felt unusual to him, but he quickly responded, "Haha, nice to meet you all, I''m Li Hongcheng, just call me Old Cheng."


    "Okay, Second Uncle," the three of them stood up straight and politely said.


    Second Uncle: "...."


    For the three of them, it was an awkward situation. In their communication with Li Yu, they always treated him with great respect as an equal.


    Now facing Li Yu''s elder, Second Uncle, especially seeing that Li Yu respected him highly, it would be inappropriate to call him Old Cheng directly as it would imply they were a generation above Li Yu.


    Especially since they were now seeking Li Yu''s help.


    Li Yu, however, didn''t mind these details and immediately said: "They came here because they found some strangers. Previously, someone from Jiefang City brought some strangers around our area, probably up to no good, so Captain Lv and his team came to give us a heads-up."


    Upon hearing this, Second Uncle''s brow furrowed slightly, but soon relaxed, and with his hands clasped, he said to Captain Lv and his team: "Thank you all for coming over to tell us this. In this post-apocalyptic world, we need to stick together for warmth..."


    Second Uncle''s words sounded like a breath of fresh air to them, especially since they saw Second Uncle just gave them some food, they even held a better aspiration towards Li Yu''s base.


    This base seemed to be filled with capable people who were easy to talk to; the three of them really liked it here a lot.


    Eh...


    How great it would be to join them, but then they shook their heads. They knew very well the problems arising from Jiefang City''s indiscriminate recruitment of people.


    Why should they be accepted here now?


    Thinking it over, indeed, there wasn''t much...


    Li Yu looked at them and then said to Li Haoran, "Get them some medicine."


    In these apocalyptic times, medicine was hard to come by. Who knew when they might need some.


    The three showed gratitude towards Li Yu. The temperature had recently dropped, and a couple of people in their group had caught a cold, running persistent fevers, with the added trouble of sore throats.


    Sure enough, Li Yu provided them with common anti-inflammatory drugs and cold medicine, as well as some antibiotics.


    It was so considerate; Captain Lv felt like meeting Li Yu and his people was like seeing his own family.


    Holding the items, Captain Lv''s face turned a bit red: "Director Li, we''ve taken too much from you, but right now we have nothing to offer in return. We''ve come to give you this warning, yet we still haven''t repaid your previous kindness."


    Li Yu waved his hand and said, "It''s very good of you to run over here first thing in the morning to bring the news. Just keep an eye out and report to me in time if you spot them again. Don''t worry about the rest; we''ll handle it when we return."


    "That person from Jiefang City, being able to lead people here, is most likely looking for us. The purpose is unclear; friend or foe, we do not yet know, but it doesn''t matter," Li Yu said, his voice filled with a chilling intent.


    A sudden burst of malevolence enveloped him; murderous aura, an invisible thing.


    But for some reason, the three felt it distinctly��Li Yu had killed many people!


    Thinking of some past rumors, they remembered hearing from fleeing refugees that over a thousand people had died at the base.


    Captain Lv and the two others exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with fear. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 273 - 265: Why Seek Death?

    In the end, they decided not to let Captain Lv and her two companions into the inner parts of the base, but they didn''t leave them empty-handed this time either, giving them three bags of food.


    Although it was mainly things like corn cobs, these can be stored for quite some time, especially the dried sweet potatoes, which, if properly preserved, can last for several years. Li Yu sent the three of them off.


    Captain Lv and her companions climbed onto a pickup truck. When they had initially left Jiefang City, Captain Lv took several barrels of oil and a few vehicles along.


    But those vehicles were too fuel-hungry, too large in size. Later, as they searched, they found this pickup truck.


    "Alright, I''ll just see you off to here. Be careful on your way back, and contact me if anything comes up," Li Yu said lightly to the three, glancing at them.


    "Mm, Director Li, we''ll be off now," said Captain Lv as she got into the vehicle and turned back to speak to Li Yu.


    Old Xie and the other companion beside her waved their hands and nodded goodbye.


    Li Yu watched them depart.


    As soon as they left, Li Yu walked toward the perimeter wall, Second Uncle walking alongside him in parallel.


    Neither of them spoke. Yet another group had come by; it was unclear whether they were friend or foe. Though they had just captured a batch of guns and ammunition, how long could they continue to fight like this?


    Why must people always court death?


    "When do you plan on taking in Captain Lv''s group?" Second Uncle suddenly blurted out.


    Li Yu was somewhat at a loss for words. Although he had the intention, he still hadn''t made up his mind.


    "Let''s wait and see, assess the situation a bit more," Li Yu replied.


    Staring at the backs of Captain Lv and her companions as they left, Second Uncle furrowed his brow and said, "Do you think they''re deceiving us?"


    Hearing this, Li Yu''s gaze turned colder, "They probably don''t have any motive to deceive us. But we can''t rule out the possibility."


    Second Uncle laughed at himself, "I''m just talking nonsense. I''ve been swindled too many times in business before, and it''s hard to trust others again. So, in many things, I always consider the worst-case scenario."


    Listening to Second Uncle''s somewhat sentimental words, Li Yu felt a bit troubled but after some thought, he still said, "It doesn''t matter. Human hearts are unpredictable, so we will take our time to observe. Binding interests is key to a long-term alliance."


    After hearing Li Yu''s words, Second Uncle thought of Dapao, Ding Jiu, Song Min, and the others. Indeed!


    In the base, since these people joined, they have all performed very well up to this point.


    In the past few outings, they have been extremely dedicated, treating the base as their own home.


    After all, the base is home to their blood relatives and their friends.


    Moreover, in the base, everyone is essentially equal. Everyone eats the same food, and whenever there''s trouble, Li Yu is always the first to charge in.


    What kind of group is the most stable?


    One with a unified goal, the same values, a reasonable system of interest distribution, one that has a healthy and stable environment.


    Such a group has an undeniably strong cohesion.


    Li Hang and Ding Jiu''s daughter Ding Qingqing has recently started dating, Dapao is also involved with Song Min, and Dapao and Li Tie are comrades-in-arms.


    Under Song Min, the optimistic Xiao Han has recently been in contact with Li Haoran.


    With ample food and warmth comes the desire for pleasure.


    Ah, young people are indeed full of life.


    Second Uncle thought of this and glanced at Li Yu beside him, chuckling as he said, "What''s your plan regarding Yutong and that girl, Xiaozhu? How are you going to deal with it?"


    Li Yu massaged his temples, relationship problems are indeed complicated. Ever since he confirmed his relationship with Yutong, Xiaozhu has still been unwilling to let go.


    Honestly, to say that he didn''t have any feelings for Xiaozhu at all would be a lie. He really didn''t want to hurt this girl with simple emotions, who has always liked him.


    Now everyone is squeezed into one place.


    Troublesome.


    "It''s fine, it''s a new era now. At worst, I''ll just get beaten up by Brother Tianlong," Li Yu scratched his head and said.


    Li Yu continued, "I don''t want to think too much about it. Let''s see how things go step by step."


    Second Uncle smiled and said, "You''re still young, take your time."


    Li Yu was stunned.


    ...


    Now, after Captain Lv and the other two left, Lao Xie looked at the food in the car''s trunk, then glanced at the bag of corn he was holding in his hands.


    If it weren''t for the lack of space on the seat, he would have done anything to keep the food close to him. Such precious things, too far away from his sight, made him uneasy.


    Seeing Lao Xie''s miserly look, Captain Lv chuckled and said, "Don''t worry, it won''t run away; the trunk is securely holding it."


    Lao Xie laughed, "You know, Director Li and his people are really considerate, always giving us things when we meet. If you ask me, why didn''t we just join them from the beginning?"


    Captain Lv''s face was filled with bitterness, there were things in his heart that he couldn''t say: It wasn''t that he didn''t want to join, but after the whole refugee incident, does he even have the face to mention it? Besides, Li Yu and the others aren''t fools either, why should they just let them join?


    Captain Lv let out a sigh and said, "The hand that takes is the hand that''s short, we''re both short of mouth and hand; let''s just do our utmost for them. And not betray their trust."


    "Absolutely, Lao Xie''s integrity is rock-solid reliable." Holding the heavy corn, Lao Xie''s smile almost stretched back to the base of his skull.


    "Look at you." Captain Lv laughed. He was well aware that in these times of such food scarcity, having these few bags of food meant that if they were frugal, it would be enough for them to last for half a month.


    "Heh, heh, heh." Lao Xie, with not much hair on his head and nearly the same age as Captain Lv, had a youthful mentality and was optimistic about everything.


    "With this food, Little Jing and Little Fei won''t have to go hungry." Lao Xie thought of his daughter, who was around Captain Lv''s age, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.


    Out of the thirty people who had escaped together, now only sixteen were left, and the other twelve, most of them, had been bitten by zombies, leading to some painful decisions...


    Among the sixteen people, there were only four women left. Only his daughter and Captain Lv''s daughter, as well as a team member''s wife, and another team member''s daughter. And that team member had also died on the escape route.


    Thinking of this, the joy that had just risen was swiftly swallowed by sorrow.


    Seeing his old partner like this, Captain Lv knew what he was thinking. He said with a saddened expression, "We always have to look forward, right?"


    Lao Xie thought of his own wife. When he and Captain Lv and others were out scavenging for supplies, they returned to find that zombies had appeared in the base, killing many people.


    Even Captain Lv''s own wife had died in it.


    Of the thirty people, originally there were 8 women and 22 men. Now, only 12 men and 4 women remained. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And there are three who are not yet of age.


    Hearing Captain Lv''s words, Lao Xie blinked hard, his eyes reddened slightly, but at least he didn''t cry.


    Life always slaps you hard when you least expect it, but those who are alive have to keep going on.

 Chapter 274 - 266: Captain Lv in Danger

    Life is when you think the world is beautiful one second, and the next second it slaps you awake.


    When Captain Lv and his team were happily returning to the small neighboring town''s Village Government Building with the food and medicine provided by Li Yu.


    Reality gave them a hard slap. Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When they were about to reach the Government Building, they suddenly felt something was off. Although their group wasn''t large, there were always people stationed on the rooftop to keep watch.


    They didn''t see Gan Yuanping, who was supposed to be on duty today, which made them feel a sense of unease. So they had Xiao Zeng, who was driving, slow down the vehicle.


    Captain Lv''s years of police experience gave him an unsettling premonition.


    It was too quiet.


    This feeling made Captain Lv quite uneasy and uncomfortable. So he directly asked Xiao Zeng to stop the car, and then they proceeded on foot.


    "Lao Xie, let''s check it out. Uh, Xiao Zeng, you stay in the car," Captain Lv''s voice was low, but since they were close by, Lao Xie could hear him clearly.


    Lao Xie got out of the car, holding corn in his arms, thought for a moment, saw Captain Lv''s serious expression, and immediately placed it on the car, picking up his weapon.


    Slowly approaching Captain Lv, he asked: "Captain, what''s happening? We''re almost home. What''s going on?"


    Captain Lv put his finger to his lips and shushed him, signaling to keep quiet.


    Suddenly, a gunshot rang out!


    Bang!


    The head of Xiao Zeng, who was in the car, was blown apart.


    Brain matter splattered all over the windshield.


    There were people!


    Enemies!


    Suddenly a car rushed in from behind, and another round of bullets came firing, but Captain Lv managed to duck in time, narrowly escaping death.


    After ducking, he rolled to the entrance of the gate.


    Immediately after, Captain Lv witnessed a scene that made his blood boil; he saw that among those left at the base, two were killed, and the others were tightly gagged, unable to make a sound.


    Behind them stood six or seven people; one was holding a gun, the others were wielding knives, snickering as they watched him.


    Among them was Xie Liuhai.


    The small team leader who had fled from Jiefang City.


    Bastards!


    Especially when he saw his daughter, her small body and big eyes saw him, and where there was once despair, now shone a glimpse of joy, but as her hands were bound and she knelt on the ground, she couldn''t move towards him at all.


    At that moment, a volcanic rage surged within Captain Lv.


    He wanted to kill these people!


    Those companions in front of him had been through various trials and tribulations with him, from the police force to struggling for survival in the apocalypse and fleeing together.


    The two deceased brothers were his own siblings.


    He wished he could rush over now and take care of them.


    But, their firearms had run out of ammunition during a previous zombie siege.


    Their guns could only serve as clubs now.


    What to do?


    What to do?


    But the enemies would not give him time to think; after a bullet missed him just now, these people walked towards him with knives in hand.


    The usually cheerful and occasionally juvenile Lao Xie, in a moment of panic, dashed over and pulled Captain Lv towards the pickup truck.


    The enemies behind them, seeing that Captain Lv and his people were not stopping and actually running away, were taken aback.


    From the looks of it just now, Captain Lv had family members inside.


    "Drive into them, don''t let them get away!" among the group, Brother Zhong said.


    "Got it." A person next to him immediately drove the car towards that direction, and their vehicle obviously looked much sturdier than that small pickup.


    Old Xie pulled Captain Lv along, quickly reaching the pickup, and with nimble and rapid movements, pushed the corpse of Little Zeng off the vehicle.


    "We have no reason to stay here, let''s hurry to find Director Li and the others," said Jispeed.


    It was at this moment that Captain Lv snapped out of it and came to his senses.


    This wasn''t a TV drama; playing the hero made no sense when at a disadvantage with weaker force, as the enemy could manipulate you however they liked.


    Even if you said you would let them go and tell them everything, would they spare you?


    Don''t be naive, this is the end of the world, where morality has decayed.


    They have seen more than once those who betrayed their word, who had promised and then went back on it.


    In this world, at this moment, there is no more credibility to speak of.


    Once caught, death is the most likely outcome.


    Instead of begging them and being humiliated before getting killed, it''s better to quickly find help.


    Signal for help!


    After Captain Lv regained his composure, he quickly got in the car and realized that the engine was still running.


    Little Zeng had been driving until the moment he was shot.


    The vehicle was ready to start; Captain Lv had just gotten in, and before the door was even shut,


    Bang!


    The car behind slammed straight into the rear of the pickup, then the pickup lurched forward, and the window was blown out.


    Old Xie and Captain Lv inside the car were slammed hard into the back, followed by a forward jolt, leaving them both disoriented.


    But Captain Lv clenched his teeth tightly, gripped the steering wheel, and floored the accelerator, rocketing the vehicle forward.


    "Follow them! Chase!" Brother Zhong shouted from behind.


    "Old Lv, we have no choice. Let''s find Director Li now, with their strength they can definitely handle them," Old Xie said.


    Upon hearing this, Captain Lv felt conflicted. These people must have some secrets unknown to others.


    It''s very likely they are after the location of Li Yu''s base.


    Although the refugees knew Li Yu''s location, the terrain around the base is complex with many twists and turns; it''s quite hard to find just by a verbal description. Moreover, those refugees had been too busy fleeing for their lives to note down the exact location, and only a small number remembered it.


    Honestly, if it weren''t for Li Yu''s detailed directions after seeing them, they would have really struggled to find it.


    It seems that Xie Liuhai and his people probably learned about a general location from the refugees but were unclear about the specifics.


    There''s no point in thinking about these useless things.


    The incident has happened; without the support of Li Yu and his group, they would have starved long ago.


    The pursuing vehicle followed closely behind, but with Captain Lv''s desperate driving, flooring the accelerator like a rocket, although they too sped up, the driver of Brother Zhong''s car was clearly more afraid of dying.


    Just hanging on there.


    Following all the way.


    "Old Xie, do we still have the walkie-talkie Director Li gave us? We can''t lead them straight to the base, you directly use the walkie-talkie to inform them in advance and get them ready!" Captain Lv said.


    "Okay." Without any more words, Old Xie took out the walkie-talkie, waiting to drive a bit further before attempting to contact Li Yu and the others.


    Suddenly.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out! A bullet pierced through the back of the pickup seat, hitting right at Captain Lv''s shoulder.


    Captain Lv let out a muffled grunt!

 Chapter 275 - 267: Leave No Survivors

    Thanks to the iron plate behind him, although Captain Lv was hit by the bullet,


    the wound wasn''t deep; it just lodged right next to the bone, causing extreme pain.


    Captain Lv''s hands trembled, nearly losing his grip on the steering wheel, but he clenched it tightly with sheer willpower.


    Still, under the impact, the steering wheel veered and almost crashed into a roadside tree.


    Yet, fortunately, he eventually steadied the steering wheel, sweat dripping down, the sweat stinging his eyes as it flowed.


    Captain Lv swung his head side to side.


    Beside him, Old Xie expressed his concern, "Captain, are you alright? Maybe I should drive."


    Captain Lv glanced at the rearview mirror and saw that the car behind was sticking close, maintaining a distance of about ten meters, seemingly trying to track down the location of Director Li''s base.


    Captain Lv shook his head, his eyes fierce, "No need, contact them quickly. Can you reach Director Li and the others now?"


    Old Xie frantically grabbed the walkie-talkie and started calling like mad.


    This journey was exceptionally tough.


    After firing another shot, the car behind stopped shooting, as if they were fishing.


    But the constant threat of potential gunfire, the constant threat to their lives, greatly increased the stress on Captain Lv and Old Xie.


    Less than a few minutes passed. S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, Li Yu''s voice came through the walkie-talkie, "What''s up?"


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s voice, Old Xie almost cried. In those few minutes just now, he had called almost 20 times, and finally, they got through. Excited, he spoke somewhat unclearly.


    But he quickly calmed down, took a deep breath, and spoke very quickly and clearly, "Director Li, it''s Old Xie. Captain Lv is driving towards your base now, about 10 minutes away. A group of people are following us. Those are the strangers we talked about before, around 8 people, with one or two guns."


    Li Yu''s eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this and then he responded, "Alright, we''ll meet at the gas station."


    He then threw the walkie-talkie aside, and rang the alert bell in the base. As the alarm sounded, the entire base went into Level Three alert status, and everyone, no matter what they were doing, had to arm themselves fully and defend the base.


    Dapao and Yang Tianlong were quickest, grabbing submachine guns and running over. Yutong and several others followed.


    By now, Li Yu had already gotten into a vehicle and drove it to the main gate, then stopped.


    Yang Tianlong, Dapao, Li Hang, Li Tie, Li Gang, Third Uncle, and Yutong, seeing Li Yu''s actions, quickly got into the vehicle.


    Li Yu hadn''t said what was happening, but everyone could instinctively get into the vehicle.


    This was the team''s unspoken understanding.


    "Uncle, Second Uncle, Haoran, stay at the base and kill anyone who comes!"


    He then drove off. The entire process took less than 3 minutes.


    ...


    In the vehicle, Li Yu spoke succinctly, "Captain Lv is on his way here, followed by a group of people. We need to eliminate these people, no survivors. They have guns!"


    He then looked down at his watch and added, "They should be here in about 5 minutes."


    The vehicle sped up, powering towards the gas station with a roar.


    The gas station was not far and took less than 3 minutes to reach.


    Li Yu then parked the vehicle in the middle of the road, blocking it.


    Then everyone got out, taking cover on both sides of the gas station.


    He gave clear orders for the mission.


    Everyone knew time was pressing and no one asked for details; they trusted Li Yu, sometimes just needed to listen to what he said. Afterwards, Li Yu would naturally explain things to them.


    Li Yu made it very clear, "There are enemies. We must deal with them. We have guns, so no survivors��just kill indiscriminately."


    Li Yu has always treated the people at the base with kindness and empathy, exhibiting great humanitarian concern. Therefore, his reputation among many at the base has always been that of a caring, kind-hearted person, honest and fair, never letting anyone suffer loss.


    However, only those who followed Li Yu out had come to realize that he has a dual nature.


    They had only now witnessed such a ruthless side of Li Yu, which made them treasure even more the time spent back at the base.


    This stark contrast made them even more convinced by Li Yu. Knowing that Li Yu acted with the ultimate goal of protecting the people at the base, what reason did they have not to listen to him?


    Everyone hid silently, making no sound at all.


    One minute passed.


    Suddenly, a loud engine roar came from up ahead; it was a pickup truck, its doors flung open. Another vehicle followed closely.


    Everyone held their breath.


    The pickup truck did not head towards the armored vehicle but drove straight to the side of the gas station.


    The pickup truck stopped.


    Only then did the group see clearly the two people in the truck; Captain Lv tumbled out, with the truck''s door already knocked off, nothing impeded his fall. At that moment, everyone saw a swath of scarlet on Captain Lv''s back.


    Blood!


    It seemed he had been shot.


    Everyone remained still because the vehicle behind it was also approaching.


    Li Yu saw the vehicle ahead, particularly noticing someone in the vehicle holding a gun; his eyes narrowed.


    He thought to himself, could it be that Captain Lv was setting him up? But Captain Lv had no motive, unless he was coerced?


    However, Captain Lv had just informed them, and he himself had been shot.


    This once again confirmed that Captain Lv and his team were telling the truth.


    Actually, Li Yu is someone not easily trusting of others. Although Second Uncle often accuses himself of suspecting others with the worst intentions, isn''t Li Yu the same?


    Whether Captain Lv and his team were telling the truth or not, it didn''t matter.


    What mattered was that there was a stranger around, and they had guns.


    Friend or foe was unclear.


    But it was a threat.


    Li Yu never branded himself as a good person, even though many at the base thought of him as one.


    Maybe he is a good person.


    He''s someone who sometimes does not think too much about good or evil, will erase others just to protect himself; that can also be considered good...


    The next second, the vehicle behind stopped.


    A group of people got out.


    These people all looked fairly robust; their complexions were not pale or sallow.


    Seeing this, Li Yu knew, their food was not plentiful, but they weren''t severely lacking either.


    The people got out of the vehicle, led by a man wearing a camouflage uniform: "Captain Lv, right? Why go to such lengths? This is all just a misunderstanding!"


    The man''s face showed an expression of deep distress, then he said, "You see, those people from the Government Building, really, we wouldn''t do anything. Just need to tell us a few things, we''ve heard there''s a big base here, and we just wanted to exchange some knowledge. You tell me, why resist?


    You see, sigh, these are all misunderstandings. We didn''t want to hurt you, didn''t want it to end up like this..."

 Chapter 276 - 268: Save Old Lü

    The man in the camouflage uniform was truly sincere and emotional, as if he genuinely felt heartache for them.


    Then the man in the camouflage noticed that Captain Lv didn''t respond. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Captain Lv had passed out from the pain.


    His expression turned ugly, realizing his speech had no audience.


    A man following behind, wearing a vest and a hat, spoke disdainfully, "Brother Zhong, why be polite with them? We haven''t done anything wrong. We just wanted to visit this base for an exchange. Plus, it''s their own fault for pushing us to this point. If you ask me, just finish them off."


    "Shut up, what did Mr. Wang say? Have you forgotten? He said no fighting, no killing, we should strive for harmony, not always resort to violence, but use our brains. We want peace, you get it?" Camouflage Brother Zhong spoke with a tone of frustration.


    The man in the vest curled his lips, murmuring under his breath, "Hypocrite..."


    "What did you say?" Brother Zhong''s eyes narrowed sharply, glaring at him.


    "I said you''re awesome, Brother Zhong!"


    "My ass, get lost. Whether I''m awesome or not, you know shit," Brother Zhong cursed.


    "Hehehe."


    "Hurry up, let''s grab them and take them back. Xiao Hai is still waiting for us over there. Once we capture these two, they''ll have to spill the beans." The man in camouflage suggested.


    ...


    Li Yu, listening from the side, managed to pick up some information through the conversation. It seemed that when Captain Lv and Old Xie arrived, the people at the Government Building had been captured by this group, who were forcing them to reveal the exact location of Li Yu''s base, and when they resisted, two were killed.


    Li Yu took note of this.


    They will rescue Captain Lv and the others.


    Old Xie stared angrily at this group, growing increasingly anxious. Li Yu and the others had told him to wait at the gas station, but they still hadn''t appeared.


    The armored vehicle was right there; he recognized this vehicle from when Li Yu and the others had used it.


    Where were they?


    Brother Zhong noticed Old Xie looking towards the armored vehicle, his attention also drawn to it.


    He turned and started walking in that direction.


    At Li Yu''s position, it was clear among these people, only Brother Zhong was armed with a gun, the others were unarmed.


    Target locked!


    The moment Camouflage Brother Zhong took a step, a gunshot rang out!


    Bang!


    A bullet blew Brother Zhong''s head apart!


    Following that, more gunshots sounded, and six people fell simultaneously.


    Brother Zhong was hit by two bullets; usually, without a clear order, simultaneous shooting would likely focus on one person.


    However, for Li Yu and his team, their experience against enemies had built a strong level of coordination. Based on their hiding spots, they would kill the nearest enemies, a basic tactic.


    Although it wasn''t possible to plan out the shooting with extreme precision to cover every single person, they could cover roughly eighty percent.


    After eight gunshots, six people fell, with both Camouflage Brother Zhong and another man hit by two bullets.


    Two were left.


    But they were quickly gunned down.


    Following that, Li Yu and his team emerged from their hidden spots on both sides, and before checking on anything else, they picked up the firearms dropped by Brother Zhong from the ground.


    Then, pulling out a long knife, they ensured to finish off those remaining on the ground!


    In such a close distance, the gunshot earlier has already killed these people. Inside the base, Third Uncle, Li Yu, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Li Gang, Li Tie, and even Yutong are all very skilled in spear skills.


    Since Li Yu has decided not to leave any survivors, then shoot to kill without hesitation.


    A shot to the chest or abdomen might still leave someone alive, but a shot through the head almost certainly means death.


    After everyone finished their follow-up killing, they searched the bodies but found no firearms, then they moved towards Old Xie and Captain Lv.


    Old Xie, who was sitting on the ground, was somewhat stunned.


    This is... incredibly proficient.


    From the moment the camouflaged man thought about taking a step.


    From Li Yu shooting that camouflaged man, to the others being shot, then approaching to perform the kill, and searching the bodies after.


    This series of actions were smooth like running water, almost like it''s business as usual.


    Shoot! Stab! Search!


    Damn professional!


    Li Yu glanced at the dumbfounded Old Xie and said concisely, "Take us to the Government Building. Isn''t there someone else over there?"


    Only then did Old Xie snap back to reality, and he staggered to his feet, remembering his daughter was at the Government Building, and said anxiously, "Right, I''ll take you there now."


    Looking at Captain Lv, who was still on the ground, he hesitantly said, "My captain... he''s been shot. Can you save him?"


    Third Uncle went over, helped Captain Lv up, and after tearing open his clothes to check the wound, said, "He won''t die. The bullet only entered less than 3 cm into the body and got stuck in the bone. There''s some blood loss. Just take him back to the base."


    Li Yu thought for a moment, then said, "Alright, we''ll head back to the base first, a few minutes won''t make a difference."


    Li Gang and Third Uncle helped Captain Lv up, then supported him onto the armored vehicle.


    Since their departure was rushed this time, they only brought out one armored vehicle, especially since Captain Lv was injured and needed more space.


    Thus, Li Yu, Li Tie, and Old Xie sat in the pickup truck.


    As Li Yu approached the vehicle, seeing that the doors of the pickup truck were gone, he could imagine how difficult the path owned by Old Xie and Captain Lv to reach here was. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He patted Old Xie on the shoulder and said, "Don''t worry, we''ll help you rescue them."


    His tone didn''t fluctuate much, but this calm manner gave a strong feeling of reliability, as it felt like he was stating a fact.


    After hearing just a few sentences from Li Yu, Old Xie, a man in his forties, had his eyes turn red, and his hands trembled.


    He said with a choked voice, "Thank you!"


    His voice was very soft, he didn''t even know if Li Yu heard him.


    But in the vehicle, Li Yu took out the walkie-talkie and said, "We''re coming back, prepare the operation room."


    The gas station was very close to the base, and within a few minutes, they arrived at the base in Weng City.


    The rules of the base are strict, but human lives are paramount.


    Under such circumstances, rules are rigid but lives are precious, so they directly opened the gates of Weng City and wheeled Captain Lv inside.


    However, other people were not allowed to enter the base.


    Li Haoran and Uncle Li Zhengping pushed the surgical cart and quickly transported Captain Lv to the operating room.


    Old Xie was about to follow, but Li Yu stopped him, and then explained, "Everyone coming from outside has to stay in Weng City for 10 minutes. We do the same."


    Old Xie then stopped.


    Li Yu glanced at Old Xie and said, "Tell us in detail about the situation at the Government Building."


    ....

 Chapter 277 - 269: Im Going

    Lao Xie glanced at the interior of the base and saw Captain Lv being transported inside, then promptly averted his eyes.


    He immediately said, "Now, at the Government Building, they still have 8 people, and one gun. Some of our family and friends are in their hands."


    Li Yu nodded, then glanced at Lao Xie and asked, "How are you feeling right now, OK?"


    Lao Xie instantly raised his head and said, "No problem, I can go right now. Can we get going as soon as possible?"


    "Mm," Li Yu responded.


    He then turned and said to Dapao and the others beside him, "Get ready, we''re heading over soon. There are some more people, and we need to be careful. Captain Lv and his men are in their hands."


    Dapao, Li Tie, and others began to prepare.


    Actually, not much preparation was needed; very little ammunition had been used up in the previous battle.


    However, since there were firearms on the other side, everyone still had to be cautious and put on their Bullet-Proof Vests.


    About five minutes later, Li Yu and his team drove two vehicles out of the base.


    This time, they didn''t bring additional people, but there were Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Li Tie, Li Gang, Third Uncle, Li Yu, Yutong, Li Hang and others, which could roughly represent the base''s highest combat power.


    Lao Xie also got into the car, and noticing the spear he was holding, it was clear they were out of bullets.


    After thinking for a moment, he handed him a Handgun and told him to follow orders later.


    The gates opened, they left Weng City and sped off.


    The vehicles were traveling fast, and in less than 20 minutes, they were almost at the Government Building.


    In the car.


    Everyone discussed how they would take down those people and safely rescue the hostages.


    They rarely encountered such situations; normally, Li Yu would never be threatened and would solve problems by eliminating them directly.


    But this time, Captain Lv and his men were deeply collaborative with them, and their willingness to avoid betraying the location of Li Yu''s base had proven everything.


    Moreover, Captain Lv and his team had come over mainly to have them rescue others, but the fact that they gave early warning was also very meaningful.


    However, Li Yu didn''t want the people of the base to take risks; every life in the base was very precious.


    For the time being, a direct hard attack seemed impractical; the other side might only have one gun, but it was still potentially lethal and they had hostages.


    The best scenario would be to take down the gunman in the shortest time possible, with the rest not being a concern.


    "Lao Xie, there''s a yard in front of your Government Building, what about the back?" Li Yu suddenly asked, although they had been there several times, he had never seen the back of the Government Building.


    "The back also has iron railings, but it''s narrower," Lao Xie said.


    Li Yu pondered for a while; if there was only one gun on the other side, it wouldn''t be difficult to handle. With a surprise attack, he could take out those people by himself.


    So he said, "To avoid being spotted by a crowd, I''ll sneak in from the back later and take down the gunman first. Everyone else, once you hear my gunshots, come in from other places. Let''s coordinate. Try to end the battle within one minute."


    Li Tie promptly said, "Let me do it, you always take the lead. This time, it''s my turn."


    Dapao also said, "Yeah, Iron Man, it''s my turn this time."


    Li Gang: "Me, me, me."


    ...


    Third Uncle: "..."


    Third Uncle hesitated, his gaze somewhat peculiar.


    As the vehicle was about to arrive at the Government Building, the door opened, and just as Li Yu was about to get out of the car, Third Uncle calmly placed a hand on Li Yu''s shoulder and said, "I''ll go."


    Li Yu was taken aback.


    Then Third Uncle got out of the car.


    His form was like that of a cheetah, dressed in camouflage, rushing straight to the side of the Government Building, vaulting over the iron fence over two meters high.


    Third Uncle made a sprint, his body went airborne, unbelievably vaulting over the iron railing that was over two meters high.


    Not a single barb on the protruding spikes touched a single hair on Third Uncle.


    Everyone behind was stunned, their eyes wide and mouths agape. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Holy crap, that worked!!!


    After Third Uncle jumped inside, he made the slightest bit of noise.


    In mid-jump, Third Uncle saw a group of people in the courtyard.


    In the upper right corner of the courtyard, a group of people was kneeling, tied up with ropes, with four others sitting beside a flower bed, puffing on cigarettes.


    One of them, holding a gun, was laughing and cursing at someone next to him.


    In the upper left corner, three others were moving things; it seemed like they were transporting some of Captain Lv''s equipment out.


    In the blink of an eye, Third Uncle had a clear view of the situation in the yard, he even had time to pick out where was best to land.


    Thud.


    After flipping over the iron fence, Third Uncle aimed for an open space ahead, the ball of his foot lightly touched down, and he rolled forward into a tumble.


    The people in the yard could never imagine someone actually jumping in; after all, it was over two meters, most people would be good to make one and a half.


    What the hell...


    Before they could react,


    Bang Bang Bang!


    Gunshots!


    The one with the handgun was shot in the forehead, and before he could even react, he hit the ground. The other three, who were about to respond, were taken down by Third Uncle with a few shots.


    Third Uncle moved at a slow pace, as if strolling leisurely.


    He walked slowly towards the bound people, tilting his head slightly to the left, he spotted a few people on the left, one of whom happened to have his back to Third Uncle, cradling a box in his hands.


    The other two just set down their items; having witnessed Third Uncle take down a few men, they realized they needed to run towards the door.


    Bang bang!


    Third Uncle shot the two in the head with two bullets.


    The last man dropped the box, turned his head, and Third Uncle casually fired three shots.


    Two bullets hit the man right in the knee and wrist.


    "Ah..."


    A cry of pain finally broke the silence; the ones before hadn''t even let out a sound of pain before they were dead.


    All of this happened in the blink of an eye.


    At the same time, Third Uncle had reached Captain Lv and his relatives and friends, his presence devoid of any murderous aura, instead, he had the air of a simple, honest farmer.


    He looked utterly ordinary; if they hadn''t just witnessed Third Uncle casually kill a few people with his own eyes, those tied up wouldn''t be able to imagine that Third Uncle had just killed.


    The bound people looked at Third Uncle in shock, as he approached an older man and said softly, "Are there eight people? Where''s the last one?"


    The man looked at Third Uncle admiringly, and excitedly replied to his question, "Yeah, there are eight here, another one is in the room, seems like he went to the toilet."


    "Uh-huh. Thank you," Third Uncle said politely.


    Then he headed towards the Government Building.


    20 seconds later.


    Third Uncle emerged from the building holding a man in one hand, who was unharmed and appeared to have been knocked out by Third Uncle.


    At the same time, Li Yu and the others had just entered through the front gate.


    Seeing Third Uncle toss the man in his hand like a dead dog down the steps.

 Chapter 278 - 270: Third Uncle Weiwu

    On the left side of the yard, two bodies lay, each shot between the eyebrows.


    On the right side of the yard, around the flower bed, four bodies were sprawled out. In front of them, a group of people were kneeling, apparently relatives and friends of Captain Lv.


    In the center lay the person whom Third Uncle had just thrown down.


    Third Uncle slowly holstered his handgun, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and leisurely fetched a matchbox from another pocket to light his cigarette.


    While walking down the steps, he approached Li Yu and others, saying, "The four on the right are dead, there''s a handgun on the ground. Two are dead on the left, with one injured. The man in the middle, I knocked him out, we can interrogate these two later."


    "Well, I''ll take a stroll around, when it''s time to leave, just call me with the loudspeaker," said Third Uncle before heading towards the main gate.


    Li Yu: "..."


    Dapao: "..."


    Li Tie: "..."


    Li Gang: "..."


    .....


    This is crazy.


    After a moment, Li Yu suddenly said, "Your father is that fierce? Did you guys know?"


    Li Tie and Li Gang exchanged glances, then shook their heads.


    Li Yu suddenly laughed, then walked over to the kneeling people, helped them untie, and turned back to command his team, "Clean up the battlefield."


    Dapao and others dragged the unconscious man aside, while Tianlong went to the flower bed, searched, and found the handgun, then frisked the bodies, but found nothing of value.


    "Damn, they''re so poor," Yang Tianlong disassembled the handgun''s magazine, finding only a few bullets left, and found nothing else on the bodies but two packs of cigarettes.


    Old Xie immediately untied the kneeling people, picked up his daughter, and covered her eyes.


    A man standing nearby spoke up: "Old Xie, Xiaowu, and Xiaohuang, they all..."


    His eyes reddened, he glared fiercely at the bodies on the ground, and moved to confront the unconscious man.


    Old Xie hastily intervened, saying, "Hold on, Director Li must have further plans, trust in Director Li, we owe them a lot this time."


    The man sighed, looked around and not seeing Captain Lv, asked with confusion, "Where is Captain Lv?"


    Old Xie glanced at Li Yu standing nearby and responded, "When we came back, you saw it too, those men were chasing us, the captain got shot in the shoulder, he''s now with Director Li, it''s not too serious."


    "What!? So, what do we do next?" the man asked.


    "Just wait," said Old Xie.


    Finishing his words, Old Xie carried his daughter to Captain Lv''s daughter and gently touched the little 6-year-old girl with pigtails, holding her hand and softly saying, "Zifei, you''ll see your dad soon. Stay with Uncle Xie for now."


    Little Zifei seemed bewildered, looking at Uncle Xie without speaking.


    Old Xie put down his daughter, holding one child in each hand��the age difference between his daughter and Zi Han was just one year.


    Holding the hands of two children, Old Xie appeared exceptionally gentle, sitting on the ground and chatting with the two kids.


    Li Yu did not intentionally keep the children away from the bodies, letting them see, this is the end times.


    In the base, the similarly aged 5-year-old Li Suxin had already witnessed gruesome scenes, accepting them early, being guided, and accustoming became common, so as not to collapse easily.


    ....


    On the other side, Dapao dragged the injured man and the unconscious man thrown down by Third Uncle.


    After securing the unconscious man with ropes, Dapao kicked him over.


    The man clad in a sweatshirt with explosive muscles woke up, slowly opened his eyes, and realized his limbs were tied. He struggled for a moment, raised his head, and saw Dapao staring at him fiercely.


    "What kind of people are you?" The sweatshirt man said rudely. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Weren''t you looking for us?" Dapao said mockingly.


    The sweatshirt man surveyed the surroundings, saw that all the companions who came with him were dead, only Xie Liuhai who had joined them a few days ago was left, now moaning in pain like a dying dog, clutching his knees.


    Dapao, brought by Li Yu, was not very patient and preferred direct approaches. So, he kicked again fiercely and said, "Where did you come from? Speak."


    The sweatshirt man grunted, remaining silent.


    Dapao''s patience gradually wore thin, and he kicked again saying, "Speak."


    Dapao internally scorned, why does he always encounter such uncooperative people, forcing him to be violent?


    He then walked towards Xie Liuhai, stepped on his wound, and said, "You speak."


    Xie Liuhai yelped in pain from the pressure on his wound.


    Dapao irritably said, "Speak."


    Xie Liuhai just cried out, unable to utter a complete sentence.


    Yang Tianlong walked over, tapped Dapao on the shoulder, and said, "Stop wasting words with them."


    He then stepped on Xie Liuhai''s other leg, right on the knee.


    Xie Liuhai''s leg visibly broke, forming an unnatural shape.


    Ah!


    The man in the sweatshirt looked at the scene, and at Yang Tianlong, as if seeing a devil.


    ...


    After Li Yu and the others cleaned up the scene, he called over Old Xie, "I see you have a few vehicles here, drive them, follow us."


    Old Xie looked at Li Yu excitedly, this...


    He discussed briefly with the others, and everyone seemed pleased. After several encounters, Li Yu and his team had provided considerable help, and it was clear to anyone with eyes that joining Li Yu''s team was more than beneficial.


    At least, there would be ample food.


    On Dapao''s end, the interrogation was nearly over, but Xie Liuhai was already half-dead from the torment.


    Old Xie approached Li Yu and said, "This man was previously in Jiefang City."


    Li Yu nodded, aware of how much Old Xie and his people hated these people, thus he said, "This man, I''ll leave to you."


    "As for the other man, I still have use for him; you can have him when I''m done."


    Old Xie nodded deeply.


    Old Xie walked up to Xie Liuhai, his face darkening, Xie Liuhai seeing Old Xie approach hurriedly said, "Old Xie, we all came from Jiefang City, we used to be together, let me go."


    "Heh, have you forgotten how Jiefang City fell apart? How about when Xiao Wu and Xiao Huang died, why didn''t you save them? Beast!" Old Xie angrily said.


    Then he hacked a knife onto Xie Liuhai''s arm, leaving Xie Liuhai unable to walk, only able to crawl away.


    Xie Liuhai desperately crawled forward on the ground as Old Xie walked ahead, stepping on Xie Liuhai''s head.


    A knife was plunged directly into Xie Liuhai''s back, still not satisfied; he stabbed forcefully seven or eight more times.


    Until Old Xie''s face was splattered with blood.


    Only then did Old Xie leave.

 Chapter 279 - 271: Isnt This What Were Used To?

    At the entrance of the Government Building, Dapao and Yang Tianlong were escorting the man in the sweatshirt towards the armored vehicle.


    Suddenly, Dapao remembered something and abruptly asked Old Xie, "Do you guys have any burlap sacks or something like a thin piece of clothing?"


    Old Xie didn''t understand what he meant at first, but Dapao gestured towards the man in the sweatshirt, and Old Xie immediately understood. He then took off his socks from his shoes and handed them to Dapao, who looked at him with disdain and did not take them.


    Searching through a pile of luggage, Old Xie found nothing suitable. Finally, he saw a fertilizer bag by the roadside, took out a knife and cut it twice to create a makeshift hood.


    He then stepped forward and stuffed the freshly removed socks into the mouth of the man in the sweatshirt.


    The man in the sweatshirt watched as the vaguely steaming socks, radiating warmth, were pushed into his mouth, he struggled desperately: "I don''t want, I don''t want, ah.....mmph....."


    Stuffed full.


    Immediately after, Old Xie placed the tailored fertilizer bag over the man''s head. It didn''t fit well at first, so he took it off and trimmed it again with the knife.


    Just right.


    The fertilizer bag had ''Thunderous Fertilizer'' written on it, exactly on top of the man''s head, blocking the eye area, leaving just a small hole at the bottom for him to breathe.


    Seeing this, Dapao laughed and said, "Old Xie, you''re really a damn genius!"


    Tianlong passed by and said disbelievingly, "Is this really necessary?"


    Scratching his head, Dapao replied, "It''s just habit, hehe."


    Old Xie: "..."


    Habit...


    They drove the vehicles assigned to Captain Lv''s team out, three in total, all in good condition.


    However, the pickup they had recently found wasn''t needed anymore, so they left it there.


    Everyone got in the cars and drove to the entrance.


    Beep beep beep!


    The horn sounded twice, and a person walked over from the opposite side.


    It was Third Uncle.


    Third Uncle walked like an old farmer, his steps appeared slow, but he was fast.


    In the vehicle, Old Xie and the others watched Third Uncle like he was a supernatural being.


    Third Uncle habitually touched his nose and said nothing, just got into the riot vehicle and sat in front of the man in the sweatshirt.


    "Let''s go," said Li Yu from another car, seeing Third Uncle board the vehicle, and patted Li Tie who was driving in front.


    The vehicles started, roaring as they headed towards the base.


    ...


    Under the sunlight, the vehicles sped away.


    In the car, Old Xie and the others watched as the roadside trees and rows of houses sped backwards, feeling a myriad of emotions.


    Their long-wandering hearts seemed to have found a haven.


    "Old Xie, the captain will be alright, won''t he?" asked a slightly younger team member, who had made a few mistakes since joining the police force, but Captain Lv had always been good to him, patiently guiding him.


    He hoped Captain Lv was okay.


    Old Xie pondered for a moment, looking out the window and said in a low voice, "The captain, he was shot in the shoulder, but the wound isn''t deep, he should... be alright. We are on our way there now, we''ll see Captain Lv soon."


    "Okay."


    No one else spoke, and time quickly passed, arriving at the base entrance in twenty minutes.


    Old Xie was not visiting for the first time; during his initial visit, the sight of the towering wall had also left him too astonished to believe it.


    But for the others who came with Old Xie, the presence of individuals standing atop such a tall wall made it clear how thick it must be.


    The group, remaining in their vehicles, gazed at this endless wall, unable to imagine the base''s vastness, or envision what lay inside.


    The wall itself appeared very solid, exuding a sense of safety throughout.


    At the base''s wall, Second Uncle had already received news from Li Yu and others; he immediately opened the gate, allowing their vehicles to enter.


    The gate slowly opened, and the vehicles moved through.


    Upon entering Weng City, their vehicles stopped. Xiao Wu, who was next to Old Xie, asked, "Old Xie, is this Director Li and their base? Why does it seem so desolate around here?"


    Old Xie pointed to another door behind them and said, "This is probably just a part of it; the residential area must be inside."


    Xiao Wu, amazed, said, "How big is this base, exactly?"


    Old Xie replied, "I''ve never been inside; they have a rule that anyone coming from outside must stay here for about ten minutes. You''ll see for yourself once we go in."


    "Alright."


    ...


    Not just Xiao Wu, but everyone else who was here for the first time was infinitely curious about the base. Considering the excellent equipment and strength of Li Yu and his team, perhaps the inside of the base was different too.


    Just being outside the base''s wall had already exceeded their imagination. They couldn''t fathom, in these apocalyptic times, besides a few military bases, what other places could be constructed so securely.


    "Everyone, wait here a moment; we''ll move inside shortly," Li Yu said as he alighted from the vehicle, addressing the others.


    Besides Captain Lv, fourteen people had entered in total. There would have been two more, but they were killed by those from Harmony Garden.


    Among the fourteen, there were four women; two were children, one was a team member''s wife, and one was a female team member.


    There were also two family members of the team members.


    Previously, including Captain Lv, there were only less than ten male team members.


    Next to Du Yutong, a woman was sitting; she was the only female team member among Captain Lv''s group.


    Throughout the journey, though they hadn''t spoken, Yutong felt a sort of compatibility with this woman.


    And the female team member felt the same about Yutong; although she didn''t see Yutong take action, she sensed that this was no ordinary person.


    "Once we''re in, you can rest assured," Du Yutong was the first to speak, addressing the female team member.


    "Mm," the female team member nodded, a smile forming at the corners of her mouth as a friendly gesture. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yutong also smiled and said, "I''m Du Yutong; just call me Yutong."


    The female team member smiled back, "I''m Shang Xue''er; just call me Xue''er."


    "Alright, Xue''er."


    ...


    Although Li Yu had not explicitly stated his intention to accept Captain Lv and his people, his actions made it fairly evident, which was almost explanatory on its own within the base.


    Without Li Yu directly addressing it, others didn''t elaborate much either.


    However, everyone understood well enough. Being allowed to enter openly meant Li Yu had accepted them.


    Generally, only two types of people entered the base: those who were about to be killed, and those who would soon become one of their own.


    After staying in Weng City for about ten minutes, they proceeded towards the inside of the base.


    The vehicles without cargo were left there, and the two vehicles containing the luggage of Captain Lv and others also entered.


    Among the items they brought were corn and sweet potatoes that were just given to Captain Lv and his group today.


    Old Xie looked at these few bags of goods with mixed feelings, feeling somewhat emotional inside.

 Chapter 280 - 272: Father and Daughter Reunite

    The gates inside Weng City slowly opened, and with it, the vehicle entered at a leisurely pace.


    The speed was slow.


    Upon entering, there was an open area with some houses in the distance, uneven in height but harmoniously arranged.


    They saw people with hoes on their backs laboring in the fields beside the road; children were also seen running around...


    There were old and young, men and women, the eldest in their sixties, the youngest about the age of Old Xie''s daughter. Now they watched as Li Yu brought them in.


    Both sides were looking at each other with some curiosity.


    Inside the car, Captain Lv''s daughter caught a glimpse of Li Suxin in a pretty floral dress, her eyes briefly colored with interest, before quickly returning to dullness.


    Old Xie felt a pang of emotion seeing Feifei''s appearance, she was still just a child.


    As the vehicles moved slowly, they saw a creek, with many soft river stones beside it, and some grasses beside the stones.


    At the foot of a farther mountain, a group of young boys and girls were herding cows. One bold boy sat directly on the back of a cow, and the sound of their laughter faintly drifted over.


    "This is really a Taoyuan," Old Xie said wistfully. Living here would be such a fortunate thing.


    Although he didn''t know the rules on Li Yu''s side, the presence of old people and children meant that this base had warmth, responsibility, and a human touch.


    They passed by a bamboo forest, where the wind had scattered bamboo leaves all over the ground. It wasn''t swept up, but the fallen leaves added to the serene ambiance.


    Further ahead were rows of bungalows, with villas across from them, all surrounded by low walls.


    From their side, they could see two mountains in the distance, which seemed to be encompassed by the wall as well.


    Atop each mountain was a tall Observation Tower, with a person faintly visible on each.


    Between the two mountains, a stream meandered down, with rows of trees planted on either side, swaying and rustling in the evening breeze.


    Such a beautiful pastoral scene.


    Li Yu drove straight to the residential area, and everyone got out of the car.


    After disembarking, though they wanted to look around the base, they were more eager to know about Captain Lv''s condition.


    So, just after getting off, Old Xie and a few others came over: "Director Li, I''m really sorry to bother you, but could we see Captain Lv?"


    Li Yu nodded and led the way: "Sure, follow me."


    With ample medical equipment and Li Yuan, who studied medicine, there, and considering Captain Lv''s gunshot wound wasn''t deep, he should be fine.


    The group arrived outside a house, where Lai Xiyue came out to meet them.


    "Brother Yu, you''re here."


    "Yep, how is Captain Lv who was brought in today? And where''s Yuan?" Li Yu inquired.


    Lai Xiyue replied: "The bullet has been removed, Captain Lv has woken up, and Yuan is inside with him."


    "Good, you''ve worked hard."


    Lai Xiyue noticed the number of people and thought for a moment before suggesting: "Captain Lv lost a lot of blood and is still very weak. It''s better not to have so many people go in."


    Upon hearing this, Old Xie and the others became anxious, but they dared not protest and could only look pleadingly at Li Yu.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and finally said: "We''ve just come from the outside and carry a lot of bacteria on us. Too many people wouldn''t be good for Captain Lv. Just two of you should go in."


    After some thought, Old Xie decided to let Xiao Wu and Captain Lv''s daughter enter.


    "Okay, you guys wait outside," said Li Yu. S~ea??h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then the three of them went into the medical room.


    Li Yuan was inside preparing medicine when he saw Li Yu bringing in two people and hastily said, "Brother, you''re back!"


    "Mm," Li Yu responded.


    He then looked towards Captain Lv, who was lying on the sickbed. He appeared pale but still in reasonably good spirits.


    Captain Lv heard the movement and immediately looked over. When he saw Li Yu, gratitude filled his eyes, but following that, he couldn''t help trying to look behind him, before he had escaped to Li Yu''s side.


    At the Government Building, he had seen his daughter''s small body kneeling on the ground, her eyes filled with joy, but he had no choice but to leave.


    Now that he had found Li Yu and Li Yu had returned, did that mean...


    Li Yu noticed the look in his eyes and subtly shifted to the side, and Xiao Wu, holding Captain Lv''s daughter, stepped forward two paces.


    Captain Lv, upon seeing Xiao Wu, looked down and his eyes immediately lit up with surprise.


    "Feifei! Baby!" Captain Lv struggled to get up, but as soon as he exerted himself, the pain in his shoulder intensified, and Li Yu quickly held him down.


    "Don''t get excited."


    Li Yuan also said, "Don''t get up, it wasn''t easy sewing up your wound, and if you move it might burst open again and will need to be stitched up again."


    "Alright, alright, I won''t get up," Captain Lv said with a smile.


    Looking at his daughter, her face was covered in dust, giving her a gray and listless appearance. Confusion filled her eyes because, from her short stature, she couldn''t initially recognize that the man in the sickbed was her father.


    Captain Lv, seeing this, felt his eyes begin to redden, despite being a man in his forties.


    "Feifei, this is Daddy. Say, ''Daddy.''" Captain Lv inched his body forward.


    His face came into view before little Feifei.


    Feifei looked up and her gaze was still somewhat vacant before she lowered her head.


    But then she looked up again, disbelief in her eyes.


    She blinked, and large tears started to fall visibly from her big eyes.


    Captain Lv, seeing his daughter like this, could not hold back the tears already welling up in his red eyes.


    "Feifei, this is Daddy. Daddy will never leave you again. Don''t be mad at Daddy, okay?" Captain Lv thought back to that day, suppressing the agony, the urge to rescue his daughter, and forced himself to leave the Government Building. The look of disappointment on his daughter''s face as he turned away pained him more than if he had been killed.


    At that time, it wasn''t that he didn''t want to save his daughter, but under those circumstances, he wouldn''t have been able to, and it might have ended up with everyone dying there.


    He just didn''t realize it would have such a significant impact on his daughter.


    "Daddy... from now on... please, don''t... don''t leave me behind, okay?" Feifei said through her sobs.


    At that time, Old Xie and Captain Lv were outside, and Old Xie didn''t appear in front of them, so Old Xie''s daughter might not have felt as much.


    But Feifei had seen the men she usually lived with, the uncles who often joked with her, killed by those people; even at her young age, she understood what had happened.


    Seeing her father appear, she thought he was there to rescue her, but then Captain Lv turned and ran.


    This left a huge scar in her tender heart.


    "Feifei, Daddy promises you. It''s all Daddy''s fault." Captain Lv extended his hand, wanting to hold his daughter, but the pain in his shoulder made him wince slightly.


    Li Yu, seeing this, wanted to stop him, but seeing the father and daughter crying like this, he sighed and did not intervene.


    "Daddy, I... I... will eat less, you... you mustn''t abandon me anymore, okay? I... I can eat less, I won''t fuss over wanting to eat anymore. I can go without food, I won''t eat, wuwuwu..." Feifei embraced her father, crying and choking.


    Li Yuan, upon hearing this, couldn''t hold it in any longer and turned his head away. This little girl was small and frail, her hair yellowish, with not a bit of flesh on her face �C clearly undernourished.


    How could she possibly be seen as greedy? She was clearly eating too little.


    Alas!

 Chapter 281 - 273: Good

    Li Yu and the others watched the father and daughter hug each other, feeling somewhat touched inside.


    After everyone waited for a while, it was Captain Lv who eventually recovered. He looked at Li Yu and the others, pulled out a smile, and said, "Sorry for the embarrassment."


    Then he wiped his eyes and turned to Li Yu to ask, "Director Li, how are my brothers doing now?"


    Li Yu gestured towards Xiao Wu who came in with him and said indifferently, "Ask him."


    Xiao Wu had actually wanted to talk to the captain all this time, and now he spoke up, "Captain, Xiao Wu and Xiao Huang died at the hands of those people, but everyone else is fine. They are all outside right now."


    Upon hearing this, Captain Lv''s heart immediately felt much lighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his chest.


    "It''s good that you''re all safe, good that you''re all safe." Captain Lv was in a daze, but quickly snapped back to reality.


    "Xiao Wu, could you step out for a moment? Director Li and I have something to discuss," Captain Lv said.


    Xiao Wu nodded and looked at Feifei, who was holding Captain Lv''s hand. With a hesitant look, he asked, "Feifei is here, do you want to..."


    Feifei, seeing his look, lowered her head and clasped her father''s hand tightly, "Daddy, I don''t want to be separated from you."


    Captain Lv was also conflicted. Li Yuan was generally mild-mannered, but became particularly assertive when it came to protecting patients. Captain Lv wasn''t sure if Doctor Li would agree to let his daughter stay with him.


    Still, he asked in a pleasing tone, "Doctor Li, could you see if it''s possible for my daughter to stay here so I can spend more time with her?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lv Zifei looked at Li Yuan with her large, pitiful black eyes.


    Li Yuan chuckled as he looked at the father and daughter, and said, "Alright, but the child should not stay here at night. You have a wound, and children have lower immunity. It''s not quite appropriate to stay in the medical room."


    She thought for a moment and then addressed the young girl, "Feifei, right? You stay with your dad for now, and you can sleep with me tonight, ok?"


    Feifei knew this was the person who had helped her dad. Seeing this gentle-looking sister, she nodded and said, "Okay."


    "Good job, Feifei!" Li Yuan said.


    With that topic settled, Captain Lv became more serious. He looked at Li Yu sincerely and said, "Director Li, you''ve been helping us all along, and we''re truly grateful. Several times, it was your help that we needed."


    "Actually, we''ve wanted to join you for a while, but we never dared to speak up because we owed too much. Now, I want to ask you if we could join you? We will definitely abide by your rules here."


    "Your base is strong and well-staffed; you might not need us, but we will definitely follow your orders. I don''t know about the others, but my life was saved by you. You tell me where to fight, and I''ll fight there. No hesitation..."


    "We were all part of the city police force before the apocalypse. After the outbreak in Jiefang City, if I do say so myself, we haven''t wronged anyone to date. It''s just that, in the end, we were harmed by our own people..."


    "There''s a saying, ''Once bitten by a snake, one fears a well rope for ten years.'' Even if you don''t take us in, we''re still very thankful for all the help you gave us in the past..."


    Captain Lv seemed to have thought a lot in his mind, and now that he had the chance to speak, he went on without stopping.


    "Okay," Li Yu responded succinctly.


    He directly answered Captain Lv''s questions.


    Still talking, Captain Lv said a few more words, seeming to not believe his ears. Then he looked up in disbelief and asked, "What? What I... What I... Did you just say... okay? You mean to let us join you?"


    "Mhm." Li Yu revealed a faint smile on his face and nodded.


    Captain Lv was still slow to react. He had prepared a lot to say that he hadn''t even gotten to yet, and Director Li had just agreed like that?


    What was going on?


    Seeing Captain Lv''s confusion, Li Yu explained, "Don''t overthink it. The fact that you endured your pain to come and report back is proof enough of everything. We don''t need vast military strength; what''s most important at our base is unity. At least from what I see in you, you''re the right fit for us."


    After hearing Li Yu''s words, Captain Lv was moved. Unity! Indeed!


    Had Jiefang City been united back then, would things have come to this?


    After finishing his speech, Li Yu told him to recover well and then left.


    ...


    After stepping out of the medical room, Xiao Wu, who had exited earlier, informed the others about Captain Lv''s situation. Knowing that Captain Lv was in good condition put everyone at ease.


    Looking at the concern on everyone''s faces, Li Yu felt reassured. These expressions were definitely not feigned, but were genuinely heartfelt concerns.


    Thinking over it, he ultimately decided not to tell them about his conversation with Captain Lv. Often, winning over people''s hearts often requires a third party.


    If Li Yu spoke out directly now saying he was taking them in, although they would be grateful, the impact wouldn''t be as strong.


    But if it was conveyed through their leader, the transition of authority would become much more legitimate. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Consider if Li Yu told them now that they were members of the base and that they must listen to him from now on. Although everyone would be happy, what should they do?


    If they were overly enthusiastic, what would Captain Lv think? It could also create the impression of being fair-weather friends or opportunists.


    But if their response was lukewarm, what would Li Yu think? He might wonder if they were still sticking together or listening to Captain Lv, which could be a potential concern.


    Therefore, it would be best not to have Li Yu be the one to speak.


    After all, the current leader had not yet spoken, and for Li Yu to speak directly to them rather than through Captain Lv would be completely different.


    Seeing everyone''s expressions, Li Yu felt somewhat content. At least these people knew gratitude, and Captain Lv''s desperate fight was worthwhile.


    Then, he quietly left from the side, without anyone noticing.


    Second Uncle, who followed after, was already familiar with this routine and coughed twice.


    He said, "We''ve all been through a lot today. Let''s clean up first, and then gather at 6:30 pm for dinner. Everyone line up later to receive some daily necessities."


    Lai Xiyue also said, "Everyone, follow me now to receive your supplies."


    Upon hearing this, everyone became excited, whispering among themselves.


    "Are they distributing daily necessities to us?"


    "It''s impressive for such a big base to give out stuff."


    "Did I hear it right earlier? Are we going to have dinner together?"


    "So awesome..."


    ...


    The group followed Lai Xiyue, lined up, and received their daily necessities:


    Toothbrush, toothpaste, towels, soap...


    Blankets, sheets...


    Cups, chargers, Huawei phones????


    They''ve got all this? iPads...


    ...


    And there was even a printed copy of the base''s rules.

 Chapter 282 - 274: Base Population Breaks Through 90!

    Seeing everyone''s confusion, Lai Xiyue explained, "This electronic product can be charged in your rooms, and we have a library and entertainment center where everyone can download some movies, books, and stuff like that..."


    Under Lai Xiyue''s narration, everyone was a bit dazzled. There were thousands of TBs worth of all kinds of movies, books, documentaries... even thousands of classic offline games from before the apocalypse.


    Millions of various videos already encompassed most of the videos ordinary people could watch, except for short-form videos.


    Holding the iPads in their hands, everyone felt a lump in their throat. Before the apocalypse, they had grown used to the convenience brought by electronic products, often enjoying brief moments of happiness through them.


    But after the apocalypse, life had become much more boring, many times left to starve while staring at the ceiling.


    You see, when you''re starving, you don''t feel like doing anything.


    Now, the supplies being distributed included some of these items, making the things to be handed out later even more anticipated.


    Among the distributed items, many were specifically chosen to improve everyone''s comfort. Quite a few were from international big brands, with particular attention paid to detail.


    For example, one of the items given out were the home clothes and pajamas �C Fenton home clothes! It''s the first home clothes brand listed on the stock market in the country and also one of the top five quality home clothes brands. They''d heard of this renowned brand even before the apocalypse, and now, touching them, the quality felt excellent.


    They couldn''t even start to imagine how comfortable it would be to change into the Fenton home clothes later.


    After all, just as they used to say, if they''re not working, they''re wearing Fenton.


    Now, without having to hack away at zombies and returning to such a safe base, to wear home clothes, lie on the couch, and binge-watch series �C it couldn''t be any more awesome.


    Thinking of this scene, everyone started to dream of the future.


    Because the distributed items were of such high quality, S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone was faintly looking forward to the dinner they would be attending together later.


    ...


    After distributing the supplies, Lai Xiyue recorded everyone''s names, ages, professions, skills...


    Then she led them to their rooms, arranging a slightly larger two-bedroom apartment for a couple, and also reserving two-bedroom apartments for Old Xie and Captain Lv. The rest of the people, who were mostly by themselves, were each allocated a one-bedroom apartment.


    When they turned on the water heater, they almost cried �C the hot water from the showerhead cascading down their bodies sent shivers through their souls.


    A hot shower is such a luxury in a post-apocalyptic world!


    To take a hot shower, you first need a safe environment, then enough hot water, which is often unavailable.


    Shang Xue''er, as the only girl in the team, had cut her hair short, but that didn''t mean she didn''t care about her appearance at all.


    Under the hot water, she washed away all the dirt and fatigue from her body.


    Everyone dared not shower for too long, unsure of how much hot water there was, in case using too much meant there would be none left for the people afterward.


    In the base, they had already considered the recycling of various resources during construction, such as the water from the hot showers could be directly used for watering plants or crops.


    After showering, everyone stepped out of their rooms looking completely refreshed.


    They exchanged smiles.


    Especially when Shang Xue''er came out, she was a sight for sore eyes. Although she always had short hair and looked very stern, there was a gentle aura about her after the bath, and actually, her facial features were quite nice.


    At six-thirty in the evening.


    From between the rows of bungalows, from the villas, and from other places, many people emerged, neatly lining up in formation.


    When Lao Xie and his group entered today, although they saw some people, they didn''t get a comprehensive view. Now seeing everyone, they suddenly realized that the base actually had quite a lot of people.


    Today''s dinner had relatively good dishes:


    Potato beef stew��A cow from the herd raised in the past few days had fallen and broken its leg, so it was simply slaughtered.


    Tomatoes scrambled with eggs


    Spicy sour radishes.


    A large bowl of rice was available, or one could choose corn on the cob.


    Lao Xie and others, upon seeing the meal spread, almost popped their eyes out in amazement; it was incredibly abundant.


    There was enough rice, with meat and vegetables, and the steaming hot dishes made them drool.


    At mealtime, no one wasted time talking.


    Inside the base, from the initially reserved four acres of land, to the nearly eight acres later cleared in the mountains, and the two acres more cleared on the plains, there was a total of more than ten acres.


    After building Weng City initially, Third Uncle, along with Ding Jiu and others, had scoured all the rebar and cement factories around the county.


    They also greatly increased the height of the walls, reaching the height of three or four stories, around ten meters high, making them look even more imposing.


    Later, thinking of expanding the base, they built a wall on the side near the cliff, increasing the area of the base by five acres.


    The base that spanned dozens of acres looked quite impressive, but a kilometer-long wall required more people to stand watch. Currently, there are five fixed watchers on the wall. Two are at the direction of the main gate, and the other three are distributed at other directions.


    Additionally, there are two others on rotating watch, patrolling the wall at all times.


    So, there are seven people in a wall watch team. Compared to the initial count of over 70 people, this isn''t many.


    Adding the 15 people who now joined the base, the total population has just surpassed the 90 mark.


    Among these 90 people, there are over 70 who are capable fighters, aged 16 and above.


    It can be said that with Captain Lv and his group''s addition, without necessarily mentioning how much combat power has increased, the defensive strength of the base has certainly been enhanced a lot.


    After receiving the exquisite living supplies and being allocated a good individual space, with hot showers and delicious food, Lao Xie and the others lay in bed feeling somewhat dazed, as if all that they had experienced was just a dream, as if these scenes were something they had dreamt about countless times.


    This was also a method Li Yu and his people used to win over these individuals, firstly letting them experience a different life outside the wall��being able to fill their stomachs, take hot baths, watch movies or read books when bored...


    After experiencing a hellish life outside, the life in the base seemed like heaven.


    Moreover, Li Yu did not directly tell them to join and become a part of the base. In doing so, before Captain Lv even spoke, they had already been won over in their hearts.


    But relying on these supplies alone was not enough; material supplies were only the foundation, and to maintain and boost their loyalty requires more than just the material aspect.


    However, matters of the spirit needed a certain material foundation before they could be addressed.


    Otherwise, what dreams could one talk about on an empty stomach!


    ...


    That night, many people did not sleep.

 Chapter 283 - 275: Eggs and Milk

    A night had passed, and the base was shrouded in mist, the air fresh with a faint scent of osmanthus.


    The next morning, Li Yu, as usual, got up early and ran through the mountain forests. The early morning fog swirled, with a slight chill in the air. As he ran, the cool breeze whooshed by his ears; the trees around him seemed to move swiftly as he passed by.


    He enjoyed running because it made him feel alive, with his blood pumping and every breath reinforcing a strong sense of being.


    During the run, there was no need to think about anything, just keep running forward.


    His mind was clear, all thoughts vanished, no worries, no anxieties. Perhaps this was why Li Yu loved to run.


    As time slowly went by, the whole base seemed to come to life, more and more people came out, smoke billowed from the residential area, filled with the breath of life.


    Li Haoran and his brother Li Haoxian, who were on duty all night yesterday, also swapped shifts with Ding Jiu and Wang Cheng, dragging their tired bodies.


    People like Lao Xie, who had just arrived yesterday, lay in comfortable beds all night, many unable to sleep because everything seemed too unreal.


    They got up early, too, and saw Li Yu running back from outside, followed by a string of little followers, the younger children from Li Yu''s family.


    "Director Li, good morning," Shang Xue''er greeted as she saw Li Yu running towards her.


    "Morning," Li Yu slowed down his run, starting to walk slowly, as he replied.


    "Director Li, good morning!"


    "Morning."


    "Director Li, good morning!"


    "Morning."


    ...


    On the way, he encountered many people from Captain Lv''s team, seeing the steam rising from Li Yu''s head and the sweat drenching him; it was obvious that he had just finished his morning exercise. They all took the initiative to greet him.


    Breakfast was fixed, consisting of coarse grains, as well as some soy milk and white porridge.


    The base actually bred many chickens, ducks, and fish, producing some eggs every day, but most were given to the growing children. There were also four dairy cows that Li Yu had brought in from High Mountain Grassland that could provide some milk.


    Eggs and milk, a certain portion was reserved for the children, and if there was any surplus, it would then be distributed to other people at the base.


    This was a rule of the base, so when Lao Xie took these items for his daughter Xiao Jing, the surprise was evident, not just from their expressions.


    Captain Lv''s people, seeing this scene, grew even more confident in the base.


    Even Li Yu was drinking soy milk and eating steamed buns. But he provided milk and eggs to the children of people who had recently joined the base from outside.


    Before the apocalypse, these things would have been taken for granted, but now, in this post-apocalyptic world, they were exceedingly precious. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Last night, Captain Lv''s daughter had slept with Li Yuan, and in the early morning, both sported dark circles under their eyes, seemingly having not slept all night.


    Seeing this, Li Yu said somewhat speechlessly, "Li Yuan, did you not sleep at all last night?"


    Li Yuan lowered her head to look at Xiao Fei, and Xiao Fei also looked at Li Yuan.


    The two exchanged glances and communicated with their eyes for a moment, then both laughed.


    Li Yu paid them no further attention and picked up some breakfast, which included some milk and eggs. Injured people usually get better nutrition, which is also a rule at the base.


    Li Yu walked towards the medical room to bring these items to Captain Lv.


    Upon arriving at the medical room, he found that Captain Lv was still lying down, asleep, but his complexion had already improved a lot.


    As Li Yu approached, his footsteps were slightly louder. Before he even got close, he saw Captain Lv open his eyes and immediately ask, "Director Li, where''s my daughter?"


    Li Yu smiled and said, "Last night, she was probably causing a ruckus with Li Yuan. They made a racket all night, got up late, and are having breakfast now. She''ll come over with Li Yuan in a bit."


    Then he placed the breakfast on the table and sat down on a nearby stool to ask, "Feeling any better now? Have something to eat first."


    Captain Lv, seeing the eggs, milk, and some steamed buns on the table, was somewhat astonished. They had such food!


    So he asked, "Director Li, does everyone at the base have these things? This, this is beyond my imagination!"


    Originally, when they were in Jiefang City, they had thought about breeding some poultry. Chickens and ducks were manageable, but raising large livestock like dairy cows was impossible for Jiefang City. It was difficult to feed them because cows eat grass, and in a city base like Jiefang City, there was no grass to be found.


    Li Yu smiled and said, "Our base actually doesn''t raise many, just four dairy cows, and chickens lay quite a few eggs. But not everyone can have them every day. Only the injured or children under 16 can have these items daily."


    Captain Lv exclaimed with surprise, "Director Li, you... you don''t have any for yourself, but you give them to me."


    "It''s nothing precious. Just eat up and get better sooner, so you can help us out," Li Yu said with a smile, preparing to leave the medical room.


    Captain Lv couldn''t help but call out, "Director Li, later on, would you consider gathering my team members? I want to discuss some matters with them."


    "No rush, let''s wait until you feel better," Li Yu knew what he wanted to say, but it wasn''t urgent. They should wait until Captain Lv''s health had improved.


    In the base, they often had large feasting events after some time. They had stockpiled so many supplies, enough to last them a long while.


    Before the apocalypse, the early stored goods were calculated to sustain 50 people for 100 years.


    But after the apocalypse broke out, they collected many various types of supplies, including daily necessities and some clothes, etc.


    Thus, although the variety of supplies at the base had increased, they were also growing some crops now, among other things. So, if it was just a matter of food, they didn''t have to worry.


    It had been two months since the last big feasting event; it had been too long without one, and it was time for another gathering.


    So, Li Yu briefly discussed this idea with his mother, who was very supportive. Although it was always a lot of hard work whenever they had a feast, seeing family members and those who considered the base their home, who were practically family now, always made her genuinely happy.


    "Okay, I''ll talk to Lai Dongsheng''s wife later and ask for her opinion. She used to be a great chef!"


    "Alright, you decide," Li Yu smiled and then walked toward the surrounding wall.


    Third Uncle was lying on a chair on top of the wall.


    Generally, even when it wasn''t Third Uncle''s turn for duty, he still liked to wander up to the wall now and then.

 Chapter 284 - 276: Isnt that just play?

    Third Uncle leisurely lay on the surrounding walls of Weng City, the morning sun was not very strong, and he was nibbling on an apple he held in his hand.


    Then, holding a stick, he patted the gun-holding actions of Wang Cheng and Ding Jiu.


    The combat ability of Third Uncle remained a mystery, but everyone in the base knew he was very formidable, so they would sometimes consult him.


    And it seemed like Third Uncle knew everything, whether it was in close-quarter combat, Gun Skills, reconnaissance, or other areas, he had unique and profound insights.


    Most importantly, Third Uncle had a keen eye that could instantly discern a person''s most significant traits and what they were best suited for, and he would tailor their training based on their talents.


    Third Uncle took another bite of his apple, slapped the stick down, and said, "What are you doing? It''s only been a short while."


    Li Yu approached just in time to witness this scene. Ding Jiu and Wang Cheng glanced at Li Yu and addressed him, "Brother Li."


    "Um. Quite good," Li Yu passed by them.


    Then looking at Third Uncle, he said: "Uncle''s idea is to wait a bit longer before we approach the people from Harmony Garden. I think so too, the one we captured last time has been almost fully questioned by Dapao and the others." S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Since we pretty much understand the situation there, what do you think, Third Uncle?"


    Third Uncle bit into his apple, crunching away leisurely, and slowly said, "The base is under your responsibility, so you make the decision. I don''t have much of an opinion here, but I always feel that, if some people are not dealt with, our food doesn''t taste as sweet."


    "What do you think?"


    Li Yu pondered for a moment, glanced at Ding Jiu and Wang Cheng, then said: "Well, Captain Lv and his group have just come in. They need some time to adapt."


    Third Uncle instantly understood Li Yu''s words. According to the capabilities of the people from Harmony Garden, if Li Yu and his team wanted to handle them, they would need to mobilize some of the stronger fighters from the base.


    Though Captain Lv and others have been incorporated, they have just arrived, and if Li Yu and his main force went out, although it''s unlikely that Captain Lv and his group would seize the base,


    It still has risks, doesn''t it?


    Li Yu would unlikely allow such events to happen, so every time they went out before, they would at least take Song Min or Ding Jiu along.


    At least leaving Uncle, Second Uncle, and others in the base.


    "What are your plans for these people next?" asked Third Uncle.


    "They''re mainly from the police team, I believe their basic quality is up to par, but who do you want to put in charge of them?" Third Uncle asked.


    Now, the most central figure in the base is Li Yu, that is undeniable.


    Next, responsible for duty and armed forces is Uncle, management and resource collection is managed by Second Uncle, and the warehouse is managed by Li Yuan and mother.


    Responsible for construction, fortification of buildings are Ding Jiu and father Li Hongyuan.


    Li Yu is mainly in charge of firearms.


    Grandpa is responsible for the cultivation of crops.


    Li Yu''s mother is responsible for food control.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, the two most important things are food and weapons.


    Holding these two matters in hand, other tasks can practically be delegated to others.


    In the entire base, several combat teams have now formed.


    The first is the combat team led by Li Yu, including Li Tie, Li Hang, Li Hang, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Yutong, and Ding Jiu.


    Another is led by Uncle, including Song Min, Wang Cheng, Li Haoran, Li Haoxian, and Uncle.


    And within these two combat teams, the members are not fixed, and swap occasionally when going out on missions.


    Under Uncle''s guidance, many female team members, most of whom previously followed Song Min, have experienced some improvement in various aspects under Uncle''s training.


    Li Yu pondered for a moment and looked at Third Uncle, unable to resist sizing up Third Uncle, who usually keeps a low profile but seems capable in managing people.


    So he said, "Third Uncle, how about you take on some more responsibilities?"


    Third Uncle quickly jumped up from his chair and waved his hands vigorously, saying, "No no no, why don''t you let Uncle take over? It seems like Uncle mentioned knowing that old Captain Lv before."


    "Really? Hey, Third Uncle, just help me out, take over for a bit," said Li Yu.


    Third Uncle, seeing the worry in Li Yu''s brows and recalling some things his second elder brother had told him about Li Yu''s pressures, sighed and said, "Alright, I''ll help you!"


    "But, I think we need to deal with that Harmony Garden soon."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Yes, I understand."


    Suddenly remembering something, he said, "Third Uncle, why don''t we go together this time, bring Captain Lv''s team, and first handle those people from Harmony Garden."


    "Is Captain Lv''s situation better now?"


    "Better, but he definitely can''t join the fight now," said Li Yu.


    "Okay. So when do you plan to go?" asked Third Uncle.


    "What''s your opinion?" Li Yu inquired.


    Third Uncle looked at the weather and said, "It''s sunny recently, let''s go earlier. The day after tomorrow?"


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Okay, let''s set it for the day after tomorrow, I will talk to Second Uncle about it. I was originally thinking of letting everyone rest a bit."


    Thinking of what he said to his mother today, he then said to Third Uncle, "Originally I thought since we haven''t had a gathering for so long, and now there are so many new faces, we could have a gathering to cheer everyone up."


    "But, with those people from Harmony Garden still around, having a gathering doesn''t feel quite secure. Let''s solve this issue first. After that, let''s relax properly," Li Yu said.


    "Okay, as long as you know what to do," Third Uncle nodded and finished eating the apple in his hand.


    Third Uncle has a peculiarity when eating apples; he eats the whole apple, truly leaving no core or seeds behind.


    After discussing these matters with Third Uncle, Li Yu felt much more at ease.


    He descended from the surrounding wall and walked toward a small room near the breeding farm, which was normally used to detain people captured from outside.


    In the room, the man in the sweatshirt was wrapped in a fertilizer bag, and the whole room emitted an unpleasant odor.


    Accompanied by Dapao from the doorway, Dapao looked at the man and said irritably, "This guy really didn''t listen, got much more obedient after a beating."


    Li Yu removed the bag from the man''s face, revealing his eyes which had turned into panda eyes.


    Pitch black and very symmetrical.


    Damn, that''s... too symmetrical.


    Turning to look at Dapao, who was looking up at the ceiling structure,


    Li Yu couldn''t help but smile and say, "Did Old Xie stuff his socks back in there?"


    Dapao replied speechlessly, "Old Xie is really something else, too stinky."


    "Then why did you stuff it back?"


    "Just messing around..."

 Chapter 285 - 277: Setting Off to Take Down Harmony Garden

    Time swiftly passed, and within these two days, Lao Xie and the others had grown familiar with everything at the base.


    Having just joined, they hadn''t yet been assigned to the duty roster, so after two days of rest, Lao Xie and the rest had fully recovered.


    That morning, Li Yu went to find Lao Xie and the others to discuss the trip to Harmony Garden planned for the next day. After hearing Li Yu''s thoughts, they all expressed eagerness to join, as two of their teammates had died at the hands of those people, and the death of Xie Liuhai was insufficient to quench their thirst for vengeance.


    "What time do we set out tomorrow?" Lao Xie asked.


    Li Yu looked at the excited crowd and said, "We depart at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning."


    After pausing, he added, "Another thing, tomorrow when we go to Harmony Garden, Captain Lv, because he is currently injured and still needing to recuperate at the base, won''t be able to join us in the operation.


    So, Third Uncle, the man who saved you last time, will be taking you there."


    Upon hearing this, everyone remembered the robust man who had saved them. They were all convinced, ready to follow the commands of the strong without any objections.


    "Alright," Lao Xie replied.


    The rest echoed one after another.


    Setting aside Captain Lv and the two younger children, as well as one team member''s wife, there were five people.


    In total, Lao Xie''s group had 10 people ready for combat.


    Having received their response,


    Li Yu nodded in satisfaction and then headed towards the residential area.


    The weather had been growing colder lately, and everyone started wearing thicker clothes to prevent catching a cold. Although there were various medicines available at the base now, it was best not to fall ill since being sick could be very uncomfortable.


    After speaking with Lao Xie and the others, and also mentioning it to Dapao and the rest, there were quite a few people preparing for the mission this time.


    In the base, Dapao and his group, together with Lao Xie''s members, totaled around 20 people.


    Having arranged all the firearms and equipment needed for tomorrow, they were ready to set off directly.


    Night descended...


    In the darkness of the night, Li Yu climbed up to the rooftop of the villa, observing the searchlight on the mountain that beamed its light far into the distance, swaying side to side and capable of illuminating great lengths.


    However, the searchlight extended only up to the boundary wall, and then it ceased to search any further.


    Li Yu held a bottle of craft beer while staring at the distant night sky, feeling extraordinarily tranquil.


    The stars twinkled, and a soft breeze brushed by.


    Li Yu slowly settled into a rattan chair covered with a blanket, a woolen blanket that exuded a faint warmth, making his entire body very comfortable.


    He pulled out earphones from his pocket and connected them to the music. The strains of an eloquent song that he recognized began to play. Familiar and yet somewhat foreign tunes in the music filled the starry night, floating beside his ears.


    He became immersed in an indescribable atmosphere, and in a moment of reverie, it seemed as though he saw himself before the apocalypse, often heading home after work, listening to songs in the cloak of night.


    That was the happiest of times, long missed, as he made his way home, surrounded by a sea of people, earphones in, entering a world unrelated to everything else.


    Apart from work and life, there was always a world that had nothing to do with anything else, and in the voice of the song, he felt he had reached that unrelated world.


    His thoughts took flight, and Li Yu''s mind wandered far, reaching back to the events of a distant past...


    The scent of osmanthus tickled his nose.


    Li Yu''s gaze gradually focused, seeing a grey, hazy bamboo forest ahead.


    He took a sip of beer. The bubbles were slightly bitter, but a sweet taste followed.


    "Unrelated to romance, I write this prelude awaiting your return


    With a stroke of the pen, a masterpiece by the shore, with waves a thousandfold


    How to decipher the character for love, every attempt seems wrong


    Yet what I lack is the understanding of your entire life


    ...."


    The lazy and unique voice reached his ears. Li Yu had a content smile on his face; he quite enjoyed this sensation. In the quiet of the night, he''d be on the rooftop, listening to music and drinking beer, then feeling the breeze. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This time belonged to him alone, this life was exclusively his.


    A night passed without words.


    ....


    Early the next morning, Lao Xie and the others got up early. Li Yu saw there was one woman among the team members and remembered she was the only female on Lao Xie''s team.


    With short hair, she looked very capable.


    After some thought, he decided to have her join them too. In this post-apocalyptic world, both men and women are equal��both need to strive hard to protect themselves and those they wish to protect.


    Besides the ten of them, there were Yutong, Song Min, Li Haoran, Li Haoxian, as well as Li Tie, Li Gang, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, and Third Uncle.


    For this trip, heeding Second Uncle''s request, he brought his cousins Li Haoran and Li Haoxian out for some experience. They had passed their birthdays��one 19 and the other 21 years old.


    Li Hang, who was the same age as them, had already been out many times and could now stand on his own two feet.


    Everyone who set out this time could handle firearms. In fact, now at the base, aside from very young children, almost everyone else could use firearms.


    With such ample ammo and regular specialized training, everyone''s shooting skills had substantially improved.


    When they first received these submachine guns or rifles, Lao Xie''s eyes lit up with excitement. These old friends were finally reunited.


    Apart from these, each person was also equipped with a handgun, a dagger, and a full-body anti-explosion suit.


    Everyone stood in front of the armored vehicle, and Lao Xie and the others felt as if they had gone back in time��only that in the past, the ammunition they carried on missions was planned out, not quite as plentiful as it was now.


    Apart from the Unimog and two armored vehicles, Lao Xie''s team also had one of the former police armored vehicles.


    Together with an off-road vehicle, the four vehicles could carry everyone.


    Everyone got dressed in their gear and climbed into the vehicles.


    Dapao lifted the man in the sweatshirt from Harmony Garden onto the armored vehicle, and the now weak man in the sweatshirt, sitting between Dapao and Yang Tianlong, felt rather faint from hunger. From the moment he entered the base until now, he had not eaten anything and was feeling quite lightheaded.


    After entering the base, Li Yu had forgotten to provide this man with food. Dapao and the others knew they were setting out in a couple of days and the man definitely could not stay, so they decided not to waste food on him, providing only a bit of water each day.


    The weather was getting colder, and everyone wore a thermal undershirt beneath their clothes. But the man in the sweatshirt, though muscly with seemingly good physical fitness, was shivering on the vehicle from being starved for three days and the drop in temperature.


    Yang Tianlong hesitated and then said, "Dapao, have you not given him anything to eat?"


    Dapao scratched his head and said, "Uh... I forgot."


    The man in the sweatshirt: "....."


    F**k my life...

 Chapter 286 - 278: Unique Architecture

    Yang Tianlong was somewhat speechless and said, "I feel his condition is too poor right now. If he guides us later and something goes wrong, that would be troublesome. Let''s give him something to eat first."


    Dapao thought for a moment and agreed, feeling that starving to death was a minor issue, but if he misdirected them due to hunger during the guidance, that would be a real problem.


    Although based on their confessions, they could already see the location on the map, having a person to guide them could be more accurate.


    The vehicle sped along the road, and it was still some distance from the base.


    Furthermore, the people from Harmony Garden had been here for three days now, and they hadn''t returned.


    They might have guessed that something had happened to the people they sent.


    This time going there, Harmony Garden might have made some preparations.


    The enemy they faced this time had a much stronger combat power than before.


    So many people came out from the base this time, and additionally, they asked Old Xie and others to come over too.


    Before this departure, Li Yu had already made one thing clear to them.


    Once they left the base, they had to listen to him regarding everything outside.


    And since they were on a mission of revenge this time, Li Yu''s habit was to leave no room for mercy, to completely eradicate the roots.


    Absolutely no sympathy or thoughts of tolerance for the enemy were allowed.


    And this, too, gained the approval of Old Xie and others, who expressed their agreement.


    ...


    This time, since the enemy had firearms and also had a large number of people.


    So, it was a bit troublesome to deal with these people, especially since they were already well-prepared, just waiting for them to show up.


    Thus, Li Yu and Third Uncle and others decided that it definitely wouldn''t be possible to make a quick decision this time, so they needed to spend more time observing the situation at Harmony Garden.


    They would only start action after getting a good understanding of their internal situation.


    Therefore, this time they brought along a lot of food and water.


    In the vehicle, they also brought two rocket launchers, carrying 6 rounds of ammunition. These rounds were loaded onto the roof of the car, looking extremely formidable.


    If they could clarify their internal movements, they would fire directly at them with rocket launchers next, taking out that Mr. Wang...


    The vehicle moved quickly, but despite the fine weather earlier, it started to drizzle at 11 a.m.


    Li Yu, seeing the weather, couldn''t help but curse.


    Why does it seem like every time they come out to deal with enemies, it always rains? It was the same when they went to deal with the Salvation Army last time.


    Seeing the sun still there, Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief.


    A sunshower, no big deal. At least the zombies won''t come out too much.


    This time each person carried about 400 bullets, including submachine guns and handguns, all kinds of bullets, totaling up to more than 8000 rounds.


    It sounds like a lot, but if they encounter a dense Zombie Tide, it would only last a few waves, and in the end, they would have to resort to Long Knives.


    That was why Captain Lv and others used up all their bullets last time, because they had to use up all their ammunition when they were chased by zombies.


    Once they ran out of bullets, they could only rely on close-quarters combat with real knives and real guns.


    The sunshower lasted a while, but as it rained, it started to pour harder, and a stretch of dark clouds slowly approached from the horizon.


    Seeing this, Li Yu, who had been watching the sky, couldn''t help but curse inside.


    Damn it...


    Not a day earlier, not a day later, it just had to rain today when they came out.


    And it started as a sunshower, but now it was turning into a heavy rain.


    Speechless.


    Li Yu, looking at Li Tie in front of him who was observing the map, asked: "Tiezi, how much farther to go?"


    Li Tie looked at the position on the map and then recalled a mark they had passed on the road, pointing to one of the villages and said, "We are here."


    Then he pointed to another place and said, "Harmony Garden is here."


    Li Yu looked at the map and roughly calculated the distance, about 20 kilometers.


    This is just...


    He thought for a moment and asked Li Gang to fly the drone.


    Try to find a place to rest nearby, as they had been driving for almost five hours already. Although they were close to Harmony Garden, it was definitely not suitable to engage them under these conditions.


    Have some rest first, eat something, drink some water, especially now that it''s raining, and if the rain gets heavier, zombies might come out, and driving in the rain becomes more troublesome and dangerous.


    Li Gang flew the drone up, looking down at the surroundings from a high altitude, searching for some reliable buildings.


    The vehicle continued to move forward, searching for suitable buildings around.


    He searched on the screen for suitable buildings in the vicinity, but didn''t see any significantly tall buildings around.


    In such places, there are rarely such tall buildings, but in the post-apocalyptic world, the experience everyone has learned is to try to find high buildings to more safely resist the zombies.


    After all, once a Zombie Tide forms, one has to rely on buildings for defense, then take advantage of the terrain to resist the zombie onslaught.


    Suddenly, Li Gang saw through the screen that there was a small road ahead. Going down the road, there was a huge cement factory ruin.


    The buildings of this cement factory were very high, nearly 9 stories tall, but looked extremely simple.


    "Big brother, shall we go there?" Li Gang pointed to the cement factory on the screen and said.


    Li Yu looked at the cement factory and then said, "Okay, let''s check it out."


    Then he asked Li Haoran, who was driving, to head there, and in the stormy weather, it was a bit hard to see the road ahead clearly.


    Especially on this small road, which had not been walked or driven on for a long time, so many weeds had grown on the surface. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it weren''t for the visibly raised large patch, they couldn''t determine that this place was originally a road!


    The rain became heavier, and as it rained, the weather gradually darkened.


    The sky grew slowly darker, and Li Yu''s mood also became less pleasant.


    The cement factory was not far, only 200 meters away. The factory was huge, surrounded by many abandoned buildings and many pieces of steel material, unknown what they were used for in the past.


    Looking at the several buildings nearby, the tallest one was shaped like a water tower, but the building was surrounded by gaps, using a style of gaps to enclose, leaving large gaps between bricks.


    The building, though high, was definitely hard to live in, being originally high and very windy at the top, surely very cold to stay in.


    Li Yu looked at a circular building next to it, which was also about 9 meters high.


    The lowest part had a door 3 meters high, topped with a large iron ring hanging in the middle.

 Chapter 287 - 279: Third Uncles Story

    Under this cylindrical cement door, covered with rust, it appears that a single push would cause it to topple over.


    But inside, it connects to a Rock Mountain at the far end, which is composed of limestone. Aside from an abandoned cement factory, there was also a lime factory that was still in operation.


    Now, after the apocalypse, very little vegetation can be found on Lime Mountain.


    This Rock Mountain, having been frequently mined in the past, has now been shaped into a steep slope, difficult to climb from all sides.


    Behind this Lime Mountain, operations had been halted, and a house had been constructed on top.


    Upon seeing this place, Li Yu felt it was quite suitable.


    Stepping out of the car, raindrops fell upon his raincoat, splattering and raising sprays of water.


    Li Tie also got out of the car, and then the two of them tried to push the large iron gate open. The gate was somewhat stuck, having not been opened for a long time. They exerted all their strength as if nursing, but still, it would not budge.


    Behind them, Dapao and Li Gang among others saw this scene and also got out to help.


    Once out of the car, everyone pushed the gate together.


    The iron gate creaked, and rust flakes fell from above.


    In the rain, with everyone''s combined effort, they finally managed to push open the rust-covered iron gate.


    Bang!


    The supporting core of the gate behind broke open, and one side of the gate twisted and collapsed onto the ground.


    ....


    They had thought that if it was so hard to push open, perhaps it could be closed later.


    After the big iron gate was pushed open, there was a circular space inside.


    It was empty, with a spiral pattern, and a series of steps wound upwards.


    At the very top, a large hollow iron ring hung. It had a distinct industrial vibe.


    "We can''t fit the cars in here, so let''s park them outside and surround the gate. As for the gate... hmm, no need to worry about it now," said Li Yu standing inside.


    The circular cement structure echoed with Li Yu''s words.


    Everyone got out of the car, took down the things that needed to be brought out, and followed Li Yu as they climbed the steps.


    This cylindrical building connected to a bridge about 7 meters high, which was not very long, only about five meters.


    But it angled upwards, and this small Lime Mountain was much higher than the 9-meter building, standing over a dozen meters tall.


    Li Tie and the others arranged the vehicles around the gate to form a circle and stopped, then removed the car keys.


    Thump Thump Thump


    Raindrops beat upon the abandoned metal equipment around them.


    Li Yu and others walked up the cylinder, which was quite thick, about over 3 meters, and at the height of six to seven meters, a roof was built with bricks and stones.


    Over twenty people crowded on it, but after crossing the cement bridge, they could reach the house on top of Lime Mountain, which was close by.


    The surrounding areas of Lime Mountain had been mined, so the slopes were steep cliffs, nearly at ninety degrees. It would be difficult for zombies, let alone people, to climb this small mountain without tools.


    Li Yu led the people up the stairs, with railings on both sides. The structure was very sturdy, although some large exposed rebars were visible, which served side evidence of the solid construction materials!


    Upon ascending the stairs, the front was all cement ground, and behind was the house. The house had only three rooms, but each was quite large, and they could accommodate them all.


    It was unclear whether this place was previously used for some employees'' accommodations, but there were several double beds in each of the three rooms, all covered with dust.


    "Let''s settle here." Li Yu put down the items, deeming the place safe enough.


    Everyone found a corner and began to put down what they were carrying.


    Outside, the sound of rain was heavy, while droplets tapped rhythmically on the steps below the eaves.


    "You guys rest over here. Yutong, Song Min, and Shang Xue''er, you three girls share a room. Everyone else find a place to rest," Li Yu instructed.


    "Alright."


    "Alright."


    ...


    The group echoed in agreement.


    Third Uncle headed straight up to the cylindrical building and then, after thinking for a moment, placed a rope by the roadside, hanging some bells from it. It was the simplest kind of alarm.


    Inside the cylindrical structure, there were some windows as well, but they had no glass, just leaving a gap, not too wide, but since there were two windows, a draft was created, and the wind and rain from outside were blowing in heavily.


    Third Uncle set up a makeshift tent in one spot.


    Seeing this, Li Yu approached and said, "Third Uncle, why don''t you sleep in that room over there? It might be too cold out here. We''ll have someone on duty watching at all times."


    Third Uncle lit a cigarette with a snap, took a couple of puffs, and said, "It''s fine. It''s all the same over here."


    Li Yu observed Third Uncle for a moment, then didn''t persist further.


    So, the two of them on top of the cylindrical building had a sporadic chat.


    Outside the window the rain drizzled down, and who knows how long it would continue to fall. Whenever it rained, the zombies would go berserk...


    Sigh...


    Li Yu let out a sigh as strands of rain drifted in, carrying the scent of tree leaves.


    "Third Uncle, why did you decide to leave the military back then?" Li Yu suddenly asked.


    Flicking away the ash, Third Uncle''s eyes carried a reminisce, rousing many memories. Unsure of how to begin, he sighed and said, "I offended someone."


    These four simple words from Third Uncle were laden with endless regret.


    It wasn''t regret for having offended someone, rather, after that battle, he clearly had an opportunity...


    Li Yu didn''t press on with more questions. Since Third Uncle seemed reluctant to elaborate, Li Yu didn''t feel it appropriate to pry.


    After all, it wasn''t important anymore. It''s all in the past, and now it''s the post-apocalyptic era.


    Although cruel, it had also broken many invisible chains.


    "Li Yu, you''ve done well," Third Uncle said with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.


    Caught off guard by the sincere praise, and especially from an elder, Li Yu felt a bit awkward and wasn''t sure how to respond.


    Just as Li Yu didn''t know how to reply, a voice came through: "Third Uncle, Brother Yu, let''s have something to eat."


    Yutong came over with two buckets of braised beef noodles. These buckets were nearly at their expiration date, but for people in the post-apocalyptic world, as long as it wasn''t spoiled, the slightly inferior taste wasn''t an issue.


    Li Yu took the noodles handed over by Yutong, opened them up, and to his surprise, found some real braised beef inside.


    "What''s this?" Li Yu asked, somewhat puzzled, as Yutong was in charge of logistics this time.


    "Auntie said you''ve all been working hard outside, so she canned some beef. Everyone has got some," Yutong said softly.


    As the noodles soaked in the hot water, they released a strong fragrance, which mixed with the scent of the beef that had been stewed for hours. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The aroma made Li Yu and Third Uncle''s mouths water.

 Chapter 288 - 280: The Climbing Zombie!

    Slurp~


    Li Yu sucked up a mouthful of noodles, then picked up two slices of beef, a full sense of satisfaction enveloping him.


    Yutong just sat beside him, quietly watching.


    "Have you eaten?" Li Yu looked at the girl beside him and asked.


    "I just ate. Eat slowly, don''t choke," Yutong whispered.


    After speaking, she handed over the thermos: "Have some water."


    "Mm, okay. Do you want to eat some more?" Li Yu picked up a piece of beef and offered it to Yutong.


    Yutong was about to say you eat it, but seeing that Li Yu had already picked it up, she slightly opened her mouth and ate the piece of beef.


    Yutong''s mouth was small, and the piece of beef was rather large, chewing with her cheeks puffed out.


    The two didn''t speak again, and it was very quiet.


    One person ate, while the other watched him eat.


    One, tall and slender, was in casual clothes covered by an anti-explosion suit but still couldn''t hide his remarkably streamlined figure.


    The other, with a graceful physique, similarly dressed in an anti-explosion suit, with curves well outlined to just the right degree.


    Third Uncle felt the noodles in his bowl were a bit salty, so he pulled an orange out of his backpack.


    Peeling the skin, the juice from the orange peel splattered.


    In the air, there was a faint scent of oranges.


    Many orange trees were planted within the base, and this area was quite famous for its cultivation. The soil was perfectly suitable; Gannan oranges, popular in 108 countries worldwide!


    Peeling off the skin to reveal the tender flesh inside, Third Uncle broke off a piece and put it into his mouth, experiencing the sweet explosion unique to oranges on his taste buds.


    Sweet but not cloying, fragrant but not vulgar.


    Most importantly, this orange was very juicy; eating one was like drinking half a cup of water.


    Li Yu finished the noodles in his bowl and, smelling the orange aroma, his taste memory made him crave an orange, too. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this, Third Uncle tossed an orange to Li Yu, who caught it with one hand.


    Third Uncle continued, "These oranges are all grown by us, homegrown ones are the best. Back when I was in the army, every October and November, I would think of the oranges from home."


    He sighed with emotion.


    Li Yu peeled the orange and shared half with Yutong, sweet and delightful.


    He recalled when he used to study abroad, often asking someone to bring him some oranges. This person left a deep impression on him; he even remembered their WeChat ID: ling495778992, with the nickname Tsinghua.


    It''s been a long time since he saw them, and he didn''t know how they were doing. He remembered, before the apocalypse, many people sought them out to buy oranges.


    Now was the orange season, and it was also a season with lots of rain.


    ...


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud noise, followed by a series of urgent bell sounds.


    Ding-dong-ding~


    Third Uncle immediately stood up and then looked outside the window, only to see dozens of zombies appear.


    They were pouring in towards them, with the nearest few zombies already reaching the cars outside the gate.


    Several cars blocked the zombies'' advance, but near the closest gate, there was a small gap between the off-road vehicle and the gate. The zombies desperately tried to squeeze through the gap, but the gap was too small, making it hard for them to get through.


    "Yutong, get Tiezi and the others over here!" Li Yu instructed.


    As soon as his words fell, Yutong donned her raincoat and walked towards that building through the curtain of rain.


    In just a few minutes, Li Tie and the rest of the group arrived, noticing the zombies outside the vehicle, and as time passed, more and more of them appeared.


    Under the normal sun, zombies are particularly weak, with low agility and extremely stiff limbs; hence, even encountering a horizontal bar can pose a significant obstacle for them.


    But when it rains, for some unknown reason, zombies'' overall abilities are enhanced; the four-meter-high Unimog can completely withstand the zombies, but the height of that SUV is quite low, especially the front, which is just over one meter.


    Watching these zombies tirelessly burrow into that gap, the vehicle''s front bumper was polished to a shine.


    The downpour continued, and the sky grew darker and darker.


    Below, the zombies still surrounded them, Li Yu turned on the high beams and looked farther away.


    He breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, not too many zombies had appeared; otherwise, things would become troublesome.


    "Brother Yu, should we go down there and deal with them?" Li Tie couldn''t help but ask.


    The sounds of these zombies were too grating, with a crunchy gnawing of teeth that left one''s own teeth feeling sour after listening.


    Li Yu looked at the zombies continuously rubbing against the car, making unpleasant noises, and was about to speak when one of the zombies looked up.


    It opened its mouth wide; rainwater poured in at an angle. It let out a shriek.


    It forcefully squeezed forward, and then, that zombie climbed onto the vehicle and moved toward the interior.


    "Don''t go down, just stay up here," Li Yu said.


    The scene just now was not unusual; under the torrential rain, the zombies'' agility was much higher than under the sun; they had also understood this in previous Zombie Tides.


    That''s why Li Yu chose such a place, a cylindrical building over seven meters high with only a staircase winding up and no handrails.


    They just needed to defend from the side of the stairs and take care of any zombies that climbed up.


    Since the staircase was narrow, only allowing two people to pass side by side.


    So standing on top, they would only need to deal with two zombies at a time.


    Moreover, they had the advantage of higher ground, allowing them to attack the zombies below.


    A zombie ran up, wandering around the circular space below, shrieking, filling the entire space with the echoing sound of its howls.


    Damn.


    Li Yu didn''t say to take action; everyone just got ready.


    One zombie came in, followed by another, like a droplet causing ripples, more and more zombies trampled over the SUV and climbed inside.


    "It seems that next time we should get a taller vehicle; this SUV is too low," Li Yu commented.


    Subsequently, the first zombie that came in reached the bottom of the stairs and began walking upwards.


    Its speed was slow, indicating that its limbs were still somewhat stiff.


    Li Yu and the others waited above, choosing this place primarily because there was a bridge behind them; if there were too many zombies and the pile of killed bodies became too high, they could still move to Rock Mountain.


    The zombie climbed the stairs slowly but eventually reached in front of Li Yu and his companions.


    The zombie, with a menacing display of teeth and claws, lunged towards them, only to be pierced through the skull by a spear and pushed down by a long stick.


    Thud!


    The zombie fell straight to the ground.


    But the zombies behind continued relentlessly, step by step heading up the stairs.


    It was now uncertain how many zombies were around, and venturing out blindly could easily lead to encirclement. The most effortless and straightforward method was to find a high point and stand there, gradually eliminating the zombies one by one.

 Chapter 289 - 281: Zombies Are Coming In!

    Li Tie stood guard at the entrance to these steps, with a dozen or so zombies continuously climbing up, only to be quickly stabbed down with a spear.


    Dapao, holding a stick, cooperated from the side��every time Li Tie pierced a zombie, Dapao would push it down with the stick.


    Outside, the rain was still drizzling.


    Zombies had already flooded in, and it looked like there were dozens of them.


    In such remote places, there would typically be fewer zombies, but in this vast country with abundant resources, there were populations in many places.


    Even some desolate-looking areas could harbor a surprising number of people, far beyond your imagination.


    Especially in the rain, zombies'' sense of smell would become particularly keen, allowing them to scent prey from far away, so they would chase over from great distances.


    This was difficult; it was one of the most challenging aspects of braving a torrential downpour in the post-apocalyptic world: it was hard to hide...


    Li Yu stood at the window looking outside; there were only a few scattered zombies remaining. The dozens that had given chase had mostly entered the building beneath this cylindrical structure.


    These relentless zombies ran upwards, and due to the congestion, some were squeezed and fell mid-climb.


    The rest of the zombies continued to surge upwards in a frenzy, as if possessed.


    Third Uncle and Li Gang came over to help as well, with two spears and two sticks, working in tandem.


    Thrust��the spear pierced through a zombie''s skull.


    Thud��a stick pushed a zombie down to crash onto the concrete floor below.


    The zombie''s head struck the rebar below and was impaled.


    Similar to a string of calabashes, several zombies were punctured by that 3-centimeter-thick rebar.


    The rhythm of the four men grew swifter and their coordination more seamless.


    The others, too, wielding spears, now assisted from around the steps.


    "Be careful everyone, don''t let the zombies grab you, don''t get dragged down!" Li Yu saw Haoran stumble a bit as he pulled his spear out from a zombie that hadn''t come out smoothly.


    "Better to lose your stick than to be dragged down!" Li Yu reiterated.


    Although there were some rebars as barriers here, one could easily be dragged down by zombies if not careful.


    "Got it!" Everyone echoed.


    ...


    The rain kept pouring.


    After 5 minutes, they had dealt with all the zombies below, all of them impaled.


    The cylindrical space had excellent acoustics, so during the continuous howling of the zombies just now, everyone was a bit deafened.


    Now that the zombie noise had stopped and the rain was floating outside the window,


    The entire space suddenly quieted down, with only... the sound of everyone''s breathing.


    Everyone was still feeling on edge; who knew that this dreadful place could harbor so many zombies��it was too tricky.


    But they had resolved it, after all.


    It''s just that seeing the zombies lying all over the ground was distressing. Moreover, many zombies had landed on top of each other after falling, resembling tombstones somewhat.


    Now it was dark outside, pitch-black, while inside the building it was bright. A few bright searchlights cast their light on the smooth concrete walls, reflecting a brightness akin to daylight.


    Drip, drip...


    Some rainwater, carried by the wind, drifted in and fell onto the ground, gathering into a small puddle before dripping down further.


    Outside, the rain continued to pour heavily.


    Li Yu looked at the zombies'' corpses scattered about below and decided, "Let''s clear the steps. Although it''s full of zombies down there, this place seems to be the safest around."


    Li Yu felt somewhat helpless; in such heavy rain, it was best to avoid encountering zombies as much as possible.


    Because the longer you stay in the rain, the more zombies there will be.


    And now, it was uncertain whether more zombies would come attracted by the scent.


    Li Tie and Dapao, along with several others, slowly walked towards the stairs; although they had taken care of the zombies, they decided to be cautious.


    They insisted on making sure each zombie was finished off with an extra blow, not sparing even those that were skewered together.


    When outside, it''s best to be vigilant.


    ...


    Less than 20 kilometers from them was Harmony Garden. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the moment, Harmony Garden was also enduring a desperate struggle.


    Due to its large size, Harmony Garden had many potential breaches, and despite having erected iron fences early on, it was inevitable some would become loose.


    Even with regular inspections, there''s always the chance for unexpected events to happen; the very thing you worry about is often what comes to pass.


    To the east of Harmony Garden once bloomed a beautiful field of rapeseed that had attracted many tourists for photo ops before the apocalypse.


    After the apocalypse began, the rapeseed was uprooted to plant the more resilient corn.


    An iron fence, over thirty meters long, had one bar come loose, with many zombies pressing against it from behind.


    This spot in Harmony Garden was close to a village��quite a large one at that��and the town itself was also significant, so every time it rained, many zombies would be attracted to their location.


    Every rainfall brought Mr. Wang distress; Old Zhou and his team had left Harmony Garden several days ago and had yet to return.


    With over a hundred people in Harmony Garden, those that left with Old Zhou were among the most capable, so their departure had left the remaining group somewhat short-handed.


    In the midst of the storm, the people of Harmony Garden were generally lined up around the iron fence, spearing zombies. If zombies were allowed to gather in one place and their numbers grew, accidents would be likely to occur, so ideally, any zombies appearing near the fences would be dealt with quickly.


    The hundred-plus members of Harmony Garden worked tirelessly, each person responsible for a stretch of ground, clearing out the zombies within their area. Yet sometimes they needed to move, as the number of zombies in each spot was unpredictable.


    Due to the erratic appearances of zombies, they were forced to keep running, exhausting themselves.


    During a moment of inattention on the eastern side, a small gap had appeared, and suddenly a zombie squeezed through, screeching as it ran inside.


    And at that exact moment, the man responsible for that area had just gone to assist another person.


    In the downpour, the zombies'' screams were muffled significantly.


    No one noticed that a zombie had already snuck in.


    A second zombie squeezed through, followed by a third, and then a fourth...


    "Zombies are getting in!!!" The man on his right, about twenty meters away, had just finished off the zombies in front of him and took a moment to scan the surroundings. This glance nearly petrified him.


    There was a gap nearby, with zombies streaming in one after another.


    No sooner had the words left his mouth, five gazes were cast in that direction. But because that area was a cornfield, the vision of three individuals was obstructed.

 Chapter 290 - 282: Enduring the Hardships

    The crowd ran over, and the man who was originally on duty at this spot was distressed to see zombies entering.


    They ran over, and the spear pierced through a zombie that had just squeezed in.


    However, in the next second, another zombie squeezed in from outside, and the man quickly reacted and dealt with this zombie as well.


    The others that followed were also eager to help. Through numerous experiences, they knew the best way was to block the breach with the bodies of zombies, simple, efficient, and convenient.


    In this small gap, as the zombies had not yet fully entered, they stabbed a few zombies to death. By the time around three zombies were piled up outside the gap, it was difficult for more zombies to squeeze through.


    "Wang Yong, what happened? Why weren''t you here just now?" A man rushed over and said irritably.


    "I was just helping him," Wang Yong glanced at the skinny young man beside him. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The skinny young man nodded and added, "A lot of zombies suddenly came over to my spot, and he came over to help me. Now is not the time to point fingers; we need to quickly find the zombies that just came in, as we don''t know where they ran off to."


    The slightly older man said, "Then let''s quickly ring the security bell to alert everyone that zombies have entered. Ah, the problem is we don''t know how many got in! So annoying."


    The skinny man took off running and said, "Keep an eye out for me; I''ll go ring the security bell."


    The sound of the security bell was loud, generally not to be rung, as it would attract zombies, but that wasn''t a concern now since there were already many zombies outside. Moreover, zombies have a better sense of smell than vision in the heavy rain.


    Perhaps for zombies, they hadn''t even heard the bell sound but had already smelled the human scent here.


    The skinny man had reached the bell and was about to ring it when a person approached him; seeing the skinny man''s actions, he exclaimed in shock, "Damn it, how did zombies get in?"


    The skinny man had no time to respond; ringing the bell even a second earlier meant one more second of vigilance for everyone.


    Dang dang dang~~


    The bell sound, like a sharp blade, sliced through the rainy night, adding to the roaring sound of rain and screams. It spread all around.


    But just as he rang the bell, another person, focused on zombies in a different direction, was caught unaware that a zombie had slipped behind him without him imagining that a zombie could be in their base!


    The zombie was also growling, but because many zombies were growling in front as well, it took a moment to distinguish this growl from behind.


    Dang dang~~


    When the bell sound had just passed over, he turned back surprised, but in that instant, a gaping bloody mouth bit toward him, close enough that he could smell the fetid scent from the zombie''s mouth, strong and utterly foul.


    Thunk!


    Due to the proximity, he couldn''t react in time and was bitten directly in the neck, blood spurting out.


    Scattering in the air.


    The zombies outside, upon smelling the blood, grew even more excited, pounding forcefully on the iron bars, bang bang bang!


    The iron bars, under the impact of these frenzied zombies, began to slightly shake.


    These iron bars were supposed to be extremely sturdy.


    As the zombie tore at the man, after being bitten in the neck and bleeding, he did not immediately die. He staggered back violently and fell to the ground.


    The newly ambushed Zombie lunged again. The man stood his spear upright, aiming it at the Zombie just as it pounced, piercing it straight through.


    However, what was pierced was its belly; the upper half of the Zombie still clawed ferociously, the man''s face covered in liquid.


    It was unclear whether they were tears of pain or rainwater.


    The man felt somewhat desperate, looking at another person not far away, trying to make some noise to alert him.


    Ding Ding Ding~


    The alert bell rang again. Everyone in Harmony Garden scrutinized their surroundings to check for the appearance of Zombies.


    At this moment, some people noticed the man who had been pounced on by the Zombie.


    They rushed forward to help.


    With a gush! The Zombie was dispatched with a single knife.


    Three or four people surrounded the man, whose neck had been bitten by the Zombie, their faces filled with sorrow, sharing in the sadness like the proverbial mourning of a fox for a dead rabbit.


    Now that Zombies have appeared within the base, they must be eradicated swiftly. Otherwise, allowing Zombies to roam within the base would be dangerous since some individuals lack the ability to resist.


    Five minutes later, Mr. Wang arrived at the scene. He had felt a foreboding sense when he heard the alert bell sound.


    "You guys, form a temporary team right now and deal with these Zombies in the base," Mr. Wang instructed a skinny man and a few others to search for Zombies within the base.


    "And you guys, the priority now is to re-check the iron bars on our side once again to see if there are any issues. I don''t want such an event to happen again." Mr. Wang''s expression was one of sorrow, as he often spoke with the man who had been killed by the Zombie.


    Now he was dead.


    "Okay, Mr. Wang," everyone complied obediently to Mr. Wang''s orders.


    "Everyone else hurry back to your positions." Mr. Wang felt somewhat headache. If only he hadn''t built such a large farm initially, defending such a vast area now was truly difficult.


    Especially since Old Zhou and others were not around, and even though it was just about a dozen fewer people, in such situations, manpower was indeed needed.


    Originally, they had a relatively complete defense mechanism with their fixed manpower. Now, suddenly missing more than a dozen people, and the recent incident of a Zombie breaching into the base, had started to worry them.


    People dispersed.


    "Sigh!" Mr. Wang sighed, with Zombies now infiltrating the base and unknown numbers, this was the most troublesome part because not knowing how many had entered kept it weighing on their minds.


    After all, no one wants to be attacked by a Zombie while sleeping. No one wants a Zombie to suddenly bite your neck while you''re fighting off others.....


    This was like a sharp blade hanging over their heads, always at the risk of falling. That time during the last Zombie Tide, they had defended Harmony Garden, but lives were also lost.


    Mr. Wang looked compassionately at the Zombies outside; once, they were also humans.


    But then he glared fiercely at the Zombies outside; now they were merely beasts.


    Rain poured down, making the iron bars extremely slippery. Fortunately, the gaps in the iron bars were small, preventing the Zombies from squeezing through.


    Everyone was enduring, enduring the dwindling number of Zombies, enduring this persistent rain.

 Chapter 291 - 283: Calming Incantation

    This rain has been going on for a long time, filling the air with an indescribable scent.


    It''s oppressive, desperate, mournful.


    Li Tie and the others in the building finished off these zombies with mercy stabs, then they came upstairs, still a bit wet from the rain.


    Drip-drop, drip-drop~


    The rain outside the window was drizzling into the building.


    "Alright, you guys go and rest first. Third Uncle, Haoran, and I will keep watch here; later, you can come and take over the duty," Li Yu said.


    Li Tie and the others nodded and then all left for the house at the back of the small hill.


    The night deepened.


    Yutong stayed by Li Yu''s side for a while then also left to rest in the house over there.


    Li Yu gazed out into the rainy night, shifting his body slightly to the side, allowing the rain to sprinkle into the building.


    Inside the building, the light was kept on to save power, with just one lamp turned on.


    The lamplight shone down on the main entrance. Just earlier, Li Tie and the others had roughly blocked the doorway with an iron door, piling up some other discarded items.


    They had wanted to drive a vehicle in to block the entrance, but it was not a good fit in terms of height and width, so they gave up.


    They had simply set up a temporary barrier which could hold off the zombies for a bit if they came.


    "Haoran, get some rest in the sleeping bag," Li Yu suggested upon seeing Li Haoran standing beside, spear in hand, looking vigilant.


    Li Haoran shook his head and said, "Big brother, I''m not tired; let''s keep watch together. We need to be careful out here, isn''t that why you asked me to stay? To have more eyes on things?"


    Li Yu smiled, not objecting: "Okay."


    Third Uncle took out an apple from his bag and began to crunch away.


    Third Uncle''s bag was like a treasure trove, always producing some fruit, but Li Yu was not surprised, knowing Third Uncle''s fondness for fruit.


    Then Li Yu looked up at the night sky, pitch-black.


    He would often feel suddenly emo, overwhelmed by a wave of sadness.


    In front of a window, Li Yu lit a cigarette.


    Sizzle sizzle sizzle~


    The cigarette crackled as it burned in the flame.


    The smoke was scattered by the rain, wafting, drifting away.


    Suddenly, Li Yu felt an inexplicable sadness, his brows furrowing slightly.


    In his value system, reshaped countless times, before his rebirth, he had honed himself to a beast-like nature in his solitary existence.


    Cold-blooded, brutal, fierce.


    Proud like a lone wolf, in darkness, in danger, he found a trembling excitement; facing danger, he felt thrilled. He once thought he had become a psychopath.


    After his rebirth, the warmth of family and friends moistened his parched heart, and he began to retract his sharp edges, treating everyone in the base with a tenderness like a gentle breeze.


    An inexplicable sense of loneliness, he remembered, before his rebirth, during a flight from danger, a person he thought, he believed to be his best friend, a person with whom he shared a bond of life and death.


    Unexpectedly, during one Zombie Tide, to buy some time for him, pushed Li Yu towards the zombies.


    Li Yu was lucky; he didn''t die in that instance.


    However, it became difficult for him to trust anyone again, just as now, he always felt he couldn''t trust anyone around him, yet he forced himself to trust.


    Because, even the thought that his parents might not be trustworthy had flashed through his mind.


    This pained him, drove him to despair. If even parents couldn''t be trusted, what meaning was there left for him to live, to protect.


    He was adjusting himself, forcing himself away from the idea of destroying the world.


    Contradiction, conflict.


    He is clearly a warm person, clearly someone who easily takes pity.


    It''s his nature, it''s in his genes.


    But in this situation, he is extremely cold-blooded, filled with hostility.


    Both temperaments merged, eventually leading to calmness.


    He took a deep drag of smoke.


    "Life is beautiful, protect the family." Li Yu muttered.


    "Ice cold through eons, all things remain silent, intentions and breath serene, I stand alone as a divine being, mind and spirit becoming one, with breath following suit, intermingling as if excess, unfazed through myriad transformations..." He recited the Taoist Calming Incantation several times.


    In less than a few minutes, Li Yu had returned to normal.


    That state of doubting everything and wanting to destroy all, though it occurred occasionally, he quickly dispelled it.


    ....


    Harmony Garden, everyone is having a tough time.


    Because of the rain, because of the night.


    Resisting the zombies is extremely troublesome, though they do have some flashlights and other lighting equipment; still, they are in short supply.


    Especially now, with a few zombies having broken into the base, it makes it hard for people inside Harmony Garden to feel at ease.


    At night, they continue to resist the zombies, with some having not had a morsel of food.


    Starving beyond endurance, but they can only force themselves to keep going because retreating meant certain doom.


    Everyone is fighting hard, precisely because of the scarcity of supplies, which is why they went to that place Xie Liuhai spoke of.


    But unexpectedly, they never returned.


    Mr. Wang and that skinny man went to search for hidden zombies together, which are like ticking time bombs waiting to explode.


    They must be dealt with swiftly.


    The lighting in the rain made distant objects hard to discern.


    Suddenly, an angry curse was heard: "Damn it, you dare to ambush me?!"


    It came from the left, and people hurriedly moved in that direction.


    The crowd saw a large and robust man lying next to a zombie, whose limbs had been chopped off and head split in two by the man.


    Mr. Wang checked the man for wounds and said, "Old Zheng, you weren''t bitten, were you?"


    Old Zheng patted himself down, still shaken as he said, "That was a close call, but I reacted quickly. Don''t worry, I wasn''t bitten. Damn it, there are still zombies inside the base. If it wasn''t for the alarm bell''s reminder, making me more cautious, I might have been bitten just now. How many more are there?"


    Mr. Wang, hearing Old Zheng''s question, didn''t know how to respond for a moment because he also didn''t know how many zombies were still inside the base.


    Thinking of this, Mr. Wang looked resentfully at the skinny man beside him.


    Even though the zombies'' entry this time had no direct connection to him, it was still infuriating.


    "Let''s go search the area. Let''s deal with all these zombies as soon as possible," Mr. Wang said.


    A few people continued to search around Harmony Garden, braving the rain, and after circling the grounds, found two more zombies.


    This made a total of four zombies that had breached inside.


    But the people still didn''t dare to stop there; the number of zombies outside the perimeter was gradually decreasing, giving those guarding the fence some respite. sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although it was a large place, there was one downside; because the area was vast and only a single layer of fencing blocked the zombies, defense was particularly strenuous.


    They also wanted to build another wall, but the food issue was even more severe, even more crucial.


    Therefore, the project kept getting postponed, and gathering materials to construct the wall around was especially troublesome, with human labor being a major concern.

 Chapter 292 - 284: Observing the Surroundings

    Overnight without sleep.


    People in Harmony Garden, worried about undiscovered zombies in the base, searched all night long.


    During the night, someone was bitten by a zombie, but was later found by Mr. Wang and others, and dealt with.


    Yet, precisely because such an incident occurred again, everyone dared not let their guard down, dared not rest, and dared not sleep.


    Dawn broke.


    The rain continued to fall, with fewer zombies outside the iron railing.


    After a night of stabbing and killing, the ground outside was littered with the bodies of zombies.


    Everyone was extremely exhausted, but upon seeing reduced pressure around the iron railings at dawn, the number of people in the search team increased to 40, performing a sweeping search of Harmony Garden.


    Everyone lined up and searched ahead.


    Finally, in the cornfield on the right, amidst the tall corn crops, the last zombie was found.


    After an all-around search, everyone finally felt relieved. Thus, they let some people rest while the rest continued to keep watch.


    They also repaired the culprit''s gap.


    No one dared to let their guard down again, because letting in even one could allow it to appear behind you.


    This time, after a bloody lesson, everyone was extremely vigilant.


    Everyone was utterly worn out and wanted to rest.


    Though they had eaten something, the previous night was painful both physically and psychologically for them.


    Not everyone could handle it as calmly as those at Li Yu''s base.


    Last night, at the same time at Li Yu''s Headquarters Base,


    They too encountered zombies, several hundred of them.


    But because of the 10-meter-high reinforced concrete walls, invulnerably hard,


    And exceptionally wide, their wall was no longer just a wall, it was practically a city wall.


    Because it was made of reinforced concrete, this wall was much more solid than ancient city walls.


    Since there were no worries about them breaking in, and zombies were unlikely to climb over, let alone breach the wall, it''s important to remember that even underground, the foundation was fortified up to 3 meters.


    Therefore, Second Uncle, Uncle, and others had an easy time defending against zombies from atop the wall.


    Previously, Li Yu had considered what to do if they ran out of bullets, so they had chopped some trees outside, melted some steel to form arrowheads, and together made some arrows.


    They rarely used the original carbon fiber arrows.


    It was definite to first use items they could produce themselves before resorting to irreplaceable items.


    Second Uncle and others on the wall, because the incoming zombies were not many, and now that the wall had been reinforced and heightened,


    Appeared very calm, taking up crossbows on the wall to compete, seeing who could kill more zombies.


    Compared to those at Harmony Garden, Second Uncle and his group''s state seemed more like they were in a hunting competition.


    Except what they hunted was not animals, but zombies.


    ...


    At 9 AM, the sun came out.


    20 kilometers from Harmony Garden, in a unique structure,


    Thud, thud!


    Two large iron doors were pushed open and fell down, making two muffled noises.


    "Big brother, the rain has lessened a lot outside!" Li Haoran, with dark circles under his eyes, said to Li Yu.


    The dark circles weren''t very noticeable, but one glance could tell Li Haoran didn''t sleep well last night.


    Li Yu stood up from the chair, a type of portable chair, which they had also brought along.


    Looking out the window, indeed, the rain had lessened a lot.


    "Let everyone rest a bit more. There''s still rain outside; we''ll set off after it stops." Last night, they had rotated four shifts, and everyone got some rest.


    But not everyone can fall asleep, only someone as abnormal as Li Yu could enter light sleep within 10 seconds after his shift ended.


    "Alright."


    "Alright." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright."


    ...


    Everyone responded in agreement.


    It was still early, so there was time for breakfast.


    After breakfast, feeling a bit listless, everyone casually discussed how to handle the situation with Harmony Garden later.


    The man in the sweatshirt just stood at the edge, listening to them discuss the attack on Harmony Garden.


    With a face showing helplessness and fear, he wondered why they were discussing such matters openly without avoiding him.


    The man in the sweatshirt realized one thing: ignoring someone means one of two things��1, it''s unrelated to you and won''t harm your interests.


    2, it doesn''t matter because you are about to die.


    When someone discusses you openly, especially in your presence, and without any reservations, it means, they don''t intend to let him live till the end.


    How desperate. The man in the sweatshirt was very hungry and really wanted to eat something.


    ...


    The rain outside gradually lightened, finally leaving only a misty, slanting drizzle.


    Everyone waited inside the building, not wasting time.


    God knows why, but there were a few decks of cards in the Unimog, so some people simply played poker.


    Li Yu didn''t stop them, after all, there was really nothing else to do, and a little entertainment was okay.


    As long as it didn''t interfere with serious matters.


    Li Yu was very open-minded about this.


    After waiting for another half an hour, the rain stopped outside.


    Everyone then loaded their gear into the vehicles and checked their firearms and ammunition.


    After ensuring there were no issues or items missing, they headed towards Harmony Garden.


    The road was slippery after the rain, so everyone was instructed to reduce their speed to avoid accidents.


    After all, since they had made it this far, they had to be extra careful.


    Twenty kilometers passed in a blink of an eye.


    At this moment, Li Yu stood about 150 meters away from Harmony Garden, looking at the distant buildings.


    He removed the gag from the sweatshirt man''s mouth, pointed towards Harmony Garden, and asked, "Is that the place you mentioned, Harmony Garden?"


    "Do you know how many entrances there are?" Li Yu asked.


    "I don''t quite remember; I usually enter through the main gate."


    "And once you''re inside��"...


    Li Yu looked at the man in the sweatshirt and said, "Tell me, now that you are here, your mission is done. I''ll give you a task: in five minutes, tell me how you want to die, and I''ll arrange it."


    Upon hearing this, the sweatshirt man shuddered a bit, his voice trembling, "Can�� can you spare my life?"


    Li Yu: "..."


    Immediately, Li Tie beside him said, "Big brother, do you want me to take care of it?"


    Li Yu said frankly, "Hurry up and finish it."


    "Whimper~" The man in the sweatshirt started to cry like a child.


    Mercy is not conducive to standing firm.


    Li Tie and Li Gang moved the man in the sweatshirt to another place, struck three blows and made six holes, completely dealing with the Korean man.


    After the task was completed, following Li Yu''s experience and principles, Li Yu needed to observe this place, clearly understand its strengths, and identify potential weaknesses to attack.

 Chapter 293 - 285: A Good Opportunity

    10:30 AM.


    Harmony Garden.


    After a night''s hustle, the exhausted people of Harmony Garden were finally relieved by the ceasing of the rain.


    The sun had come out.


    The number of zombies had dwindled, with those remaining either killed or driven away in search for cooler places to linger.


    The people of Harmony Garden were extremely tired, to the point that they could fall asleep instantly given a bed. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mr. Wang, we''re going to rest now," said the lean man.


    "Mr. Wang, Da Zhuang and I will go and rest," Xiao Mei said.


    Mr. Wang looked at Xiao Mei and Da Zhuang, speaking softly, "You all worked hard last night. Go and get some rest."


    The few who were still in good shape continued to keep watch around the gate.


    Now that the sun was up and the zombies had retreated, there shouldn''t be any major problems.


    Mr. Wang''s mood brightened with the emerging sun, feeling much better.


    His eyes suddenly caught sight of a place that pained his heart: due to those zombies breaking in and their search through the fields, some of the corn had been trampled, all by those damn zombies.


    ...


    Not far away, everyone had to stay hidden; this area was full of low-rise housing, with the tallest building only three stories high.


    A group of more than twenty people, if all were to come out to inspect, it would be very easy to be discovered.


    Hence, most stayed inside the house, resting and ready for action.


    Li Yu, holding a telescope, was on the third floor, concealed behind a window, secretly observing the movements at Harmony Garden.


    It seems there aren''t many people inside Harmony Garden right now.


    "Bring that guy in the tank top over here. I have questions for him. Weren''t there supposed to be over a hundred people? Why do I see only a few outside?" Li Yu called out to those behind him.


    "Bro, uh, that guy, got taken out," Li Tie said somewhat sheepishly.


    Li Gang was also speechless; those two brothers were one more efficient than the other.


    Li Yu was stunned upon hearing this. He had just mentioned it a minute ago, and the guy had already been taken care of?


    "Er... alright, never mind," Li Yu said as he noticed the wet ground.


    Remembering that it had just rained and they had encountered zombies last night��but their place was small.


    Easy to defend.


    Looking closely, many zombie corpses were lying under the metal fences.


    Ah, that made sense. They had been taking turns defending against the zombies all night.


    So the people of Harmony Garden were the same, except their place was indeed larger and would definitely need more defenders.


    Perhaps, they were resting now, since the sun had only just risen.


    Li Yu''s eyes narrowed, revealing a hint of danger.


    He was a kind-hearted person at core, but he was never merciful when he had to act. His memories before rebirth honed his precision in seizing the right opportunity.


    Now was the perfect time to deal with the people in Harmony Garden.


    Why wait for trouble to come when you can eliminate it first? That was Li Yu''s habit and principle.


    What if there''s trouble that can''t be resolved in a short time?


    Take it slow.


    "Tiezi, notify them to prepare for battle. Also, ask Third Uncle to come up here," Li Yu told Li Tie, turning around.


    "Okay," Li Tie responded.


    Before long, Third Uncle came up and took the telescope from Li Yu''s hands. He observed from the left and then to the right. His speed was not fast.


    Two minutes later, Third Uncle said, "Now is a good chance."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "There are over a hundred of them on their side; I estimate the majority are sleeping or resting. If we get in now and take out those on the outside, the rest won''t be an issue."


    After saying this, Li Yu continued, "Third Uncle, do you have any suggestions for the attack route?"


    After all, Harmony Garden also had seven or eight guns, although according to what the man in the tank top said, they were all taken from the arsenal, only handguns.


    But they were still guns.


    Third Uncle thought for a moment and said, "I just took a look; there are a total of 6 people guarding over there, spaced 20 meters apart. It would be better for us if we could take them out quickly."


    "I suggest you, Xiao Tie, Li Gang, Dapao, and Tianlong, the six of us go over first, try not to be detected, and then quickly take out those six. What do you think?" Third Uncle said.


    "Third Uncle, we brought crossbows. It''s very easy to be discovered crossing that open area ahead; let''s take them out with arrows first, then move forward," Li Yu said.


    Third Uncle nodded.


    The two further refined the attack plan, double-checking the resting positions of the Harmony Garden personnel that they had asked the man in the tank top about, while looking at it all from the window, confirming each location.


    After their discussion, the two of them had a rough idea.


    They went downstairs.


    Everyone had already been waiting for a while and were now fully armed, wearing anti-explosion suits and bullet-proof vests.


    Armed with submachine guns in their hands, and Dapao even holding a rocket launcher, Li Yu couldn''t help but smile a bit at the sight; a single shot from that rocket launcher would probably wake all of them up.


    "Dapao, Tianlong, Third Uncle, Xiao Tie, Li Gang, the six of us will go first. They are likely resting now; once we get in, you guys immediately follow, splitting into two combat teams. Third Uncle, you lead one group."


    "According to what the man in the tank top said, here." Li Yu pointed to a spot.


    "This is their rest area. Third Uncle, you know the place we just talked about. You''ll take care of that area. I''ll deal with the left side," said Li Yu.


    "Okay. Time is of the essence, let''s set off as soon as possible; many of them are resting now. We need to seize this opportunity," Third Uncle said while squatting down to tie his shoelaces.


    "Right. Dapao, let''s use the crossbows first to deal with the people outside," Li Yu said.


    ....


    The six moved quickly, deftly maneuvering closer to Paradise, now less than 30 meters away. Ahead was a large, barren open space with an exposed road surface. Though there were zombie corpses on it, detection was still likely.


    "Here. Dapao and Tianlong, you take care of the two on the left. Xiao Tie and Li Gang, you go for the two on the right," Li Yu whispered.


    The four stealthily moved, handling the high-quality crossbows that Li Yu had custom-made before the apocalypse. Despite being used for a year, they hadn''t given any trouble.


    Meanwhile at Harmony Garden, paired up, they were resting and chatting sporadically.


    Suddenly, there was a soft thud that drew their attention.


    The sound was faint, but still startled them.


    Looking in that direction, they saw the two companions to the right with an arrow stuck in their heads.


    Just as they were about to shout.


    "Whoosh!"


    An arrow pierced directly through his throat.


    Immediately after, his companion next to him also had his head penetrated by an arrow.

 Chapter 294 - 286: Mr. Wang, Youve Got Something There

    "This crossbow is really powerful!" Li Gang exclaimed after he took down an enemy.


    This time, they brought the best crossbows from the base.


    Not only were the crossbows great, but the arrows they brought were also made of alloy material, which has a particularly strong force. It could penetrate steel plates.


    Just now shooting people, it felt like a long bullet was shooting through.


    "Let''s go!" Li Yu whispered loudly, then raised his right hand.


    The others behind him quickly followed.


    Old Xie and others followed Third Uncle to the right row of guesthouses.


    Over at Harmony Garden, according to the man in the sweatshirt, this place used to have a farmhouse vibe, with rockeries, rivers, some carousels, but mainly natural scenery and pond fishing.


    During peak times, people often stayed here, so two rows of guesthouses were built.


    Besides the guesthouses, there was also a staff dormitory; their former boss, Mr. Wang, lived there.


    Li Yu led Dapao and others toward the direction of the staff dormitories.


    Two groups, a total of more than twenty people, now surrounded over a hundred people from Harmony Garden.


    At the staff dormitory.


    For Dapao and his group, it was already familiar territory; they left three people to watch around the staff dormitory for anyone trying to escape.


    The rest went up to deal with it.


    Bang bang bang!


    It was Third Uncle who started shooting first.


    This was a massacre.


    Once the enemy was confirmed, there would be no communication, unless they controlled the scene and held the enemy''s life and death in their hands, then they could start.


    There might be misunderstandings and accidental killings, but it''s not important.


    Because this is the apocalypse, kindness is a good trait, but not suitable for this apocalypse.


    Dapao kicked open a room door and saw a row of men lying inside, all covered with blankets and sleeping.


    "Who is it? Didn''t they say to call us in the afternoon? What is this nonsense?" A burly man, with his eyes bloodshot, got up cursing as if ready to devour someone.


    However, what met him was a merciless bullet.


    Bang bang bang!


    A row of ''cuties'' were swept away by gunfire.


    Amidst the gunfire, the cotton stuffing from the blankets flew all over the room, accompanied by red bloodstains, fluttering in the air. S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the brutal gunfire, it was like a symphony being played.


    Intense, strident.


    Bullets were like fire serpents, rapidly firing.


    A row was shot down.


    The white walls, with some gray-black stuff on them��the men''s boogers wiped off there.


    But now, they were covered in red.


    The door was open, sunlight spilled into the room, and dust in the air was clearly visible.


    In the dust, the cotton stuffing was even more conspicuous, those red colors, vivid.


    Apart from that initial burly man, no one else could say a word.


    Because they were given no time or opportunity.


    Many people were killed in their sleep.


    Scenes like this occurred in several rooms.


    Li Yu and his group, to prevent waking others after firing a shot, set a time where everyone opened their doors simultaneously.


    No matter how many people were inside, everyone was killed.


    It''s heart-wrenching, but necessary.


    Women, children...


    Once started, there was no turning back.


    Li Yu is a kind person; as long as no one troubles him, he won''t trouble others.


    But in this world, there are always some people testing the limits, why bother?


    For Li Yu, if he didn''t act, it was fine, but once he did, it was a fight to the death.


    Then, since it''s a fight to the death, why hold back?


    After following Li Yu multiple times and dealing with enemies like Brother Sheng, Salvation Army, and others, Dapao and his group became increasingly skilled.


    They also honed a familiar and most effective tactic.


    They thought that having six or seven guns for this operation might encounter trouble, but it turned out to be so smooth.


    Just at the door alone, there were three guns, which were shot dead directly with their crossbows.


    The remaining two people holding guns didn''t even have time before they were shot dead.


    Because last night, the people at Harmony Garden were really too exhausted. Had zombies not invaded, they wouldn''t have been so worn out after a whole night of frantic efforts, everyone was simply unable to endure any further.


    On Li Yu''s side, the situation was completely the opposite; although they also encountered some zombies, everyone had at least had a good rest.


    The strength of Harmony Garden was definitely not weak, but unfortunately, they had just gone through a fierce battle the previous night and were resting.


    On the other hand, the firepower on Li Yu''s side was extraordinarily good.


    With Li Yu and his group, there was basically no effective resistance.


    Many were killed in their sleep.


    They died without any pain.


    Since the order was to kill, there was no holding back.


    Being kind to the enemy is being cruel to oneself.


    On the other side, Third Uncle was leading Old Xie and others.


    The people here were a bit different from those on Li Yu''s side.


    There are some more��...


    Old Xie and others felt somewhat reluctant, many felt reluctant.


    Third Uncle''s face was expressionless.


    Bang bang bang!


    Shoot, settle it.


    "Your family members before, at the Government Building..." Third Uncle said indifferently.


    "If I hadn''t saved you, their end would have been the same."


    Old Xie was instantly angered, but still, it was unjust.


    Eh...


    Bang bang bang!


    Screams and plaintive cries did not stop the gunfire.


    Some things, once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back.


    ...


    Some things are not worth describing, nor worth contemplating.


    It''s all due to this damned apocalypse.


    In this apocalypse, to survive well, do not leave any troubles behind!


    Do not leave any troubles behind!


    In this battle, Old Xie and others, who had not thoroughly understood Li Yu''s combat methods,


    They thought dealing with a group of over a hundred people would surely be a tough fight.


    They had planned to observe for a while, waiting for the right moment, but unexpectedly, the fight began just minutes after being outside.


    This is too rash.


    But the actual effect left them dumbfounded, was it really that simple and brutal, a deadly move?


    Old Xie started doubting himself..


    In another standalone house, Li Yu was speechlessly looking at the empty room.


    This house, according to the sweaty man, was where their boss Mr. Wang rested.


    But why was there no one here?


    Li Yu looked at the empty room, lost in thought.


    Then he searched everywhere in the room, holding the Long Knife to poke here and tap there.


    After dealing with some people, Li Tie also came in.


    "Big brother, where are the people from here?" Li Tie asked.


    "I don''t know, I haven''t seen anyone." Li Yu sighed.


    Then he tapped the Long Knife against the wall.


    "This Mr. Wang, he might not be here, right?" said Li Tie.


    Li Yu was also not in a good mood, responded irritably, "How the hell would I know..."


    Thud~


    Something fell from the wall, it was a painting.


    Behind the painting was a button.


    Li Yu walked up, pressed the button, and the button turned.


    A wall next to it slowly moved, revealing a passage in front of the two.


    Li Yu and Li Tie exchanged glances.


    "This Mr. Wang, he''s got something indeed."

 Chapter 295 - 287: The Secret Tunnel within the Secret Passage

    There''s something here.


    The sight of this step surprised the trio.


    Nothing can be seen in the pitch-dark inside, but this underground passage seems to be telling them where Mr. Wang had gone.


    "Let''s go down and take a look," said Li Yu.


    After saying that, he walked down. Having taken just two steps, Li Yu stopped and shone his flashlight inside. The passage was quite deep; the flashlight could only illuminate about five or six meters down.


    Li Yu came back up, looked around, picked up a stool, and threw it down.


    Crash-bang~


    The stool hit the steps and walls below, making sounds.


    Thud thud thud~


    Finally, it fell to the ground at the very bottom.


    "Big brother, what are you doing?" Li Tie asked with some confusion.


    "Mr. Wang is quite complicated, I''m worried he''s set up an ambush down there, using a stool to test," Li Yu replied seriously, looking into the dark steps below.


    "Oh, okay," Li Tie answered, then picked up a few slightly larger chairs and threw them down as well.


    They made an even louder noise, bang bang bang!


    The sound of them smashing was quite loud.


    Li Yu: "..."


    Damn it, what if we end up blocking the passage below...


    Never mind, Li Yu turned on his flashlight and started walking down.


    ....


    Elsewhere, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, and others were searching the buildings nearby, looking for any fish that slipped through the net.


    The situation with Third Uncle and the others was much more complicated, with a few displaying complex expressions, their faces conflicted.


    But for many others, their faces were filled with satisfaction. Two of their brothers from their team hadn''t provoked anyone, yet they paid with their lives for no reason.


    In this world, everyone has to face the consequences of their actions.


    Even if sometimes they suffer undeserved disasters.


    But such is the world; weakness is the original sin.


    There is no absolute justice; perhaps strength is justice.


    Many sugar-coated terms fill many with beautiful hopes, only to find out how cruel reality can be in the end.


    This is even more prominent in a post-apocalyptic world.


    Third Uncle and the others stayed in a room to rest.


    Through the smoke, one could see the weary, complicated, and relieved expressions on their faces, all differing from one another.


    Third Uncle sat on a stump, took a sip of water, and moistened his lips.


    Looking in the direction of Li Yu, his gaze was mixed with complexity. The things they had just faced indeed pained him, but as for himself, his heart had grown incredibly strong, and such emotions were easily dispelled.


    .....


    Back to Li Yu''s side, the three of them slowly walked down.


    What caught their eyes was a clean white wall with nothing on it.


    The underground passage was deeper than they had all imagined, surprisingly so.


    Next to the white wall was an elk''s antler; behind it was a lounge chair.


    On the right wall was a landscape painting, and behind it was a piece of calligraphy that read: Hold Your Breath!


    The calligraphy was powerful and filled with a sense of weight.


    "Everyone look around, see if there''s an exit or something. Mr. Wang isn''t here; he must''ve escaped somewhere else. There has to be a way out of here," Li Yu said.


    Li Tie and Li Gang both responded in agreement.


    The group searched the small room for a while but still found nothing.


    Mr. Wang was too good at hiding. Had it not been for the button they chanced upon under that painting, it would have been unlikely for them to find this place below.


    What they hadn''t anticipated was that the search would have to continue even after descending.


    By now, everything above should have been resolved, with only Mr. Wang remaining.


    Usually, they say that a cunning rabbit has three burrows, but Mr. Wang''s hiding spots were exceptionally well concealed.


    What Li Yu and the others didn''t know was that Harmony Garden was constructed by Mr. Wang himself, who, as a child obsessed with tunnel warfare, was inspired to incorporate an underground tunnel in the design of Harmony Garden, enabling an escape from this location.


    The three searched once more.


    Finally, Li Yu noticed something off about the antlers of the elk; under the illumination of the light, the colors of the two antlers seemed different.


    One was dull, while the other emitted a faint glow.


    Li Yu approached and pressed on both antlers; when he pressed the second one, the staircase they had entered through suddenly lifted upwards.


    Creak~


    In place of the staircase they had come in through, another staircase appeared below.


    "Damn, how deep did he dig this!" Li Tie couldn''t help but complain upon seeing it.


    "Let''s go, hurry up." Li Yu, upon seeing the newly appeared passageway, immediately moved forward.


    To cut the grass, remove the roots; do things thoroughly.


    From entering the room, to searching, and then finding the entrance of the tunnel, almost 20 minutes had passed.


    It was very possible that Mr. Wang, whom they were after, had already fled, but Li Yu still wanted to try and see if they could catch him.


    Mr. Wang was truly a talent.


    Li Yu walked along the pitch-black walls; the walls here were different from the place they had just descended from. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Due to the depth, the walls were damp, and since there was no plaster or cement, droplets of water occasionally fell.


    Slowly gathering, they pooled into small puddles along the passageway.


    Step step step.


    Li Yu stepped through the puddles, running inward, with Li Tie and Li Gang quickly following behind.


    The underground tunnel had no lights, relying solely on the flashlights they held.


    Suddenly, Li Yu stopped in his tracks and looked at a footprint on the ground: "It seems that Mr. Wang indeed ran this way. Eh..."


    The footprint was very fresh, as if it had just been made.


    "Chase!" Li Yu commanded and immediately picked up the pace.


    Step step step!


    The sound of their footsteps echoed through the long underground corridor.


    What exceeded their expectations was that after about 5 minutes of walking, they still hadn''t emerged.


    Just how long had this tunnel been dug?


    After another minute of walking, they finally saw a faint light ahead, not very strong.


    Li Yu continued walking towards it.


    However, when they reached the source of the light, the group was somewhat dumbfounded.


    It was a well, one that had dried up. On the inner wall edges of the well were some solidly built iron rods.


    They could step by step climb up.


    But above this well, it seemed to be sealed off by something, mostly blocking out the sunlight from outside.


    Li Tie tugged at the iron rods with his hand, and luckily, they were sturdy. The iron rods were thick and substantial.


    They had a bit of rust, but it didn''t seem to be a major issue.


    Li Tie estimated the well to be about 10 meters deep, from the bottom to the ground level, not too bad.


    So, he used his hands and feet and directly climbed upwards.

 Chapter 296 - 288: Escaped?

    During the climbing process, debris kept falling down.


    Li Yu looked at the thing above blocking the sunlight, which seemed somewhat like a metal plate. Can Tiezi, alone, move it?


    So, Li Yu also climbed up from another metal rod.


    Dadada


    Using both hands and feet, the two of them climbed up step by step.


    Li Gang below looked up, using a flashlight to illuminate for them.


    ...


    Finally, the two climbed up, one hand grabbing the metal rod while the other tried to push the metal plate open.


    Li Tie exerted all his strength but still couldn''t budge the metal plate.


    Seeing this, Li Yu said, "Together, I''ll count to three, then let''s push hard together."


    One two three!


    Push!


    The metal plate moved slightly, some debris fell down, blurring Li Gang''s vision below.


    Again!


    One two three!


    Push!


    The metal plate shifted a little more to the side.


    It seemed that this metal plate must have been moved there by Mr. Wang; otherwise, Mr. Wang couldn''t have escaped from here.


    It was really too heavy.


    Although they were only able to use one hand while standing, unlike Mr. Wang, who could use both hands outside, the force exerted wasn''t quite equivalent.


    But, it was really somewhat heavy.


    The two started moving it again.


    One two three!


    Push.


    Finally, a gap of about 10 centimeters appeared in the metal plate.


    Sunlight streamed in, immediately making the well very bright.


    Seeing this, Li Gang turned off the flashlight in his hand.


    "Tiezi, let''s do this again. One two three! Push!" After resting for a few seconds, Li Yu urged Li Tie to continue moving the metal plate.


    The plate made a grating noise as it scraped against the rock.


    The opening became even larger, and Li Yu simply placed his hands on it and pushed.


    With their joint effort, they finally moved the metal plate to the side.


    With one more strong push, clank?!


    The plate fell onto the ground outside.


    Their hearts lifted with joy, having finally opened it.


    Li Yu was the first to climb out of the well, and the moment he got out, he took the safety off the submachine gun and looked around.


    Li Tie also climbed up.


    The two stood back to back, observing their surroundings.


    A courtyard - they were at a well opening in the top right corner, to the right was a hand-pumped water well, and in front a sweet osmanthus tree.


    Behind was a two-story residential house.


    There were quite a few buildings around.


    However, as they watched, a feeling of familiarity grew.


    This place...


    Damn, it was somewhat familiar; it was a house they had just passed by.


    Except this house was closer to the main road outside.


    The main road!


    The two seemed to think of something and immediately ran outside.


    Two people looked at the open gate of the courtyard and then ran towards the main street outside.


    Empty.


    The two stood still, staring at the gate.


    "How did it go? Did you find anything?" Li Gang, who had just climbed out of the well, asked. Because he had gotten quite dusty down there, Li Gang looked a bit disheveled.


    "Found nothing, wait, we did find something. Mr. Wang probably ran away!" Li Tie sighed.


    "Damn... it''s a plant." Li Gang cursed.


    What were the three of them doing just now, all dirty? Half a day wasted and still Mr. Wang got away.


    Li Yu seemed to have seen something and quickly walked towards the courtyard, crouching down.


    He looked at the tire marks on the ground and then searched around in the neighboring houses.


    It seemed that there had been some items here that had now been moved.


    There was dust everywhere, but one spot was clean.


    This indicated that there were items placed here before. sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They must have been taken away recently, which was why it was so noticeable.


    It seems that Mr. Wang was living up to his reputation.


    "Interesting." Seeing all this in the room and considering the day''s tumultuous events, Li Tie thought Mr. Wang had something going for him, being able to escape so abruptly.


    Li Yu slapped him; he was in a very bad mood.


    "What''s interesting about it, damn it, he ran away. Doesn''t that bother you? Although he doesn''t know our base''s location, doesn''t it bother you that someone is watching us? I thought we could celebrate after this was over, forget the pig knuckle you wanted." Li Yu said.


    Without dealing with Mr. Wang, Li Yu felt like there was a thorn stuck in his throat, making him uncomfortable.


    He thought they had caught a good opportunity this time, but their biggest boss ran away.


    Damn it...


    Li Tie rubbed his head, feeling wronged. What did Mr. Wang running away have to do with his pig knuckle?


    The three of them searched the area for a while and then found a large iron plate. Just recalling the effort it took to move it earlier made them angry.


    They lifted the iron plate, planning to take it back. They had sewers at their base too, and the iron plate seemed to be the right shape and size.


    The three of them placed the iron plate on the road junction and walked towards Harmony Garden.


    Soon, the trio arrived at Harmony Garden, which was very quiet.


    No gunshots, no cries, no sound at all.


    It was like a dead city.


    As Li Yu stepped into Harmony Garden, an inexpressible feeling of guilt rose involuntarily in his heart.


    He knew very well that such quietness meant only one thing.


    Everyone in Harmony Garden had been killed, except for the escaping Mr. Wang.


    This ineffable guilt and sadness overwhelmed him.


    He had given those orders; they were just carrying them out, following his commands.


    "Damn, sentimental again." Li Yu cursed.


    Li Tie, walking ahead, seemed to hear something, then turned his head and asked, "Big brother, did you call me?"


    "It''s nothing, just saying you look handsome."


    "Why do I feel like you are lying to me?"


    "..."


    What''s the best way to cure sadness and guilt?


    That''s convincing oneself, something Li Yu was good at.


    In a few seconds, Li Yu regained his calm.


    Approaching Third Uncle, Li Yu''s eyes questioned, and Third Uncle nodded, his profound eyes filled with compassion.


    Li Yu felt relieved, then went up to Third Uncle and said, "Third Uncle, their boss, Mr. Wang... ran away. He wasn''t in the room, there''s a tunnel leading directly outside to 500 meters away, he had already run by the time we got there."


    Third Uncle thought for a moment and then asked, "Which direction?"


    Li Yu looked at Third Uncle in surprise, then pointed in a direction and said, "It was in that civilian house we discovered. But by the time we got there, Mr. Wang had already run..."


    "Okay. Get me a car. I''ll chase and see." Third Uncle said evenly.


    Without any fuss, Li Yu immediately provided an SUV to Third Uncle and also filled up the car''s fuel tank.


    "Third Uncle, take care. Do you need someone to go with you?" Li Yu asked.


    "It''s alright, no need." Third Uncle replied.

 Chapter 297 - 289: A good dog doesnt stand in the way

    Third Uncle carried some food, two guns, and a vehicle, and chased off in that direction.


    Li Yu returned to Harmony Garden where they were living just a while ago.


    Dapao and the others had already begun to clean up some things, sorting out the usable items and the ones that might be needed in the future.


    They also had a few vehicles here, which could be loaded up when it was time to leave.


    Originally, Lao Xie and the others had waited on the spot for a while and also packed up everything usable, loading it into the vehicles.


    Although this time had been relatively smooth, for Lao Xie and the others, there was some discomfort deep inside.


    An hour later, everyone packed all the useful items and started to head back to the base.


    The atmosphere in the vehicle was somewhat oppressive. They knew what they were doing was right, but when they actually got their revenge, especially seeing those people begging and wailing, they still couldn''t bear it.


    ....


    Vehicles sped on the national highway, with Li Tie driving in the lead.


    The windows were open, and the wind from outside was whooshing in.


    Li Yu in the passenger seat was very alert amidst the wind.


    Suddenly!


    A shadow flashed in front.


    "Squeal~~"


    The vehicle came to an abrupt halt.


    The shadow in front stopped right in the middle of the road.


    It was a dog!


    Through the car window glass, Li Yu and the others clearly saw a yellowish-brown wolf dog in front. The wolf dog looked strong and powerful but was exceptionally weak.


    Its entire head was so gaunt it barely looked right; its fur was dimmed, lying on the ground barely alive.


    But its belly was bulging; it was clear at a glance that the wolf dog was pregnant.


    Li Yu waited in the car for a while, looked around, but didn''t see anything else.


    "Go around this wolf dog; let''s hurry back to base." Li Yu said.


    Li Tie was about to drive when Yutong leaned forward from the back seat, seeing the wolf dog, especially noticing its belly.


    Her expression seemed pained, but she said nothing.


    Li Yu noticed Yutong''s expression, felt a softness in his heart, and then looked towards the wolf dog lying on the ground.


    The wolf dog seemed to understand human nature very well, and at that moment, its eyes were looking at Li Yu with a pleading look.


    "Forget it. Wait a moment; I''ll go and have a look." Li Yu said.


    After speaking, Li Yu got out of the vehicle, walked towards the wolf dog, a Long Knife still in his hand, a Submachine Gun on his back.


    The wolf dog saw Li Yu approaching and let out a whine.


    "Woo~woo~woo~"


    Li Yu stood by without immediately approaching the wolf dog, first observing it.


    Because he was worried the wolf dog might have been bitten by a Zombie, if it was infected, he would have no choice but to deal with it.


    The wolf dog seemed to understand Li Yu''s concerns, struggled to turn its body a bit, and showed its other side.


    The wolf dog had no bite marks, just seemingly malnourished due to lack of food, making it look extremely weak.


    After turning over, the wolf dog exposed its belly to Li Yu.


    For animals, the belly is probably the most vulnerable part, and now revealing it was undoubtedly a great display of trust in Li Yu.


    Moved by this scene, even the usually cold-blooded Li Yu felt touched and slowly approached.


    The wolf dog continued to moan, looked at Li Yu, then looked at its own belly.


    Just as Li Yu didn''t know what to do, Yutong got out of the car as well and came up behind him.


    "It seems to be pleading with you. It looks like it''s going into labor." Yutong said.


    "But, I''ve never delivered puppies before." An awkward expression crossed Li Yu''s face.


    ...


    At a loss, the two men watched as the wolf-dog''s face twisted in extreme agony.


    Its breath grew very rapid, and its abdomen began to contract violently.


    Despite the wolf-dog''s efforts, it failed to give birth to the puppies inside it.


    It started to convulse continuously, then began to howl in despair.


    "I''ll cut it open," said Li Yu as he took out the Dagger, preparing to perform a cesarean on the wolf-dog.


    In its final howl, the wolf-dog looked at Li Yu with a hint of pleading.


    Then it fell silent.


    Carefully, and as gently as possible, Li Yu inserted the Dagger into the wolf-dog''s abdomen.


    In a short while.


    Four wolf pups were dissected out of the mother''s belly.


    But among them, one pup was already breathless, stillborn.


    The remaining three pups, newly born and not yet opening their eyes.


    Could smell their mother nearby and searched incessantly for something.


    The three pups clamped onto the dry and shriveled teats of their mother, but the emaciated wolf-dog had not a drop of milk.


    "Ao-woo, ao-woo, ao-woo," the three wolf pups mewled in hunger, continuously whining.


    "Alas," Li Yu said upon seeing this.


    He placed the stillborn pup aside, then moved the corpse of the wolf-dog to the side of the road.


    Just as he was about to leave, the three little pups started to follow him.


    Li Yu walked to the side again, only to find the three pups following him closely once more.


    "They think of you as their family now," Yutong said with a smile upon seeing this.


    "This..." Li Yu felt somewhat helpless.


    Looking down at the three little dogs that circled around his feet, Li Yu was in a quandary.


    As a child, Li Yu had also kept a dog, recalling how it used to accompany him to school and would follow him home after class.


    That dog had been with him for many years, staying by his side since he was born.


    Until the dog grew old and left their home, disappearing without a trace.


    The sensation at his feet triggered a surge of memories for Li Yu.


    With a sigh,


    He then picked up the three pups.


    Originally, there were also a few dogs at the base, now looking at this wolf-dog, it was still very formidable.


    Even undernourished and malnourished, it appeared so tall and imposing.


    It was obvious that in a normal state, this wolf-dog must have been very powerful.


    These three wolf pups had a mix of yellow and black fur, looking not much different from Chinese rural dogs.


    They were furry and chubby, so adorable to look at.


    At this time, they were still unable to open their eyes but were incessantly sniffing in Li Yu''s arms, as if trying to memorize his scent.


    "Let''s go," Li Yu said, glancing at Yutong whose gaze had been fixated on the pups in Li Yu''s arms with a hint of expectation.


    Carrying the three wolf pups was a bit cumbersome for Li Yu, so he simply handed two of the pups to Yutong.


    He held one pup in one arm while the other hand gripped Long Knife.


    Yutong took the pups from Li Yu, her face showing a touch of maternal love.


    Li Yu smiled, then the two of them headed towards the car.


    Once in the car, Li Tie looked at the little wolf pup in Li Yu''s arms and was smitten by the cute creature.


    He reached out, wanting to pet the wolf pup, but the little pup fiercely resisted.


    Seeing this, Li Tie laughed: "This little wolf pup is already recognizing people, hahaha." sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 298 - 290: Naming the Three Little Ones

    The little wolf-dog snuggled into Li Yu''s arms, rubbing back and forth. Seeing this, Li Yu took out a blanket from behind and placed it underneath.


    The little wolf-dog rubbed forcefully into Li Yu''s arms twice more, then let out a couple of whiny howls before settling down and no longer moving.


    Li Yu stroked the small wolf-dog, feeling its warmth and the fuzzy sensation.


    His heart was calm. He hadn''t originally planned on rescuing that wolf-dog, nor did he think about adopting these three little ones.


    But as he turned his head and locked eyes with the wolf-dog, he who was usually cold and ruthless, felt somewhat moved inside.


    It wasn''t until after he had rescued these three puppies and they huddled at his feet that he wanted to take them in.


    Well, what''s saved is saved.


    In this apocalyptic world, sometimes, animals are more grateful than humans, more loyal than humans.


    The vehicle sped along, the cold wind howled through the windows, and the little dog in Li Yu''s arms shivered slightly.


    Seeing this, Li Yu simply closed the window. The interior of the car quickly became quiet.


    Only the occasional whiny howls added a different color to the sleepy state of everyone.


    On the way back, nothing else happened.


    ...


    On another road, Third Uncle drove an SUV and stopped at the same courtyard from before.


    He crouched down and carefully inspected the ground, then looked in a certain direction and got into the car.


    During the journey, he occasionally stopped to check the road surfaces.


    Not until he reached a turnoff at a highway junction did Third Uncle stop again to take a closer look.


    "That direction." Third Uncle squinted slightly and said.


    ...


    Meanwhile, four hours later, Li Yu and his party were fast approaching the base.


    Seeing the gas station meant they were about to arrive at the base.


    "Second Uncle, we''re almost back. Get ready. Third Uncle also went to chase after one of their people, so he''s not with us," Li Yu said through the walkie-talkie.


    "Okay. Did your Third Uncle go alone?" Second Uncle asked.


    "Yes, Third Uncle said he was fine on his own. I wanted to go with him, but he seemed to prefer being alone," Li Yu replied helplessly.


    "Alright. Okay." Second Uncle said.


    "Uh, we''re about to..." Li Yu was in the middle of speaking when suddenly a sound came through.


    "Howl, howl, howl."


    The cute little milk-sounding voice.


    "Little Yu, what was that sound just now?" Second Uncle, finding it a bit odd, asked.


    "It''s nothing. We picked up a few wolf-dogs on the road, just opened their eyes, so we brought them back," Li Yu said.


    Upon hearing this, Second Uncle was surprised. Li Yu often appeared indifferent, even somewhat cold and heartless, except when dealing with people from the base.


    This made Second Uncle and Third Uncle always worried about Li Yu''s state of mind.


    Now, he was picking up a few little wolf-dogs?


    Could it be he wanted to eat them? S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, Second Uncle remembered that many years ago, the eldest brother had a dog, and when Li Yu was young, he often saw the dog following Li Yu around.


    With this thought, Second Uncle said, "All right, you''ve worked hard. Hurry back. The little wolf-dog probably can''t eat millet porridge, so you can feed it some milk powder instead."


    "Mm."


    Before long, the gates opened, and Li Yu and the others entered.


    The three fluffy little wolf-dogs cradled in Yutong''s arms immediately attracted everyone''s attention.


    Likewise, as a woman, Song Min saw these adorable little wolf-dogs and couldn''t resist the maternal glow within her.


    Standing beside Yutong, constantly playing with the puppy.


    Suddenly Song Min asked, "What are these little wolf dogs'' names? Have they been named?"


    Yutong was taken aback for a moment, then looked towards Li Yu and said, "These pups were found by Brother Yu, let him name them."


    Song Min said with a smile, "Director Li, these little wolf dogs don''t have names yet?"


    Upon hearing this question, Li Yu suddenly felt an indescribable sensation within him, naming.


    It seemed he had never named a person or an animal before. This feeling of bestowing a name to a person or animal was quite wonderful.


    Li Yu pondered for a while, thinking.


    Then he checked the genders of the three little wolf dogs.


    Two males, one female.


    Hmm. Then��


    Everyone''s interest was piqued, and they all wanted to know what kind of imposing name Li Yu would come up with. After all, the mother of these three pups was a genuine, full-grown wolf dog.


    Naming them something powerful would sound cool just by calling out their names!


    Amidst such anticipation.


    Li Yu said, "Hmm. Let''s call them Tie Zhu, Gou Dan, and Cui Hua. It''s easier to raise them with more common names."


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around him suddenly looked at Li Yu, their eyes filled with surprise.


    They hadn''t expected that after several minutes of thinking, Li Yu would come up with such names.


    These names, I mean, really...


    Amidst everyone''s astonished stares, Li Yu remained very calm.


    "How do you all think of it?" asked Li Yu.


    "Uh, well..."


    "Um, that..."


    Yutong suddenly found it hard to look directly at the little wolf dogs.


    "Then for the time being, let''s settle on these names," said Li Yu.


    Everyone fell silent; after all, Li Yu was the one who had found the pups, so it was his right to name them.


    ...


    The group entered the base, and it happened to be dinner time.


    Li Suxin''s eyes lit up when she saw the little wolf dogs Yutong and Li Yu were holding.


    Captain Lv and Old Xie''s daughters, Xiao Jing and Xiao Fei, also gathered around.


    Li Suxin excitedly ran over and said, "Big brother, where did these little wolf dogs come from? They''re so cute, give me one, I want to hold it."


    Li Suxin tugged at Li Yu''s arm, trying to hold the little wolf dog Li Yu was cradling.


    Helplessly, Li Yu handed the puppy to Li Suxin, saying, "The puppy is very fragile, be careful holding it."


    "Aw woo, aw woo." The little wolf dog felt it was leaving Li Yu''s embrace and began to howl incessantly.


    Li Suxin nodded her head like a pecking chicken and held the little wolf dog tenderly.


    It seemed that the pup hadn''t eaten since birth and had been howling all the way, so now it had run out of energy. After a few howls, the little wolf dog gave up weakly.


    "Brother, Second Uncle just asked me to prepare some milk powder, is it for feeding these little wolf dogs?" Li Yuan looked at the pups with shining eyes.


    It looked like these little wolf dogs had won the affection of the female members of the base.


    But it was understandable, as puppies, especially when they are young, are incredibly adorable.


    It''s like the native dogs from before; they''re always cute when they''re small but less so when they grow up.


    "Yeah, you feed them. Keep an eye on them and don''t let these little guys play to death," said Li Yu.


    "Got it," responded Li Yuan with a smile. She had wanted to pet them just now but was too shy to fight with the kids over it.

 Chapter 299 - 291: Need and Want

    Li Yuan mixed the milk powder with warm water and poured it into a stainless steel basin. The three little wolf pups, attracted by the scent, stuck out their tender pink tongues and ceaselessly lapped up the milk, making smacking noises.


    She watched the little wolf pups with a beaming smile. The pups, who hadn''t opened their eyes yet, could only rely on their sense of smell to locate their food.


    It seemed that these wolf pups, born just a few hours ago, were starving. They licked up the milk so eagerly that, within minutes, they were about to empty the basin.


    Seeing this, Li Yu examined the puppies'' bellies and said, "Let''s prepare some more; this seems to be too little."


    Li Yuan, hearing this and also feeling that the pups hadn''t had enough, ran off hurriedly to mix another bowl of milk powder.


    By the time she returned, the little wolf pups were howling softly with their infantile voices, which didn''t sound threatening at all and only added to their cuteness.


    As soon as Li Yuan put down the freshly mixed bowl of milk, the little wolf pups scurried over with their tails perked up and started to lick frantically again. Li Yu observed them carefully; these pups had sharper muzzles, erect ears, and were bare-skinned without fur. Their tails were fluffy but not curly.


    Overall, they looked quite similar to ordinary domestic pups at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that these wolf pups were significantly different from regular dogs.


    They likely retained more than 70% of the wolf''s characteristics and about 30% of a domestic dog''s traits.


    While the wolf pups were drinking the milk, Li Yuan constantly stroked their fur. Their bodies, fluffy and incredibly soft to the touch, made her reluctant to stop petting them.


    The little wolf pups drank the milk quickly, and soon enough, they finished off the milk powder again. Judging from their looks, they still seemed unsatisfied. The two male wolf pups were stepping on the feeder, making ''pangpangpang'' sounds, as if to say they wanted more.


    Li Yuan was about to mix more milk powder when Li Yu stopped her, "They''ve just been born and their stomachs aren''t fully developed yet. Let''s feed them again after a while; we don''t want to overinflate their bellies."


    Li Yuan then ceased her actions.


    The three little wolf pups, who had been clamoring around the stainless steel basin, started to sniff around after a while of not receiving any new milk.


    Out of curiosity, Li Yuan squatted down and picked up a wolf pup to pet it. But the pup struggled and whined incessantly.


    Reluctantly, Li Yuan had to put it down. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The newborn wolf pups, still unsteady on their feet, made their way towards Li Yu.


    Upon reaching Li Yu''s feet, they sniffed around, as if confirming something. After a while, sure of whatever it was they were checking, they licked Li Yu''s pant legs, then lay down, exposing their bellies.


    Li Yu chuckled seeing this, realizing these wolf pups weren''t ungrateful.


    "Ungrateful, they should at least see who''s been feeding them," Li Yuan said with a puffed-up air of indignation.


    After all, it was her who had been taking care of their feeding not long ago. How could they just run off after eating?


    It was exasperating.


    Li Yu said with a laugh, "Feed them a few more times and they''ll recognize you."


    After some thought, Li Yuan seemed to find the idea reasonable and nodded in agreement, "Alright, it''s settled then. I''ll be the one to feed these little wolf pups from now on."


    "Haha, sure. Just don''t forget to feed them," Li Yu replied.


    "Okay, got it."


    Li Yu paused for a moment as the wolf pups gathered around him. He recognized the three pups easily - the first one to come out, with a patch of grey-white fur on its head, was called Tie Zhu.


    The second-born, Gou Dan, had some brownish-yellow fur on top of its head.


    The youngest, Cui Hua, had a blackish head with spots of yellow, looking somewhat like a little bear, yet her four paws were white, appearing extremely lovable.


    Indeed, Li Yu felt very cheerful.


    These little creatures are quite interesting.


    "Tie Zhu, Dog Egg, Cui Hua, let''s find you a den!" Li Yu said, then walked out of the villa. Generally, these cats and dogs were not kept inside the house.


    The three little ones wobbled along, following step by step behind Li Yu, lining up in a row, which made Li Yu''s parents exclaim in amazement.


    "Big brother, these little wolf dogs are newborns, now letting them stay in the yard, won''t they easily catch a cold? It''s already November." Li Yuan said.


    "November already, huh..." Li Yu thought, and indeed it was so.


    And Li Yuan by his side also counted the dates, November, still remembering before the apocalypse, it was a season for frenzied shopping. But now, it seemed very distant from them.


    However, looking back from the present, in those days of rampant materialism, in that atmosphere where desire far exceeded need, it seemed as though everyone was in revelry.


    The heavy pressure of schoolwork, the busy work stress, and various other trivial matters of life made it hard for many people to catch their breath.


    What is freedom, not just buying whatever you want to buy, that''s called freedom, of course, it''s another story if you have plenty of money. But it is to be able to do things without concern for others'' opinions, to buy for oneself, that is called freedom.


    ...


    Master Shengyan once said: In life, what is needed is not much, but what is wanted is too much.


    Need and want, they conflict.


    The puppies wanted to drink more milk powder, but based on their current physical condition, they only needed a proper amount; any more would only upset their digestive system.


    "Then let''s just put them in the little room on the rooftop. We can find some soft stuff to lay down, didn''t we have a lot of those unused quilts before? We can use those to pad it." Li Yu said.


    Li Yuan looked at the little wolf dogs, feeling her heart melt, with a longing gaze she said: "Brother, can I keep them in my room?"


    "What if they poop in the middle of the night?" Li Yu said.


    "Uh....."


    ...


    In the little rooms on the rooftop, in a small corner, a warm den was built, sheltered from the wind and rain.


    First, a layer of plastic bags was spread on the ground, then a layer of blanket, and on top of that, a layer of fluffy small blanket. There were many of such things; even before the apocalypse, many high-quality clothes, blankets, quilts, hardshell jackets, down jackets, and so on were purchased.


    And after the outbreak of the apocalypse, during searches outside, they had emptied many clothing stores and home textile shops.


    During that time, the frenzy of zero-cost shopping had started. As a result, now the base had an exceptionally large quantity of various supplies.


    Li Yu poured some water, setting it in a bowl, in case the little wolf dogs got thirsty.


    After everything was done, Li Yu intended to go down, just as he was about to lift his foot and close the door,


    The little wolf dogs behind started howling. Their cries were pitiable, and Li Yu felt an unusual sentiment, pausing his steps.


    He simply sat down in the room, which was usually used as a study with two rows of bookshelves on the wall, and a lazy rocking chair next to the bookshelves. Li Yu simply moved the rocking chair closer to the little dogs.


    Then, the little wolf dogs finally stopped howling.

 Chapter 300 - 292: Fighting in the Dark!

    In this villa, when it was being built, there were some arguments with my father over the thickness of this wall. The thickness of walls generally comes in several types, such as: 12cm thick brick walls, 24cm thick brick walls, 37cm thick brick walls, 49cm thick brick walls.


    Generally speaking, the walls in the north are thicker, but under Li Yu''s strong insistence, the buildings in the base were built three times thicker than usual, almost 70cm!


    You should know that even in the north, even in the peripheral regions, it''s only 50cm thick, but Li Yu insisted on building the walls to 70cm.


    This is seen as very exaggerated in the eyes of people from the south.


    Though it occupies some area, the benefits it brings are very clear: insulation against cold, heat separation, warm in winter and cool in summer.


    The thickness of the walls has only one downside, it occupies space, but the rest are all advantages.


    In this mid-November, after a day of scorching sun, even if the temperature drops a lot at night, inside it isn''t that cold.


    Several puppies aren''t feeling very cold either; they are currently laying down their tiny heads to sleep.


    Li Yu also picked up a book, beginning to read under the light.


    Under the light, Li Yu in his casual clothes, his handsome face looking somewhat cold, but the soft light made the lines of his face appear softer.


    Occasionally, when Li Yu glanced at the puppies, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted, exuding a charming aura.


    After Yutong finished washing up, she kept thinking about those puppies, after the bath, wore not very much, just put on a coat, wrapping her body tightly.


    The coat perfectly concealed her enticing pear-shaped figure.


    Thumping steps to Li Yu''s room, she didn''t see him yet, and Li Yuan by the side said, "Big brother is upstairs, those puppies are also upstairs. So sleepy."


    Then yawned several times and went to sleep in pink bunny pajamas.


    Yutong nodded and headed upstairs. This villa has three and a half floors above ground and two underground. Just living there are Li Yu''s parents, along with Li Yu, Li Yuan, and Li Hang.


    Creak~


    The study room door was pushed open, Li Yu heard the noise, turned his head slightly, and looked over.


    "Oh, little dogs." Yutong didn''t pay attention to Li Yu, ran straight to the puppies, and began to gaze intently at them.


    Li Yu watched Yutong squatting; the squatting posture exposed Yutong''s perfect figure.


    This made Li Yu''s heartbeat somewhat increase; the little wolves had all drunk their fill and were sleeping.


    Yutong watched the puppies deeply sleeping, unwilling to wake them, so just watched them like this.


    Suddenly, she felt a gaze.


    Staring at her.


    Without a doubt, she knew who it was. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In an instant, Yutong blushed.


    Her squatting body also.


    Began feeling shy, so she simply stood up.


    Just as she stood up, she felt it.


    Duang


    Bounced a bit.


    Danger!


    Whoosh!


    Actually terrifying like this!


    What constitutes JP, is not the dry skinny type, nor the chubby type.


    But a lean with some fat.


    Lean with a presence of flesh.


    ....


    "Cold or not?" Li Yu raised an eyebrow.


    "Not cold." Yutong felt somewhat hot.


    "I have a movie in my room: Black.


    Silk Road can be watched.


    "No."


    "I want."


    "Okay."


    ...


    "This puppy, growing so fast, is getting bigger now." Yutong watched the puppy growing in its sleep.


    "Probably because it drank some milk powder, this puppy has absorbed some nutrients during its growth." Li Yu said.


    "Ah? What?"


    ....


    Actually, a thick wall has another benefit.


    It''s very soundproof...


    In the battle taking place under the cover of night, it wasn''t just Li Yu and Yutong.


    There were others. Far from the base, this location is already to the east of the east side of Harmony Garden.


    Third Uncle was chasing after Mr. Wang.


    Third Uncle was driving fast, but he just couldn''t catch up, which puzzled him. That shouldn''t be the case.


    "The direction is definitely correct, but why haven''t I encountered him yet," Third Uncle muttered to himself as he drove.


    The sky gradually darkened, but Third Uncle did not stop, still pursuing.


    Although he occasionally had to get out of the car to confirm the direction again, this was also very time-consuming.


    In the dark night, Third Uncle, on his own and without needing to consider others, could exert great combat power.


    Along the way, he encountered sporadic zombies and directly ran over them with his car.


    As the sky grew darker, after hitting dozens of zombies, the front bar of the off-road vehicle was somewhat damaged��even though it had been modified at their base.


    "It''s impossible, how can I not find him?" Third Uncle fell into self-doubt. This isn''t logical.


    The night gradually deepened, and Third Uncle, in the vehicle, heard a howling sound coming from ahead. He turned on the high beams and swept them over, only to see a small town ahead, and at the entrance of the town, a large group of zombies was disturbed by the light.


    Damn!


    Although zombies fear light, the sound immediately made them run towards Third Uncle.


    Third Uncle hit the brakes hard and performed a beautiful drift. He made a turn to the back, a 180-degree big turn.


    So cool!


    At the same moment he made the turn, Third Uncle rolled down the car window and grabbed the hand grenades from the passenger seat.


    He pulled out two, removed the safeties, and threw them down.


    The two hand grenades, like two adorable little sweethearts, happily hopped towards the zombies.


    At the same time, less than 40 meters away from him, zombies were frantically swarming towards him.


    The zombies, completely unaware of what was happening, fearlessly ran towards the two sweethearts.


    A continuous chorus of howls.


    The two hand grenades were waiting, just waiting.


    After throwing them, Third Uncle started running back at his fastest speed.


    One second, two seconds, three seconds...


    3.35 seconds.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    The zombies that had just charged to where the hand grenades were now exploded in two successive blasts, sending several zombies flying.


    The ground was littered with various limbs and damaged zombies.


    Within a few meters around, the zombies were instantly cleared.


    Third Uncle didn''t look back.


    After running for about ten more seconds, hearing the howling behind him, he threw three more grenades.


    Only this time, each was spaced about five seconds apart.


    Boom!


    Five seconds!


    Boom!


    Five seconds!


    Boom!


    During this bombardment, the zombies pursuing behind him continued to run.


    There was a break, like in the game "Snake," with a separation in the middle.


    Then leaving a ground full of zombie corpses.


    After another round of bombing, the zombies could no longer catch up.


    As Third Uncle left, he even lit a cigarette; he was neither troubled nor afraid because of these zombies.


    "Where on earth did this Mr. Wang run off to..." Third Uncle was utterly baffled.


    After driving another seven or eight kilometers and seeing a gas station, he thought it over.


    Finally, he decided to find a place to rest.

 Chapter 301 - 293: 550 Kilometers Away

    Third Uncle found a suitable place to rest at a gas station, with numerous Zombies howling about seven or eight kilometers away from him.


    There were also many Zombie corpses on the road not far away.


    Behind the Zombies, about four or five kilometers away, there was a small town with a car parked in the courtyard under a residential building.


    There was no movement in the car, and on the windows of the car, there was a gap of less than one centimeter left on one of the windows.


    .....


    Further away, more than seventy kilometers from this place, there was a vast base, where many lights lit up the night sky.


    At the entrance of this vast base, there were unexpectedly six armed personnel stationed.


    And behind these personnel, not far away, a Patrol Team kept patrolling continuously.


    At the entrance, some vehicles were entering, mostly men in the vehicles, but occasionally some women, who handed over some items before entering the vast base.


    However, all of this was unknown to Third Uncle, who had been chasing for over eight hours. Although he repeated his journey to confirm Mr. Wang''s location, wasting a lot of time, even so, Third Uncle was now very far from the base.


    Now with so many Zombies there, and having lost track of Mr. Wang on the way, it''s likely that the destruction by the Zombies caused all traces of Mr. Wang to disappear.


    To continue or to return?


    That was the question.


    Third Uncle, caught in a dilemma, maintained a comfortable position and entered a light sleep.


    In this regard, Third Uncle and Li Yu were the same; they could fall asleep quickly, but wouldn''t sleep too deeply.


    The night was cool as water.


    In the quietness of the night, the Zombies on the road gradually dispersed, indirectly confirming that their appearance was not occasional.


    The weather was getting cooler, and Third Uncle tightened his outer jacket. With the insulation of the inner lining, it wasn''t too cold at night.


    But the recent weather, changing every day, had dropped from over ten degrees Celsius in early October to about eight or nine degrees in less than two weeks.


    At nighttime, the temperature even reached two to three degrees.


    Nothing happened overnight.


    When Third Uncle woke up in the morning, he saw the morning sun had already risen.


    He jumped directly down from the upstairs and flipped into the car.


    Roaring the vehicle, he rushed towards the place where he encountered the Zombies yesterday; it was too late yesterday, so he had to retreat and find a place to stay overnight.


    Now he definitely had to go and check again, after all, after tracking for so long, to give up now would be too regrettable.


    "Gulp gulp."


    Third Uncle took the water bottle and gulped down a few mouthfuls, as he was already quite thirsty last night but felt it was too much trouble, so he didn''t take any.


    After gulping down a few mouthfuls of water, he felt rejuvenated.


    His hand groped on the back seat for a while, found a compressed biscuit, and started munching on it.


    Three minutes after opening the car window, the morning breeze blew in, taking away the smell that had been sealed inside the vehicle overnight.


    Soon, he arrived at the location of yesterday''s Zombie Tide, but when Third Uncle reached there.


    Third Uncle looked at the empty street, somewhat numb: "What the hell, not even a single clue left for me."


    On the whole road surface, a filthy environment everywhere, footprints everywhere, rotten Zombie corpses, just sticking to the ground like a lump of mud.


    "Forget it, let''s move forward and see," muttered Third Uncle.


    After speaking, he continued driving forward, but not far ahead, suddenly a fork appeared. Third Uncle checked around the fork for a long time, and on the way he came from, he didn''t find any clues related to Mr. Wang.


    And the tire tracks of the car Mr. Wang drove, no trace of them.


    In front of the two fork roads, Third Uncle had no idea which way was the correct one; after all, no clues had been found from before until now.


    Forget it.


    Third Uncle randomly chose a road and drove on for another five kilometers, but found nothing.


    Then he drove back and took another road, but still found no clues.


    The previous clues originated from the location passed by the Zombie Tide and got cut off.


    Thinking of this, Third Uncle simply drove the vehicle back, studied the area for a while, and finally gave up.


    Forget it, let''s return to the base, thought Third Uncle.


    It had been truly a hard journey, running the car non-stop.


    But what Third Uncle didn''t know was that just five or six kilometers down the right road he chose, there was a town, and in an ordinary courtyard of the town, a person got off the car.


    It was Mr. Wang!


    Many times, it''s just such a coincidence.


    Third Uncle felt somewhat unhappy, as the distance from the base, even without resting, would take a 6-hour drive back, and he was driving fast.


    Because occasionally he would encounter some scrapped vehicles on the road, so he couldn''t drive too fast, otherwise, it was easy to have an accident. Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    6 hours, maintaining a speed of 90 kilometers per hour. Nearly 550 kilometers, that''s really far enough.


    That''s almost from Beijing to Shandong Jining.


    Third Uncle sighed, if he couldn''t find it, then let it be.


    During the journey, Third Uncle''s vehicle didn''t stop at all, maintaining a uniform speed and driving very smoothly.


    The mountains on both sides seemed to fall back as Third Uncle looked through the mirror and saw emptiness behind.


    The greenery by the mountains lightened Third Uncle''s mood a little.


    But the morning sun wasn''t very intense, the temperature was dropping so fast, it seemed to decrease by one degree per day.


    This abnormal phenomenon made Third Uncle feel a bit uneasy.


    After returning, he definitely needed to talk to Li Yu about this, thought Third Uncle.


    In this continuous high-speed driving process, Third Uncle remained alert, hardly moving his body, but the vehicle maintained a very high stability and continuously moved forward.


    Only occasionally blinking, letting others know he was a real person, not a robot.


    Third Uncle had a strong memory, rarely looked at maps while driving, and the occasional check confirmed that he remembered the places correctly.


    All the way, the vehicle never stopped.


    ....


    Meanwhile, back at the base, Li Yu and others had already finished unloading the items from Harmony Garden, where people indeed had the habit of continuously stocking up on supplies.


    This indeed benefited him, directly picking up what was readily available.


    Among these, the most collected item was rice, followed by salt, then some vacuum-packed beef and sheep meat among others.


    After unloading the items, everyone suppressed their excitement.


    Three little ones, also obediently lay on top of those thick clothes.


    Eyes closed, soundly asleep.

 Chapter 302 - 294: Global Cooling

    After nearly a whole day of driving, Third Uncle was finally about to reach the base.


    He had started searching for clues from 7 AM today and headed back towards the base around 8 AM.


    It was almost 3 PM now.


    The temperature had warmed up a bit, probably around ten degrees.


    Under the sun, the rays shone into the car, prompting Third Uncle to simply take off his jacket.


    After driving for a while longer, at last, Third Uncle arrived at the entrance of the base.


    "Third Uncle." Li Yuzi called from atop Weng City, opening the gate.


    Clang clang~


    The gate emitted a heavy sound as it continued to open.


    Third Uncle didn''t stop, driving directly into Weng City.


    Having driven continuously for the past two days, he felt somewhat exhausted.


    After arriving in Weng City, Third Uncle got out of the car and lit a cigarette to rejuvenate his spirit.


    In the afternoon sunlight, dust was distinctly visible. Smoke drifted in the air, scattering further away.


    "Third Uncle, how did it go?" Li Yu asked, coming down from Weng City.


    Third Uncle shook his head and sighed, "I chased for hundreds of kilometers. There were some clues initially, but then I encountered some zombies and the trail was lost."


    Li Yu''s face showed regret, but seeing the dust on Third Uncle''s face, he could imagine that Third Uncle had barely rested these past two days.


    So he said, "Don''t worry about it, Third Uncle, it''s just one person. If we encounter them again, we''ll have the chance to take them down."


    Third Uncle remained silent; for him, this was something not so easily forgivable.


    Third Uncle''s return had many people at the base breathing a sigh of relief.


    Not only Third Uncle''s family, but also Li Yu''s grandparents, and even people like Captain Lv who had been saved by Third Uncle.


    They were all profoundly concerned for Third Uncle''s safety.


    "It''s good you''re back, take some rest," Li Hongyuan said to his tired younger brother.


    Rest was definitely needed, but it still required a bit of waiting.


    "Third Uncle, we could organize a party tomorrow evening," Li Yu said.


    "Alright, I know. I''ll be there," Third Uncle answered.


    .....


    In just ten minutes, the two men had discussed and finalized the plans for tomorrow.


    It''s been a difficult time for everyone, especially now, in mid-November, as temperatures keep dropping.


    Moreover, this cooling wasn''t just for a few days; according to his memories from before rebirth, this cooling would last for two months, dropping down to tens of degrees below zero.


    Considering they were in the Southern region, many people had never seen snow in their lifetime.


    If it were before the apocalypse, temperatures of tens of degrees below zero, though cold, could be managed with modern facilities.


    But now, it''s the apocalypse. Although air conditioners and floor heating had been installed in the base, they prepared a lot of coal and charcoal to avoid power outages.


    Now while the weather hadn''t yet turned too cold, they planned to go ahead with the dinner event sooner; otherwise, they would have to wait until the weather warmed up again.


    But that would be a long time from now.


    After talking with Third Uncle, Li Yu returned to the residential area and informed his mother.


    His mother already had some experience; now in the base, Lai Dongsheng''s wife and worker Wang Cheng''s wife were also lending a hand.


    Nowadays, most of the cooking is done by them, especially Lai Dongsheng''s wife. She used to work in a cafeteria; her cooking tastes pretty good, and she''s especially fast. One person can do the work of two or three, so although my mother is primarily responsible for cooking, the actual cooking is still done by Lai Dongsheng''s wife and another person.


    Hearing that there''s going to be another evening party, my mother felt somewhat helpless, but thinking about the happy faces everyone showed during previous events, she felt quite motivated.


    This matter was also discussed with everyone in the evening, planning to start at 5:40 tomorrow afternoon. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cooking for dozens of people is a huge task, so Li Yu and others who caught some free time also started to prepare more ingredients.


    In the Mountain Pond Reservoir, many fish are bred, so grabbing some fish for this gathering event is a perfectly normal choice.


    "Dinner event, what dinner event?" Captain Lv said.


    His wounds have healed a lot, and he no longer needs to stay in the medical room; he spends more time now in his assigned house.


    When he heard about the dinner event, his first reaction was shock.


    What the hell, it''s still time for get-togethers, this kind of spiritual and material civilization-type team building.


    "Yeah, dinner event, just everyone eating, drinking, and having fun together," Li Yu explained.


    Looking over Captain Lv''s back, Li Yu continued, "How''s your wound now? Feeling better?"


    Captain Lv spread his arms and said, "Much better, haha. I just probably shouldn''t drink too much."


    Li Yu was somewhat amused: "You''re not supposed to drink. Wait until you''re completely healed, then we can drink together."


    "Uh-huh," Captain Lv replied.


    For Captain Lv, who had just entered the base, this was news filled with surprises, and it was even more so for others like Old Xie who had entered the base.


    The evening party.


    Just thinking about it sounds fun.


    Everyone remembered the days they''ve spent here; although there''s no internet, there are electronic devices, enough food, a safe shelter, and it''s quite cozy.


    In such a state.


    Comparing it with their previous days, most of the time was spent fleeing, with no time to think about many things.


    Even at night, when everything was utterly silent, it really was very quiet.


    They didn''t even know what to do at night without any lights.


    Every day was incredibly boring, and after a long time of boredom, one becomes very numb.


    "Old Xie, let''s join in too," Xiao Wu said, a pimple swollen on his nose making him look a bit like a cartoon character.


    "Definitely," an excited smile appeared on Old Xie''s thin face.


    Who wouldn''t want to eat something nice in this apocalypse?


    Besides them, others were also highly anticipating this party.


    Under the current shortage of supplies, although many in the base could eat their fill, if they wanted to eat something specific, it was all up to luck.


    Early next morning, Li Yu, along with Dapao and others, went over to Mountain Pond Reservoir to catch some fish.


    This time, Old Xie and Old Lv were also among them.


    They were avid fishers even before the apocalypse, owning a lot of fishing gear, which Li Yu had brought all along.


    Old Xie sat on a small stool, casting line, sinking, showing the dipper...


    Fishing is a meticulous task, but Old Xie caught a two-pound fish in less than two minutes.


    This impressed Li Yu.


    Wow, impressive!

 Chapter 303 - 295: Planning Ahead

    Old Xie, when he was in the team, didn''t have too many hobbies; at most, he would find a spot to do some fishing.


    He had been fishing for over a decade and was a skilled fisherman.


    He loved fishing whether it was early in the morning or late in the evening.


    Fishing had become one of his sources of joy.


    "Wow!" Exclaimed Dapao in amazement as Old Xie pulled up another big black fish which appeared to weigh three or four pounds, looking extraordinarily plump.


    "Old Xie is impressive," Captain Lv also commented from behind. After resting for some time, Captain Lv''s wounds had healed a lot. Although his face was still a bit pale, one could tell his spirits had lifted significantly.


    Especially here in the base, with its beautiful mountains, clear waters, and fresh air, free of the crises of food and security, his mindset had improved a lot.


    Old Xie''s face beamed like a blooming flower, but his hands didn''t stop moving. He skillfully threaded the bait onto the fishing hook.


    With a strong flick of his fishing rod, the line was cast ten meters out.


    Many varieties of fish were initially released into this spacious Mountain Pond, so the fish population was quite substantial.


    Dapao watched with envy and, spotting a fishing rod nearby, wanted to give it a try. However, as he was about to move, Li Yu stopped him: "Let''s fish somewhere else, so as not to disturb Old Xie."


    He vividly remembered the last time they went fishing. With all the gear and great confidence, they fished for half a day without catching a single one, and ultimately, they had to resort to using a net to catch some fish.


    Dapao felt a little embarrassed, recalling the last fishing experience. But seeing Old Xie''s successive catches, he was eager to try and so, took some bait and a fishing rod to a spot twenty meters away on the bank.


    At the turn from autumn to winter, the sunshine was still pleasant, and the breeze was gentle.


    The weather was a bit cold, but it wasn''t so bad under the sunlight.


    The gleaming surface of the lake, accompanied by the whirring sound of the fishing lines being pulled,


    Would occasionally be streaked by a flash of white as Old Xie''s fishing level was indeed impressive. In just half an hour, he had already caught seven or eight fish, hooking one every five minutes or so.


    Meanwhile, at another spot, the duo of Dapao and Tianlong had yet to catch a single fish since they started ten minutes ago.


    The scenic mountains and clear waters, the blue sky and white clouds, the lake reflecting the forest and the sky.


    People on the shore, some sitting, some lying on the grass, and some standing, each in their different postures.


    Li Yu was lying on the grass under the sun, using his phone while listening to music with his earphones on.


    Li Yuan, on the other hand, was curious and watched Old Xie fishing intently. Every time a fish was reeled in, Li Yuan was thrilled. But fearing she might disturb Old Xie, she often just waved her fists in celebration, as if she had played a part in the catch.


    With such an enthusiastic supporter, Old Xie''s smile never left his face. Lost in these silent accolades, he allowed himself a moment of pride.


    Captain Lv, hand in hand with his daughter Xiao Jing, sat on the nearby lawn, keeping her company.


    Occasionally, he would lift his head and feel an indescribable joy at the sight before him. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had envisioned this scene countless times in his mind.


    If only... she were still here.


    ...


    In this post-apocalyptic world, this land seemed as idyllic as Taoyuan,


    Secluded from the outside world''s chaos and the Zombies.


    Cherish the present company, treasure the current beauty.


    ...


    Third Uncle wasn''t idle either. After resting at the base for one night, he first checked the situation at the Observation Tower before returning to the basement of the three-row house.


    This basement, spanning several thousand square feet, was now planted with various vegetables and crops.


    The house itself had walls 70 centimeters thick, and being underground, it offered even better insulation. Without heating equipment, the temperature difference between the surface and the basement was nearly 10 degrees!


    Considering that the current outdoor temperature was about 10 degrees, the basement could reach almost 20 degrees, and with supplemental lighting and heating equipment, the temperature could get close to 25 degrees.


    At this temperature, crops like potatoes were growing extremely well.


    Some vegetables were cultivated hydroponically, while others were grown in soil.


    Both methods seemed to be doing well so far.


    Third Uncle felt somewhat relieved seeing this.


    Second Uncle was in the basement and, seeing Third Uncle come down to check, asked curiously, "Old Three, what brings you down here?"


    Third Uncle had been pondering a lot recently and decided to have a chat with his brother, saying, "Second Brother, I''ve felt that the temperature has dropped significantly these past few days. At this time of previous years, it would still be around ten to twenty degrees or so. Look, now it''s not even ten degrees outside."


    Second Uncle had also noticed this and was somewhat concerned, "I''ve noticed as well. This winter seems to be colder than the ones before. Although our area occasionally experiences significant temperature drops, it''s never been this drastic, especially in the last week, it''s cooled down so quickly."


    Second Uncle continued, looking at the crops and vegetables, "Fortunately, Li Yu had us set up this underground farm in advance. Even if it gets too cold later on, it shouldn''t be a problem."


    "Right, and the wind power generating equipment is still operating, isn''t it? Do we still have that equipment?" Third Uncle suddenly asked.


    "That thing? We only found three small ones in the warehouse. There might be more, but we haven''t looked carefully. If we want to install more, we''d have to get Xiao Hang to handle it. He was the one who set up the three we have," said Second Uncle.


    The change in weather, colder than what they were accustomed to, caused them some worry about the future.


    But now it looked as though every problem had been solved.


    Considering the current situation, the most important issue of security seemed to be well managed. Now with the walls over ten meters high, roughly the height of a four-story building, Zombies would have a hard time getting inside under normal circumstances.


    Furthermore, due to the increased number of people at the base, out of almost a hundred residents excluding the very young or very old, almost everyone could handle firearms and had experienced combat with Zombies.


    There were more than 80 combat-ready individuals above the age of 15!


    At present, there are always six people on duty atop the walls, and together with the mobile Patrol Team, nearly ten people are guarding the base''s safety around and above the walls.


    Besides, inside and outside the base, there are hundreds of cameras monitored by dedicated personnel.


    Should any problem arise, they can be detected and addressed instantly.


    The issue of security, thus, was no longer a concern.

 Chapter 304 - 296: Leisure in the Apocalypse

    Besides safety issues, there''s the problem of food. Let''s not talk about how much food we''ve stockpiled; the crops we''re growing above ground and in the basement alone are enough to sustain our team of over a hundred people.


    After safety and food, comes the problem of energy. There is a large general store near the edge of Weng City.


    Inside, there are also some stockpiles of coal and charcoal, as well as some leftover steel and cement, etc...


    Most importantly, our main energy consumption still relies on solar power, apart from which, wind power is also available, and there are two small hydroelectric generators that are currently being utilized by the flowing water from Mountain Pond.


    However, these two hydroelectric generators are rarely used, typically only during heavy rainstorms.


    Solar, wind, hydro, and coal are essentially all included; thus, at the moment, there appears to be no major issue with our energy supplies.


    ...


    Time whizzes by, and night falls.


    Still under that large camphor tree, this tree that has lived for hundreds of years. Before the apocalypse, many locals used to place incense under this camphor tree while making offerings to the local land god.


    A huge lantern is hanging from the Big Camphor Tree, illuminating the night sky over the base.


    In the base, there are many solar-powered street lamps; especially near the wooded area, where at night, the refurbished cobblestone pathways are lit by lamps on both sides, blurring the surrounding trees, creating a park-like atmosphere.


    Under the Big Camphor Tree. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The event held this time still follows Li Yu''s suggestion from last time, including fish, beef, various vegetables, and fruits.


    Since there are more people now, a self-service style is adopted where everyone can grab what they want to eat and then cook it themselves.


    Of course, peanuts are included.


    With peanuts, naturally, alcohol is indispensable.


    Initially, Li Yu had stockpiled several tons of alcohol, and now some has been consumed.


    Generally, people seldom drink alcohol except during gatherings when everyone is allowed to drink.


    To accommodate those on duty, tonight''s gathering is organized in shifts, divided into two groups, the first and second halves.


    Second Uncle, who had always been on duty, had only attended one of these gatherings.


    The temperature drops quickly at night, but thanks to the roaring fire, the crowd doesn''t feel too cold.


    Just the occasional evening breeze brings a chill.


    Li Yu watches everyone''s faces illuminated by the firelight, sees Lao Xie drinking, sees Xiao Wu competing in strength with Dapao, sees Lao Lv helping his daughter to cook food.


    Li Yu walks to the center, coughs twice.


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s cough, everyone puts down what they are doing and listens attentively to him.


    It quietens down.


    Li Yu smiles and says, "It''s been a long time since we''ve had a banquet. Today''s banquet mainly serves three purposes. First, to welcome Captain Lv and his team who have actually been here for some time, but we''ve never had the chance to hold this welcome event."


    "Second, everyone has been working hard recently. Now take a good break, and later we will have some fun activities where you can participate and win some small prizes."


    "Third, I hope everyone will live well and guard the base diligently. We, the people here, are now like a big family in this apocalyptic world, and I hope we can continue to stand united! Only then can we keep moving forward."


    After a few sentences, Li Yu stops speaking. He''s not usually one for making speeches, but often people can sense his attitude through his actions.


    Cheering and thanks come from below.


    "Alright."


    "Okay."


    "Thank you, Director Li.


    "Thank you, Brother Li."


    ...


    After Li Yu finished speaking, Captain Lv thought for a moment and had Shang Xue''er, the only female team member, bring her daughter.


    He also stepped forward.


    Captain Lv''s expression was somewhat stern, yet his eyes were filled with sincerity:


    "We are truly grateful to Director Li and all of you. For accepting us, for helping us during our most difficult times, for saving us, and even for avenging our grievances. For this, we are very grateful to Director Li, and thankful to everyone."


    He bowed deeply after speaking.


    Perhaps because the wound on his back hadn''t fully healed yet, his brow furrowed slightly as he bowed.


    "You didn''t break your scabbed wound, did you?" Li Yuan, standing beside him, couldn''t help but ask.


    Captain Lv lifted his head with a smile and then continued: "As Director Li said, we are a big family now, Old Xu, Old Wu... all of us came from Jiefang City, and from now on, we will follow Director Li, we will all abide by the arrangements of Director Li..."


    These words already marked a transfer of power, even though Third Uncle with Old Xu and others had gone to handle Harmony Garden before, it was practically recognized then.


    But now, it''s officially recognized, the transfer of power has occurred, and this is very important.


    Whether it''s Old Lv or Old Xu and others, they needed such explicit declaration.


    Even for Song Min and others who joined before, it was the same.


    In a base, there can only be one core leader; others can suggest and propose ideas, but the final decision can only be made by one person.


    Especially in this post-apocalyptic world, the chaos of power can breed many troublesome issues.


    Hearing what Old Lv said, Old Xu and others visibly relaxed.


    Now leading them is Li Yu''s Third Uncle, which made the leadership more legitimate and authoritative.


    ...


    In this joyful atmosphere, Old Lv, unable to drink due to his injuries, could only drink tea.


    He accompanied Grandpa by playing chess; that night, all the people ate and drank as food supplies were plentiful, and Li Yu felt that a gathering should hold the essence of a festivity.


    Therefore, in terms of food, everyone could basically eat whatever they wanted.


    In this joyful atmosphere, the children were the happiest; they ran around the Big Camphor Tree, laughing and playing.


    Since they were some distance from the perimeter wall, the sound here hardly carried outside the base.


    Li Yu held several skewers of beef, strung with both lean and fat meat, and placed them on the charcoal grill. Under the roasting of the charcoal fire, the meat sizzled appealingly, its surface crackling, as drips of oil fell onto the charcoals and flamed more vigorously.


    Soon, the skewers of beef were well-cooked, and Li Yu skillfully sprinkled some cumin and chili powder on it, handing two skewers to Yutong sitting beside him, as they chatted and ate the grilled meat, occasionally clinking their beer mugs.


    The atmosphere was exceedingly harmonious.


    Under the lush canopy of the Big Camphor Tree, everyone indulged in food and drink, as if all troubles had disappeared.


    The happiness of the moment made them feel, even in a post-apocalyptic world, they could still live a nourished and leisurely life!


    ����������


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    Guan Guan boasts exceptional writing skills. Everyone can go take a look!"

 Chapter 305 - 297: Add a Duty Room!

    Life is full of disappointments, and the world is ever-changing; thus, we must constantly adjust our attitudes.


    To be content is to be happy, as simple as that.


    In such a joyful atmosphere, one can easily forget all troubles.


    Li Yu listened to the merry noises around him and, upon seeing the delicate face of the beauty beside him, knowing his parents were well and friends were close by, he knew this was a happy time.


    ...


    After the festivities, the world continued to change, with temperatures steadily falling.


    Following that gathering, the temperature dropped by one degree every day. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nowadays, when everyone goes on duty, they have to wear thick clothes, thermal underwear underneath, and then a windbreaker on top, but even so, it still felt very cold outside.


    A week after the party, the temperature had already dropped below zero.


    It is worth noting that it wasn''t even December yet, but the temperatures had plummeted below zero. At such temperatures, many outdoor plants were freezing, not to mention the crops.


    However, thanks to Li Yu''s foresight, after the gathering, he harvested the vegetables and some of the crops. In fact, there wasn''t much left to harvest, except for the navel oranges on the trees, which were all picked.


    Some trees were even bundled up with straw from harvested rice at the base to provide simple insulation.


    Outside the duty room, Li Yu stamped his feet, breathed hot air onto his hands, and touched his ears that had turned red from the cold.


    Then he peered through the telescope erected in front of him to look around.


    He saw Li Hang beside him, seemingly shivering with cold.


    Smiling, he said, "Let''s go inside the duty room."


    Sub-zero temperatures may not mean much to the north, but for the southern parts, in this humid and cold environment, it is really cold.


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s suggestion, Li Hang hurried toward the duty room, "Brother, it''s just too cold, it''s getting colder day by day."


    Hearing Li Hang''s words, Li Yu thought to himself: This is just the beginning; the temperatures will continue to drop, and when it hits minus 40 degrees, that''s when it''ll truly be cold.


    In such extreme cold, nobody dares to go to the bathroom outside, and even if they must, they carry a stick with them...


    After Li Hang returned indoors, he was greeted by a blast of warm air. The base was now equipped with heating, with radiators installed even in the duty room.


    Therefore, the duty room was exceptionally warm.


    Looking around the duty room, Li Hang suddenly had an idea, "Brother, didn''t we buy some extra cameras and screens? Why don''t we build a few more duty rooms in other directions as well, and install the key cameras there?"


    Li Hang continued, "Uncle was patrolling outside today, and I saw that he had frostbite on his hands. By building more duty rooms, everyone can monitor the outside of the wall from inside, and in case of any emergency, we can quickly see what''s happening just by stepping out of the duty room. Moreover, it''ll reduce the pressure on the monitoring room; they get tired looking at hundreds of screens..."


    Li Yu thought about it and felt this plan was good. The most important thing now was the protection on the walls; there was little need for internal surveillance within the base.


    So he said, "Then, we can create a linked system, set up more cameras outside the base, and both the monitoring room and the duty room staff can see what''s happening. This would be a double layer of security."


    "Additionally, people in the duty room need to arrange a timetable; they can''t stay inside all the time."


    Li Hang nodded his head.


    The two then discussed some details about this matter, including things to pay attention to.


    Materials needed and the time required for completion, etc.


    This approach could not only reduce the pressure on the surveillance room, but also spare those on guard duty on the walls from having to endure the freezing cold outdoors all the time.


    Currently, there are only duty rooms at the front and back gates, especially the one at the front gate which is built between Weng City and the wall, is relatively large, with a space of about a dozen square meters housing some standard weapons, including even a machine gun.


    So usually, there are always more than two people on watch at the gate position.


    Both thought it was a good plan, so they took out their walkie-talkies and discussed it with Second Uncle, Uncle, and others.


    At this moment, Dapao, who was on patrol on the right side, heard the news and was so delighted that he almost clapped!


    "This should have been done earlier. I''m nearly frozen to death, not to mention the chilling wind that keeps howling. Achoo~" Dapao sneezed and said.


    "This idea is quite good. We also transported a lot of materials before, and there''s still a lot of steel and cement left. There''s enough stuff for construction. Big brother, how long do you think the whole construction period will be?" Second Uncle said.


    "My dad is at the underground planting base today; he didn''t bring his walkie-talkie," Li Yuan''s voice came through from the other end.


    "Hmm, Li Yu, let me check; how about we all have a chat tonight to discuss the specifics? I think we can do it, it''s indeed a bit cold now," Second Uncle said.


    "Okay."


    ....


    When night fell, Li Yu and Li Haoran changed shifts, then headed towards the base.


    Having just come up from the basement, Li Hongyuan was listening to Second Uncle talking about Li Hang''s suggestion.


    Seeing Li Yu come over, Second Uncle said, "Just in time, Li Yu, come and tell your dad about the idea you and Xiao Hang came up with today."


    Li Yu greeted his father and said, "Dad, it''s actually quite straightforward. The weather has gotten cold, and everyone staying outside all the time could easily get sick, so we might as well build a duty room on or next to the wall. It doesn''t have to be as big as the ones at the front and back gates, smaller will do. Just a few square meters would be enough."


    Li Hongyuan pondered for a while and said, "Building this is not troublesome; we have enough materials, and Ding Jiu and the others are experienced builders. The main question is how many duty rooms should we set up?"


    Li Yu thought about the number of people who were regularly stationed on the wall, including patrolling personnel, which amounted to nearly 10 people. Based on this count, just five or six duty rooms should be enough. There is already one at the front and back gates, which means only three or four more duty rooms are needed.


    The perimeter wall of this area of over a thousand square meters nearly encloses 100,000 square meters.


    It surrounds the base''s plains, residential areas, gardens, breeding grounds, and some other regions; two mountains and Mountain Pond among other places.


    All together, it covers more than a hundred acres.


    Building these duty rooms would also benefit everyone in terms of rest and protection from the cold.


    After listening, Li Hongyuan had a rough idea in mind and said, "If we are to build four more duty rooms, with each occupying a few square meters, we could actually build them directly on top of the wall. The current thickness of the wall is nearly 3 meters, so we''ll just build on top of it. It will be quick."


    After thinking for a while, Li Hongyuan added, "With Ding Jiu and a few others assisting me, it wouldn''t even take three days to get it done."

 Chapter 306 - 298: Minus Seven or Eight Degrees!

    Li Yu, after listening to his father''s declaration that it would only take three days to finish the task, his face lit up with joy.


    He then said:


    "Okay, Dad, let''s start tomorrow because as you can see, the weather is getting colder by the day. It''s going to get even colder in a few days. The sooner we finish building, the sooner we won''t have to endure the cold. Once the weather gets too cold, it will be hard for everyone to work."


    "Okay," replied Li Hongyuan.


    "By the way," Li Hongyuan seemed to remember something and suddenly added, "Today I went down to the basement and checked on the crops, they are growing well, but I''ve been running the heater continuously, and we use it daily. I''m a bit worried about the energy issue. I wonder if the solar power is sufficient?"


    "We have 10 acres of photovoltaic energy on the mountaintop, plus the solar panels on the roof. From what I see, it''s still sufficient. The sunlight has been strong recently, enough for our needs," Li Yu replied.


    Hearing Li Yu''s response, Li Hongyuan put aside his worries and nodded in agreement.


    Even though there are many storage batteries, having them filled and not using the leftover power would be wasteful.


    For now, it seems that the electricity situation is sustainable, but if we ever run short of power, we could simply make do by sleeping in the basement. After all, maintaining the plantation in the basement is a must!


    ...


    The cold wind howls, growing colder by the day.


    In this environment, many animals enter hibernation, but this winter seems colder than previous ones.


    The three puppies found on the road are now housed in the plantation basement.


    It''s inevitable since it''s too cold outside now; even humans shiver, let alone the newborn puppies.


    Nourished with milk powder, these young wolf puppies do nothing but sleep, and sleep.


    Many people, in an effort to save electricity, frequently stay down in the warm plantation, and often play with the puppies.


    After a few days, the puppies seem to have gotten familiar with their surroundings, allowing people to cuddle and hug them as they continue to sleep soundly.


    The most beloved among them is Cui Hua, with its four white legs and shy nature, often hiding behind its two brothers.


    But it is this very demeanor that makes it the most endearing.


    Li Yu also often comes down to play with them, and oddly enough, these past few days, although Li Yuan has been feeding them daily, for some reason, whenever the puppies smell Li Yu approaching, they become particularly lively.


    This irritates Li Yuan.


    But then, being licked by their tender little tongues softens any hard feelings, and at least for now, other than Li Yu.


    Well, and Yutong, it''s her, Li Yuan, that the puppies show the best attitude towards.


    Keep it up!


    Li Yuan stroked the puppies'' heads, feeling the warm, smooth fur, and her face broke into a smile.


    There''s this principle, the three Bs (beautiful, beast, baby), commonly known.


    In many scenes, the presence of these three elements always gathers attention and affection, it''s instinctual.


    So, many people, when they see a baby, have an indescribable feeling and speak in unintentionally gentler tones.


    And men, when they see a beautiful woman, can''t help but look; it''s human nature.


    Including adorable pets, seeing them makes you want to own them, to stroke them; it''s also instinctual.


    Most people, love beautiful things.


    ...


    Ding Jiu, Wang Cheng, and the others are veteran construction workers, so for them, building a duty room was a minor case. The day after Li Yu proposed the suggestion, Li Hongyuan led them to start construction.


    There was still plenty of cement in the warehouse, but due to the rapid drop in temperature, the cement had hardened somewhat.


    The current temperature had already dropped to around two to three degrees. The drawn water would easily solidify after being left out for a while, so they often heated some water and poured it into the mixer.


    The construction modules were quickly set up, then they tied the rebar and poured the cement, all done at a fast pace.


    The sun had just risen in the morning and they worked until the sun set in the evening.


    They could have worked in the evenings as well, with huge searchlights that could illuminate everything, but it was just too cold at night, dropping to minus ten degrees or more compared to the daytime.


    This was unbearable for everyone, so they worked during the day instead.


    Because the temperature had dropped so quickly recently, Li Yu wanted to finish the construction sooner. By finishing a day earlier, everyone could avoid the cold a day sooner, so in addition to Ding Jiu and a few others, he also let some other people from the base help out.


    With many hands making light work, the construction speed increased a lot.


    Recently, the sun has been very bright and glaring. It''s good for the newly built duty room to be exposed under the scorching sun, making it more stable.


    Days passed. The duty room was now free of its molds and very stable.


    Li Yu and his team also adjusted the positions of the surveillance cameras to cover all angles, monitoring every movement outside the walls, and they also connected heating to the duty room.


    After they finished constructing these four duty rooms, everyone looked at the standing structures with a sense of pride in their hearts.


    The base started from a height of 6 meters and gradually improved, slowly increasing its height to now over ten meters.


    They increased its thickness and made the base more and more fortified.


    They also added... (Weng City)


    Every time they made the base stronger and more powerful, they felt a sense of pride.


    .....


    The temperature was indeed dropping degree by degree.


    The northern wind bent the white grass.


    In these last few days, besides the temperatures dropping to around minus seven or eight degrees, the winds were blowing stronger and stronger.


    At times like this, those staying in the duty rooms felt extremely fortunate; in this kind of weather, they didn''t want to stay outside for even a second.


    It was simply too cold.


    In the main gate duty room, Third Uncle pulled out an orange, peeled it, and the aroma filled the whole duty room. Although the duty room was warm, it was very dry. A few days ago, Tianlong had a nosebleed in the duty room from the heat.


    Seeing the youngster next to him looking at him eat the orange, Third Uncle took another orange from his pocket and tossed it over: "Why didn''t you go on duty with your dad?" S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The youngster caught the orange and said somewhat fearfully, "My dad always scolds me. I said I wanted to go on duty with him, and he said that was fine but advised me to learn more from you."


    Third Uncle, biting into the orange, enjoyed the sweet fruit exploding on his taste buds, akin to drinking a glass of ice-cold soda in the desert, in the dry heated room.


    "You, your dad''s not simple, eh... So what do you want to learn?"


    "I want to learn how to kill zombies more quickly and efficiently, and how to defeat enemies..." The youngster expressed his strong desire to learn.


    He too wanted to become stronger, to better protect his family!

 Chapter 307 - 299: 10 Degrees Below Zero!

    The weather is getting colder, and people are becoming weak and sluggish, except for those on duty and those engaged in daily task arrangements.


    Everyone basically spends the daytime in the underground plantation base and returns to their rooms to sleep at night.


    The three young wolf puppies, their condition has been improving lately, looking quite lively compared to when they were nearly at death''s door.


    One day, while Li Yu was in the duty room, he stepped out with a thermos in hand and couldn''t help but pour some water on the wall. In less than a few seconds, the flowing water slowed, gradually congealing into ice.


    "Ice!" Li Yu seemed to have thought of something.


    If we sprinkle water on the walls and let it freeze, it could actually increase the walls'' defensive capabilities, ice is slippery after all!


    If someone were to come by, trying to sneak up under the solid and slick ice walls would undoubtedly be much more difficult.


    Having thought of it, he discussed it with Second Uncle and others, and everyone found the idea to be good. The only issue is that the temperature is really low now, and the water in Mountain Pond Reservoir has already turned to ice.


    It looks like they''ll need to figure something out.


    With such a long stretch of wall, to have the entire surface freeze over, if they were to rely on carrying it bucket by bucket, the efficiency would be painfully low.


    Besides that, with the temperature so low, transporting water slowly like this, it''s bound to freeze in transit.


    Finally, they came up with a solution��they still had a lot of water pipes, but transporting water was a problem.


    Now everyone was using heated hot water. If they could concentrate all this heat-supplied water, directly channeling hot water from the residential areas to the walls,


    even if the water cooled during the transit, it wouldn''t freeze into ice so quickly.


    The real issue is maintaining a constant flow of hot water, but thanks to the large water heater that Li Yu built initially, if they turned on all sorts of heating devices to the max, they should just manage to keep up the supply.


    Since they were prepared, they began the operation.


    Contrary to everyone''s expectations, things went extremely smoothly!


    In the evening, Li Yu stood atop the wall, looking down at the ground below where the ice had solidified, reflecting a unique glow under the dim yellow sunset, and he felt a lot calmer inside.


    ....


    The temperature had now dropped to minus ten degrees, getting even lower during the night.


    Dozens of kilometers away from Li Yu and his group, in a county town, there was a small squad made up of women huddled in a tiny house.


    In the center of the room, some wood was burning, illuminating the entire room and casting silhouettes of the people around the flames against the walls.


    Six or seven women were very close to the fire, so close they might as well be burning; it seemed they could only feel the warmth of the flames this way.


    "Sister Bai, we''ve collected almost all the wood around here. We''ve also chopped up the wooden furniture upstairs to burn as fuel," a slightly older woman said.


    "Okay, I know. We''ll go out again tomorrow to see what else we can find," Bai Jie said.


    These people were Bai Jie and others who had left Jiefang City some time ago, and now they had reached Xin City.


    "Cough cough cough!" A series of violent coughs echoed.


    "Xiao Yan, hold on a little longer. We''ll definitely find you some medicine tomorrow. Sigh," Bai Jie said, looking towards a young girl, only in her teens.


    Wrapped in thick clothes, the girl''s face was pale, her lips white, too, yet her forehead was beaded with sweat. Despite that, she felt extremely cold. Even by the fire, bundled up in so many layers, her body couldn''t stop shaking uncontrollably.


    "Sis, I''m fine, I can hold on," the girl said sensibly, her weary expression tugging at the heartstrings. Sear?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A flicker of guilt crossed Bai Jie''s eyes. It was she who had led them out, and now everyone was struggling to survive in this apocalyptic world, which weighted heavily on her.


    In the center of the flame hung a stove. Bai Jie took it down, poured some hot water, and handed the cup to the girl, saying, "Drink some water to warm up. Have more later, but be careful, it''s hot."


    "Thank you, sis. Cough, cough, cough."


    The room was small, as one that was too large would lose heat too quickly.


    Most of the room''s space was taken up by stacks of firewood. Apart from these, the next room was also filled with firewood.


    Bai Jie didn''t directly sleep on the floor; instead, she had arranged some bedding on top��after all, the ground was very cold.


    The windows were tightly shut, but because firewood burned within the room, some gaps were left open. Cold air whooshed through these small slits. Bai Jie, who was near one of these gaps, felt another draft on her back and frowned slightly, pulling the blanket closer around her.


    Looking at the crack, she thought for a moment, then got up and narrowed it slightly, lightly covering it with a piece of breathable cloth.


    This allowed fresh air into the room and also kept the cold wind from blowing directly on her.


    The room was very quiet, aside from the occasional violent coughing.


    It wasn''t really quiet��it was just that the sounds had become more simple and pure. Outside, the sound of the wind could be heard due to the small gaps letting in noise.


    Then there was the sound of the burning firewood, crackling and popping.


    Crackling and popping...


    ...


    Bai Jie and her companions were just a microcosm of this wintry apocalypse. Similar situations were happening in many places.


    But, the living conditions of many people were not even as good as those in Bai Jie''s small house.


    At least, they had enough firewood to burn!


    Ordinarily, people would be comfortable inside a warm room during the cold winter.


    But most nights in this apocalypse, they faced the deadly prospect of freezing.


    This is the South, where many people haven''t seen snow in their lifetimes or felt temperatures below negative 10 degrees Celsius. Not to mention negative 10, even sub-zero temperatures are rarely experienced.


    Now, without heating, without electricity, without a safe place, survival in such cold weather is incredibly difficult.


    Food was already scarce. Being cold and hungry was the state for most.


    Not everyone had the strength to search for things to stay warm, nor could everyone find a safe place.


    In this cold weather, they had to keep warm to avoid frostbite and also be on alert for zombies.


    Amidst this atmosphere of despair, many people, unable to withstand the pressure or the cold, ended their lives by jumping from high buildings.


    This cold winter seemed to freeze people''s warm hearts, leaving them unable to feel warmth or hope.

 Chapter 308 - 300: Took the Benefits but Didnt Do the Work!

    Hundreds of kilometers from Li Yu and his team''s base, there was a massive base.


    At this moment outside the base, a man stood about a hundred meters from the entrance, watching some people enter.


    However, those entering always had to hand over something.


    At the entrance of the large base, six or seven fully armed people were searching a convoy.


    The convoy looked like it had just returned from outside.


    ....


    "Brother Tao, we really didn''t find much this trip, can we keep a bit more this time?" A middle-aged man took a pack of cigarettes from his inner jacket pocket, popped one out, and offered it to the fully armed man.


    Captain Tao took the cigarette, just as he was about to put it to his lips, the weathered middle-aged man, eager like a lackey, hurried forward to light it for Captain Tao.


    Ssss~ Huu~ Captain Tao took a drag of the cigarette. The white smoke drifted away into the air.


    The weathered middle-aged man looked at the newly opened pack of cigarettes, furrowed his brows slightly as if making up his mind with determination, and stuffed the entire pack into Captain Tao''s pocket.


    Captain Tao didn''t stop the man''s actions and took another leisurely drag, then nonchalantly said, "Old Liu, these are the rules here. If I make an exception for you, what would others think, right?"


    "You''re right, Captain Tao. But please, show some leniency, I''ve also got two bottles of liquor as gifts for you," the man said, trying to ingratiate himself.


    "It''s all regulations. There''s nothing I can do," Captain Tao said calmly as he noticed two more bottles of liquor added to his bag.


    A shadow flickered across the weathered man''s eyes. These weren''t enough to satiate their appetites; their demands were too great.


    Captain Tao seemed to sense the man''s mood and sighed, "We''re just following the rules here, it''s all official business, Old Liu. You have to understand our difficulties."


    The tone carried a sense of moral lecturing as if the middle-aged man was clueless, attempting to cheat, while Captain Tao was a paragon of fairness strictly enforcing the rules!


    The man''s face turned sour, but he still tried to curry favor:


    "But, but it was said that only a third would be taken... Look, look you''ve taken half already..."


    "Hey. I thought you, Old Liu, were sensible. Are you still bringing this up? We''re here to protect the base, are we supposed to live on air?" Captain Tao said, visibly impatient.


    "This...." Old Liu tried to say something else.


    "Enough, let''s leave it at that, don''t annoy me, Old Liu, you ought to be grateful, if you keep on like this, you won''t be allowed in today," Captain Tao said angrily.


    Hearing Captain Tao''s words, the man''s expression changed dramatically; he had family inside waiting for him to return. He had been out for a long time; he must return as soon as possible.


    "Captain Tao, Captain Tao, please, we know we were wrong, this is to show our respect to you." The weathered man handed over another pack of cigarettes, stuffing it into Captain Tao''s pocket. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the pack of cigarettes, Captain Tao''s face became much warmer, and he patted Old Liu''s shoulder.


    He glanced at the supplies already divided into two piles and smiled.


    Then he said to the few fully armed men in front of him, "Alright, let it be, let them in."


    Hearing Captain Tao''s words, the weathered man felt a surge of relief, then hurriedly directed the drivers behind him to proceed inside.


    After driving forward for a while, the weathered man asked the person next to him, "How much did they take?"


    "Two-thirds!"


    "Damn it, fucking bastards!" The weathered man couldn''t help but curse.


    That''s just too much!


    People ask for help; it''s normal to give some benefit.


    But receiving favors and still damn well not doing anything, only to add troubles in the end, that kind of person is utterly disgusting!


    However, people like that existed both before the apocalypse and during it, and there are quite a lot of them.


    "What do we do now?" the young man next to him asked.


    "Next time let''s all hide some stuff. I saw that old Sun from next door, they could hide some things in their vehicle. This time, everyone has worked hard. Alas, everyone gets a bit less, let''s just hold off for two days, and in a few days we''ll go out and gather more supplies," said the aged man with a somewhat unpleasant expression on his face.


    "Okay."


    ....


    The person standing a hundred meters outside the base gate was Mr. Wang.


    Mr. Wang had actually been around here for several days. When he initially fled to this side, he did not know there was such a big base here.


    He just happened to see it, so he stayed to observe for a few days.


    During these days, he saw that some people were entering this base.


    While he was staring in a trance, a voice came from next to Mr. Wang: "I have been inside, there''s really nothing much, it''s just safer inside, nothing else."


    Mr. Wang, hearing the voice, quickly moved two steps to the side; he hadn''t even heard this person approaching him.


    "Don''t be scared, hahaha, we''re all friends here." This came from a man with a splotchy face and missing two teeth, his speech somewhat whistling.


    His hair was graying, but his skin was tight, making it difficult to determine his real age.


    "You''ve been inside?" Mr. Wang asked skeptically, looking at the tooth-missing man.


    "For real," said the tooth-missing man.


    "Then why would you come out? Didn''t you say it was safer inside?" Mr. Wang asked.


    "Yeah, no choice. They don''t distribute things inside, all your food, you have to get it yourself, it''s just free from zombies inside," said the tooth-missing man.


    Then the man added: "And every time you go in, you have to pay them protection money, I think it''s not worth it. Dude, I''ve told you so much, give me some tip."


    The tooth-missing man looked at Mr. Wang with a smile on his face.


    Mr. Wang flinched inwardly, damn, even forced trade can happen.


    Then he saw that outside the base there were also some people living around the base, a large number.


    To avoid becoming a target in their eyes, he didn''t bring the supplies he drove over from Harmony Garden. Of course, he didn''t drive the car either.


    He only had a pack of cigarettes and two packs of soda crackers.


    After thinking it over, Mr. Wang took out a pack of soda crackers.


    He then opened the package, and pulled out a cracker, then another, and another.


    Seemingly reluctant, he then put one cracker back.


    "Hey, hey, at least three pieces," the tooth-missing man said quickly after seeing Mr. Wang''s actions.


    "Ah, this is my last pack, this is..." Mr. Wang''s expression was extremely troubled.


    But in the end, he still took out three pieces, handed them over and said: "Really now, okay, I give you three pieces, now you tell me properly about this base."


    After receiving the three soda crackers, the tooth-missing man swallowed his spit, but didn''t immediately put them in his mouth to eat!


    Instead, he carefully and earnestly put them in his pocket, gently patting it.

 Chapter 309 - 301: To Enter or Not to Enter?

    "Speak," Mr. Wang held his arms across his chest, looking at the man with missing teeth before him.


    The man with missing teeth lowered his head and patted the soda crackers he had just put away again.


    Seeing Mr. Wang looking at him, the man''s mouth split open in a grin, making his missing teeth even more apparent.


    Then he said, "This place, we all call it Safe City.


    Ironically, there used to be tens of thousands of people here, but during the last Zombie Tide, it was overrun and many died. Now, I estimate there are only a few thousand left."


    The man with missing teeth seemed to recall some terrifying memory, fear evident in his eyes.


    After a while, he continued with a sigh,


    "Maybe not even a few thousand now, because sometimes people often come out from inside. This place is like a safe house; once you enter, your safety is guaranteed.


    But you have to pay a certain amount of food, and once you run out of food, you have to go out to find more and pay a portion of it to continue living inside."


    Mr. Wang quietly said to the man with missing teeth, "Is that why you came out?"


    The man with missing teeth smiled and said, "Yes, I came out before to look for food when I ran out, and then I never went back in. This place is like a Blood-sucking City..."


    Seemingly straying from the point, the man with missing teeth brought the conversation back on topic, speaking self-mockingly, "Speaking of which, the place is quite complicated, with a chaotic mix of people. Currently, there are several major factions inside:


    Let''s start with the first faction, mainly consisting of people from the military. They are the fewest in number but the strongest. Their leader is named Wu Jianguo.


    The second faction consists of the original local gangsters, and they have the most people.


    The third faction is led by a company boss and his followers.


    The fourth faction is more like a small internal alliance; they consist of ordinary people from various places and are the weakest.


    These are the main four factions. For now, the control of the entire base lies with the military faction, only now that the apocalypse has broken out for so long, their weapons and ammunition are also limited.


    Moreover, the other factions have some weapons as well, so the relationships between them all are somewhat delicate."


    ....


    ....


    Having listened to this, Mr. Wang felt there was some trouble here. Looking ahead at the gate of the base, he saw vehicles entering, but without exception, all were stopped.


    The higher-ups have policies; the low-levels have countermeasures.


    If you were to go in, you''d definitely be stripped of a layer of skin.


    But if you don''t go in, being alone outside, it''s also quite dangerous.


    Around the perimeter, there were a few hundred people circling this Safe City, in tattered clothes and gaunt, wanting to go in but without the means to qualify.


    The only qualification for entry: a certain amount of food must be handed over.


    But how could normal people bear to give up their already scarce supply of food? Yet if they do not enter, those outside are constantly facing the danger of zombies.


    So out of necessity, they choose to stay close and live around the edges of Safe City, at least if zombies come, Safe City would put up some resistance.


    The people inside Safe City are happy to see these outsiders around the walls; if zombies do come, they serve as the first line of defense.


    All along, there have been people who dared to climb into Safe City under the cover of night��some succeeded, but many failed. The leaders would simply tell those people to leave.


    But those enforcing the rules always had to expend energy to chase away trespassers, time and again, wearisome to the point of exhaustion. Eventually, they lost their patience and once ended up beating someone to death.


    After that incident, the number of people trying to sneak in dwindled significantly.


    Why is there such a desperate need to go in?


    In this post-apocalyptic world, when faced with a Zombie Tide, an individual is very unlikely to survive. Living outside alone is terrifying; you''re scared to sleep because you never know what might happen next or when zombies might show up.


    But food is the most basic need for humans.


    In Maslow''s hierarchy of needs, physiological needs��food, air, water��these are the most fundamental and important.


    Beyond these, the need for safety comes next, the desire for stability, safety, protection, order, and to be free from fear and anxiety.


    Between safety and food, food is undoubtedly more important.


    Just as the man with missing teeth said, this city is like a Blood-sucking City, constantly drawing food from the hands of survivors.


    Survivors continually search for supplies outside, then hand over a significant portion to get the chance to live inside.


    It''s a choice: nobody forces you into Safe City, but if you want to enter, you must pay the "protection fee."


    But if you stay outside, facing the dangers of zombies and other people alone, sometimes even having supplies isn''t enough��you still don''t know how you''ll end up dead.


    Whereas inside Safe City, at least your personal safety is guaranteed. There are specific personnel patrolling and controlling, ensuring your safety and your possessions��provided you first contribute a certain quantity of food.


    Just as Mr. Wang was agonizing over whether or not to enter, the man with missing teeth next to him smiled and said, "Boss, I have another secret piece of information, but well, give me two more crackers."


    Mr. Wang was tempted; he stamped his foot and tightened the clothes on his body��it was really cold outside. Turning to the man, he said, "You talk first."


    The man with missing teeth grinned and said, "Boss, give me one first. After you''ve heard it, then you can decide whether or not to give me the other one."


    Mr. Wang''s curiosity was piqued by the man with missing teeth, and pretending to be reluctant, he still took out the packet of soda crackers and handed one over, saying, "Hurry up and talk!"


    The man with missing teeth took the cracker, swallowed his saliva, put it away, leaned close to Mr. Wang, and whispered in his ear:


    "There''s a place inside with the pink peach blossoms. Just two crackers and you''ll be over the moon�� they''ve got all the techniques, truly even more exciting than Dongguan used to be..."


    Mr. Wang''s eyes widened. This is it?


    He then reached out both hands: "Give it back!"


    The man with missing teeth looked puzzled; he had shared such meaningful information, yet the other man saw no use in it.


    So he looked at Mr. Wang with a strange gaze, pondering something.


    Mr. Wang felt humiliated by the look and stepped forward to forcefully snatch the crackers back. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man with missing teeth took off running right away.


    Mr. Wang didn''t bother to chase after him. Having escaped from Harmony Garden, he had considered the issue of food long ago. He hid his car in a concealed place a kilometer away.


    But now there was a question before him: Safe City? To enter or not to enter?

 Chapter 310 - 302: Little Fat Lamb!

    After much deliberation, Mr. Wang finally decided to go in and take a look, but he couldn''t bring all the items he had brought from Harmony Garden.


    He needed to find a more hidden spot to stash them, then bring a portion inside to check.


    The weather turned even colder; the Zombies didn''t fear the cold. Every night outside, he had to fend off the chill and constantly worry about the sudden appearance of Zombies.


    "After all, it''s just me now," Mr. Wang was filled with an endless regret. Why did he insist on sending someone to check? Now that he''d kicked an iron plate, all he could do was flee.


    He didn''t dare think of vengeance for now, the sound of gunfire that night had shocked him. Thinking about the firepower he had heard, the offended force must be unbelievably strong.


    All he wanted was to avoid being caught up by that force.


    As Mr. Wang pondered this, he''d been on edge these past days. The sensation of not knowing what might happen the next second was driving him crazy.


    Might as well give it a shot, Mr. Wang thought and walked towards the place he had parked. He left his vehicle in an abandoned yard��a kind of old rural yard mixed with mud and straw.


    Along the way, he observed his surroundings quietly, watching to see if anyone was following him.


    No one seemed to be tracking him so far, and after these days of torment, Mr. Wang looked visibly distressed, his appearance haggard.


    Instead of going straight to the yard with the car, Mr. Wang went around a bend, passing the place from behind, and found a house that seemed relatively safe to wait inside for a while, then, after several minutes...


    Without seeing anyone, Mr. Wang stepped out from a side door and circled back to the dilapidated yard.


    Upon entering the yard, he quickly pulled out the car keys and opened the car door to check the items inside. Seeing that everything was still there, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Luckily, it went unnoticed.


    Long ago, Mr. Wang had a strong sense of potential disaster, so he had prepared things for a quick escape a long time ago. To his surprise, he didn''t expect to use these items so soon.


    Clang��


    A noise came from behind him as something fell to the ground.


    Mr. Wang quickly turned around, reaching into his left coat pocket with his right hand.


    It was the gap-toothed man he had encountered earlier, flanked by several men looking maliciously at Mr. Wang.


    "Hey! Didn''t expect to actually catch a fat sheep!" The man in the lead said, looking at Mr. Wang standing by the car with surprise.


    The men behind him noticed the car door open and the various items stuffed inside, their eyes greedily fixed on the vehicle.


    "Wow, gap-tooth, didn''t expect you''d actually bring us a surprise this time," said a skinny man beside him, patting the gap-toothed man on the shoulder.


    "Ha ha ha, gap-tooth, we''ll give you a bigger share this time," the man in the lead, pleased with the goods in the vehicle, commented.


    These people often collaborated in this way. Ever since Safe City was built, although it had been breached several times, it had always been rebuilt.


    Many Survivors around knew this place, and some wanted to live inside. sea??h th�� N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But after some arrived, they found they had to give a certain amount of food or useful supplies as payment��some were unwilling to part with theirs, and some simply didn''t have enough, so they had to stay nearby.


    Gap-tooth and his gang had formed a stable partnership, targeting ''fat sheep'' unfamiliar with the area to fleece.


    Mr. Wang felt the Handgun inside his coat pocket. Although Harmony Garden didn''t have many guns, as the main person in charge of Harmony Garden, how could he not have a gun?!


    He slightly shifted his body, and with a kick, he shut the car door, facing the four men calmly, "So you''re certain of taking me down?"


    The man in the lead was taken aback, and looking at the unarmed Mr. Wang in front of him, he found it amusing.


    "What? Just one of you against the four of us. Who do you think you are?"


    Mr. Wang shook his head, stopped talking, unlocked the safety on his handgun, and, leaning sideways, pulled it out and aimed it at the man in the front.


    Bang!


    A shot hit the man''s chest, quickly staining his shirt red, and the leader of the men slumped down, lifeless.


    "Missing tooth bastard!" These were the last words uttered by the man.


    The two men at his side scattered like birds and beasts, running away.


    Only an idiot would try to fight a handgun with a machete!


    And that man with the missing tooth, as soon as he saw Mr. Wang draw his handgun, he started to flee backwards, now escaping at the fastest speed toward the corner of another intersection.


    But Mr. Wang did not choose to shoot the two men who were closer to him; instead, he aimed at the man with the missing tooth at the corner and fired two shots!


    Bang! Bang!


    As the man with the missing tooth was running away, Mr. Wang fired two shots; one missed him completely, and the other only hit his arm.


    The man was tough enough to grunt from taking a bullet and continued to escape.


    After firing those two shots, the other two men also scattered to the sides and were about to escape from view. Mr. Wang aimed at one of them.


    Bang! He hit the man''s waist, and the man fell to the ground, while the other man had already left the area.


    "Damn it!" cursed Mr. Wang.


    He quickly took a few steps towards the man who had just been shot in the waist and fired another shot.


    Then he hurried back to the dilapidated yard, quickly got in the car.


    Time to escape this place, which is not far from Safe City, and there are some people living around it.


    Such a big commotion, it was bound to attract some people over, he had to leave swiftly before they arrived.


    Mr. Wang put the car in reverse, and seeing that the man who was shot and leading the group was not yet dead, Mr. Wang''s face was cold as he drove the car.


    Over his body.


    Crunching sounds~


    The front and back tires.


    Crushing.


    Through the rearview mirror.


    He saw a mess behind.


    The sky was darkening, and night would soon fall.


    Mr. Wang was still considering whether he should enter Safe City now.


    Based on his experiences these past days, he felt how difficult it was to be alone outside, not to mention, he hadn''t had a proper sleep in days. Every time he closed his eyes, images of zombies or a group of strangers tying him up would flash through his mind.


    Mr. Wang thought: I can''t just go in there now, based on the last two days of observation, a large portion of supplies would be confiscated upon entry, and it''s unclear what the situation would be like inside.


    Entering was like this, but upon leaving, he didn''t see any restrictions on them.


    "Going in is a definite, just not like this," Mr. Wang looked at the food and other supplies in the car, a hint of a plan flickering in his eyes.

 Chapter 311 - 303: The Puppy Opens Its Eyes! (1/9)

    Mr. Wang drove in the opposite direction of Safe City, having conceived a plan upon witnessing the scene at the City Gate earlier.


    He decided to hide half of his supplies and food in a concealed location outside, and then enter Safe City with the other half to take a look.


    If there were any accidents, he could always come out and retrieve the hidden items.


    Driving along, the sky grew darker and darker. Mr. Wang felt an increasing urgency in his heart to quickly find a place to hide his things, otherwise, the two individuals who had fled earlier would surely come looking for him.


    Alternatively, he could simply leave the area, but it had been tough finding a place where he could settle, even though it required giving up a lot of food or supplies, but at least it ensured his personal safety.


    His vehicle traveled on the road when suddenly, a small divergent path appeared ahead, leading to a bamboo forest.


    Mr. Wang didn''t know what lay beyond the bamboo forest, but it seemed like a place few people had visited.


    Thus, he turned the vehicle towards the path; headlights on, illuminating the road ahead.


    He stopped the car to look around.


    Silence enveloped everything.


    He got back into the car, then drove a little further inside. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "These items definitely can''t be stored in a resident''s house, people often search there, and although this area has been searched, just to be safe, they shouldn''t be placed in a house," Mr. Wang muttered.


    By this time, the horizon had darkened, signaling the imminent approach of night.


    Jiu Jiu Jiu~


    The cries of nightingales echoed, the woods were pitch black, and with the arrival of night, the temperature plummeted to nearly -20 degrees, causing Mr. Wang in the car to feel somewhat apprehensive.


    Thinking back to that time, in Harmony Garden, in that house with a stove, warm rooms, safe walls, and a group of subordinates...


    But now, all was lost.


    A sudden bout of emotion overwhelmed Mr. Wang, saddening him as the vehicle continued down the path.


    Seeing a rough thatched hut by the roadside, Mr. Wang''s interest was piqued; it seemed like a good spot.


    There were quite a few items in the car, and they really needed to be transported by vehicle; otherwise, even if they found a more hidden spot, the back and forth transportation would be quite laborious.


    The vehicle''s engine shut off.


    The car door opened, and a blast of cold air swept through, causing Mr. Wang to shiver violently; it was simply too cold. He had already put on his thickest clothes but was still very cold. It was the kind of cold that got into the bones.


    Mr. Wang shivered as he got out of the car, then turned on his flashlight, illuminating the inside of the thatched hut and smelling a faint peculiar odor.


    Far from being repulsed, Mr. Wang felt somewhat pleased. Indeed, as he had guessed.


    He had originally suspected that this place was used for raising livestock before the apocalypse.


    Although there was a strange smell, if someone came by, they wouldn''t think to go inside and check.


    With that thought, Mr. Wang quickly took the items from the car. Food was the most abundant among them, several large bags, just tossed onto the ground.


    After busying himself for about ten minutes, he threw most of the items in a small corner on the left side of the hut, which, given the current temperature, served as a natural freezer.


    Seeing the items accumulated this way, Mr. Wang thought for a moment and then sprinkled some more thatch on top.


    He had just finished setting everything up and had stepped out of the thatched house, closing the wooden door behind him.


    Just then, he heard a strange noise from behind.


    Hiss~


    Mr. Wang''s hairs stood on end; the car was right beside him, just two steps away.


    Mr. Wang''s body leapt up as he turned his head, and the light illuminated what was behind him.


    He saw four or five zombies walking towards him, their skin had turned significantly whiter, perhaps due to the colder weather.


    However, their movement speed was not much affected by the cold.


    Seeing this, Mr. Wang''s scalp tingled, and he quickly ran to his car.


    Bang!


    He slammed the car door shut, and immediately, the zombies ran up to the side of the car, banging on the door.


    Hiss!


    Mr. Wang touched his right leg, having rushed in a hurry, he had accidentally struck a nerve. The numbness followed by prolonged exposure to the cold caused his legs to tremble.


    Amidst his trembling, he stepped on the gas pedal.


    The car roared and quickly fled from the spot, Mr. Wang didn''t care about the zombies behind him.


    Near Safe City, there were sporadic zombies, as the area had once been the outskirts of a city.


    On his way back, he encountered one or two zombies, but Mr. Wang drove through them, tossing them aside.


    The small number of zombies posed not much threat, but inside the car, it was rather cold, so as he neared Safe City, Mr. Wang simply turned on the heating.


    The warm air blew on his face, making Mr. Wang feel a hot sensation on his face.


    ...


    Li Yu also felt a warm sensation on his face, awakened by a few puppy wolves licking him.


    Yesterday, because these puppy wolves had just opened their eyes and clung to him, Li Yu wherever he went, they followed, until he decided to bring the puppies into his room.


    The night would not be cold under the heater.


    The reason was that just yesterday, when he went down to feed these three puppy wolves, they opened their eyes and saw Li Yu first.


    Li Yu''s scent was the most familiar to them, the first human scent they smelled since birth was Li Yu''s, and seeing him immediately upon opening their eyes, the little ones felt exceptionally attached.


    Li Yu, seeing the dependency in the puppy wolves'' eyes, felt his emotions fluctuate.


    Later, when Li Yuan, who had just left to get milk powder, saw that the puppies had opened their eyes, she almost cried.


    "Big brother, why did these puppies open their eyes just after I left? I....." Li Yuan''s face looked like she was about to cry.


    She had been feeding the puppies every day, but just as she left, she wasn''t the first person the puppy wolves saw.


    However, she was relieved that although the puppy wolves weren''t as affectionate with her as they were with Li Yu, they still trusted her very much.


    Li Yuan, touching the pups, found that they did not resist, which was quite rare.


    Later, the puppies were taken to the room by Li Yu, where they were quite obedient. In the evening, he started training the puppy wolves where to use the toilet, along with some simple commands and actions.


    These puppy wolves were truly very smart and cunning. Many times Li Yu felt they understood human nature.


    In the morning, waking up, the windows were fogged up due to the significant temperature difference inside and outside.


    The indoor temperature was above 20 degrees Celsius, while outside, the temperature could drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius at its coldest!


    A nearly 40 degrees difference in temperature!


    In such cold weather, in such freezing conditions, the most delightful thing is:


    To lie in the warm indoors, with plenty of food, drinking ice water, eating delicious food, and occasionally playing with the puppy wolves~

 Chapter 312 - 304: Safe City

    November 30th, 6:30 PM.


    Outside Safe City.


    A truck roared as it headed towards the gates of Safe City.


    The gates of Safe City were fortified with a series of spiked wooden barriers, all pointing outwards.


    Behind these barbed barriers stood another gate, with many layers of such defenses stretching from the far to the near, leaving only a gap in the middle.


    Such arrangements were designed to prevent Zombie assaults, allowing the personnel guarding the gates plenty of time to retreat behind them.


    At the entrance to Safe City, Mr. Wang stopped the vehicle and then got out.


    The duty captain in charge gave Mr. Wang a glance, finding him somewhat unfamiliar.


    "First time here?"


    "Captain Tao, sir, this is a little token of my appreciation." Mr. Wang pulled out two unopened packs of cigarettes from inside his coat and stuffed them into the hands of the man in front of him.


    Captain Tao raised an eyebrow. He was certain he had never seen this man before, yet now he knew his name.


    "How do you know me?"


    "Hey, what are you saying? Everyone outside knows about Captain Tao. They all say you take good care of the lads here, and many rely on you to get in..."


    Mr. Wang was generous with his flattering words, bending and flexing as needed; a former boss himself, he now humbly played the part of a small fish without a hint of awkwardness.


    His face beamed with a bright smile, which made it hard for others to dislike him.


    Everyone loves to be praised, especially the small-time bosses manning the gate.


    To put it bluntly, this is the head of a watchdog �C a very enviable position, greased with plenty of perks. He was stationed here because of connections; otherwise, it wouldn''t be his turn.


    But at the end of the day, he was just a gatekeeper.


    Now, hearing Mr. Wang''s praise scratched an itch in his soul.


    "What''s your name?" Captain Tao asked, standing a bit taller under Mr. Wang''s flattery, with a hint of swagger in his tone.


    "Just call me Xiao Wang," Mr. Wang replied, maintaining a slight bow, and now looking up to answer.


    "Xiao Wang, eh? Hm... I think you''re quite agreeable, but as you know, Safe City has its rules. So you still need to pay the dues as the rules state."


    "I understand, I understand."


    Seeing Xiao Wang so compliant, Captain Tao said with satisfaction, "I like obedient folks like you, okay."


    He then turned to two individuals beside him and said, "Charge this man only half the amount of materials."


    "Got it, Captain Tao."


    "Okay."


    ...


    The back of the truck was opened, and the personnel collecting materials were shocked to see half a truck''s load of supplies.


    This was the most anyone had brought in days.


    Captain Tao had already given his word to take only half, so they dared not be too greedy. At most, they would take three-fifths, and this ratio was already extremely generous. Any more would be unacceptable.


    Taking too much would exceed what Survivors could bear, and there would be no Survivors willing to come afterward��it would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.


    Several people started unloading the materials from the truck: boxes of food and some precious, unbroken bars of cigarettes��hard currency in these apocalyptic times.


    After a while, the materials were sorted. Mr. Wang went back to check on the truck and saw that about half was taken. He thanked Captain Tao then drove away from the gate.


    This Safe City was rather peculiar; entering the city did not involve a body check, whether you were new or had always lived inside. As long as you contributed food or materials, you could enter.


    But once inside, the city only offered protection, ensuring you wouldn''t be robbed or harmed by either people or Zombies.


    Everything else was up to you; they wouldn''t distribute materials, and if you starved, no one would care.


    Safe City was like an organization charging protection fees��pay a certain amount, and your safety was ensured. Only, the fee wasn''t money but food!


    It had been a year since the apocalypse began. Many pre-apocalyptic supplies were all but exhausted, with Survivors scavenging buildings from before the end-times like locusts sweeping through the fields.


    After the previous year''s blistering heat and drought, much of the stored food had spoiled and gone rotten before anyone could find it.


    Now, aside from Zombies, the food issue had become the biggest survival challenge for the Survivors.


    Mr. Wang drove his vehicle, holding a slip of paper handed to him by Captain Tao, marked C-zone, Building 19, 2nd floor, along with a set of keys.


    Passing through an area bathed in light, the zone appeared quite luxurious. However, as he drove farther, the lights grew scarce, and by the time he reached C-zone, there was hardly any light at all.


    Looking behind him, it seemed there were a few more zones back there.


    He parked the car on the side of the road and got out.


    Bang!


    Mr. Wang closed the car door, looking around. The place felt pretty cold.


    Pulling his clothes tighter around him, he felt weariness creeping in. He hadn''t slept well in days and was exceedingly tired now.


    His flashlight illuminated the wall. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Building 19.


    Just as he was about to head upstairs, a flicker of light flashed from the right, and four or five silhouettes approached.


    Mr. Wang tensed��could these be troublemakers? Wasn''t it said that once you paid the protection fee at the gate, you would be protected after entering?


    While he guessed, the group approached, the middle-aged man at the forefront shone his flashlight onto Mr. Wang''s face, and a magnetic, low voice came through:


    "New here?"


    Blinded by the flashlight, Mr. Wang still noted the tone of the voice did not seem hostile, so he replied, "Hmm, just arrived."


    "We''re the Patrol Team, maintaining internal security... Here, take this whistle. If you run into trouble, you can call us anytime," the middle-aged man tossed over a small whistle.


    Mr. Wang quickly caught it; a plastic green little whistle, a common item.


    But weren''t they afraid of the whistle attracting Zombies?


    Never mind, he thought. Having something like that meant that, perhaps, the internal security really was good.


    "Alright, thanks."


    "We''re off."


    Mr. Wang watched them leave into the dark night, giving him a unique feeling.


    Suddenly, he understood why there were always people trying to get in��though Safe City demanded steep protection fees, it seemed they indeed earnestly provided protection.


    Shaking his head, he pushed aside further thoughts and began moving his belongings upstairs.

 Chapter 313 - 305: Bones Frozen on the Road

    Building 19, 2nd floor.


    Mr. Wang looked at the scattered supplies on the ground, the spacious room illuminated only by the feeble light of a flashlight.


    The silence around him was absolute, not a sound to be heard, and an infinite sense of loneliness crept over him.


    After closing the door, Mr. Wang dusted off the sofa, tidied up a bit, then spread out the bedding he had brought with him. Without removing his clothes, he lay down fully dressed.


    The flashlight was turned off, and the room plunged into darkness in an instant.


    "Finally... sigh..." Mr. Wang opened his eyes, his gaze flickering in the darkness.


    Thinking of how he ended up in such a predicament, all because of those people in Xin City, the escape has left him utterly exhausted.


    Now reduced to living in a place like this, those people were to blame.


    Soon, in the quiet surroundings, he could no longer resist the drowsiness and fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    Outside Safe City, in a dilapidated house, the man with the missing tooth who had luckily escaped clutched his injured arm and returned to the entrance of where he was temporarily staying.


    His right arm, shot by a bullet, hung limply like a noodle.


    As the sky dimmed, the man with the missing tooth released his left hand from his arm, steadied his emotions and knocked on the door, three long and two short.


    Creak~


    The door opened and a girl under ten years old threw herself at him: "Dad, why are you only coming back now?"


    The man with the missing tooth smiled indulgently, stroked the little girl''s hair and said, "Tuantuan, Daddy went to find some food."


    Bearing the pain in his arm, he felt the soda crackers in his pocket, four pieces in total.


    After a pause, he handed one to the little girl. As she caught the scent of the biscuit, she hastily took it, barely biting down when she suddenly looked up and said, "You eat first."


    The man with the missing tooth said with a smile, "I have more here."


    He pulled out another biscuit, thought for a moment, broke it in half, and put one half back in the bag.


    The little girl bit off a small piece of the biscuit gently, the hard-won nature of food made her extraordinarily treasured, she nibbled softly, letting the biscuit swell slowly as saliva softened it, and waited a bit before swallowing it down.


    Bit by bit, she ate away at the biscuit, until, in the end, the little girl still left half of it.


    She hadn''t had her fill, such a small biscuit could hardly satisfy, at most it was just a tide-over, but she feared the moment when there would be no food again, she wanted to save it for when there was nothing left to eat.


    Watching this, the man with the missing tooth''s heart felt as if it had been sliced with a knife, such was his discomfort: "Eat it all, I have more here, you have it, then I''ll give you another piece."


    Hearing her father say this, the little girl''s face showed a struggle.


    "Okay." The little seven or eight-year-old girl finally couldn''t resist the urge to eat up, and gobbled down the remaining bits of the biscuit.


    In the darkness of night, the man with the missing tooth suppressed the pain, tore two strips of cloth, and bandaged his injured arm. Now that it was dark and without a source of light, he could not tend to the wound, only wait until the next day.


    Given the current circumstances, he didn''t even know how to deal with the wound, just hoping... that he could make it through...


    Tightening the worn cotton wadding, he tucked the blanket around his daughter to make sure she was well covered. The man with the missing tooth wondered what his daughter would do if he was no longer around...


    This damned apocalypse, the man with the missing tooth cursed in his heart.


    ...


    The next day.


    Mr. Wang woke up from his sleep. The sunlight spilled onto the floor, reflecting and shining onto his face as he sat blankly on the sofa.


    The sleep was a bit disorienting, but at least it was a good rest.


    It was the best sleep he had in days.


    He was on the second floor, looking out the window to see very few pedestrians outside.


    Yesterday, he only had a cursory glance, and he was in Zone C; it seemed there were a few more zones behind his.


    It''s worth taking a look, thought Mr. Wang as he descended the stairs, planning to walk around.


    Just as he reached the ground floor, at the entrance of the first floor, he saw a skinny man with scars on his face coming out of the door, expressionless upon seeing Mr. Wang.


    Without any change in expression, Mr. Wang walked straight out of Building 19.


    It was officially December now, glanced Mr. Wang at his mechanical watch on his wrist.


    It was somewhat cold.


    After walking a distance forward, he saw a row of villas. Perhaps this was the brightly lit place he had seen yesterday.


    A wall fenced off these villas from the adjacent buildings, giving a strict sense of hierarchy.


    Mr. Wang chuckled at himself, then walked further into the deeper areas behind, where he hadn''t seen the day before.


    The cold wind rustled, drilling into one''s neck, taking away the body''s warmth.


    When he arrived at Zone D, he saw nothing different. Under one of the buildings, the walls were marked with pink peach blossoms.


    Mr. Wang didn''t take a closer look and left the place immediately; he wasn''t very interested in these things.


    There were very few people on the road; with such cold weather, hardly anyone came out. Mr. Wang felt it rather uninteresting after walking around.


    This Safe City wasn''t much different from an ordinary neighborhood, the biggest difference being a taller, more solid wall than typical neighborhoods and a slightly more luxurious setting.


    Several rivers run through the neighborhood, all of which had already frozen over.


    Just about to return to Building 19, he saw a corpse by the road, looking like a mummified skeleton, extremely emaciated.


    Beside it were some people who looked like Patrol Team Members, dealing with the body.


    "Another starved to death?"


    "Yeah. They don''t go out to search for supplies earlier, waiting until they''re completely out of strength to go, damn it."


    "In such cold weather, probably wanted to go out early in the morning, then took a fall..."


    "The first one this month."


    "Yeah, don''t worry, there are always newcomers."


    ...


    Listening to the Patrol Team Members'' chat, Mr. Wang eavesdropped for a while on the side. The Patrol Team Members didn''t seem to mind his eavesdropping at all; they seemed to not care whether Mr. Wang overheard them.


    After all, their job was only to ensure their own safety, to prevent brawls and robberies within Safe City.


    Whether people starved to death without food was not within their responsibility.


    Mr. Wang returned to Building 19, looking at the bright room and the supplies piled on the ground, his eyes flickering.


    Relying on these supplies, he could survive for a while, but what about after these supplies were consumed? Even if there were more stored outside, just consuming them was not a long-term strategy.


    As someone who had been a boss and also a base manager, his way of thinking was always about how to leverage a situation, how to achieve a certain position, and then make others work for him. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    According to the toothless man, there were four forces in Safe City, each with its own conflicts.


    Perhaps, this was his opportunity.


    As for the people from Xin City... A trace of resentment flashed in Mr. Wang''s eyes.


    Reduced to a state of a homeless fugitive.


    Those people in Xin City, that grievance, will have to be repaid sooner or later.


    ...

 Chapter 314 - 306: Early Preparation (2/9)

    Xin City, Northern part, National Highway 319.


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Last time at the dinner party, everyone was surprised by the big camphor tree in the center of the base, jokingly suggesting we should just call this place Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Later, Li Yu thought about it and felt it was a good name, so that''s what it was called.


    Under the warm sun, aside from the duty personnel, no one else came out; they either stayed in their rooms or in the underground planting base.


    Li Yu got up early this morning. The weather was really cold, with temperatures around minus twenty degrees Celsius. If it wasn''t necessary, one shouldn''t go outside.


    Huff huff huff~


    In the underground gym, Li Yu, having just run seven kilometers, stepped off the treadmill and wiped his sweat with a towel, slowly drinking some water.


    "Big Brother, Second Uncle was looking for you just now," Li Yuan said, standing on the stairs.


    "Okay, got it." Li Yu went straight to the gym''s adjacent bathroom and took a hot shower.


    After showering, Li Yu dried his hair, put on thick clothing, from the thermal underwear inside to the shell jacket, and lastly, he added a coat over everything.


    Putting on a black woolen hat, Li Yu left his house.


    Today was Second Uncle''s duty day. Even when Second Uncle was off duty, he often stayed near the main gate.


    In the duty room, the door was wide open. Li Yu, bringing the cold air with him, entered.


    Li Yu quickly closed the door: "Second Uncle, you were looking for me."


    Before finishing speaking, he saw Third Uncle also sitting there, and added: "Third Uncle."


    Second Uncle got up and moved a stool next to Li Yu for him to sit.


    "I was just talking to your Third Uncle about something today, about that Mr. Wang who escaped from Harmony Garden," Second Uncle said.


    "Yeah, I know. There was nothing we could do; Mr. Wang just ran too fast. With the weather so cold now, it''s not a good time to go searching," Li Yu pondered and replied.


    Second Uncle nodded. He continued, "Right, I was just discussing this with your Third Uncle. He mentioned that last time they were close to catching Mr. Wang, but then a group of zombies appeared, and they had to retreat."


    "Third Uncle''s idea is that we should go out and look around again after some time. Keeping such a threat makes you uncomfortable, I believe," Second Uncle sighed.


    Li Yu''s expression also grew serious. Mr. Wang, like a fishbone stuck in his throat, able to plan and execute such a careful escape, proved that he was a tough person to deal with.


    Moreover, Mr. Wang probably still knew their approximate location. Now with him in the dark and us in the light, this feeling was extremely unpleasant for everyone.


    "Yeah, I''ve thought about that, but with such cold weather, it still feels too dangerous for you to go, Third Uncle," Li Yu sighed.


    Since stepping into December, the temperature continued to drop like in November, and now it has reached minus 25 degrees Celsius, even plummeting to minus thirty-something degrees at night.


    Once the temperature hits minus 35 degrees Celsius, ordinary cars tend to freeze and can''t start without preheating.


    Besides, considering the long distance, several hundred kilometers, after so much time has passed, finding this person would be like finding a needle in a haystack, an exhausting and laborious endeavor.


    Second Uncle also said, "I was just advising Third Uncle, with such cold weather and long distance, and so much time having passed, there''s really no need to go searching now. It''s better to wait until the weather warms up to see. But even then, it''s uncertain, since so much time has already passed."


    Li Yu took a deep breath, "Then let''s just wait and see, for now we still have to focus on strengthening ourselves."


    Since the inclusion of Mr. Xie and others, their overall strength had significantly improved, coupled with the vast array of firearms and ammunition...


    However, due to various unknown threats, it still set off alarm bells in the minds of Li Yu and his team.


    From the initial twenty-plus people with only a few guns, the base had grown to now having over ninety people, with more than eighty capable of bearing arms.


    In Li Yu''s memory, even in the post-apocalyptic years to come, this was considered a medium- to small-sized team. Together with their fully armed status, they were already a force to be reckoned with!


    In his recollection, many larger factions had crumbled under the natural disasters of torrential rains, drought, blizzards, and Zombie attacks, coupled with a food crisis, breaking into smaller groups.


    Even so, long-term planning was necessary. The expansion of personnel had reached a bottleneck, and it wasn''t wise to blindly recruit people without knowing their backgrounds.


    Therefore, without increasing their numbers, the only option was to enhance the quality of the personnel.


    Thus, Li Yu began a new round of training programs to improve the quality of the base''s personnel. Although the temperature was quite low now, it was still very warm indoors, with a specific area designated for Martial Arts training.


    ....


    On the other side.


    On the edge of the city in the East.


    Safe City.


    Mr. Wang, after two days of inquiry, had almost figured out the ins and outs of Safe City.


    As the toothless man encountered a few days ago had said: sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The strongest here is Wu Jianguo, leading the men from the original military unit. They have the fewest numbers, less than fifty, but they have the most guns and the most formidable strength!


    Then there was another gang of rogue forces, about a hundred people, also owning about twenty guns, constantly vying with Wu Jianguo in secret.


    Another force consisted of a group led by a corporate boss, who also had more than a dozen guns and possessed the most resources, positioned between the rogue forces and Wu Jianguo.


    The last faction, with the most numbers, consisted of thousands of ordinary Survivors from various small groups, banding together for warmth, but with internal discord, making it the weakest in strength.


    Among these factions, Wu Jianguo controlled the entire base, but often, the black forces led by Hua Chuanlong and Ke Hanyu would collaborate, causing Wu Jianguo a lot of headaches.


    The forces occasionally rubbed each other the wrong way, causing undercurrents to surge.


    However, it was well-controlled; although there were several bloody incidents, no large-scale conflicts broke out.


    As the weakest faction, the Survivor Alliance was often overlooked.


    Mr. Wang only managed to learn so much, costing him two packets of biscuits.


    "The fourth faction is definitely not worth considering; too weak, joining them serves no purpose," Mr. Wang thought.


    "Although Wu Jianguo''s force is the strongest, do I have a chance if I join them?..."


    "This black force led by Hua Chuanlong, if I join them, what can I bring to the table?....."


    "What should I use to attract them?....."


    At any time, if you want to secure a position or achieve a goal, you must understand what the other party wants, then use benefits to drive them to cooperate with you, ultimately allowing them to obtain what they desire while also fulfilling your needs.


    Mr. Wang, alone in his thoughts, was in a room on the second floor.


    ...

 Chapter 315 - 307: The Blizzard Has Arrived (3/9)

    Mid-December, it started snowing.


    The temperature dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius, and at night it even dipped below minus 40 degrees.


    At minus 30 degrees, the snow is absolutely crystalline and absolutely cruel; every breath taken outdoors tastes of winter.


    The piercing cold winds and the freezing of droplets signify the peak of frigidity.


    Typically, Southerners have never experienced such intense cold, the kind that chills to the bone.


    You see, in environments below normal body temperature, wild winds at minus 40 degrees or damp clothing can quickly strip away body heat. Usually, even a freezer isn''t lower than minus twenty degrees!


    The wind outside slices like a knife. If you spit outside, it starts to freeze midway and hits the ground as a chunk of ice.


    At minus 30 degrees, you can throw water and it turns to ice. Attempting to lick metal at minus 30 degrees could cost you your tongue.


    At minus 30 degrees, apples and pears exposed to the air swiftly turn into ice balls.


    Such extreme low outdoor temperatures deter many from venturing outside.


    For Southerners, such temperatures are nothing short of a disaster.


    At this time in previous years, encountering a warmer winter, many would still be running around outside in short sleeves.


    Snowflakes drift outside the house, and in less than half an hour, everything is enveloped in a vast expanse of white.


    Li Yu stands in front of the window, watching the snowfall. The double-pane glass blocks out the wintry elements.


    The indoor heater continues to emit warmth.


    Whoosh whoosh whoosh~


    Despite the barrier of the window, the faint sound of the wind from outside can still be heard.


    However, those inside are oblivious to the bitter cold outside; the indoor temperature remains over 20 degrees Celsius, and Li Yu slowly settles on the sofa.


    In the room, four people sit at the table playing cards: Yutong, Yang Xiaozhu, Lai Xiyue, and Li Yuan.


    Li Yu rubs his temples, feeling a headache coming on��three women already play a drama, and now with four seated together, he''d rather leave and watch the snowstorm from the balcony.


    "Brother, do you want to come play?" Li Yuan walks over and asks.


    Li Yu waves his hand to indicate no and then rubs his temples again; his sister really worries him too much, always inviting these others over for who knows what, well aware that Yang Xiaozhu harbors ill intentions towards him, and then there''s the way Lai Xiyue looks at him, even a fool could see what''s going on.


    "Wow! It''s snowing! Brother, why didn''t you tell me!" Li Yuan shouts.


    Hearing Li Yuan''s voice, the other girls also hurriedly run over.


    "Wow! The snow is so beautiful!"


    "I think I''ve never seen such heavy snow." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ve never seen snow��" Li Yuan says.


    They all stand together on the large balcony, watching the snow.


    "Let''s go up to the rooftop to see it," Li Yu suggests, seeing everyone''s fascination with the snow.


    Seeing Li Yuan rushing excitedly to run upstairs, he quickly adds, "But make sure to put on your coats, it''s minus several tens of degrees outside, it''s no joke."


    ...


    On the rooftop, everyone watches the swirling snowflakes, and the entire base is shrouded in a white expanse, as if transformed into a white world.


    Snow falls and lands on people''s hands; Li Yuan takes off her gloves and reaches out to touch the snow, it''s chillingly cold.


    "Xiaoyuan, please put your gloves back on, it''s minus several tens of degrees, your skin could easily get frostbitten," Yutong beside her quickly says.


    "Sss~" Li Yuan inhales sharply. It is indeed quite cold.


    She hurriedly puts her gloves back on and then stuffs them into her pockets.


    Under the blizzard, everything draped in silvery white, was especially enchanting.


    Everyone stayed outside for less than ten minutes before they couldn''t stand it anymore and hurriedly returned indoors.


    Green ant wine, a small red clay stove,


    The evening approaches with snow in the air, who wouldn''t drink a cup?


    Snowy days are most suitable for a little drink.


    Li Yu took out a bottle of sealed osmanthus wine and some snacks like peanuts from his private storage.


    The five of them sipped drinks in the room.


    Because of the snow, everyone was seeing such heavy snow for the first time, and the novelty from earlier had not yet subsided.


    Osmanthus wine wasn''t very strong, only about ten degrees, so everyone moved a small table to the balcony and sat on the carpet with legs crossed.


    Everyone found the most comfortable position, occasionally chatting and toasting.


    It was very comfortable, yet there was an indescribable touch of emotion and comfort.


    Ancients said: Admire flowers in spring, gaze at the moon in autumn, enjoy cool breezes in summer and listen to the snow in winter.


    Winter doesn''t have the spring''s singing birds and fragrant flowers, nor the plentiful fruits of autumn, nor the cooling breezes of summer, but it has snow, it has plums.


    The atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious and joyful.


    Li Yu was not a very emotionally intelligent person; there were things he could see clearly, but many things he could not, and he found thinking about such matters tiresome.


    So often, he would just go with the flow, following his inner feelings.


    "Brother Yu, do you have any dreams?" Yang Xiaozhu, with her cheeks flushed from drinking, asked.


    This question suddenly made Li Yu''s heart tremble, dreams indeed.


    He really did not know. The passionate youth was no more. The end-time years were the most meager years of his life, all actions and thoughts were about how to survive.


    Each day was like a cow battered by a hammer, where dreams struggled with reality.


    Dreams?


    Maybe for the past him, this moment right now was his original dream.


    Now''s life was indeed once his dream.


    "My dream is to protect the base well, so that everyone can live peacefully," Li Yu said with a smile.


    "That''s great," Yang Xiaozhu, her face still flush, then glanced at Li Yu, then at Yutong, and said, "Do you know what my dream is?"


    Li Yu looked at the calm Yutong, raised his eyebrows, and said, "To protect the planet?"


    "..." Yang Xiaozhu suddenly couldn''t connect her emotions, and the words she wanted to say were stifled.


    But her feelings of grievance quickly surfaced, her eyes turning red as she looked at Li Yu. She could never understand why, even though she met Li Yu first, why was it so.


    Next to her, Yutong sighed, but she couldn''t make any statement, so she picked up her glass and took a sip.


    Li Yuan, seeing the situation, quickly suggests, "Let''s go watch a movie, that ''I Am Legend'' we started last time, I haven''t finished it!"


    Hearing this, Li Yu, as if clutching a lifeline, raised both hands in agreement, saying, "Yeah, let''s go watch the movie. Let''s go."


    Sitting next to Yang Xiaozhu, Lai Xiyue, saw her expression and understood Yang Xiaozhu''s feelings best, but she was not as bold as Yang Xiaozhu who dared to express herself.


    And her, she didn''t even dare to express her thoughts.


    Youyou sighed, actually, it''s quite nice like this, at least she can see him every day, she was already very content.


    The blizzard still raged outside, everything was a whited-out blur, but inside was warm and cozy.


    Making everyone lazily lie on the sofa, the comfortable feeling filling everyone with joy.

 Chapter 316 - 308: The Traveler Returning on a Snowy Night

    7 o''clock in the evening.


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Today, Li Yu is on duty, and the night is the coldest time.


    In the duty room at the gate, Li Yu sat on a chair watching the surveillance. Although the solar light allowed him to see roughly, the snow made it difficult to see clearly.


    Snow fluttered down outside the window, clinging to the branches. The snow on the branches kept piling up until, eventually, it cascaded down to the ground with a rustling sound.


    Ever since it started snowing, Li Yu hadn''t heard any birds chirping, the only sound was that of the falling snow.


    Li Yu was watching the screen when suddenly, he spotted a shadow in the top right corner, unclear on the surveillance monitor.


    Li Yu quickly got up, Yutong, who was beside him, saw his movement and hurriedly asked, "Brother Yu, what''s wrong?"


    "Look at the third camera on the right, is there someone there?" Li Yu said while putting on his coat, as the temperature outside was tens of degrees below zero, not dressing warmly would be asking for death.


    Yutong squinted towards that camera, indeed, there was something black and blurry that resembled a human figure.


    Bang!


    Through the camera, they saw the figure knock on the big iron gate, making some noise.


    Li Yu and Yutong exchanged glances.


    Who is it?


    Both quickly put on their coats, gloves, and took their guns and walked outside.


    Although it was unlikely for enemies to appear in such extremely harsh weather, it was better to be cautious.


    The two stepped out of the duty room, a chill wind burrowing straight into their necks. It was too cold.


    The figure was right at the edge of the gate, only about 5 meters away as they walked past the perimeter wall.


    Feather-like heavy snow fell from the sky, covering the figure below with snowflakes.


    Li Yu stood on top of the wall, looking down at the person below, his gun always aimed at them.


    Li Yu observed the motionless person below, thought for a moment, scooped up some accumulated snow from the wall, formed it into a ball, and threw it at the person below.


    Thump!


    The person below was hit by the snow, seemingly startled awake, and lifted their head to shout, "Help!"


    Seeing no weapons on the person, Li Yu felt slightly relieved, but he wasn''t particularly moved by the cry for help.


    Since it was not very clear, he took out a flashlight and shined it on the face of the person below.


    The flashlight illuminated the person''s face - it''s a woman, unrecognized.


    The light made the woman below squint her eyes shut.


    "An Ya?" Yutong beside Li Yu suddenly asked with an uncertain tone.


    The person below, hearing Yutong''s voice, responded with surprise, "Is that you, Yutong?"


    As she was at the bottom looking up, and with Li Yu shining the light from above, she couldn''t clearly see the people standing on the wall.


    Hearing the voice from below again, Yutong then confirmed the person below was An Ya from Jiefang City earlier.


    An Ya had been following Bai Jie and the others, why has she come here alone now.


    The temperature is so low right now, it looks like the An Ya below won''t last much longer.


    After hesitating for a moment, Yutong said to Li Yu, "The person below was from Jiefang City, part of the same group as your aunt. Their leader Bai Jie took good care of your aunt. Without their care, we might have faced even more difficulties."


    Li Yu looked down at the woman and found her somewhat familiar. He recalled the time when he drove to Jiefang City; when his aunt recognized him and Xiao Hang, this person was among that group.


    "Yutong, Leader Bai and the others are behind. They cannot walk anymore and may have already... already." As she spoke, An Ya passed out.


    Seeing this, Li Yu quickly took out the walkie-talkie: "Second Uncle, call over aunt and, uh, also Tiezi, Gangzi, and have Li Yuan bring the medical kit over too."


    After saying this, he didn''t explain anything to Second Uncle.


    Then he said to Li Haoran and others at the other duty stations, "Each of you come over, and one person stays put."


    After doing all this, Li Yu stood still. He didn''t go downstairs to open the door.


    Yutong watched An Ya, who had fallen unconscious, with anxiety. In these subzero temperatures, every additional second they stayed outside meant increased danger to their lives.


    After about twenty seconds, Li Haoran and Dapao came over breathlessly and asked, "What happened?"


    Li Yu didn''t waste words, asking the two to continue monitoring the situation from the wall. He then turned on the searchlight, casting the light far off, where he could barely see four small black dots about two hundred meters from the base.


    "You two watch from this side of the wall. People at Jiefang City are coming for help, I''ll go down and check. Keep an eye from above, and inform me immediately if anything is amiss," Li Yu directed, pointing to someone below.


    "Okay. Fine. But, should I go down instead?" Dapao offered.


    "No need."


    After saying this, Li Yu climbed down from the wall, followed by Yutong.


    Seeing that the two had gone down, Dapao slowly opened the gate.


    This outermost gate was rather cumbersome and couldn''t be opened from below, only from above.


    As the gate slowly opened, the figure leaning on the gate fell right into the middle of the doorway.


    Li Yu stepped forward, noticing the person wore many layers, the outermost of which was quite dirty with some ice clumps at the edges.


    The person lay face down, with nothing likely hidden on the body, so Li Yu went ahead and tied the person''s hands together, then dragged them towards Weng City.


    "What are you doing?" Yutong was shocked by his actions.


    People are unconscious, and yet he tied them up. This is just...


    "I trust you, and I trust aunt, and I believe they helped you before, so I rescued her."


    "Okay." Yutong didn''t ask further. Li Yu must have his reasons for his actions, and being cautious wasn''t bad.


    The two dragged An Ya to a small cabin they had constructed while building Weng City, designed for those returning from outside to stay for about ten minutes in case of rain or snow.


    Thus, inside Weng City, near the perimeter wall, they built a cabin of about ten square meters.


    Although the cabin was simple, it could shelter from snow and wind, also featuring a stove.


    It was snowing outside. Li Yu and Yutong moved the woman onto a long bench.


    Her hair had frozen into strands, and her eyebrows were fringed with ice.


    Her lips were somewhat purplish, her eyes closed. Not knowing if they had touched water, her eyelids began to stick and freeze shortly after. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 317 - 309: Rescue

    "Close the door and light the stove," Li Yu said.


    "Okay," Yutong replied.


    Crackle~


    The flames ignited, burning some twigs and leaves previously collected from outside, raising the indoor temperature a bit. Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the door closed, the room warmed considerably as the snowstorm no longer stripped away the warmth, and the small house gradually became even cozier.


    At that moment.


    Crack~


    The door opened, and a few people came in from outside. It was Second Uncle, Li Tie, Li Gang, and a few others including an aunt.


    They were all covered in snow.


    "Please close the door," Yutong, noticing the snowstorm the group brought in with them which lowered the room''s temperature, promptly said.


    "Oh, okay," Li Tie, the last to enter, quickly closed the door.


    The Second Uncle, seeing someone lying on the bench, looked puzzled at Li Yu and was about to inquire.


    Suddenly, the aunt stepped forward and said: "An Ya? Yutong, this is An Ya, right?"


    Yutong nodded and replied: "Yes, it''s her. Just spoke to her two minutes ago. She said that Sister Bai and the others are still behind and can''t move."


    The aunt looked intently at Li Yu, and he knew what she meant. He was always one to repay kindness, but in these end times, everything had to be approached with caution.


    "Don''t worry, auntie. I called Tiezi and Gangzi here exactly to go look for them. We''re heading out now," Li Yu said.


    Then he glanced at the Second Uncle, signaling him to keep watch here, while Li Yuan stepped forward to check on An Ya''s condition.


    Li Yu, along with Tiezi, Gangzi, and Yutong, walked out of the small room, then had Dapao upstairs open the gate again.


    As Dapao, who was opening the gate, said: "Over by the woods, at 200 meters, it looks like someone is lying there."


    "Did you use the telescope to see?" Li Yu asked, looking up.


    "Oh, I forgot about using that. Just a moment," Dapao said after opening the gate, he went to the duty room to retrieve the telescope and looked in that direction.


    "Hey, should be people, four of them," Dapao shouted.


    "Let''s go," Li Yu said.


    The four of them exited the gate, the snow outside was very deep, already knee-high, as they stepped lightly and deeply into the snow, leaving long tracks.


    The Dapao on the wall directed a searchlight at their position, ensuring the road ahead for the group was well-lit.


    In this icy and snow-covered landscape, it was extremely difficult to walk; every step required a tremendous amount of effort, as if someone was dragging them back.


    Each time they lifted their legs, it felt as if they were pulling them out of a bog.


    Since it had started snowing, they''d rarely seen large hordes of zombies, only the occasional few.


    After a strenuous trek by the four, five minutes later they finally reached the four people.


    At which point, three of the four had already fallen unconscious, only a woman in her late twenties, shivering, unable to speak upon seeing them arrive.


    The woman was wearing a white down jacket, completely bundled up tightly, with long icicles hanging from her hat, and her scarf tightly wrapped around her mouth and ears, leaving only her eyes visible.


    "Yutong... Yutong... Yutong," the woman trembled, struggling several times before finally calling out Yutong''s name.


    "Sister Bai," Yutong immediately recognized the woman as Bai Jie.


    "Let''s pull them in first," said Li Yu.


    The condition of these people was not optimistic. The woman who was still awake seemed fairly all right, but the conditions of the other three were uncertain.


    They immediately helped one of them up and placed her on a long wooden board. Due to the urgency of coming out, they simply brought a previously broken board with them, which saved some energy when pulling through the snow.


    Then they helped the other three onto the board one by one. Several people began to push the wooden board forcefully.


    Sliding over the snow, fortunately, the board was large enough to support the weight of four people.


    The four exerted all their strength and moved toward the direction of the main gate. Dapao and Li Haoran on the wall were anxious and wanted to come down to help, but remembering Li Yu''s instructions, they stayed up and kept watch instead.


    The 200-meter distance took them nearly 10 minutes to cover.


    Bang! The gate shut. Li Yu and the others transported Bai Jie and the others into a small room in Weng City and took a long sigh of relief.


    Finally, they arrived safely.


    Inside the small house, due to the lit stove, the temperature inside slowly rose and it was not as cold as before.


    An Ya, who had first entered, no longer had purple lips and her breathing had stabilized a lot. However, the floor had many puddles of water, which had formed from ice outside that had melted due to the rise in temperature.


    Accompanied by Li Yu and the others, along with Bai Jie''s group, the room of a dozen square meters was tightly packed with people.


    The room was a bit crowded, so Li Tie had to stand towards a corner.


    Li Yuan saw the four people brought in by Li Yu, noticed the purple-black complexions of three of them, looked around the room and said:


    "Big brother, the temperature in this small room is still not enough, and there''s also not enough space for so many people. Should we move them to the base instead?"


    Li Yu had already thought on the way that given the current state of these people, they posed no threat, and the isolation period of ten minutes had passed as well.


    He looked up, saw Second Uncle nodding, and then said, "Alright, let''s transport to the base."


    ...


    Inside the medical room, it was as warm as spring.


    Four patients lay on four beds, and Bai Jie, who was still awake, sat on a stool, shivering from time to time.


    Her auntie brought her a cup of ginger tea to warm her up.


    Bai Jie took the ginger tea poured by her auntie, her body trembling slightly as she asked, "How are... how are An Ya and the others doing? Autumn~"


    Li Yuan paused her busy hands and said, "An Ya and the other two sisters are not in any serious trouble, it''s just that they were very cold earlier and suffered some frostbite, except for this sister."


    Li Yuan touched the forehead of the woman on the rightmost bed and continued, "She has a bit of a fever. I just gave her some fever-reducing medicine, hoping it will bring down the fever."


    Bai Jie asked worriedly, "Is it serious?"


    Li Yuan replied, "It should be fine as long as the fever comes down."


    Bai Jie then relaxed a bit and sipped the hot ginger tea.


    Seeing her condition slightly improved, the aunt asked, "How did you find this place?"


    Bai Jie sighed deeply, "It''s a long story. Ever since the collapse of Jiefang City, we fled and essentially engaged in guerrilla warfare; we''d stay a while in one place before moving on. But who knew the temperature would drop so quickly."


    She seemed to recall some unpleasant memories and said sadly, "We were staying in a town not far from here. We collected a lot of firewood for heating, but the weather was just too cold. Once we stopped burning, the temperature in the room dropped significantly."


    "Also, food was a huge issue, but we could still manage. A few days ago, we ran out of firewood and had no choice. We remembered what those refugees from Jiefang City mentioned, that you were nearby, so we decided to try our luck."


    "We didn''t have high expectations, just had no other option. We''d freeze to death sooner or later, so we thought we might as well give it a try...."


    ....

 Chapter 318 - 310: Generous Bai Jie (4/9) Repaying a Debt

    Dusk descends, the distant mountains grow dim, and the chilly sky looms over wretched white huts.


    Dogs bark behind the firewood gate, as someone returns through the wind and snow at night.


    In Bai Jie''s heart, this was the most difficult moment of her life, even more desperate than when the zombies first erupted.


    When the zombies came, they could muster their courage to resist and pick up weapons to fight back.


    But in such extreme weather, the cold was constantly draining their physical fitness and eroding their willpower.


    In the cold, she felt powerless.


    And at this time, Li Yu and the rest had given her hope, warmth, and consolation.


    Inside the infirmary, everyone quietly listened to Bai Jie recounting the hardships they had faced along the way.


    Of the six people who left Jiefang City, none had been killed by zombies, but today, on their way here, a sister had frozen to death. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, there were only five of them left.


    "Thank you, really... Thank you. We really have nowhere else to go, can you take us in?" Bai Jie''s beautiful eyes looked at everyone present.


    Everyone became silent at once, they all understood that saving someone was one thing, but to take in people was another matter��they didn''t have that authority.


    After all, taking in one more person meant one more mouth to feed.


    Although food supplies were still very abundant at the base, the power to increase or decrease personnel lay in the hands of Li Yu.


    Li Yu looked at Bai Jie; the infirmary was heated, and the temperature of the entire space was in the twenties.


    Bai Jie, having removed her coat, revealed an undeniable figure, with a heavy chest and peach-blossom eyes that seemed as if they could talk.


    In her glances and expressions, there was a certain charming allure.


    "No, we already have enough people at the base," Li Yu replied directly.


    The expressions of the people around were varied, and one auntie''s face immediately sank. Even as relatives, she couldn''t demand that Li Yu take them in.


    Li Yu had already done all he could by rescuing them; moreover, he owed them nothing. How could she ask Li Yu to compensate them just because she owed them?


    "However, unless you can prove your own value, we do not shelter idlers in our base. We can''t afford to either," Li Yu said solemnly.


    Anyone in the base had to demonstrate their value, otherwise, Li Yu would not take them in.


    Unless they were Li Yu''s relatives; in that case, he might take them in because of family ties.


    But that didn''t mean they could freeload, and fortunately, Li Yu''s relatives had not been dragging him down. They had not behaved irresponsibly or been lazy just because they were his relatives.


    "I...I and Xiao Lan were classmates; we both used to be in a scientific research institute, specializing in life sciences, though I guess that''s not very useful now..." Bai Jie said, her tone turning somber.


    Li Yu, on the other end, remained expressionless but was inwardly stirred upon hearing this.


    Then Bai Jie continued, "But maybe An Ya can stay; she used to be a graduate student in agronomy at a 211 university. And Meng Yu, she''s a surgeon, who was in charge of medical affairs in Jiefang City."


    Li Yu''s eyes brightened at this, not expecting these young women under 30 to be highly educated.


    In fact, in terms of his psychological age, he was almost thirty years old as well, with five years after reincarnation and this past year.


    Bai Jie then glanced at the young girl who was running a high fever, and said, "She is the youngest among us. We don''t know much about her identity. We met her while searching for supplies outside. It seemed that her two bodyguards held off the zombies for us, and then she followed us."


    "Bodyguards?" Li Yu frowned. In these times, being able to afford bodyguards and then having them remain so loyal during the apocalypse was rare.


    "Yes, we don''t know much about her background; we just call her Xiao Shi."


    "Mhm."


    Bai Jie finished speaking and waited quietly.


    From the look in these people''s eyes just now, she could tell that the man before her was the one who had the final say on whether they would stay or leave.


    Li Yu pondered for a moment before saying, "You all can stay for the time being. As for your abilities, we''ll make a decision after verification."


    Bai Jie was delighted upon hearing this. Though she hadn''t received his direct agreement, just being able to stay temporarily was already enough for her.


    For Li Yu, he couldn''t blindly agree to their request. After all, there were now more people at the base, and many had gone through multiple tests before they were allowed to stay.


    If he agreed too easily to let them stay, it would send the wrong message to everyone else.


    Yet, in Li Yu''s heart, he was practically overjoyed.


    The newcomers this time were all highly educated, the talents which were urgently needed.


    Agriculture, doctors, these were utterly crucial professions. After all, Li Yuan was just a third-year medical student and definitely couldn''t compare to these experienced surgeons.


    As for Bai Jie and Xiao Lan, who were involved in life sciences, it might not be useful right now, but in Li Yu''s heart, he couldn''t help but think about completely ending this apocalyptic era.


    Perhaps... well


    That girl Xiao Shi.


    Li Yu looked at the fair-skinned, beautiful girl, who still exuded an air of nobility even while asleep, and felt a headache coming on.


    This type was the most troublesome. If she had a good temper, fine, but if not, and she acted all high and mighty, he couldn''t guarantee he wouldn''t throw her to the zombies.


    But, if he killed this girl, Bai Jie and others would know, and that would be problematic!


    He felt a headache just thinking about it.


    Li Yu was not a patient man, so he asked Bai Jie directly, "Xiao Shi, what do you know about her?"


    "We only know she''s 20 years old, and as for her family background, she didn''t say, and we didn''t ask much. We think this girl is quite good, especially hardworking. If it wasn''t for her suggesting to come find you, perhaps we would''ve frozen to death by now..."


    "Coming to find us was her idea?" Li Yu''s entire presence suddenly changed.


    Li Yu never tolerated the feeling of being targeted. Whenever there was a sign of trouble, he tended to deal with it right at the outset.


    "Mhm, she just made a suggestion for us to try," Bai Jie said honestly, looking at Li Yu''s somewhat frightening expression.


    The ever-cautious Li Yu was already contemplating whether or not to kill.


    After his rebirth, he preferred not to let problems accumulate. This 20-year-old girl, with an unknown identity and unclear background...


    Although in these apocalyptic times, money and background were pretty much useless.


    Thinking back to his own rebirth five years ago, he hadn''t seen any particularly powerful forces.


    He had also doubted himself, wondering if it was because he had always been struggling at the bottom that his perspective on things was limited.


    But the present was what mattered most.


    He slowly exhaled.


    This person''s identity was not important.


    Since she has come, then let her stay.


    Talk to her, and if it doesn''t work out, kill her!

 Chapter 319 - 311: Very Sensible

    The next day.


    The sun was shining, but the temperature remained very low.


    Li Yu arrived early in the morning. After going back last night, he had thought a lot about the five newcomers, among whom four possessed high-quality talents that were critically needed in this post-apocalyptic world.


    However, regarding the girl named Xiaoshi, he still felt an unsettling uncertainty. He always disliked such feelings.


    He preferred to clarify uncertainties as much as possible to avoid being taken by surprise by future problems.


    So when he came this morning, heading towards the medical room, he decided that he must figure out the real background of this girl named Xiaoshi.


    Inside the medical room.


    Dapao and Li Haoran had stayed here all of last night.


    Li Yuan was resting in a side room next to the medical room.


    Li Yu approached and patted the somewhat weary Dapao and the others: "Go get some sleep, you''ve worked hard. I''ll let Haoran take over for a bit."


    "No problem. We''ll be heading off then," Dapao waved his hand, indicating it was not a big deal.


    Since rescuing those several people last night, Dapao and Li Haoran had been keeping watch over them. Although all four were unconscious, they were, after all, outsiders entering for the first time.


    Precautions still had to be taken.


    After the two left, Li Yu felt five pairs of eyes on him. S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu turned around and saw that the four who were unconscious yesterday had all woken up. After Bai Jie had somewhat recovered last night, she also took care of the four a bit.


    "Are you all awake? How do you feel now?" Li Yu spoke to them with as calm of a tone as possible.


    "Better now."


    "Feeling much better, thank you for saving us."


    "Much better."


    ....


    All five expressed that they felt a lot better.


    "Gurgle~"


    A rumble came from a stomach.


    It was Xiaoshi''s, and after the sound, her face, pale from fever, instantly turned red with embarrassment.


    Her eyes were closed yesterday, but when she opened them today, there was no longer an air of haughtiness, but rather a quiet and shy girl''s demeanor.


    Seemingly noticing the others looking at her, Xiaoshi''s eyes drooped, and then she tightened her grip on the corner of the blanket.


    Ha!


    Seeing this, Li Yu thought: So shy. Seems like she isn''t one of those spoiled, hot-tempered girls.


    Good.


    Better to have an obedient fool than a smart ticking time bomb.


    "Gurgle~"


    Another stomach growled.


    Li Yu said with a smile, "I''m hungry too. Just wait a bit. My aunt will bring some food over soon."


    "Let me introduce myself. My name is Li Yu, and I''m in charge of this base. I had a chat with your group leader Bai Jie yesterday.


    According to what Bai Jie said, some of you have experience as a surgeon?"


    One of the women, with very fair skin but some freckles on her face and appearing to be around 27 or 28, said, "I am a surgeon. I worked at the city''s People''s Hospital before, and I was the main attending clinician."


    "Hmm, please introduce yourselves one by one," said Li Yu.


    Everyone began introducing themselves.


    Bai Jie continued where the surgeon had left off: "As I mentioned to you yesterday, my previous studies were in life sciences. I worked at a research institute and mainly focused on biochemistry and biotechnology..."


    Bai Jie used some rather professional terminology, which Li Yu didn''t quite understand.


    After Bai Jie finished, a short-haired girl sitting on the hospital bed, who appeared somewhat naive, followed up: "I... I''m the same."


    Li Yu slowly nodded his head.


    Turning to the remaining two individuals, the woman with a somewhat darker complexion and ordinary looks said: "My field of study was agriculture, specifically greenhouse cultivation, seed preservation, and plant breeding. In short, I''m a farmer."


    Hearing this, Li Yu raised his eyebrows; this girl was somewhat interesting.


    The last girl, who had until now kept her head down, looked up with a bit of unease but spoke anxiously: "I came from the south, I... I''m twenty years old. I studied business management. I''m not of much use..."


    After she finished speaking, this young lady seemed to be a bit embarrassed and lowered her head.


    Li Yu''s gaze sharpened as he looked at her intensely and asked: "What does your family do?"


    As soon as he said this, everyone nearby watched intently; they were very curious, especially since they had encountered her with two bodyguards.


    What kind of background did she have?


    Hearing this question, the young lady''s hand shook ever so slightly: "My grandpa is a leader of the Southern forces, and my dad is..."


    The name that escaped her lips was familiar to everyone present.


    Everyone seemed to think of something all at once.


    Hiss~


    Hiss~


    Hiss~


    Hiss~


    Everyone collectively gasped in shock.


    It wasn''t clear if it was just a sensation, but the air in the room seemed to have been sucked out, making even the heated room feel a lot colder at that moment.


    Li Yu, too, was stunned, but he quickly regained his composure based on his experience from his previous life.


    In a post-apocalyptic world, no matter how impressive someone was before the apocalypse, afterwards...


    The girl continued: "I originally wanted to find my family, but the zombies rampaged suddenly, and I couldn''t find them. Later, I wanted to go back there to search, but I never found them..."


    Li Yu watched the young lady attentively.


    Closely observing her small movements and facial expressions while she spoke, he tried to determine whether she was lying.


    "Why didn''t you tell Bai Jie and the others before, and yet when I asked, you revealed everything?" asked Li Yu.


    "I saw you kill someone in Jiefang City; I know you wouldn''t feel secure not knowing our backgrounds. I can''t hide it from you. It''s better to be upfront and let you make the decision." The girl''s voice trembled, but she managed to finish her statement.


    "You''re very smart and sensible," Li Yu said, giving her a profound look.


    He then swept his gaze over everyone else and continued: "I won''t keep people who do nothing here. You must prove your value if you want to stay."


    The atmosphere suddenly turned a bit more oppressive.


    At this moment, the door to the medical room burst open.


    The aunt and Yutong came in carrying breakfast and were surprised to see Li Yu there as well.


    But without dwelling on it, the aunt told Bai Jie and the others: "Hurry up and have some breakfast. The weather is cold now, please make do with what we have."


    Bai Jie and the others held bowls of hot rice porridge and some pickles. The steaming aroma of the porridge, mixing with the refreshing scent of the pickles, wafted up to their nostrils.


    Make do?


    They call this making do?


    In this apocalyptic world where people struggle to eat one full meal, let alone in this ice and snow, to have rice porridge and pickles was already a luxury!!


    But before they ate, they still expressed their gratitude.

 Chapter 320 - 312: The Fully Ripened Peach

    "Thank you~" Bai Jie and the others said one after another.


    They were really too hungry, they couldn''t even remember when they last had porridge, their memory was somewhat blurry.


    All notions of ladylike images, of chewing slowly and swallowing carefully, were cast aside.


    During this past year of the apocalypse, they had learned to eat in the shortest amount of time possible.


    "Don''t rush, there''s still more." The auntie, seeing their state, remembered her days in Jiefang City, which were not much different from theirs, and her current lifestyle was all thanks to Li Yu.


    Thinking of this, the auntie gratefully looked at Li Yu.


    Li Yu felt a gaze upon him, saw it was the auntie, saw the look in her eyes, and instantly understood what the auntie was thinking.


    He walked over, gently pressed on the auntie''s shoulder, and said softly, "Auntie, we''re family."


    The auntie nodded vigorously, her eyes brimming with a hint of tears, as she recalled the time when she was alone with the child, and in those difficult circumstances, just when she was about to collapse, she met Li Yu and the others.


    Yes, family.


    In the apocalypse, the safety of family is more important than anything.


    ....


    Noon.


    Yutong, along with Bai Jie and the other five, arranged their accommodation.


    In these three rows of houses, surveillance was set up, and every room could be monitored through the screens.


    And the rooms arranged for these five people were right in view of several cameras.


    Xiao Shi was originally supposed to stay in the infirmary because her fever had not completely subsided.


    After taking medicine last night and eating breakfast this morning, she felt much better, so she got some antipyretics to take regularly and was allowed to go to her own room.


    None of them had anticipated that in this subzero environment, they would still be assured of hot water! S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Building 2, Room 314, Yutong brought Bai Jie and the others into this room.


    After bringing Bai Jie and the others into the room, Yutong said, "Bai Jie, you''ll stay in this room. Here are the bathing supplies for you."


    Bai Jie quickly took them and said, "Okay, thank you~"


    "There is hot water in the room, lights can be turned on, but during the day you should try to go to the basement, we have an underground farming base there." Yutong said.


    "Okay, sure."


    "Alright, Sister Yutong."


    ....


    Yutong arranged a room for each of them and then left.


    Bai Jie''s room.


    She turned on the heating, and as the room''s temperature gradually rose, she could feel the warmth.


    She took off her coat.


    Two Tuantuans jumped out.


    Standing in front of the mirror, her hair somewhat disheveled, but her face bore an allure.


    Subtle and faint.


    Her long legs, clad in black pantyhose.


    Presenting an astonishing curve.


    At her age, like a ripe peach.


    What a pity...


    Bai Jie suddenly thought of Li Yu''s cold interrogation of them all today, that questioning, exuding an indisputable attitude, it was this cold demeanor that made her expression waver momentarily.


    She turned on the faucet.


    The floor became wet.


    From the bathroom, there came faint, barely audible sounds, filled with extreme repression.


    But there was an irresistible delicate whiff.


    ...


    First floor.


    Dining room.


    The room was as warm as spring.


    It carried a kind of steaming aura.


    The past two days.


    Li Yu still went to Mountain Pond, where he drilled a hole through nearly half a meter of ice, finally breaking through to let the fish beneath breathe.


    Once the hole was opened, many fish appeared on that side, so Li Yu simply caught a few to bring up.


    In winter, even in subzero temperatures, fish are not easily frozen to death. The lake may freeze over, but the water beneath remains relatively warm, and fish are cold-blooded creatures.


    Fish have a high purine content in their bodies, allowing normal energy transformation and metabolism even in very cold waters. Generally, only a few species of fish freeze to death, like tilapia, because they are tropical fish and not suited to the cold.


    Today''s lunch consisted of: braised fish, hot and sour radish strips, and soybean sprouts.


    Three dishes, not many, but they were shocking enough for Bai Jie and the others for quite some time.


    They could never dream that in this post-apocalyptic world, they could still have such food.


    It was like living in a dream.


    The surgeon, receiving her share of the food, sat down dumbfounded. When she took the first bite of the braised fish, flavored with the essence of Hex technology, that familiar taste, tears streamed down her face.


    The taste she hadn''t had for so long.


    "Mom." Xiao Lan said through tears.


    Not far from them, Song Min and others were eating their rice, watching their reactions.


    The optimistic Xiao Han laughed while eating, and Song Min hit her on the head with chopsticks: "What''s there to laugh about? Think back to when you first came here; you weren''t much better off than them."


    Optimistic Xiao Han suddenly stopped laughing, covering her face with her right hand. Just thinking back to the first time she had a hot meal here, she ended up crying for half an hour.


    It seemed to evoke some unpleasant memories, those memories were the most painful experiences in their lives.


    Only those who have felt the pain of hunger really understand it.


    Over a year into the apocalypse, before coming to the base, they hardly had a full meal.


    "Bai Jie, have we come to heaven?" Xiao Lan didn''t make much of a fuss, simply eating and speaking.


    "I don''t know, but I want to stay. I must stay." Bai Jie''s mind flashed with the image of that tall figure as she spoke.


    "I understand, there''s hot water here, food, and it''s safe. I also want to stay."


    "Mm-hm. You''re right." Bai Jie said.


    Sitting across from Bai Jie, the girl with dusky skin who majored in agricultural science, scrutinized the soybean sprouts and said blandly:


    "These soybean sprouts weren''t grown well, they should be soaked in 60-degree hot water for 2 minutes.


    Then rinse them with cold water twice; this helps stimulate seed temperature, then you can put the seeds in a sprouting container..."


    Second Uncle, passing by with a basin ready to be cleaned up after eating, happened to overhear the woman speaking and stopped in surprise.


    "What did you do before?" he asked in amazement.


    The girl with dusky skin raised her head, saw Second Uncle, seemingly unfamiliar, but Second Uncle had seen them.


    After hesitating for a moment, she still said: "I studied agricultural science before, it''s about, you know, farming."


    Hearing this, Second Uncle looked at the girl''s dark complexion.


    This was clearly the look of a professional!


    Just like assessing a programmer''s level by their hair, they tend to be proportionately related.


    The professional complexion inspired immediate trust.


    "It''s great you studied agriculture, great indeed. Let Li Yu introduce us later.


    We have a planting base in the cellar; you can come and take a look later, see if you can help out."


    Second Uncle said cheerfully.

 Chapter 321 - 313: Agricultural Expert

    Dining hall.


    Li Yu was at the forefront, introducing the five newcomers to everyone. Though, during the meal, everyone was already paying attention.


    Especially Old Xie and others, who already joined them for the meal earlier.


    "As you all have noticed, we have some new faces from Jiefang City. I hope everyone gets along well..." Li Yu briefly introduced them and then held his words.


    In fact, Li Yu too was curious; their underground planting base, fundamentally speaking, was not professional, all self-taught through their own explorations.


    But now, after more than three months, there was already some yield.


    Not to mention, the underground rice had already begun to shoot, and in about another month, they could harvest, measuring about an acre in size.


    Furthermore, other vegetables such as tomatoes yielded 600 jin, cucumbers 600 jin, corn 3000 jin, potatoes 3500 jin, and some cabbages also yielded over 600 jin, and radishes over 700 jin...


    In total, various crops added up to several tens of thousands of jin.


    Initially, when building it, Li Yu''s father was also opposed to constructing such a vast basement, a two-thousand-square-meter, two-tier basement, somewhat resembling those parking garages.


    Plus, the basement walls were massively thick, nearly two meters, and were built with specifications for waterproofing, thermal insulation, and cold resistance.


    Therefore, in such an enclosed space, ventilation became exceedingly important and many ventilating fans were installed for this purpose.


    Usually, everyone tried their best not to turn on the heating to save electricity.


    And in order to maintain a constant temperature in the basement, combining the upper and lower floors, the total area was about 4000 square meters, equivalent to about 7 mu.


    A quarter of the area for underground planting was still unutilized.


    After lunch, the people from the base descended to the planting base, where some spaces were furnished with sofas and stools for resting.


    Li Yu and Second Uncle were both hopeful, expecting some advice from An Ya, who specialized in agriculture. After all, grandpa and them had been farming in the fields their whole lives, but indoor planting was somewhat different.


    "An Ya, take a look, do you have any suggestions?" Li Yu asked directly.


    An Ya observed the 6-meter-tall basement, where several elevated plantations were constructed using racks.


    At first glance, it was quite spectacular.


    "Um, Director Li, for now, I will take a look at our framework. Actually, there''s some space being wasted. We could adopt intercropping methods.


    Intercropping allows multiple varieties of crops to be cultivated in the same space without affecting each other. There are many methods of intercropping:


    1. Big intercropping small, such as planting smaller plant crops within crops with larger plants, like eggplants intercropping watermelons.


    2. Sun-loving intercropping shade-loving, like planting papaya in the woods, ginger intercropping with watermelons where ginger prefers shade.


    3. Deep-rooted intercropping shallow-rooted, like green beans intercropping with green onions.


    ....."


    Listening to An Ya eloquently speaking, much of what she said was practical, Li Yu and Second Uncle exchanged glances.


    Both thought to themselves: they had struck gold.


    "Additionally, regarding the crops we are currently growing, I''ve noticed that they actually lack nutrients. Since we cannot buy nutrient solutions now, we can make our own using materials such as fruit skins, eggshells, or rotten vegetable roots."


    Second Uncle suddenly said, "We actually have a septic and a biogas tank, but we try not to use them indoors."


    "It''s actually possible to use them. Also, our rice......."


    ....


    In her field of expertise, An Ya''s entire demeanor changed; she became incredibly professional, serious and earnest.


    Her demeanor made her seem very competent, someone truly skilled.


    Taking her aside, Li Yu earnestly said to An Ya, "There''s a snowstorm outside, and temperatures are below freezing, so the plants we grow indoors are of utmost importance."


    "Now, I''m asking you to take the lead on this indoor farming project along with my Fourth Uncle. Professional matters should be handled by professionals. You are a professional, so I''d like you to take charge. Do you think that''s okay?"


    Without hesitation, An Ya responded, "Yes, thank you Director Li, I will do my best."


    Her expression was brimming with confidence.


    Seeing this, Li Yu smiled and said, "Good, do your best."


    While everyone else stayed below, An Ya immediately started addressing some of the current issues at the underground farming base, including areas needing improvement.


    Bai Jie stood on the side feeling somewhat nervous; she really couldn''t figure out what she, Xiao Lan, and that poet could possibly do at the base.


    Especially now, with the icy cold outdoors, there were no opportunities to fight zombies since barely any were visible.


    Seemingly waiting for Li Yu''s instructions, Bai Jie and her friends stood beside Li Yu, unsure of what they needed to do.


    Seeing that everyone seemed to be busy with their tasks, at this point, Li Yu felt it wasn''t appropriate to assign them to guard duty on the walls.


    Noticing their uncertainty, Li Yu was at a loss himself on what task to assign them.


    Then, remembering the cabbages that had recently been brought in, he suggested, "You could all help with pickling the cabbage."


    He immediately called out to Lai Dongsheng''s wife, "Auntie Zhou, could you have them assist you later?"


    While knitting a scarf, Auntie Zhou replied, "That would be great, but there''s no rush."


    Bai Jie and the others quickly nodded in agreement.


    Noticing that they were still wearing the clothes they arrived in, Li Yu said to them, "Later, I''ll have Li Yuan bring you some clothes, including those for outdoor and indoor wear. Actually, I''ll go talk to her myself."


    Li Yu seemed to remember something, then paused and said, "Actually, you all should just take a couple of days to rest first. Take some time to recuperate."


    "Okay, thank you, Director Li," Bai Jie responded with a smile radiant as flowers, her eyes filled with an indescribable fervor.


    Li Yu''s gaze accidentally met her passionate eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly diverted his gaze towards the wall in front.


    That look in Bai Jie''s eyes was as if she wanted to devour him, quite frightening.


    Having said all this, Li Yu then returned to his room in the villa; the young puppies there seemed different each day, changing rapidly.


    Moreover, often times, they would quickly understand and obediently follow simple commands from Li Yu, which pleasantly surprised him. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The soft, fluffy fur made touching them feel reassuring and lightened his mood significantly.

 Chapter 322 - 314: Practice with Third Uncle

    With Bai Jie and the others joining, the total number of people at the base surpassed the hundred mark.


    This winter was long.


    And it was cold. S~ea??h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Amongst the vast expanse of snowy white, standing outside always gave one a sense of how minuscule they were.


    Duty room.


    Li Yu and Third Uncle were on duty.


    In fact, for Li Yu, he had always known that Third Uncle had served as a soldier for many years, and in his memory, Third Uncle had always been a man of few words.


    That time they went to the Government Building in the neighboring town, when he made a move to resolve Xie Liuhai and those others, and during the several other occasions they went out together, all displayed an astonishing level of strength.


    However, he never delved deeper. No matter what Third Uncle had been through in the past, he was still his Third Uncle.


    Inside, it was warm.


    But somewhat dry.


    Third Uncle pulled a persimmon out of his pocket and started nibbling on it.


    Li Yu looked at Third Uncle and suddenly said, "Third Uncle, let''s practice later, you can give me some pointers."


    Third Uncle swallowed the chunk of persimmon in his mouth and said at a leisurely pace, "Although I don''t know how you''ve been training, your spear skills are good, your close combat capability is actually very efficient, simple, brutal, and deadly."


    "Okay, after our shift ends, we''ll find a place to practice."


    Li Yu was excited; he was also curious about how strong Third Uncle really was.


    .....


    The next day, in the villa''s gym.


    A space was cleared for Third Uncle and Li Yu, each standing on one side.


    Neither man carried anything; Third Uncle was relaxed, his fists lightly in front of his chest.


    Li Yu, in loose-fitting home clothes, smiled and said to Third Uncle, "I''m coming over, Third Uncle."


    "Come." Third Uncle still looked as casual as a farmer.


    Li Yu''s gaze turned sharp in an instant, charging forward with a sweeping knee strike.


    Third Uncle stepped back slightly, blocking with his right hand, and then his hand chopped towards Li Yu''s neck.


    Li Yu leaned to the side, reaching out with a sneaky move.


    Third Uncle tensed up slightly, rolled backward, quickly ran a few steps, then took off his upper garment and flung it towards Li Yu''s head.


    Li Yu was a bit stunned; he didn''t expect this kind of move.


    Using his hands, he flung the clothing away, but in the moment he did, Third Uncle''s sweeping leg brought Li Yu down to the ground.


    Smack!


    The instant Li Yu fell to the ground, he bore the pain, grabbed Third Uncle''s right leg with his right hand, and yanked it fiercely downwards.


    Smack!


    Third Uncle also fell to the ground.


    Both were somewhat speechless.


    Sitting on the ground, Li Yu called a halt, "Third Uncle, this does not match the image I have of you in my heart. This is too..."


    Third Uncle''s expression was blank as he indifferently said, "Aren''t you the same?"


    Li Yu said awkwardly, "But, but you''re..."


    Third Uncle shook his head and asked, "Do you think techniques are important? The combat art I learned has only one principle: to kill. It does not matter if the means are underhanded.


    Besides, if you can use a gun, why not use it? If you can use a knife, why not use it? I can see that the two of us can''t really compete, we''re both killers; thus, this kind of close combat doesn''t mean much.


    Neither of us dares to strike to kill, and I dare not either."


    Li Yu raised his eyebrows and said, "Then just now, you were trying to chop my neck."


    "And you tried to kick my balls."


    "...."


    The two couldn''t establish a winner, both aiming for the fastest way to kill an enemy. In their minds, the so-called techniques of fighting didn''t mean much.


    Because in different environments and situations, the methods needed varied; in short, use whatever means necessary to kill the enemy.


    This made it impossible for the two relatives to let loose in a competition.


    They both stood up, essentially giving up. In those few minutes, they clearly understood one thing: they were the same kind of people.


    There was simply no comparison.


    But Li Yu still asked Third Uncle for advice, "Third Uncle, besides throwing clothing, what other sly tricks do you know? Teach me."


    "What do you mean by a crafty move, eh."


    "Ah, yes yes yes, that little trick."


    "Mmm, aside from the basic moves like the groin slap, eye gouge, soccer kick, and striking the back of the head or spine, there''s one technique I''ve used with the best effect, which is...."


    "Holy shit, that''s awesome."


    In the gym, there were occasional grim chuckles, accompanied by sighs of realization.


    .....


    The blizzard outside had not ceased at all.


    Thousand miles of ice, endless snow under the wide sky.


    In the midst of this snowstorm, several hundred kilometers away from Li Yu and his group.


    Safe City.


    There were no longer any personnel on duty at the entrance; the gate had been locked tight.


    The padlock on the gate had also become encased in ice.


    The snow on the ground was already more than a meter deep.


    In the houses outside Safe City, silence reigned.


    Some of the houses, already low and not much elevated, were half buried in snow and ice.


    The entire land was a vast expanse of white.


    On the ground, not a single trace of a living creature could be seen.


    Thud!


    A figure leapt down from a house directly opposite Safe City.


    The house was quite tall, arguably the tallest one in the vicinity of Safe City, and was formerly a small inn.


    Eight stories, twenty-four meters high.


    When the figure fell, the snow on the ground was smashed into the outline of a person.


    "Damn it."


    With a curse, the person was enraged.


    He hadn''t expected that he would survive such a fall; where he landed, the snow was particularly thick, and the dense snow, over a meter deep, had broken his fall, preventing his death.


    He even only sustained minor scrapes.


    Struggling out of the deep snow, it took a while for the person to get to his feet.


    His figure was emaciated, skin and bones, with hair like wild grass, covered in snowflakes.


    If Mr. Wang were here, he would have recognized this man as the one who had escaped from that courtyard.


    Unbelievably, the man hadn''t frozen to death by now.


    However, by the looks of him, he wasn''t far from death''s doorstep.


    "This goddamn apocalypse, having zombies is bad enough, but it''s also so damn cold, and being cold would be fine if there was food to be found. Just let me die. Ahhh!!!"


    The man roared in anger, but still, no one appeared around him; even during his outburst, not a single zombie showed up.


    This winter was indeed a bit too cold.


    Snowflakes drifted down as the man lay on his back in the snow, spreadeagled.


    It seemed he had given up on everything, but in truth, there wasn''t anything left for him to give up; he now had nothing.


    The snow kept falling, slowly settling on his body, from his ankles, to his arms, to his chest.


    In this extreme freezing cold, he felt numb to his core, having stood up and laid back down after his fall.


    He actually felt a hint of bliss.


    Two minutes later, he couldn''t stand up, nor did he want to stand up anymore; he was exhausted.


    Having not eaten for several days, he was so famished he saw stars and felt completely powerless.


    As the snowflakes fluttered around him, his body no longer sensed the cold as if he had gone numb.


    His heart also felt nothing.


    It was as if he had entered a void, everything was white �C the snowflakes, the sky, everything in his view was white.


    On the brink of losing consciousness, he felt as if he was lying amidst clouds, his body became incredibly light, and he felt lifted.


    Looking down at himself on the ground, the snow had nearly covered him, leaving only the tip of his hat poking out.


    Soon after, he couldn''t see anything anymore.


    It seemed, he lost all sensation.


    And it seemed, it wasn''t so bad after all.

 Chapter 323 - 315: Cold!

    Outside Safe City, not a soul could be seen.


    But inside the city, few people were out and about; most stayed in their homes, daring not to venture out.


    This snowstorm had been falling from the day before yesterday until today, for dozens of hours straight.


    Ice and snow dangled from the eaves, and people kept their windows tightly shut, but the cold seemed to be everywhere, creeping into the rooms through every crack and crevice.


    Safe City, building number 19, second floor.


    Mr. Wang shivered uncontrollably, trembling all over.


    Before entering Safe City, he had brought half a truckload of supplies. Although Captain Tao confiscated half of them at the gate, the remaining food was more than enough for him alone to last several months.


    Yesterday he had traded some food at their local market for some charcoal to burn, but he had been using it sparingly.


    Though now within Safe City, where the Patrol Team was supposed to manage conflicts, disputes still occurred frequently.


    Because quite often, when some people ran out of food and didn''t want to go out searching, they would resort to robbery, even if it meant dying a well-fed ghost.


    Mr. Wang hadn''t taken much food to trade, fearing he might become a target.


    "Damn it all, hurry up and find something to burn, I''m freezing to death."


    Suddenly, a man''s furious roar came from downstairs, followed by a piercing plea for mercy.


    Clang!


    Something had been smashed on the ground, shattering loudly.


    Zzzlah��


    The sound of a door opening downstairs could be heard.


    Mr. Wang thought for a moment, walked two steps to the window, and saw a figure in thick clothing coming out of the building. Although the coat was heavy, its surface seemed to have been torn by something, with cotton stuffing flying around.


    This figure paused at the doorway, then suddenly turned back to look at the door they had just exited, their eyes revealing an extreme hatred amidst the swirling snowflakes.


    With disheveled hair and a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, the resentful gaze chilled one to the bone.


    Mr. Wang quietly watched this woman through the window.


    Since the second day he had arrived, there would occasionally be quarrels downstairs. No, it wasn''t quarrels, but rather one-sided abuse and scolding.


    Mr. Wang didn''t want to interfere, nor could he.


    At the time, it was his second day in the building, and he wasn''t very familiar with the situation here. Although he saw and heard the abuse and was deeply displeased, he couldn''t do much about it for the time being.


    A few nights ago, the screaming and scolding from downstairs went on into the middle of the night, severely disturbing his sleep.


    "Sigh..." Mr. Wang let out a deep sigh. No matter the time or place, there would always be men who beat their wives.


    In the blizzard, the woman slowly turned her head, stood blankly for a while, and then began to walk along the roadside in the forward direction.


    Mr. Wang watched as the woman really did head outside, shook his head, and thought that he himself had looked outside but quickly returned; staying outdoors for a long time in this weather was a sure path to death.


    So he did not dare to venture outside Safe City but searched within its confines.


    A few days earlier, Safe City had organized some people to cut down surrounding trees for fuel. The vegetation within several kilometers around was completely cleared.


    And later,


    Originally, Safe City had some trees, like those planted along roadsides; those too were virtually all cut down. Now, the City Gates were firmly closed, and no one wished to head out again.


    Moreover, under the regulations of Safe City, if you leave and then return, you must pay a certain protection fee.


    Whether you pay with food or something else, you must share a part of it with them.


    These last few days, it had been extremely cold. Some people went out to find burnable fuel and then handed over a large portion upon their return.


    Some went out and never made it back.


    Mr. Wang swallowed, feeling a dire dryness in his throat. His lips were somewhat chapped, and he realized that it had been a long time since he last drank water.


    He walked towards the balcony, hoping to open the window there.


    Crack crack crack!


    The window emitted a grating sound that sent a shiver down his spine.


    Frozen, the window was stuck to the aluminum frame, and only after Mr. Wang applied significant force did he manage to pry open a mere 6-centimeter gap.


    Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh~


    Snowflakes from outside kept drifting in, and the accumulation on the windowsill was substantial.


    The snow was white and crystal clear, which might have been a delightful surprise and perceived as beautiful on first encounter.


    But if you are always in the bitter cold, the sight of snowflakes only brings despair.


    Mr. Wang scooped up a handful of snowflakes with his right hand and funneled them into a small pot.


    He pressed the snow down and scooped several more handfuls into the pot until it was tightly filled.


    Crack crack crack~


    Mr. Wang placed the small pot on the ground and then, using both hands, he forcefully closed the window.


    The window had to be shut tight, not just the windows, but any small crack in the home needed to be plugged to retain as much of the slightly warm indoor air from being dispersed by the outside chill.


    Yet, even with such measures, there always seemed to be gaps somewhere in the house.


    Mr. Wang carried the small pot to the smallest room in the house, a room facing north to south, which got a bit of sunlight during the day.


    Since the space was smaller, warmth was somewhat easier to conserve.


    He had moved all his food into this room, making it look quite cluttered.


    On his bed, at the center, there was a sheet of iron, on which lay a small piece of candle, some wood shavings, and some tattered cotton batting.


    Click clack~


    Mr. Wang used a flint to ignite some cotton batting, then added a small piece of charcoal to it.


    A blue flame flickered to life.


    Mr. Wang suspended the small pot above the little flame.


    After doing this, Mr. Wang wrapped himself in the cold blanket behind him, trying to get as close as possible to the small fire.


    In truth, Mr. Wang was currently getting by quite well; at least he still had some fuel and enough food to last three months.


    In the crackling flames, the snow in the pot began to melt. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile, in Safe City, among the several thousand people,


    Over eighty percent of them were shivering under their blankets.


    Some had become frigid corpses with vacant stares and purple lips, lying in bed waiting for death; others succumbed to starvation...


    This snowstorm had inflicted too much suffering on humanity.


    This snowstorm had caused starving, freezing people to lose their will to live.


    Mr. Wang waited for the snow water to melt slowly, feeling much warmer.


    But a small piece of charcoal couldn''t last long, and as it was about to extinguish, Mr. Wang gritted his teeth, lit the small piece of candle left, and continued burning it.


    With time passing, the water temperature in the pot gradually rose. Mr. Wang searched through his food but couldn''t find the noodles he wanted, only bread, which had frozen as hard as rock.


    He threw the bread directly into the pot and waited for it to thaw.


    After a while, the bread softened.


    Mr. Wang quickly put out the candle and placed it aside, then gently swept the burned ashes off the bed. He laid the blanket down and half laid down in the spot that had just been warmed by the fire.

 Chapter 324 - 316: Contradiction

    "Comfy ah...." Mr. Wang let out a satisfied moan in comfort.


    Through the iron plate beneath his buttocks, a fierce and intense warmth reached him, making him shiver twice from the heat.


    Then, he didn''t dare to waste time, he took advantage of the heat to soak the bread in the pot of water and gulped it down.


    It was scalding hot. His mouth was a bit reddened by the burn, but as the warm food and water passed through his throat into his stomach,


    he felt warmth in his belly which soon spread to his whole body.


    Clang! Mr. Wang quickly placed the empty pot beside the bed, then laid down on the bed and covered himself tightly with the quilt.


    He intended to take advantage of the warmth to sleep well.


    The room''s windows were covered with fog.


    Inside, the temperature had almost reached minus ten degrees Celsius.


    This was achieved by burning for nearly twenty minutes, combined with the heat emanating from Mr. Wang himself to warm up this small room once sealed off.


    This was already considered a relatively high temperature for those days.


    Under normal circumstances, when there was a blizzard outside, the outdoor temperature could drop to minus forty degrees Celsius, but indoors, with the doors and windows shut tight, it could stay at minus twenty-something degrees.


    There would be a temperature difference of nearly twenty degrees.


    But it was precisely this difference of twenty degrees that allowed some people to barely survive. Buried under their quilts in temperatures of minus ten or twenty degrees, they used them to fend off the cold.


    Right then, Mr. Wang was lying on the hot iron plate after it was burned, and having eaten some hot food just now, his body''s heat made the quilt warm.


    The quilt layers, warmed by the heat emitting from Mr. Wang''s body, then returned the warmth back to him.


    "So warm." This was the last thing Mr. Wang said before he fell into sleep.


    At the same time.


    In the room beneath Mr. Wang''s, which had a similar layout. It just seemed more empty.


    In this room, wooden furniture and even plastic materials suitable for burning were all gone.


    A thin man in thick clothes was pacing back and forth in the empty room.


    It seemed he was trying to raise his body temperature by walking.


    Maybe because he felt warmer after a walk, or perhaps because he was tired from walking for a long time, this man with a scar on his face soon crawled under the quilt.


    The quilt was filthy, and the man shivered inside it.


    This ground-floor room looked as if it hadn''t been renovated, pristine and clear.


    The man curled up into a ball, seemingly forgetting that his wife was still outside searching for fuel.


    In this cold weather, people would not venture out, enduring every minute and second in agony.


    They just didn''t know how much longer such temperatures would last.


    But no matter what the situation, most people wanted to keep living.


    ....


    Inside Safe City.


    In the villa district.


    The four powers were holding a meeting.


    The main reason for this meeting stemmed from a major conflict between Black Gang''s Hua Chuanlong and a businessman Ke Hanyu.


    The conflict began when Hua Chuanlong''s men took some of the supplies that were supposed to be allocated to Ke Hanyu''s group without permission.


    The first power was led by Wu Jianguo, leading the military personnel and controlling the base''s actual power.


    The second power was the former Black Gang, led by Hua Chuanlong.


    The third faction''s power comes from a business tycoon, along with some people who follow him.


    The fourth faction''s power belongs to civilian representatives.


    In Safe City, everyone entering has to pay a protection fee, except for the aforementioned three factions.


    If the first three factions find supplies on their own, they can keep them all when they return to base without turning them over.


    However, whenever a Zombie Tide occurs, it''s their duty to resist the Zombies; they cannot shrink back.


    The faction formed by civilians, who are most numerous yet weakest in power, pay protection fees that essentially sustains the first three factions.


    They have the will to resist but lack the power to do so.


    Therefore, every time at the city gate, when collecting protection fees, the strongest military force led by Wu Jianguo takes half of the supplies first. Then Hua Chuanlong claims thirty percent, and finally, Ke Hanyu''s faction gets the last remaining twenty percent.


    Strangely, whenever they venture out, Ke Hanyu always seems to find a relatively large amount of supplies.


    So this means that Ke Hanyu''s faction, originally only entitled to twenty percent of the supplies, turns out to be the wealthiest.


    This point greatly displeases the Black Gang, especially now that the weather is cold and it''s impossible to go out in search of food and supplies.


    The Black Gang, relying on their slightly stronger power, began to openly and covertly bully Ke Hanyu and his people.


    In the past, savvy businessman Ke Hanyu could not be unaware. He kept retreating, but didn''t expect Hua Chuanlong to become even more outrageous.


    Just yesterday, Hua Chuanlong''s people blatantly took the supplies meant for Ke Hanyu''s share that they had collected together.


    Before when distributing supplies, they always chose first and left less than twenty percent for the others.


    Even that could be tolerated.


    But this time, it went too far. After Wu Jianguo''s group took their half, they brazenly hauled away the rest.


    This showed utter disregard for Ke Hanyu and his people, a severe violation of their prior agreements.


    Conference room.


    Because there were charcoal fires burning in all four corners of the room.


    The room itself wasn''t cold.


    But the atmosphere inside was exceptionally oppressive.


    Those from the fourth faction who came just to join in the excitement, to be part of the crowd, looked emaciated, yet the expressions on their faces were as if enjoying a spectacle.


    After all, they didn''t pay any protection fees; the spoils were divvied up by the other three factions. Now if a fight broke out, they would wish for it.


    The fourth faction wished they could bring a stool and some sunflower seeds to enjoy the show.


    To the right front, a man with a scorpion tattooed on his head, dressed in fur and exuding a hooligan aura, said lazily, "It''s your own fault for not coming earlier to receive the goods, can you blame me?"


    To the left front, sat a middle-aged man about 35, with fair skin and radiating the aura of an intellectual. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes as calm and undisturbed as an ancient well:


    "Boss Hua, we have been cooperating for over a year now, Boss Wu had also mentioned before, rules are something we all need to follow. Now, what you''re saying is that we can all ignore the rules?"


    "I''ve already said, no waiting for those who are late. You guys didn''t come to receive the supplies, should we wait for you in this cold weather?"


    "We sent someone, but they got beaten by your men."


    "Nonsense, don''t make unwarranted trouble."


    "...."


    Ke Hanyu felt a headache coming on; a literati meets soldiers, reason cannot prevail.


    Distorting facts, fabricating lies. That''s Hua Chuanlong''s specialty. S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ke Hanyu isn''t ready to have a large-scale conflict with Hua Chuanlong and his people just yet.


    Once guns fire, neither side would have it easy.


    Thus, Ke Hanyu turned his gaze to Boss Wu, who was sitting in the center.

 Chapter 325 - 317: The Time Has Not Yet Come

    Wu Lao had been silent the whole time at the scene.


    In fact, under normal circumstances, Hua Chuanlong would usually ally with Ke Hanyu.


    He would have seized the opportunity by now to join forces with Ke Hanyu, starting to deliver a harsh criticism of Hua Chuanlong and others.


    But he couldn''t do that now, because under the current circumstances, putting more pressure on Hua Chuanlong and his group would likely cause a serious conflict.


    He was well aware of why Hua Chuanlong did what he did: the shortage of food and supplies.


    The sub-zero weather had persisted for many days.


    Their side was still okay, although they had not gathered many supplies themselves, but they collected the most protection fees and had the fewest people among the forces.


    Therefore, they were not yet under pressure with food.


    However, Hua Chuanlong and his group, with more people and less protection fees than them, could no longer hold on.


    Compared to Wu Lao''s military faction, Hua Chuanlong''s group had a larger number and greater consumption, but less protection fees.


    Compared to Ke Hanyu''s group, Hua Chuanlong and others had collected much fewer supplies from outside.


    Under these circumstances, Hua Chuanlong faced the greatest pressure among these forces. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was very possible that by now Hua Chuanlong and his men were out of supplies.


    Everyone looked at Wu Lao.


    After pondering for a moment, Wu Lao slowly said, "We are all creators of Safe City, living under the same roof. Peace is the most important thing. And then, General Manager Ke, the weather is so cold now, look, it''s still snowing outside. Let''s help each other out appropriately to get through this difficult time."


    On hearing these words, Ke Hanyu''s face twitched slightly and he couldn''t help but want to explode. Under the current situation, he was being pissed on by Hua Chuanlong.


    He didn''t really care about the supplies that were taken this time. For them, it wasn''t much, but what he wanted was a bottom line. If you start retreating from the very beginning, people will think you are an easy target and keep taking advantage.


    He also knew that under this blizzard, Hua Chuanlong must have run out of supplies, which led to such an act.


    After all, although they were not as strong as Hua Chuanlong and his men, overall they were not much worse.


    Seeing Ke Hanyu about to stand up, Wu Lao hurriedly spoke again:


    "However, General Manager Hua, you are indeed wrong on this one, taking what should belong to others without their permission. General Manager Hua, you owe them an apology, and also you need to offer something in exchange, okay? Don''t do this again next time."


    Ke Hanyu, who was about to stand up, heard this and slowly sat back down.


    Hua Chuanlong understood Wu Lao''s words; he didn''t want to reach the last step of shooting either. If it really got to that, they would suffer as well.


    When that happens, with everyone losing, there is no winner.


    Now that he had obtained the food and supplies, he had achieved his ultimate goal.


    As for apologizing, that''s just a matter of face...


    As for the formal exchange of goods, he could swap for some things they currently didn''t need. If they wanted to save face, he could give it to them.


    Immediately grasping Wu Lao''s intention, Hua Chuanlong changed his tune and said:


    "Hahaha, General Manager Ke, this is all a misunderstanding, I apologize to you, sorry about that, I will definitely be more careful next time. Isn''t it said that our General Manager Ke is so magnanimous��"


    His face beaming with smiles, completely different from his dominating demeanor just moments before; the vast contrast made the corners of the mouths of General Manager Ke and Wu Lao twitch.


    This Hua Chuanlong really was shameless...


    In the end, a bigger conflict was avoided and no fight broke out.


    In this snowy weather, no one wanted to provoke conflict under these conditions.


    Everyone was clear that unless it was the last resort, no one wanted to resort to gunfire and bloodshed; if it came to that, no one would have it easy.


    They could only hope that the blizzard and this winter would pass quickly.


    People dispersed, returning to their respective places.


    ...


    In contrast with the tense atmosphere in Safe City, at Li Yu''s base, a joyous ambiance prevailed.


    Indoors, the temperature was a steady 20 plus degrees.


    Since it was extremely cold outside, other than duties, people were trying to minimize outdoor activities.


    In the warm, spring-like indoors, everyone was engrossed in handicrafts or other time-consuming tasks to pass the time.


    The library had seen more visitors these days, and everyone in the base seemed to have entered a semi-vacation state.


    But even in this state, the farming section of the base was vigorously undergoing improvements.


    With the addition of the professional An Ya, many inefficient areas had been adjusted and turned into more scientifically planned spaces, with crops bursting with more vitality.


    ...


    The blizzard had lasted a full 8 days.


    January 5th.


    On this day, the sky cleared.


    A blue sky with white clouds, and the ground covered in glittering white snow.


    Roofs, branches, steps... even the two distant mountains donned white apparel, as if the entire world had turned white.


    Li Yu stood on his bedroom balcony, overlooking the snowy landscape.


    The snow had fallen for a long time, but it was the most comfortable period for him.


    There was no lack of food in the base, and there was no Zombie Tide during the cold weather.


    No safety concerns, no food crisis, this period was the most relaxing time for Li Yu.


    Since the rebirth, he had always been facing various issues, continuously running around.


    Now, with the base personnel exceeding a hundred and their strengths greatly enhanced, everything was progressing towards a better future.


    Sometimes, Li Yu would sit on the balcony, brewing tea and reading books.


    At other times, he would curl up in his room to watch old movies and TV shows.


    This feeling of squandering time brought him the joy of indulgence. He truly felt alive.


    In fact, it wasn''t just him; many in the base felt the same way. After completing assigned tasks, people chose to do what they desired.


    This winter was probably the happiest season for the people in the base.


    Even in the duty room, with the wall blocking out the cold, the toughest part of the day was the five-minute walk from the base to the wall and occasionally patrol outside.


    But fortunately, each trip was short. Wearing thick insulating clothes, the brief exposure was bearable.


    However, the frequent shifts from cold to warm did result in some people catching colds.


    Most drank ginger tea, and while the base was stocked with Cold Medicine, many did not take it, opting instead to rely on their own immunity to recover.


    Time passed day by day, and many had grown accustomed to this life.

 Chapter 326 - 318: Ice and Snow Zombie

    January 15th.


    Southern Minor New Year.


    6 days left until New Year''s Eve.


    Clear weather, with a little snow falling around 8 a.m.


    Outdoor temperature, minus 38 degrees Celsius.


    Today''s duty shift is between Li Yu and Bai Jie.


    The duty roster now is generally allocated at random, unless requested.


    Originally, it was supposed to be Yutong and Li Yu on duty today, but since she wasn''t feeling well due to her physiological period, Li Yu let her rest.


    And so Bai Jie took over.


    After interacting for some time, Li Yu started to include Bai Jie and the others in the duty rotation.


    But with a little trick, he wouldn''t let them do the shift alone��instead, they would usually be teamed up with Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Uncle, or Dapao.


    Duty room at the front gate.


    The atmosphere is somewhat eerie.


    Ever since entering the duty room, Bai Jie has been staring at Li Yu''s face.


    It''s undeniable, Li Yu has good looks, clean skin, a tall nose, and a slender figure that arguably hints at formidable explosive power.


    Bai Jie''s gaze is fiery and direct.


    Li Yu finds it a bit unbearable with the atmosphere turning weird; to ease the awkwardness, he cleared his throat twice and asked, "Sister Bai, what exactly do you study in your major?"


    "Um~" Bai Jie cooed seductively, as if snapping back to reality.


    She said to Li Yu, "Ah, basically, we study the human body, its structure, life, um��right, like researching the origin of life, how to make babies...."


    Li Yu''s face darkened. Bullshit.


    "Stop, let''s talk about something else," Li Yu quickly interjected.


    At this moment, Li Yu didn''t know why, but he felt somewhat afraid of Bai Jie.


    Usually in front of everyone, Bai Jie was dignified and elegant. Why has she changed like this now?


    Li Yu was conflicted inside, as the little monster of evil thoughts continually battered his resolve.


    Bai Jie said, "Then let''s talk about you~"


    Li Yu raised his eyebrows and said, "Me? What''s there to talk about me?"


    "I want to know about your strengths and weaknesses, just like how you can learn about my depths," Bai Jie said with a mole at the corner of her mouth, smiling.


    As Bai Jie''s smile blossomed, the mole was like the finishing touch, making her look even more charming and alluring.


    "...." Li Yu felt Bai Jie was a bit too bold, so direct.


    Looking at this woman around 27 or 28 years old, with a well-defined figure.


    Since they were indoors, she had taken off her coat, and her black, fitted sweater outlined her full figure even more.


    The weighty curve of her chest was exaggerated to a point where one dared not look directly, only steal glances.


    The key thing was her lower outfit, sharkskin pants, which perfectly outlined her mature body.


    Sitting on the stool, Bai Jie made it seem as if she was wrapping the stool around her.


    MD sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu inwardly cursed continuously.


    This seductress.


    Suppressing the thrill in his body, Li Yu coughed twice and said, "I''m going to go out for a patrol and check things out."


    Bai Jie watched Li Yu, unflinching in his resolve, yet her smile didn''t fade.


    She stood up and went to the side to get some hot water, saying, "Have some hot water first. Warm-up a bit before you go."


    Then, turning her back to Li Yu, she bent over to give Li Yu a view of her bending figure.


    Due to bending over, the fabric was pulled tight, stretched full.


    In the beautiful curve of her back**********


    Li Yu accidentally saw this, and the corner of his mouth twitched.


    Damn.


    The most crucial part was that Bai Jie, when lifting the thermos, twisted her foot as if on purpose.


    She fell backward directly towards where Li Yu was sitting.


    Li Yu was just about to get up.


    But someone sat down abruptly.


    Sss!


    Li Yu felt a sense of compression in his body.


    Softness with a hint of springiness.


    The feeling of being enveloped made him feel a strong sense of crisis.


    Although his body felt somewhat unusual, Li Yu''s mind remained very rational.


    He thought it necessary to make things clear to this Bai Jie, so he pulled her by the hands and shifted her to the side.


    Feeling herself being moved away, Bai Jie was about to close her eyes.


    When Li Yu''s cold voice came: "I don''t know what you''re trying to do, but I can''t give you anything. Do you understand?"


    As soon as these words came out, Bai Jie instantly understood what Li Yu meant.


    Surprisingly, her face showed no sign of embarrassment or annoyance; instead, she said, "I don''t need anything from you; I want to give to you. Don''t you want it?"


    "I don''t want it."


    "Do you really not want it?"


    "No."


    "Really?"


    "Eh. Sss�C" Li Yu felt the lifeline of his lower body.


    seized by a pair of devilish hands.


    "How about now?"


    "Do not disturb my Taoist heart!"


    With difficulty, Li Yu pushed Bai Jie away, then put on two pieces of thermal clothing and ran outside.


    Outside, it was bitterly cold.


    Li Yu lit a cigarette, feeling the icy cold air piercing into his body.


    The previous heat was instantly quenched, as if doused with a bucket of ice water.


    Frozen solid.


    Li Yu took only two puffs of the cigarette in his hand because the temperature outside was too low, making each breath a challenge.


    Let alone smoking.


    Just as Li Yu was about to zone out, he suddenly saw an ice sculpture in the shape of a person in the woods not too far away.


    He rubbed his eyes and focused on it; the frozen sculpture was still there.


    Tap tap�C


    Li Yu returned to the duty room. Bai Jie had regained her composure. Seeing Li Yu come back in, she turned her head to check behind him, and her expression started to ripple again.


    Li Yu ignored it, grabbed a telescope from the side bench, and walked straight outside.


    "Do you see something?" Bai Jie, seeing this, became serious as well.


    "Yes, I spotted something, but couldn''t see it clearly." Li Yu said as he walked towards the door.


    On the outdoor perimeter wall.


    Li Yu used the telescope to look at the spot from before; the ice sculpture was still there.


    Through the telescope, Li Yu clearly saw that it wasn''t a person but a zombie.


    "A frozen zombie?" Li Yu murmured.


    But when did it appear? He wondered why he hadn''t seen this zombie before.


    Now it suddenly showed up, frozen solid at that.


    However, it was somewhat understandable; in temperatures of negative thirty degrees Celsius during the day and below forty at night.


    Staying outside for extended periods, getting frozen was normal.


    But, it takes time to freeze like that.


    "Why would this zombie appear here?" Bai Jie, now also dressed, used the telescope to look in that direction, puzzled.


    "I don''t know, we''ll go have a look later." Li Yu said.


    "Shall we move this zombie back and research it?" Bai Jie suggested.


    Li Yu remembered Bai Jie was a researcher in life sciences, so moving it back for study seemed reasonable. It would be good to examine it.


    Consequently, Li Yu used the walkie-talkie to contact Uncle and Li Zhengping, who were also on duty, asking them to come over.


    If they were to go out, someone must be on the wall gate, and if they were to go out, Li Yu would definitely go with several people.


    Li Yu decided to move the frozen zombie back to take a look.

 Chapter 327 - 319: Breaking the Ice

    Base Gate.


    Uncle, Second Uncle, Li Zhengping, Dapao, and others had already arrived.


    "Little Yu, what''s wrong? You just said you found a zombie." Uncle inquired.


    Li Yu nodded and then handed the telescope over to Uncle.


    "Look at that zombie, the one between the two trees �C frozen by ice and snow."


    Uncle took the telescope, looked carefully, and then passed it to Dapao and the others beside him.


    "Indeed, there is a zombie, but how did it suddenly appear there?" Uncle said, somewhat puzzled.


    This was a question that also troubled Li Yu.


    After the snowstorm, there had hardly been any zombie sightings, and this particular frozen zombie had appeared unexpectedly.


    This left Li Yu and the others quite perplexed.


    You''d understand if it were frozen due to the current weather conditions.


    After all, it''s perfectly normal for any person or animal to be frozen in such cold temperatures, especially during the recent snowstorm.


    But this zombie appearing just outside their base, was it merely a coincidence?


    There are no such coincidences in this world.


    Li Yu furrowed his brows and then said, "No matter what, I plan to transport that zombie back to see what''s going on."


    Uncle pondered for a moment but did not object.


    "Uncle, Zhengping, Bai Jie, the three of you keep watch on the wall, ready to observe our surroundings at all times, and report back immediately if there''s any situation. Dapao and I will go down and transport the zombie back for examination."


    "Okay, be safe."


    After Li Yu finished speaking, he headed down from the wall and went back to the garage to drive out a pickup truck.


    The pickup truck heated up for a while before returning to normal, and Li Yu then slowly parked the vehicle near the gate.


    Dapao and Li Hang got into the truck, and upon seeing them board, Uncle opened the gate.


    Crack, crack, crack �C


    Due to the cold weather, ice had formed on the gate, and the sound of ice being shattered was harsh as the gate was opened.


    Li Yu and the others drove towards the outside of the base, the vehicle''s tires half-buried in snow, struggling to move in the snowy terrain.


    Before long, they arrived in front of the frozen zombie.


    The three had not had a clear view from the wall, but now standing before this icy lump, they could clearly see the details of the zombie.


    Through the transparent ice, Li Yu could see the zombie''s face and expression clearly.


    Eyes blood-red, clothing torn and ragged, yet the body did not have that sense of decay.


    If you disregard the crimson eyes and the fierce black lines on the face, the zombie''s body still retained many human characteristics.


    "This zombie has not been changed for long." Li Yu suddenly said.


    "Brother Yu, do you mean this zombie was recently bitten and then frozen?" Dapao added from the side.


    Li Yu nodded: "Yeah, take a look for yourself, is this what normal long-transformed zombies look like?"


    Dapao and Li Hang examined closely and nodded in agreement.


    Indeed, it was very different; this zombie still had very distinct human features.


    A question emerged in everyone''s mind: Was it transformed into a zombie, then quickly frozen, and transported here?


    Or did it walk here after being bitten?


    Or are there any other possibilities?


    "Let''s transport it to the truck, and we''ll discuss it back at the base." Li Yu saw that both men seemed lost in thought and thus spoke.


    "Okay."


    "Alright."


    The three of them parked the pickup truck in front of the zombie, and with the help of the height difference, they pushed the zombie up into the back of the truck.


    This zombie was encased in ice, with a thick layer of ice crystals formed on the outside, which the three of them could not have moved on their own.


    "One two three!"


    "One two three!"


    Thud! Bang!


    The chunk of ice was slammed onto the bed of the truck.


    The ice was hard enough that despite being dropped, apart from some scratches, there were no signs of shattering inside the block.


    It seems the temperature is indeed low, freezing it solid.


    "Let''s go, back to base!" Li Yu flipped over to the back of the truck, standing straight up in the bed, and told Dapao to drive them back to the base.


    It was a tough journey coming here, but now it was much easier returning.


    Three minutes later, Li Yu and his two comrades arrived back at Weng City.


    In Weng City, Li Yu jumped down from the truck, and Bai Jie, who was on the wall, also came down. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were all somewhat curious about this zombie frozen in ice.


    There were some scratches on the surface of the ice from being dragged, but looking through the block, the zombie inside appeared lifelike, one could even see the dust on the zombie''s skin.


    Bai Jie stepped forward and scrutinized the situation, puzzledly she said, "This zombie, it looks like it had just turned into a zombie."


    "You noticed too, didn''t you? When we first saw it we were curious as well. Just turning into a zombie and then getting frozen, and the way it''s just standing under that tree, it''s weird," Li Yu replied.


    A group of people gathered around the zombie in the back of the pickup truck to examine it but were unable to discern anything conclusive after a long time.


    "Let''s just break the ice open to see what''s up with this zombie," Li Yu suggested, eyeing the thick layer of ice covering the zombie.


    "Sure, I''ll go grab a drill," said Dapao.


    "Okay."


    Thawing the ice block with heat would of course be possible, but it would waste time and resources.


    It would be faster to drill a hole first and then try to split the ice on top.


    "Zhengping, go get some firewood over here and start a fire on this side," Li Yu instructed.


    Li Zhengping immediately ran to prepare.


    "Brother, should we get it off the truck first?" Li Yu stood beside the truck, noticing that some of the ice was starting to freeze to the truck''s metal skin due to the passage of time.


    "Alright, let''s move the zombie down from the truck first then," Li Yu also noticed this and called everyone to move the zombie off the truck.


    Together they pushed the block of zombie ice to the ground.


    Clang!


    The zombie hit the ground without breaking apart.


    The freezing had really made it sturdy.


    "Here it comes~" Li Zhengping pushed a cart filled with some firewood.


    Li Zhengping dumped the materials on the ground, near the frozen zombie.


    Crrsh~


    Striking a lighter, he ignited the pine needles which crackled loudly.


    The pine needles had some resin on them and they quickly caught fire intensely. Li Zhengping hurriedly threw several large chunks of rotten wood into the fire, wood that they had collected from outside long ago.


    There were some bits of ice on them, but they caught fire quickly under the flames.


    Crackle~


    Under the burning firewood, the surface of the frozen zombie began to slowly melt; the process was slow, but indeed there was melting.


    "Everybody step back~" Dapao brought over a chainsaw, waving his hand as he spoke.


    "Dapao, be careful, and put on a mask," Li Yu reminded him.

 Chapter 328 - 320: Establishing a Research Room

    "Okay, don''t worry," Dapao put on his mask, then buckled on a protective helmet.


    Because they were outdoors, everyone was completely covered from head to toe.


    Whirr~ Whirr~ Whirr~ sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A teeth-gritting sound rang out as Dapao quickly sawed the block of ice with an electric saw.


    However, it was not sawed all the way through; when he was about two or three centimeters away from the zombie, Dapao changed the angle and started sawing from the side.


    After making a few cuts around the zombie, the block of ice containing it visibly shrunk at speed.


    Seeing that Dapao was almost done, Li Yu hurriedly called a halt.


    He had no idea about the condition of this zombie; although he hadn''t seen any mutated zombies from his memory, he couldn''t guarantee their non-existence.


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s reminder, Dapao also stopped the electric saw and stepped aside.


    Opposite him, Uncle and Li Hang each stood with a heavy iron chain in hand.


    All the while, Dapao had been careful not to saw near the head, so the thickest chunks of ice remained around the head and chest of the zombie.


    But down at the feet of the zombie, due to their proximity to the flames, the ice had already started to reveal them.


    "Let''s tie up its feet first," Li Yu said.


    He took the iron chains from Uncle, and he and Li Hang each took one to bind the zombie''s feet.


    After that, everyone stood still and waited.


    The flames burned, illuminating everyone''s faces.


    Everyone was cold, but they were all curious about the zombie, so even though they were shivering, they wanted to stay a bit longer.


    Or to get a bit closer to the flame, to warm up their bodies.


    Seconds and minutes passed, and the block of ice encasing the zombie melted in the heat of the flames.


    Crack~ Crack~ Crack~


    It wasn''t many minutes before the sound of breaking ice could be heard.


    Then, the continuous noise of ice shattering continued.


    The sound shocked everyone, who all turned their eyes toward the zombie.


    Dapao stood with a spear, Li Yu with a Mountain Axe in hand, and everyone else wielded some sort of weapon.


    In the face of such a zombie, though it seemed unproblematic, everyone still had to be cautious.


    Better safe than sorry.


    The ice shattered.


    The zombie''s mouth suddenly gaped open.


    Roar~


    A loud roar spread throughout Weng City, then traveled even farther.


    Second Uncle, who was in the base at the time soaking his feet due to frequent chilblains from going out often, almost knocked over the foot bath when he heard the zombie''s roar.


    Immediately, he pulled his feet out, put on socks and shoes, donned a coat, and rushed frantically towards the entrance.


    On Li Yu''s side, as soon as they heard the zombie''s roar,


    he immediately moved forward, pushing the Mountain Axe directly into the zombie''s mouth, followed closely by Li Hang and the others.


    They held down the zombie''s body tightly, and Li Yu took out pliers to pull out its teeth, one by one.


    Up until now, zombie infection was spread through biting.


    The zombie twitched all over, its strength enormous.


    After removing the zombie''s teeth, Li Yu, fearing it would cry out again, found a piece of wood from the pile of firewood next to him and forced it into its mouth.


    Seemingly afraid it would spit it out, he then pressed an iron mask onto its face.


    Then tie up the hands of this zombie.


    By now, the zombie could no longer make any noise, with both hands and feet bound by chains.


    It could only stand there, opening its mouth wide silently roaring.


    "This zombie is really strong!" Li Hang exhaled a breath of relief, it was not easy to hold down this zombie just now.


    Li Yu didn''t respond. It was only when he removed the teeth of this zombie that he noticed the skin still had hair on it.


    You should know that in normal cases, the initial transformation of a zombie is very brief.


    From being bitten to turning into a zombie, it takes only a few to several minutes.


    And in later stages, the surface skin of the zombie becomes particularly smooth, devoid of any hair.


    Was this zombie just turned or has it mutated?


    Bai Jie''s expression was very serious. She closely examined the zombie and then turned to say, "I need a Research Room."


    Li Yu pondered for a moment and said, "List what you need for me. We''ve also cleared out a few hospitals before, see what you want from there."


    Bai Jie nodded.


    Right now, no one was clear about the situation. It might as well be better to let Bai Jie and the others conduct their research.


    Even if in the end it turns out this zombie has just transformed from a human, it wouldn''t matter.


    Allowing Bai Jie and others to first research the zombies, to better understand them, might bring some benefits in the future.


    However, if it were such a coincidence, this human must have been bitten by another zombie on his way here, causing him to turn in just several minutes.


    In several minutes time, with the weather like this, not a single zombie in sight, where could the other zombies be hiding?


    On the other hand, this zombie looked unfamiliar to everyone, and nobody knew him; how did this person know the location of this base before he died? That was another huge issue.


    Everyone was thinking about this problem.


    Footsteps came from behind.


    "There are quite a lot of people here." The voice of Second Uncle came from behind.


    "Little Yu, I heard the howling of a zombie just now, did you hear it?" Second Uncle came over and asked.


    Because everyone was surrounding this zombie, it was out of Second Uncle''s sight for the moment.


    Right across Second Uncle''s line of sight, Li Zhengping and Li Hang both stepped aside.


    Before Li Yu could answer, Second Uncle saw the bound zombie.


    With surprise in his eyes, he looked at the people and said, "Was it this zombie crying out just now?"


    Everyone nodded.


    Li Yu then recounted their encounter with this zombie, transporting it back here, and the intention to establish a Research Room to Second Uncle.


    After listening, Second Uncle nodded and said, "The situation is indeed strange, but setting up a Research Room is indeed necessary, after all, know thyself and know thy enemy, researching zombies is meaningful."


    "Where should we build the Research Room though?" Second Uncle asked.


    Li Yu thought about the structures within the base, the residential area within the small fence, a medical room, library, and other places.


    The area near the back door used to be the breeding zone.


    To the right was a planting area, which was now bare without anything.


    Near the front entrance were a few factory buildings storing some energy materials and miscellaneous items.


    There was actually a small building connected next to the interrogation room before.


    The interrogation room was seldom used; in fact, there wasn''t really an interrogation room in the past, just an empty room repurposed for it.


    "Let''s use the former interrogation room, after all, it''s not in the residential area and is somewhat safer," Li Yu said.


    Second Uncle thought for a moment and said, "Why not put it inside Weng City? My suggestion, under any circumstances, is not to keep zombies inside the base."

 Chapter 329 - 321: Ice Skating on the Lake

    Li Yu felt a slight movement in his heart upon hearing Second Uncle''s suggestion.


    A memory from before his rebirth suddenly surfaced in his mind: in the third year after the apocalypse, he had also joined a team.


    That team was relatively strong, but its downfall originated from releasing some zombies within their base.


    At that time, their team was somewhat twisted, using those zombies purely for fighting and gambling��entertainment was scarce in the post-apocalyptic world.


    Therefore, their team often held gambling events centered around killing zombies.


    No matter the era, the human heart is unpredictable.


    During one of those gambling events, the loser, out of vengeance, released all the zombies at once in the middle of the night, ultimately leading to the base''s destruction.


    Thinking about this, Li Yu broke out in a cold sweat.


    Since his rebirth, his journey had been very smooth, and he hadn''t encountered any significant setbacks.


    His success was partly due to the preparations he made even before the apocalypse and partly to his cautious attitude.


    Recently, however, perhaps due to too smooth of a journey, he had become less cautious about many things.


    This zombie matter and Second Uncle''s suggestion rang alarm bells in his mind.


    In the base, his opinions had always led the way, and many decisions within the base had been made following his advice.


    It must be realized that the burden of over a hundred people in the base rested upon his shoulders��he had to remain vigilant at all times.


    With this in mind, Li Yu took a deep breath and said, "Second Uncle, you''re right, I wasn''t thoughtful enough. We''ll keep this zombie in Weng City."


    "As for the other Research Room, it can be set up in that rest room. We can build another one in Weng City after the weather warms up."


    Hearing that Li Yu had accepted his advice, Second Uncle also relaxed; he had been quite conflicted about whether to speak up or not, as publicly opposing Li Yu''s suggestion could damage his authority.


    But he was pleased that Li Yu had taken the advice, and Second Uncle was gratified.


    "Mmm, I have no objections; let''s just make some simple modifications to the rest room then," said Second Uncle.


    Li Yu turned to Bai Jie and said, "For safety considerations, I still think it''s best to place the Research Room in Weng City. Right now, the main focus is the research on zombies. If we need to research something else later, we can establish another one inside the base."


    His tone was gentle, but the content was giving her a decision, not a discussion.


    Bai Jie also understood their concerns and replied with a smile, "I''ll go with your decision; no problem from my side."


    With consensus reached, the group led the zombie to the rest room.


    The rest room wasn''t big, only about ten plus square meters.


    However, it still had electricity and lights, just no heating equipment.


    "I''ll have Li Hang install a couple of heating units here later, so it won''t be too cold for you," Li Yu said to Bai Jie, turning around.


    "Thank you, Director Li," Bai Jie replied politely.


    Hearing this, Li Yu gave Bai Jie, who was all business, an odd look, realizing that the serious Bai Jie was completely different from the one he had been alone with earlier.


    But that was for the best, to avoid idle chatter.


    The matter of the zombie could, for now, only come to a temporary close; currently, it was unclear exactly what was the deal with this zombie. Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Searching for clues outdoors in such cold weather would be quite troublesome.


    It would be wiser to maintain a calm approach and watch for any developments within the safety of the base.


    ....


    Time flies quickly, and January 20th arrived in the blink of an eye.


    Tomorrow is New Year''s Eve.


    Last New Year''s, there weren''t as many people in the base, and my aunt''s family hadn''t arrived yet.


    Now, it can be said that Li Yu''s family has fully reunited, and many newcomers have joined us since then.


    Nowadays, everyone eats together daily, stands guard together, fights against the zombies together, and deals with those who covet the base.


    They may not be family by blood, but they are just like family.


    In this current weather, many people know very well that if it weren''t for joining the base, they might have frozen or starved to death by now.


    Not to mention far-off examples, just look at Bai Jie and others who joined recently; they almost froze to death in this cold weather.


    So many people truly cherish the opportunity to join.


    This coldness might be even more intense than the historical Little Ice Age.


    Up on the mountain.


    At Mountain Pond.


    Li Yu, Li Hang, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, and others are catching fish on the river''s surface; in fact, after the lake has frozen, Li Yu often makes a hole in the ice.


    Because sometimes fish won''t starve, but they might die due to a lack of oxygen.


    "Bro, ice skating, whoa whoa whoa~" Li Hang is gliding on the ice with homemade ice skates.


    Watching Li Hang, Li Yuan, Li Zhengping, and others skate on the ice, Li Yu shouts, "You guys skate, just don''t glide towards me. There''s a hole in front of me; if you fall in, you''re done for."


    "Got it."


    "Okay, bro."


    "Roger that, Director Li."


    Among them were a few young girls who used to follow Song Min and the daughter of Ding Jiu, who are now holding hands with Li Hang and gliding on the ice.


    Li Yu didn''t stop them from skating, but with a hole nearby, it would be quite dangerous if they accidentally slid over.


    After thinking it over, he quickly caught some fish and then placed some obstacles around the hole as a barrier.


    Thinking again, he took a metal railing and placed it at the mouth of the hole, which was one meter wide.


    With this done, there shouldn''t be any problems.


    Before leaving, he reminded them one last time, "Don''t skate in this direction. There''s a hole here, be careful."


    Everybody responded affirmatively.


    With the current weather, there are very few outdoor activities to do, and ice skating is a relatively reliable one.


    Now that everyone is in high spirits, Li Yu didn''t want to dampen their mood.


    Tomorrow is New Year''s Eve.


    Thinking of this, Li Yu felt somewhat emotional; this New Year''s Eve must be lively and joyful, to make everyone happy.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, sometimes what torments people the most isn''t just the lack of food, but more often it''s the loss of hope��the hope for a better life and the will to live on.


    People, regardless of their environment, have to learn to entertain themselves and find joy.


    Because no matter what, there will always be dissatisfaction and discontent; unable to change the environment, one can only change their mood and thoughts.


    Dusk was settling.


    Li Yu returned to the Mountain Pond he had left earlier, reminding everyone, "It''s about time to head back, it''s getting dark, and it''s not safe. New Year''s is tomorrow."


    For some reason, as Li Yu said this, he felt like an old mother hen.


    The crowd had had their fill of fun and began to leave the ice one by one, heading back to the residential area of the base.


    Now, in the canteen area of the residential zone, Li Yu''s mother was leading Lai Dongsheng''s wife, wives of the workers, Song Min, and others, all busily preparing the meals for tomorrow.

 Chapter 330 - 322: New Years Eve

    New Year''s Eve.


    Safe City.


    A desolate scene prevails after the recent conflicts, leaving relations between various factions somewhat ominous.


    Many people stay in their rooms, locking their doors and keeping inside, unwilling to let anyone in.


    This winter is a test of endurance.


    Building 19, second floor.


    Mr. Wang listens to the cursing from downstairs and finds it strange.


    After that woman''s last outing, to everyone''s amazement, she returned not only with some fuel but also a small bag of bread.


    In times like these, her ability to secure such items was worthy of Mr. Wang''s admiration.


    But what he couldn''t understand was why the woman would stick with that man despite being cursed at and beaten daily.


    Maybe this is what love is... Bullshit!


    With this thought, Mr. Wang recalls his years in business and founding the amusement park, yet he remains a loner.


    His heart can''t help but feel a pang of desolation.


    Especially since today is New Year''s Eve.


    It reminds him of last year''s celebration, the zenith of his success, when Harmony Garden was strong, and supplies were plentiful.


    He had just rescued a group of people, and everyone in Harmony Garden respected him, addressing him as Mr. Wang with reverence.


    Back then, he was not lacking company - several young, unmarried girls within Harmony Garden admired him.


    Mr. Wang reminisces about the good old times.


    On last year''s New Year''s Eve, he generously handed out a pack of toffee to everyone and arranged a communal meal.


    He sat in the warmth of his room, sipping on white spirits, munching on fried peanuts, while some team leaders showered him with flattery.


    Gurgle~


    A rumble from his stomach startles him back to reality.


    It''s too cold, so cold that he''d rather stay still under his blankets to keep the warmth from escaping with any movement.


    Gurgle~


    Another rumble from his stomach.


    As Mr. Wang gets up, he bitterly says, "Those people at the base, they''ve brought me down to such a low point, I will not rest until I''ve had my revenge. If not avenged, I refuse to be human!"


    His voice is low, filled with profound resentment. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, glancing around the room, he sees mostly empty bags. Food is running out, and fuel is down to less than a third.


    Just like last time, he prepares some bread and collects snowflakes from the opened window.


    Repeating the process from before, half an hour later.


    Mr. Wang lies back in bed, embarking on his mental journey of vengeance.


    Not everyone in Safe City has the luxury of some fuel and food like Mr. Wang.


    For those without, they start to violently scavenge and steal for survival. Even the military forces led by Old Wu have stopped intervening; amidst the chaos, they are struggling to save themselves.


    For a time, Safe City is plunged into disorder!


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Li Yu is up early in the morning, still sticking to his routine of running 10 kilometers in the gym.


    Then, he goes to find Grandpa to write couplets for the Spring Festival.


    Grandpa''s calligraphy is renowned, his brushwork is famous far and wide.


    In the recreation hall.


    Li Yu hands over some red paper for Grandpa to write on.


    Dipping his brush in ink, Grandpa asks, "What content do you want to write?"


    Li Yu ponders for a moment and says, "Anything, as long as it brings festive cheer."


    Grandpa''s hair is already silvery white, but he remains spirited, usually taciturn, yet each time Li Yu sees Grandpa, there''s an indescribable sense of warmth.


    Though Grandpa rarely speaks words of concern to him, a look into Grandpa''s eyes always conveys his caring thoughts.


    Hearing what Li Yu said, Grandpa grandly brandished his brush.


    One character after another was written onto the red paper:


    Flower scents fill the garden with delight, birdsong drifts through the woods announcing spring.


    Horizontal scroll: Wishing auspiciousness and as one desires.


    The temperature is still so low right now, that when you''re outside, you can barely hear any animal sounds, and many plants in the garden have already frozen to death.


    Having dwelled in this desolate environment for so long, everyone longs for that warm spring.


    Following that, Grandpa continued to write several couplets appropriate for the season.


    With the flourish of the dragon and the agility of the snake, Grandpa, with his unique calligraphic style atop the foundation of slender vigour and willowy strength, penned each character to be a feast for the eyes.


    Once written, Li Yu then had Li Hang take Li Zhengping to affix the couplets in place.


    These couplets were primarily positioned in places where everyone often gathered, with a set pasted at the entrance of the residential area.


    ....


    Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was evening.


    Ten people per table, everyone was seated in the dining room.


    This evening''s banquet featured a hotpot meal.


    Thanks to the underground farming base, they were not short on vegetables.


    As for beef and mutton, Li Yu had stockpiled several hundred heads, butchered and stored in the freezer before the apocalypse.


    Li Yu stood in the middle; at gatherings like these, it was always necessary for him to say a few words, and his role now was somewhat like that of the head of this large family.


    "Compared to last year, you can see that many new people have joined us, new faces. I am very grateful to all of you for guarding this base together, and I also thank everyone for their efforts over the past year."


    "Additionally, I have two more things to say: first, I hope we will continue to protect this base together, and second, this base is also your home."


    "Nothing more to say now, let''s eat! Today is about eating to our heart''s content!"


    This call to start eating ignited the atmosphere on spot.


    You should know, today''s hotpot at each table included 5 pounds of beef and mutton, as well as 5 pounds of vegetables.


    These were all solid provisions.


    Amidst the aroma of the hotpot, everyone''s mouths were already watering.


    At Li Yu''s table, he raised his glass and clinked it with his family, uttering some pleasing words.


    The ambiance was very lively.


    Grandpa at the most honored seat, watching Li Yu, his face filled with contentment.


    Seeing Grandpa wearing such an expression, Li Yu''s nose felt a bit tingly.


    In a lifetime, most people live 70 years, with 10 years in youth, 10 years in infirmity, leaving fifty years, half of which is spent in sleep��that would be twenty-five years.


    Then subtract disasters and illness, windy rains, thunderstorms, and snowstorms.


    What good days does one have left in life?


    Thus, one should promptly do the things they want to do, be with those they wish to accompany, and not wait for regret after a loss.


    No matter if it''s kinship, love, or friendship, it''s essential to take the initiative. If you don''t take the initiative, you''ll feel there is no affection, but if you are willing to make the effort, you''ll reap a lot.


    Accompanying his family, Li Yu suddenly understood the true meaning of companionship.


    "Grandpa, Grandma, Grandpa and Grandma, I wish you health and a Happy New Year," Li Yu stood up and toasted the four elders.


    Then, he took out some small gifts from the warehouse.


    These gifts were none too precious, many of which were scrounged from outside after the apocalypse.


    He presented a set of homewear to each person at the base.


    For kids like Li Suxin and Xuanxuan, he gave them some books of ancient poetry.


    Originally, Li Yu wanted to give out elementary school test questions, but because the base''s education system had been reformed, many impractical elements were eliminated, such as not doing reading comprehension in Chinese class anymore.


    On the other hand, Li Yu had not prepared any test questions.


    But when they received books of ancient poetry, they were actually quite happy.


    After distributing the gifts, Li Yu toasted everyone.


    Together they declared: Happy New Year''s Eve!

 Chapter 331 - 323: Lend a Light

    New Year''s Day.


    Li Yu rubbed his slightly dizzy head early in the morning. He had drunk a lot with Dapao last night. Although he did not black out, he still felt moderately drunk.


    Upon waking up, he headed straight for the main gate, a habit he had always maintained, regardless of whether it was his turn on duty or not; he would always check it out after exercising.


    Once outside, the cold air jolted him to full alertness.


    Creak, crunch �C


    Li Yu trudged through the snow towards the main gate.


    It didn''t take long before he arrived at the gate of the base, and Li Yu pushed open the door to the duty room.


    Inside, he saw his Second Uncle, struggling to stay awake and just happening to yawn.


    "Happy New Year, Second Uncle," Li Yu said with a smile.


    "Li Yu, Happy New Year," Second Uncle said, rubbing his eyes.


    "You really worked hard last night," Li Yu said apologetically. Second Uncle often took duty during gatherings, although he would take a break and join in for a while.


    But last night, on New Year''s Eve, Second Uncle had to be on duty at the main gate.


    Originally, Li Yu had prepared a duty roster for yesterday, splitting shifts among several people, but Second Uncle insisted on taking the duty.


    "That''s nothing; it''s just like any other time. Plus, I joined the celebration last night. Alright, now that you''re here, I''m going to head back to sleep," Second Uncle said.


    He quickly put on his coat and left the duty room.


    Right after Second Uncle left, the duty room door was pushed open again, and two people walked in.


    It was Li Haoran and the second daughter of Lai Dongsheng; today, they were the two on day shift at the main gate.


    "Big brother, Happy New Year~"


    "Big brother, Happy New Year~"


    Li Haoran was a bit surprised to see Li Yu, but quickly greeted him, and standing beside him, Lai Dongsheng''s second daughter also called him big brother.


    Li Yu nodded and returned the New Year''s greetings.


    Then he stepped out of the duty room.


    He planned to walk around the top of the wall as a stroll; with his pace, it wouldn''t take more than 10 minutes to complete a circuit.


    As he walked atop the wall, he encountered others from the base, all exchanging New Year''s greetings.


    After making a round, Li Yu returned to the residential area for breakfast.


    A new year always brings something different.


    The Chinese people, more or less, all share this expectation, hoping the future will be better, wishing for everything to be safe and sound.


    New Year''s Day.


    There was a sense of the New Year within the base, the newly posted couplets, the small red lanterns that were hung up.


    And everyone you met, wearing their new clothes.


    "Happy New Year," Li Yu murmured to himself, standing on the roof of the villa.


    .....


    Time swiftly passed by, and the temperature began to rise slowly. Although it was a slow process, it was no longer the terrifying temperatures of fifty degrees below zero.


    It was now around minus thirty degrees, and outdoors, everyone could especially feel the difference.


    The warmer weather was like the darkness before dawn.


    Trapped by the severe cold weather without being able to go out, everyone was feeling quite cooped up.


    However, compared to the majority of survivors in other parts of the world, those in the Big Camphor Tree Base were lucky.


    At least they don''t have to worry about food, or freeze due to the cold weather, suffering injuries or death from it.


    As evening approached, Li Yu returned to his room.


    .....


    Safe City.


    In the cold weather, the gate duty personnel have already retreated, setting up the outdoor barriers properly, and locking the iron gates.


    At this moment, Safe City was no longer so safe.


    Every night, Mr. Wang could always hear screams around, along with arguments and desperate pleas for mercy.


    Mr. Wang looked through the window and saw that, at first, the members of the Patrol Team would still intervene to ensure people''s safety.


    But as such incidents became more and more frequent, and as everyone''s supplies continued to deplete, many were struggling on the brink of starvation.


    When it comes to life and death, especially when one''s life hangs by a thread, morality, decency, face��they all cease to matter. Death looms either way; might as well fight desperately for a chance to live a few more days.


    Mr. Wang hid in his room, not daring to go out.


    He even barricaded his door with the few pieces of furniture he had at home to prevent others from targeting him.


    That dust-covered refrigerator was also pushed against the entrance, blocking it.


    However, what he didn''t know was that the couple downstairs had already set their sights on him.


    When Mr. Wang had first moved in, the skinny man downstairs had watched him carry his things up.


    Mr. Wang had carried his belongings up and down more than a dozen times, and since the weather started to turn cold, Mr. Wang had never left his room.


    Occasionally, they could hear the brief noise of him opening the windows upstairs.


    That day, as Mr. Wang lay in bed, he suddenly heard knocking at the door.


    Bang bang bang~


    Mr. Wang thought he was hallucinating. He didn''t know anyone in Safe City, so it was highly unlikely someone would come looking for him.


    "Hello, I''m your neighbor downstairs, our fire went out, I was hoping to borrow a lighter. If you don''t have a lighter, just some fire would do," the person hastily explained, as if afraid that Mr. Wang might misunderstand.


    The voice was that of a woman, soft and weak, seemingly without any aggression.


    Hearing the woman''s voice, Mr. Wang thought it indeed sounded like the woman from downstairs, although previously all he heard from her were pleas or screams.


    Mr. Wang shifted slightly, very subtly.


    The weather was weirdly cold; he didn''t want to waste any strength or heat doing anything.


    Not getting up.


    Bang bang bang~


    The person knocking at the door persisted stubbornly.


    Mr. Wang remained unmoved, turning over and continuing to sleep.


    The knocking went on for a few more minutes but received no response and seemed to have given up.


    Mr. Wang pricked up his ears to listen; indeed, there was no sound anymore, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Now, all the windows and anti-theft panes in the house, as well as the front door, were tightly shut.


    There had been a commotion in the building opposite last night, which had kept him from sleeping well, and now was the perfect time to catch up on some sleep. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as Mr. Wang was about to drift off.


    Boom��a loud noise startled Mr. Wang with a jolt.


    That sound.


    It was at the front door.


    Damn.


    Boom!


    Another loud noise.


    No doubt about it, it was the front door.


    These two bastards were forcefully trying to break down his door.


    "Think I''m easy to bully?" Mr. Wang''s anger surged.


    He''d been keeping out of trouble these days and had no interactions with this neighbor, but that didn''t mean Mr. Wang was afraid of trouble.


    Mr. Wang got up from bed all at once, normally he would be very careful every time he got up, afraid of letting the warmth escape from under the covers.


    But now he didn''t care about anything.


    After getting up, he quickly put on his coat and then his shoes.


    Meanwhile, the banging at the door continued.


    Mr. Wang''s anger grew more intense. Once he was dressed, he glanced to his right.


    Then he pulled a handgun from under his pillow and checked the bullets.


    Okay.

 Chapter 332 - 324: Old Wang, Do You Want a Wife?

    Squeak squeak squeak~


    The refrigerator was pushed aside by Mr. Wang, making a harsh screeching noise.


    The banging on the door immediately stopped.


    Mr. Wang then moved the other objects blocking the door away.


    Clack~


    The door was opened.


    The two people at the door looked at Mr. Wang somewhat bewildered, as he calmly faced them.


    "Do you need a light?" Mr. Wang asked calmly.


    He didn''t step out; his right hand hidden in his sleeve held a gun, gripping the handgun while his left hand held the doorknob.


    This way, he could close the door at any moment or raise his hand to shoot.


    "Ah, yes, yes, yes, we just wanted to borrow a light," said the skinny man beside him, trying to keep his tone as even as possible.


    Mr. Wang looked the man up and down; his voice hadn''t been heard before, yet now he was at the door.


    During his scrutiny from head to toe, he noticed the axe in the man''s hand.


    Seeing Mr. Wang looking at him, the gaunt man said with a smile, "Hello neighbor, we just need to borrow a light. Ah, it''s quite embarrassing. I admit we knocked a bit loudly just now."


    While speaking and noticing Mr. Wang''s gaze on the axe, he slightly shuffled, uncomfortably moving the axe behind him.


    Mr. Wang maintained a calm expression, glanced at this man, then turned to look at the woman, whose face bore the imprint of a slap, her eyes empty and lifeless.


    Then, his gaze flicked to the door, which had a few small notches hacked by the axe.


    "Is this the attitude for just borrowing a light?" Mr. Wang said unapologetically.


    "The hell, you call this borrowing a light with chopping down my door?"


    "Sorry, can we come in first? It''s quite cold staying out here," the skinny man shamelessly said.


    Perhaps seeing Mr. Wang''s left hand on the doorknob made the skinny man unsure about breaking in immediately, thinking it safer to first enter the room.


    "No way. Get lost!" Mr. Wang cursed.


    If these two were sensible, he could save two bullets, but if not, he wouldn''t mind killing them, especially since now in Safe City the Patrol Team wasn''t handling such matters, lacking both will and resources to deal.


    Offended by Mr. Wang''s rudeness, the gaunt man''s face tensed, the scar twisting with anger, making him look ferociously menacing.


    Suppressing his rage, the gaunt man nudged the woman beside him and gave her a meaningful look.


    The woman, appearing dazed, but after seeing the gaunt man''s eyes, hesitated for a moment then said: "Neighbor brother, we really just need a light, could you give us a light?"


    Mr. Wang was somewhat amused; he had already guessed what they were up to.


    Clearly, they hoped to use the opportunity of him providing a light to barge in or launch an attack, unaware that Mr. Wang''s right hand was clasping a gun.


    He could watch them play their act.


    Mr. Wang was amused inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged.


    With an impatient expression, he said, "This is my only lighter, here."


    He was well aware that they were definitely not here just to borrow a light. If that were the case, they would at least bring something to light, not trying to ignite with an axe.


    Quite funny.


    Liars should be more professional; their current attempt was so full of holes, he could hardly bear to watch.


    Mr. Wang extended the lighter and ignited it.


    Click~


    The gaunt man, who had been closely watching Mr. Wang''s movements, saw Mr. Wang''s hand leave the doorknob.


    A flicker of excitement crossed his face.


    He instantly tried to raise the axe.


    Just about to chop at Mr. Wang''s left hand.


    As he lifted his head, his gaze met a pitch-black gun muzzle.


    This...


    The gaunt man looked at this dark opening and suddenly broke into a cold sweat.


    When did this gun appear? It''s too fast.


    No, Mr. Wang''s right hand had been hanging all along, which means Mr. Wang had been holding a gun in his right hand the entire time.


    It turns out, Mr. Wang had never trusted them from the very beginning.


    But it''s normal, given it''s the post-apocalypse.


    The gaunt man gave a bitter smile, but he didn''t want to give up, so he ingratiatingly said, "Neighbor, this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Hahaha."


    His laughter was somewhat awkward.


    Mr. Wang remained silent, just watching him like one watches a monkey.


    The gaunt man felt that this man in front of him was impervious, and for a moment didn''t know how to resolve the situation.


    Suddenly, he looked at his wife beside him, and said to Mr. Wang: "This, this is my wife, it''s getting cold, do you need someone to warm your bed? I tell you, it''s very cold alone, but it''s much warmer with two people, look at my wife, she''s quite..."


    Mr. Wang was suddenly dumbstruck.


    And the woman diagonally across from him, the gaunt man''s wife,


    looked at her own husband with a face full of disbelief. She could endure hardship, freeze while searching for supplies, she could even take beatings and scolding, but just like that, her man was offering her to someone else?


    Two rows of tears streamed down her face.


    Her eyes suddenly filled with resentment.


    The gaunt man saw the resentment in her eyes, but he didn''t care.


    He continued, "Brother, this is a misunderstanding, take a look, my wife is great, why don''t you consider... I''ll trade myself for her..."


    His tone lacked any reluctance, any unwillingness, and even contained some words designed to tantalize his desires.


    Mr. Wang sighed.


    Bang!


    The gunshot rang out.


    The gaunt man was still speaking with his mouth open, but before he could finish, Mr. Wang shot him right between the eyebrows.


    Although Mr. Wang wasn''t a good man, he despised scum.


    The gaunt man died with a look of confusion; he couldn''t understand why Mr. Wang would reject such a good deal?


    Not just him, the woman beside didn''t understand either.


    Could it be that she was too ugly, and the neighbor didn''t fancy her?


    At that moment, the woman gazed at the corpse of the gaunt man, her emotions complex. She had thought about how this man would die eventually, she had even wished for his death.


    But suddenly, a living man was gunned down the next second.


    She was a bit slow to react, after all, they had shared a bed for so many years. Although he hadn''t been good to her.


    Mr. Wang somewhat speechlessly looked at the woman who still gazed deeply at the dead man, despite the fact that he used to beat her, scold her, and even just now wanted her to sleep with him.


    What the hell was wrong with her?


    Troublesome!


    The woman seemed to snap out of her emotions, understanding the environment she was in now, and grasping what had just happened.


    Avoiding harm and seeking benefits is human nature.


    Wanting to stay alive is also human nature. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman adjusted her facial expression slightly, putting on a sweet smile, and said a beat too late, "Neighbor brother, may I move in to live with you?"


    Mr. Wang watched the woman''s changing expressions and her movements, his guard not only did not relax, but became even more vigilant than before.

 Chapter 333 - 325: Stripping Clothes and Burning

    In this apocalyptic world, human morality has degenerated, and many people''s appearances and inner thoughts are completely different.


    The woman in front of him seemed very obedient, but there''s no guarantee what she was thinking inside.


    Mr. Wang looked at this woman, feeling somewhat conflicted. Just a moment ago, he thought about simply killing her with a single shot.


    But then he suddenly remembered how this woman had been beaten days before and felt a surge of sympathy for her as a fellow sufferer.


    What he didn''t anticipate was how drastically this woman would change.


    Mr. Wang frowned, unsure what the woman was thinking, and besides, what was the point of keeping her alive?


    What was the point, really...


    With the weather being so cold, food and supplies so scarce, one more person meant one more mouth to feed.


    Thinking of this, Mr. Wang steeled his heart, his eyes slightly narrowed, and the gun in his hand lifted a little.


    The woman, who had been closely watching his movements, saw Mr. Wang''s action and knelt down to beg for mercy: "Please spare me, I can follow you, do whatever you ask, anything at all..."


    Before she could finish her plea...


    Bang! A gunshot rang out, and the woman was struck down to the ground.


    Blood slowly flowed from the woman''s body.


    Mr. Wang kicked the nearby man''s corpse down the steps.


    Thud, thud...


    The man''s body tumbled down the stairs and fell at the entrance of the first floor. Mr. Wang then gave the woman''s body a kick down the steps too.


    After kicking her down, Mr. Wang took out his house key and walked down to the first floor.


    Upon reaching the first floor, he looked at their doorway and closed the door.


    Mr. Wang looked at the snow outside, thought for a moment, and then searched the man''s body, finding a set of keys, two crumpled cigarettes, and a lighter.


    "Heh, still got a lighter, huh?" Mr. Wang kicked the man lying on the ground.


    Seeing the man''s clothing, he seemed to remember something��clothes could keep one warm or be used for burning.


    So he promptly stripped the man completely, then removed the clothes from the woman''s corpse as well.


    There were inevitably some sighs in the process.


    But what came next was most important.


    Setting aside the clothes, Mr. Wang moved the two bodies across to a flower bed opposite Building 19.


    Although it was called a flower bed, no one had tended to it in the apocalyptic world, and with the cold weather, all the withered branches and leaves, even uprooted plants, were used as fuel or food.


    At the moment, this flower bed was bleak, nothing but a patch of snow.


    Mr. Wang tried to move the bodies even farther away, then used his hands to brush away snowflakes, placing the bodies in and then covering them up with a simple layer of snow.


    After he had done all this, Mr. Wang hurriedly ran back to Building 19, shivering all the way.


    On his way back, he saw two more bodies lying on the first floor of Building 17 next door, who he had seen once before when he went out.


    "Has it already become this chaotic?" Mr. Wang murmured to himself, his hands trembling continuously.


    Suddenly, he felt like moving those two bodies that far was somewhat superfluous.


    He quickly returned to Building 19 and patted his pocket, taking out several keys.


    These were the keys he had taken from the man he searched earlier. Thinking it over, Mr. Wang went to the front door of the first floor, took out one of the keys and tried it, but it didn''t work.


    Then he tried a few more keys until he finally heard a click.


    The door opened, Mr. Wang slowly walked in, and as soon as he entered the room, he was hit by a stench, like that of a dead rat mixed with rotten eggs.


    The stench hit him in the face. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Wang quickly covered his mouth and nose.


    Unexpectedly, this downstairs neighbor''s place was even more dilapidated than his; the living room was completely empty, void of anything.


    Walking into the room, there wasn''t even a bed, just a mattress laid directly on the floor, covered with several thick quilts and blankets.


    On a stool on the other side, thick clothing hung, all dirty and soiled.


    There was some food on the floor, a moldy loaf of bread that was still intact, and other foods in powder form that, being ground to dust, were unrecognizable for what they once were.


    After searching around, he couldn''t find the source of the foul smell, but when he flipped the stool over, a wave of stench attacked him.


    It was coming from one of the pieces of clothing.


    This piece of clothing was festooned with red and white liquids, unidentifiable as to what they were.


    When Mr. Wang threw the garment aside, the air stirred by the motion almost made him vomit.


    "It''s alright, at least there are some usable things here," Mr. Wang muttered to himself.


    He moved everything inside the house upstairs, anything that might be of use, all of it was carried up.


    Finally, he looked at the mattress and decided to tear open its surface and remove any flammable material, since he already had two beds upstairs.


    The weather was too cold to waste anything that could generate heat.


    After six or seven trips, he had finally moved everything useful upstairs.


    On the second floor, Mr. Wang lay on his bed and then lit a piece of clothing on fire next to the bed, an article he had removed from those two bodies earlier.


    The flame burned, carrying a smell with it, but fortunately, it wasn''t disgusting.


    Mr. Wang warmed his hands near the flame.


    Suddenly, he remembered something, water!


    Mr. Wang immediately got up, went out to the balcony, gathered some snow, scraped it into an iron pot, and still hung it above the flames.


    As the snow slowly melted, Mr. Wang stared blankly at the melting snow.


    He had no idea how long this chilly weather would last; although now he had obtained the supplies from the couple downstairs, it really wasn''t much and could only sustain him a bit longer.


    Just how long would this icy weather persist... Mr. Wang sat there, zoned out, pondering this question.


    ...


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    After New Year''s Eve, everyone welcomed the new year with eyes full of anticipation, longing for the good life ahead.


    Given the current state of affairs, everyone was satisfied.


    But accidents always happen during these peaceful times.


    One day, Li Hang rushed over to find Li Yu in a hurry.


    "Big brother, there''s a problem with our photovoltaic power generation!" Li Hang panted as he ran down from the mountain.


    "What! What''s the problem?!" Li Yu asked anxiously.


    Right now, eighty percent of the base''s power supply relied on photovoltaic power generation, and the rest - wind and hydroelectric power - didn''t even make up twenty percent.


    With the solar power having an issue, that was a fatal problem in the current situation.


    Without electricity, they couldn''t heat, and everyone would be freezing; how long could they last in temperatures over thirty degrees?


    Without electricity, the underground plantation would be ruined.


    Thus, upon hearing that there was a problem with the photovoltaic power generation from Li Hang, it was no wonder he was that anxious.

 Chapter 334 - 326: There is a Problem with the Solar Energy!

    "The solar panels are fine, no other components have a problem, it''s just that the Solar Grid Tie Inverter is broken," Li Hang said with a pained expression.


    "Is the impact severe?" Li Yu asked.


    "To put it simply, the grid tie inverter itself isn''t expensive, but it plays an absolutely crucial role. It''s like our heart. Without it, no matter how strong the sun is, our photovoltaic system can''t produce any electricity."


    "So you mean we can''t generate electricity now?" Li Yu frowned.


    "That''s right."


    "Didn''t I buy a few sets of equipment before? Is there one that can be replaced? Let''s do a replacement this time," Li Yu thought aloud.


    "All other components are fine, just that solar grid tie inverter. I had purchased three before, but then, during the torrential rains over several continuous days, it short-circuited several times, and afterwards one broke, and the other two also got waterlogged..." Li Hang explained.


    "Didn''t I say before? Valuable items must be stored in a dry underground warehouse, why did you..." Li Yu said helplessly.


    Li Hang sighed and said, "Brother, it''s mainly because of the previous heavy rains, and the recent blizzard has had quite a big impact on the inverters."


    "Do you know where we can get one?" Li Yu shifted focus, since there was a problem, it was better to solve it.


    "There should be some in the city. But now, with the inverter broken, we absolutely can''t generate electricity. Relying solely on the current electricity stored in the batteries, if we keep the base''s heating and the underground plantation''s supply as they are now, they will only last about a week.


    However, if we focus solely on ensuring the heating for the underground plantation, everyone could move there to sleep at night temporarily, which could extend it for about ten more days."


    After hearing Li Hang''s words, Li Yu said worriedly, "So, we have to find and replace the Solar Grid Tie Inverter within the very latest seventeen days, otherwise we''ll have a blackout?"


    "Exactly, that''s what it means," Li Hang confirmed.


    Li Yu felt a headache coming on, considering the current weather outside was a frozen snowy landscape with temperatures tens of degrees below zero, and having to trek dozens of miles away to find something.


    The difficulty was indeed quite substantial for them.


    But this was something that had to be done; without electricity, if the heating stopped, everything would be ruined.


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Li Yu took out the walkie-talkie to call over Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and others to discuss the matter.


    Second Uncle, who had just hurried over, rushed into the room and immediately asked, "Can the inverter be repaired again?"


    Li Hang shook his head with a bitter smile, "I''ve already tried fixing them, several are completely wrecked. We must replace them with new ones."


    "Do you know exactly where we can get one in the city?" Second Uncle inquired.


    Li Hang answered, "As far as I know, our photovoltaic energy, this brand, has a logistics point in the city center, and there should also be some for sale in the electronics market there."


    "Then that''s settled," Second Uncle declared.


    Third Uncle, Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Dapao, Tianlong, and others came into the room, and Li Yu saw that nearly everyone had arrived.


    So he directly addressed the group:


    "You probably all heard some information on your way here. We''ve encountered an issue with our photovoltaic system, mainly the inverter. Without this inverter, we are going to have a major electricity problem, so we must make a trip to the city." S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, Uncle nodded and said, "I also roughly understand the situation. At this stage, ensuring electricity is indeed crucial."


    Everyone agreed that this was a serious matter and could not be delayed.


    Seeing this, Li Yu got straight to the point, "Yes, we must get this inverter, but with the extremely cold weather, going out poses certain risks. The key issue is who will go."


    Upon hearing the question Li Yu raised, Li Hang immediately replied, "I''ll go, I know where we can get that inverter."


    "Indeed, you are going, and I am also going this time. It''s a matter of great importance. Let''s see who else can go," said Li Yu.


    It has been snowing for days outside, but inside the base, everyone is still routinely clearing the snow, which makes it possible to walk normally. Everyone has stayed in the base for so long without going out, and no one is certain about the conditions outside.


    We don''t know if the roads have been blocked by the snow. On the way to the city center, we will pass through some woods. There might be thick accumulations of snow on both sides, which could easily trigger avalanches. The road might be slippery.


    If we venture out that far and the car stalls halfway, what can we do? In such cold weather, once the car stops, trying to walk back on our legs would most certainly lead to us freezing to death.


    .....


    In such extreme weather, especially after continuous snowfall, all kinds of accidents could happen, and no one knows what problems they might encounter on the road.


    All things considered, this trip is extremely dangerous.


    That''s why Li Yu is asking for everyone''s opinion to see who is willing to go.


    "Count me in. I''m very familiar with the city center," said Captain Lv. He had been recovering for quite a while after getting shot, but now he was basically fine.


    However, Captain Lv was anxious. People like Bai Jie, who joined later, had started to contribute their abilities. He, being one of the earlier members, had yet to accomplish anything significant.


    He hadn''t participated in the last mission to deal with Harmony Garden because of his health.


    Now, hearing that there was such an opportunity, he certainly wanted to join.


    "Include me as well," said Old Xie.


    "And me," added Shang Xue''er.


    Li Yu looked at the three of them with some surprise. They were quite eager.


    Especially Captain Lv and Old Xie, both of whom had daughters; under normal circumstances, they would be more cautious and reluctant to take risks for the sake of their daughters.


    But now this is...


    Nevertheless, it''s not important. It''s a good opportunity to test the team''s cohesiveness.


    "Brother Yu, I want to go out too. It''s been snowing heavily these days, and I''ve almost suffocated staying in. I must be included in this trip. It''s a good chance to get some fresh air," Dapao said excitedly.


    Li Yu was speechless: "Do you think it''s a trip for fun? It''s very dangerous to go out this time. Have you forgotten what I just told you?"


    "Haha, no problem, I love facing danger. I''ll go with you this time," Dapao laughed.


    "I must go as well," declared Tianlong.


    Hearing the two of them so eager to go, a warm current rose in Li Yu''s heart.


    All along, Dapao, Tianlong, Tiezi, and Gangzi had been dealing with various issues outside alongside him.


    In the most dangerous and difficult times, he was leading them at the forefront. They had encountered many problems and resolved many together.


    What they had forged was not only understanding but also profound brotherhood.


    Tiezi and Gangzi were on duty today and couldn''t come. Otherwise, from what Li Yu knew about them, they would definitely want to volunteer as well.


    But it was good that they did not come, this way they could stay and guard the base. With seven or eight people, we should have enough for this trip.


    Li Yu nodded, "So it''s me, Xiao Hang, Tianlong, Dapao, Old Lv, Old Xie, and Shang Xue''er. Then this time, the seven of us will go."

 Chapter 335 - 327: Modified Snowplow

    The issue with the Solar Grid Tie Inverter must be resolved, and resolved quickly.


    The batteries won''t last very long.


    Therefore, Li Yu and his team need to set out as soon as possible, but since the weather is exceedingly cold now and they are dozens of kilometers away from the city center, they must make ample preparations.


    The most critical issue for this trip is the vehicle. If the vehicle stalls in the icy and snowy conditions outside, it would be a major problem.


    For this expedition, the oil used also needs to be changed to 0W-50 full synthetic oil; under temperatures of minus thirty to forty degrees, the oil would become extremely viscous, leading to very poor fluidity. Poor fluidity cannot provide the necessary protection for the engine.


    If a serious issue arises with the engine while outside, repairing it in such cold conditions is one issue, the key is whether they can endure in the cold for so long.


    Besides the oil, it is crucial to prepare some high-quality antifreeze coolant and windshield washer fluid, etc.


    Apart from the vehicle, they also need to prepare some cold-resistant clothing, which isn''t a particularly big issue, as Li Yu had already purchased some professional cold-resistant apparel earlier.


    Snow chains, snow shovels, lighters, power banks, alcohol, and the like��


    Whatever they could think of that might be needed, they took with them.


    Standing on the base''s perimeter wall, Li Yu looked at the thick snow piling up below, his brow furrowed deeply.


    "Big Brother, we need to go out, and I think our vehicle might need some basic modifications. The snow outside is too thick; it has to be cleared," Li Hang said nearby.


    "What are you thinking?" Li Yu asked, catching the implied meaning in Li Hang''s words.


    "I think we can modify a vehicle into a snowplow. It doesn''t have to be too complicated; just install a inverted triangle-shaped metal plate on the front to help push the snow from the middle of the road to the sides," Li Hang suggested.


    Li Yu nodded: "That could work. Dapao and the former construction worker Xie Weishan are both capable of repairing vehicles. Let them handle it together."


    "Alright, I''ll talk to them now," Li Hang said.


    Suddenly, Li Yu thought of something and said, "Never mind, have them come over." S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ....


    Soon, Dapao and Xie Weishan came to the duty room.


    Li Yu got straight to the point: "The snow outside is about one meter thick. Just now, Xiao Hang and I were outside and it seemed about the same on the roads too."


    Listening by, Dapao and Xie Weishan, who also had seen the thick snow from the wall before entering the duty room, nodded in agreement.


    "Xiao Hang has an idea to modify one or two of our existing vehicles into plow vehicles, making a triangular plow in front to clear and widen the path. What do you think? Which vehicle do you think would be best for this modification if we were to go out?"


    Dapao and Xie Weishan looked at each other.


    Finally, Dapao spoke first: "The modification isn''t difficult; it can be done in a few hours. The key is deciding which vehicle to modify. I think the Unimog would be good, as this vehicle has high survivability outdoors."


    Xie Weishan added, "Yes, the modification itself isn''t a big issue, but if we''re converting it into a snowplow, the vehicle must have enough power. Otherwise, it won''t hold up. Considering the current conditions, besides the Unimog, only the riot control vehicle and some trucks have sufficient power."


    "Right, with the weather so cold now, those new energy vehicles are practically useless," Dapao remarked.


    "A Unimog and a truck. Is that what you mean?" Li Yu clarified their suggestion.


    "I think that''ll work. Are both vehicles being converted into snowplows?" Dapao asked.


    "I think both can be converted into snowplows; we can make them modular so they can be disassembled if needed," Xie Weishan suggested.


    "Alright, let''s modify both. Just in case any issues arise, we''ll have a backup," Li Yu decided after some thought.


    "Okay, when do we set out? Let me check the time," Dapao inquired.


    "The sooner, the better. It''s noon now; we''ll leave tomorrow morning at eight, right as the sun comes up. The distance is less than a hundred kilometers, but it''s better to go there and come back early, not staying overnight outdoors��it''s definitely complicated. But will there be enough time for the modification?" Li Yu asked.


    After discussing briefly, Dapao and Xie Weishan reassured Li Yu, "No problem, we can finish it by tonight."


    "OK, then we can start working on it now. Have Xiao Hang and Haoran go help you, and any materials you need, have them find for you."


    "Okay."


    "Alright, Director Li, we''ll get to it right away."


    Li Yu nodded, watching them leave.


    Despite all the preparations for this journey, Li Yu couldn''t shake an uneasy feeling. His right eyelid kept twitching��a sense of unease lingered within him.


    He always felt something wasn''t quite perfect, but based on the current discussions, everything that needed to be prepared was ready, and all necessary arrangements had been made. Yet, there remained a sense of unease.


    Disturbed by this feeling, he called for Second Uncle.


    Second Uncle arrived at the duty room and, seeing Li Yu''s furrowed brows, approached and asked, "Li Yu, is something troubling you?"


    "Second Uncle, I just don''t feel settled. I keep feeling like we''re missing something, but I can''t remember what it is."


    Second Uncle sat on a stool, pondered for a while, then walked up to the wall and checked the weather, remarking, "The weather is so cold now; it''s indeed concerning going out. But let''s think it over again to see if we''ve missed anything, though there probably aren''t any major issues.


    Hmm... how about this, you first drive out and head towards the gas station to get a feel of it.


    After all, besides handling that zombie, we haven''t ventured out in days."


    Hearing Second Uncle''s suggestion, Li Yu replied, "Xiao Hang and I just went out this morning; we saw the roads outside, and there weren''t any major abnormalities, just the snow was very thick, very thick."


    "Thick snow? Isn''t Dapao and the others already modifying a snowplow?" Second Uncle remarked.


    "Yes, well, maybe I''m just overthinking it. It''s fine now, Second Uncle, we''ll leave tomorrow. We''ll know once we get there. Troops will block any soldiers, and earth will cover any water. It''s not far; we can return within a day," Li Yu suppressed his inner worries and spoke with a light tone.


    He couldn''t quite articulate what exactly felt off, but they had to proceed with the mission��even as he had mentioned earlier, to simply act and adapt to any problems that might emerge on the spot.


    Seeing Li Yu still somewhat anxious, Second Uncle remarked, "When you go out, don''t worry too much about the base; your dad, Third Uncle, and I will handle things here. But leaving tomorrow, isn''t that a bit rushed?"


    "It''s alright. The sooner we fix it, the more assured I''ll feel," Li Yu responded.


    Hearing this, Second Uncle could not say much more.

 Chapter 336 - 328: Tornado

    January 28th. The weather is overcast.


    Early in the morning, Li Yu got dressed and slung a 1-liter thermos over his shoulder.


    In the pockets around his waist, two handguns, on his back a submachine gun and a long knife.


    A dagger was tucked into his thigh.


    Wearing professional cold-weather gear, snow boots, with a hat, mask, and gloves.


    His tall and burly figure, clad entirely in black gear, looked wildly imposing.


    He walked to Weng City, ignoring the resentful expressions of Li Tie and Li Gang, their looks seemed to say: why didn''t you take us along.


    Dapao was quite happy, especially seeing the resentful looks in the eyes of Li Tie, his face couldn''t help but smile. They had stayed in the base for a while without going anywhere, so this trip was a good opportunity for him to be active and get some fresh air.


    Li Yu''s brow was furrowed; he wasn''t in such a great mood. Yesterday morning had been clear, and now it was overcast.


    After the apocalypse, it was impossible to predict the weather, and many of the old methods of observing natural phenomena to predict weather seemed useless.


    White scales in the sky, no need to turn the grains tomorrow.


    Ants move and snakes cross the path, heavy rain is sure to come tomorrow.


    ...


    Folk rhymes like these about the weather are now completely inaccurate.


    Many times, the sky would be clear one second, and in the next, a sudden downpour would take you by surprise.


    Now the sky is gloomy; it might even snow heavily, but the inverter issue can''t be delayed. The weather is unstable now, and it might snow even on clear days.


    Better to leave now, find the inverter sooner, and return earlier.


    With a heavy heart, Li Yu led the team out.


    This time, seven people set out in two vehicles, which had both been modified as snowplows for safety.


    On the Unimog, Dapao drove out of the base.


    Snow over a meter high was pushed aside by the metal plate at the front, sliding down to both sides, leaving behind a muddy ground.


    The truck following it had anti-slip chains fitted on the tires, not so easy to slip on this wet and slick surface.


    In the mist created by the vehicles, Second Uncle and others watched from the wall as Li Yu and his team departed.


    The sky was dark, and Second Uncle murmured, "I hope everything goes smoothly."


    Just having driven on the trail, everyone discovered that the roads were almost completely covered by snow, the usual visible paths were not so clear at this time.


    To avoid overturning, Dapao didn''t dare to drive too fast in front, partly because the snow-covered road was hard to see and needed slow driving.


    Another reason was that clearing the snow took time.


    Under these circumstances, their speed dropped to thirty kilometers per hour, and they even had to stop on some critical roads to recall what they looked like before being buried by the snow, then proceed.


    In such slow progress, everyone carried an uneasy heart.


    They didn''t dare to roll down the car windows, as the wind outside was very cold. Many of the roadside trees had been knocked down, lying across the road.


    Fortunately, the vehicles they drove had relatively high chassis, so they just drove directly over the fallen trees.


    In the back vehicle.


    Yang Tianlong and Shang Xue''er were driving the truck.


    Yang Tianlong, who had been single for over twenty years, was quite cheerful and talkative among his brothers, but for some reason, he couldn''t utter a word in front of this spirited policewoman.


    With the windows closed, the sounds outside were hardly clear, which made the interior of the vehicle even quieter.


    Yang Tianlong glanced at Shang Xue''er sitting in the passenger seat from the corner of his eye, his dark face slightly blushing; he felt rather awkward.


    Driving on.


    Several minutes passed in silence.


    Occasionally glancing at Shang Xue''er sitting beside him, quickly looking away. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He hesitated to speak several times, but in the end, he didn''t speak.


    The atmosphere was quiet and somewhat awkward.


    Yang Tianlong wanted to say something, but he had no idea how to start or what to begin with.


    It was really bothering him.


    Ever since they joined, he felt an unusual sensation whenever he saw Shang Xue''er.


    Especially that time they went to attack Harmony Garden, when he saw Shang Xue''er acting decisively and efficiently, it crushed the little bulls inside his heart several times.


    Shang Xue''er wasn''t particularly beautiful, but she had well-proportioned features, and crucially, there was an invisible charisma about her that deeply attracted him.


    Yang Tianlong stole another glance at her.


    Sitting next to him, Shang Xue''er also felt awkward. She couldn''t understand why this tall, muscular goof always stared at her.


    The vehicle in front paused for a moment, as if unsure about the road ahead.


    This had happened a few times already because of the snow burying the roads; at turns, one must be particularly cautious to avoid veering into ditches, which could be fatal.


    "Be careful!" Shang Xue''er, sitting in the co-driver seat, seeing that the vehicle was not stopping but continuing forward, couldn''t help but speak out.


    Screech~~~


    Yang Tianlong''s truck braked abruptly, sliding nearly two meters, finally stopped by the roadside snow, preventing it from slipping into the ditch.


    Inside the car, both Shang Xue''er and Yang Tianlong broke out in a cold sweat.


    That was close.


    "What happened, Tianlong?" Li Yu, in the vehicle ahead, seeing the slip in the rearview mirror, rolled down the window and called out to the duo.


    Yang Tianlong felt awkward and annoyed at himself for being so careless.


    "Nothing, just a slippery road. It''s all good now," Shang Xue''er called out after rolling down the window.


    Li Yu, hearing Shang Xue''er''s voice, eased a bit.


    "It''s okay, don''t worry," Yang Tianlong added.


    "Alright, be careful back there. Don''t lose track, but also keep a safe distance between vehicles," Li Yu advised.


    "Understood."


    After this interruption, Yang Tianlong didn''t dare to get distracted.


    Beside him, Shang Xue''er didn''t say anything, no complaints or conversation with Yang Tianlong.


    When Li Yu asked earlier, Yang Tianlong didn''t even know how to answer at the moment, but after Shang Xue''er responded, he felt both ashamed and grateful.


    Grateful that Shang Xue''er helped defuse the situation.


    The vehicle started moving again.


    Suddenly, Shang Xue''er spoke, "Were you looking at me just now?"


    Her tone was the same as before, no question or shyness, almost like she was making a statement.


    While it was a question, her tone seemed to state a fact.


    Upon hearing Shang Xue''er suddenly asking this, Yang Tianlong felt as if a Level Five typhoon had started within him.


    A tornado.


    Love comes so fast, like a tornado.


    Yang Tianlong''s face turned bright red, his dark skin flushing visibly��a clear sign of how red he was.


    "Yes." Yang Tianlong replied stiffly, very directly.


    For some reason, when it came to Shang Xue''er, the normally straightforward and fearless man felt like turning into a timid wife.


    Extremely flustered and nervous, not knowing what to say for fear of saying the wrong thing.


    Ah, this wasn''t him, Yang Tianlong, his heart roared.


    He had never been alone with Shang Xue''er before, and now alone in the car, he felt very uneasy.


    After hearing Yang Tianlong''s statement, Shang Xue''er was stunned. She didn''t expect this man to admit it directly. She evaluated the firm lines on the man''s face, feeling a ripple stir within her.

 Chapter 337 - 329: Blizzard Strikes!

    "Drive carefully, the situation outside is complicated right now, we must always be cautious." Shang Xue''er put aside that bit of strangeness in her heart and said lightly.


    Yang Tianlong felt a bit awkward, steadied his mind, and focused on driving.


    Thankfully, they had fitted the tires with snow chains, otherwise they would have surely flipped the car just now.


    Dapao, driving ahead, was pushing forward with full power.


    The road ahead was covered in snow, and in some thicker parts, it was almost over two meters deep.


    It was also fortunate that they had modified this vehicle into a snowplow, otherwise, if it was just in its normal state, the vehicle would have had a lot of difficulties passing through.


    With such thick snow, everyone had to keep pushing it away, and the tires were equipped with anti-skid chains, seriously affecting their driving speed.


    Under normal circumstances, a distance of less than a hundred kilometers, with full-speed driving, it would only take a little over an hour to arrive.


    Now they had been driving for almost half an hour, but they had covered less than one-sixth of the journey.


    Li Yu, sitting in the vehicle, was somewhat irritated, having been out for so long but now the progress was excruciatingly slow.


    Inside the Unimog, there was air conditioning and an electric heater, keeping it warm as the air conditioner was running continuously.


    Previously when the vehicle stopped, the windshield wipers had to be retracted. In such times, once ice forms and then the wipers are activated, they can easily become stuck, leading to short circuits and other issues.


    Southern was originally moist, so when the temperature dropped suddenly, it was like a simultaneous attack of cold magic and physical force.


    11 AM. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They could see that they had completed four-fifths of the journey, and it seemed they might arrive in the city before noon at 12 PM.


    During the journey, everyone was on edge.


    Southern was originally full of mountains and hills, and the roads they passed were flanked by forests, with many places bordered by cliffs up to tens of meters high - a result of mountain road construction from years past.


    "Brother Yu, it''s starting to snow," Dapao said suddenly as he looked at the road ahead.


    Li Yu was startled to hear it. Snowing!


    He quickly rolled down the window, and sure enough, as soon as he rolled it down, he felt the cold wind whistling in, along with snowflakes.


    But these snowflakes were not big, just sporadic flakes.


    Snowfall from the sky was a very troublesome thing. Although temperature might rise slightly during a snowfall, it was still very cold.


    Lao Xie, Lao Lv, and Xiao Hang, sitting at the back, also hastened to the window to look.


    "The snow is getting heavier," Lao Lv frowned slightly, he had always been a bit worried.


    Li Yu looked through the rear-view mirror, saw the truck following them, and picked up the walkie-talkie to say, "Tianlong, Xue''er, it''s snowing now, you have to keep up and not get lost. Contact me immediately if there''s any problem, got it?"


    "Understood."


    "Understood."


    The truck they were driving had a sealed cargo area containing items such as engine oil. Much like the Unimog, which constantly ran the air conditioning, it also consumed a great deal of energy, including the air conditioning in the truck behind which consumed energy as well.


    The snow was getting heavier, changing from light flurries to moderate then heavy snow, all in a matter of minutes.


    Dapao drove, snowflakes continuously drifted into the vehicle''s window due to the vibrations of the car, shaking the snowflakes off.


    The windshield wipers kept moving, scraping off the newly fallen snowflakes.


    The snow keeps getting heavier, a blizzard besieging them.


    Feather-like snowflakes flutter down from the sky one by one.


    They had experienced such blizzards before, but only indoors. Now, witnessing such heavy snow from inside a car, they felt an indescribable fear.


    "Brother Yu, it''s really hard to see clearly now, what should we do?" Dapao asked.


    In such a blizzard, the main issue is visibility, which is only a few meters. The drifting snow makes it impossible to discern the road from the car, but if you get out, you''d get so lost you couldn''t see someone right in front of you.


    The blizzard arrives suddenly, cold winds blowing, carrying snow from high places down to lower ground, filling valleys and drainage ditches.


    The Southern area, known for its high and low terrain, now features deep snow.


    They were already moving slowly, shoveling snow to pave their way on the uniform white road surface. Now with the snowfall, the road ahead is even less visible.


    "Keep going, drive even slower, everyone come together to look for the road, try to recall the preceding road surface," Li Yu said.


    Previously along the way, some areas were marked by roadside trees, at least indicating the direction of the road. Later on, when some trees were missing, they had hit the barrier, nearly flipping over the bridge.


    Although there''s no water under the bridge now, if the vehicle slides down, given its weight, the scene would resemble a person falling into water.


    Jumping in would be like being submerged, vanishing without a trace.


    Extra cautious, their speed was already extremely slow, maintaining the pace of a brisk walk.


    "Tianlong, keep up closely, it''s a blizzard outside and you can''t see clearly," Li Yu shouted into the walkie-talkie.


    "Got it, we know," came the reply.


    In the current situation, stopping is akin to waiting for death, and there''s no telling how long the snow will last. If the vehicles stop, they risk stalling, and if they stall, it would be big trouble.


    Passing another cliff, Li Yu is now glued to the car window, scrutinizing the outside to make out the road.


    Snow covered both sides of the cliff, and the surrounding peaks were already piled high with snow. Now with the fresh snowfall, it faintly feels like there could be an avalanche.


    Li Yu is worried, but not continuing to move and leaving this place would also present big problems; under such temperatures and conditions, the city is much safer than the countryside.


    Yang Tianlong and Shang Xue''er in the trailing vehicle are also very tense, the snow constantly drifting past their windows making it hard to see ahead.


    Yang Tianlong is even more careful to follow the Unimog closely, not daring to be distracted.


    Snowflakes whirling down, landing on the ground, the windows, the roof.


    The area they had just driven over would soon be buried by snowflakes, with no trace visible after a while.


    The blizzard brings the sky low.


    The distant white snowy expanse and the dark sky blending, as if merging into one.


    One look invites an inexplicable sense of oppression.


    During the blizzard, everyone feels the snowflakes pounding on the roof, the relentless ''thud thud thud'' never ceasing.


    Li Yu asks, "How much longer will it take us to reach the city?"


    Calculating briefly, Dapao says, "With our current speed, it will likely take another forty to fifty minutes."


    "Actually, it''s not far. Everyone hold on a little longer, we''ll be there soon," Li Yu encourages everyone.


    When faced with adversaries, humans might muster courage, yet when facing nature, people always seem insignificant.


    This snowstorm is indeed a difficult test for them. Now with nowhere else to go, they can only grit their teeth and push forward.

 Chapter 338 - 330: Avalanche!

    Whoo-whoo-whoo~


    Amidst the roaring of the engine, with the Unimog at the head plowing through the snowflakes, it seemed they were about to emerge from this treacherous cliffside.


    Boom~


    The accumulation of snow on the cliff became thicker and thicker, perhaps due to the vibration of the vehicle, or maybe because of the falling snow from the sky, adding pressure to the snow layers.


    Suddenly, snowflakes from the right side of the cliff collapsed.


    The pile grew as it rolled.


    Rumble~


    Upon hearing this thunderous sound, Li Yu felt his heart skip a beat.


    His eyes immediately darted to the adjacent cliff, only to see the snow atop the neighboring peak tumbling down, rolling up more snow along its descent and forming even larger snowballs.


    "Not good! Speed up!" Li Yu shouted in an instant.


    Unaware of what was happening, Dapao nevertheless responded to Li Yu''s command by unleashing the full horsepower of the vehicle, accelerating it forward.


    When the avalanche occurred, it was too late for anything else.


    In a split second,


    A massive snowball, about six or seven meters in diameter, rolled over in a flash.


    Thud~


    The snowball smashed straight onto the vehicle, burying more than half of the car.


    The impact of the snowball pushed the Unimog laterally for four or five meters.


    Since everyone was wearing seat belts inside the vehicle, they were uninjured. However, Li Hang had just been struck against the table in front of him due to the impact, causing a trickle of blood to run down his forehead.


    Although impacted, fortunately, the Unimog escaped the brunt of the snowball''s impact thanks to the acceleration just a moment ago, narrowly avoiding a rollover.


    Yang Tianlong, who was driving a big truck behind, watched in dismay as the enormous snowball crashed down in front.


    Buried beneath the snowball, he could no longer see the road ahead, only a three-meter-tall snow mound.


    Frantically, Yang Tianlong grabbed his walkie-talkie to ask, "Li Yu, are you guys okay?"


    Li Yu shook his somewhat dizzy head, looked back to see that Old Xie and the others behind were still alright, and picked up the walkie-talkie to respond, "We''re fine. What about you guys?"


    Relieved to hear Li Yu''s response, Yang Tianlong was about to reply when,


    "We are... " Before Yang Tianlong could finish speaking, a loud noise interrupted him.


    Whoosh!


    Bang!


    Li Yu heard a loud noise coming from behind.


    The initial avalanche had triggered even more snow from the sides, which then smashed directly onto the truck behind.


    Dozens of tons of snow, like a tidal wave, submerged and buried the truck.


    Sitting in the car, both Li Yu and Dapao heard the noise from behind, and Li Yu exchanged a glance with Dapao after Yang Tianlong''s unfinished sentence.


    Something had gone wrong in the back!


    At that moment, the snow on both sides of the cliff reacted to the two avalanches, setting off a chain reaction, causing more blocks of snow to roll down at the front and back, burying the national highway completely.


    The truck behind had been lifted by the rolling snow during the second avalanche, similar to a mudslide, pushing up the vehicle''s right tires.


    Before the truck could tilt and overturn, more snow collapsed from the left.


    From the left and right, the vehicle was engulfed.


    However, the truck was tilted at a 45-degree angle, with snow pressing on both sides of the tires.


    Right when Yang Tianlong was reeling from the powerful shock, the walkie-talkie he was holding in his right hand was flung away by inertia.


    Inside the truck, after the two violent impacts from the snow, Shang Xue''er was knocked unconscious.


    Yang Tianlong also felt dizzy from the impact. Looking around, snow covered the windows and windshield, completely burying them.


    A slight movement stirred a crackling sound from beneath.


    The snow had lifted the truck, which now sat at an angle, and Yang Tianlong''s movements made the inclination even more severe.


    Yang Tianlong immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and moved to the other side, the hanging right tires slowly sinking due to his added weight.


    But it only decreased a little, from a 45-degree tilt to a 30-degree tilt.


    "Tianlong, Tianlong, how''s it over there?" Li Yu''s voice came from the walkie-talkie on the ground.


    Yang Tianlong struggled to shift his body, making small movements, and slowly picked up the walkie-talkie that had fallen under the seat.


    "We, Shang Xue''er is unconscious, I''m alright, cough cough, the engine''s off, tried it, can''t start it. We''re buried in snow now. No idea how thick it is," said Yang Tianlong.


    Meanwhile, Li Yu and the others were also buried in snow up to the majority of their vehicle.


    "Hang in there, we''re coming to rescue you," said Li Yu.


    "Bro, should I get out of the car to take a look?" suggested Li Hang from the backseat.


    Li Yu waved his hand and said,


    "If you get off, you might get buried in the snow too, don''t get out. Get on the roof first and check if all the snow around us has rolled down.


    We need to see if all the surrounding snow has stopped falling; I''m worried about more snowballs rolling down. If that happens a couple more times, we''ll all die here."


    Lao Lu was on the roof of the RV, trying to push it twice without success.


    So Lao Xie beside him also went to help push. With their joint efforts, they managed to open a gap in the roof, but soon the snow outside fell in, although not much.


    Clang!


    The rooftop window was pushed open, and the snow piled above rolled to the side.


    The snow fell into the vehicle like sunshine, soon forming a small pile.


    But there really wasn''t much snow on top of the window, so after some fell, it stopped.


    Li Yu left the passenger seat and climbed straight onto the roof. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Creak creak��


    He crawled onto the roof, stepping onto the snow-covered surface.


    Looking around, the snow was still falling, and it was white everywhere.


    Standing on the Unimog''s roof felt like standing on flat ground; the surrounding snow was generally higher than where he stood, except for a taller snow pile some six or seven meters away.


    That''s where Dapao and the others must be.


    However, their vehicle was completely buried. Li Yu made a quick estimate; the Unimog was nearly 3 meters tall. It was precisely because they accelerated and took the first hit that they avoided the core area of the avalanche, so their current position should be the lowest point in the pile of snow.


    Even so, most of the Unimog was buried.


    The truck behind, standing over four meters tall, now showed no trace at all, indicating that the pile of snow behind was at least five meters high!


    Fuck!


    Li Yu was almost unable to open his eyes due to the blizzard and quickly put on his ski goggles.


    Creak creak��


    Lao Lu had also climbed up. Seeing this scene in front of him, he was too shocked to speak.


    The road was originally just over a meter deep with snow. Now, the direction they were heading in was generally over two meters deep.


    The snow behind was even higher, forming a small slope, and the farther back, the higher it got.


    "Lao Lu, do you see if the snow on top of the mountain has almost collapsed?" Li Yu shouted at Lao Lu beside him in the cold wind.


    "Yeah, it all fell down. It shouldn''t roll down again for a while. But we need to hurry. It''s still snowing, and if we don''t leave quickly, we''ll be buried just the same," Lao Lu shouted back.


    Li Yu went down into the vehicle: "Get ready to start the engine and clear a path ahead first."


    "Okay." Seeing that Lao Lu had also come down, Dapao immediately started the engine.


    The vehicle had only been turned off for less than two minutes, so starting it again shouldn''t be a problem.


    Vroom vroom vroom��


    The vehicle started successfully, and everyone''s heavy hearts lightened a bit.


    Thank goodness.


    Since there were cliffs on both sides, there were no trenches to worry about, meaning there was no fear of the vehicle falling into a ditch and getting stuck.


    So they pushed the vehicle forward.


    Rumble rumble.


    As the vehicle roared, it moved forward a few meters, and the snow behind it came tumbling down, burying the position they had just been in.


    Li Yu looked back and continued, "Shovel the snow ahead to the side, we need to hurry, Tianlong and the others can''t hold out much longer."


    Dapao frowned tightly, focused on shoveling the snow.


    A few minutes later, the snow over two meters high in front had been shoveled to the side, creating a vacuum zone of about ten square meters in the middle.


    "Turn around, we''ll drive back to help them dig out," Li said.


    "Okay." Dapao nodded.


    Everyone was very nervous, intently observing the situation around them.


    "Tianlong, hold on a bit longer, we''re on our way," Li Yu said through the walkie-talkie.


    "Okay." Yang Tianlong replied simply, then turned to look at Shang Xue''er, who was still unconscious.


    "Xue''er, wake up, wake up," Yang Tianlong shook Shang Xue''er''s shoulder, trying to wake her.


    The temperature inside the vehicle was very low, there was no heating, and it was dropping steadily.


    "Mm~" With a moan, Shang Xue''er slowly opened her eyes, and saw Yang Tianlong''s face, slightly purple from the cold, in front of her.


    Feeling that her body was still hanging in the air, Shang Xue''er shifted her body and said in a dazed way, "Where are we now?"


    "We''re buried in snow. They''re coming to rescue us. Let''s not move; the vehicle is hanging in the air because the snow pushed it, and it''s easy to collapse if we move," Yang Tianlong explained patiently.


    "Okay."


    Whoosh whoosh��


    Dapao and the others kept driving towards where Yang Tianlong''s group was buried and shoveling snow into it.


    But there was just too much snow on their side. Every time they cleared it, more snow would slide down from above.


    This was unavoidable. If they were to dig a hole in, nobody could guarantee that it wouldn''t collapse, which would be even more troublesome.


    "Xiaoyu, our car is hanging in the air. The second wave of snow pushed us up, but then the snow that fell from the left pressured us down, we are now tilting 30 degrees on the right..."


    Yang Tianlong, hearing the rumble outside, knew that it was Li Yu and the others coming, and so told Li Yu their exact situation.


    "Okay, don''t move around, conserve your strength," Li Yu replied.


    Yang Tianlong and Shang Xue''er maintained their original positions inside, not daring to move carelessly.

 Chapter 339 - 331: Rescue (5/9)

    The snowplow continuously pushed away the accumulating snow, which had started to harden within this period.


    Rumbling?


    In the roaring of the car, a pile of snow about seven to eight meters high collapsed, burying the front end of the Unimog and the blade of the snowplow.


    Dapao reversed the vehicle, causing a block of snow to fall off. Everyone did not get discouraged; as the fallen snow reduced the height, it would be easier to drive this truck out later.


    In this manner, they plowed for a few more minutes, clearing a pathway through the central snow accumulation.


    More snow from the highest part above slid down, revealing the front of the truck.


    However, the truck was tilted, with the left driver''s side lower and the right passenger side higher, the tires hanging in the air.


    This time Li Yu patted Dapao: "Wait a moment before doing more; let''s go down and rescue them first."


    Meanwhile, inside the truck, Yang Tianlong and Shang Xue''er saw light as the snow on the windshield slid off. Blurry, they saw the blade of the Unimog.


    Li Yu, along with Lao Xie, Lao Lu, and Li Hang got out of the car, each holding a snow shovel, wearing ski goggles and hats.


    Just getting off, Li Yu stepped on the hard-packed snow; the snow underfoot was already very compacted.


    "Dig! Xiao Hang, you watch from behind for us. If any snow falls, alert us immediately," Li Yu instructed.


    Without further ado, they rushed forward, starting to dig from the left side of the truck, while Lao Lu and Lao Xie followed, helping to clear the packed snow.


    After the avalanche, snow becomes hard if more than 15 minutes have passed; the snow was quite solid now, making it tough to dig through.


    Soon, they dug an opening by the left window.


    The three men tried to open the door, asking Yang Tianlong inside to help push it, but the lower part was still blocked by snow, making it unmovable.


    "Dig bigger," Li Yu commanded.


    The three continued to dig around the door, trying to clear some of the snowblocks at the edges.


    Watching from a distance of seven to eight meters, Li Hang looked up worriedly at the snow above them, wanting to help but knew he needed to stay back and watch; however, feeling helpless was unbearable.


    After about another minute of digging, Yang Tianlong reached the door, twisting the handle as everyone exerted their strength.


    Bang!


    The door was pushed open.


    The moment the door opened, the truck''s vibration triggered the snow above to shake.


    Bits of snow rustled and fell.


    Li Hang, who was constantly watching the snow condition above, whispered loudly: "Hurry up, the snow above is loosening."


    Hearing this, Li Yu directly pulled Yang Tianlong out.


    After coming out, instead of leaving, Yang Tianlong turned back and pulled Shang Xue''er behind him out too.


    Yang Tianlong and Shang Xue''er had just stabilized themselves.


    "Are you alright?" Li Yu asked.


    "We''re fine." Yang Tianlong and Shang Xue''er walked forward a few steps, reassuring Li Yu.


    Then everyone was about to walk out annually.


    Just then, the snow above began to collapse; Li Hang quickly shouted: "It''s collapsing, come here quick!"


    Hearing this, knowing the two were alright, Li Yu urgently said: "Run!"


    Immediately, they started running outside, with Lao Lu and Lao Xie in front not daring to delay, everyone ran out.


    The falling snow from above descended rapidly, while running, Li Yu could feel the airstream wrapped by the snow falling behind him.


    "Ouch!" Shang Xue''er suddenly felt her legs give way, due to not moving and hanging in the air in the low temperature in the truck, her blood circulation was poor. Initially, walking a few steps was fine, but running made her legs falter.


    Yang Tianlong, right next to her, immediately supported her up, but this action pushed him forward as the snow from behind caught up, shoving him forward.


    Feeling the snow on his head, Yang Tianlong slightly squatted, grabbed Shang Xue''er''s arms from under her armpits, mustered all his strength, and gave a fierce push outward.


    With this push, Shang Xue''er was thrown into the air and then...


    Thud.


    She landed directly onto a pile of snow about four to five meters away.


    The following snow immediately buried Yang Tianlong; the snow was quite hard, and a particularly firm block directly hit Yang Tianlong''s head.


    Thud!


    Yang Tianlong instantly fell unconscious.


    Although the falling snow had decreased in height after several falls, it still buried him.


    Meanwhile, those who escaped outside, including Li Yu, saw Yang Tianlong''s throw of Shang Xue''er.


    The snow behind rolled down quickly, also burying Shang Xue''er, but since she was a few meters away.


    Just barely covering Shang Xue''er, Li Hang and Li Yu quickly ran over and helped her up.


    Shang Xue''er stood up bewildered, wondering what had happened? sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not knowing what had happened, she was just thrown into the air, initially her legs were weak, then Yang Tianlong helped her stand.


    Wait, where''s Yang Tianlong? Looking around, she did not see him.


    "Where''s Yang Tianlong?" Realizing this, Shang Xue''er quickly asked.


    By then, the collapsing snow had stopped, and the dust had settled.


    Li Yu had no time to answer, immediately running towards the direction where Yang Tianlong fell.


    This time Yang Tianlong wasn''t buried in the snow inside the truck, but directly by this snow.


    Being directly buried by this snow, the greatest trouble wasn''t dying from the cold, but the danger of suffocation.


    Li Yu led the way, running to the spot where Yang Tianlong had fallen and began frantically digging through the snow. Li Hang, Lao Lu, and Lao Xie promptly came to help.


    The four of them continuously excavated around that area.


    Although the Unimog was highly efficient, it also might have caused injuries to Yang Tianlong.


    Shang Xue''er saw the actions of Li Yu and the others, and seemed to realize something��just now, it was Yang Tianlong who had saved her. In his attempt to rescue her, he himself was buried by the snow.


    Thinking of how Yang Tianlong always grinned foolishly at her earlier, the eternal snow mountain in her heart instantly melted.


    Fool!


    Her eyes slightly reddened, Shang Xue''er quickly ran over to help Li Yu and the others push the snow away.


    One minute.


    Two minutes.


    Still, there was no sight of Yang Tianlong''s body.


    "Expand the search area," Li Yu said.


    Everyone dug around the center in all directions.


    In less than ten seconds, Li Hang shouted, "Over here."


    Li Yu and the others hurried over and dug with all their might.


    Finally, Yang Tianlong''s head emerged. Because he was in the vehicle, he hadn''t worn a hat, and the back of his head had swelled from the impact of the snow.


    Yang Tianlong''s entire face was purplish-black and covered in snowflakes.


    "Tianlong. Wake up," Li Yu shouted, seeing no response from Yang Tianlong.


    Li Yu took off his gloves and felt for Yang Tianlong''s breath, finally feeling somewhat reassured.


    Everyone continued to dig and finally managed to extract Yang Tianlong.


    Seeing Yang Tianlong unconscious, Shang Xue''er felt extremely guilty.


    "Let''s move him to the vehicle," Li Yu said.


    He, along with Lao Lu and a few others, lifted Yang Tianlong.


    Limping, Shang Xue''er followed behind. Old Xie happened to see this and asked, "Are you okay?"


    Shang Xue''er shook her head and said, "I''m fine."


    Old Xie didn''t say much more and followed them onto the vehicle.


    Inside the vehicle, the heater was continually on, maintaining the temperature at just over ten degrees Celsius.


    The moment the door opened, a gust of cold wind made Dapao shiver.


    "Is Tianlong okay?" Dapao asked, lending a hand to hoist Yang Tianlong up.


    "He''s unconscious. Let''s get him into the vehicle first," Li Yu said.


    On the vehicle, Yang Tianlong remained unconscious. Li Yu checked the wound on the back of his head; it wasn''t cracked open, only severely swollen.


    He further checked his body and touched his arm.


    "Hisss��" Yang Tianlong slowly regained consciousness.


    "Don''t move that; it seems to be broken," Yang Tianlong quickly said. His body had staggered when the snow hit him, and when he used his arm to support himself, he ended up breaking it.


    "By the way, where''s Shang Xue''er?" Yang Tianlong asked.


    "...."


    Meanwhile, Shang Xue''er, hearing Yang Tianlong calling her, blushed.


    Li Yu, Lao Lu, and the others exchanged glances, smirking at the unfolding story.


    Dapao roared teasingly from the side.


    "Are you okay?" Shang Xue''er, suppressing the shyness in her heart, stepped forward, sat by the bedside, and asked.


    "Haha, it''s fine, just a simple arm fracture," Yang Tianlong said, reaching out with his unbroken hand to touch his head.


    Hisss��


    The touch on the large bump at the back of his head caused him such pain that he gasped.


    To cover up the awkwardness, Yang Tianlong said with a smile, "And another bump, no worries."


    Seeing this, Shang Xue''er was both annoyed and amused, asking Yang Tianlong to lie down properly.


    On the other side, Li Yu and the others barely withheld their laughter.


    Li Yu straightforwardly said, "Shang Xue''er, you take care of him for a bit. We need to get that truck working."


    "Sure," Shang Xue''er, sensing Li Yu''s intention to give them some alone time, replied with a blush.


    .....


    Li Yu diverted his gaze and said to Dapao:


    "Keep digging, dig out that truck. You saw it was tilted about 30 degrees. Later focus on digging out the snow from underneath the right side, which should help keep the truck balanced and prevent it from tipping."


    "Alright."


    The Unimog was still running, so they immediately started shoveling forward.


    For safety, everyone remained inside the vehicle; they would not disembark until the snow was cleared, to avoid being buried again by the snow.


    As the heat was continually on at maximum, the diesel consumption was especially rapid, particularly now as they needed full power to keep shoveling the snow.


    The diesel consumption was even greater. The fuel gauge showed that only half of the diesel in the tank remained.


    This was why they had to dig out the truck��they carried quite a bit of diesel in the truck''s trunk.


    This trip, considering the need for heating, meant a massive consumption of diesel, which was why they brought a truck along.


    Vroom, vroom, vroom��


    As they watched, the snow under the truck''s suspended left tires was dug out, causing the truck to tilt slightly.


    At the same time, the snow accumulated on top of the truck also swayed.


    After nearly half an hour of digging, a quarter of the truck was unearthed.


    But three-quarters of it was still buried in the snow.

 Chapter 340 - 332: Go Back or Continue? (Asking for subscriptions 6/9)

    Li Yu asked Dapao to stop the truck, but not to turn off the engine.


    Putt-putt-putt��


    The vehicle remained running, and Li Yu thought for a while and said, "Turn it around, and later we''ll use a metal cable to pull it out. Depending solely on digging it out would take too much time."


    "Alright," Dapao said.


    Then the Unimog reversed direction, and Li Yu got out of the truck, holding a metal cable, and attached it to the front of the truck.


    Once both sides were connected, Li Yu thought about it and directly opened the truck''s door, sitting in the driver''s seat.


    "OK. Let''s go!" Li Yu shouted.


    Hearing Li Yu''s call, Dapao shifted the vehicle into first gear and pressed the accelerator all the way down.


    Rumble~


    Because the truck was covered in snow and it was inherently heavy, this pull surprisingly didn''t move it.


    Dapao kept pressing the accelerator, and the tires began to slip a bit.


    "Keep going!" Li Yu shouted.


    Dapao pressed the accelerator all the way down again.


    Vroom vroom vroom~


    The Unimog slowly started moving forward, and the truck behind was slightly dragged.


    Following that, whoosh~


    The truck, previously pressing down on some snow and raised nearly 50 cm off the ground, was now pulled down from its elevated position, doubling the effort.


    As the truck was pulled, seeing this, Dapao continued to press the accelerator and drove forward.


    The truck behind clattered a couple of times.


    It slid from the compressed snow onto the ground.


    "We did it!" Li Hang excitedly shouted inside the vehicle.


    Li Yu took the walkie-talkie in the truck and said, "Dapao, keep driving. The engine of this truck stalled, it might be frozen. If we need to defrost it, it will take a while, let''s leave this valley first. Let''s talk about it once we get to a flatter area ahead."


    "Okay," Dapao responded.


    They weren''t far from a flat area ahead, so as Dapao cleared the road with the bulldozer and pulled the truck behind, it didn''t take long before they reached the flat road.


    Li Yu sat in the truck, shivering with cold.


    But to grasp the steering wheel, he still had to stretch out his hands and hold it.


    Luckily, the truck was also equipped with a snow shovel. The snow in this valley was over two meters thick. The snow just cleared from the front had not settled when the truck behind arrived, and snow from both sides fell down again.


    The group reached the flat national road, where the snow was not as deep as before.


    The truck stopped less than two meters away from the Unimog, and Li Yu got down from the truck.


    He pulled himself and climbed directly onto the Unimog.


    "Captain Lv, Xiao Hang, I''ll trouble you guys to clean up the exhaust pipe of the truck behind and defrost it," Li Yu said while rubbing his hands, his nose red from the cold as he climbed into the vehicle.


    The recently driven road might not seem long, but he had to drive very carefully; it took almost twenty minutes, and he had been freezing in a heater-less truck all this time.


    Returning to the Unimog and feeling the warmth, his body shivered.


    In such cold weather, it was simply unbearable.


    "Done," Captain Lv said and carried a bucket of just-boiled water to go down.


    "Right, Lao Xie, go take some motor oil from the rear compartment of the truck and fill up the Unimog," Li Yu suddenly said.


    Watching the three men get out, Li Yu sat in the warm Unimog, took off his gloves, and saw his fingers had turned purple from the cold. He then got out of the vehicle, rubbed some snow, and massaged it onto his fingers.


    For frostbite, you cannot wash directly with warm water; if the frostbite was severe, direct contact with warm water could cause the flesh to rot.


    Li Yu quickly adjusted something and then got into the vehicle.


    Feeling the warm breeze of the heater, Li Yu couldn''t help but pull out a cigarette, suddenly feeling aware of two gazes beside him; he smiled.


    It seemed something came to mind, after all, they were inside a vehicle, he glanced at Shang Xue''er, who waved her hand to indicate she didn''t mind.


    Li Yu tossed one cigarette to Yang Tianlong and gave another to Dapao.


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    The flame burned the cigarette as Li Yu took a deep breath, his body slowly relaxed�� he had been tense all over due to the surrounding snow for the past two hours.


    Now, with a cigarette, his body and mind seemed much more relaxed.


    Exhaling slowly, Li Yu stood up, looked at Yang Tianlong''s bent arm, and frowned, "Your arm is injured, we can''t delay; we need to get you treated first."


    Upon hearing this, Yang Tianlong almost choked on his cigarette, "Impossible, absolutely not. This is just a minor injury. Finding the inverter is crucial; there are so many people at the base waiting for us. It''s already embarrassing enough that I''m hurt, we shouldn''t let it affect the important matters!"


    Li Yu pondered for a moment, then rolled up Yang Tianlong''s sleeve and saw his arm bruised and possibly frostbitten.


    Nowadays, more or less everyone had some degree of frostbite.


    "Really, I''m fine. It''ll still be fine if we deal with it in a day or two. Besides, Xue''er has already bandaged it a bit. It''s not a big issue."


    "Xue''er?" Dapao suddenly interjected.


    He then let out a chuckle.


    Shang Xue''er''s expression changed immediately, she reached out to hit Yang Tianlong, but seeing his pained expression, she withdrew her hand.


    Seeing Yang Tianlong so insistent, and considering the importance of the inverter, plus the fact that they had finally reached this far and were only a fifth away from the city center, it''d be a pity to give up now.


    "Okay, then you rest well, don''t go anywhere, just lie on this bed," said Li Yu.


    "I can still move around."


    "No need for now."


    "Oh."


    ....


    Lao Xie and Xiao Hang had been defrosting for a long time and took roughly twenty minutes to handle it; the vent had been previously clogged by the snow.


    Li Yu and Captain Lv immediately got into the truck, Captain Lv started the engine, but it didn''t catch.


    He tried again.


    Rumble rumble.


    Finally, it started, it was not easy at all; the moment it started, Captain Lv almost cried, as he and Xiao Hang were almost frozen to death defrosting it.


    After the truck started, Captain Lv immediately turned on the heater.


    Whoosh whoosh whoosh~


    The warm air blowing made them comfortably warm.


    Li Yu checked his watch, it was 3 PM.


    His heart sank a notch��seems like they couldn''t return today.


    It was risky to walk during the day due to falling into pits, and at night, despite having headlights, it was too dark and problems could easily arise.


    Looks like they''d have to spend the night in the city center, but the current state of the city center was unknown.


    With a heavy heart, Li Yu picked up the radio and said to Dapao, "Started up, let''s go. Rush against the time, we must reach the city center before it gets dark, or we''ll be in trouble. Xiao Hang, help monitor the road ahead."


    "Alright, bro."


    "Alright, Brother Yu."


    Previously, Li Yu hadn''t removed the iron cable tied up; in such a blizzard, with thick snow, it was easy to get lost, so he simply kept it as its length was long enough��over ten meters.


    Outside the window, snowflakes danced wildly, gracefully falling to the ground, gradually increasing the thickness of the snow layer.


    Inside the vehicle, among the rumbling of the engine, everyone''s hearts were anxious, hoping the road ahead was safe and sound.

 Chapter 341 - 333: The Quiet City

    The sky was low, because of the dark clouds.


    In the blizzard, it was difficult for everyone to see the road ahead clearly, but they had to keep moving, for staying put meant certain death.


    Hoo hoo hoo~


    Li Yu rolled down the car window, and the cold air from outside rushed in. He looked at the roads on both sides and said to Lao L��, "We should be approaching the suburban area soon."


    Lao L�� shook his legs, thankfully they were nearly there.


    The group, in two cars, proceeded slowly, one after the other.


    Under the ravaging blizzard, they didn''t dare to speed up too much, nor were they able to.


    Time slowly passed, and it was soon going to be five o''clock in the afternoon.


    Finally, Dapao, at the front using the walkie-talkie, said to Li Yu, "We''re almost there! It''s just ahead."


    Li Yu looked at the dimming sky, which, although subdued, still offered some light. They could still make out some things.


    "Xiao Hang, lead the way straight to the inverter," said Li Yu.


    Since they were already there, the sooner they could find the Solar Grid Tie Inverter, the better, to avoid prolonged trouble.


    The suburban area of the city center was desolate.


    Even amidst the cold wind and snow, some houses were buried in snow, showing only their rooftops, and many trees had fallen.


    Despite these conditions, there were still some living animals, just very hard to spot.


    In the distance, the skyscrapers, their surfaces coated with ice, seemed to transport them to a world of ice and snow as they drove in. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother Pao, head straight for the city center. It''s on Yuyuan Road. That''s where we bought the solar panels before," said Li Hang.


    "Alright. But I''m not very familiar with this place. Lao Xie, you guide me," said Dapao.


    Lao Xie rose from his rear seat and walked behind Dapao to direct him.


    "Let''s first head to the main road. It''s easier to travel there," said Lao Xie.


    In this icy city, white was the primary color and black the secondary.


    Amidst the black and white were various broken and decayed objects casually strewn about, most of them half-buried.


    Traveling on the road, they dared not go too fast.


    The snow accumulation in the city was over a meter thick, and they were unsure if below this meter-thick layer of snow there might be a pit or a trench.


    So, they had to slow down.


    ...


    Within the city, a few figures darted past inside a tall building in the distance.


    They watched Li Yu''s convoy, as if seeing hope.


    However, all of this went unnoticed by Li Yu and his group.


    Amidst the rumble of the car engines, they slowly made their way toward the city center.


    The sky was getting darker.


    In the car.


    They were in the midst of a conversation.


    Lao L�� turned on the headlights, and under their glow, they could clearly see a few meters ahead, "Boss Yu, it seems we have to stay here tonight."


    "Yes, let''s find the inverter first. This blizzard won''t stop anytime soon."


    "I know a place where we can park later. We''d better not leave our vehicle exposed to the blizzard, or starting it tomorrow will be troublesome. By morning, our car might be completely buried."


    "Okay."


    At 6 o''clock in the evening, they finally reached the location mentioned by Li Hang.


    The heavy snow, the constant shoveling, and the constant vigilance for the path ahead were all incredibly draining of spiritual power.


    Yuyuan Road.


    Solar energy brand flagship store.


    The group looked at the shop that had been plundered empty, feeling a chill in their hearts.


    It was colder than the freeze the weather had brought them.


    Li Yu, Li Hang, and Lao Xie got out of the car.


    Li Yu walked forward with the lighting lamp in hand, still keen to search further.


    Li Hang and Old Xie followed closely behind. Damn it, everything here has been picked clean!


    The trio combed through the place meticulously and indeed found some solar components that could be used, but they already had these things at their base in the Central Plains.


    Still, they decided to pack these components up and take them along��after the recent inverter incident, it''s better to have too many spare parts than too few.


    When you really need them, you''d be desperately out of luck.


    They packed up everything they could find in the flagship store, but a thorough search turned up no Solar Grid Tie Inverters.


    Suddenly, Old Xie shouted, "Xiao Hang, is this it?"


    Li Hang hurried over and took the box.


    It was still sealed, but it looked like it had been soaked in water and then frozen.


    The entire box was covered in chunks of ice.


    Seeing a hole in the box, Li Hang''s heart sank. If it had been soaked too long, it would be done for.


    Sure enough, when they opened it, they saw that the surface of the inverter inside was rusted, covered with a layer of ice chips.


    Sigh...


    Li Hang heaved a sigh. This one was probably no good, but they wouldn''t know for sure until they got back and tried it out.


    "How is it, is this one still usable?" Li Yu walked over and asked.


    "There''s a good chance it''s not, but you can''t be certain. I''ll try fixing it when we get back." Li Yu didn''t hold out much hope after hearing that.


    He had wanted to bring back extras this time to avoid having to search again should another one break.


    But unexpectedly, after such a long search, every one they found was damaged.


    "Xiao Hang, didn''t you say there was an electronics wholesale market? Let''s check that out," Li Yu suggested.


    "Right, we can go there and have a look," Li Hang nodded in agreement.


    That electronics wholesale market was actually in the direction of Jiefang City, albeit in the suburbs.


    Within the snowstorm, the city interior is much safer than the wilderness.


    The wind and snow drifted into the dilapidated store as Li Yu and the others walked out.


    "Old Lv, you mentioned there was a good spot before, what was good about it?" Li Yu asked as he got into the vehicle.


    "It''s a hotel with a sunshade that allows for parking. It''s on high ground and close to the main road, less than 2 kilometers away from here," Old Lv explained.


    After some thought, Li Yu deemed it suitable and took out his walkie-talkie to talk to Dapao, "Brother Pao, you follow us��we''ll find a place to rest up front."


    "Okay."


    The cold wind howled, and the snowstorm raged.


    In this icy snowstorm, they needed to be cautious of many things��for instance, letting their shoes get wet would spell doom for their toes.


    Therefore, their shoes were all waterproof, slip-resistant high-tops.


    Inside the vehicle, Li Yu, wearing gloves, wiped down the fog on the windows with a cloth; this needed to be done repeatedly to maintain visibility.


    The temperature difference inside and outside the vehicle was substantial; condensation would form fog quickly, making it impossible to see the road ahead without wiping it down.


    Two kilometers wasn''t far, but it felt like a great distance for them.


    Even with their snow-clearing vehicle, their progress was tortoise-slow through the thick snow.


    After about fifteen minutes, they finally arrived at their destination.


    The location was indeed convenient, right next to the main road, a mere 8 meters away.


    The place belonged to a well-known hotel brand, featuring a wide, long corridor with an entrance leading to a basement, which was now buried in snow.


    Ascending further, one could discern the previously grand and exquisite garden, now merely accumulated with snowflakes.


    Further up was a large, iron-framed canopy that extended up six meters high.


    It looked quite impressive.


    "We can park under there," Old Lv gestured at the canopy.


    This canopy was the hotel entrance used for parking vehicles coming in and out of the hotel, although it was generally not allowed for long-term parking.


    Li Yu considered the parking location amidst the snowstorm, where zombies were a rare sight and any person venturing out would soon be done for.


    Therefore, the primary consideration for where to park was not concealment, but avoiding the danger of being buried by the snowstorm.

 Chapter 342 - 334: Overnight Stay

    This place, with its high ground and close proximity to the main road, also has an iron shed above that can shield the falling snowflakes from the sky.


    Indeed, it''s not bad.


    Li Yu and his companions had never thought about staying inside a building; their vehicle had heating �C why would they want to step out and suffer in the cold?


    Thus, finding a suitable parking spot became extremely important.


    "Then, let''s park over here," Li Yu nodded in satisfaction.


    Old L�� didn''t waste words and drove the truck directly upwards.


    Following closely behind was Dapao.


    The two vehicles, one behind the other, parked right at the hotel entrance.


    After the vehicles stopped, the headlights remained on.


    It was already dark, and under the illumination of the headlights, the falling snowflakes looked especially beautiful.


    The lights shone far, but even further away, everything was covered in white snow.


    After the apocalypse, the city was pitch black, devoid of the festive lights and revelry of the nights before, and also the bustling prosperity.


    In this silent environment, one could feel the quietness of the wilderness, yet the surrounding tall and mottled damaged buildings reminded people of how this place used to look.


    This, is the post-apocalypse.


    Li Yu got out of the vehicle, and even though he was sleeping inside the vehicle, he still needed to check the surrounding environment.


    Especially at the front door of a hotel.


    Old Xie and Old L�� followed him out, each carrying a gun and a flashlight.


    Creak~


    Li Yu pushed open the hotel''s main door, revealing a scene of disarray.


    The paintings on the walls had long disappeared, and the tables and chairs scattered on the ground illustrated how hurried the people escaping from this place must have been.


    "Let''s not split up. Let''s check the first floor first," Li Yu said.


    Old Xie and Old L�� exhibited great discipline, their walking posture and the formation they kept ensured a 360-degree coverage with no blind spots.


    Thud thud thud~


    The sound of their shoes crunching on the icy ground echoed through the hotel.


    With their coordination, the search of the first floor was completed very quickly.


    The hotel was indeed big, but the only way to access the second floor was by the elevator. Moreover, the staircase entrance was at the back door of this hotel.


    Considering the size of the hotel, getting to the back door would take a considerable amount of time.


    There was no need to check the second floor now, as the elevator wasn''t operational without electricity, rendering it useless.


    Thus, after checking the first floor, Li Yu returned to the vehicle with Old L�� and Old Xie.


    Underneath the shed, about seven or eight meters away from the vehicle, Li Yu wrapped a string of bells around the vehicle.


    This might not necessarily be useful in this weather, but it''s always better to be safe than sorry.


    Eight o''clock in the evening.


    At the front door of the City Center Hotel.


    Dapao cooked some instant noodles inside the Unimog RV, filling the entire vehicle with a delicious aroma.


    Li Yu and Old Xie got into the Unimog, and after a meal gobbled down quickly, Li Yu took two packs of cigarettes from the back seat of the vehicle, and then he and Old L�� returned to the truck.


    Just as they were about to smoke, Old L�� suddenly said, "I noticed that our fuel tank is less than half full, I''ll go refuel with some diesel."


    Li Yu uttered the word "good".


    It''s necessary to fill up the tank; otherwise, the heating oil will run out tonight, and without heating, we''ll freeze like idiots.


    Lao Lv went to refuel, and inside the Unimog, Dapao kept joking with Yang Tianlong.


    Throughout the journey, Shang Xue''er took good care of Yang Tianlong. No wonder Dapao said that Yang Tianlong was the biggest winner of this trip.


    Li Hang sat in the living room, turned to the camera, and said, "You guys go to sleep first, I''ll take the first half of the night shift."


    Lao Xie patted him and said, "I''ll take the second half of the night. Dapao, you don''t need to stay up; rest well, you''ll have to drive tomorrow, and driving today must have been exhausting."


    Shang Xue''er immediately said, "I''ll take the night shift. You guys have been busy all day; I haven''t been much help."


    Yang Tianlong also said, "I can''t move much anyway, so I can watch the camera. Let me do it."


    Dapao also said that he wanted to take the night shift.


    Suddenly, through the walkie-talkie, Li Yu said, "Everyone rest early. Tomorrow we need to be energetic. Let Shang Xue''er and Yang Tianlong take the first half of the night; the second half will be Li Hang and I. The rest should sleep. That''s it." S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His tone left no room for doubt or objection.


    Everyone refrained from arguing; ever since we got out, we''ve followed Li Yu''s commands, and any polite dispute would be meaningless. It''s better to sleep early.


    It was nine in the evening.


    The vehicle kept the heating on, and the lights were turned off directly.


    Everyone fell asleep. Li Yu and Lao Lv''s truck, besides the seats, had a small bed in the back.


    This bed is generally used by long-haul truck drivers.


    Since Li Yu had the night shift in the second half, he made himself at home and lay down on the small bed to sleep, while Lao Lv leaned on the seat to sleep.


    After turning off the headlights, the world seemed to quiet down.


    Li Yu didn''t take off his clothes, placed his weapon on his chest, took a couple of deep breaths, then cleared his mind and went into a light sleep.


    The night passed without words or incidents.


    In this cold weather, spending a night outside was so calm.


    This eased Li Yu''s mind.


    But this was because they had made adequate preparations. After last night''s consumption, it was time to refuel now.


    After eating breakfast, and by breakfast, it was just a few prepared steamed buns, which were very simple to keep fresh; just store them in the trunk without heating, and soon they would freeze as hard as rocks.


    The vehicles roared towards the outskirts.


    Everywhere was blanketed in snow, forcing Li Yu and his team to wear sunglasses to prevent snow blindness.


    Li Yu pulled out the map, made some calculations about the distance and with the current speed of 20 kilometers per hour, it would take approximately 45 minutes to reach the wholesale market Li Hang mentioned.


    The exhaust fumes emitted black smoke and the mist steamed up, melting the newly formed ice edges.


    During their journey, less than a kilometer away, a tiger was watching them from a rooftop.


    On a closer look, the tiger had pale yellow fur, which looked somewhat dirty, and its brow mark hadn''t changed.


    The weather today was slightly better than yesterday; the heavy snow had turned into light snow.


    "The snow finally let up; finally, we can see a bit further." Dapao said with a mix of bitterness.


    Yesterday, due to the blizzard, visibility was under fifteen meters, and driving required constant full concentration, exhausting him terribly.


    "Don''t let your guard down; Lao Xie, Shang Xue''er, you all need to keep an eye on our surroundings," Li Yu reminded, noticing the lighter snowfall.


    The tiger behind them continued to follow their trail.

 Chapter 343 - 335: Li Yus Furious Rage

    Snowflakes were swirling, amid the vibrations of the vehicle and the ground, the snow accumulated on the roadside trees shook off.


    Swoosh~ The snowflakes drifted down


    Rumble, rumble~


    The sound of the car was the loudest in the city.


    Creak, creak~


    A huge tiger followed behind the vehicle, stepping on the accumulated snow, its body lurking low and slowly trailing behind.


    With plenty of patience.


    The tiger''s figure stood out in this snowy world, but since it was crouching and it was still snowing, Li Yu and the others hadn''t noticed it yet.


    Inside the car.


    Li Hang was dismantling the inverter he found yesterday at the Solar Energy Flagship Store to see if it could still be fixed.


    Yang Tianlong sat up and looked outside by the glass window.


    Chirp~


    Yang Tianlong opened the window just a crack, letting the cold wind whirl in a bit of snowflakes.


    The cold breeze invigorated the somewhat drowsy Yang Tianlong, who had been lying in bed since getting injured yesterday, and with many people inside the vehicle, space was limited.


    It was warm, but it was stuffy after staying inside for a long time.


    Open a window for some fresh air.


    The cold air from outside entered the vehicle, carrying away some warmth but also bringing in fresh air.


    The passengers inside felt a bit chilly, but seeing that it was Yang Tianlong who opened the window halfway, they didn''t say anything as they too felt stuffy inside; it was good to air out the space a bit.


    The windows of this Unimog were double-layered, one layer of glass and an outer layer of steel bars, making it safer with such dual protection.


    Thus, even if the bulletproof glass window was opened, there wasn''t too much to worry about the sudden appearance of anything outside the window.


    Time passed slowly bit by bit.


    As they passed through Jiefang City, the drivers Lao Lu and Lao Xie all looked over.


    The gates of Jiefang City were wide open, eerily empty without any human presence.


    Both doors were battered, with frozen icicles hanging on them, looking extremely sharp and reflecting light under the sunlight.


    There was also an overturned vehicle at the gate, now concealed by the accumulated snow.


    Seeing Jiefang City, everyone felt mixed emotions.


    Especially those like Lao Lu who had come from Jiefang City, who felt particularly stifled.


    Times had changed, people had changed, and this current Jiefang City had changed too, looking just like ruins.


    The two vehicles continued driving.


    Fifteen minutes later, they finally reached the electronic wholesale market that Li Hang had mentioned.


    The Southern region had many hills, few plains.


    Many of the roads undulated, many were carved through mountains, thus there were many tunnels.


    This electronic wholesale market was situated on a small hill; though it was called a hill, much of it had been hollowed out.


    The vehicles drove uphill, and from afar, they saw a sign: Electronic Wholesale Market


    The character "��" in the sign had fallen off, and there was a layer of snow on the remaining characters.


    "Is this the place?" Dapao parked the vehicle at the entrance, looking at the structures resembling exhibition halls in front of him.


    "Yes, this is the place," Li Hang said.


    He had worked here for some time when he first started his internship after graduation, and he was very familiar with this place.


    "Alright, let''s get off then," Dapao said.


    Dapao stepped out directly from the driver''s seat, followed by Lao Xie and Li Hang.


    "Ah, I was suffocating inside~" Dapao exclaimed after getting out, stretching widely and immediately feeling a shiver of comfort throughout his body.


    About 30 meters behind them, a light yellow tiger was lying on the ground, watching them.


    Li Yu saw Dapao and others getting out in front, and he too jumped out of the vehicle, his submachine gun still in hand, which was typical for him; anytime they left the base, he would remain extremely alert.


    He used to be like that even inside the base. This became his instinct after the years of rebirth, and he had nearly harmed others several times due to being too tense.


    Later, Third Uncle noticed his issue and taught him a small trick, enabling him to relax from his constant tense state.


    Staying constantly tense was greatly draining, and maintaining such tension without proper rest significantly impacted a person''s condition.


    Li Yu got out of the vehicle and looked around but did not see anything unusual.


    "Is this the place, Xiao Hang?" Li Yu called out from behind.


    Li Hang got out of the car and walked a few steps toward Li Yu, saying, "Yes, this is the place, let''s go down and look."


    Li Yu nodded, but suddenly, he felt the hairs on his back stand up, a bad premonition rising from the bottom of his heart.


    Ssss~


    The wind stirred the accumulated snow, making a sound.


    "Watch out!" Li Hang suddenly yelled at Li Yu.


    Li Yu quickly rolled forward, tumbling twice.


    A powerful gust swept over the back of his head.


    That was close!


    The tiger that had been hidden all along suddenly pounced towards Li Yu.


    Before Li Yu could fully stand up, the tiger''s tail swept towards him.


    Bang!


    The tail hit Li Yu on the shoulder, but because he was wearing thick clothes and an anti-explosion suit on the outside,


    there was a protruding shoulder pad at that spot, which blocked the tiger''s sweeping tail.


    However, the sweep made Li Yu grunt, almost unable to catch his breath.


    But that sweep slid Li Yu several meters across the smooth snowy ground. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All these events occurred in the blink of an eye, and just a second or two had caused all this.


    Everyone was still unable to react.


    Dapao, who had been stretching in front, turned around quickly upon hearing the commotion behind.


    He saw a majestic tiger, 4 to 5 meters long, rearing its head, its gaping maw wide open, and lunging towards Li Hang.


    In the stillness, one could see this scene:


    Two vehicles, the Unimog in front, and a truck behind.


    Shang Xue''er and Yang Tianlong stayed inside the vehicle, while Lao Xie stood to the right of the Unimog. Since the tiger had attacked from the left, he had not seen what had just transpired.


    To the left of the vehicles.


    Dapao was the farthest from the tiger, but he had the clearest view of it.


    Li Hang was less than 6 meters away from the tiger, facing it directly.


    Li Yu had slid several meters before falling to the ground.


    After Li Hang had just warned Li Yu, he watched helplessly as the tiger pounced on Li Yu and then flung him away.


    Now, as the tiger lunged at him, Li Hang hurriedly drew his dagger from his thigh and stabbed upwards.


    The light yellow tiger, extremely intelligent, smacked the dagger out of Li Hang''s hand while in mid-air.


    Li Hang quickly imitated Li Yu''s earlier movement, sinking his body down, as the tiger jumped over his head.


    Just as Dapao saw Li Hang dodge a mishap and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the tiger pounce directly toward him.


    "Damn." Dapao had not brought a gun when he got out of the car, only a dagger.


    Fortunately, he was standing in front of the left side of the Unimog, and he swiftly moved to the right.


    Narrowly escaping once again.


    Bang bang bang �C


    Li Yu, who had just fallen to the ground, now stood up and fired several shots at the large tiger.


    One bullet hit the tiger squarely in the lower back, but the tiger dodged the other two.


    "What''s happening?" Lao Xie, seeing Dapao run from the left to the right, especially after hearing the gunshots, hastily asked.


    "Tiger! Get a gun!" Dapao was direct.


    Lao Xie promptly pulled out the handgun tucked in his waistband and took a couple of steps forward.


    After getting injured, the tiger did not retreat or show fear but instead became even more ferocious.


    Turning its head, it stuck out its blood-red tongue, licked its knife-like teeth, and bristled its needle-like whiskers.


    It opened its blood-stained mouth wide and roared angrily:


    Roar �C


    Deafening.


    Li Yu, facing the tiger directly, felt an invisible wave of sound hit him.


    Despite the ringing in his ears, Li Yu raised his submachine gun and opened fire directly at the tiger.


    Bang bang bang!


    The tiger, fast-moving, dodged the bullets from Li Yu.


    Bang!


    Lao Xie rushed from the right to the left and upon seeing the tiger''s back not far away, shot directly.


    The tiger, mid-pounce towards Li Yu, staggered upon being hit but continued charging towards Li Yu.


    Bang bang bang!


    More gunshots followed, this time from Lao Lu, who was seated on the left driver''s side of the truck.


    Everything had happened too quickly, almost too fast for him to react.


    But he had clearly seen the tiger pounce towards Dapao, quickly rolled down the car window, and fired three shots at the tiger in rapid succession.


    The tiger was hit by another bullet, his body shook twice, and his speed significantly reduced.


    Li Yu took this opportunity to target the tiger and shoot.


    Bang bang bang...


    A magazine''s worth of bullets poured onto the tiger.


    A torrent of bullets riddled the tiger''s body, which now resembled a leaking barrel, oozing blood everywhere.


    Li Yu set down his submachine gun, pulled out his handgun from his waist, and slowly approached the tiger.


    A moment ago, if not for his quick rolls, he would have been seriously injured.


    Notably, Li Yu was fully armored and even wore a riot helmet before getting out of the car!


    Approaching the tiger, Li Yu''s brow furrowed.


    The tiger''s eyes weren''t the bloodshot black and white seen in Zombies but were of normal color; there were no signs of Zombie infection on its body, indicating it was a normal tiger.


    However, why would such a tiger appear here?


    The tiger, hit by over a dozen bullets, seemed unwilling to give up and struggled to rise but clearly without success.


    Thump!


    After another failed attempt to stand, the tiger still collapsed to the ground.


    A surge of nameless anger welled up in Li Yu''s heart, and his shoulder pain only fueled his rage.


    On the vehicle, Shang Xue''er and Yang Tianlong, hearing the commotion, got out of the car with the help of Lao Xie, Lao Lu, and Li Hang.


    But Li Yu bypassed the tiger and walked straight towards the truck.


    "Director Li, are you alright?" Lao Lu, just off the truck, wanted to check if Li Yu was hurt.


    But Li Yu didn''t respond, his face as dark as if about to drip water.


    Walking up to the truck.


    Clink �C


    Li Yu pulled out a cleaver from the truck, used specifically for chopping bones.


    With the cleaver in hand, he slowly walked towards the tiger.


    Under everyone''s gaze, Li Yu chopped at the tiger''s neck.


    Crack!


    The cleaver lodged into the neck bone.


    Another chop.


    Under tremendous force, fresh blood spurted wildly from the tiger''s neck, the red blood spurting like a water jet.


    Li Yu relentlessly continued chopping, appearing crazed.


    Until the tiger''s head was completely severed. Corpses separated.

 Chapter 344 - 336: Empty This Place!

    The blizzard had stopped by now.


    The snowy ground was stained red with blood,


    Everyone watched as Li Yu, like a madman, decapitated the tiger, not daring to utter a word.


    Li Yu was furious, mostly at himself.


    In his past life, amidst the arduous fight for survival, he had honed a sixth sense. Only when the tiger pounced did he sense it; he felt that his sense of crisis was not as sharp as before.


    Li Hang and Dapao had gotten out of the vehicle without bringing any guns. Was this complacency?


    Just because there were fewer zombies seen after the blizzard, did that mean they could let their guard down? So much so that they could leave the vehicle without taking their weapons?


    Li Yu looked at everyone and said in a stern voice:


    "We must not let our guard down now!


    These past few days, the scarcity of zombies doesn''t mean the danger has lessened!


    From now on, whenever we''re outside the base, carry your guns with you, because one moment of negligence could mean death!


    Understand?"


    After Li Yu spoke, he looked no further at the others.


    After hearing Li Yu''s words, Li Hang and Dapao became alert, feeling a chill down their spines.


    They couldn''t recall when, but it seemed they had indeed become much more lax.


    If they had had their weapons just now, handling the tiger wouldn''t have been so troublesome.


    What if, instead of a single tiger, there had been a group of them.


    What would they have done?


    With this thought, everyone broke into a cold sweat and began to deeply reflect on their actions. They all rushed to the vehicles to carry their handguns and submachine guns.


    Li Yu stood in front of several houses and said to the group:


    "Drive the vehicles inside. Later, Yang Tianlong and Shang Xue''er stay in the Unimog, don''t turn off the engine. Lao Xie, you go drive the truck; the rest follow me inside to search for things. Quickly!"


    Everyone could feel that Li Yu was not in a good mood, so they didn''t dare to speak and hurried to take action.


    "Xiao Hang, you lead the way," said Li Yu.


    "Okay," Li Hang replied and went straight into the wholesale market.


    The market was huge, with ceilings seven to eight meters high.


    Perhaps when the apocalypse erupted, people had not reacted yet, and the shops had not closed their doors.


    The ground was cluttered with various electronics scattered all around.


    But it was apparent that the place had not been flooded, so many things had been preserved.


    As Li Hang led the way, everyone followed deeper inside.


    The deeper they went, the darker it got.


    So they all turned on their flashlights to light the path ahead.


    Li Hang, walking at the forefront, with Li Yu and Dapao right behind him, and Lao Lu following at the end.


    Armed with submachine guns and flashlights in their hands, the direction the flashlight pointed was where the submachine guns aimed.


    Suddenly, in front of a store, Li Hang saw batteries and turned to say:


    "Brother Yu, there''s a lot of stuff here, these storage batteries could also be taken back."


    Li Yu nodded. On the way here, they had come across many electronic products; many could be of use, like the watches they saw earlier.


    "The priority now is to find the inverter. Once found, we''ll move whatever we need and can use as much as possible. The rest we can come back for after this blizzard."


    "Okay."


    Everyone kept silent; Li Hang knew the area well, and after several twists and turns, they finally found a shop that sold photovoltaic inverters.


    Although the shop was closed - which was normal for some of the stores they passed earlier - this particular closure made Li Yu''s heart skip a beat; he hoped it hadn''t gone out of business.


    Li Hang quickly said, "There are several more stores ahead that sell inverters."


    Li Yu nodded and immediately headed toward the closed shop.


    The lights shone inside, revealing neat rows of merchandise, and Li Yu sighed in relief.


    It seemed that no one had been here since the apocalypse started; the goods must be well-preserved.


    Thinking this, Li Yu used his submachine gun to shatter the glass.


    Bang bang bang!


    After several shots, glass shards littered the ground.


    Li Yu went inside, surveyed the shop, took an inverter off the wall shelf, and asked, "Is this model good?"


    Li Hang took it and replied, "Yes. There''s a lot we can use here; since we''re here, let''s take it all back."


    Li Yu nodded, then wheeled out a cart he''d found on the way here, loading all the inverters from the shop onto it.


    Dapao and Lao Lu came over to help.


    Before long, they had cleared out the shop''s goods, filling four carts to the brim. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu looked at the remaining items on the floor; the cart was large and, now filled, was extremely difficult to push.


    Li Yu left the shop, reminiscing about the route they''d taken here. While the ground was littered with items, the corridor was very spacious, about ten meters wide.


    The width was enough!


    Li Yu glanced up at the ceiling, an idea sparking in his mind. He thought to himself how obstinate he was being, considering the circumstances.


    Pulling out his walkie-talkie, he spoke to Lao Xie and Shang Xue''er, "Drive the vehicle straight in here. Xiao Hang will come to meet you."


    "Alright. There''s a fence at the entrance..." Shang Xue''er hesitated.


    "Just break through it. What are you thinking about?" said Li Yu.


    Driving such a heavy vehicle inside will definitely cause irreparable damage to the tiled floor, but damn, it''s the apocalypse.


    "Okay." Shang Xue''er replied.


    "Xiao Hang, you go and meet them and drive the truck straight in," Li Yu said.


    "Alrighty."


    ....


    Everyone cleared out all the inverters. The truck was nearly 10 meters long and 4 meters high. After emptying out the inverters, they only occupied less than one third of the truck''s space.


    Besides inverters, Li Yu asked Li Hang to think of other components related to solar energy, including solar panels and so on, anything that might be useful was loaded up.


    After packing these things, the truck only had less than one-fifth of its space remaining.


    There were also two barrels of diesel. Li Yu directly told Lao Xie and Lao Lu to carry them into the Unimog RV.


    Having moved these, the group drove around the electronic wholesale market.


    The once smooth tiled floor cracked open due to the passing of the ten-ton truck.


    They cleared out the watch store, everyone holding a watch, which included electronic watches and mechanical ones, some of which looked quite valuable but were now cheap for Li Yu''s group.


    To save space, they removed the packaging of these items and stuff them straight into cardboard boxes.


    They also crudely and simply packed other electronic products in plastic containers.


    After scavenging the area, they found a few other items that seemed useful, such as soy milk makers and blenders, only grabbed two big boxes of these household appliances and left the rest.


    The Unimog was already packed full, with just some space left for movement.


    Li Yu boarded the Unimog vehicle, and this time he had Lao Xie and the other two drive the truck back.


    "Let''s come again next time," Li Yu said.


    The group reluctantly took one last look at this place.


    This place, maybe because it was in the suburbs with sparse population, or perhaps due to its higher terrain, had suffered little damage. It looked like no one had been here since the apocalypse broke out.


    Perhaps everyone thought that department stores were more reliable places during the apocalypse.


    When people like Lao Lu went out to gather supplies before, they didn''t think to come to places like an electronic wholesale market. What could you find in such a place after the apocalypse....


    It was precisely because of this that Li Yu and his group even found some food here!


    Although most of it was expired, it provided them with a direction; sometimes, useful things are not what we think they are.


    "Okay, that''ll be it for today, let''s hurry back," Li Yu checked his watch.


    "Yep, let''s head back." Dapao said.


    It was already 11:45 am.


    They had come here at 8 am as it got light, taking an hour to get here. They were delayed for a while outside by a tiger.


    It took more than two hours to move stuff around; they needed to leave quickly and get back to the base sooner to avoid unnecessary risks.


    "Uh, Brother Yu, are we going back the same way?" Dapao asked.


    They had stayed the previous night at the entrance of a hotel in the city center, then came here, crossing a good portion of the city.


    Now, being in the suburbs, they could completely avoid going back into the city center and instead take the expressway.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, "We won''t go through the city, let''s take the expressway back."


    After thinking, he said to Shang Xue''er, "You give us directions, you''re probably more familiar with this road, right?"


    Shang Xue''er nodded and replied, "Yeah, we can get on the Ganming Highway, that''s faster."


    So, following Shang Xue''er''s guidance, Dapao drove toward the direction she indicated.


    .....


    The snow had stopped, but the snow on the ground was still very thick.


    So, on the way back, they couldn''t drive fast.


    Just after leaving the wholesale city, on a whim, Li Yu looked in the direction where they had killed the tiger.


    In their haste earlier, they had chopped off the tiger''s heads and didn''t bother with the carcasses.


    At this look, Li Yu''s pupils instantly dilated.


    The tiger''s corpse... was gone!


    Li Yu quickly said to everyone, "Did any of you deal with that tiger''s corpse after I went back to the vehicle?"


    Lao Xie''s voice came from the intercom: "What?! We didn''t touch it."


    "No, I went straight to get the gun."


    "Me too," Dapao said.


    "We all got in the car directly, but we did say we should hurry, right?"


    "I was even thinking about the tiger earlier, that it was a normal one. I''ve never eaten tiger meat in my life, and I thought it was a pity just now. Tsk tsk," Lao Xie said.


    "The tiger''s corpse is gone," Li Yu announced shockingly.


    Everyone hastily looked in that direction.


    Hiss��


    Hiss��


    Hiss��


    Everyone drew in a sharp breath of cold air, making the cold winter feel even colder.


    The tiger''s corpse was clearly here a while ago, and now there was only blood on the ground, and the tiger''s corpse had vanished.


    What was going on? Confusion flashed through everyone''s minds, but there was more fear.


    In this icy and snowy world, they had not seen any other living people besides themselves.


    Now it was just them, and they hadn''t touched the corpse.


    So, who did?

 Chapter 345 - 337: Rumble Rumble Rumble

    Electronic wholesale market entrance.


    Li Yu''s gaze became slightly stern as he seriously asked, "Did you see anyone else when you just came in?"


    Old Xie and Shang Xue''er, who had been outside all the while, both indicated that they did not see anyone.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu didn''t probe further. Regardless of whether there were people or not, the current priority was to return to the base.


    Taking advantage of the snow-free moment, they hurried back. The incident that occurred during the journey here had left Yang Tianlong injured, his arm swollen, and the wound needed to be treated as soon as possible.


    With this in mind, Li Yu directly said, "Everyone be careful and keep an eye on your surroundings. Dapao, Old Xie, drive the vehicles. Let''s head back the way we came."


    "Okay."


    "Okay."


    Two vehicles, one after the other, slowly left the electronic wholesale market.


    Just as they were descending the slope away from the electronic wholesale market, everyone noticed that the front gate was blocked by some objects.


    The gate was originally height and width restricted.


    But previously, when Li Yu and his team arrived, they had already dismantled the restrictions at this place.


    Now, the passage was blocked again with various items and some trees and stones.


    Everyone leaned on the windows to observe the surroundings but still saw no one.


    Dapao turned his head towards Li Yu and said, "Brother Yu, shall I get out and clear it?


    Our car has a snow plow attached to the front, and although it''s feasible to push through directly, when we return we''ll still need to plow snow. If it gets knocked askew, it will be difficult to repair."


    Li Yu looked around, his expression cold as he said, "Don''t get out. We can''t be sure of the situation yet. Let''s observe for now."


    He then took out a walkie-talkie and spoke to Old Xie in the vehicle behind, "You guys don''t get out either; wait in the back.


    Everyone prepare your firearms, get ready for combat."


    After Li Yu finished speaking, he had Shang Xue''er and Yang Tianlong move aside, then opened the sunroof leading to the roof of the vehicle.


    Whoosh whoosh whoosh~


    With the sunroof open, the cold outside air blew inside.


    Li Yu equipped his helmet and then climbed up.


    However, he did not fully expose his body outside, observed the surroundings for a while and seeing no one, yet a faint sense of crisis arose in his heart.


    This sense of crisis came from the gate they were facing, cluttered and filled with miscellaneous objects.


    Perhaps someone was hiding there.


    Li Yu thought for a moment, an idea came to him, and he spoke to Dapao below, "Drive a bit closer to that gate, a distance of about ten meters should do."


    Upon hearing this, Dapao didn''t dawdle, directly driving the car forward a certain distance, stopping right in front of the gate.


    From a distance of about ten meters, they could see the objects at the gate more clearly.


    The stones they had moved earlier, along with the height-limiting iron poles, were piled up on the snow. They would definitely need to get out and clear it if they wanted to pass.


    Li Yu estimated the distance and took out several grenades from his waist, a gear not dared to be used before on the road, as they were worried about causing an avalanche while passing through the mountains and forests.


    Even though he hadn''t used them before, avalanches had been triggered.


    The location they were currently at was relatively flat.


    Inside the vehicle, Yang Tianlong saw Li Yu''s movements and immediately understood what he was going to do: "Young Li, are you going to blow it up?"


    "Um. Let''s try."


    Li Yu did not hesitate, pulled the pin of the grenade, waited for two seconds, then threw it with force towards the gate ten meters away.


    Before the explosion, Li Yu pulled out another grenade, mimicking the previous action, and threw two more over.


    Boom~


    Boom~


    Boom~


    The three loud sounds startled Old Xie and the others in the rear vehicle.


    Right after that, a series of wailing cries came from the front.


    "My legs, my legs."


    "It hurts, my eyes, I''m blind, I''m blind."


    "TMD... why did they just bomb us directly?"


    Li Yu, in the car, heard the voices and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Old L��, Dapao, Li Hang, the four of us prepare to get out of the car. Shang Xue''er, you take the steering wheel."


    After the four got out of the car, they saw the chaos at the gate ahead, made worse by the bombing of three hand grenades.


    Yet, right in the middle, it had been cleared, revealing four or five blood-soaked people near the gate.


    At the very front, two people were blown to death, and beside them lay two steel knives.


    Seeing Li Yu and his group approach, several uninjured people appeared from both sides, as they were farther away from that gate.


    At this time, those people came out apprehensively, saying to Li Yu and his group:


    "Director Li, Old L��, we had no choice, we just wanted to join you. It took us a lot of effort to catch up with you. We were afraid you would run off, so we made this desperate move.


    We really mean no harm, it was wrong of us to block your way, but we just wanted a chance to seek your help."


    Li Yu, upon hearing this, raised his eyebrows��acquaintances?


    But he seemed to have no memory of the man in front. So he turned to look at Old L��: "Do you recognize them?"


    Old L�� stepped forward two steps, took a careful look at the man and those beside him.


    Finally, he recognized them, their appearance had changed drastically!


    Except for their heights, their entire facial structures had thinned drastically, and their complexions had also turned purple-black from the cold.


    Stepping next to Li Yu, he spoke in a low voice: "I just remembered, they are also from Jiefang City. The leader used to be the head of one of our resource-searching teams, named Luo Hu.


    When Jiefang City disbanded, it was these people who were the main culprits. However, we didn''t see them in the end because all of us were scattered."


    Li Yu roughly understood upon hearing this.


    They were the people from Jiefang City at that time, he remembered Xie Liuhai vividly too.


    Honestly, he didn''t have a high opinion of anyone from Jiefang City back then besides Old L�� and a few others. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man leading the opposite group, noticing Old L�� whispering something into Li Yu''s ear, spoke with a fawning expression:


    "Old L��, we were both from Jiefang City, remember? I even spoke up for you back then. Look, it''s so cold now, see if we can join Director Li''s team.


    Director Li, we sincerely want to join your team, actually blocking your way was not my idea, it was all Old Zhang''s idea."


    Li Yu asked, "Who is Old Zhang?"


    Luo Hu pointed directly at a body lying on the ground, saying: "That''s him. Director Li, you bombed well, killed him. Served him right."


    Li Yu looked at the demeanor of this man, restraining from shooting him.


    He glanced at the cluttered gate ahead; to leave, they''d still need to clear it.


    So Li Yu commanded: "Clean up the gate."


    Luo Hu, somewhat excited, asked: "If we clean it up, will you let us join?"


    Li Yu didn''t respond, but aimed his gun at them instead. Behind him, Li Hang and Dapao also aimed their guns at the group in front.


    Luo Hu quickly appeased, "We''ll clear it, we''ll clear it, don''t get agitated."


    So he called over the remaining six or seven people to clear the debris.


    Some injured individuals murmured in soft tones: "Brother Hu, if we clean this up and they don''t take us, what then?"


    Luo Hu pondered before responding: "Old L�� and Old Xie are known to us, seeing Old L��''s position, he seems highly valued by Director Li.


    We''ll find a way, if Old L�� can join, why can''t we?


    If all else fails, we''ll humble ourselves further. Once we join, we''ll find an opportunity to turn the tables."


    Li Yu watched them mutter among themselves, paying no mind as long as they cleared the debris.


    Behind him, Dapao and Li Hang exchanged glances, immediately understanding each other''s concerns.


    These people were not to be trusted, they feared Li Yu might actually take them in after the clean-up.


    Li Hang started to speak but paused, appearing to recall something, then reassured himself.

 Chapter 346 - 338: Why Are You So Confident?

    Li Yu and the others were holding submachine guns, watching Luo Hu and his group clear out the area by the gate.


    About ten minutes later, the debris at the gate had been completely cleared.


    Sweat dripping from his forehead, Luo Hu trotted over and said, "Director Li, please take a look. Is this good enough now?


    Are we getting in the vehicles directly?"


    Li Yu couldn''t help but laugh, "What are you thinking? Move aside."


    Luo Hu''s expression changed as he responded, "Didn''t you just say if we cleared this area, you would let us join?"


    "I never agreed to that. Move aside now," said Li Yu.


    Seeing that Li Yu was not to be persuaded, Luo Hu hurriedly turned to Lao Lu beside him, "We all came from Jiefang City, and we are truly struggling out here. Please, help appeal to Director Li on our behalf."


    Lao Lu looked speechless. At Big Camphor Tree Base, everyone listens to Li Yu; why the hell should Li Yu listen to him? Besides, you, Luo Hu, even if you want to join, you need to show some attitude, right?


    A direct threat?


    You even closed the gate; I really don''t understand why there are such people who are so brazen to make demands when they are without any bargaining chips?


    Seeing Lao Lu not responding, Luo Hu became more anxious and said quickly: "Lao Lu, you aren''t being very fair here. I helped you in the past. During the resource distribution in Jiefang City, I did give some of it to you."


    Lao Lu hadn''t said anything just yet, but when Luo Hu brought up the past, he instantly became aggravated. Originally, there were many groups in Jiefang City sent out to scout for resources. Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lao Lu''s group was also supposed to go scouting, but because of the fair voting system proposed by Director Zhang, their responsibilities were divided to protect Jiefang City round the clock.


    Because they were protecting the city, they rarely went out to scout for resources. The resources they needed for daily life had to be contributed by other group members.


    This was the agreement they had made from the beginning: any group that went out to scout for resources had to share a portion with the community of Jiefang City and keep a portion for themselves.


    The community share was then partly distributed to members like Lao Lu who were protecting Jiefang City, meaning this portion was rightfully owed to them.


    But as time went on, the members of the exploration groups became more greedy, contributing less and less resources.


    All this was a result of the so-called "peaceful collective governance" proposed by Director Zhang in the beginning.


    This Luo Hu, whenever he contributed resources, was always the one who owed the most, along with two other people. Every time Lao Lu asked him for supplies, he had to ask several times.


    With a face as grim as iron, Lao Lu retorted, "The part you paid was according to the rules of Jiefang City at the time. Moreover, how about you try fending off a Zombie Tide? Every time there''s a Zombie Tide, you guys are the first to run!"


    Luo Hu wanted to say something more, but Li Yu had lost all patience upon hearing this. He was now focused on getting back to the base as soon as possible.


    He had no will to listen to their pointless bickering.


    Therefore, impatiently, he stated, "Move aside. This is the last time I''m asking."


    Hearing Li Yu''s impatient tone and seeing the few people behind him injured by the blast, Luo Hu said:


    "Since Director Li is unwilling to let us join, let''s leave it at that.


    Let''s talk common sense��you''ve injured a few of our brothers with that blast. How should we settle this?


    It''s true that we were wrong for blocking your way at the gate.


    But we only intended to get a chance to talk to you; there was no malice in it. Besides, we''ve cleared the place up.


    So here''s what we''ll do, Director Li. We won''t block your way anymore, but you have to answer for injuring our brothers."


    Li Yu, hearing this, suddenly found it ridiculous, and turning his head to Li Hang and the others, he saw they, too, wore expressions of disbelief.


    This world, there are many kinds of people.


    But there are always some without a clue in their hearts.


    To negotiate, for heaven''s sake, you must have a bargaining chip!


    What bargaining chip does Luo Hu have? Why such confidence?


    Haven''t been thrashed enough in this post-apocalyptic world, have you?


    Li Yu deeply felt that it was a miracle Luo Hu had survived this long.


    Li Yu asked, "The tiger''s corpse, was it you guys who took it?"


    Luo Hu replied, "What tiger?"


    Taking a deep breath, Li Yu said, "You''re really lucky."


    After saying that, Li Yu shouted, "Scram, Lao Lu is here today, so I won''t kill you."


    Luo Hu stubbornly raised his neck and defiantly stared at Li Yu and his group: "Even in the post-apocalyptic world, you have to be reasonable.


    If people stop being reasonable, ignoring morality and decency, then living like you are nothing but walking dead."


    Dapao held his gun, raised it, and then rested it again; his facial expression looked like he had eaten shit.


    Li Yu stopped talking, turned his head and said, "Fuck off."


    With that, the submachine gun in his hand started popping.


    Li Hang and Dapao, waiting behind, couldn''t hold back any longer and fired their guns.


    Bang, bang, bang, bangbang~


    Seeing this, Lao Lu also began firing on these people.


    "Kill them all, don''t let a single one go," Li Yu shouted.


    Dapao and Li Hang exchanged glances; this was how Big Brother used to be, right? They had just thought he had changed after he talked so much earlier.


    To kill them all, that was Li Yu''s style.


    Those who didn''t know their own strength, those who hadn''t faced major setbacks, it was luck, not proof they were right.


    There will always be someone to teach them a lesson.


    Luo Hu''s head burst open in an instant, and the rest of the people fell to the ground after being hit.


    There were 12 people in total, including the two blown up by the hand grenade that Li Yu initially held; 12 bodies lay there.


    Li Yu walked around and didn''t see anyone else.


    Finally, he shouted at Li Hang and Dapao who were still stabbing the bodies: "Fucking hell, stop stabbing, they''re already dead like this, what the hell are you poking at?"


    Wondering if it was his influence, Dapao and Li Hang were showing some psychopathic violence.


    Get in the car.


    No need to deal with these bodies anymore. After their heads were separated, they wouldn''t turn into zombies.


    After they left, the snow would naturally bury these bodies.


    In the car, Li Hang wiped his long knife with a cloth and said,


    "Bro, why were you talking nonsense with them just now? Could''ve just shot them directly, why didn''t you kill them earlier? After all, they blocked the gate here.


    It looked like they were waiting for us to get out of the car so they could ambush us, why were you planning on letting them go later?"


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu casually responded, "The tiger''s corpse, did you guys see it just now?"


    When he said this, everyone seemed to understand something, yet were still somewhat confused.


    Seeing the puzzled looks, Li Yu explained, "At first, I didn''t kill them partly because of Lao Lu''s sake, to give them a chance to live."


    Li Hang and Dapao both curled their lips, as if to say, ''Yeah, right.''


    Li Yu continued, "On the other hand, since the tiger''s corpse was missing, I initially guessed it was them, but they didn''t admit it, so it was hard to tell if it was true.


    One reason to let them go was to see if they had taken the tiger''s corpse. If it wasn''t them, then there might be other people around.


    Another reason was to have all of them come out and clean up the gate so we could gather them together to deal with them later. It saves the trouble of any escaping fish."


    "So that''s how it is."


    "I get it now."


    "That''s what I thought."


    Li Yu gazed out the window at the snow, his eyes filled with contemplation: If it wasn''t them, who had taken the tiger''s corpse?

 Chapter 348 - 340: Inventorying the Gains

    Big Camphor Tree Base. Weng City.


    Flurries of snow fluttered down, landing on everyone.


    Everyone''s clothes were covered with snowflakes. Li Yu walked from the car to the rest area that had been converted into a Research Room.


    As soon as he entered the Research Room, a wave of heat hit him. Since they had decided to make this place into a temporary research room, they had simply reinforced the room.


    Then they pulled in some electrical wires, and now the room was relatively warm.


    Upon entering, he saw Bai Jie dressed in a white doctor''s coat. The loose-fitting doctor''s coat, now donned by Bai Jie, could not conceal her figure.


    Her curvaceous body was especially noticeable now as Bai Jie was slightly bent over, her eyes close to the microscope, seemingly looking at something.


    Hearing the door open, Bai Jie turned her head and saw Li Yu.


    Li Yu sat down on the stool and asked, "Any findings?"


    Bai Jie frowned and said:


    "We''re still researching. From what we can see now, the virus spreads very fast and it''s continuously mutating and updating, showing great vitality.


    I need more samples, and we''re currently short of some medical equipment. I have made a list; could you please bring some back if you come across them while you''re out?"


    Li Yu took the list passed to him by Bai Jie and glanced over it, noticing some items that he didn''t recognize. So he said:


    "There are some items on this list that I''ve never seen before. How will I find them?"


    Bai Jie said: "Look at the remarks on the back, there are descriptions of what these items look like, and usually, the equipment will be labeled with their names."


    Li Yu nodded and said: "Alright, when we go out, we will look for these items."


    Bai Jie smiled, sat down, then glanced at the door. Seeing the door was closed, she leaned closer to Li Yu and asked, "Was everything smooth on your trip? Did you find the inverter?"


    While talking, she unintentionally moved her delicate body closer to Li Yu.


    Li Yu, looking at the beauty spot at the corner of Bai Jie''s mouth, nodded and said:


    "There''s a snowstorm outside. Yang Tianlong got hurt, he''s now in the medical room, but fortunately, we found the inverter...


    Ouch��what are you doing?"


    Bai Jie, having taken off her gloves, reached out with one hand and grabbed little Li Yu, who was at the mercy of her clutch.


    Growing visibly with the naked eye.


    "Where''s Brother Yu?"


    "He''s inside the Research Room."


    Suddenly, Yutong''s voice was heard, and Li Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, staring at Bai Jie.


    Bai Jie smiled, withdrew her hand, then twisted her graceful body, putting on her gloves, and said, "Director Li, next time you can bring a male Zombie back, I could make a comparison..." S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knock, knock, knock��


    A knock at the door sounded, and Li Yu tucked little Li Yu away and stood up to open the door.


    He opened the door.


    Yutong was wearing a hat covered in snowflakes, and she said: "Brother Yu, I was looking for you just now. Did you get hurt? I saw Yang Tianlong looked like he was injured..."


    Li Yu said with a smile: "It''s fine waiting inside the base; I''m not injured. Let''s go back."


    Then he brushed off the snow on Yutong''s hat with his hand.


    As soon as he stepped out of the door, as if he remembered something, he turned his head and said to Bai Jie, "The equipment you mentioned earlier, I will help look for it when I''m out."


    "Thank you, Director Li," said Bai Jie, politely and graciously.


    Except for Yang Tianlong who had returned to the base earlier due to his injuries, everyone else stayed in Weng City for about fifteen minutes more.


    And then they drove towards the residential area.


    On the vehicle, Li Yu said to Li Hang:


    "Xiao Hang, once we get there, directly replace the inverter, and also think of a way to protect it from the elements like wind, rain, and snowstorms.


    For the photovoltaic side, check if there are any other issues, and perform a comprehensive inspection.


    Moreover, all the electronic products we brought back from the electronics wholesale market, let''s store them in the underground warehouse we used previously, that place has been secured, it''s waterproof and moisture-proof."


    Li Hang nodded and replied, "Got it, Brother Yu. I''ll go and do it as soon as we get off."


    Li Yu continued, "Dapao, help Xiao Hang later."


    Dapao, driving the car, responded, "All right."


    Before long, everyone arrived inside the base.


    As people disembarked from the vehicle, Second Uncle and others were already waiting for them there.


    Li Yu said to Second Uncle, "Second Uncle, let''s move the stuff to the warehouse first, in addition to the inverters, we also got some other electronic products."


    Second Uncle nodded and said, "Mhm, okay, you guys go rest, we''ll handle the moving."


    Then he called over some workers and others to help with the moving, and with everyone''s collective effort, the items were quickly relocated to the warehouse.


    Holding a notebook, Second Uncle checked the list with Li Yu: "Xiao Yu, I just made a count, there are 35 inverters, a total of 135 photovoltaic panels, 35 chip capacitors, 13 high-capacity capacitors, 14 high-precision adjustable potentiometers...


    In addition to these, there are also some watches, totaling 240, digital cameras 6 units, video game devices 10 units, we even got these things.


    Also, there are 5 speakers, 5 microwaves, 23 radios...."


    As he listened on, once Second Uncle finished listing everything, Li Yu suddenly said, "Second Uncle, today Shang Xue''er said to me, if we encounter an even more powerful force, what should we do?"


    Second Uncle was taken aback at the question, frowned, and said, "What do you think?"


    Li Yu didn''t speak, his gaze flashing with thoughtfulness as he replied, "Second Uncle, I want to hear what you think."


    After thinking for a while, Second Uncle stayed silent for two minutes before finally speaking:


    "I''ve always had this concern. Actually, both Third Uncle and I were worried about your state before. During that time, we killed a lot of zombies, and quite a few people as well.


    But later on, I realized that a lot of what you did was prescient. If we had let those thousands of refugees in, we might''ve ended up like Jiefang City, destroyed.


    When I was in business, I knew one thing: interest drives human nature, especially in a post-apocalyptic world.


    Right now, our base is relatively stable because we have provided them with enough benefits to survive.


    However, if there comes a day when no one can fill their bellies, then everything will fall apart.


    We need to become stronger and have more people, but we must also have enough benefits to offer them; in other words, we need to be able to feed them.


    Currently, with droughts followed by heavy rains and then blizzards, we don''t have enough food to support everyone.


    I think our current approach is correct, to develop steadily amidst stability."


    Li Yu let out a long sigh of relief. He had been struggling with this issue too. Although he didn''t encounter any particularly powerful forces before his rebirth, that doesn''t mean they weren''t out there.


    In the post-apocalyptic world before his rebirth, many people had a very limited range of activity. In the dangerous post-apocalyptic world, people would minimize movement as long as they could find a safe place, unless they had no choice but to move to survive.


    Li Yu said, "My thoughts are similar to yours. Second Uncle, I''m going to go rest now."


    Second Uncle nodded and said, "Xiao Yu, you''ve worked hard, go and get some rest."


    Li Yu got up and walked upstairs, his mind having been on edge these past few days, he finally had a chance to properly rest for a while.

 Chapter 348 - 340: Inventorying the Gains

    Big Camphor Tree Base. Weng City.


    Flurries of snow fluttered down, landing on everyone.


    Everyone''s clothes were covered with snowflakes. Li Yu walked from the car to the rest area that had been converted into a Research Room.


    As soon as he entered the Research Room, a wave of heat hit him. Since they had decided to make this place into a temporary research room, they had simply reinforced the room.


    Then they pulled in some electrical wires, and now the room was relatively warm.


    Upon entering, he saw Bai Jie dressed in a white doctor''s coat. The loose-fitting doctor''s coat, now donned by Bai Jie, could not conceal her figure.


    Her curvaceous body was especially noticeable now as Bai Jie was slightly bent over, her eyes close to the microscope, seemingly looking at something.


    Hearing the door open, Bai Jie turned her head and saw Li Yu.


    Li Yu sat down on the stool and asked, "Any findings?"


    Bai Jie frowned and said:


    "We''re still researching. From what we can see now, the virus spreads very fast and it''s continuously mutating and updating, showing great vitality.


    I need more samples, and we''re currently short of some medical equipment. I have made a list; could you please bring some back if you come across them while you''re out?"


    Li Yu took the list passed to him by Bai Jie and glanced over it, noticing some items that he didn''t recognize. So he said:


    "There are some items on this list that I''ve never seen before. How will I find them?"


    Bai Jie said: "Look at the remarks on the back, there are descriptions of what these items look like, and usually, the equipment will be labeled with their names."


    Li Yu nodded and said: "Alright, when we go out, we will look for these items."


    Bai Jie smiled, sat down, then glanced at the door. Seeing the door was closed, she leaned closer to Li Yu and asked, "Was everything smooth on your trip? Did you find the inverter?"


    While talking, she unintentionally moved her delicate body closer to Li Yu.


    Li Yu, looking at the beauty spot at the corner of Bai Jie''s mouth, nodded and said:


    "There''s a snowstorm outside. Yang Tianlong got hurt, he''s now in the medical room, but fortunately, we found the inverter...


    Ouch��what are you doing?"


    Bai Jie, having taken off her gloves, reached out with one hand and grabbed little Li Yu, who was at the mercy of her clutch.


    Growing visibly with the naked eye.


    "Where''s Brother Yu?"


    "He''s inside the Research Room."


    Suddenly, Yutong''s voice was heard, and Li Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, staring at Bai Jie.


    Bai Jie smiled, withdrew her hand, then twisted her graceful body, putting on her gloves, and said, "Director Li, next time you can bring a male Zombie back, I could make a comparison..." S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knock, knock, knock��


    A knock at the door sounded, and Li Yu tucked little Li Yu away and stood up to open the door.


    He opened the door.


    Yutong was wearing a hat covered in snowflakes, and she said: "Brother Yu, I was looking for you just now. Did you get hurt? I saw Yang Tianlong looked like he was injured..."


    Li Yu said with a smile: "It''s fine waiting inside the base; I''m not injured. Let''s go back."


    Then he brushed off the snow on Yutong''s hat with his hand.


    As soon as he stepped out of the door, as if he remembered something, he turned his head and said to Bai Jie, "The equipment you mentioned earlier, I will help look for it when I''m out."


    "Thank you, Director Li," said Bai Jie, politely and graciously.


    Except for Yang Tianlong who had returned to the base earlier due to his injuries, everyone else stayed in Weng City for about fifteen minutes more.


    And then they drove towards the residential area.


    On the vehicle, Li Yu said to Li Hang:


    "Xiao Hang, once we get there, directly replace the inverter, and also think of a way to protect it from the elements like wind, rain, and snowstorms.


    For the photovoltaic side, check if there are any other issues, and perform a comprehensive inspection.


    Moreover, all the electronic products we brought back from the electronics wholesale market, let''s store them in the underground warehouse we used previously, that place has been secured, it''s waterproof and moisture-proof."


    Li Hang nodded and replied, "Got it, Brother Yu. I''ll go and do it as soon as we get off."


    Li Yu continued, "Dapao, help Xiao Hang later."


    Dapao, driving the car, responded, "All right."


    Before long, everyone arrived inside the base.


    As people disembarked from the vehicle, Second Uncle and others were already waiting for them there.


    Li Yu said to Second Uncle, "Second Uncle, let''s move the stuff to the warehouse first, in addition to the inverters, we also got some other electronic products."


    Second Uncle nodded and said, "Mhm, okay, you guys go rest, we''ll handle the moving."


    Then he called over some workers and others to help with the moving, and with everyone''s collective effort, the items were quickly relocated to the warehouse.


    Holding a notebook, Second Uncle checked the list with Li Yu: "Xiao Yu, I just made a count, there are 35 inverters, a total of 135 photovoltaic panels, 35 chip capacitors, 13 high-capacity capacitors, 14 high-precision adjustable potentiometers...


    In addition to these, there are also some watches, totaling 240, digital cameras 6 units, video game devices 10 units, we even got these things.


    Also, there are 5 speakers, 5 microwaves, 23 radios...."


    As he listened on, once Second Uncle finished listing everything, Li Yu suddenly said, "Second Uncle, today Shang Xue''er said to me, if we encounter an even more powerful force, what should we do?"


    Second Uncle was taken aback at the question, frowned, and said, "What do you think?"


    Li Yu didn''t speak, his gaze flashing with thoughtfulness as he replied, "Second Uncle, I want to hear what you think."


    After thinking for a while, Second Uncle stayed silent for two minutes before finally speaking:


    "I''ve always had this concern. Actually, both Third Uncle and I were worried about your state before. During that time, we killed a lot of zombies, and quite a few people as well.


    But later on, I realized that a lot of what you did was prescient. If we had let those thousands of refugees in, we might''ve ended up like Jiefang City, destroyed.


    When I was in business, I knew one thing: interest drives human nature, especially in a post-apocalyptic world.


    Right now, our base is relatively stable because we have provided them with enough benefits to survive.


    However, if there comes a day when no one can fill their bellies, then everything will fall apart.


    We need to become stronger and have more people, but we must also have enough benefits to offer them; in other words, we need to be able to feed them.


    Currently, with droughts followed by heavy rains and then blizzards, we don''t have enough food to support everyone.


    I think our current approach is correct, to develop steadily amidst stability."


    Li Yu let out a long sigh of relief. He had been struggling with this issue too. Although he didn''t encounter any particularly powerful forces before his rebirth, that doesn''t mean they weren''t out there.


    In the post-apocalyptic world before his rebirth, many people had a very limited range of activity. In the dangerous post-apocalyptic world, people would minimize movement as long as they could find a safe place, unless they had no choice but to move to survive.


    Li Yu said, "My thoughts are similar to yours. Second Uncle, I''m going to go rest now."


    Second Uncle nodded and said, "Xiao Yu, you''ve worked hard, go and get some rest."


    Li Yu got up and walked upstairs, his mind having been on edge these past few days, he finally had a chance to properly rest for a while.

 Chapter 349 - 341: Patrolling the Base

    Li Yu returned to the bedroom and put on a soothing, melodious song before lying down on the sofa for a while.


    A few minutes later, he headed to the bathroom for a hot shower.


    The warm water cascading down and the steam rising made Li Yu feel much more relaxed from head to toe.


    Facing the issue with Shang Xue''er today reminded him of many people who had died by his hand.


    He felt somewhat oppressed inside; he knew that killing those people was the right thing for him, but for some reason, he always felt a bit heavy-hearted.


    After the shower, he changed into warm loungewear, brewed a cup of hot tea, and sat in the rattan chair on the balcony, idly watching the snowflakes falling outside the window.


    This snowfall is also close to an end, isn''t it?


    He felt somewhat exhausted, as if all the energy in his body was drained.


    The heating continued, making the room very warm.


    Li Yu slowly drifted off to sleep in the cozy room.


    He didn''t know how long he had slept when he felt something wet on his face.


    Upon opening his eyes, he saw three little wolf pups licking his face.


    "Tie Zhu, Dog Egg, Cui Hua, ah. It''s good to be you guys, without any worries," Li Yu teased the three little wolf pups.


    "Aw, aw, aw,"


    The trio were still being rambunctious, and Li Yu instantly realized they were hungry.


    He glanced at the empty food dishes that had been cleaned out and went downstairs to prepare something for the puppies.


    Seeing Li Yu''s actions, the three little ones excitedly gathered around him.


    "Don''t panic, there''s enough for everyone," Li Yu said with a smile.


    The charm of cute pets warmed the heart, and Li Yu felt his fatigue and irritation on the way seemed to relax at that moment.


    Li Yu stroked the smooth fur of the wolf pups, it was warm and soft, very pleasant to touch.


    After feeding the pups, Li Yu went downstairs.


    He had returned late yesterday after moving all the electronic equipment and, feeling tired, had not gone to see Yang Tianlong.


    Li Yu went downstairs with some breakfast and headed to the infirmary.


    Before entering the infirmary, he heard the laughter of Yang Tianlong.


    Upon entering, he saw Shang Xue''er looking at Yang Tianlong with a speechless expression.


    Seeing this, Li Yu said, "I was too late yesterday and didn''t come to see you. I was worried about your condition, but now you seem so happy. Tell me about it."


    Yang Tianlong said with a laugh, "Just now, I was saying... ouch."


    Meanwhile, Shang Xue''er twisted Yang Tianlong''s waist with one hand, and his smiling face quickly turned into a bitter melon face.


    "It''s nothing, it''s nothing, Little Yu. I was just joking," Yang Tianlong hastened to say.


    Li Yu, noticing their little antics, didn''t pry further. This Yang Tianlong had truly stumbled onto some dumb luck.


    A narrow escape from death often leads to good fortune.


    Li Yu then looked at Yang Tianlong''s arm, which was set in a cast, and asked, "How''s the injury?"


    Yang Tianlong replied, "It''s not a big deal anymore, Dr. Meng said it was a dislocated fracture, and I''ll be fine with some rest."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu finally felt relieved and handed over the breakfast he was holding to Shang Xue''er, who accepted it.


    "All right then, Shang Xue''er, you can take care of Tianlong. I''ll be leaving now and won''t disturb you two."


    Shang Xue''er, hearing the first part, was about to respond, but stopped short after hearing the latter part, holding back the urge to speak.


    Explaining too much now would just sound like a guilty conscious, and besides, Yang Tianlong had saved her, and she held some fondness for this big fool.


    Yang Tianlong laughed and said, "Little Yu, take care, take care, hahaha."


    Sure enough, Shang Xue''er twisted Yang Tianlong''s waist again.


    "Hisss�C ah!"


    Li Yu, hearing those somewhat perverse groans of pain, left speechless. Some people just enjoy that kind of play. Shang Xue''er, who was skilled in the martial arts, was an impressive woman, but the two of them were quite a match.


    But this Shang Xue''er seemed to have a bit of a temper. Li Yu shook his head; it wasn''t his problem. It looked like Yang Tianlong was going to have his hands full in the future.


    After leaving the infirmary, Li Yu went to the surveillance room, where optimistic Xiao Han was on duty today.


    She saw Li Yu coming on the surveillance screen, so she stood up and said to him, "Director Li."


    Li Yu saw her stand up and gestured with his hand, saying, "It''s fine, no need to stand, please sit."


    "Okay." The optimistic Xiao Han sat back down.


    "Director Li, did you need me for something?" asked the optimistic Xiao Han.


    Li Yu smiled and said, "Just taking a walk. Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?"


    Optimistic Xiao Han replied, "Nothing much. It''s all white out there, and it''s hurting my eyes. With this heavy snow, who knows when it will stop. It''s a bit boring staying in this surveillance room, some sunflower seeds to crack and eat would be nice..."


    Li Yu looked at this optimistic Xiao Han speechlessly, her nickname was certainly well-earned.


    She really was optimistic, and also quite chatty.


    "Alright, continue to monitor things here, I''m going to check out the other areas," said Li Yu, and then he left the surveillance room. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After leaving the surveillance room, he found Li Hang in the electrical control room at the mountain top.


    Fortunately, the electrical control room had heating, but since Li Hang had to come in and out, he didn''t take off his thick clothes for convenience.


    Seeing him dressed in thick clothes and busy, Li Yu said:


    "You''re up early. Didn''t you go back yesterday?


    You don''t need to rush things. Just getting the inverter switched is good enough, the troubleshooting we can take care of slowly."


    Li Hang saw his older brother coming and didn''t stop his hands, saying:


    "Bro, you''re here.


    I did go back yesterday. Early this morning, they said there was a problem with the water heater, so I checked it and the heater was fine, it must be an electrical failure.


    The inverter has been installed and is working fine.


    Tomorrow I''ll add some more batteries we got from the electronics wholesale market to increase our storage capacity significantly."


    Li Yu nodded, watching his younger brother working so diligently, he felt very reassured.


    His younger brother had become really reliable.


    Then he looked around and did not see Dapao''s figure, so he asked, "Where''s Dapao?"


    Li Hang pointed to a place and said, "Brother Pao is over there in the residential area. Once I''m done here and do a test, he''ll give me feedback."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Okay, if you are outside, don''t catch a cold, make sure you stay warm. Got it?"


    Li Hang replied, "I got it."


    Li Yu then came down from the top of the mountain.


    He walked around the perimeter wall, interacted with the duty staff for a while, and everything was operating normally.


    After taking a round through the base, it was already noon.


    After lunch, Yutong came to find him, entering Li Yu''s room.


    Playing with the several little wolf-dogs, she suddenly said, "Brother Yu, I heard from Old L�� about some troubles you guys encountered.


    Next time, I want to join you when you go out, can I?"


    Li Yu felt a warmth in his heart, squatted down, hugged Yutong, and as he smelled the pleasant scent of her hair, he said, "Okay."


    Yutong felt the embrace from behind, turned her head, and also hugged Li Yu.


    "Brother Yu."


    "Hmm?"


    "I missed you."


    "I''m right here."


    "Yeah, I missed you."


    .....


    -------


    It''s annoying, really want to make a mass release, but I''m stuck with writer''s block these last two days.


    Now I understand why no one writes about post-apocalyptic settings without fantasy elements and superpowers, it''s really hard to write...


    But I''m stubborn; I said no superpowers, no system, so I won''t include them.


    I''ll adjust, and I will do my utmost to present you with amazing content.

 Chapter 350 - 342: Annual Summary and New Year Planning

    The apocalypse began the year before last, and over a year has passed since then.


    Li Yu and his group have experienced the initial chaos of zombies, droughts, heavy rains, blizzards, attacks from refugees, and multiple assaults by zombie tides.


    They have all persevered.


    Under Li Yu''s leadership, the Big Camphor Tree Base not only didn''t decline like Jiefang City but became even stronger. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ....


    Time moved on to the end of January 2024.


    The Spring Festival had passed over a week ago.


    Inside the meeting hall.


    Li Yu gathered everyone for an internal summary meeting.


    It covered last year''s annual summary and plans for the new year.


    The attendees were core members of the base, including Father Li, Grandpa Li, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Li Hang, Li Yuan, Uncle, Ding Jiu, Song Min, Old Lv, Old Xie, Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Yutong, Lai Dongsheng, Bai Jie, Teacher Liu, An Ya...


    Li Yu looked at the people in front of him, feeling emotional.


    He gestured to Li Yuan to start the report.


    Li Yuan stood up, glanced at everyone, and then said:


    "Up till now, the population of the base has reached 113, with 96 adults.


    In the base, we adopt a policy where everyone is a soldier; everyone knows how to shoot, and everyone has killed a zombie.


    Although supplies in the base have been consumed, through our own planting and harvesting; and searching outside, the stock of food, mainly staples, remains stable with no increase or decrease.


    The rice stock remains at 80 tons, flour at 30 tons, salt at 26 tons, and peanut oil at 2 tons...


    Currently, in the underground planting facility, we are adopting vertical and stacked planting methods which are highly efficient in space utilization; the planting area reaches 5 acres for rice and 4 acres for potatoes.


    Other fruits and vegetables were just harvested last month, nearly 1000 pounds...


    Furthermore, some lands covered in snow and hillside terraces in the mountains are currently unutilized.


    The total cultivated area adds up to 28 acres.


    As for the base''s walls, from an initial 6 meters, they have been continuously increased and fortified, reaching 12 meters; the observation tower even reached 18 meters, allowing one to see distant objects on the national highway just by using a telescope.


    Regarding weaponry, the base now possesses nearly 1000 firearms, including submachine guns, handguns, machine guns, rocket launchers;


    Ammo consumption has been moderate recently, but still reached nearly a million rounds.


    Additionally, some crossbows gathered from the county and the city now number 89, including twenty high-strength modern compound crossbows that cost tens of thousands each.


    Before finding the military base, we also produced some arrows, which had satisfactory results.


    These arrows were made from trees cut from outside the base, fitted with iron arrowheads, totaling 10900 arrows.


    For vehicles, there are 25 in total, most parked under the base''s inner walls, with three or four cars parked in Weng City.


    Among these 25 vehicles, one carries a 10-ton diesel tanker, one Unimog, one riot car, five off-road vehicles, one large bus, five new energy vehicles...


    Many of these vehicles were collected from outside the base, and some are discarded after a few uses.


    Outside the base, especially in the county city, cars can be found everywhere.


    ...."


    The people below listened to Li Yuan announcing one figure after another, feeling a strong sense of security.


    The current food reserves are their most significant safeguard.


    Upon hearing about these food reserves, Li Yu also pondered something. The current 28 acres of land, before Captain Lv and Bai Jie joined, roughly supported seventy to eighty people, even a little more surplus.


    As they are located in Lingnan, disregarding various disasters, the land yields three crops a year, and one acre can sustain three people.


    Regarding their planting schedule in the south:


    1. Early rice:


    Usually planted at the end of March or beginning of April, the harvest season is mid to late July.


    It is generally cultivated early, matures early, with a growth period of about 90-120 days.


    2. Medium rice:


    Usually planted from early April to the end of May, the harvest season is mid to late September.


    Medium rice is suitable for cultivation in most areas and its development varies greatly depending on the region and climate, generally having a growth period of about 120-150 days.


    3. Late rice:


    Generally planted in late June, the harvesting season is in early October. Its growing period is relatively long, and the maturation period is relatively late, with a growing period of about 150-170 days.


    In the southern part of North China, an acre of winter wheat yields 800 jin, which can only sustain one person, similar to Northeast and Northwest where only one person can be supported per year.


    Last year, three seasons were planted throughout the year. If it were not for the large amount of water stored in the reservoir, only two seasons could have been planted last year.


    After Li Yuan finished reporting the latest organized information, Li Yu nodded and said:


    "Okay, Uncle, please talk about the situation regarding the base''s duty and defense."


    Liu Jianwen nodded, stood up, and said: "Currently, the base''s defense is equipped with 5 duty offices and 1 monitoring room, totaling 300 cameras,


    and currently has 96 adult personnel.


    Everyone must take turns on duty, and personnel shifts are not fixed.


    Currently, there are 6 people fixed on the surrounding wall, 4 patrolling personnel, and 2 people inside the duty offices.


    ..."


    Then, Li Yu looked at everyone and said: "Our base is getting more crowded, and in the future, there may be even more people.


    However, I believe everyone is very clear about one thing, especially you, Captain Lv, coming from Jiefang City, might feel this more intensely ��without food, having more people is useless.


    If not united, the more people we have, the faster we die.


    Regarding the base''s plans, we definitely need to go big, but we must prioritize stability.


    Build high walls, store ample food, increase strength.


    Now with the unpredictability of natural disasters, everyone needs to be more crisis-aware.


    Now that we have more people, I''d also like to clarify everyone''s responsibilities here:


    Li Hongda (Second Uncle) and Liu Jianwen (Uncle), responsible for the overall management inside the base, jointly have the leading authority when I''m not here.


    Li Hongda mainly handles the internal basic order and deals with various emergency situations.


    Liu Jianwen is in charge of managing the duty personnel on the walls.


    We have three standing combat teams:


    One led by me, including Dapao, Yang Tianlong, Li Tie, Li Gang, Li Hang, Song Min, and others.


    Third Uncle leads Xie Weishan, Lai Dongsheng, Shang Xue''er, and some former Armed Police personnel.


    Uncle leads, with Captain Lv as deputy team leader, leading Wang Cheng, Xie Weishan, and others.


    Li Yuan is responsible for base logistics, including the entry and exit of materials.


    Li Hongyuan (Father) and Ding Jiu mainly handle the internal construction of the base.


    An Ya and Li Yushi (Grandpa) are responsible for planting and breeding inside the base.


    Meng Yu and Li Yuan are in charge of the medical room.


    Teacher Liu and Lai Xiyue are responsible for the children''s education.


    Bai Jie is in charge of the Research Room.


    ..."


    In each of these three combat teams, we integrate the new arrivals into the base, assigned according to their capabilities, and fill into various groups.


    This includes, initially, Song Min''s group of sisters, some of Li Yu''s adult cousins, Captain Lv and some of his Armed Police members, and some workers led by Ding Jiu at the beginning.


    We must guard against internal chaos; if internal affairs are in disarray, external matters are needless to say.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, surviving for a year, if anyone can survive, is no simple character.


    Hearing Li Yu''s arrangements, no one had objections, nor dared to object; everyone who could enter the base had been carefully selected.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, one careless mistake could lead to disaster.


    Li Yu, seeing that no one had objections, continued, "Okay, then let''s talk about this year''s new plans,


    I plan to push the surrounding wall outwards during mid-year, expanding by approximately 5 acres. That is about a distance of 20 meters outward.


    Additionally, although we frequently went out to search for materials last year, many things are now consumed and are hard to produce, such as bullets.


    This is a great challenge, but we can try to tackle it.


    Regarding personnel training...."


    Li Yu talked a lot, and everyone listened carefully. Although they had always been doing this, many things had not been clearly stated, and everyone was somewhat unclear.


    Now having it clarified, everyone had a clearer goal.


    Knowing which direction to head in and knowing the ultimately required objective.


    ......

 Chapter 351 - 343: Young People Really Know How to Have Fun

    Entering February, the light snow had also stopped.


    The temperature continued to rise, reaching minus twenty degrees.


    During the intense sunshine at noon, it could reach minus ten degrees.


    Having gotten used to temperatures below minus forty degrees, everyone now felt that when the wind blew, it no longer felt like a knife scraping against their skin.


    Everything seemed to be changing for the better.


    .....


    In this blizzard, many people died.


    In fact, when the apocalypse first erupted unexpectedly, only one in ten people survived.


    During the subsequent torrential rains, with zombies going mad, humanity faced even greater devastation.


    In those torrential rains, in those repeated Zombie Tides, the number of humans dropped to one in a hundred.


    Later, extreme weather such as droughts and blizzards led to many people dying not from zombies, but from starvation.


    There were also many riots and fights over food crises, leading to drastic drops in the human population once more.


    Xin City.


    This small Southern City that used to have a population of a million, after enduring many hardships over the past year, especially this blizzard


    Now has a total population of less than 6000.


    Most people were scattered, forming groups of a few to a dozen people, distributed in hundreds of villages, deep forests, or urban areas.


    .....


    In the new district of Xin City.


    Small commodities wholesale market.


    Several people wearing thick coats cautiously approached the entrance.


    But the gate was blocked by snow, and the leading man frowned slightly, looking at the gate covered by snow, motioning to a man beside him:


    "Wan Nian, get a shovel. The gate is blocked by snow."


    Hearing the man calling him, the one named Wan Nian, took a shovel from his backpack and handed it to a woman next to him, and together they started to clear the snow.


    The leading man kept a vigilant watch around, holding a Crossbow in his hand.


    Dong~


    The man named Wan Nian, while shoveling, struck the iron gate directly with the tip of the shovel, creating a loud noise.


    "Keep it down." The leading man, wearing a hat, turned back and whispered sternly.


    Wan Nian retorted with a grimace, "Listen, Wan Ge, the zombies are all frozen now, what are you afraid of? Do we really need to be this cautious?"


    The woman shoveling snow next to him, hearing this, shoveled half a shovel of snow and waved it, replying unsubtlely:


    "Safety first, if it weren''t for Wan Ge, we would have been dead long ago, following Wan Ge''s lead is never wrong."


    Wan Nian disdainfully said: "I say, on our journey south, we have passed through so many places and are still alive, what''s there to be afraid of."


    The leading man glared at him with an icy look, causing Wan Xin to tremble slightly.


    Then he shook off the snow on his body and muttered a few words, but dared not to speak further.


    Holding the shovel, he continued to clear the snow, and soon the snow on the large iron gate was cleaned up by the two.


    Wan Nian, looking at the rusty iron lock, said, "Wan Ge, it''s locked."


    Wan Ge glanced at the lock, then turned to another man who was holding a Long Knife and vigilantly watching the surroundings, and said, "Xiao Ma, go pick the lock. Quickly."


    Xiao Ma, with a buzz cut and no hat, took off his earmuff, and asked, "Wan Ge, what did you say?"


    Wan Ge repeated, "Go pick the lock, it''s time for your skills to shine."


    Xiao Ma nodded, "Alright, just watch me."


    He stepped forward, Wan Nian and the women made way, Xiao Ma walked to the iron gate, and from somewhere on his body pulled out two thin wires.


    Slowly, he inserted them into the iron lock, held his breath, and concentrated as he jiggled the wires.


    One minute passed.


    The lock still wasn''t open.


    Wan Nian mockingly said,


    "I say, Ma Ge, you haven''t used this for too long, have your skills gotten rusty? This isn''t like you, you used to open locks in just ten seconds, why is it taking so long now?"


    Xiao Ma ignored him, his expression shifted slightly, and said,


    "Don''t talk, this lock must have been soaked before, it''s a bit rusty. Don''t distract me."


    Wan Nian wanted to say more, but was stopped by Wan Ge, "Wan Nian, no talking, let Xiao Ma focus on opening the door."


    His tone was a bit harsh. This Wan Nian, if he hadn''t always followed him, though sometimes tactless, his loyalty was clear, otherwise, he would have driven him away long ago.


    Click~


    A faint sound, and the large iron lock clicked open and fell to the ground.


    "It''s open, Wan Ge. Should we go straight in?" Xiao Ma looked back and asked.


    Wan Ge stepped forward a few steps, and said, "Yes, go in and check, the door is locked.


    This place might not have been searched before, maybe there''s a lot of resources inside."


    Hearing what Wan Ge said, a smile of excitement appeared on Wan Nian''s face, "Finally, we''ve found a good spot, let''s go, I''ll open the gate."


    As soon as the words fell, he walked forward and slowly pushed up the gate.


    Just as the gate was opened by one third, a man ran over from about fifteen meters away, hastily saying, "Someone is coming."


    Wan Ge frowned upon hearing this, and whispered, "How many people?"


    "Three, two men and one woman."


    Wan Ge quickly said, "Wan Nian, lower the gate, we need to hide."


    Having said that, he walked toward the pillar next to the gate.


    Behind the pillars were two abandoned vehicles, Wan Nian and the others, without fuss, followed Wan Ge immediately.


    The man walking last was clearing his footprints as he moved.


    Before long, the sound of a few people talking could be heard.


    ...


    A youthful voice, sounding a bit resentful, spoke, "Xiaokui, you''re sleeping with me tonight. Yesterday was Dayong''s turn, today it''s mine.


    Didn''t we agree I take the odd days and Dayong the even ones?


    Yesterday was Dayong''s, today it''s my turn."


    Then, a young girl''s voice followed, "Last night Dayong gave me a pack of Teddy Bear cookies.


    You know I love Teddy Bear cookies the most, and you never give me any, why should I sleep with you?"


    The man who spoke earlier continued, "But, but we had an agreement, remember? If it comes to that, I even bought you a car and a house before. Those cost way more than some cookies."


    Xiaokui, the girl, sighed and said, "Yuan Chong, I know you''ve been good to me.


    But that was before the zombie outbreak. Look at us now, do cars and houses still matter?


    I have you in my heart, but Dayong has been kind to me, I can''t just not reciprocate,


    you''re making it difficult for me."


    Another man interjected, "Exactly, if you hadn''t met Xiaokui first, I would''ve driven you away by now. I''m only tolerating you because of Xiaokui."


    "What did you say? Are you looking for a fight? I''m the one tolerating you, and I don''t even like you!"


    "So what, you think I''m scared? Come at me."


    "F*ck."


    ...


    The quarreling voices grew louder, and they seemed on the verge of fighting.


    Standing between the two men, Xiaokui suddenly shouted, "Both of you stop, we came out to look for supplies, not to fight.


    If you keep this up, I''ll really get mad."


    The two men fell silent reluctantly, and Xiaokui, holding both their hands, said:


    "I love both of you so much, you completely fill my heart, and there''s no room for anyone else. In my heart, you are equally important.


    Stop fighting, okay? I just hope... that the three of us can survive well in this apocalypse..."


    As she spoke, tears began to well up in Xiaokui''s eyes.


    "Xiaokui."


    "Xiaokui."


    With eyes filled with affection, the two men looked at the woman between them, feeling guilty. Xiaokui was under so much pressure being torn between them.


    They were making things difficult for her.


    So Dayong said, "Yuan Chong, let''s drop it, for Xiaokui''s sake, let''s follow the rules tonight. You sleep with Xiaokui tonight."


    Yuan Chong glanced at Xiaokui and, to show his magnanimity, added:


    "I didn''t give Xiaokui the Teddy Bear cookies, you did, and that''s what matters��her happiness. Let''s do as Xiaokui wishes. I''ll come tomorrow."


    "It''s my turn tomorrow anyway."


    "...How about the day after tomorrow then?" Yuan Chong, his face reddening, proposed.


    Suddenly, the two men felt a tug at their hands.


    It was Xiaokui, who looked at them with tender affection and said, "Actually, the three of us could stay together, it''s warmer."


    The men exchanged glances, a spark of exhilaration in their eyes.


    This was a good solution.


    ...


    About 20 meters from them, behind a discarded vehicle near a pillar,


    Five people were hiding.


    Xiaoma whispered, "These youngsters sure know how to have fun."


    Wan Nian remarked, "I really want to join their happy family."


    The woman nearby looked at him with disdain, "You guys, really, at times like these, still thinking about this, only hang you up and you''ll settle down."


    Wan Nian chuckled, "You look so ''safe'', what would you know?"


    The woman responded, "F*ck your uncle." S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beside them, Brother Wang said, "Quiet!"


    As the trio from earlier approached, Wang and the others peered through the car window at them discreetly.


    They had imagined the girl called Xiaokui to be very beautiful, but instead, she was a mustached woman, probably weighing around 160 kilograms.


    Seems like this woman is really lucky, getting to stay so plump even in this apocalyptic world.


    Wan Nian suddenly fell silent upon seeing Xiaokui, looking like a wounded puppy,


    His eyes filled with a sense of insult.


    After seeing this, the woman couldn''t resist mocking, "Wan Nian, still want to join them now?"


    Wan Nian: "....."


    As the trio walked towards them, Brother Wang gestured a throat-slitting motion to the others, and they nodded.


    During their journey, they had developed an unspoken understanding.


    Waiting for the trio to come closer.


    At that moment, the man named Dayong suddenly noticed something.


    He stepped towards the large iron gate and exclaimed in panic, "The lock on this door, how did it open!"


    "What!" The other man, Yuan Chong, also seemed to realize something drastic and hurriedly moved forward to check.


    The large iron door remained, but the lock was mysteriously gone.


    Nearby snow bore signs of having been shoveled.

 Chapter 352 - 344: Entering the Zombie Lair

    Tap tap~


    A faint sound of footsteps approached.


    "Who''s there?" Dayong quickly turned around, only to have a Long Knife held to his throat.


    "Don''t move." Wan Nian threatened the man in front of him with the Long Knife pressing against his neck.


    Little Ma and Brother Wang and others also moved closer to Yuan Chong and Xiao Kui.


    Yuan Chong, holding a spear, asked in a panic, "Who are you? What the hell do you want?"


    Clang~


    Yuan Chong was suddenly attacked by a man from behind, his spear knocked to the ground.


    The man then pinned Yuan Chong to the ground.


    Little Ma kicked the standing man and ordered, "Go there, kneel down."


    After Dayong and Yuan Chong were subdued with knives to their throats, neither dared to resist, and Xiao Kui squatted down obediently beside them.


    It wasn''t until then that Brother Wang slowly said, "Why were you all so panicked just now? What is behind this door?"


    Dayong pointed to the Long Knife against his neck and said, "Can you take this away first?"


    Hearing this, Wan Nian moved the blade closer to his neck; the sharp Long Knife nicked Dayong''s throat, drawing a trickle of blood.


    Dayong hurriedly said, "No, no, I''ll speak.


    Inside, it''s full of Zombies; we escaped from there and sealed the door after we got out. I didn''t expect this heavy iron lock to be unlocked.


    Is it you who opened it?"


    Dayong looked fearfully at the five people surrounding them, each emanating a fierce aura.


    Brother Wang''s expression darkened upon hearing this. They had gone to great lengths to open the lock, and now they were being told the place was filled with Zombies? Are you kidding me?


    Brother Wang really did not want to believe what this man was saying. Was this some kind of joke to them?


    Brother Wang grumbled in displeasure, "You go and push the door open; I want to see for myself. If you lied to me, you will all be dead."


    Dayong urged hastily, "Don''t open it, ah, inside it''s all Zombies, they''ll all run out once it''s opened."


    Brother Wang said impatiently, "It''s so cold now, the Zombies would''ve turned to ice pops, hurry up and open it. Stop blabbering."


    Dayong trembled all over, turned to look at Xiao Kui, but Xiao Kui was not looking at him.


    Wan Nian pushed him, saying, "Hurry up, what are you doing?"


    Dayong stood up from the ground, shaking hands, about to push the iron door open.


    Behind him, Brother Wang, Little Ma, and others were dragging Yuan Chong and Xiao Kui away from the door.


    Wan Nian also felt a bit afraid seeing this scene.


    Although he didn''t believe it either. But could you not stand so far away...


    Whoosh~


    The iron door was suddenly pulled up, sunlight shining into the interior.


    Inside, a dense crowd of Zombies stood frozen, each of them covered in a layer of white frost, motionless.


    Under the sunlight, the Zombies close to the door slightly began to stir. None of this was noticed by Dayong and the others.


    Seeing so many Zombies, Dayong was so frightened that he immediately sat down on the ground.


    Wan Nian in the back was very courageous.


    Although he was shocked by the scene in front of him, seeing the Zombies motionless, he too was relieved.


    In the midst of this heavy snowfall, it wasn''t the first time they had encountered these ice-covered zombies.


    Long Knife mockingly pointed at Dayong on the ground and said, "What''s there to fear? These zombies can''t move."


    Dayong looked attentively and indeed, they hadn''t moved.


    Brother Wang and others further away also saw the zombies behind the gate, swarming endlessly, making their scalps tingle.


    However, seeing that these zombies were motionless, they finally put their hearts to rest.


    But just looking at them was still terrifying, after all, there were just too many zombies.


    If they could all move, then they would probably be done for.


    Brother Wang thought about it, this door had been closed for more than a year, which means many supplies inside had not been scavenged.


    Although they had encountered ice-encased zombies several times before, the surface of these zombies in front of them was not frozen with ice.


    Moreover, the current temperature was not like it had been a month ago, reaching negative forty degrees; these past two days, the temperature at noon outdoors could reach about negative ten degrees.


    He was unsure whether these zombies would wake up at this temperature.


    Because of these concerns, but still wanting to obtain the supplies inside without risking himself, it seemed he could only let these people try.


    So, Brother Wang said to Yuan Chong, "You and that guy, go in and look for supplies, we''ll wait for you at the gate."


    Yuan Chong and Xiao Kui both shook their heads and said, "We won''t go, what if these zombies wake up?"


    Brother Wang glanced at Xiao Ma, who swung his Long Knife towards Xiao Kui, chopping off half of her hair.


    Yuan Chong quickly said, "No, don''t hurt her, I''ll go, I''ll go."


    Xiao Kui, who had just been scared to death, looked at him moved and said, "Yuan Chong... you."


    Seeing Xiao Kui''s tears, Yuan Chong''s determination strengthened, "Xiao Kui, I would do anything for you, wait for me outside."


    Xiao Ma, impatient, said, "Damn it, stop dilly-dallying, hurry up, talk about this stuff when you get out."


    With the knife at his neck, Yuan Chong didn''t dare to resist and gave Xiao Kui a longing glance.


    Xiao Kui''s eyes carried encouragement as she said, "Go on, I''ll be worried about you."


    Yuan Chong nodded and walked towards the area with a resigned attitude.


    Brother Wang stood behind and shouted to Wan Nian at the big iron gate, "Let the two of them go in and find stuff, we''ll wait for them outside."


    After hearing this, Wan Nian tapped Dayong with the back of his knife and said, "Did you hear that? Don''t force me to kill you, the two of you will go in and look for stuff, don''t come out if you don''t find anything."


    Dayong said fearfully, "The temperature is rising, what if these zombies wake up?"


    Wan Nian felt uneasy; he had also thought of this just now. To scavenge for supplies they had to go in, and that was somewhat dangerous.


    However, before he could think it through, Brother Wang gave the solution: let the two of them go in to look, that would do.


    Wan Nian put his spear on Dayong''s neck and said, "Relax, these zombies are all frozen solid, they won''t move. You just go in, find the stuff and come out, then I''ll let you go. Otherwise... huhuhu."


    Wan Nian moved his Long Knife closer to Dayong''s neck again, another thread of blood was drawn.


    Dayong hurriedly said, "Stop, stop, I''ll go."


    Seeing Yuan Chong walking over together, Dayong shouted to Xiao Kui, "We''re going in, take good care, wait for us to come back." S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His voice was loud.


    Pulling open the iron door, the zombies that were hit by the sunlight started to show more obvious movements.


    The chests of the zombies began to rise and fall slightly. The frost on their bodies melted into water under the sunlight.


    Yet, all this, they did not see.


    In the distance, hearing Dayong''s words, Xiao Kui, with tears in her eyes, nodded vigorously.

 Chapter 353 - 345: Zombie Awakening

    Xiao Ma and Wan Nian pushed the two inside and said, "Hurry up, be quick."


    Dayong stumbled, barely missing a Zombie, his eyes filled with hatred.


    How could he not know that although these Zombies are motionless now, they could awaken at any moment, yet had he not come in, those people would have killed him directly.


    Slowly climbing up from the ground, he carefully avoided the Zombies nearby, while Yuan Chong on the other side also cautiously moved through the many Zombies.


    Being so close to the Zombies made both of their legs shake.


    Since the apocalypse broke out, they had seen countless people devoured alive by these Zombies. Just thinking about some of those not-so-pleasant scenes made them tremble.


    Outside, Wan Nian and Xiao Ma also felt a bit of trepidation seeing so many Zombies.


    But now they had to search for food and had finally found a place that hadn''t been looted, how could they let it pass.


    Thus, Wan Nian said viciously,


    "Get in there and search, don''t waste time. If you find nothing, don''t bother coming out. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can leave."


    Inside, Dayong and Yuan Chong exchanged glances, gathered their courage, and step by step moved further inside.


    The number of Zombies at the entrance was the least, but deeper inside, there were even more.


    They held their breath, tiptoed, not daring to make any loud noises.


    After walking about ten meters in, seeing the scene in front of them, they stopped.


    The Zombies ahead were crowded together, with less than half a meter between them.


    Standing before these Zombies, they were at a loss for a moment what to do.


    Outside, Wan Nian stared intently at the Zombies in front of him.


    Drip~


    A water drop fell to the ground. He noticed under the noon sunlight, a layer of frost on these Zombies was melting.


    And the Zombies closest to the door, under the scorching sun, started trembling slightly.


    "Not good," Wan Nian thought to himself.


    He tugged at Xiao Ma beside him, whispering, "Look at those few Zombies, they seem to be moving."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Ma was about to scoff, but when he saw for himself, his eyes narrowed. They truly were moving.


    The two exchanged a glance and hurriedly walked towards Brother Wang''s direction.


    Their footsteps attracted the attention of Dayong inside, who was searching for supplies.


    The two hastily turned to look, seeing the two men at the door running outside.


    Their hearts skipped a beat.


    The same thought flashed through their minds: What''s happened?


    Thud~


    Dayong accidentally hit an advertising board on the wall and fell to the ground. S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The noise startled the Zombies at the edge of the door awake.


    Roar!


    The first Zombie howled, and those around it began to wake up as well.


    Dayong and the other person saw it clearly from behind, a sense of despair washing over them.


    The howls of these Zombies were like a button.


    The Zombies not exposed to the sunlight began to wake up as well.


    Like waves, one after another, the Zombies woke up.


    The few Zombies at the door, once awake, ran straight out, heading towards Wan Nian and the others.


    Roar!


    The Zombies roared furiously.


    Wan Nian and Xiao Ma had just run out a few meters and looked back to see a swarm of Zombies chasing after them.


    Surprisingly fast!


    Wan Nian shuddered and shouted to those in front of him, "The Zombies have woken up, run!"


    Brother Wang, always on the alert, didn''t say a word and just shouldered his backpack and ran.


    The two men followed, and the woman with Brother Wang glanced at the crouching Xiao Kui holding her head and asked, "Brother Wang, what should we do with her?"


    Without looking back, Brother Wang replied, "What does she have to do with you, just run."


    The woman looked at Xiao Kui.


    Xiao Kui saw the Zombies behind Wan Nian and the others, stood up, and looked at her with pleading eyes.


    Unfortunately, the woman was not like the two men at the large iron door. No one with Brother Wang would care about her life or death.


    In the apocalypse, you''re on your own.


    Ignoring Xiao Kui''s plea, the woman didn''t even bother to untie the ropes binding her and silently followed Brother Wang.


    Xiao Kui wailed, "Help me, don''t leave me behind."


    But neither the woman nor Brother Wang even acknowledged her.


    Wan Nian and Xiao Ma running from behind also caught up. Looking pitifully towards Wan Nian, Xiao Kui said, "Help me untie this, take me with you, I''ll be yours."


    Xiao Ma didn''t pay any attention to her, glancing at Wan Nian with a mocking look in his eyes.


    They passed Xiao Kui by.


    Hearing her words, Wan Nian felt as if he were constipated; if Xiao Kui hadn''t spoken, he wouldn''t have planned to do anything.


    But now, Xiao Ma''s look seemed to say: So that''s your taste...


    Especially recalling that earlier, he had said he wanted to join their so-called family.


    Epic social death...


    This filled him with immense humiliation; looking at this fat woman, a surge of nameless rage swelled within him.


    Wan Nian thrust the knife into the woman''s leg.


    Zi la.


    The blade sliced through the woman''s thick pants and blood flowed from the wound.


    "Ah. You... so ruthless!" After being stabbed, the woman''s balance gave way, and she toppled to the ground.


    Wan Nian glanced behind him. The Zombies, it seemed, had smelled the blood, and after months of hunger, they had become even more frenzied, running even faster.


    "Shit," Wan Nian cursed inwardly.


    He had intended to use the woman to buy some time from the pursuing Zombies, not expecting that injuring her would excite them even more.


    The Zombies were running swiftly, faster than the ones he remembered from before.


    Was this the power of hunger?


    Wan Nian shook his head; what nonsense was he thinking about in such a moment?


    Xiao Kui stared at the approaching Zombies, and that familiar terror returned.


    Trembling, she tried to squirm her overweight body to the side, but with her hands tied and her obese body, she couldn''t move well.


    She could only watch helplessly as the Zombies caught up to her.


    She wasn''t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt like the wide-open mouths of the Zombies were salivating.


    "I don''t want to die; I don''t want to die!!! Ahhh!" Amidst her screams, the woman was caught by the first Zombie that caught up.


    Biting directly into the arm.


    Tear and pull.


    The arm was ruthlessly torn off, followed by zombies burying into her belly, opening her up with their sharp teeth.


    Other zombies surrounded Xiaokui, biting and tearing at her face, neck, legs, chest, feet, arms...


    These zombies were so famished that upon catching a person, they immediately started biting and swallowing like crazy.


    Just like a swarm of locusts passing through, the original seven or eight zombies were the first to bite into this woman.


    But the dozens of zombies trailing behind seemed unsatisfied, fighting with the other zombies for their share.


    In less than 30 seconds, zombies had skittered over, like a plague of locusts!


    All that was left on the ground was a red trail, not even a sliver of bone remained.


    A woman so plump was devoured so quickly, and those who had escaped far away, like Wang Ge and the others, felt their hearts pounding.


    They hadn''t experienced being chased by zombies for a good few days.


    During the coldest times, they even doubted the zombies had disappeared, until they discovered zombies frozen in ice.


    But during that coldest period, although they nearly froze to death, they didn''t have to constantly worry about zombie attacks.


    Now, the zombies have awakened!


    Thanks to that woman, they were able to delay the zombies'' pursuit for a while, allowing Wan Nian and Xiao Ma to catch up.


    Panting heavily, Wan Nian asked, "Wang Ge, where do we go now?"


    As he ran, Wang Ge said, "Let''s get out of here first. After these zombies leave, we''ll go back in to search for supplies. For now, just run."


    The group ran towards the distance.


    Dozens of famished, crazed zombies followed behind.


    ...


    Inside the large iron gates.


    At the same time as the zombies awoke, Dayong and his companion were panic-stricken and at a loss.


    They were inside a pile of zombies, with newly awakened zombies outside, and even more zombies inside, which were still asleep.


    Fortunately, the few awake zombies ran straight outside.


    Dayong and his companion sighed in relief.


    Looking at the two men fleeing, Dayong commented with relief, "Serves them right for making us come here."


    Roar!


    Just as they were relaxing, a few zombies beside them woke up as well.


    Damn it, all is lost!


    This was the first thought that flashed through their minds.


    Surrounded by zombies, how could they run!


    But they weren''t the kind to wish for death, and they began pushing through the zombies, still not fully awake.


    Suddenly, Dayong saw a small door no more than four meters away.


    A storage room!


    But this place was in the thick of the crowded mass of zombies.


    Near the door, some zombies had already awakened.


    Some zombies around them were waking up.


    Those zombies four meters away trembled slightly but had not yet come to.


    Dayong said, "Go there, let''s take a chance!"


    Obviously, they couldn''t rush through the entrance; there were over a dozen zombies blocking the door, and the entrance was so narrow that once they got through, the zombies behind would awaken and follow.


    "Okay," Yuan Chong said.


    Due to the cold, they were both wearing a lot of clothes.


    The two squeezed through the zombie crowd like people crowding onto trains during the Spring Festival.


    Because it was so packed, some zombies'' faces were less than 2 centimeters away from theirs.


    Being so close, they could even see the texture of the zombies'' skin, black and white, with a decaying scent.


    And it seemed the zombies could smell the humans, their noses twitching as they were about to wake.


    More distance away, the zombies that had already awakened were chasing them, less than five meters behind.


    Only two meters from the small door.


    In the midst of the tightly packed Zombie Tide, those already awakened and agitated zombies were blocked by the ones about to wake.


    One meter to go.


    With the hope of survival on his face, Dayong pushed hard.


    Finally, reaching the door, he pulled with all his might.


    Suddenly.


    Click!


    A ringing sound.


    Dayong found that the door was blocked by a nearby zombie.


    Roar!


    At this moment, all the zombies around them had awakened.


    Yuan Chong stood by, seeing this scene, gritted his teeth, leaned on a zombie and gave a hard push.


    He knocked the surrounding zombies to the ground.


    Dayong quickly opened the door,


    The door was open.


    Joy surged within Dayong.


    But turning around, he saw Yuan Chong, who after pushing the zombies away, had his clothes caught by one of them.


    Enter directly or save the person?


    How to choose.


    Between life and death, Dayong bit down hard, cursing.


    His right hand grabbed Yuan Chong''s clothes and yanked hard.


    Twisting his body,


    He pulled Yuan Chong into the storage room.


    Then, as the zombies were about to catch up to them, he darted inside.


    Bang!


    The storage room door closed.


    Just by a hair''s breadth.


    Bang bang bang!


    The sound of zombies pounding on the door echoed from outside.

 Chapter 354 - 346: Capturing Zombies

    February 4th. Clear.


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Since entering February, the weather has become warmer, reaching about minus 5 degrees Celsius at noon.


    Duty room.


    Song Min and Dapao, who are now an openly couple, were on duty.


    Dapao was sitting on a stool, watching the surveillance cameras. After checking them, he said, "Min''er, I think we should go outside to the perimeter wall. It''s too stuffy in here."


    Hearing Dapao call her that, Song Min, with a cool demeanor, said, "Call me Sister Min, hmm."


    Upon hearing this, Dapao walked over and playfully slapped Song Min''s pert backside.


    Smack!


    The loud sound echoed within the room.


    Song Min felt a burning pain and, especially hearing such a loud sound, angrily exclaimed, "What are you doing!?"


    Dapao hadn''t expected the sound to be that loud either, so he said somewhat embarrassingly, "I didn''t expect it to be this loud, it just proves that you''re in good shape."


    Hearing this, shyness welled up inside Song Min, but her face remained stern. She looked at Dapao, who was apologetic, and then said, "You, turn around, let me hit you."


    Dapao, hearing this, felt quite awkward. This wasn''t really appropriate.


    Song Min took two steps forward, about to swing her hand.


    Dapao quickly dodged her and ran towards the perimeter wall.


    Song Min chased after him, "Oh, so you dare to run? It''s no longer just one hit now, I am going to hit you ten times."


    But Dapao was already looking in one direction intently. As Song Min caught up and was about to strike him,


    Dapao said, "Look over there, is that a zombie?"


    Song Min turned her head while incredulously saying, "How''s that possible? Although the temperature has risen, we haven''t seen any zombies for a long time now, how...


    There really is a zombie! Look over there too."


    Before Song Min could finish talking, Dapao also saw seven or eight zombies appear about thirty meters away.


    Song Min slowly lowered her raised hand; zombies, which hadn''t been seen for a long time, had appeared again!


    Dapao picked up the telescope from his chest and said, "You go and tell Brother Yu and the others, and I''ll keep an eye on the situation here." sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Song Min nodded and quickly returned to the duty room, grabbed the walkie-talkie, and informed Li Yu about the situation.


    .....


    A few minutes later, Li Yu, Second Uncle, Uncle and others arrived on the perimeter, watching the zombies gradually moving closer to them.


    Zombies have always had a particularly keen sense of smell, able to detect human scent from up to 2 kilometers away if humans do not mask their odors.


    The group of zombies now gathering nearby made their hearts sink.


    Actually, in the base, if not for the cold weather, they felt as if they had returned to the time before the apocalypse.


    But now, seeing these zombies again cruelly brought them back to reality; zombies still existed and in large numbers.


    They had always known that zombies wouldn''t just disappear without reason. Once the weather warmed up, these zombies would definitely return.


    However, they hadn''t expected the zombies to come back so soon.


    Caught off guard.


    Li Yu, seeing more and more zombies, but not yet a full-scale Zombie Tide, then said:


    "Keep a close watch on these zombies."


    "Additionally, personnel on duty should heighten their vigilance and report to me immediately if any abnormal situation is detected."


    At this moment, Yang Tianlong, with a bandage hanging on him, stood atop the wall, observing the zombies and suddenly remarked, "Have you guys noticed any changes in the zombies?


    Hearing this, Dapao picked up the telescope and took a closer look, then commented, "Indeed, they seem to have become much paler. But that''s normal, right? They haven''t been exposed to sunlight for several months now, so it''s normal for them to become paler."


    Yang Tianlong looked at him speechlessly and said:


    "That''s not what I meant. Don''t you feel that compared to previous zombies, these ones seem more ferocious, as if they are extremely, desperately thirsty."


    Dapao laughed and replied, "These zombies haven''t seen humans for several months, just like you haven''t eaten for months and haven''t even seen food. When they finally see some, wouldn''t they get excited?"


    "Hmm, you might have a point there," Yang Tianlong scratched his head as he spoke.


    Li Yu stood atop the wall, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes, thinking that these zombies hadn''t fed for so long and must be extremely hungry now, making them even more ferocious.


    There could even potentially be a Zombie Tide erupting.


    As Li Yu turned to head downstairs, he suddenly saw Bai Jie coming out of a room in Weng City.


    He suddenly remembered what Bai Jie had mentioned to him before, about capturing more zombies for her to study.


    Now that these zombies have appeared, it''s a good opportunity indeed.


    Li Yu stood still for a moment, then thought that going out to capture zombies would be too troublesome and risky. Maybe instead...


    Suddenly, Li Yu remembered the high-strength modern crossbow and alloy arrows he had purchased earlier.


    Maybe he could use the arrows, tie a rope to them, and then drag the zombies up.


    This way, there wouldn''t be a need to leave the base, reducing risk and making it easier to capture any particular zombie.


    After considering this, Li Yu shared his idea with Second Uncle and the others, and everyone thought it was a good idea.


    Thus, Li Hang went to get the crossbow.


    He drilled a hole in the end of the arrow, and then fitted a super-strong high-density polyethylene rope.


    Li Yu raised the crossbow, aimed at a zombie''s chest, shot straight through, and then slowly pulled it up.


    Before the zombie even reached the wall, Dapao pierced its head with a spear.


    This was just a test.


    Li Yu invited Bai Jie up to select the zombies.


    Bai Jie selected a few strong zombies, and one by one, Li Yu shot their legs and pulled them up onto the wall top.


    These zombies, seeing live humans, were exceptionally ferocious, but after being surrounded and having their teeth pulled out and secured with sturdy wire muzzles,


    They became as harmless as kittens.


    Just like that, Li Hang and Dapao escorted them to the small Research Room.


    Bai Jie looked at the twenty-square-meter room, which was already a bit cramped. Now with three zombies added, it felt even more crowded.


    So she said to Li Yu, "This Research Room seems a bit too small now, can we expand it a bit more?"


    Li Yu entered the Research Room to take a look and nodded, "It is indeed a bit small. How large do you want it?"


    Bai Jie glanced around the room and with a slight motion of her heart said:


    "I think it''s not quite appropriate to keep the Research Room here in Weng City. Weren''t we talking about expanding our territory? When we expand the base, we can allocate a separate area, right?


    It doesn''t have to be too big, a couple of hundred square meters will be sufficient. Isolate it from the internal part of the base, similar to Weng City within the wall, but not directly accessible from inside the base.


    What do you think?"


    Hearing this, Li Yu gave Bai Jie a deep look, and she did not avoid his eyes.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, "Alright, we can do that when the weather gets warmer and we begin the expansion, including redesigning your Research Room."

 Chapter 355 - 347: The Commoners Rebellion!

    Safe City.


    Area B, Building 19, Second Floor.


    Mr. Wang got up from bed, stretched a lazy yawn.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle


    His joints constantly popping.


    Standing in front of the mirror, Mr. Wang almost didn''t recognize himself, with frizzy long hair and a messy beard, looking dirty and unkempt.


    Mr. Wang thought for a moment and finally found a Dagger amidst a pile of cluttered stuff.


    There were some bloodstains on it, which he looked at with some disgust.


    He then took the Dagger and slowly walked towards the window.


    Ssssh��


    He opened the window, and like before, Mr. Wang shoveled the snow into a basin.


    The sun was fierce, and he felt the temperature in the air.


    It seemed much warmer.


    He closed his eyes, basking in the sun''s rays, half-concentrating, feeling a faint warmth on his body.


    For the past two months, whenever the sun came out, he would run to the balcony to sunbathe with the windows closed.


    Suddenly, he squinted and saw seven or eight people passing by downstairs.


    Mr. Wang hurriedly opened his eyes and took a closer look. This group of people looked a bit familiar.


    He had seen them interacting with Captain Tao on duty at the entrance when they first entered Safe City.


    This weathered-looking man leading them had almost had a conflict with Captain Tao when entering Safe City.


    Back then, because these people went out to search for supplies and had to pay too much protection fee when entering Safe City, they had argued with the duty captain.


    Mr. Wang watched these people curiously, wondering where they were going.


    These people were holding weapons, heading towards Area A.


    With a squint in his eye, Mr. Wang had a thought but was unsure.


    Clang!


    The iron basin he was holding suddenly fell to the ground, spilling snowflakes everywhere.


    Mr. Wang stood there thinking, then once again scooped up some snow and headed to a small room.


    Sticky all over, he had been longing for a bath. In the previous days, he dared not undress, as it was simply too cold.


    But now with the temperature much higher, though still below freezing, it felt like his body could endure it.


    Only, this water would definitely not be enough for a bath; he could only wipe his body down.


    As before, after burning a bed board brought up from downstairs, the water finally heated up. Mr. Wang, holding the knife, first rubbed it on the snow outside.


    After some of the bloodstains had diminished, he scooped a little hot water from the iron basin into another small basin.


    He washed the Dagger.


    He couldn''t remember if the Dagger had been used to stab a person or a Zombie.


    Just to be safe, it was better to wash it.


    After cleaning the Dagger, Mr. Wang wiped it dry with a cloth and then used a lighter to heat the surface for a while.


    When the Dagger cooled down, Mr. Wang used it to cut off his long and messy beard and hair.


    Then he took a scoop of water from the hot water basin to wash his face, looking up.


    In front of the mirror, Mr. Wang regarded his reflection:


    He looked gaunt, the skin on his cheekbones clinging to bone, his face devoid of any traces of flesh, and his eyes weary.


    Mr. Wang sighed deeply: "At least I''ve survived."


    After washing his face, he wet a towel, undressed, and wiped down his entire body.


    As he took his clothes off, his entire body was bony, just skin and bones.


    Just like that, Mr. Wang wiped his body clean, after months of not bathing.


    The water in the basin he had brought in turned pure black and murky, emitting a foul stench.


    After wiping his body, Mr. Wang felt refreshed, his spirit much improved.


    Recalling those people he had seen heading toward the villas, Mr. Wang''s eyes flickered.


    After some thought, he put on his coat and took both the Handgun and Dagger with him.


    He left home.


    He planned to take a look.


    After leaving home, he saw some people on the road, all in a hurry.


    Approaching closer, the noise from that direction grew louder.


    When he got near, he discovered hundreds of people gathered at the central square of the villa area.


    The voices were boisterous; so many people were talking that Mr. Wang couldn''t hear clearly. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the square, four factions were evident, the same ones Mr. Wang already knew.


    Old Wu, leading the military faction.


    Hua Chuanlong, leading the underworld.


    Boss Ke Hanyu.


    And that weathered man and a few others he had seen before at the entrance.


    The four factions were engaged in a heated argument.


    Mr. Wang''s position stood right behind the majority of ordinary civilians.


    Mr. Wang patted a man next to him and asked, "What''s the commotion about?"


    The man Mr. Wang tapped on the shoulder turned to look at him, feeling somewhat unfamiliar, but seeing Mr. Wang''s frail appearance, he assumed he was also one of the civilians.


    And in fact, Mr. Wang was indeed one of the civilians, only he stayed at home most of the time and rarely went out, so almost no one knew him.


    The man said, "Now that it''s warmed up a bit, and our supplies have all run out, everyone needs to go out and search for more. Then there was fighting over the distribution!


    According to past practice, Old Wu there protects our base, and then he takes 50% as protection fees;


    That man, see, the one wearing the big leather jacket, Hua Chuanlong takes 30% protection fees;


    The one with glasses, called Ke Hanyu, they take 20% protection fees.


    And these protection fees are all extracted from us, the ordinary civilians."


    Having said this, the man was also somewhat angry. They had worked so hard to search for supplies outside, and after returning, they still had to hand over more than half of their findings.


    But if they didn''t pay up, they couldn''t enter Safe City. They would have to face the Zombies alone outside.


    The man continued,


    "Originally, we were all willing, because, with so many Zombies outside, we could at least ensure our safety in Safe City, right? Old Wu and his people would protect us when encountering Zombies.


    Paying this protection fee is nothing to complain about.


    But it was agreed before, once inside Safe City, there wouldn''t be looting of supplies or killings.


    Yet in the past few months, when disputes broke out among us civilians, they neither stepped in to manage nor control the situation.


    That bunch, Hua Chuanlong and Ke Hanyu, have even come to rob us, even killing one of our civilian representatives.


    Now, only Old Zhuang, Old He, Old Sun, and a few of them are left. We need to band together to overthrow them.


    Just because we don''t have guns, that doesn''t mean they can bully us, right? We''re now talking about the distribution of the protection fees."


    Hearing this, Mr. Wang roughly had an idea about it. It was just a problem with the distribution of benefits.


    The capitalists were carving up the cake, and there was a problem with the distribution of this cake.


    And the people who were producing this cake didn''t want to do it anymore, because they weren''t getting paid for the cake they made.


    Meaning these civilians paid in supplies, but Safe City wasn''t safe anymore!


    The place was noisy! A buzzing sound filled the air.


    Suddenly.


    Bang!


    A gunshot. Old Wu fired a shot into the sky.


    The place instantly quieted down.


    Old Wu looked around sharply.


    In an instant, the people around stopped talking.


    Seeing the place had quieted down a lot, Old Wu slowly started to speak:


    "I understand everyone''s emotions. First of all, I want to apologize for not being able to protect everyone well during this cold winter, which has resulted in many deaths.


    This is our negligence!


    However, we promise that such things will not happen again.


    We hope that everyone will trust us once more.


    I believe everyone is aware of the situation this time. The weather was really too harsh, and I know how tough it was for everyone.


    We just have to get through it, and we have come through now. The temperature is gradually rising, and we need to look to the future.


    After all, doesn''t everyone want a safe place in the future?


    Otherwise, are you going to sleep rough outside, facing Zombies every day, even worrying about Zombies at night?


    Do you want your families and loved ones to live in fear?


    Just as he finished speaking, Old Zhuang from the civilian camp, the weathered middle-aged man, said,


    "How can you guarantee, with so many people dead this time, that a simple apology is enough?


    How many of your people have died? You just lightly say a few words and that''s it?


    And what about Hua Chuanlong''s men robbing our people several times? Can that just be let go?


    It''s unfair!"


    Behind him, hearing these words, the civilians were incensed, loudly chanting: Unfair.


    Their voices echoed loudly, forming a tidal wave of sound.


    Hua Chuanlong, hearing Old Zhuang point at him, unapologetically said, "Don''t you all rob each other as well? You''re fighting among yourselves, yet blame us?"


    Old Zhuang replied, "That''s our internal affair."


    Hua Chuanlong sneered, "Internal affairs? Isn''t Safe City ours? What internal affairs?"


    Old Zhuang, with anger evident on his face, harshly said, "Previously, it was us people who paid the protection fees.


    You three parties collected them, but during this cold weather, you did nothing. We are unwilling to accept the previous distribution rules.


    I suggest.


    From now on, the protection fees be reduced, from half to one-tenth.


    Otherwise, we''ll all leave Safe City."


    Hearing Old Zhuang say this put Old Wu on the back foot instantly. They were Safe City''s biggest beneficiaries, if these people all ran away,


    where would they get protection fees from? That would not do.


    So Old Wu hurriedly said, "Old Zhuang, listen, before the severe weather hit, didn''t you all live safely within Safe City?


    The past few months were an accident. So, we suggest lowering the protection fees to one-third in the future, what do you think?"


    Old Zhuang, hearing this, suddenly turned to look at a man beside Old Wu, the Captain Tao who had been on duty at the gate before.


    Old Zhuang then said,


    "Heh, you previously said you''d only take half, but what happened? Every time I come in, this Captain Tao took five-sixths. How do you expect us to live?"


    Old Wu, upon hearing this, was surprised. He had stressed repeatedly not to embezzle or take extra, yet his subordinates still did not listen.


    He knew that, even before the apocalypse, such things were common, let alone after the apocalypse.

 Chapter 359 - 350: Someone Comes Under the Wall!

    Severe winters do not stifle, for they precede the warm spring.


    This winter was indeed cold.


    But as the weather warmed up, sometimes people under the sun felt the beauty of being alive.


    Having experienced harsh weather, returning to normalcy made people recognize a unique beauty.


    Sometimes, people are disease-free and disaster-free, simply lacking money to spend, yet well-fed and clothed without worry, but still feel unhappy.


    Only when one falls ill does one realize how good it is to be healthy.


    Only when one goes bankrupt and is deep in debt does one realize how good it was to be debt-free despite earning just a few thousand a month.


    There are always people worse off, times more terrible than now.


    It is precious to be content; to lower the threshold for happiness and live in the moment, for contentment brings joy.


    For Li Yu now, he was content; he did not aspire to build the most potent force or to be a king.


    He simply wanted to protect his family well in this damned apocalypse, to provide them with ample food and clothing.


    That was enough.


    However, if someone foolishly brought trouble to them,


    his response would be just one word.


    Kill!


    Deep inside him was benevolence, but with a mastered ability, he convinced himself not to be benevolent.


    It was against human nature, but he could do it to protect his family.


    As the weather warmed up, people from every corner of the world began emerging from hiding to seek supplies.


    They had survived the winter, but now, they faced even more starving zombies.


    It was another battle for survival.


    Xin City.


    Many who escaped from Jiefang City were heading towards Xin City; a significant portion of them were residents of Jiefang City.


    After their escape, their destination was Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Among them were Bai Jie and others.


    Some people froze to death during the blizzard.


    Some dared not seek out Big Camphor Tree Base, while others decided to try.


    Some even hid outside Big Camphor Tree Base, not daring to show themselves,


    because they had seen Li Yu and others kill so many people; they knew that the people of Big Camphor Tree Base were not to be provoked.


    The refugees who had escaped from Big Camphor Tree Base had told them that these people were ruthless killers.


    Many were observing until one day, they saw Bai Jie and a few others who escaped with her appear on the high walls.


    This meant that Bai Jie and the others could join!


    Now, with the weather warming up, though it was not so cold, the number of zombies in the vicinity had increased.


    The environment had become even more dangerous and harsh.


    So, some people made up their minds.


    They planned to try joining the base.


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Noon, twelve o''clock.


    Li Haoran was on duty, enjoying a delicious lunch; today''s food was excellent.


    Stir-fried bacon with garlic sprouts, embellished with bright red chili peppers, exuding a fragrance.


    This dish was quite appetizing.


    Then there was a serving of fresh greens.


    Additionally, there was a stewed carp soup; the soup had been cooked a long time by the wife of Lai Dongsheng, who was an excellent cook.


    The soup was creamy-white, the fish flesh thoroughly stewed until it broke apart, the creamy sheen not something found in typical restaurants before the apocalypse that added mixed dairy just to make do.


    This was genuinely saut��ed fish, simmered for two or three hours to achieve this color.


    Slurp.


    Li Haoran sipped the soup, enjoying the perfect temperature and rich flavor.


    Very delicious and not fishy.


    On this cold winter day, eating white rice mixed with spicy garlic sprout bacon, followed by a sip of delicious fish soup.


    How wonderful!


    Suddenly, Li Haoyu, who was on duty with him, spoke loudly, "Brother, look at the camera on the left 3. There''s someone."


    Li Haoran heard this and nearly spilled his soup.


    "Where?"


    "Left three. There''s someone."


    Li Haoran looked up in that direction. Indeed, there was someone. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and rushed out from the duty room.


    On the wall, he crouched and looked in that direction.


    Indeed, there was someone.


    Li Haoran immediately took out the walkie-talkie and said, "Duty room at the main gate, 40 meters to the left, someone spotted."


    Li Yu, who was playing with a puppy on the sofa, heard the walkie-talkie and promptly said, "I''ll be right there."


    ....


    Generally, there are always more than ten people on watch duty on the wall.


    Among them, there are four people, working in pairs, patrolling back and forth.


    At this moment, Song Min and Dapao, who were patrolling, happened to be nearby, and upon hearing something, they quickly rushed towards the gate area.


    One minute later, Dapao and Song Min looked at the people under the wall.


    Unrecognized.


    Immediately after, another patrolling group, Lao Lu and Lao Xie, also arrived here.


    At the gateway of the wall, six people were standing at this time.


    Not far from the wall, dozens of people were standing now.


    As they approached, they killed the zombies surrounding the wall.


    Thankfully, it was twelve noon, the sun was slightly scorching, also when the zombies appeared the least.


    Otherwise, if it were night, there would be more than just these zombies under the wall.


    Lao Lu and Lao Xie looked at these people under the wall, and they looked somewhat familiar.


    The two looked at each other, confirming each other''s guess.


    These people, all were former residents from Jiefang City.


    None of them were refugees, perhaps those refugees were scared off by Li Yu and his group, and they didn''t understand why these residents still sought out Li Yu and his group.


    In the hearts of those refugees, Li Yu and his group were like gods of death.


    The people under the wall, looking up, the sunlight somewhat dazzling, they were unable to see the people standing on the wall clearly.


    Li Haoran, seeing them approaching the gate, promptly raised his rifle, shouting to the people below: "Who are you, step back, take one more step forward and you will be killed without mercy!"


    Dapao and Song Min beside him also raised their rifles, aiming at the people below.


    Had it not been for the fact that these people below only carried Long Knives used for killing zombies, they would have already opened fire.


    If these people had brought firearms, according to the rules previously set by Li Yu, they could open fire directly if they did not comply after the first warning to retreat.


    These people, seeing the guns raised by those on the wall, quickly retreated dozens of meters backward.


    The leader of the group, seeing a familiar face on the wall,


    It was Lao Lu, so he excitedly said:


    "It''s us, we are all from Jiefang City, Lao Lu, it''s us. I''m He Chao. Have you forgotten?"


    Everyone, including Dapao and Song Min, turned their gaze to Lao Lu, who awkwardly said: "Yes, I recognize them, they all come from Jiefang City. Dapao, you''ve been to Jiefang City before, you might find them somewhat familiar."


    Dapao looked carefully at the group.


    Their clothes were ragged, hair rough, covered in dirt all over, just looking at their faces, they were extremely grimy.


    How could he see clearly...


    It was at this time that Li Yu, Uncle, and Second Uncle arrived at the wall.


    Li Yu glanced at Dapao and Song Min, saying, "You two go and continue patrolling, leave this side to us.


    Also, regarding the other watch posts, has anyone noticed other people?"


    Dapao replied: "I asked just now, no one else was spotted in other directions, just people here at this gate."


    Li Yu nodded, and then said relievedly: "You guys go, remind everyone not to let down their guard."


    "Okay." After Dapao finished speaking, he and Song Min continued their patrol.


    Li Yu then turned back, looked at the dozens of people under the wall without turning around, and said:


    "Lao Lu, when I came over just now, I heard that these people below are all from Jiefang City, right?"


    Lao Lu responded: "Yes, Lao Xie and I checked just now, they are all previously from Jiefang City.


    They are all residents; after the riot broke out before, there was a conflict between the residents and the search teams..."


    Li Yu nodded, thought for a moment, and then said: "Then ask them, what exactly do these people below want to do?"


    Lao Lu was somewhat nervous, hastily replied: "Okay, I''ll ask them now." S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The people under the wall, watching the people on the wall murmured in conversation,


    were also uncertain, they had also risked coming over, had they not seen Bai Jie and others who seemed to have already joined, they wouldn''t have dared to come ask.


    Lao Lu cleared his throat and said: "He Chao, I know you, but what do you want here?"


    Upon hearing that it was indeed Lao Lu, He Chao below happily replied: "Lao Lu, after we left Jiefang City, we have been drifting around. We wanted to find you guys.


    But couldn''t find you, now we''ve come to ask if we can join your base?"


    Lao Lu''s expression became somewhat awkward, initially he also wanted to join Li Yu''s base, he had hesitated for a long time outside.


    Firstly, they were unclear about the atmosphere on Li Yu''s side, after all, Li Yu and his group were previously so decisive in killings. Having witnessed the people at Yugu Platform being killed, and then the thousands of refugees as well.


    This was simply a god of death on earth.


    In a post-apocalyptic world, all sorts of people exist, it was difficult for them to trust others, rashly joining a base meant entrusting all their safety and lives into hands of others, which was far too dangerous.


    Secondly, from past experiences they knew that the people at Li Yu''s base were very wary, very few people joined them. For Lao Lu and his group, having experienced Jiefang City, they profoundly understood that a base, if complex and disorganized and poorly managed, under the premise of human selfishness, would inevitably face ruin.


    Therefore, Li Yu''s base was very cautious about recruiting people, Lao Lu and his group had been very afraid of being rejected, at that time, they might not even have friends.


    But now, they felt fortunate.


    Fortunate for making the right decision back then, since joining the base, they had lived their happiest times after the apocalypse.


    Whether emotionally or materially.


    Now hearing He Qiang''s question below, he could fully understand, but he was also scared, afraid that the Big Camphor Tree base would repeat the mistakes.


    He did not want the Big Camphor Tree base to become like Jiefang City.


    This question, he couldn''t answer, he didn''t have the authority to answer.


    Thus, Lao Lu looked towards Li Yu.

 Chapter 360 - 351: What Can a Ton of Cement Get You? (8/9)

    Li Yu had been contemplating a matter lately.


    After the annual summary and new year planning a few days ago.


    He had been thinking incessantly about the need for the base to develop, the search for supplies, all requiring manpower. This included all kinds of supplies: cement, diesel, equipment, etc...


    But they were definitely short of hands, yet they couldn''t just let some people join without understanding them.


    Such a move would put a lot of pressure on their food supplies and management for Li Yu''s team.


    Now these people have come by, and gave Li Yu an idea in the spur of the moment.


    Since they were not familiar with these people and did not want to feed them for free,


    They could cooperate.


    They could use these people to help them find supplies outside, locate some instruments and equipment, search for materials that the base could use.


    They could even make use of them to help with the expansion of the base.


    Then provide them with a small amount of food, and through such cooperation, they could get to know them better; if they had good character, no dark history, and some abilities, then they could consider whether to accept them.


    These people in the outside world could also act as a spy for Li Yu''s base, helping to expand their horizon.


    After all, these people were always lurking around; either they all had to be killed,


    Or just wait for them to scheme against the base every day.


    Li Yu disliked the feeling of being watched all the time, it''s not his cup of tea.


    Better to channel things than to block them.


    To alleviate the calamity through work.


    Only a very small amount of food was needed to exchange for the workforce, why not?


    With this in mind, Li Yu lifted his head and spoke to He Qiang below the wall:


    "I am the person in charge of this base. My surname is Li.


    You came from Jiefang City, you should know why Jiefang City collapsed.


    Moreover, those like Old L�� who could join us have made contributions to our base; it would be unfair to them if I let you join directly.


    Besides, we can''t support so many people."


    He Qiang, upon hearing the person on top of the wall speak, wasn''t too surprised; after witnessing what happened in Jiefang City, many had understood.


    Many were clear that more people is not always better, sometimes more means a burden.


    So many mouths to feed, every single day.


    He Qiang''s heart sank in despair.


    They''re right, why should they help you?


    This is the end of the world, why should they give you food?


    What for?


    Just when He Qiang was in complete despair.


    He suddenly heard Li Yu saying: "However, I have some thoughts here.


    Let''s make a trade, or rather, a cooperation. We need to collect some items, and you can exchange these items for food.


    How about it?"


    He Qiang immediately asked, "What items do you need? And how will they be calculated?"


    Li Yu replied, "We need many items, and I will give you a list later, which will indicate how much food you can exchange for them.


    Moreover, you know the value of food; we will not exchange it indefinitely. Once the amount of food exchanged reaches a certain limit each week, we will stop.


    Until we start again the next week.


    So, first come, first served."


    Hearing this, everyone beneath the wall became excited; although they wouldn''t get food directly, at least there was a way to obtain it.


    Now, in the houses outside, there are a lot of miscellaneous items, some submerged in water, but still, there''s much that can be used.


    But food��!


    Food was the most important thing in their eyes, scoured over time and again.


    So, He Qiang said, "Okay, we''ll do as you say. We can help you gather items. When can you give us the list?"


    Li Yu looked at Second Uncle, who made a gesture, and after pondering for a while, Li Yu said: "Like this, I''ll give you a list now, come back for it in an hour."


    He Qiang, delighted, said: "Good. Thank you, Director Li."


    After getting off the wall, Second Uncle said to Li Yu: "Have you thought it through?"


    Li Yu nodded and said, "I''ve made up my mind."


    Then he took out the walkie-talkie and said, "Everyone, except those on the fence, come over for a meeting."


    In the large conference room.


    Li Yu first asked Li Yuan, "Report on our base''s food supply again."


    Li Yuan took out a notebook and said, "We currently have 80 tons of rice.


    30 tons of flour.


    26 tons of salt.


    2 tons of cooking oil.


    5 tons of corn.


    5 tons of sweet potatoes.


    Half a ton of potatoes.


    ..."


    Li Yu did a rough calculation and figured that the current food supply was enough for everyone they currently had, even without any new food coming in.


    It would be enough for them to eat for 6 years.


    Moreover, the current 28 acres of land can also yield twenty tons of crops per year.


    That would allow them to break even.


    In the future, they planned to expand the base, which when the time came, would free up more land to grow food.


    In other words, they now had sufficient food to support them in doing this.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, "An Ya, in that case, you need to continuously find ways to increase our per-acre yield,


    Moreover, now that the weather is gradually warming up, we need to prepare early for the planting of early-season rice.


    In addition, some people came to our base from the outside today, we plan to cooperate with them, using food to barter with them."


    Everyone was somewhat shocked upon hearing this, questioning why they would trade food with others.


    Li Yu pressed his hand and said, "I understand the preciousness of food, so first we need to set a rule.


    Firstly, the five-year food reserve must not be touched, our red line is 5 years. We must ensure that the warehouse always has enough to not worry about a food shortage for the next five years.


    Secondly, we should aim to plant every year, with the new crops, aside from the portion we consume ourselves multiplied by 20 percent, the remaining part can be used for trading.


    But now, due to our limited planting area, conditions, and the level of agriculture, we''ve only just reached balance, so we need to find a way to improve in this aspect."


    Hearing this, everyone felt relieved.


    Li Yu continued, "Now let''s discuss what else we need for the construction of our base."


    Li Yuan was the first to speak, "Meng Jie and I both think that we cannot do without optical surgical instruments, like endoscopes, laser therapy machines..."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "I don''t understand, but you can propose it, write it down."


    Bai Jie also said, "I also need some PCR amplifiers..."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Alright, arrange it, write it down."


    Second Uncle said, "Xiao Yu, didn''t you mention making bullets before? We lack the talent in this area, as well as the equipment..."


    "Alright, that counts too. Although it''s tough, we can try to look around."


    Third Uncle suddenly said, "Xiao Yu, I think intelligence is also extremely important. After all, now that we are all in the base, we don''t know about the powers further away, we are unaware of the movements outside..."


    Hearing this, Li Yu was shocked; this was indeed something he had not considered.


    ...


    So everyone went back and forth, discussing.


    In the end, several long sheets of paper were listed. sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, Li Yu printed it out.


    Dozens of copies were printed.


    It read:


    1 ton of cement = 0.1 kg of rice


    1 ton of steel rebar = 0.2 kg of rice


    Useful information = 0~10 kg of rice (calculated based on the usefulness of the information.)


    One microscope = 0.02 kg of rice


    .......

 Chapter 358 - 349: Ran Out of Bullets After Three Shots!

    In Safe City, arguments filled the air.


    Both Mr. Wu and people like Hua Chuanlong were worried about where to search for supplies next.


    Everyone wanted a place that hadn''t been scavenged, but it had been over a year since the apocalypse began. Where could there be so many untouched places?


    Most places had already been explored.


    Food!


    The most important thing was food!


    Mr. Wang''s eyes flickered, and he thought for a moment.


    Then he spoke up loudly, "I know where there''s a lot of food!"


    His words stunned everyone.


    In the midst of the noisy argument, it suddenly became quiet.


    The people around Mr. Wang stepped back and watched him.


    Old Man Wu and others looked at Mr. Wang, who was at the back, curiously and said, "Young man, come up and tell us more."


    Old Zhuang looked at Old Sun and Old He next to him with a doubtful look in his eyes. Both of them shook their heads, indicating they had never seen such a person.


    Under everyone''s gaze, Mr. Wang slowly stepped forward and said, "I know a place that has a lot of food, in a place called Xin City.


    I was driven out by them. There''s a group of people there who took over a Government food warehouse, enough for all of us to eat for a year."


    Old Man Wu''s eyes flickered as he looked at this middle-aged man, not asking Mr. Wang directly.


    Instead, he turned to Captain Tao and asked, "Do you remember when this man entered our Safe City?"


    Captain Tao nodded quickly and replied, "I remember him; he joined our Safe City a few months ago.


    He had a lot of food with him at that time, more than most people could have, so I remember him."


    Immediately, Captain Tao took out a notebook, checked the dates, and found Mr. Wang''s entry records into Safe City.


    He whispered to Old Man Wu, "This man is named Wang Xiansheng, his records state he came from Xin City in Gansheng, and after entering our Safe City, he has been living in Building 19, Floor 2 of Zone C."


    Hua Chuanlong, with less hesitation, asked directly, "Where is it, how far is it from here? You say there''s a lot of food, then why did they drive you out?"


    Mr. Wang said, "I''m not sure exactly how much food there is, but I remember those grains piled up like a mountain in the warehouse.


    I was cooperating with them to find it, but they betrayed and killed my brothers after finding the food, and I barely escaped.


    I seek vengeance against them."


    Hearing about the mountains of grain, Hua Chuanlong''s eyes glowed.


    He quickly asked, "Do you know where they are?"


    Mr. Wang nodded, then shook his head and said, "We found those grains in the suburb of Xin City, probably the Government''s emergency reserves.


    But shortly after we found it, we were betrayed by them.


    Although I don''t know their exact location, I heard from my deceased brother that they''re under Tianhua Town near the 319 National Highway.


    We can find them once we start searching."


    Hua Chuanlong, excited, said to Old Man Wu and the others, "What are we waiting for, let''s just go and take it back."


    Old Man Wu lowered his head, his eyes flickering. Seizing? That didn''t sound right.


    If everything this middle-aged man said was true, it was certain they would go, but about the pretense...


    After all, that band of people also seized food from the Government.


    Ke Hanyu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said, "What proof do we have to trust you? And what evidence do you have that there is a lot of food there?


    As said, it''s more than 500 kilometers away in Xin City of the neighboring province. It''s a long way. If we go there and find nothing, what if you''re deceiving us?"


    Mr. Wang calmly looked up and said, "I have no reason to deceive you. Moreover, as I just said, they killed my brothers.


    They took away the food that was rightfully half mine. I don''t care about the food anymore; I only want vengeance. Vengeance for my brothers."


    Ke Hanyu responded, "Even if what you say is true, even if you give us half the food, but if they could kill your brothers, what makes us think we could successfully seize it from them?"


    Mr. Wang said, "They indeed have some strength, but it''s not that formidable; just about twenty-odd people and a few guns.


    At that time, I was too careless, thinking that with so much food, it would be enough for us for a lifetime, but I didn''t anticipate their cruelty!"


    While saying this, Mr. Wang clenched his teeth, his eyes seemingly spewing out flames.


    Seeing his expression, everyone believed him somewhat.


    Then Mr. Wang added, "These people, they are capable of all evils. They even took advantage of the situation to rob many Survivors.


    And this Government emergency food shouldn''t be managed by them anyway."


    Hua Chuanlong nodded and asked, "What is... what is this brother''s name?"


    Mr. Wang replied, "My surname is Wang, Wang Xiansheng."


    Hua Chuanlong, smiling, said, "Hehehe, no matter what, I believe this young Mr. Wang.


    He has no reason to deceive us. Besides, if he dares to deceive us, could he get away with it?"


    When Hua Chuanlong said the last sentence, his aura suddenly changed, becoming oppressively intense.


    Yet Mr. Wang was not overwhelmed by this pressure and calmly said, "If I were to tell a lie, may lightning strike me down.


    If you don''t believe me, you can take me with you."


    He was actually somewhat nervous inside, but thinking about the people in Xin City who had hurt him like this, he couldn''t swallow his anger.


    He didn''t know whether there was food or not, but diverting disaster to bring conflict between the people of Safe City and Xin City was something he found delight in. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And the number of people in Safe City was so large, with dozens of armed individuals he had already seen.


    Whether they could win or not was another matter; letting them clash sooner or later was inevitable.


    Because of the food!


    No one would willingly hand over their food to someone else.


    Indeed, no one would hand over their food unless they couldn''t get it themselves; Old Wu, Ke Hanyu, or Old Zhuang and Old Sun, they all understood this principle.


    Beside Old Wu, Captain Tao approached and said, "This Wang Xiansheng, until now, regardless of whether his purpose is revenge as he claims,


    But him daring to come forward and say there is such a place, there definitely must be truth to it. Old Wu, you see, we don''t need too many people to go.


    You can send me to investigate the situation first, then once confirmed, I''ll come back, and we can bring our main forces to transport the food back. What do you think?"


    Old Wu''s eyes flickered; that was indeed a good idea.


    After some thought, he then said to Captain Tao, "Have Ke Hanyu, Hua Chuanlong��


    Uh, and Old Zhuang, Old Sun, Old He and a few others come here."


    Captain Tao nodded, and then went off to talk to these few individuals.


    Hua Chuanlong, Ke Hanyu, and others didn''t hesitate; they knew they also had to share in this batch of food.


    Old Wu and a few others went inside the villa.


    ....


    Mr. Wang, watching these people enter the villa, did not feel tense.


    After all, these people were the ones desperately needing food; what he was doing was essentially giving them a pillow while they were dozing off.


    After about ten minutes of waiting, he finally saw Old Wu and the others coming out.


    Only the expressions of Old Zhuang, Old Sun, and Old He seemed somewhat reluctant, while others like Ke Hanyu were satisfied.


    Mr. Wang thought to himself: It seems the distribution of benefits has been settled.


    Old Wu took the lead and said, "Young comrade Wang, we are truly sorry about your past experiences.


    We''ve always hoped to rebuild our home, and that''s what we are doing.


    As for those bad guys, we''ll find a way to confront them together. We just need you to lead the way."


    Looking at Old Wu''s kindly expression, Mr. Wang felt a wave of disgust.


    Humans...


    But still, with a smile, he said, "Old Wu, of course, I will surely lead you all there."


    Old Wu, chuckling, said, "Then that''s settled. This time let Little Tao and his team go with you to check it out first."


    Mr. Wang quickly said, "You mean only a few people are going out, aren''t we all moving out together?"


    Inside, he cursed silently: This sly old fox. Even now, he still doesn''t trust me.


    Old Wu still maintained a gentle demeanor and said, "They''ve got to scout out the situation first, let them get a grasp of the overall circumstances.


    That way, our main forces can follow suit.


    There won''t be few; Little Tao will take eight people, and Old Hua, Old Ke, Old Sun, and their sides will send some people as well, a total of about twenty people. That''s not too few.


    Go and find that place first, then we can all head over together."


    Mr. Wang sighed internally, but could only accept it. He said begrudgingly, "Alright."


    ....


    After setting a plan to set out tomorrow, Old Wu also called Little Tao, earnestly instructing him not to act recklessly and not to alert the enemy prematurely.


    First, ascertain the whereabouts of those people in Xin City, then come back and inform them.


    Then, Captain Tao with a bitter face said, "Old Wu, can you give us more bullets? Each person only has 5 bullets. If we encounter a zombie, how are we supposed to fight?"


    Old Wu sighed deeply and said with emphasis, "We''ve been out of supplies for so long. Now, the weapons in our hands, if without bullets, are no different from firewood sticks.


    Do you know how many bullets Hua Chuanlong and the others have given to their subordinates?


    3 bullets!"


    "Just three shots and that''s it... what the hell is the use?"


    "Say that again!"


    "I dare not, Old Wu, I was wrong."


    "Go on."


    ......

 Chapter 359 - 350: Someone Comes Under the Wall!

    Severe winters do not stifle, for they precede the warm spring.


    This winter was indeed cold.


    But as the weather warmed up, sometimes people under the sun felt the beauty of being alive.


    Having experienced harsh weather, returning to normalcy made people recognize a unique beauty.


    Sometimes, people are disease-free and disaster-free, simply lacking money to spend, yet well-fed and clothed without worry, but still feel unhappy.


    Only when one falls ill does one realize how good it is to be healthy.


    Only when one goes bankrupt and is deep in debt does one realize how good it was to be debt-free despite earning just a few thousand a month.


    There are always people worse off, times more terrible than now.


    It is precious to be content; to lower the threshold for happiness and live in the moment, for contentment brings joy.


    For Li Yu now, he was content; he did not aspire to build the most potent force or to be a king.


    He simply wanted to protect his family well in this damned apocalypse, to provide them with ample food and clothing.


    That was enough.


    However, if someone foolishly brought trouble to them,


    his response would be just one word.


    Kill!


    Deep inside him was benevolence, but with a mastered ability, he convinced himself not to be benevolent.


    It was against human nature, but he could do it to protect his family.


    As the weather warmed up, people from every corner of the world began emerging from hiding to seek supplies.


    They had survived the winter, but now, they faced even more starving zombies.


    It was another battle for survival.


    Xin City.


    Many who escaped from Jiefang City were heading towards Xin City; a significant portion of them were residents of Jiefang City.


    After their escape, their destination was Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Among them were Bai Jie and others.


    Some people froze to death during the blizzard.


    Some dared not seek out Big Camphor Tree Base, while others decided to try.


    Some even hid outside Big Camphor Tree Base, not daring to show themselves,


    because they had seen Li Yu and others kill so many people; they knew that the people of Big Camphor Tree Base were not to be provoked.


    The refugees who had escaped from Big Camphor Tree Base had told them that these people were ruthless killers.


    Many were observing until one day, they saw Bai Jie and a few others who escaped with her appear on the high walls.


    This meant that Bai Jie and the others could join!


    Now, with the weather warming up, though it was not so cold, the number of zombies in the vicinity had increased.


    The environment had become even more dangerous and harsh.


    So, some people made up their minds.


    They planned to try joining the base.


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Noon, twelve o''clock.


    Li Haoran was on duty, enjoying a delicious lunch; today''s food was excellent.


    Stir-fried bacon with garlic sprouts, embellished with bright red chili peppers, exuding a fragrance.


    This dish was quite appetizing.


    Then there was a serving of fresh greens.


    Additionally, there was a stewed carp soup; the soup had been cooked a long time by the wife of Lai Dongsheng, who was an excellent cook.


    The soup was creamy-white, the fish flesh thoroughly stewed until it broke apart, the creamy sheen not something found in typical restaurants before the apocalypse that added mixed dairy just to make do.


    This was genuinely saut��ed fish, simmered for two or three hours to achieve this color.


    Slurp.


    Li Haoran sipped the soup, enjoying the perfect temperature and rich flavor.


    Very delicious and not fishy.


    On this cold winter day, eating white rice mixed with spicy garlic sprout bacon, followed by a sip of delicious fish soup.


    How wonderful!


    Suddenly, Li Haoyu, who was on duty with him, spoke loudly, "Brother, look at the camera on the left 3. There''s someone."


    Li Haoran heard this and nearly spilled his soup.


    "Where?"


    "Left three. There''s someone."


    Li Haoran looked up in that direction. Indeed, there was someone. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and rushed out from the duty room.


    On the wall, he crouched and looked in that direction.


    Indeed, there was someone.


    Li Haoran immediately took out the walkie-talkie and said, "Duty room at the main gate, 40 meters to the left, someone spotted."


    Li Yu, who was playing with a puppy on the sofa, heard the walkie-talkie and promptly said, "I''ll be right there."


    ....


    Generally, there are always more than ten people on watch duty on the wall.


    Among them, there are four people, working in pairs, patrolling back and forth.


    At this moment, Song Min and Dapao, who were patrolling, happened to be nearby, and upon hearing something, they quickly rushed towards the gate area.


    One minute later, Dapao and Song Min looked at the people under the wall.


    Unrecognized.


    Immediately after, another patrolling group, Lao Lu and Lao Xie, also arrived here.


    At the gateway of the wall, six people were standing at this time.


    Not far from the wall, dozens of people were standing now.


    As they approached, they killed the zombies surrounding the wall.


    Thankfully, it was twelve noon, the sun was slightly scorching, also when the zombies appeared the least.


    Otherwise, if it were night, there would be more than just these zombies under the wall.


    Lao Lu and Lao Xie looked at these people under the wall, and they looked somewhat familiar.


    The two looked at each other, confirming each other''s guess.


    These people, all were former residents from Jiefang City.


    None of them were refugees, perhaps those refugees were scared off by Li Yu and his group, and they didn''t understand why these residents still sought out Li Yu and his group.


    In the hearts of those refugees, Li Yu and his group were like gods of death.


    The people under the wall, looking up, the sunlight somewhat dazzling, they were unable to see the people standing on the wall clearly.


    Li Haoran, seeing them approaching the gate, promptly raised his rifle, shouting to the people below: "Who are you, step back, take one more step forward and you will be killed without mercy!"


    Dapao and Song Min beside him also raised their rifles, aiming at the people below.


    Had it not been for the fact that these people below only carried Long Knives used for killing zombies, they would have already opened fire.


    If these people had brought firearms, according to the rules previously set by Li Yu, they could open fire directly if they did not comply after the first warning to retreat.


    These people, seeing the guns raised by those on the wall, quickly retreated dozens of meters backward.


    The leader of the group, seeing a familiar face on the wall,


    It was Lao Lu, so he excitedly said:


    "It''s us, we are all from Jiefang City, Lao Lu, it''s us. I''m He Chao. Have you forgotten?"


    Everyone, including Dapao and Song Min, turned their gaze to Lao Lu, who awkwardly said: "Yes, I recognize them, they all come from Jiefang City. Dapao, you''ve been to Jiefang City before, you might find them somewhat familiar."


    Dapao looked carefully at the group.


    Their clothes were ragged, hair rough, covered in dirt all over, just looking at their faces, they were extremely grimy.


    How could he see clearly...


    It was at this time that Li Yu, Uncle, and Second Uncle arrived at the wall.


    Li Yu glanced at Dapao and Song Min, saying, "You two go and continue patrolling, leave this side to us.


    Also, regarding the other watch posts, has anyone noticed other people?"


    Dapao replied: "I asked just now, no one else was spotted in other directions, just people here at this gate."


    Li Yu nodded, and then said relievedly: "You guys go, remind everyone not to let down their guard."


    "Okay." After Dapao finished speaking, he and Song Min continued their patrol.


    Li Yu then turned back, looked at the dozens of people under the wall without turning around, and said:


    "Lao Lu, when I came over just now, I heard that these people below are all from Jiefang City, right?"


    Lao Lu responded: "Yes, Lao Xie and I checked just now, they are all previously from Jiefang City.


    They are all residents; after the riot broke out before, there was a conflict between the residents and the search teams..."


    Li Yu nodded, thought for a moment, and then said: "Then ask them, what exactly do these people below want to do?"


    Lao Lu was somewhat nervous, hastily replied: "Okay, I''ll ask them now." S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The people under the wall, watching the people on the wall murmured in conversation,


    were also uncertain, they had also risked coming over, had they not seen Bai Jie and others who seemed to have already joined, they wouldn''t have dared to come ask.


    Lao Lu cleared his throat and said: "He Chao, I know you, but what do you want here?"


    Upon hearing that it was indeed Lao Lu, He Chao below happily replied: "Lao Lu, after we left Jiefang City, we have been drifting around. We wanted to find you guys.


    But couldn''t find you, now we''ve come to ask if we can join your base?"


    Lao Lu''s expression became somewhat awkward, initially he also wanted to join Li Yu''s base, he had hesitated for a long time outside.


    Firstly, they were unclear about the atmosphere on Li Yu''s side, after all, Li Yu and his group were previously so decisive in killings. Having witnessed the people at Yugu Platform being killed, and then the thousands of refugees as well.


    This was simply a god of death on earth.


    In a post-apocalyptic world, all sorts of people exist, it was difficult for them to trust others, rashly joining a base meant entrusting all their safety and lives into hands of others, which was far too dangerous.


    Secondly, from past experiences they knew that the people at Li Yu''s base were very wary, very few people joined them. For Lao Lu and his group, having experienced Jiefang City, they profoundly understood that a base, if complex and disorganized and poorly managed, under the premise of human selfishness, would inevitably face ruin.


    Therefore, Li Yu''s base was very cautious about recruiting people, Lao Lu and his group had been very afraid of being rejected, at that time, they might not even have friends.


    But now, they felt fortunate.


    Fortunate for making the right decision back then, since joining the base, they had lived their happiest times after the apocalypse.


    Whether emotionally or materially.


    Now hearing He Qiang''s question below, he could fully understand, but he was also scared, afraid that the Big Camphor Tree base would repeat the mistakes.


    He did not want the Big Camphor Tree base to become like Jiefang City.


    This question, he couldn''t answer, he didn''t have the authority to answer.


    Thus, Lao Lu looked towards Li Yu.

 Chapter 360 - 351: What Can a Ton of Cement Get You? (8/9)

    Li Yu had been contemplating a matter lately.


    After the annual summary and new year planning a few days ago.


    He had been thinking incessantly about the need for the base to develop, the search for supplies, all requiring manpower. This included all kinds of supplies: cement, diesel, equipment, etc...


    But they were definitely short of hands, yet they couldn''t just let some people join without understanding them.


    Such a move would put a lot of pressure on their food supplies and management for Li Yu''s team.


    Now these people have come by, and gave Li Yu an idea in the spur of the moment.


    Since they were not familiar with these people and did not want to feed them for free,


    They could cooperate.


    They could use these people to help them find supplies outside, locate some instruments and equipment, search for materials that the base could use.


    They could even make use of them to help with the expansion of the base.


    Then provide them with a small amount of food, and through such cooperation, they could get to know them better; if they had good character, no dark history, and some abilities, then they could consider whether to accept them.


    These people in the outside world could also act as a spy for Li Yu''s base, helping to expand their horizon.


    After all, these people were always lurking around; either they all had to be killed,


    Or just wait for them to scheme against the base every day.


    Li Yu disliked the feeling of being watched all the time, it''s not his cup of tea.


    Better to channel things than to block them.


    To alleviate the calamity through work.


    Only a very small amount of food was needed to exchange for the workforce, why not?


    With this in mind, Li Yu lifted his head and spoke to He Qiang below the wall:


    "I am the person in charge of this base. My surname is Li.


    You came from Jiefang City, you should know why Jiefang City collapsed.


    Moreover, those like Old L�� who could join us have made contributions to our base; it would be unfair to them if I let you join directly.


    Besides, we can''t support so many people."


    He Qiang, upon hearing the person on top of the wall speak, wasn''t too surprised; after witnessing what happened in Jiefang City, many had understood.


    Many were clear that more people is not always better, sometimes more means a burden.


    So many mouths to feed, every single day.


    He Qiang''s heart sank in despair.


    They''re right, why should they help you?


    This is the end of the world, why should they give you food?


    What for?


    Just when He Qiang was in complete despair.


    He suddenly heard Li Yu saying: "However, I have some thoughts here.


    Let''s make a trade, or rather, a cooperation. We need to collect some items, and you can exchange these items for food.


    How about it?"


    He Qiang immediately asked, "What items do you need? And how will they be calculated?"


    Li Yu replied, "We need many items, and I will give you a list later, which will indicate how much food you can exchange for them.


    Moreover, you know the value of food; we will not exchange it indefinitely. Once the amount of food exchanged reaches a certain limit each week, we will stop.


    Until we start again the next week.


    So, first come, first served."


    Hearing this, everyone beneath the wall became excited; although they wouldn''t get food directly, at least there was a way to obtain it.


    Now, in the houses outside, there are a lot of miscellaneous items, some submerged in water, but still, there''s much that can be used.


    But food��!


    Food was the most important thing in their eyes, scoured over time and again.


    So, He Qiang said, "Okay, we''ll do as you say. We can help you gather items. When can you give us the list?"


    Li Yu looked at Second Uncle, who made a gesture, and after pondering for a while, Li Yu said: "Like this, I''ll give you a list now, come back for it in an hour."


    He Qiang, delighted, said: "Good. Thank you, Director Li."


    After getting off the wall, Second Uncle said to Li Yu: "Have you thought it through?"


    Li Yu nodded and said, "I''ve made up my mind."


    Then he took out the walkie-talkie and said, "Everyone, except those on the fence, come over for a meeting."


    In the large conference room.


    Li Yu first asked Li Yuan, "Report on our base''s food supply again."


    Li Yuan took out a notebook and said, "We currently have 80 tons of rice.


    30 tons of flour.


    26 tons of salt.


    2 tons of cooking oil.


    5 tons of corn.


    5 tons of sweet potatoes.


    Half a ton of potatoes.


    ..."


    Li Yu did a rough calculation and figured that the current food supply was enough for everyone they currently had, even without any new food coming in.


    It would be enough for them to eat for 6 years.


    Moreover, the current 28 acres of land can also yield twenty tons of crops per year.


    That would allow them to break even.


    In the future, they planned to expand the base, which when the time came, would free up more land to grow food.


    In other words, they now had sufficient food to support them in doing this.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, "An Ya, in that case, you need to continuously find ways to increase our per-acre yield,


    Moreover, now that the weather is gradually warming up, we need to prepare early for the planting of early-season rice.


    In addition, some people came to our base from the outside today, we plan to cooperate with them, using food to barter with them."


    Everyone was somewhat shocked upon hearing this, questioning why they would trade food with others.


    Li Yu pressed his hand and said, "I understand the preciousness of food, so first we need to set a rule.


    Firstly, the five-year food reserve must not be touched, our red line is 5 years. We must ensure that the warehouse always has enough to not worry about a food shortage for the next five years.


    Secondly, we should aim to plant every year, with the new crops, aside from the portion we consume ourselves multiplied by 20 percent, the remaining part can be used for trading.


    But now, due to our limited planting area, conditions, and the level of agriculture, we''ve only just reached balance, so we need to find a way to improve in this aspect."


    Hearing this, everyone felt relieved.


    Li Yu continued, "Now let''s discuss what else we need for the construction of our base."


    Li Yuan was the first to speak, "Meng Jie and I both think that we cannot do without optical surgical instruments, like endoscopes, laser therapy machines..."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "I don''t understand, but you can propose it, write it down."


    Bai Jie also said, "I also need some PCR amplifiers..."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Alright, arrange it, write it down."


    Second Uncle said, "Xiao Yu, didn''t you mention making bullets before? We lack the talent in this area, as well as the equipment..."


    "Alright, that counts too. Although it''s tough, we can try to look around."


    Third Uncle suddenly said, "Xiao Yu, I think intelligence is also extremely important. After all, now that we are all in the base, we don''t know about the powers further away, we are unaware of the movements outside..."


    Hearing this, Li Yu was shocked; this was indeed something he had not considered.


    ...


    So everyone went back and forth, discussing.


    In the end, several long sheets of paper were listed. sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, Li Yu printed it out.


    Dozens of copies were printed.


    It read:


    1 ton of cement = 0.1 kg of rice


    1 ton of steel rebar = 0.2 kg of rice


    Useful information = 0~10 kg of rice (calculated based on the usefulness of the information.)


    One microscope = 0.02 kg of rice


    .......

 Chapter 361 - 352: Leisure and Fury

    The winter wind is gradually fading, and the warm sun teases the senses.


    The temperature slowly rises above zero.


    The accumulated snow gradually melts, though not quickly.


    But it is indeed melting.


    Li Yu stands atop the observation tower on the mountain, thinking of the people he encountered yesterday, those residents who fled from Jiefang City.


    After giving them the list of supplies in exchange, there was some controversy.


    Yet food was the most critical, so they didn''t dwell too long and eventually dispersed.


    From the observation tower, one can see every place within the entire base. Many little corners are fully visible.


    Li Yu, with headphones on, listens to the song "Closure" coming through the headphones.


    l got no cards up my sleeve


    i wrote you a song but you sang off key


    Call it wrong if it''s what you need


    ....


    The wind at ten in the morning is warm under the high sun.


    Lately, he''s been constantly busy, occupied with various matters within the base.


    The base is now on the right track, whether it''s Uncle, Third Uncle, Second Uncle, or Li Hang, Dapao, Li Gang, Li Tie, and the like, they can all now stand on their own.


    A base of over a hundred people, all equipped with firearms.


    It has become a not-so-weak force.


    12-meter-high walls, topped with electric fences, cameras��security within the base has significantly improved.


    Li Yu slowly exhales, suddenly besieged by an inexplicable irritability.


    Lately, images of several near-death experiences before his rebirth keep flashing through his mind.


    Also, he dreamed last night of the base being breached, watching helplessly as everything was destroyed.


    All this has made him somewhat anxious these past two days, as if he has a premonition that something bad is looming.


    Often, he becomes unexpectedly irritable and indifferent at certain moments.


    But every time when this happens, he finds a place to be alone for a while, so as not to accidentally harm family and friends.


    The headphones now play Yung Lean''s "Miami."


    Li Yu''s mind flashes to a person, someone he once trusted entirely.


    But during a flight for survival, that person abandoned him, taking all the food with them.


    In a post-apocalyptic world, he could somehow understand.


    But to lock the escape door and take the food, leaving a friend behind was bad enough.


    Knowing full well there were so many zombies below and still closing the door, it was obviously an attempt to kill him.


    In the past, Li Yu had saved him so many times.


    And all this was met with no gratitude, only betrayal.


    When the disparity between giving and receiving is vast, the hatred intensifies.


    Kill!


    Thinking of this scene, Li Yu growls in a low voice.


    If he ever encounters that person again, it''s a must kill!


    His hands grip the railing tightly, the iron bending slightly under his grasp, veins popping on his arms.


    Then he looks up.


    Li Yu''s eyes are bloodshot, devoid of emotion, just like a demon''s.


    He never considers himself a good person; after experiencing betrayal, despair, and a cruel reality, something about him is off.


    He keeps trying to redeem himself, his kind-hearted inner self continually trying to convince him.


    He recalled a saying, "There is only one kind of heroism in the world: to love life deeply despite having recognized its true essence."


    Thinking of this made Li Yu feel like exploding.


    To have seen the true essence of life��what essence? The rule of the strongest? Misery as the norm of life?


    To still love life, as Li Yu understood, didn''t mean to pretend to be optimistic. It meant facing the discomfort within and finding a way to let it out.


    ....


    The sun has been scorching recently, and the many batteries obtained from the electronics market last time allowed for extra power storage.


    As a result, electricity usage at the base became quite ample.


    So in the underground plantation, the basements of the other two rows of houses were cleared out and used for growing crops. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In these spare chambers, tasks were mainly handled by the tanned An Ya, Uncle, and others.


    Among the cultivated crops were mainly corn, sweet potatoes, and rice, with some wheat being planted as well, but not much.


    The least planted were potatoes, which don''t have an extended shelf life. Unlike other crops that, once processed, can easily be stored for over five years.


    Rice, when unhusked and kept in a vacuum, can be stored for up to ten years!


    After composing his emotions and returning to normal,


    Li Yu continued his patrol around the base.


    Just as he entered the basement, he saw An Ya, Uncle, the ever-optimistic Xiao Han, and others busily working.


    Li Yu noticed An Ya spreading something she just scooped out of a large barrel onto the seedbeds, which emitted a foul smell, but An Ya''s expression remained unchanged.


    Li Yu asked, "What are these? Why do they smell so bad?"


    An Ya looked up, saw it was Li Yu, and calmly replied,


    "We don''t have matured organic fertilizer, but at least we have a substitute. This is poultry manure, like chicken droppings, so it smells a bit strong."


    Li Yu watched as she nonchalantly scooped it out and spread it evenly on the nursery bed.


    Seeing Li Yu''s gaze, An Ya explained, "I''m just seeding and nurturing. This nutrient soil is intended for the seedbed."


    Li Yu nodded, then noticed Uncle working on a daylight lamp. This reminded him of his cousin, Li Suxin, who was daydreaming in class on his way here.


    Uncle''s wife had passed away a few years ago.


    And Uncle, being somewhat wooden, isn''t very good at expressing his thoughts and spends little time with his youngest daughter, Suxin.


    So he said, "Uncle, if you have the time, try to spend more of it with Suxin."


    Upon hearing this, Uncle momentarily paused, seeming a bit nervous, "Is something wrong with Suxin?"


    Li Yu shook his head, "Nothing''s wrong. It''s just that, she''s still young, and Auntie passed away early. If you can, spend more time with Suxin."


    Uncle nodded, "That girl is closer to you. She seems to ignore me whenever I try to engage her. Sigh."


    Li Yu responded, "Uncle, Suxin is very smart. Sometimes, you don''t actually need to say much, just spending more time with her is enough."


    Uncle, with a hint of guilt in his eyes, affirmed strongly, "Sure!"


    Li Yu took a deep look at Uncle and sighed.


    Ever since Auntie passed away, Uncle had not been in a good state, seemingly indifferent to everything.


    But after the apocalypse began, he seemed to return to a more normal state.


    After wandering through the basement, Li Yu went back to the surface.


    There was still some snow on the ground, along with many patches of water, all resulting from the melted snow.


    Strolling slowly, he saw Father Li and Ding Jiu, along with some workers, constructing a gymnasium not far from the residential area.


    Now that there were more people in the base, even though there was a park with space for exercise and some simple equipment for physical training, there was still a shortage of indoor sports facilities.


    Currently, the base only had an underground training room of over a hundred square meters beneath Li Yu''s villa.


    A couple of days ago, during the base''s construction planning, the proposal to build a new gymnasium was brought up.


    The gymnasium would include basketball courts, badminton courts, table tennis courts, and others.


    It was a massive project, but there wasn''t any hurry. They had plenty of time and could take it slowly.

 Chapter 362 - 353: If at That Time

    Big Camphor Tree Base, at the main gate.


    He Chao arrived with a full truckload of cement, followed by 4 vehicles carrying various construction materials.


    Their trucks were light-duty, with a carrying capacity of around 5 tons.


    Li Yu and Second Uncle, among others, stood on the fence watching them.


    He Chao looked up at Li Yu on the fence and said, "Director Li, you''re going to honor the deal we discussed earlier, right?"


    Li Yu watched them, expressing surprise, not expecting that just one day later, they had transported so much construction material.


    And these materials were definitely not sourced from nearby areas because the local supplies had already been collected by Li Yu and his team.


    It seems that hunger is a powerful motivator.


    What Li Yu and his people didn''t know was that He Chao''s team had put in a lot of effort to acquire these construction materials.


    Not to mention, they faced a group of ravenous zombies during transport, resulting in the loss of two workers.


    And because of melting snow on the roads making them too slippery, one of the vehicles overturned, injuring two people.


    Otherwise, there would have been more than just these 5 vehicles arriving.


    Seeing this, Li Yu nodded and said, "I keep my word. The 5 vehicles'' drivers can come in. The rest of you wait outside."


    He Chao readily replied, "Okay, we''ll drive in."


    Li Yu turned to Li Hang and said, "Open the gate, let them in."


    Bai Jie from the Research Room in Weng City had been asked to leave earlier.


    At this time, atop the walled enclosure of Weng City stood a dozen people, each holding a gun.


    Their eyes were vigilant, carefully watching the people below.


    Li Yu descended from the fence, followed by Dapao, Li Tie, Ding Jiu, and other workers.


    He Chao slowly entered the base, and just as the five trucks pulled into Weng City, the gate behind them closed with a thud.


    This made He Chao a bit nervous, but after giving it some thought, he figured he had nothing worth coveting.


    So he blurted out quite straightforwardly, "Director Li, all five trucks are in, shall we start the inspection?"


    Li Yu nodded and said, "No need to make it complicated. There''s a weighbridge on the right, just drive the trucks over there to check."


    He Chao was a bit surprised, having thought that just inspecting the goods would take quite a while; he didn''t expect that Li Yu''s side would actually have a weighbridge.


    With this device, things would be much simpler.


    The trucks slowly drove onto the weighbridge, a weight was recorded, and then Ding Jiu and others began unloading the items from the trucks.


    After all the goods were offloaded, the vehicles were driven onto the weighbridge again for another reading.


    Subtracting the two values provided the final weight.


    After Ding Jiu and the others finished unloading and checking, they quietly reported to Li Yu.


    Li Yu had a rough idea and said to He Chao with a smile, "According to our previous agreement, we''ve just calculated it.


    That''s 26.3 tons in total��5 tons of cement, 15 tons of rebar, and 6.3 tons of stone.


    In exchange, that comes to 38.3 jin of rice."


    He then took out the rice bags that had been prepared.


    Seeing the large sacks of rice, He Chao hurriedly said, "Director Li, could we divide it into ten portions?"


    Li Yu looked at He Chao and nodded, "Sure, no problem."


    He then had Song Min distribute the goods into ten equal shares.


    Into smaller bags, they went.


    After receiving the rice, He Chao''s face lit up with excitement, and he immediately began distributing it to the people around him.


    Those who came with He Chao, upon receiving the bags of rice, also revealed expressions of excitement.


    Li Yu watched their reactions and said with a smile, "Alright, that concludes our transaction. If you have other stuff in the future, feel free to come and trade."


    He Chao nodded appreciatively and said, "Mhm, thank you, Director Li. Fellows, let''s pull out."


    Li Yu looked at He Chao with a satisfied expression, knowing the importance of profit-sharing; after securing food, he distributed it immediately. This way of doing things would make others want to work with him.


    He may not know about other aspects, but at least in this regard, he''s handling it well.


    After a few more cooperations, it would be worth seeing if he can demonstrate any prowess. Maybe he could even be invited to join.


    Thinking of this, Li Yu watched their vehicle leave Weng City while he tucked away his gun.


    Outside the wall, as soon as He Chao and others left the wall, He Chao distributed the items he carried to some people who hadn''t made it into Weng City.


    Although 38.3 pounds of rice seemed like quite a bit, when divided among the people following He Chao, each person only received 3.83 pounds.


    With just under 4 pounds, if you consume about 4 ounces of rice a day, you could eat for 10 days.


    Now, in these post-apocalyptic times, being able to eat, and to eat one''s fill of white rice every day, that''s a luxury.


    It''s impossible to expect to eat one''s fill every day, consuming a pound of rice.


    Who lives like that in a post-apocalyptic world?


    After more than a year of the apocalypse, they had all grown accustomed:


    To not eat at all if they were not working or exerting themselves in some way.


    If they drink porridge once a day, this 3.83 pounds of rice could last them over twenty days.


    For people who have gone hungry many days after enduring a brutal winter,


    Having anything to eat at all, enough to ensure survival, was already a blessing.


    After receiving his share of rice, He Chao''s hands trembled.


    Since the apocalypse erupted, his parents, his wife, all had successively died at the mouths of zombies, and his wife had starved to death during the apocalypse.


    Originally he had two children, and after the rest of his family passed away, he was left with the two kids.


    But the younger daughter died from the cold, in the frigid and starving conditions of this winter.


    Now his older daughter, not yet 11 years old, has been malnourished ever since the start of the apocalypse, and at 11, she looks barely 9.


    At an age when children should be growing, how can they develop without food?


    Moreover, they hadn''t had any normal food for three days already.


    Every day, they would just eat some tree bark to fill their stomachs.


    Not far from Big Camphor Tree Base, near the gas station, these people huddled together for warmth.


    In fact, there were not only a few people like He Chao in this situation, some who had it worse were left all alone after the apocalypse and one cold winter.


    "Good girl, Xiao Ya, Daddy''s back," exclaimed He Chao as he ran excitedly into the room.


    On the stool sat a girl peeling tree bark, her blond hair shining; hearing the familiar voice behind her, the young girl turned her head joyfully and saw it was her father.


    She stood up, but because her body was so weak, she stumbled and almost fell.


    He Chao quickly steadied her and said, "Take it slow."


    Xiao Ya didn''t mind her near fall and happily said, "Dad, you''re finally back."


    But out of the corner of her eye, seeing the tree bark she had been grinding, her pale face slightly furrowed and she said:


    "Dad, after eating the tree bark, Auntie Xiao Dang had constipation and her belly''s been bloated all day.


    I''ve been looking for some of the tenderest bark, but there''s not much left now."


    Hearing his daughter speak, He Chao instantly felt a sharp bite of guilt.


    So he brought out the rice that he had been hiding behind his back, saying:


    "Xiao Ya, we can have porridge today. Yesterday, didn''t we scavenge some wild mushrooms? We can cook them into the porridge."


    Xiao Ya excitedly took it, then seeing the white, glistening rice inside the bag, she became extremely joyful.


    But after a short moment of joy, tears suddenly began to stream down her face.


    Tears as large as beans, impossible to stop.


    He Chao caressed his daughter''s head, saying:


    "Daddy will trade for more food later on, Xiao Ya, so don''t cry anymore.


    We have food now. You didn''t cry when we had none, why cry now that we do?"


    Xiao Ya''s voice choked with sobs:


    "I thought of my little sister; if we had had food then, maybe she wouldn''t have died. I just..."


    At her words, He Chao shuddered.


    In that moment. S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His heart felt like it was being crushed by iron fists


    Leaving him utterly breathless.

 Chapter 363 - 354: Lets Die Together

    "I''ve once roamed through Jiangnan, the faces there awaiting me in seasons blossomed and withered like lotus flowers


    Without the east wind, the willow catkins of March do not fly


    Your heart is a tiny, lonely city


    Much like the cobblestone streets as evening approaches


    Without the buzzing of insects, the curtains of March spring aren''t lifted


    Your heart is the little shutter tightly closed


    The clatter of my horse''s hooves is a beautiful mistake


    For I am not a man returning home, but a mere passerby."


    Li Yu: "..."


    Listening to Bai Jie recite this modern poem before him, clad in white, holding a glass test tube in her hand.


    Then, while looking at him with those woeful puppy eyes, as if he had abandoned her.


    Li Yu felt a surge of cheesiness, as every single time he came to see Bai Jie alone, she would play the enchantress.


    Li Yu helplessly said: "All right, enough reciting. The microscope you asked for last time, I managed to trade for it today."


    As he spoke, he gently placed the microscope on the table next to him.


    Bai Jie''s eyes held a mournful look, and she moved her graceful figure as she slowly walked over.


    She refused to believe that with her figure, her looks, Li Yu could remain completely unmoved.


    After two or three failed attempts, she had forgotten her initial purpose, and it had become a battle for dignity.


    A battle for the dignity and confidence in her own appearance and figure.


    For that dignity, she had prepared even more exquisite tactics...


    Slowly coming closer, Li Yu retreated in fear.


    This woman was usually very efficient with her work. Whether in her own scientific research or other aspects, she''s very earnest at the base.


    In the presence of many people, she always behaved with dignity. But once it was just the two of them, Bai Jie would always seduce him.


    Li Yu swallowed nervously, stepping back and asking, "What are you trying to do?"


    Whoosh~


    Bai Jie glanced behind Li Yu��no one was there��she instantly flung open her white coat.


    Pffft!


    Li Yu, who had just swallowed some warm water, instantly spat it out.


    Black stockings!


    So long, so slender, so round.


    Moving up.


    Those with deep cleavages,


    Tend to be broad-minded,


    Magnanimous.


    Bai Jie, she was the person he had seen with the most magnanimous bosom.


    His nose felt a bit warm.


    1 second,


    2 seconds,


    15 seconds later.


    Li Yu''s eyes started to drift, but he quickly looked away, fleeing for the door.


    "Giggle giggle giggle."


    Listening to the charming laughter of Bai Jie from behind, he turned around to see her shaking with laughter.


    Shaking those black-covered waves, somewhat tumultuous.


    Li Yu cursed inwardly: "Seductress!"


    Subsequently, he left the Research Room.


    ...


    These days, he had also made several trades with He Chao and others, since some people who left Jiefang City knew the location of the base.


    Some of the refugees who had joined Jiefang City and later escaped the base talked about it with the people of Jiefang City.


    In recent days, along with He Chao and others, they had actually obtained some food, and once started, there was no stopping.


    Many essentials that Li Yu and others desperately needed had been traded for with very little food.


    Through these recent contacts, they also got to know a few other people.


    These people are all familiar faces from Jiefang City, made so during the transactions over the past few days.


    A few kilograms of food may not last a few days for people before the apocalypse, but for those after it, especially now when the harsh winter has just passed,


    They are lifesavers.


    Lifesaving food is incredibly precious at this moment.


    ....


    More than three hundred kilometers away from Xin City, on the Ganlong Expressway.


    Captain Tao, Old Sun, Mr. Wang, and others who had left Safe City were driving six cars toward Xin City.


    In the car.


    Captain Tao spoke with some lingering fear:


    "I''m telling you, Wang Xiansheng, are you trying to screw us over? We''ve run into so many zombies along the way. If we weren''t fast, we''d already have been swallowed by those zombies."


    Wang Xiansheng was sitting in the car, still shaken by the scene they encountered at the fork in the road.


    He said slowly: "Captain Tao, how could I deceive you? I''m in your car right now; we''re in the same boat��"


    Screech~


    Suddenly, the sound of an urgent brake.


    Everyone in the car rocked violently, almost thrown onto the floor.


    Captain Tao, sitting in the back seat, tapped the front and said: "What''s with the driving? Didn''t we agree to drive slower? There''s so much melted snow on the ground now.


    How can you drive so fast? What if the car flips? Zhang, really, I''m not criticizing you, but maintaining a speed of 30 mph is enough..."


    The driver in the front, Xiao Zhang, spoke with a trembling voice: "Captain Tao, you... look ahead. So many zombies!"


    Upon hearing this, Captain Tao immediately leaned forward to look.


    This look, casual though it might have been, made him break out into a cold sweat. In front of him, less than a hundred meters away, stood a group of zombies surrounding a car.


    There were still people inside the car; upon seeing Captain Tao and his vehicles, a man shouted loudly: "Help, save us!"


    Bang~


    The already cracked glass was directly smashed by the zombies.


    "Ah..."


    Watching this unfold, Captain Tao hurriedly rolled down the window and shouted loudly to the cars behind: "Back up, the rear cars to the front, get off the expressway quickly."


    As he was talking, the zombies a hundred meters away were also drawn over.


    A densely packed group of zombies started walking toward Captain Tao''s direction.


    Captain Tao watched the cars behind slowly turning around, his anxiety growing.


    He took out his gun and fired at the closest few zombies running toward them.


    Bang, bang. sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Faster, faster!"


    The zombies were drawing closer.


    The vehicles behind were finally about to finish turning around; they couldn''t rush too much at this point.


    Six cars, if they tried to retreat in a panic and scrambled to be first, a traffic jam could easily occur.


    But the zombies were less than 20 meters away from Captain Tao and his group.


    The last car still hadn''t finished turning around, which made Captain Tao furious.


    The last car belonged to Hua Chuanlong''s men; there were 28 people in total on this trip.


    There were 9 people from Mr. Wu''s side, 6 from Hua Chuanlong''s side, 5 from Ke Hanyu''s, and Old Sun took 8 people.


    But Old Sun''s group had no firearms, so their cars were placed in the center.


    Seeing the zombies getting closer, Captain Tao thought about the slow reaction of Hua Chuanlong''s men and his anger soared; these people were seizing the opportunity to cause trouble.


    Captain Tao said to the driver, Xiao Zhang: "Forget about them, just turn around and go, damn it, these idiots are causing trouble at a time like this."


    Xiao Zhang quickly turned the steering wheel and then drove backwards.


    But the zombies at the back had already reached below the car.


    Some frenzied zombies clung directly onto the front windscreen.


    More zombies caught up with the car.


    Captain Tao urged: "Hurry, use the full power of the engine, let''s escape from here."


    The five cars in front hadn''t finished turning around yet, and if he rushed over now, there was a high risk of getting blocked by several other cars.


    But at this point, he no longer wanted to think about this; it was every man for himself.


    If they were surrounded by zombies, they would die together.

 Chapter 364 - 355: Infighting

    The vehicle at the very front had already driven away.


    Captain Tao had two cars in front of him, the distance between them too close, they couldn''t change direction in time.


    In the midst of their haste, the two cars were aligned in a "one" shape, forming a row, blocked by the vehicles in front and behind.


    Unable to move forward, unable to reverse.


    Just stuck there, only able to slowly inch forward.


    Seeing this, Captain Tao quickly said, "Smash through them, fast!"


    Xiao Zhang hurriedly shifted gears.


    Ramming into those two cars.


    Boom!


    Their vehicle charged through at an extremely high speed.


    The few zombies clinging to their car were flung off.


    Bang!


    Captain Tao''s vehicle collided right into the middle of the two cars ahead but managed to just knock the stuck cars apart.


    Slipping sound~


    After being hit, the two cars slid across the ice-covered ground for some distance.


    "Run fast." Captain Tao shouted inside the car.


    Zombies were closely following behind, some moving so swiftly they quickly caught up with the two cars that had been hit.


    Bang! One of those cars crashed into a guardrail, the people inside were civilians without firearms.


    Having crashed into the guardrail, the car''s engine died.


    The pursuing zombies quickly swarmed over.


    Roaring~


    But with the engine dead, it just wouldn''t start again no matter what.


    The people inside the car felt extreme despair, two with more courage opened the car door and rushed out, calling for the cars ahead to wait for them: "Wait for us!"


    But the cars ahead didn''t stop at all, rather they sped up.


    The people who didn''t leave the car quickly shut the doors after the two had exited.


    As soon as the door closed, zombies pounced on the car windows, violently pounding on them.


    The number of surrounding zombies grew increasingly larger, within moments.


    The zombies swarmed the entire car like ants.


    The vehicle shook violently.


    Those inside the car felt overwhelming despair.


    "Boss Zong, why isn''t the car moving? We''re all going to die if it doesn''t."


    "I freaking wish I could start it, but it just won''t."


    "Mommy."


    "I knew I shouldn''t have come on this trip."


    Thud!


    The vehicle was flipped over by the multitude of zombies, and the windows shattered upon hitting the guardrail during the flip.


    "Zombies are getting in, run out quickly. Damn it!"


    "Ah. My leg."


    "Pull me, pull me, Boss Zong."


    "..."


    The car was filled with cries of agony, which faded after a short while.


    All that could be heard were the sounds of bones breaking,


    and chewing.


    The other two individuals who ran out, after realizing the cars ahead didn''t wait for them and seeing the chasing zombies behind,


    jumped off the high-speed road railing; there was a 30-meter safety zone on both sides of the highway, and after jumping off they ran straight into the forest.


    Followed by a group of zombies.


    ....


    Vroom vroom vroom~


    Captain Tao''s vehicle revved up to maximum power, driving on the highway; ahead of him, two more cars quickly followed.


    Seeing these cars made Captain Tao furious; these vehicles belonged to the forces sent by Hua Chuanlong and Ke Hanyu.


    Those from both factions never listened to him along the way, which greatly infuriated him.


    Especially that last incident, he felt certain it was intentional.


    After driving a few hundred meters, he looked back and saw two more cars catching up.


    Seeing that his teammates who had accompanied him had also made it out, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately.


    After driving back five kilometers toward the direction they came from, the vehicle up front came to a stop.


    Once they stopped, Captain Tao also had Xiao Zhang park their vehicle.


    As soon as they stopped, Captain Tao, with his brothers from the car, marched furiously towards the lead vehicle.


    This time, the person Hua Chuanlong sent was his own younger brother, Hua Chuanxiong, who was now watching Captain Tao approach with an air of arrogance.


    Hua Chuanxiong, with a look of disdain, said: "What''s wrong? Captain Tao, you seem a bit upset."


    Captain Tao, already quick-tempered, couldn''t take this lightly. With a swoosh, he drew his handgun, aimed it at Hua Chuanxiong''s forehead, and said:


    "You did that on purpose just now, didn''t you? Turning around so slowly on purpose, almost got us caught by the zombies. I''ll kill you, you damn brat."


    The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.


    Hua Chuanxiong didn''t expect Captain Tao to be so impulsive, but seeing that Captain Tao dared to aim a handgun at him, with the way he was always pampered by his elder brother, how could he have tolerated such an insult?


    "Go ahead and shoot if you have the guts," Hua Chuanxiong said angrily.


    Some of the men following him also aimed their guns at Captain Tao.


    When Captain Tao''s teammates saw this, they quickly raised their guns as well.


    The situation was tense, ready to explode at any moment.


    Captain Tao''s temple throbbed; he truly wanted to get rid of this brat.


    Back in Safe City, relying on his brother''s clout, he would always do all sorts of outrageous things.


    This made Captain Tao extremely unhappy.


    So, Captain Tao flicked off the safety of his handgun, and seeing this action, Hua Chuanxiong suddenly became somewhat panicked.


    Sweat trickled down his forehead.


    Silence.


    Dead silence.


    Seeing Hua Chuanxiong no longer arguing or being evasive made Captain Tao''s anger dissipate a little.


    Sometimes, a quarrel is like that, as long as both sides keep arguing.


    It could escalate over some trivial matter to a lethal level.


    At this moment, Captain Tao recalled what Uncle Wu had told him before he left, to not act impulsively or recklessly. S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rumble.


    Another vehicle arrived; it was Old Sun and the other civilians, their faces ashen.


    The car that had fallen behind and was caught up by the zombies was theirs.


    They had set out with two cars, and now there was only theirs left.


    But, nobody paid them any attention.


    Standing next to Captain Tao and Hua Chuanxiong were also some people sent by Ke Hanyu.


    They had been enjoying the show the entire time, some even sitting down.


    They would have loved to see both sides start fighting.


    Now realizing that a fight wouldn''t break out, they started playing peacemakers:


    "Aiya, we all came from Safe City, let''s not ruin our camaraderie."


    "Yeah, we all come from the same place, let''s not make a fuss like this."


    "Besides, it''s not like Hua Chuanxiong and his people did it on purpose just now, there''s so much water on the road it''s easy to slip."


    "What''s most important now is to take care of business, let''s hurry and find those people from Xin City."


    A wake-up call, both Hua Chuanxiong and Captain Tao were reminded that there was serious business to attend to.


    Captain Tao said fiercely: "Next time, follow commands. If this happens again, I''ll really kill you."


    His tone was filled with murderous intent.


    But seeing Captain Tao put down the handgun, Hua Chuanxiong couldn''t help but retort: "Heh, I dare you."


    Captain Tao, who was about to turn around and leave, not intending to continue the argument, felt his temper flare again upon hearing this.


    He glared and said: "Are you looking for death, motherfucker?"


    Seeing the two about to start arguing again, others hurriedly intervened:


    "Let it go, let it go, Young Master Hua, you also talk less."


    Hua Chuanxiong stopped talking, and Captain Tao huffed and walked away.


    Then they got into the vehicles, heading down the highway.


    The highway was blocked with zombies, the road obstructed, so they had to take another way.


    But now, there were only 5 vehicles left after coming down from the highway, instead of the 6 they started with.


    The missing car was the one with the people brought by Old Sun.


    However, neither Ke Hanyu''s men, nor Captain Tao or Hua Chuanxiong, cared.


    Because, after all, they weren''t their people.


    And so, this forcibly assembled squad, with different forces and various hidden agendas, continued amid a silent cloud of gunpowder.


    Slowly heading in the direction of Xin City.

 Chapter 365 - 356: A New Hope

    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    The accumulated snow was melting, and the surface of the lake at Mountain Pond was beginning to thaw gradually.


    Sky Blue Lake was serene, the cold wind awakening those it brushed.


    There was a crispness in the air, though somewhat cold, it invigorated all who felt it.


    Everyone stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air.


    Meanwhile.


    The gymnasium was still under construction. These days, the base and those outside like He Chao had been exchanging a lot of building materials.


    This saved them a great deal of effort in searching for building materials.


    Li Yu stood atop the wall looking at everything inside the base, feeling an indescribable sense of achievement.


    In recent days, He Chao and his group visited two more times, bringing things to trade, and Li Yu also kept his promise, exchanging some food with them as initially agreed.


    A certain level of trust had been established between them.


    Through He Chao, by probing for information from him, it became known that now throughout Xin City, whether in the city center or not, there were basically no large surviving forces.


    Most were like them, a few, a dozen, or several dozen individuals roving around in different places.


    Without a permanent residence.


    For them, no one could afford to stay in one place for too long because the Zombies were always on the move, and they needed to constantly evade the Zombie threat.


    Not to mention the continuous search for food.


    Some people were even traveling southward to further places, while others were reluctant to leave their hometowns and struggled to survive in the places where they lived. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Chao, who had traded twice already, now had nearly 10 pounds of rice. If he rationed it carefully, this rice was enough to sustain him and his daughter for a month.


    He Chao was grateful that he had found Li Yu and his group in the end.


    Though they traded many things for a little bit of food, that food kept them alive.


    Not enough to satisfy hunger, but enough to cling to life, and that was enough.


    No one wished to die.


    But precisely because he could trade for food, he was always reluctant to share this information with others. If more people knew, there might not be enough food to trade should the supply run low.


    .....


    Long-distance travel, in this post-apocalyptic world, was a very dangerous matter.


    Captain Tao and his group, traveling hundreds of kilometers from the east, experienced the same danger.


    On their way here, bullets were already scarce, and before even reaching Xin City, they were completely used up.


    Moreover, many of their personnel had perished; five fell on the highway, and another seven were lost in an encirclement by Zombies.


    There were 28 people when they set off, and now only 16 remained.


    The harsh realities of their journey dealt a heavy blow to their once hopeful hearts.


    150 kilometers away from Xin City, at a certain location.


    A group of people was embroiled in a heated argument.


    Hua Chuanxiong yanked Mr. Wang, whose hands were tied, down and slapped him across the face:


    "Because of your damn fault, I lost three of my brothers. We''ve been walking for three days and still haven''t arrived!"


    Captain Tao and the others hastily pulled him away. Captain Tao was also feeling frustrated; during the past few days, two of his people had also fallen.


    They hadn''t even reached Xin City yet and had already lost nearly half of their manpower.


    But there was nothing they could do. Watching Hua Chuanxiong in his rage, he could not help but grumble: He''s even less patient than I am, already thinking of turning back...


    Captain Tao said:


    "We''ve come all this way, lost so many people already; to not go would truly be a waste of time. Besides, if we were to return now, how would we explain ourselves to the others?"


    Hua Chuanxiong''s eyes were filled with anger as he spoke furiously: "How we''ve managed these past days, and we haven''t even encountered the Zombie Tide. If it rains and we run into the Zombie Tide, all of us would be done for here.


    You said to tell my brother, to ask old Wu and the others to send more people, but you also saw the zombies yesterday. Do you think more people can solve the problem?


    With more people, it''s just feeding the zombies! While we still can, we should head back, maybe we''ll make it back safely.


    Our bullets have almost run out now, what can you do even if you go?


    Plus, this Mr. Wang might be deceiving us."


    Captain Tao glanced at Mr. Wang. This Mr. Wang was an old hand; no matter how they questioned him or beat him, he remained the same.


    Hearing what Hua Chuanxiong said, the others looked thoughtful; indeed, the journey so far had been incredibly tough.


    The previous snow was too thick, and even now, there were patches of snow that had melted into ice on the road.


    If the speed picked up, the tires would easily skid.


    In addition, the zombies they encountered were extremely aggressive, relentlessly chasing them upon sight, like the group they ran into yesterday that chased them for six kilometers.


    Seeing everyone was disheartened, Captain Tao himself also felt like going back��this trip seemed so not worth it.


    He thought about it; if everyone from Safe City Joined in, that scale would certainly attract zombies.


    ...


    But then Captain Tao thought again, he had promised old Wu before leaving that he would complete the mission, to find out the strength of the people from Xin City that Mr. Wang talked about.


    And how much food they really had.


    This was the key factor deciding whether the people from Safe City should come over.


    With that thought, Captain Tao took off his black down-filled hat and said earnestly, "We''ve come this far already, just a day or two away from arriving. Isn''t it a pity to give up now?


    Besides, when we get there, we don''t necessarily have to risk battling them; we just need to figure out where they are and how much food they have.


    That way, we can all return with a clear report."


    As he spoke, he snatched Mr. Wang from Hua Chuanxiong''s hands, then pushed Mr. Wang into the car.


    Hua Chuanxiong didn''t stop him; he let Mr. Wang get on the vehicle, as he well knew that having come this far, if they didn''t take a look at Xin City, he wouldn''t have a good explanation upon returning.


    His brother would beat him to death.


    But after this argument, unity was affected, and with different thoughts in their hearts, they got back into the car and continued toward Xin City.


    It''s just that each person had different thoughts, and at this time, Mr. Wang was also very anxious.


    Through the contact over the past couple of days, he didn''t expect that the people from Safe City, despite having guns, had very few bullets left. They already spent all their ammunition just encountering two waves of zombies the other days.


    This was a trap...


    This deeply disappointed him, and with the team being divided into four factions and infighting so severe,


    He reckoned they''d be badly beaten even before encountering those people.


    Sigh, Mr. Wang let out a sigh.


    Sitting opposite him was Captain Tao, who was even more anxious; according to what Wang Xiansheng had said over the past few days, the people in Xin City only had a few guns.


    But when they previously encountered zombies, they had already spent their ammunition. What to do if they ran into more?


    What worried him even more was that these days, old Sun and the others, because they didn''t save those people earlier, were somewhat angry.


    They were a bit reluctant to follow orders these days.


    And they hardly communicated with him anymore; their vehicle was always trailing behind.


    Difficult to manage the team.


    .....

 Chapter 366 - 357: Encirclement

    Two days later, Captain Tao and his people finally arrived at Xin City.


    He Chao was in high spirits today; he found something that Li Yu and his group needed in one place, and this thing could be exchanged for a good amount of food.


    Just as he was about to drive away, a convoy suddenly appeared in front.


    He had never seen the people in this convoy before.


    He had been gathering information in Xin City these days and had some understanding of many of the survivors.


    Yet, he had never seen this bunch before.


    But he didn''t want to cause trouble, so he took the initiative to make way for the vehicles in front to pass.


    However, Captain Tao and his people just stopped right in the middle of the road.


    Bang!


    Captain Tao got out of the vehicle, followed by four or five people, all armed with weapons.


    Seeing this, He Chao also hastily signaled his brothers to take up arms. He didn''t want to provoke conflict, but having survived up to this point, he was not afraid of it either.


    As Captain Tao walked forward, he said with a beaming smile, "Fellow villager, do you know the way to Tianhua Town?"


    Upon hearing this, He Chao knew that Big Camphor Tree Base was in Tianhua Town, but these were strangers; why would they suddenly ask about Tianhua Town?


    Only those who came from Jiefang City knew that Li Yu''s base was in Tianhua Town, but there weren''t many of such people.


    Moreover, if they were from Jiefang City, he would generally recognize them.


    He Chao asked cautiously, "I know, are you going there?"


    Captain Tao replied with a smile, "We''ve heard that there''s a place in Tianhua Town where we can exchange food. So, we''d like to exchange for some food too."


    He Chao looked at their vehicles, feeling dubious. This information was known by very few, and the exchange had only just begun recently.


    Still harboring suspicions, he said with a smile, "Indeed, but have you brought something good for the exchange?"


    Captain Tao said cheerfully, "We''re all prepared. Are you also on your way to Tianhua Town by any chance? Could you guide us there?"


    Initially, He Chao wanted to refuse, but then he thought, if they didn''t find out from him now, these people could still learn about it from others who came from Jiefang City.


    Not clear on what these people''s intentions were, it might be better to take them directly to Director Li and let him know what''s going on in advance.


    Plus, judging by their size, he felt that these people definitely couldn''t pose any threat to Big Camphor Tree Base.


    So he nodded and said, "Alright, as it happens, we''re heading there today too. Just follow us."


    Captain Tao was elated upon hearing this and said, "Really, thank you so much, thanks fellow villager."


    He Chao waved his hand, indicating it was nothing.


    Captain Tao and his people got into their vehicles and followed He Chao and his crew.


    They sped along.


    In less than an hour, they arrived outside Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Captain Tao and his people waited at the edge of the woods, not entering yet, standing by.


    He Chao looked back and said, "This is the place right in front; we''re going in now."


    Captain Tao smiled and said, "Okay, you go on. We''ll wait until after you''ve entered before we do."


    Captain Tao and his people stayed outside, gazing at the tall walls with a look of awe in their eyes.


    Watching He Chao and the others enter, Captain Tao got back into the vehicle and kicked a bound person.


    If He Chao were here, he would definitely recognize this person as another informant from Jiefang City.


    Coincidentally, the first person Captain Tao and his group met upon their arrival in Xin City was this person.


    Under questioning, they learned some information about Big Camphor Tree Base from him.


    But the bound informant wasn''t a good person either; he concealed the strength of Big Camphor Tree Base. Knowing these people harbored ill intentions towards Li Yu and his group, he let them go ahead and bump into them, to let them suffer a setback.


    "Say it, is this the place?" Captain Tao lifted the person up, pointing to the distant wall and asked.


    "Whimper, whimper, whimper."


    Upon seeing this, Captain Tao peeled off the tape gagging the man''s mouth.


    "Phew, it''s this place. No, no, no, just got it off, why are you tying it back up again..."


    After hearing the answer he was looking for, Captain Tao tied the man up again.


    Hua Chuanxiong looked at the base and said, "Are we going in?"


    Captain Tao thought about it, his gaze flickering. It could now be basically confirmed that there was indeed a lot of food at this place, but the true strength of this location was still unknown.


    "Go in."


    ...


    Inside the Big Camphor Tree Base.


    It was still He Chao, with some people coming over to trade goods.


    As soon as he entered, He Chao started clamoring to see Li Yu.


    Very urgently.


    Second Uncle, in charge of managing this, had somewhat of a headache.


    Then He Chao simply said, "There''s a group of people outside, strangers that we''ve never seen before, they''ve been probing for information about you guys.


    I don''t know how he found out that you can trade goods, but these people are definitely not from Jiefang City.


    They''re still outside, they might also come over to trade goods with you later on."


    Upon hearing this, Second Uncle''s brows slightly furrowed, and he quickly called Li Yu on the walkie-talkie.


    After recounting the situation to Li Yu, Li Yu immediately took it seriously, and quickly asked He Chao about the situation of the people outside. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Up to this point, the only people exchanging goods were a few familiar figures from Jiefang City known to the old Lus, and only these few were aware of it.


    How could this group of strangers possibly know!


    For someone like He Chao who wanted to trade goods, the fewer people knew, the better, because there was a monthly limit on the food traded by Li Yu and his side.


    The more people who know, doesn''t that mean they might end up getting less food?


    It concerned their immediate interests - food! The interest of staying alive.


    No one wanted to share their benefits with others.


    Li Yu climbed atop the encircling wall, looking into the woods beyond.


    He could faintly make out the figures of some people.


    He descended from the wall and thought.


    Strangers, probing for information, and even boldly approaching the base.


    All these factors aroused a sense of crisis in Li Yu.


    For him, it was better to wrongly kill a thousand than to let go of one person with ill intentions towards them.


    Thus, he said to He Chao, "You''ve done well. You''re sure they''re all out there, right?"


    He Chao nodded and said, "When I saw them, there were just these people. I don''t know about others."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Okay."


    Then he turned to Li Yuan and said, "Give them an extra 10 pounds of rice."


    Seeing He Chao''s face light up with joy, Li Yu added:


    "You did well. I hope that if you see any strangers outside or if there''s any situation, you''ll tell me right away, I won''t let you down."


    He Chao nodded gravely and said, "Thank you, Director Li."


    Li Yu left the area, then found Third Uncle and instructed him to take Dapao, Song Min, Li Tie, Li Gang, Li Haoran, Li Haoxian, the optimistic Xiao Han, Song Qi, and others out the back door to surround them in the woods.


    Although they said they wanted to come in, what if not all of them did come in and the rest decided to run?


    Li Yu gave a few more instructions to He Chao and after He Chao left, let those people come in.


    Li Yu actually wanted to see if they dared to come in.


    If they didn''t, he was also prepared to go out and find them.

 Chapter 367 - 358: Something Fishy

    Noon sun, blazing brightly.


    Third Uncle and others left through the back door of the base and took a detour directly towards the front entrance.


    They were well-equipped, holding rifles and submachine guns.


    "Li Yu, we''ve already come out, and we''re now heading towards the front," Third Uncle said to Li Yu via walkie-talkie.


    Li Yu glanced at He Chao and others walking towards the gate and then whispered,


    "Okay, be careful. I''ve just instructed He Chao and the others to let those strangers into Weng City after they go out.


    When the time comes, go check the wooded area to see if there is anyone there. If there are people, capture them directly."


    Third Uncle replied calmly, "Okay, rest assured. We''ll get there in three minutes."


    ...


    After He Chao left the base of Weng City, he restrained the joy on his face, looked towards the woods, and slowly drove in that direction.


    Upon seeing He Chao and the others coming out, Captain Tao and his men hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "How was it, all went smoothly? How many people were inside, did they ask you anything?" S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He Chao gave Captain Tao a meaningful look and said, "You''ll see if you go in."


    With that, he didn''t mention anything else and drove away.


    After waiting for He Chao and others to leave, Captain Tao looked at the wall in front of him thoughtfully.


    He was confident that he hadn''t exposed any issues, but he was still worried��what if he couldn''t get out once he went in?


    As he was pondering, Mr. Wang suddenly said from behind,


    "When you guys go in, I won''t go. If they see me, it might ruin your plans."


    Captain Tao turned around and looked at him sternly,


    "You didn''t mention they had built such a high wall here. Haven''t you been telling the truth?"


    Mr. Wang was startled and quickly said, "Everything I said was true; look, I told you they had a lot of food, and you saw they have enough to exchange goods with others."


    Captain Tao was half-convinced and then spoke to Hua Chuanxiong and others in the following vehicle,


    "We''ll go in together later. If it looks like they don''t allow many people in, just the four of us will enter; you, me, Old Sun, and leave Old Zhou behind. Let''s the four of us go in and see."


    Hua Chuanxiong nodded and said, "Okay, everyone else stays here to keep an eye on Mr. Wang and the captive we brought."


    Captain Tao thought for a moment and then added, "Let''s not bring guns, out of bullets anyway. It wouldn''t be good if they saw them and we had to explain."


    Without any objections from the others, they drove slowly towards the surrounding wall.


    After capturing someone from Jiefang City yesterday and learning that Big Camphor Tree Base could exchange materials,


    They collected around the area for half a day, finding a daily goods factory and obtaining about twenty boxes of bathing supplies such as soap and shampoo.


    Three vehicles, four people slowly approached the base.


    They had just emerged from the woods and were noticed by Li Yu and his men.


    Second Uncle and Li Yu exchanged glances.


    Second Uncle, standing on the wall with a megaphone, shouted, "Who are you?"


    Hearing Second Uncle, Captain Tao quickly rolled down his window and shouted, "Hello, we are here to exchange materials."


    Second Uncle continued to inquire, "How come I haven''t seen you before?"


    Captain Tao, with a ready answer, replied, "We are from the neighboring County, and we heard that food could be exchanged here, so we came over. Can we really exchange here?"


    Silence.


    Second Uncle did not respond immediately.


    Meanwhile, Li Yu heard from Third Uncle from the side, "Found 12 people in the woods, no, 14 people, and two of them are tied up. Something seems off."


    Li Yu thought for a second and said, "See if there is anyone you recognize?"


    Third Uncle took out his telescope, carefully observing each person, and said, "No, but those two in the car who are tied up, their faces are obscured."


    Li Yu replied, "Okay, after we let them in, you start your move and capture all of them."


    ...


    Captain Tao and others waited under the wall for nearly two minutes, but still did not receive any response, and were wondering if something had gone wrong.


    Suddenly -


    The gate opened.


    Second Uncle said to Captain Tao and the others below the wall, "Sorry, you need to hand over your weapons at the entrance. After all, we haven''t met before. Hope you can understand."


    Captain Tao was cursing inside. Just a moment ago, he thought there were some issues exposed, but fortunately.


    So he pleasingly said, "No problem, we understand."


    The vehicles slowly entered the gate.


    After entering the gate, they realized that it was empty inside. Tens of meters away from them, there was another door, and what was behind it was not visible.


    Once all three of their vehicles had entered Weng City, Li Yu took out a walkie-talkie and said to Third Uncle, "Everyone is in, you can take action now."


    "Received," Third Uncle replied.


    Inside Weng City.


    The gate slowly closed, and the final thud of the door shutting gave Captain Tao and others a sense of foreboding.


    Seven or eight people slowly descended from the wall, each holding firearms.


    And on top of the wall, another six or seven people appeared, all holding rifles.


    Seeing this scene, Captain Tao''s pupils slightly constricted.


    He had not seen so many people on the wall just now, and they had no firearms either.


    How could...


    Suddenly, he had a bad feeling.


    There was a problem.


    What Mr. Wang had said about this group having only a few handguns was completely deceptive.


    He even saw someone holding an 85 sniper rifle, was this a joke?


    Once he got out, he would definitely settle the score with this old Wang. Too deceitful.


    Watching as they were slowly surrounded, Captain Tao was scared to death inside, but on the surface, he smiled and said, "We are here to make an exchange.


    We brought over twenty boxes of daily bathing supplies, not sure how much grain we can exchange here?"


    Li Yu, holding a gun and subtly pointing it at Captain Tao and the others, said, "Alright, get off the vehicle first, we''ll move the goods, weigh them, and then settle up with you."


    Being pointed at by firearms, Captain Tao cursed Mr. Wang eight hundred times in his heart, all those dark muzzles pointing at him, it was terrifying.


    So, he slowly got off the vehicle, the four of them lined up.


    Standing in front of the car.


    Just then, gunfire suddenly came from outside the wall.


    Bang bang bang��


    Upon hearing the gunfire, Captain Tao and others felt a sense of dread.


    So they looked towards Li Yu and his group, becoming more vigilant.


    Shifting their bodies, they slowly moved back towards the vehicle.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out, hitting a leg, and he fell to the ground.


    Li Yu smiled and said, "Good boy, don''t move."


    After he finished speaking, Li Yu''s earpiece transmitted Third Uncle''s voice:


    "There''s a big problem. Among the two people tied up inside, one is Mr. Wang who had escaped from Harmony Garden before, and the other is a person who escaped from Jiefang City."


    Hearing this, Li Yu looked at Captain Tao and his group with an even brighter smile.

 Chapter 368 - 359: The Kind Li Yu

    Captain Tao saw Li Yu''s bright smile, and felt even more panicked inside.


    The gunfire outside the walls stopped after a while.


    At this moment, Captain Tao just wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible, the base was so large, and from what he could see now, there were almost 20 people, each armed, obviously not to be trifled with.


    He couldn''t figure out what was happening with the gunfire outside, but his intuition told him that it had something to do with these people.


    Captain Tao then said: "Can we proceed with the exchange quickly? We are still hungry here, and some of our brothers are waiting too."


    Li Yu said with a smile: "Don''t worry, they won''t have to wait long. Look, here come your brothers."


    As Li Yu spoke, the gates of Weng City were opened, and a group of people came in from outside, their hands empty and bound.


    Following them were Third Uncle and others, holding guns at them.


    "Move it," Dapao said.


    One of them had been shot in the leg and was limping slowly, but after Dapao shouted, he was forced to quicken his pace.


    Seeing this scene, Captain Tao, Hua Chuanxiong, and others felt a chill in their hearts: It''s over.


    Now they were doomed.


    Li Yu walked two steps towards the door and saw the middle-aged man next to Third Uncle.


    This man was indeed from Harmony Garden; it was actually their first meeting, although he had seen his picture in Mr. Wang''s room at Harmony Garden.


    Li Yu said with a smile: "Mr. Wang, I''ve long admired your reputation."


    Mr. Wang said with a complex look: "Hmph! You murderous demon, you won''t meet a good end."


    Li Yu''s expression chilled, then he said: "Lao Lu, tell them. Who started this first."


    Lao Lu and Lao Xie remembered how their brothers had been killed before by these people from Harmony Garden without having done anything.


    Anger flashed in their eyes.


    Lao Lu said: "Nonsense! You were the ones who brought trouble to us and killed our people. What nonsense are you spouting?"


    Mr. Wang was left speechless, overwhelmed by endless regret.


    He should have never believed Xie Liuhai''s words; he hadn''t expected Li Yu and his group to be this powerful.


    It had only brought disaster upon himself and the people of Harmony Garden.


    But remembering those who had been killed, Mr. Wang said: "I didn''t know they would kill your people; that was just a misunderstanding. But you! You slaughtered all the people of Harmony Garden. Are you even human?"


    Li Yu replied slowly: "Forgive where you can.


    A cycle of vengeance will never end.


    Well said, but I don''t believe it. Why?


    Why can you kill our people, and we cannot kill yours?


    Why can you harbor malice against us, and we can''t towards you?


    I am a man of clear debts and grudges.


    You kill me, so I kill you. The reasoning is very simple."


    Li Yu''s words were not actually meant for Mr. Wang, but rather for Dapao, Lao Lu, and others in the base.


    After having slaughtered so many people previously, it was inevitable that some would think it too cruel.


    But everyone understood that in this apocalyptic, morally degenerate time, a core set of values was needed.


    Otherwise, it was easy for morale to disperse.


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s words, Mr. Wang closed his eyes, filled with an inexplicable sadness.


    He then said: "We had no choice, we just wanted to get some food from your side, we just wanted to survive, why must you be so cruel, leaving no room


    Humanity must ultimately unite. Only by coming together can we resist the zombies, and move towards the future, a big fire made from many pieces of wood..."


    Li Yu, tired, seeing Mr. Wang still talking, couldn''t be bothered to discuss further.


    He then gestured to Dapao.


    Dapao plunged a knife into Mr. Wang''s thigh.


    Mr. Wang was a tough man, not making a sound even after the knife stabbed in.


    "Full of righteousness and morality, yet all full of thieves and prostitutes inside, you speak those grandiose words quite well.


    But why do you want to kill people? Don''t use these kinds of words to press me; if you want to cooperate, can''t you do it openly and honorably?" Li Yu roared.


    Captain Tao and the others beside him were all shocked and stared dumbfounded.


    What Mr. Wang told them wasn''t the same as this.


    From the conversation just now, they probably understood something, seems like this Mr. Wang wanted to steal someone''s stuff and after failing, got chased down to their lair.


    Wait, something''s wrong, this situation seems familiar.


    Isn''t this their current situation!


    At this moment, Captain Tao and his team felt so regretful that their stomachs turned green, not expecting this band of fierce people to be so formidable and ruthless.


    This is screwed.


    Now that Mr. Wang and they have a feud, it wouldn''t transfer to them, would it?


    "Cough cough cough."


    Captain Tao coughed twice and said: "That, we, we really had a misunderstanding, we also came here because we were misled by Mr. Wang.


    Actually, we just wanted to exchange some food with you, nothing else.


    ....."


    Li Yu listened patiently, then asked further: "Anything else to add? I''m a reasonable person, I don''t kill without reason."


    Captain Tao was delighted to hear those words, not expecting them to be so reasonable.


    At the same time, he thought to himself, if we can leave here, we must make a thorough plan, even utilizing zombies.


    That''s the only way we can take down this place.


    And when the time comes, I''ll settle the score with these people!


    Meanwhile, Hua Chuanxiong, who was also nearby, looked towards him.


    The two exchanged glances, each understanding the other''s thoughts.


    Over more than a year in the apocalypse, due to temporary kindness, they suffered numerous setbacks.


    Under the pressure of survival, they gradually realized, only by plundering, only by being ruthless, can they survive.


    Captain Tao turned his eyes and said: "We actually came from a far place, we pose no threat to you.


    Look, can we reach cooperation?


    Later we can work together to grow and recreate glory."


    Li Yu nodded, then pointed to the person who was tied up by Captain Tao, who had come from Jiefang City.


    He slowly said: "Since you sincerely want to cooperate, then why did you tie up someone? How do you explain that?"


    Captain Tao''s corner of the mouth twitched, this...


    He hadn''t thought of how to answer this question yet, but Hua Chuanxiong beside him responded:


    "We were just too anxious to find you guys.


    Setting off was right, but the method was indeed problematic. We surely shouldn''t have done this." S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu smiled and said: "Well said, reasoned, okay, introduce yourselves.


    Where are you from, how many people, what is your true purpose in coming here?"


    Captain Tao, heartened by this, couldn''t believe that this person, who seemed to be in charge of the base, actually believed them.


    It seems there''s a chance to get out alive, then glanced at the other Safe City people, gave a subtle signal with his eyes, indicating to everyone to keep their stories straight.


    His gaze pondered for a while and then he said:


    "We are from the east, quite far from here, we don''t have many people now, less than a hundred, and our purpose is very simple, just to seek cooperation with you, to see if we can exchange goods or something."


    "Uh-huh." Li Yu nodded.


    "Tie them all up," Li Yu ordered.


    Captain Tao heard this, somewhat stupefied, this was different from what was just discussed.


    "You, what are you doing, we are sincerely seeking cooperation."


    Li Yu glanced at him and said: "Exchanging goods, that''s something we only started these past two days, could you have known before you set off?


    What Mr. Wang used to lure you here I don''t know, what he told you, I also don''t know.


    But I do know, you are not telling the truth.


    Tie them up.


    I think, it''s time to hear the truth from you."

 Chapter 369 - 360: Interrogation (Thanks for the reward from 不扣他)

    Upon hearing Li Yu''s command, Dapao and the others went forward and tied those people up.


    With numerous guns pointed at them, they dared not make any rash movements.


    But there was one who wasn''t afraid to die, a man brought by Captain Tao.


    Just as Song Min was about to tie him up.


    The man suddenly erupted, snatching the handgun from Song Min''s hand and was about to take action.


    Bang!


    A gunshot.


    It was Yutong on top of the surrounding wall, holding a sniper rifle.


    A headshot.


    Blood splattered, and Song Min''s face was covered in fresh blood.


    Her face full of shock and lingering fear, she had not anticipated.


    That the person who was just about to raise his hand would be so audacious.


    This gunshot also scared the others who were just about to act, so they didn''t dare move again.


    Because of what just happened, Li Yu and the others were even more furious, so they quickly tied these people up.


    Li Yu even said, "That one was a real man just now, does anyone else want to follow his example?"


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    Bang! Li Yu immediately raised his gun and killed another person.


    To vent his anger!


    Seeing that two people had been killed one after another, Captain Tao and the others were even less daring to act.


    They were particularly resentful of the man who had erupted just now.


    They were doomed now...


    After waiting for all of them to be tied up, Li Yu connected each person together, with a one-meter distance between them.


    Heading towards the base.


    Li Yu looked at Yutong on the surrounding wall and gave her a thumbs-up.


    Then he turned his head and said, "Uncle, you guys check the front gate, Dapao, Tianlong, Third Uncle, Gangzi, Tiezi, you guys come with me."


    Since these people wouldn''t tell the truth, he had ways to make them talk.


    And with so many people, there were bound to be those who wanted to survive.


    He didn''t believe that every single one of them could keep their mouths shut.


    He took them to the same cell as before.


    On this journey,


    They saw the gymnasium under construction, saw Bamboo Forest, saw two mountains, saw a garden��


    These sights dazzled Captain Tao and the others, they hadn''t expected that beyond Weng City there was another world.


    A huge area behind them, just the number of people they saw on the way had already exceeded 70.


    Li Yu first brought Mr. Wang forward for questioning.


    But no matter what, Mr. Wang''s mouth was very tight-lipped, so Li Yu handed him over to Dapao, whose occupational skills had greatly improved after several interrogations.


    He always had his own methods.


    Li Yu stood in front of these people, still in the same manner as before.


    But now no one else dared to speak out.


    The group was lined up in a row, with Li Yu standing behind them.


    Their hands were bound behind their backs, kneeling on the ground.


    In the front were Li Tie, Li Haoran, and others.


    Li Yu unlocked the safety of his handgun and then said to the people, "Whoever can tell me the answer can live." Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Captain Tao hurriedly said, "Everything I told you is true, every word is factual. We wouldn''t dare to deceive you."


    Bang!


    Li Yu fired a shot, directly executing Captain Tao.


    Clean and decisive!


    He could tell this man was the leader among them.


    They had been talking for so long and still not telling the truth, which annoyed him.


    Might as well just kill him.


    The remaining dozen or so people didn''t expect Li Yu to kill someone just like that.


    Just now, inside Weng City, he was all smiles; but when it came to killing, he was so determined and ruthless.


    Although they had already witnessed it just now, it was still shocking to them that another person was killed, especially since it was Captain Tao.


    Li Yu closed his eyes and said, "My patience is limited, if no one speaks in three seconds, I will kill a person."


    One.


    Two.


    Three.


    Bang!


    The person kneeling next to Captain Tao was killed before he could even react.


    The rest of the kneeling people were startled; they didn''t expect Li Yu to act so quickly.


    One.


    Two.


    Three.


    This time, Li Yu counted numbers even faster than before.


    Bang!


    Another person was shot dead.


    Three people killed in a row.


    Li Yu had not heard anyone answer yet.


    So he started calling out numbers again.


    Three.


    Bang!


    Three.


    Bang!


    Two successive threes, having skipped one and two.


    Stop.


    The sixth person.


    It was someone brought by Lao Sun; he didn''t expect Li Yu to kill this fast.


    The key was he didn''t play by the rules, directly calling out three and then immediately killing two people.


    So he hurriedly spoke up: "I''ll talk, I''ll talk."


    Li Yu nodded, signaling for him to kneel down on the other side.


    Then he raised his gun and said to the seventh person, "One.


    Two."


    Hearing Li Yu begin counting numbers again, this person trembled in fear and quickly said, "I''ll talk. I''ll talk."


    Li Yu glanced at him, then looked towards the others.


    The rest quickly said, "We will all talk."


    Only then did Li Yu nod in satisfaction, and immediately had Lao Lu, Li Tie, and Li Gang each take a person away for separate interrogation.


    Li Yu also took the sixth person for individual questioning.


    Learning about a person named Hua Chuanxiong was beyond their expectations.


    Inside a small room next to the prison cell.


    Li Yu, Li Tie, and Third Uncle interrogated this Hua Chuanxiong alone.


    Li Yu said, "Tell us everything that you know in detail."


    Hua Chuanxiong was nervous, speaking with trepidation, "I''ll tell you everything I know, just please don''t kill me."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Go ahead."


    Hua Chuanxiong then stated everything clearly:


    "We came from the east, about 600 kilometers away, near Stone City.


    After the apocalypse erupted, we were a force that came together temporarily.


    That Captain Tao who was just killed, he was one of Wu Lao''s men, and they were from the military too.


    But after the main force was overrun, their small contingent later escaped to Safe City.


    Then it was my brother and others who came.


    Next was Ke Hanyu.


    Then many Survivors came to us, and our numbers grew more and more."


    Li Yu asked upon hearing this, "How many people do you have?"


    Hua Chuanxiong said, "Before this blizzard, there were about two thousand of us.


    But after this blizzard, many died of starvation or froze to death. Now there are probably less than a thousand."


    Li Yu and Third Uncle exchanged shocked glances.


    Li Yu continued, "Didn''t you just mention people from the military? How many are there?"


    Hua Chuanxiong quickly said, "There are about 60 of Wu Lao''s men, each armed with a gun.


    Then there''s my brother''s group, comprising over a hundred people, with about thirty firearms.


    Ke Hanyu''s group also has over a hundred people, with about a dozen guns.


    The rest are scattered Survivors without guns, but their numbers are quite high, nearly seven hundred people altogether."


    Li Yu immediately inquired, "Then why didn''t you all use guns just now and left them in the vehicle instead?"


    Hua Chuanxiong said with a bitter smile, "Ever since the apocalypse broke out, we''ve never received a replenishment of bullets, they are extremely scarce.


    This time we went out, Captain Tao''s men were given five bullets each, we only got three.


    They''re simply not enough, such a long distance, and on the way here we encountered several waves of Zombies, we used them all up."


    As he spoke, he even began to cry bitterly.


    He was only 20 years old, always protected by his brother, no one dared to bully him. Now, having come this far, suffering all sorts of hardships along the way was bad enough.


    To end up here, just like being sent to death, now finding himself in such a predicament.


    Li Yu nodded, then took out a map and had Hua Chuanxiong carefully mark the location of Safe City.


    He then asked about how Mr. Wang managed to run to Safe City.


    Hua Chuanxiong was unsure, to him, Mr. Wang seemed to have appeared out of thin air.


    He felt that Mr. Wang was his nemesis, leading him to his demise.


    Third Uncle suddenly spoke while looking at the map, "Xiaoyu, remember when I was chasing Mr. Wang? I chased him to this place.


    From the map, it''s not far from their Safe City.


    I guess it was at that time, Mr. Wang escaped there."


    Li Yu nodded, it all made sense now.

 Chapter 370 - 361: Killed or Not?

    Li Yu walked out of the cell and was met by Dapao.


    Li Yu frowned slightly and asked, "How did it go with Mr. Wang''s interrogation?"


    Dapao then shared the results of the recent interrogation, which were essentially consistent with the information extracted from Hua Chuanxiong earlier.


    After finishing his report, Dapao showed an embarrassed expression.


    Seeing this, Li Yu directly asked, "Did something happen?"


    Dapao replied, "This Mr. Wang, he was indeed resilient, so I had to resort to tougher measures. I did not expect him to die so quickly."


    Li Yu waved his hand, indicating it was not an issue.


    Even a strongman has his downfall, let alone Old Wang.


    He then instructed, "Dapao, go help Haoran and the others, interrogate each person individually to see if their stories align.


    Yeah, after you''re done with the questioning, tie them up, hands and feet separately, using those chains we had before."


    Dapao nodded and immediately headed towards the direction of the cells.


    Li Yu watched him leave then slowly retracted his gaze, his eyes reflecting deep thought.


    Now that he roughly understood their situation, the biggest issue before him was how to handle it.


    After all, the people from the east were numerous, but not particularly strong as a whole.


    The weather had just stabilized slightly, but it was unpredictable, and there was no telling if it might rain in the coming days.


    The temperature had risen back above zero degrees Celsius.


    The snow had also slowly melted.


    By the time Li Tie and the others had finished interrogating the people from Safe City, it had already turned dark.


    From the interrogation of different people, their responses were mostly consistent.


    Li Yu then called for a meeting in the living room.


    The focus of the meeting was on the next steps and strategies.


    Li Yu sat in the center and slowly spoke, "I''ve just briefed everyone on the basic situation, now you all have a general idea. The question now is, what should we do? Any thoughts?"


    Dapao was the first to speak, "Brother Yu, this isn''t the first time we''ve dealt with people harboring ill intentions. Now that we know their location, we might as well just go there and take them out."


    Li Hang also added, "Yeah, brother, didn''t they say that their group doesn''t have enough bullets? Even though they are many, they are not strong. To avoid prolonged trouble, we should eliminate them sooner."


    Li Yu initially thought the same upon learning about their situation, wanting to nip the trouble in the bud.


    However, upon reflection, he considered the distance quite far and with the recent weather changes, there were uncertainties about future conditions. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they encountered a storm during the trip, the risk would indeed be high.


    After all, it''s a long distance.


    Third Uncle suddenly mentioned, "When I went there last time, there were many zombies not far from their Safe City. I did not pursue further back then because of these zombies.


    If we decide to go there, I think we could use these zombies to our advantage."


    Li Yu nodded and asked, "Apart from going there directly, does anyone think we shouldn''t make the first move?"


    Second Uncle looked around, and seeing no one else speaking, he said, "I think, under the current circumstances, we could wait a bit. If those who arrived earlier don''t return, they will definitely send more people over, and we can deal with them then.


    Moreover, we''ve established cooperation with He Chao, and they could serve as our informants, helping us keep an eye on the surroundings.


    Should their people come, we would be well-prepared.


    And if they send many people, it would likely attract the attention of zombies, and the zombies might deal with them before they even reach us.


    But if only a few come, we could easily take care of them."


    Li Yu felt a stir in his heart at Second Uncle''s words.


    What Second Uncle suggested was not unreasonable.


    Li Yu then said, "Any other thoughts? Feel free to share."


    Song Min suddenly mentioned, "I noticed that these people are not united, but are divided into four factions, forcibly combined. I''m wondering if we can exploit this fact."


    Li Yu nodded, "Indeed, the people we interrogated indicated that there were internal conflicts among them."


    Uncle stood up from his chair, poured some water into his thermos which also contained some goji berries.


    As one reaches middle age, one inevitably ends up soaking goji berries in a thermos.


    Uncle slowly said, "This Old Wu is from the military. If we eliminate them, could there be repercussions?"


    Li Yu pondered and responded, "That''s indeed something to consider. However, according to what they''ve told us, Old Wu isn''t exactly a good person either.


    Old Sun even mentioned how Old Wu and his men forced civilians to scavenge for supplies."


    Uncle did not speak further; he merely raised the question, leaving everyone to weigh the considerations and think together.


    Second Uncle''s gaze shifted, noticing that Li Yu had not expressed his decision, probably indicating that Li Yu hadn''t made up his mind on what to do.


    He then said, "Let''s talk about how to deal with the remaining people they''ve sent.


    Now that they''ve all spoken, their value isn''t that great anymore. If we do go to Safe City, perhaps they could guide us.


    But with eight or nine of them left, what should we do with them?


    Kill them, or keep them?"


    This question was indeed the most pressing issue to consider, with eight or nine outsiders held at the base, albeit bound.


    There were inherent risks in how to handle this.


    Everyone was momentarily unsure what to say, as during the interrogation, they had all been told that if they spoke honestly, they would be allowed to live.


    But now, they had all spoken.


    What to do?


    Releasing them would be like releasing the tiger back into the mountains.


    Not to mention whether they would return to Safe City, these people could potentially pose future threats to Big Camphor Tree Base.


    But if they were kept, wouldn''t maintaining them just be a waste of resources?


    Yet killing them seemed somewhat untrustworthy.


    Having promised them their lives in exchange for their cooperation, now rendering them useless and then killing them would be a breach of promise.


    Everyone understood that the best course of action would probably be to kill them, keeping only one or two to guide them if they decided to go to Safe City later.


    But if opting for execution, it certainly couldn''t be Li Yu who proposed it. As a leader, he had to keep his promises; it had to be someone else who would suggest and enact it.


    If not opting for execution, they had to consider what to do if they didn''t kill these people and where they would go.


    All this hinged on what Li Yu thought.


    Everyone needed to understand his thoughts, to get some indication from him.

 Chapter 371 - 362: What Morals to Speak of with the Enemy!

    Inside the conference room.


    Everyone looked at Li Yu, waiting for him to make a decision.


    Li Yu looked at everyone''s expressions and sighed inwardly.


    Oftentimes, people tend to worry about beforehand and consider various issues.


    They also worry about others'' perspectives.


    This time, Li Yu needed to impart a principle to them.


    When dealing with enemies, there''s no need for politeness, let alone morality.


    In this apocalyptic world, whoever is merciful to the enemy is being cruel to themselves.


    Thus, Li Yu issued a direct order: "Keep that Hua Chuanxiong and another one called Old Sun; kill the rest."


    Upon hearing this, most people weren''t too surprised or agitated��it was just like Li Yu''s usual way of doing things.


    They just didn''t expect Li Yu to speak about this matter in front of everyone.


    Everyone looked at Li Yu, listening to what he would say next.


    Li Yu then continued: "In this apocalypse, being kind is good, being merciful is good.


    I admire those with great love.


    Those saving the world, I respect them too.


    However, would you be willing to save others and then let your family and friends get hurt or die?


    Before the apocalypse.


    I remember a news story about a person who sold his house for 5 million and then his daughter had to take out a loan for university.


    In the end, he couldn''t find his daughter.


    Some people are benevolent and save others but end up failing the parents who brought them up.


    Some, out of so-called integrity, treated enemies with credibility, ultimately harming others and themselves.


    Why should we be trustworthy towards enemies, why should we treat enemies with a merciful heart?


    If you can''t even take care of your own family and friends, then what''s the use of others calling you noble?


    Among us, there are my relatives, my friends, and brothers and sisters who joined later.


    But since we are together, I only want one thing.


    In this doomsday, to lead you all to live well!


    I hope you all understand one thing:


    When dealing with enemies, there''s no need for morality!"


    After these words were spoken, the room fell silent.


    Many people blushed, some breathing heavily with excitement.


    Like Song Min and Old L��, they had suffered losses and paid a heavy price for it.


    And some, like Li Haoran, looked at Li Yu with admiration in their eyes.


    People felt that everything Li Yu did was for everyone''s sake, all for the well-being of the group.


    Considering what everyone has now, being able to eat well and stay warm in such a brutal apocalypse is truly a luxury.


    Li Yu has expressed his thoughts in front of everyone more than once.


    He doesn''t want to save the world, he just wants to create an idyllic haven with like-minded people in the post-apocalypse.


    Saving the world is too exhausting, and he''s not cut out for that.


    Old L�� and Old Xie, upon hearing Li Yu''s words, were somewhat moved.


    In this post-apocalyptic world, the former Jiefang City admitted different people, not turning anyone away.


    At the same time, they emphasized a spirit of dedication, working hard to maintain and protect everyone.


    However, the resulting chaos wasn''t because their principles were wrong, but because such ideals were unsuitable for the ruthless apocalypse.


    There were too many people; with not enough basic conditions for survival, such as food, chaos was inevitable.


    In that chaos, they lost family members.


    Understanding this truth, they paid an irreplaceable price.


    ....


    After a moment of silence.


    Second Uncle spoke slowly: "Li Yu, alright, we''ll go handle it in a bit."


    Li Yu nodded, feeling a sense of irritation in his heart.


    Actually, he was also struggling internally��killing these few people was just a trivial matter.


    But it extended to some of the things he was contemplating in his heart.


    Great people are great because they have a high vision and broad-mindedness.


    For a country, the state comes before the home.


    Before the apocalypse, he too could declare in the face of Japan, in the face of foreign invasion:


    "If war calls, I shall answer."


    But now, it is the end of the world.


    A vast catastrophe.


    He is just an insignificant commoner; he can''t save the entire world...


    It is important for a person to know their own limitations; without this awareness, one can harm themselves and others.


    He slowly exhaled.


    Everyone dispersed.


    Dapao and Li Tie headed straight to the prison, to deal with those few people.


    Li Yu paced alone to the top of the wall, his heart filled with confusion.


    He didn''t know whether his actions were right or wrong.


    But he knew that what he''d done was the safest for the people in the base.


    Tap tap tap~


    The sound of light footsteps approached.


    Li Yu turned his head; it was Third Uncle.


    Third Uncle was dressed in a black tactical jacket.


    Seeing Li Yu, Third Uncle said, "Li Yu, have you thought it through? Shall we go over there?"


    Li Yu gazed at the pitch-black night sky. It had been warming up these past few days, the sun shining brightly.


    After some thought, Li Yu said:


    "If we could go directly, that would be best. With fewer people going over, we could take them out. After all, they have a large number, and I''m worried about our lack of firepower.


    But if we take too many people and make too much noise, given the long distance of several hundred kilometers, if we encounter a Zombie Tide, it would be difficult. I haven''t made up my mind yet."


    Third Uncle nodded, showing understanding.


    In the apocalypse, it''s either you destroy me, or I destroy you.


    There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.


    If Big Camphor Tree Base lacked strength, it too would be attacked by other powerful forces.


    This is not needless worry; it is an absolute fact.


    Now that they had discovered a force with ill intentions towards them, they must eradicate it, and do so quickly.


    It''s just that due to the distance, and because the temperature rise had brought out the zombies...


    A gust of wind blew by. S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The wind carried a faint, moist scent.


    In the distance, the trees swayed, illuminated by searchlights.


    The branches quivered, creating an indescribable atmosphere.


    Rustle rustle~


    The wind brushed through the trees, stirring up a plume of dust.


    Li Yu stretched out his hand, feeling the air.


    Third Uncle looked up at the dark clouds in the sky.


    The deep black clouds hid the moon and stars from view.


    Li Yu said, "It''s going to rain."


    Third Uncle replied with a smile, "If it rains, it seems like heaven is giving us a choice."


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    a light sprinkle of rain fell to the ground.


    Li Yu stood on the wall, feeling the rainfall.


    He loved the rain, enjoyed the sensation of staying indoors and watching the drizzle outside.


    But after the apocalypse arrived, rain became a disaster.


    Zombies would become frenzied when it rained, and their abilities would be greatly enhanced in rainy weather.


    Their sense of smell would increase exponentially, allowing them to detect the scent of living humans.


    The more humans there were, the more likely a large Zombie Tide would form.


    Hence, during rainy days, Zombie Tides are quite likely to occur.


    Raindrops fell into Li Yu''s hand. He looked at Third Uncle and said, "It''s raining; let''s not go out for now.


    The journey is long; we better wait until after this rainfall is over."


    Third Uncle tightened his clothes and said, "Yeah, since it''s raining, I''ll go to the monitoring room to keep watch, just in case there''s a Zombie Tide, so we can prepare early."


    Li Yu nodded and then returned to the duty room.

 Chapter 372 - 363: Entering Weng City!

    Willow branches, heavy after rain, pine colors carry deep smoke.


    Outside the enclosure, among the pine trees.


    In the drizzling rain, swathes of white mist twirl around.


    It feels somewhat ethereal.


    Roar~


    The rainy scenery in the mountains is indeed beautiful, but amidst this misty drizzle, more zombies have emerged.


    Mixed with the sound of the steady rain are the zombies'' shrieks.


    Thump!


    A precisely shot arrow strikes a zombie''s head. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The tail of the arrow is still quivering, showing the force behind it.


    The high-strength dual-wheel compound bow used by Li Yu saves eighty percent of effort.


    That is, only 15 pounds of force is needed to pull a 60-pound medium crossbow.


    While saving energy, the shot arrows are also extremely powerful.


    After shooting one arrow, Li Yu slowly pulls out another one.


    These arrows are homemade, and the shooting effect is surprisingly good.


    Li Haoran, standing nearby, is also firing a crossbow.


    These high-strength compound crossbows were acquired by Li Yu through the black market before the apocalypse. They were pricy, but of course, the quality is very good.


    "Brother, this rain has made the weather even colder. I feel like it''s even colder than before," said Li Haoran.


    Li Yu shook the rainwater off his raincoat and responded, "It was cold before, but the humidity wasn''t as high. Now with greater humidity, the cold is everywhere.


    Haoran, don''t be too hasty to shoot, take aim first.


    If you miss again later, I will have you go out and retrieve the arrows."


    Looking at the increasing number of zombies beneath the wall, Li Haoran felt a tingle in his scalp and hastily responded, "Brother, don''t be so harsh.


    I''ll aim better."


    He then steadied himself, aiming the crossbow at a zombie not far below the wall.


    Taking a deep breath, he aimed, waited for two seconds.


    The bowstring loosened, and the arrow shot out.


    Thump!


    Seeing this, Li Yu nodded and said, "Right, just maintain this state, practice well."


    Upon receiving Li Yu''s approval, Li Haoran''s face showed excitement, and he continued shooting one arrow after another.


    Seeing the motivated Li Haoran, Li Yu smiled and then left the wall.


    At the moment, the number of zombies beneath the wall wasn''t too high, so there wasn''t too much to worry about.


    But constant vigilance was necessary, in case the number of zombies increased significantly, they would need to be exterminated.


    Back in the duty office, Li Yu watched the surveillance cameras absentmindedly.


    Suddenly, Li Haoran burst into the duty office.


    Pointing to Li Yu, he exclaimed, "Brother, there are some cars coming outside."


    After hearing this, Li Yu''s expression became tense, People are coming?


    He quickly called for Li Tie and others.


    On the wall, Li Yu used a telescope to look at five vehicles passing through the forest.


    The vehicles looked somewhat familiar.


    Li Yu looked carefully.


    It''s He Chao''s vehicles!


    Ever since they were able to exchange goods at the Big Camphor Tree Base, they have been living nearby.


    Now with the rain, zombies are everywhere, and even if humans hide, zombies can still detect their scent and attack.


    The few cars outside the wall were heavily surrounded by zombies.


    The scratches on the vehicle bodies attest to the difficult journey they had.


    Second Uncle, Li Tie, Old L�� and others also arrived at the wall and saw those distant vehicles.


    Everyone, wearing raincoats, couldn''t see clearly in the dim light.


    Old L�� exclaimed, "Those are He Chao''s cars."


    He then looked at Li Yu but didn''t speak, as the decision-making power resided with Li Yu; it wasn''t his place to decide on a rescue.


    Li Yu was also pondering. He Chao, also a former resident of Jiefang City, had exchanged goods with them a few times since the last time the trade model was initiated.


    Moreover, after the people from Safe City arrived, he had proactively informed Li Yu and his group.


    Thanks to their warning, Li Yu was able to prepare in advance and had surrounded Captain Tao and all his people.


    In the rainy night, Li Yu''s eyes flickered.


    But He Chao and others below the wall were at a critical moment.


    Inside the foremost vehicle, with the window open, someone seemed to want to say something, but was quickly surrounded by zombies and drowned out by their roars.


    As the surrounding zombies increased in number, the vehicles were rocked continuously.


    Everyone dared not speak, waiting for Li Yu to give an order, whether to ignore them or rescue, they would follow the command.


    After all, these people below had become somewhat familiar after a few trades, and they had been helpful...


    Rescuing them wouldn''t be a big deal, since the number of zombies still wasn''t that large and they wouldn''t need to keep them inside the base.


    Not rescuing wouldn''t be a big problem either, except they would possibly have to find other people for future goods exchanges.


    However, He Chao and his group had always performed well. They also regularly reported on some conditions surrounding Xin City.


    ...


    "Open the gate and shut down the Research Room; let Bai Jie temporarily go up to the surrounding wall. Pull up the ladder that descends into Weng City.


    Let them stay in Weng City, do not open the back door," Li Yu said.


    After several modifications, Weng City, the surrounding wall, and the Observation Tower were all interconnected.


    However, to maintain independence in the Weng City, no permanent steps were built. Instead, simple steel retractable ladders were used.


    Now, even if the gate is open, zombies will definitely swarm in more or less.


    But the gate here, its surface is made of steel plates several tens of centimeters thick, with concrete poured inside the steel reinforcement, weighing ten tons, and is pulled up and down on an axle.


    Even if zombies stand in the middle of the huge gate, the thick gate will crush those at the doorway to bits once it''s shut, no matter how many zombies there.


    This is why Li Yu can rest assured to have them open the gate.


    Upon hearing Li Yu''s command, Dapao and others quickly opened the gate.


    Then, Li Tie behind saw more and more zombies approaching from other directions and said:


    "Big Brother, there are too many zombies; should we find a way to help them clear it out?"


    Li Yu looked back and said, "Yes, help them in."


    Then the people on the walls began to aim their crossbows and shoot.


    In the vehicle, He Chao, who also came with a trying mentality, drove here, thinking whether he could get shelter; he didn''t expect the gate to really open.


    Boom~


    Below the wall, the vehicles revved up to maximum power and surged toward the gate.


    At the gate, some zombies also squeezed over, and for a moment, many zombies poured into the gateway.


    Seeing more zombies following from behind, Li Yu saw them get crushed under the wheels of the vehicles they were driving.


    They were turned to mush by the tires without any effort.


    "Quick," Li Yu shouted down from the wall.


    Five vehicles quickly entered through the gate, followed by a swarm of zombies.


    Li Yu then pulled out a Hand Grenade, pulled the pin, and threw it into the densest crowd of zombies outside the wall.


    Boom!


    The cluster of zombies outside the wall was instantaneously blown apart, creating a vacuum in the densest area in the front.


    Click~


    Seeing He Chao and others enter Weng City, Dapao immediately pressed the pulley, lowering the gate slowly.


    Some zombies still at the gate poured into Weng City.


    Around the gate, the zombies mindlessly followed as the heavy iron gate slowly descended.


    Four or five zombies were crushed in half directly.


    The large iron gate was like a sharp and heavy Chopper, splitting the zombies at the doorway in half.


    Inside Weng City.


    There were still over twenty zombies that had followed the vehicles inside.


    Li Yu couldn''t see clearly, so he said to He Chao and others who had entered Weng City, "Don''t get out of your vehicles yet, there are still zombies."


    Then he said to the people beside him, "Turn on the lights, all of them, and use crossbows to eliminate the zombies inside."


    Li Tie immediately moved the spotlight, pointing it inside Weng City.


    Instantly, Weng City lit up like daylight.


    Whoosh~


    Following the sound of crossbows firing, the more than twenty zombies inside were annihilated.


    The position where Li Yu and the others were standing was on a reinforced wall.


    This wall was over ten meters high, about the height of four to five stories.


    Li Yu then looked down at He Chao and the others. The vehicles were clearly visible under the lights.


    "Let your brothers out," Li Yu called down to He Chao.


    Following the sound of car doors opening, He Chao stepped out of the vehicle, tilted his head to try to see the people on the wall.


    Under the harsh light, however, he was dazzled and couldn''t make out the faces on the wall.


    Yet, the people on the wall could see them very clearly.


    After stepping out of the vehicle, unable to see people clearly, but vaguely knowing the direction where Li Yu and the others were, He Chao bowed deeply.


    "Thank you, Director Li. We did not expect that you would really open the gate to save us, thank you, thank you."


    Then he spoke to the people in the other vehicles," Brothers, get out of the cars, let''s thank Director Li for saving our lives."


    Rustle~


    A large group of people got off the vehicles.


    Dapao counted and then said to Li Yu, "There are 31 people. 19 men, 12 women."


    Li Yu nodded.


    Most of these people were familiar to Li Yu and his group.


    These people expressed their gratitude towards Li Yu and his group.


    "Thank you, Director Li, for saving us."


    "Great kindness and great virtue of Director Li."


    .....


    Listening to their words of thanks, Li Yu felt no great stir in his heart.


    He directly told the people below, "I''m just letting you stay inside Weng City for now; go out once the Zombie Tide recedes. This is all I can do."


    Although He Chao and others felt a bit disappointed, having a safe place to stay, they were very grateful.


    He Chao was a clever man; this time he brought some people Li Yu had not met before, so he took the initiative to report:


    "Director Li, this time we brought 31 people, some of them are our family members. They weren''t here when we exchanged goods with you before."


    Li Yu then looked at Yutong and Old L��, they had been in Jiefang City before and would probably recognize these people.


    Seeing them nod, Li Yu also felt relieved.

 Chapter 373 - 364: Extra Staff

    The sound of the rain was pitter-pattering.


    It kept falling, and for He Chao and the others who had already entered Weng City, it felt like they had found the safest place.


    They didn''t mind the cold weather outside and just sat on the ground to rest.


    Li Yu thought for a moment, then said to He Chao, "Come up here. I want to talk to you."


    Upon hearing this, Dapao lowered the steel staircase.


    Without any hesitation, He Chao turned to walk up. But just as he stood up, a pair of hands pulled on him: "Daddy."


    It was his daughter, Xiao Ya.


    He Chao felt his daughter''s forehead, which was burning hot.


    Her little face was flushed red, and she was in very poor condition.


    These days, there had been a sudden temperature rise, followed by rain and a drop in temperature. His daughter had gotten a fever.


    Although she had taken some cold medicine, it hadn''t improved at all.


    Looking at his daughter, an idea suddenly surged in He Chao''s heart.


    He gently said to her, "Be good, Daddy will be back soon."


    Then he ascended the steel staircase.


    At this time, as Li Yu watched He Chao slowly come up, a concept that had been somewhat vague before became clearer upon seeing He Chao.


    The base needed to expand and become more complete, even the size of the base needed to be strengthened.


    However, bringing in too many people all at once would disrupt the team atmosphere that they had struggled to maintain and would be difficult to manage.


    Moreover, if the newcomers had not been vetted and turned out to be harmful to the base, what then?


    Additionally, taking in too many people would put a particular strain on food supplies.


    Therefore, one should be cautious about accepting new members.


    Now, outside of the base, there were some survivors, as well as many people from Jiefang City.


    How could he make these people useful to him?


    Li Yu thought of a method.


    The first step was to trade supplies, using the need for food to get these people to search for the things the base needed.


    Or issue some sort of recruitment call for these people to help with.


    In this way, Li Yu and his team wouldn''t need to risk their lives to do certain things.


    The second step was to find a spokesperson outside the base, preferably someone loyal; or have a steady ally outside the base.


    The third step was to conduct assessments during cooperation. If someone made a significant contribution to the base, they would have the chance to join after passing the assessment.


    Thus, making the Big Camphor Tree Base the ultimate haven in the hearts of the survivors outside.


    Everyone longed to enter the Big Camphor Tree Base.


    How to get in? An assessment through a points system, and after making enough contributions, they could join.


    Moreover, if there were any disturbances nearby, these people could also exchange information for food.


    Once these steps were perfected, the Big Camphor Tree Base would wield unmatched influence in the area, and there would be numerous free informants outside.


    ...


    In just a moment, a myriad of ideas flashed through Li Yu''s mind.


    Some of those ideas still needed to be perfected.


    He Chao''s arrival from the staircase interrupted Li Yu''s thoughts.


    He Chao walked slowly over, and then he noticed the group beside Li Yu, carrying rifles on their backs but holding crossbows in their hands.


    He Chao addressed the man in the center, saying, "Director Li, you called for me."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "This is the only way I can help you, and that house down there, some things have been placed in there. Don''t let them go in later.


    It''s raining now, and I''ll have them set up some tents for you in a bit."


    He Chao showed a grateful expression and quickly said, "Thank you, Director Li. No amount of words can express my gratitude."


    Li Yu waved his hand, indicating it was nothing to worry about.


    Then he threw a cigarette to He Chao and lit one for himself.


    The rain was light and the wind slight.


    Li Yu turned his back to the rain and took a drag of his cigarette, then spoke to He Chao; "Our base has many people who have come from Jiefang City.


    Even some of my family members were found there.


    But you are also aware of the reasons why Jiefang City ultimately fell.


    I do not want to make the same mistakes, so we must be extra careful when selecting our companions.


    Additionally, it''s not that we cannot let you join; practically everyone who has joined our base contributed to it.


    You''ll have your chance, as long as we continue to cooperate and you show us your sincerity.


    Moreover, the fact that we opened Weng City to let you in shows we already hold some level of recognition for you.


    You can serve as Extra Staff, so if there is a Zombie Tide like before, you can turn to us for help, like now, taking shelter in Weng City.


    Regarding the food, in addition to the previous trading rules.


    I can provide each of you with two kilograms of food per person, per month.


    In return, I hope you can help me gather information outside. If there''s any trouble, you can contact me. Together, we can help resist the zombies and safeguard the interests and safety of the base.


    If the cooperation goes well, you''ll even have the chance to go from Extra Staff to directly joining the base.


    Think it over yourself and discuss it with your brothers." sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yu said a lot, and Second Uncle, listening on the side, had eyes that grew increasingly bright.


    While Li Hang stood to the side, he had a feeling that Director Li was sugar-coating the situation, and he felt a bit sorry for He Chao.


    But what Li Hang didn''t know was that for He Chao, this was already the best possible outcome.


    It was truly a display of conscience.


    In this apocalyptic world of extinction, most of the food outside had been scavenged clean.


    The constantly changing weather, the occasional appearance of zombies, and sometimes the rain, like the Zombie Tide today, meant that it was extremely difficult to find a place to safely cultivate and develop.


    For people like He Chao, after leaving Jiefang City, they had come to understand one truth more clearly.


    Having food to eat and a safe place to stay was what mattered most.


    Staying alive was the most important thing!


    He Chao, somewhat excitedly, said: "Director Li, I can give you an answer right now, there''s no problem at all, we agree."


    Li Yu nodded in satisfaction and responded:


    "Okay, let''s settle it then, you guys stay in Weng City. Later, we will help set up your tents. Alright, if there''s nothing else, you may go."


    He Chao then turned around, but as he did, an idea popped into his mind:


    Since Director Li and the others need people like them, and since they can be considered as Extra Staff, perhaps he could suggest his daughter join the base first.


    This thought arose because he understood how difficult it was to survive in the apocalyptic world.


    Throughout their journey, his daughter had suffered so much hardship following him.


    If she could join the base, at the very least she could have her basic needs met without worry.


    And based on his understanding of people like old L�� and old Xie, they would definitely take care of his daughter.


    Moreover, through their few meetings,


    he had gained some understanding of the people in this base. Although Director Li and the others could be quite cold and he had witnessed their ruthlessness in action, it was true.


    But when he saw the change in old L�� and others after they joined, and especially during the last exchange of supplies, he had even seen an elderly man.


    It was said to be Director Li''s Grandpa, which shocked him even more:


    Even the elderly in the base could maintain such good conditions.


    Furthermore, if he made this request, it was very likely that Director Li and the others would agree��if his daughter was with them, she could be a bargaining chip for them.


    But then again, he felt somewhat reluctant; which father would want his child to leave his side?


    However, he quickly recalled the sight of his younger daughter''s death, which hardened his resolve.


    Li Yu watched He Chao standing there, unmoving, and then asked: "He Chao, is there anything else you need?"


    He Chao bit his lip and then said:


    "Director Li, here''s the situation.


    My daughter has been running a high fever for the past couple of days, I was wondering if you could have someone take a look at her?


    Also, I have another request, I don''t know if you would be willing. My wife and younger daughter are both gone.


    Now I just have my 11-year-old elder daughter left; she is my only remaining relative. She has suffered so much following me, with all these zombies outside.


    So I was thinking,


    if possible, could my daughter join your base first? She is so young, and it''s just too dangerous for her to run around with me outside.


    If my daughter could be placed in the base, I would be at ease, and I could serve you better outside."


    After saying this, He Chao seemed to have exhausted all his strength.


    His words surprised everyone present.


    No one had expected He Chao to make such a request, could it be that he didn''t love her?


    But then they thought, perhaps this is what fatherly love is like.


    Li Yu looked at He Chao, eyed him for a while, then turned his head, as if unintentionally glancing at Second Uncle.


    Second Uncle slightly nodded, indicating that he thought it was a good idea.


    Li Yu became even more convinced in his decision, and said:


    "It''s possible. We currently have education available in the base. Once your daughter recovers from her illness, she can study just like a normal child."


    Upon hearing this, the excitement on He Chao''s face intensified. He had not expected that there were schools in the base where one could study normally.


    He Chao nodded firmly and sincerely said: "Thank you, Director Li, I will do my best for you."


    Li Yu laughed and said: "It''s settled then, you can still come by to see your daughter in the base.


    Didn''t you say your daughter was sick? I''ll have a doctor look at her, have your daughter come up."


    He Chao quickly nodded and said: "Alright."


    He then hurried down from the wall.


    Watching him go,


    Li Yu then said to the people around him: "The rain intensifies the tension. Double the guard forces on the wall.


    Keep five people guarding the gate at all times, and those near the gate, remember to keep an eye on the inside of Weng City; don''t open either the gate to the base or the city gates.


    Report at once if there''s any disturbance."


    Everyone acknowledged the instructions.


    Soon, Doctor Meng Yu and Li Yuan arrived.


    After He Chao went down, he told the crowd below about the agreement he had just reached with Li Yu.


    The people from Jiefang City, upon hearing that they could be considered as Extra Staff, celebrated joyously in place.


    Cheers erupted.


    Shortly thereafter, He Chao brought his daughter up to the wall, and Li Yu let them into the duty room.


    The duty room by the main gate was the largest of the five duty rooms, spanning thirty square meters.

 Chapter 374 - 365: In the Rain (9/9)

    In the brightly lit duty office.


    He Xiaoya hugged her father somewhat fearfully.


    He Chao hugged her back, allowing the doctor to examine her.


    Her temperature was tested with a thermometer, and it shockingly showed a fever of 40 degrees.


    The little girl''s face was flushed bright red, her body shivering uncontrollably, constantly saying she was cold.


    Yutong passed her a scarf to keep warm.


    The little girl politely replied, "Thank you."


    Meng Yu carefully examined her and then said, "We need to bring down the fever first. Having such a high fever for a long time can easily damage the brain."


    He Chao knew Meng Yu from their previous time in Jiefang City, where she had treated people.


    The little girl also recognized this doctor and relaxed quite a bit.


    Meng Yu said, "Xiao Ya''s condition probably requires an IV. She might need to stay inside the base..."


    Upon hearing this, He Chao felt a tightness in his heart. Reluctantly, but prioritizing his daughter''s health, he explained to her that she should recover well inside while he handled some matters outside.


    He Xiaoya was somewhat reluctant, but after He Chao''s patient persuasion.


    Although He Xiaoya was very young, having survived the apocalypse had matured her early. She quickly understood her father''s well-intentioned efforts and the great effort and sacrifice he made to get her inside.


    Therefore, with tears in her eyes, she nodded slightly.


    Before leaving, He Xiaoya, her mind clouded by the fever, still held her father''s hand and said, "Dad, I''ll wait for you inside."


    Hearing this, He Chao, a middle-aged man, couldn''t bear to look down, his eyes reddening, trying his best to keep his head up.


    Separations are always inevitable.


    The older Shai and Lui present at the scene felt a strong resonance with this.


    They also had a daughter.


    Seeing this scene made them even more grateful to have joined the base.


    Although they wanted to speak up for He Chao, considering the last collapse of Jiefang City, they had finally found a stable and strong base.


    The fact that not just anyone could enter was also a good thing for them.


    It meant that the leaders of the base prioritized internal stability.


    Since the leaders'' approach was for the well-being of people in the base, why should they, as members of the base, oppose it?


    Following Li Yu''s arrangements would be best.


    ...


    After letting He Chao and the others in, they didn''t provide additional food since they had exchanged some food supplies recently and were not in short supply.


    They provided them a few tents to temporarily shelter from the rain.


    Then they did not look after them too much.


    ...


    Night fell.


    Zombies outside the walls were still howling.


    But the persistent rain caused the zombies to slowly gather, increasing in number.


    ...


    East.


    Safe City.


    Old Wu stood at the front gate, watching the people in the base continuously fighting off the zombies.


    Then he turned to the person beside him and asked, "Haven''t you seen Captain Tao and his team return yet?"


    The person beside him shook his head and said, "No, we wanted to go out and check, but it''s been raining for two days and zombies are everywhere."


    Taptaptaptap~


    Footsteps approached.


    It was Hua Chuanlong, Ke Hanyu, and Old Zhuang.


    Hua Chuanlong looked anxious and immediately said to Old Wu, "Old Wu, it''s been days, more than a week already.


    According to the journey''s time, they should have returned by now, or at least there should be some news. We should send some people to check."


    Old Wu glanced at him, well aware of why Hua Chuanlong was so concerned, as his own younger brother had also gone to Xin City.


    Although Hua Chuanlong often scolded his brother, he genuinely loved him.


    Now, with Captain Tao and Hua Chuanxiong having gone to Xin City for so long without any news, Hua Chuanlong was more anxious than anyone.


    Old Wu gestured with his hand, signaling him to be calm.


    He then said, "More than a week ago, the snow melted, the roads were wet, slippery, and considering the distance, it would definitely slow them down.


    Don''t worry, they all have guns and are many in number, they should be fine. Let''s wait a bit longer."


    Hua Chuanlong looked hesitant but still seemed like he wanted to say something.


    Old Wu continued, "We all share the same concerns.


    But the urgent matter now is we need to find a way to fend off these zombies.


    Look at this rain, it hasn''t stopped since yesterday, and the zombies are increasing. After the last Zombie Tide, our bullet supply is almost spent."


    Upon hearing this, Ke Hanyu and Hua Chuanlong tensed, as they faced the same issue mentioned by Old Wu.


    Old Zhuang, listening from the side, felt a different concern. They had the most people, and previously, forced by their firepower, had to pay protection fees, but now their bullets were nearly gone.


    However, thinking this, he felt worried. Although they had been paying protection fees, they were indeed protected during the previous Zombie Tides.


    Now...


    Old Wu looked deeply worried. Safe City covered a vast area and had a large population which attracted more zombies.


    Now, outside the metal gate, zombies were crowding densely around Safe City, filling up within a hundred meters.


    With Captain Tao and others not back yet, and already facing a food crisis, this rain-invited Zombie Tide was adding insult to injury!


    Thud, thud, thud��


    A series of rapid footsteps resounded.


    Old He rushed up breathlessly and exclaimed, "Not good! The, the, the fence on the west side was breached by zombies. Just now, the people who were in charge of that area, they''re all dead."


    Everyone''s expression changed upon hearing this.


    Zombies have entered? sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Wu quickly said, "Old Hua, Old Ke, Old Zhuang, the urgent matter now is to drive the zombies away. Otherwise, we can''t even imagine the consequences.


    No more talking, Little Luo, you take thirty people, no, I''ll go myself. Little Luo, you defend this main entrance well, don''t let the zombies in.


    Old Hua, you guys send people too, quick!"


    As soon as he finished, he suddenly saw Old Zhuang, and remembered that there were hundreds of civilians in Safe City. Though they had no firearms, they had knives and spears.


    In this critical moment for the survival of Safe City, they must also contribute!


    So, Old Wu told Old Zhuang, "Old Zhuang, go quickly and gather everyone to fight the zombies at the West Gate.


    We''re all in this together; if we don''t drive the zombies out of the West Gate, we''ll all die!"


    There seemed to be a hint of a threat in his voice, perhaps worried that Old Zhuang might be reluctant.


    Old Zhuang also worried about Safe City falling apart, so he instantly replied, "Okay, I''ll go notify everyone right now."


    After saying that, he ran off.


    Old Wu watched Old Zhuang leave and sighed.


    Then he drew the gun from his waist and said to the people around him, "Let''s go, to the West Gate."


    ...


    At the West Gate, in the metal fence, a two-meter-wide section had been damaged, continuously letting zombies pour in.


    On the ground, there were numerous red blood stains, the zombies devouring people completely like locusts.

 Chapter 375 - 366: Li Hangs Suggestion

    Xin City.


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Residential area.


    Li Yu lay on the sofa, watching the projector.


    It was playing the movie "Heidi and Grandpa."


    Inside the room, a dehumidifier was running; it had been raining continuously these days, and the dampness indoors and out was heavy.


    In the Southern rainy season, sometimes even a layer of water could form on the walls.


    "Awoo~"


    Li Yu stroked the head of the little wolf dog, which was growing very fast.


    Now it skittered about, often running around inside the villa.


    "Sit down," Li Yu suddenly commanded as he looked at the pups.


    Upon hearing his words, the three little dogs immediately sat down obediently.


    Li Yu took out three woolen balls from his hand and threw them in three different directions.


    The three little wolf dogs ran over to pick up the woolen balls and then placed them in front of Li Yu.


    Li Yu patted the heads of the three dogs, then took out a few pieces of jerky from his bag as a reward.


    The three little wolf dogs whined contentedly on the spot.


    Li Yu smiled at the sight and then turned his gaze back to the projector.


    Outside the window, it was still raining.


    The recent rain was not heavy; sometimes it was a hazy drizzle, faint like a veil of mist at its lightest.


    Sometimes the light rain would patter, tapping gently against the eaves.


    Boom~


    Thunder roared.


    Li Yu got up and walked to the balcony, only to see raindrops the size of beans falling.


    "It looks like this rain is going to get heavy," Li Yu murmured to himself.


    Thinking it over, he then put on a coat, intending to check the fence.


    Just as he stepped out of the villa, he saw Meng Yu holding an umbrella and walking towards him.


    After seeing Meng Yu, Li Yu asked, "How is He Chao''s daughter now?"


    Meng Yu stopped and said, "She is still on an IV drip. The fever isn''t as severe for now. We just took her temperature, and it''s currently 38.5 degrees Celsius."


    Li Yu nodded and said, "Thanks for your hard work. Where are you headed?"


    Meng Yu replied, "Xiao Ya is weak and has a severe fever. I''m going to get her something to eat.


    She said she hasn''t eaten much since yesterday."


    Li Yu sighed and said, "Alright, tell Zhou Xiumei to make some meat for the young girl."


    Meng Yu showed a grateful expression and said, "Thank you, Director Li."


    Li Yu waved his hand, indicating it was nothing.


    He then slipped on a raincoat, took an umbrella, and walked toward the base''s enclosing fence.


    On the way to the duty room at the main gate, Li Yu saw several people patrolling on the fence.


    Despite the rain, these individuals were braving the weather to ensure the base''s safety.


    Li Yu looked back at the two mountains behind him, shrouded in mist.


    Whoosh whoosh whoosh~


    A gust of wind carrying rain lashed against Li Yu''s face and nostrils.


    Damn, it''s cold. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before long, Li Yu arrived at the duty room.


    Li Tie and Dapao were resting inside the duty room, eating something.


    After entering the duty room, Li Yu inquired about the situation in Weng City with He Chao and others.


    Both of them indicated that there wasn''t much of an anomaly.


    Just as they were speaking, Li Haoran entered from outside the duty room and said, "There are more and more zombies outside. I walked around the perimeter wall, and our base is completely surrounded by zombies."


    Upon hearing this, Li Yu quickly got up and walked outside. Just reaching the perimeter wall, he saw under the searchlight, a mass of zombies clustering together as far as the eye could see.


    Seeing this, Li Yu thought to himself that when the weather got warmer and after dealing with this Zombie Tide,


    it would still be necessary to dig a trench outside the base, to avoid the trouble of having to clean up the zombies every time they came.


    Li Yu asked, "How many people are currently on the perimeter wall?"


    Dapao thought for a moment and said, "There are about 20 people on the wall right now.


    Apart from the 10 people in fixed positions, the other 10 are mobile posts, reinforcing wherever there are more zombies."


    Li Yu nodded in agreement, the height of the perimeter wall had been increased to that of four or five stories, and at this height, although there were many zombies below, they didn''t exert too much pressure on the base.


    As they were talking, Song Min next to them used an extended spear to stab the zombies below.


    However, because the wall had been reinforced and was very high, using a spear to kill zombies was somewhat laborious.


    Seeing this, Li Yu suggested, "Try using the crossbow, we should still have plenty of arrows, use the ones we made ourselves."


    Song Min nodded and, accompanied by the optimistic Xiao Han, headed towards the duty room.


    The weapons they would need were all stored in the duty room.


    There were even two machine guns.


    Li Hang also came from another direction, his face covered in liquid��whether sweat or rainwater was unclear��as he said to Li Yu:


    "Brother, these zombies are such a hassle. There are so many of them, and if we don''t clear them, I''m worried they''ll pile up.


    But our killing efficiency on the wall is too low. I know at the Quarry, there are loaders and forklifts.


    Later on, we could modify them and drive out to crush the zombies, the efficiency would be incredibly high.


    I even went there before and saw a Caterpillar 993G, it''s particularly large, with tires over two meters tall. Once we soup it up, it''ll definitely be powerful."


    Li Yu picked up a crossbow and shot at a distant zombie.


    Thwack! A precision shot hit a zombie.


    "Alright, after this Zombie Tide subsides, our base will need to expand a bit. Afterwards, we''ll also make some preparations outside the wall," said Li Yu.


    Hearing Li Yu''s answer, Li Hang was excited, as most men love forklifts, especially the gigantic ones.


    If he could drive a modified forklift with several chainsaw rollers in front, crushing them, the zombies would be sawed in half at the waist.


    Violently ferocious.


    Li Hang said happily, "Brother, that''s a deal then, we must get our hands on a few. I''ll handle the modifications. I''ll make sure you''re satisfied."


    Li Yu smiled and nodded, releasing the bowstring.


    Whoosh~


    Two zombies were skewered like candied haws.


    After shooting a few arrows, Li Yu walked up to Weng City.


    In Weng City, He Chao and others were hiding in tents, and some were in vehicles.


    Surrounded by mist, some of them were cooking food, which was very simple, just plain rice porridge.


    But they found it delicious.


    Looking at them, centrally positioned in Weng City was a lamp, under its light they could see the surroundings clearly.


    Li Yu called out to He Chao, "He Chao."


    Hearing his name, He Chao quickly looked up and saw Li Yu, then asked, "Director Li, what''s up?"


    Li Yu responded, "Your daughter''s high fever has subsided, she''s still a bit feverish but definitely better now."


    Hearing this, He Chao''s eyes reddened slightly as he shouted back, "Thank you, Director Li."


    Li Yu didn''t say anything and then left Weng City.


    It had gotten dark, and he needed to walk around the wall to check there weren''t any issues overlooked.


    The base''s perimeter wall was over a thousand meters; if one walked quickly, it could be completed in just a few minutes.


    Seeing everyone wearing raincoats and fighting against the zombies, Li Yu felt an indescribable sensation.


    According to twenty people per team, they could rotate in five shifts.

 Chapter 376 - 367: The Fierce Battle on a Rainy Night

    The rain was now coming down a bit too heavily, and the zombies were becoming more numerous.


    Li Yu saw that some areas were understaffed.


    So he took out his walkie-talkie and said to Second Uncle, "Second Uncle, the rain is getting heavy. Send over ten more people, we need to keep thirty on the wall."


    Second Uncle replied through the walkie-talkie, "Alright, I''ll arrange for people to come right away."


    Li Yu immediately responded, "As fast as you can, and then have Li Yuan and the others bring some food over, no one has eaten anything yet."


    Second Uncle replied, "Okay, you can count on me, I''ve already arranged it."


    Li Yu sent a simple acknowledgment.


    These repeated rains, these repeated Zombie Tides.


    It already felt like routine, both to him personally and to most people in the base.


    They were used to it.


    Accustomed to the zombie attacks every time it rained.


    Accustomed to fighting zombies in the dark of night.


    Also used to being assigned tasks, manning the walls when it''s their shift, and staying in their rooms to rest when it''s not.


    Occasionally, they were ready to await orders and set off to support at any moment.


    No matter what, people in the Big Camphor Tree Base were relatively safe resisting zombies compared to those outside the base.


    After all, for most Survivors outside, a Zombie Tide meant a slim chance of survival.


    ...


    East.


    Safe City.


    Mr. Wu personally led his people to fend off the invading zombies.


    It''s just that there was already a scarcity of energy sources in Safe City, and now night had fallen.


    Fighting zombies in the pitch-black night was the most terrifying thing.


    By the dim light, Mr. Wu could clearly see the zombies continuously streaming in.


    Mr. Wu said loudly, "Bring over the floodlight from the basement. No, bring all of them."


    "Make some fire torches; we still have plenty of gasoline and diesel, right? Use all of it. Do you need me to teach you this? Hurry!"


    Mr. Wu saw this scene and grew anxious. It had grown dark, and such a big problem had arisen in the West, and they had yet to report quickly.


    Mr. Wu looked around and asked, "Where is Old Li? Wasn''t he in charge of the defense here? Where did he go after he died?"


    The person who had been following him all along said, "Brother Li, he''s been bitten by a zombie, and after being bitten, he took care of it himself."


    Upon hearing these words, Mr. Wu suddenly fell silent.


    There was a sudden rush of footsteps from behind.


    Mr. Wu turned around to see Old Zhuang leading a group of civilians; now if the breach in the West couldn''t be held, they would likely all be doomed.


    So everyone came to support.


    Seeing so many people coming, Mr. Wu''s face showed a surprise delight as he excitedly said, "Old Zhuang, your timing couldn''t be better. Quick, split into two groups.


    One team on the left, another on the right, Old Ke and Old Hua will attack head on.


    I''ll send people to fix the breach at the West Gate."


    Old Zhuang, holding a torch, nodded and said, "Okay, be careful Mr. Wu."


    He then left, turning to the people behind him, "Old He, take people to the right to block the zombies, and I''ll take people to the left."


    The fire torch lit Old He''s face with a red glow, and he said worriedly, "Alright, we''re off."


    They hadn''t walked far when they encountered a group of zombies.


    The zombies'' combat power was already higher at night than during the day, and in the rain, they were greatly enhanced.


    The running speed of these zombies was even a bit faster than that of an adult human.


    "Charge through," shouted Old He.


    After saying that, he charged forward with a torch in one hand and a spear in the other.


    The hot torch and the cold rainwater sizzled as they met, S~ea??h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But the torch, doused in gasoline, was not extinguished by the rain.


    Puchi~


    The spear pierced through a zombie''s head.


    But the zombies were too frenzied, the incoming force knocking old He to the ground.


    Seeing the zombies behind charge toward old He, the people beside him rushed to help.


    Chaos!


    The silhouettes of humans and zombies were entwined in a melee��if viewed from above, it would be impossible to tell zombies apart from humans.


    Old He watched, helplessly, as a person who had come to save him was bitten in the neck by a zombie, its life snuffed out.


    Blood surged out from the neck, crimson red.


    The blood flowed on the ground, mixing with the rainwater.


    Looking around, his brothers were fighting the zombies.


    The rainwater on the ground was dyed red.


    ...


    Elsewhere, elder Wu was leading his subordinates towards the entrance of the West Gate.


    Their team wasn''t large, comprising just over twenty people.


    But they were trained, and individually far stronger than old He''s men.


    Elder Wu saw that zombies were momentarily held back on both sides.


    But he understood that they had to quickly block the entrance to the West Gate.


    Otherwise, even if old He and the others fought to the last man, they would still be unable to withstand the Zombie Tide.


    Using human lives to stack against zombies��how could that ever be enough?


    It was unknown from where these zombies came, but with each Zombie Tide, there seemed to be an endless stream of them.


    "Don''t conserve bullets anymore, move as fast as possible to the West Gate. Hurry up and block the gate. Otherwise, we''re all done for," Elder Wu commanded.


    Bang bang bang!


    Gunfire cleared a narrow path.


    Elder Wu led his people, charging directly towards the entrance of the West Gate.


    Suddenly, a bright light flashed before their eyes.


    It was a high beam��the lights that elder Wu''s people had gone to fetch.


    At this moment, the area was as bright as daylight.


    Yet, due to the brightness, elder Wu and the others were more terrified.


    Before them, hundreds of zombies were furiously assailing, and at this point, several hundred had already entered Safe City.


    And at the entrance of the West Gate, a hundred meters away, more zombies were continuously pouring in.


    In front of the West Gate, on both sides, elder Zhuang and old He were leading people in resisting the zombies.


    However, already worn out by the cold winter, the survivors'' bodies were weak, and at this moment, they only resisted the zombies out of sheer willpower.


    Looking at the bodies on the ground, it was unclear which were zombies and which were fallen humans.


    Sometimes, the fallen would rise again as zombies after a while.


    They had to hurry!


    Elder Wu, leading his people, charged towards the West Gate and on the way, he noticed a truck nearby.


    A thought struck elder Wu. After slicing down a zombie, he turned back and said, "Put the prepared iron barricades down for now, go get that truck over here, use it to block the gate. If we''re any later, it''ll be too late."


    "Okay, I have the keys," a tall man beside elder Wu said.


    In less than two minutes, the truck brutally drove over, crushing zombies along its path.


    But soon after entering the heart of the Zombie Tide, its speed slowed down considerably.


    "Let''s go, help clear a path for him," Elder Wu said to the people around him, watching the truck surrounded by zombies.


    In the rainy night, the zombies'' strength was tremendous, and the truck amidst the Zombie Tide was like a small boat amidst roaring waves.


    Rocking side to side.


    Elder Wu took a dozen people and rushed in that direction, relieving some pressure off the truck.


    The number of people around him grew fewer, elder Wu watched familiar faces die one by one, his eyes almost bursting with anger.


    Thud!


    The truck drove directly to the breach.


    Instantly, zombies were blocked as if by a large dam.


    But inside Safe City, there were still several hundred zombies.


    Still, everyone saw hope��not afraid of the quantity of zombies, just fearful that they would never stop coming!

 Chapter 377 - 368: North and South Forces

    This night, many people died in Safe City.


    This night, Safe City held on, but at a great cost.


    Amidst the thunder and torrential rain, there were bodies everywhere, indistinguishable between human and Zombie corpses.


    All that could be seen was the wall still densely packed with Zombies.


    The rain continued incessantly, and so did the Zombies.


    ...


    At the northern part of the Big Camphor Tree Base.


    In the suburbs, dozens of kilometers away from the provincial capital center.


    A prison.


    A perimeter wall 8 meters high, covered with anti-theft nets.


    Outside the wall, Zombies rampaged.


    Inside the wall, no Zombies were seen, but the atmosphere was still tense.


    In the middle of a group of prisoners in uniforms, a bald man with a tattoo of a venomous snake on his throat held a cigarette between his fingers.


    Hiss~


    The bald man took a deep drag of the cigarette, then lowered his head, looking at a man he was stepping on underfoot.


    "Big Head, I trusted you so much, yet you dared to betray me. Well, well."


    The expression on the bald man''s face twisted with hatred.


    The man trampled on the ground, his hands tied behind his back, gasped heavily and said:


    "Boss, I was momentarily foolish, I won''t dare again. Boss, I have been with you for so many years, even if not meritorious, I''ve shared hardships. Please spare me.


    I could redeem myself, boss, please, for all these years, spare me."


    The bald man swallowed a gulp, his throat and tattooed snake head seemed to move with it.


    It looked eerie and terrifying.


    The bald man without saying a word, flipped the man''s body lying on the ground.


    Then forcibly pried open the man''s eyes, and stuffed the still burning cigarette butt into the man''s eye.


    Seeing the bald man''s movements, the man tried to dodge in horror, but was quickly pinned down by others.


    The bald man ruthlessly pried the man''s eyeball, his strength so great that his finger even dug into the man''s eye.


    "No, no, don''t, boss, I was wrong. Ah!"


    Sizzle~


    Accompanied by a sizzling sound, a scent of burning flesh wafted through.


    People around smelled it and even licked their lips.


    Then a smell of urine followed.


    The bald man disdainfully stood up, rubbed his hands together, and then said, "Take him out, throw him outside to the Zombies."


    "Boss, boss, boss, please don''t, I beg you to spare me, I really was just confused, boss....."


    Two people came over and dragged him away from the hall.


    Followed by a loud bang.


    Bang!


    Amidst the shrill screams, the Zombies, like hungry fish in a pond, tumbled and fought over.


    Soon, the screaming stopped.


    Only the hissing of Zombies remained.


    Two people on the wall, seeing the tragic death below, couldn''t help feeling a shared sorrow.


    "What exactly did Big Head betray the boss with, he wouldn''t say when asked."


    "I don''t know, but I know the boss hasn''t been in a good mood lately. Let''s not ask too much, lest we provoke trouble."


    "That''s true, let''s go, this rain is incessantly cold."


    ...


    At the southern edge of the Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Three hundred kilometers away.


    A fully armed small squad of thirty people cautiously passed through a city.


    They had smeared their bodies with something odorous and unbearable.


    But unexpectedly, they were sneaking around in this city filled with Zombies.


    Clang~


    Someone accidentally kicked a metal can on the ground, causing a series of noises.


    The surrounding Zombies quickly noticed and started running towards them.


    "Not good, we''ve been spotted, run!" the team leader at the front shouted urgently.


    But they had already been discovered by the Zombies; the nearby Zombies swarmed in like ants.


    "Quickly, quickly!"


    The team members following him hastily fled in retreat.


    They had barely run a few steps when a large group of Zombies emerged from behind them.


    "Captain, what do we do now?"


    The leading man looked to the left where there were fewer Zombies and said, "Break out from the left side, hurry up, or we''ll be completely surrounded and no one will be able to escape."


    The Zombies ran incredibly fast through the pouring rain.


    They quickly caught up with the members of this small team, and to their right was a large building.


    They didn''t dare to enter the building.


    Although these Zombies had no consciousness, the longer they stayed in the pouring rain, the more frenzied they became.


    Not to mention, they were unfamiliar with this building and had never entered it before; if there were Zombies inside, it would be a dead-end for them.


    A dilemma.


    Furthermore, being forced to stay inside this building, they wouldn''t know when they would be able to complete their mission.


    They couldn''t wait.


    A few dozen Zombies were on the left; the leading man ran while commanding the teams:


    "First and second squads, hold back the Zombies from behind.


    Third squad, clean up these Zombies on the left and then quickly find a vehicle and leave this place."


    Bang, bang, bang.


    Gunshots roared, Zombies were mowed down like grass.


    But there were too many Zombies behind them. The air was filled with the stench of corpses.


    The Zombies spread like ink on white paper.


    The white paper was like this small squad, constantly being stained black by the ink.


    The white area grew smaller while the black ink increased.


    Boom~


    An explosion erupted, blasting some ahead and creating a vacuum zone within a few meters.


    "Quick, quick!" The captain shouted urgently, his voice hoarse and almost breaking due to the loudness.


    "Captain, there are too many Zombies, at this rate, we definitely won''t have enough bullets."


    The leading captain looked towards the squad moving to the left and then said, "First squad reinforce third squad, second squad, fight while retreating."


    The rain kept falling, and the wind was howling.


    A member of the second squad, who was last and replacing his bullets, had his shoe grabbed by a Zombie in front.


    Just as it was about to bite him, a teammate pulled him back.


    But there were too many Zombies ahead; they couldn''t pull him away.


    The second squad''s team leader saw this and shot at them.


    But just as he turned, more Zombies swarmed from the side.


    Ah!


    Seeing that the teammate whose shoe was grabbed was about to be pulled in.


    The person helping painfully said, "Don''t let go."


    A fellow villager, who had enlisted together many years ago, he couldn''t let him die.


    The man grabbed by the Zombie yelled, "Zhuzi, let go. Otherwise, we''ll both die, just let go damn it!"


    Other team members fighting the Zombies rushed over to help.


    But the Zombies behind were about to completely surround their second squad.


    The man whose shoe was grabbed, quickly drew his Dagger and stabbed at the Zombie.


    The Zombie was directly stabbed through. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Zombies are surrounding us, run for it, damn it!" the leader of second squad looked as the Zombies closed in.

 Chapter 378 - 369: Theres No Rush for This Matter

    Zombies slowly zipped up like a zipper, engulfing Group Two in their surround.


    The leader of Group Two, witnessing this scene, furiously shouted, "Run, or we''ll all die here."


    After speaking, he charged towards those two people.


    Some team members beside him were directly driven away by him, ordering them to leave immediately.


    However, the team members were reluctant to leave alone, so they all came back to help.


    The group leader threw a hand grenade into the crowd of zombies amidst the explosion.


    He quickly reached the two people, pulling forcefully at the fallen teammate with both hands.


    But there were too many zombies on either side.


    The teammates beside them were desperately shooting to block the zombies, yet wave after wave kept coming.


    Suddenly, something triggered the zombies.


    The zombies became even more frenzied.


    Recklessly charging forward, the bullets from the team members couldn''t clean them up in time.


    The Zombie Tide, like a forming flood.


    In an instant, it swept over the three of them.


    All three were engulfed by the zombies.


    The other team members tried to break out, to escape the encirclement of zombies.


    However, would the zombies let them leave? Amidst their hissing, they formed circle after circle of encirclement.


    The thick circle of zombies surrounded the entire Group Two.


    Seeing this scene while sprinting toward the left front, the captain''s heart bled. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew, Group Two couldn''t escape.


    Not just Group Two, if they didn''t rush to leave quickly, they would eventually be surrounded by these zombies, and their end would be the same as Group Two''s.


    Hence, the leading captain rushed forward: "Hurry, leave now!"


    Behind them, Group Two, after being surrounded, had their movement area increasingly reduced.


    Amidst a series of booming sounds, hand grenades were thrown consecutively.


    But it was like a drop of water entering the sea; in the vast sea of zombies, it couldn''t stir up much of a ripple.


    Gradually, the gunshots became less frequent, until finally, there was no sound at all.


    Boom!


    That was the last hand grenade.


    The captain turned back, his face filled with pain, and looked at the incoming tide of zombies.


    No time to mourn, he needed to quickly get his teammates out of here!


    ....��


    ...


    Around Xin City.


    A bunch of people were hiding in an underground warehouse.


    "I heard He Chao and the others went to the Big Camphor Tree Base, I wonder how they are now."


    "It seems so, saw them heading frequently to the Big Camphor Tree Base before it rained."


    "Damn, lucky them, if they could get inside, it would be totally safe."


    "That''s for sure, with their strength, how come you didn''t go?"


    "Fuck, you haven''t seen how those people kill, my goodness, I''ve never seen such ruthless people."


    "Tell me in detail..... let me switch places with you later."


    The man looked over; the position this person was sitting in was much warmer than where he was.


    Just a matter of speaking two sentences, he agreed: "Okay, no problem.


    Speaking of which, the first time we met Director Li was that first time.


    ....."


    In this dilapidated and narrow warehouse, they dared not speak loudly, only whispering softly.


    And above their floor, there were also a few zombies present.


    ...


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Because chopping zombies was too exhausting.


    A three-shift system had been implemented.


    To ensure there were about thirty people on the walls of the base.


    Li Yu had just come down from the wall, exhausted, and when passing Weng City, he saw He Chao and others, a thought flickered through his mind but was quickly dismissed by himself; it wasn''t time yet.


    Now, he would rather be tired than take too many risks. Moreover, the base currently had sufficient personnel to resist zombies, and they didn''t need their help.


    After coming down from the wall, Li Yu was so tired that he went straight back to his room.


    He poured himself some hot water to soak his feet. Although he had been wearing rain boots these days, being in the cold rain for long periods could still lead to colds and fevers.


    Lying in the chair, his feet soaked in hot water, feeling the warmth spreading from the soles of his feet.


    The moment he stepped into the hot water, he shivered, feeling warm and cozy.


    Warmth surged up from his feet towards his knees, stomach, back, and up to his head.


    Soon, his whole body felt warm and toasty, sweeping away the cold he endured in the rain for over eight hours.


    While soaking his feet in hot water, he did nothing but recline on the sofa, eyes half-closed.


    Quietly feeling the temperature, this warmth spread from the outside in, and then from the inside out, clearing all his fatigue.


    Wearing cotton slippers, Li Yu carried a cup of hot water, breathed upon the glass, fogging it up. Li Yu wiped the glass, watching the rain still falling outside.


    Outside the house, his father Li Hongyuan had also just come down from the wall, shaking off rain under the eaves.


    Seeing Li Yu at the window, Father Li called out, "Yu, come down and eat something."


    Li Yu opened the window and replied, "Alright, dad, why don''t you take a hot shower first? It''s cold today, and you''ve been in the rain for so long, be careful not to catch a cold."


    Li Hongyuan said, "It''s fine, your grandma just made some ginger soup, I''ll have some in a bit. Come down first, I have something to discuss with you."


    Li Yu replied, "Alright, I''ll come down this instance."


    After speaking, he directly headed downstairs wearing his cotton slippers.


    Once Li Yu came down, he saw Li Hongyuan had changed his clothes and was washing his hands.


    Li Yu sat in the dining room, somewhat puzzled he asked, "Dad, what did you want to talk about?"


    Li Hongyuan looked at him and said, "Eat first, we''ll talk after you finish eating."


    The meal was still prepared by the elderly, including the grandparents. Now on the wall, basically, all adults had shift duties, except for those over 60.


    During these special times, the elderly and children covered most of the base tasks like cooking and rearing chickens, ducks, pigs, cattle, and sheep.


    The temperature was still too low, otherwise, around this time of the year, nearly March, they would have started preparing to plant early rice.


    The two ate without much conversation. Li Yu always struggled with how to communicate with his father.


    But ever since building this base and leading its people, Li Hongyuan saw with pride the achievements they had made.


    For an old father, his greatest accomplishment was seeing his son thrive.


    After this year, Li Yu would be 24 years old.


    Once Li Yu finished his meal, Li Hongyuan asked, "When are you and Yutong planning to get married?"


    The question was somewhat abrupt.


    "Cough, cough, cough." Li Yu, who was just drinking water after his meal, choked.


    Hearing his father ask so directly, Li Yu said somewhat awkwardly, "What times are these, there''s no rush for that."


    Li Hongyuan said, "Why not rush? I was already married at your age. Besides, there are benefits to getting married early..."


    Hearing his father again start to lecture him on this, Li Yu, feeling a bit of a headache, said, "Dad, I''m not a child anymore, I''ll think these things through myself. Really."


    After saying that, Li Yu carried his water and added, "Dad, you should rest early, I''m going upstairs to sleep."


    ...


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 Chapter 379 - 370: Burning the Zombie Tide

    In the torrential rain, zombies receive a significant enhancement.


    So.


    Survivors sometimes fear dark clouds because they sometimes herald rain.


    This rain has lasted for more than a week.


    From the initial drizzle to the later moderate rain pouring down, and now a downpour.


    In the heavy rain, zombies, like crazy, tireless beasts, constantly assault the base''s walls.


    These zombies madly use their hands to claw at the concrete walls.


    Under the erosion of the rainwater, some wall surfaces have even been clawed open a small gap by the zombies.


    But after all, it''s made of reinforced concrete.


    The gap is a few dozen centimeters wide, but only one or two centimeters deep.


    After clawing their way in, it becomes increasingly difficult for zombies to breach further because the interior is filled with a large amount of steel reinforcement and stones.


    It is an effect that these zombies can only achieve after continuous, round-the-clock effort over more than a week.


    The thickness of the wall, after several widenings, has now reached more than 4 meters.


    That is, more than 400 centimeters. Given the speed at which these zombies claw, under constant rain, it would take seven or eight years to breach the wall.


    Li Yu, standing atop the wall, also sees these zombies clawing at the wall, which doesn''t worry him too much.


    However, the number of zombie corpses beneath the wall is increasing, some already piling up into small hills.


    Especially near the main gate.


    Li Yu thought for a moment, then took out a walkie-talkie and said to Li Hang:


    "Xiao Hang, you and Dapao go to the fuel depot and bring a barrel of gasoline over. There are too many zombie bodies now; let''s burn them."


    Li Hang responded over the walkie-talkie: "Okay, on it."


    He''s been eager to burn these zombies with gasoline.


    A contiguous trail of gasoline, burning these zombies, sounds particularly thrilling.


    The downpour is relentless.


    Like the heavens have sprung a leak. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The downpour soaks Li Yu''s clothes and drenches the cigarettes in his pocket.


    So, he places the cigarettes in the duty room, spreading them out on the table one by one to air dry.


    As soon as he steps out of the duty room, he sees Li Hang and Dapao coming with a barrel of gasoline.


    Li Yu nods and says, "Use the sprayer to drench that largest pile of zombies, make sure to spray it evenly."


    Then he turns his head to look at He Chao and others inside Weng City.


    Those residing within Weng City, although in a relatively safe place these days, are less than 5 meters from the wall, where zombies lurk.


    And these zombies continuously roar all day and night, making them feel as if they are always among a horde of zombies.


    The large iron gate is also occasionally rammed by zombies, making a banging noise.


    But, having endured so many days, they''ve also adapted quite a bit.


    Li Yu sees no commotion inside Weng City and withdraws his gaze. Turning around, he sees that Dapao and the other guy have already sprinkled the gasoline.


    They look at Li Yu, eagerly awaiting his command.


    Li Yu nods and says, "When I light the fire later, try to stand back. You didn''t get any gasoline on you, did you?"


    Dapao and the other guy both shake their heads, with a hint of anticipation in their eyes.


    They, too, are keen to see how this large barrel of gasoline will burn the zombies to death.


    Li Yu lights the torch he had prepared earlier; the torch is also soaked in gasoline. As rain hits it, the torch is not extinguished but the flames burn even more fiercely.


    Crackle and pop.


    Li Yu turns back and says to the two, "Gasoline is much lighter than water, the fire will flow on top of the water.


    Moreover, when gasoline burns, the more water there is, the larger the fire will be. Water is made of hydrogen and oxygen, it won''t extinguish the fire but will help the gasoline burn, and might even lead to explosions.


    I''ll throw it from a distance later, don''t you two get too close to watch, and tell anyone nearby to quickly leave the wall.


    We''ve spilled so much gasoline, it could easily end up burning our own people. Go now."


    After speaking, he slowly stands on top of the wall.


    He had used this method in his past life, but had not really used it in this one.


    Soon, everyone standing on the wall around the main gate is warned to leave, standing at the part of the wall closest to the inside.


    Li Yu slowly approached, a pungent smell of gasoline wafting over.


    Looks like those two wastrels used up an entire barrel, those spendthrifts.


    ...


    Li Yu tossed the torch in his hand directly onto the spot where Dapao and the other had sprayed the gasoline.


    Boom!!!


    A zombie corpse over two meters high suddenly burst into flames.


    And the fire spread at an extremely rapid pace.


    Pop pop pop~


    The flames spread like arrows, crazily igniting among the zombie horde.


    Soon, it had set ablaze all the zombies within a hundred meters nearby.


    Li Yu turned back to look at Dapao and his companion, he hadn''t expected them to have sprayed so much gasoline on the zombies.


    These zombies caught fire as soon as they came into contact with it��flammable on contact.


    Boom!


    At the foot of the perimeter wall, where there were the most zombies, the gasoline that Dapao and the other had sprayed was the densest. Even under the torrential rain,


    it exploded!


    The exploded gasoline sent sparks flying everywhere.


    Some even hit the perimeter wall, but the fire did not go out; as long as there was gasoline left unburned, the flames would continue.


    Below the wall, a sea of fire.


    Zombies do not cry out in pain, maybe they don''t even know what pain is, they could only growl and scatter in all directions.


    And as these zombies scattered everywhere, the fire grew more intense with their movements, even more zombies were set ablaze.


    Amidst the explosions and the firelight, people inside Weng City didn''t know what had happened, until occasionally the scent of burning gasoline filled the air.


    There was also the smell of burning rotting corpses, a stench that made one want to vomit.


    On top of the perimeter wall.


    Li Yu saw a zombie running towards the woods and thought ''Not good.''


    He picked up the crossbow, aiming it at the fleeing zombie.


    Pffch!


    The zombie, covered in flames, fell to the ground.


    Its flames still did not extinguish, burning by itself.


    After burning for a while, everyone on the wall began to approach the edge.


    The moment they got close, a wave of hot air hit them.


    The glow of the fire warmed their faces, but the expressions on their faces were all one of shock.


    Just now, they had all seen Li Hang and Dapao come up with a large barrel of gasoline, but they didn''t expect it to be so powerful.


    This move had burnt at least a thousand zombies to death.


    And this number was still increasing. In the chaos of the zombies running wild, the zombies were too tightly packed, resulting in a massive death toll.


    Li Yu looked at everyone''s shocked expressions and explained, "These zombies have various kinds of grease on them, and inside their bodies are many substances in decay, all extremely flammable."


    Everyone nodded, and Li Yu said with a smile, "We can try this move again in the future. Zombies are naturally flammable, a discovery made by Bai Jie, which deserves praise."


    In the crowd, Bai Jie, being praised by name by Li Yu, had eyes brimming with joy.


    In the last world, although Li Yu knew zombies were highly flammable, he didn''t know the exact reason, but now Bai Jie had explained it all clearly.


    He hoped that Bai Jie would bring him more surprises in the future.


    Li Yu nodded at Bai Jie, and she blinked back secretly.


    The fire burned for a good ten plus hours.


    Even imitating the same method, in other areas where there were denser piles of zombie corpses, it was utilized.


    All with good effect, though less gasoline was used than the first time.


    The downpour only fueled the flames.


    In the sea of fire filled with zombies, everyone''s faces were illuminated.


    Their eyes were filled with hope.


    And confidence.


    This ongoing resistance against the zombies, the ceaseless battling day and night, left them utterly exhausted.


    This blaze was like an encouragement to them.

 Chapter 380 - 371: The Agony of Inner Demons

    What is maturity?


    If maturity means being able to see the reality, and forcing oneself to do things one doesn''t want to do.


    If it is the slickness in the workplace.


    The deftness in the world of business.


    Then many people will never be able to mature in their lifetimes. Some say this is not knowing how to take responsibility, while others say it''s a necessary path in life.


    Perhaps the cost of maturity is the loss of youthful spirit.


    This is a massive conflict.


    In the atmosphere before the apocalypse, if you wanted to get things done.


    Hey! You had to know your stuff.


    After the apocalypse, maturity is not a multiple-choice question, nor a fill-in-the-blank question,


    But an open-ended question...


    In such an apocalyptic world, without the constraints of morality, because zombies are everywhere, no one knows if they can still survive the day.


    What follows is the manifestation of the dark, filthy ugliness in people''s hearts.


    But, there are also those who, for this reason, live spiritually less burdened.


    Those who used to swallow their anger and refrain from speaking out for various reasons, the timid who dared not fight back.


    Faced with oppression, if you want to say "fuck off", you say "fuck off".


    "If you have the guts, come get me," and if they really come, with a howl you draw the zombies over, and everyone is doomed.


    Because of this.


    Social etiquette disintegrates, morals completely decay, with no restraint whatsoever.


    Madness, insanity, violence, bloodshed, terror.


    Perpetrators of violence, and their victims. The transformation between them occurs especially quickly.


    Like the deepest level of Hell...


    True belief comes from the heart, not what others tell you.


    Society spreads information, with the elite controlling the channels of opinion and dissemination, every piece of information humans receive has been filtered and given to the public.


    What you care about is what''s trending, and what they want you to know is what becomes public opinion.


    Not knowing that you are trapped within the cage of media, yet mistakenly believing you are outside of it.


    In the dead of night.


    Three o''clock in the morning.


    Li Yu woke up from a deep sleep, dreaming about the time before the apocalypse, during college entrance exams.


    Rubbing his cheeks, Li Yu smiled wryly.


    What the hell.


    Dreams within dreams within dreams.


    In the first dream, he dreamt of the college entrance exams before the end times, solving a math problem, and math was always his weak spot, then he dreamt that he was back before the exams, unable to solve any question.


    It was maddening.


    In the second dream, he dreamt of staying up late working overtime on a project, because the simplest layout drove him to vomit blood.


    And then in a faint, he entered a third dream.


    The walls have breached!


    ...


    Li Yu looked around and found himself in his own bedroom in the villa.


    On the desk, there was a piece of soft featherstone Yutong gave him in his childhood, now reflecting light under the dim yellow lamp.


    Li Yu took a deep breath, then reached for the walkie-talkie to speak to Second Uncle, who was currently on the wall: "Second Uncle, Second Uncle. Is everything alright?"


    Second Uncle''s voice came from the other end: "Everything is fine. Don''t worry."


    After hearing this, Li Yu was finally able to let go of his concerns.


    He got up from the bed, walked to the desk, and poured a cup of water.


    Gulp gulp, Li Yu finished the entire cup of water.


    The bedside lamp flickered.


    But inside, Li Yu''s heart was surging like stormy waves.


    A fierce gleam shot from his eyes.


    The walls must not fall!


    People must not die!


    Suddenly, he felt that he had been too naive, yet at that moment, Li Yu felt as though he had become more ruthless.


    In the apocalypse, the most dangerous thing is not zombies, but people.


    He must become stronger.


    Li Yu was overwhelmed with emotion.


    Outside, the torrential rain continued to pour.


    Li Yu stayed in his room, feeling a different kind of safety.


    In such heavy rain, anyone who goes out is courting death.


    Li Yu took out his phone and lightly flicked up the screen.


    With a dripping sound, the screen lit up.


    The light from the phone illuminated his face.


    Suddenly, he saw a small icon.


    Red.


    It was a novel-reading app he had previously downloaded, filled with novels he had saved.


    Unable to sleep any longer, the surge of passion he felt earlier had passed, much like the excitement of buying soda that fades once it''s in hand.


    Persistence is key in all things, but one cannot become fat with a single bite.


    "Post-apocalyptic novel?"


    Li Yu muttered to himself, then suddenly laughed.


    "Let''s take a look."


    He fetched a blanket from the room and draped it over himself.


    He sat on the balcony in a chair cushioned with a furry pad. The indoor air conditioning was on, making it warm but somewhat dry.


    So Li Yu cracked the window open a little.


    The moist air from the rain outside startled him.


    Boom~


    A clap of thunder and lightning prompted him to move the standing lamp next to the stool; in the balcony''s corner, there also was a pot of lush fortune bamboo.


    With its vibrant green leaves and wooden basket, the fortune bamboo looked so serene and primordial under the dim yellow light.


    Li Yu turned on his phone and reclined on the chair.


    Neither warm nor cool.


    The room retained a faint sense of warmth, while the occasional breeze through the crack in the window brought in hints of rain and moisture.


    The violent storm outside clashed greatly with the tranquility inside.


    But in the warm yellow light, his body could not feel the cold or the fierce winds from outside, while he watched the thunderstorm.


    He felt a unique sense of beauty and peace.


    A sense of happiness arose spontaneously.


    Li Yu closed his eyes, carefully listening to the rain outside; the rain was like his own restless heart that could not find peace.


    Listening to the rain was nothing more than hearing tranquility in the midst of chaos.


    In the bustle of the city, savoring soy milk and fried dough sticks.


    Among the street''s bustling nightlife, barbecuing and drinking under the red lights.


    Feeling the evening breeze, walking home over fallen leaves in the sunset.


    Among the pitter-patter of the rain, drinking tea and reading.


    ...


    Li Yu just read his novel like this, occasionally sipping water.


    Under the current weather, it was impossible to differentiate between day and night.


    Anyway, it was all equally dark.


    Li Yu just kept reading until he fell asleep.


    When he woke up, he felt a bit cold.


    His blanket had fallen off, so he stood up to close the window.


    Checking the time, it was already past nine in the morning.


    He had gone to bed early the previous day, before 10 P.M., and didn''t know how long he had slept, but he felt full of vitality now.


    Li Yu planned to go down to the gym to work out since the constant rain lately had kept him from running outdoors.


    After freshening up, he headed downstairs, but during the descent, he saw a girl named Xiaoshi in a room��who was about the same age as his sister Li Yuan.


    This Xiaoshi was one of the people who came with Bai Jie.


    Although she wasn''t of much use, she came from a very complicated background.


    Later, Bai Jie and others became somewhat useful, and Xiaoshi, unlike what one might expect from her background, was actually very diligent.


    She never complained, no matter the task assigned to her.


    Once, to test and toughen her up a bit, Li Yu had her feed pigs for a while, and she turned out to do quite well.


    Later, Li Yu complimented Xiaoshi, saying she did a great job feeding the pigs.


    Xiaoshi thought she wouldn''t have to do it anymore.


    But then Li Yu said:


    Since you''re doing so well, you''ll be in charge of it from now on.


    This really baffled the pretty young lady.


    At this moment, Xiaoshi and his sister were lying in bed.


    Xiaoshi was half-propped up, revealing her legs as fair and delicate as lotus roots.


    The light reflected hints of youthfulness on her legs.


    Li Yu coughed slightly, helped them close the door, and continued down to the basement. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His sister and Xiaoshi got along really well, enjoying each other''s company.


    Oddly enough, his sister got along quite well with Yutong and the others, too.


    .....

 Chapter 381 - 372: The Promise of the Rainbow

    This rain has been falling nonstop for more than two weeks.


    It has submerged many areas, completely inundating some of the lower-lying places.


    These torrential rains forced the living survivors to seek refuge in higher altitudes for survival.


    Because in low-lying areas, a downpour can spell disaster.


    Li Yu stood atop the wall, watching the zombies screech unceasingly. He lit a cigarette in his hand.


    Inhale��


    A gentle puff of white smoke emerged as Dapao came over and said indifferently, "Looks like the rain is about to stop."


    Li Yu looked up to see the sunrise gradually appearing on the horizon.


    Sunshower.


    Amid the soft drizzle, the light was dim but was slowly becoming brighter.


    Time flies so fast.


    The rain has poured for so long.


    In the latter stages, despite the continuous rain, the temperature was gradually rising.


    Now, with the temperature higher, no longer do we have to endure the unbearable cold.


    "Yes, when the rain stops, there will be a lot of things to do," said Li Yu.


    Dapao seemed thoughtful but did not continue to inquire.


    Li Yu turned to Dapao and suddenly asked, "How are things going with you and Song Min?"


    Caught off guard by the question, Dapao blushed, unsure how to respond. He always felt he was quite straightforward, a typical ''straight man.''


    But Song Min didn''t mind those things, instead, she had taught him a lot in many areas.


    Li Yu said with a smile, "Song Min is a good person, generous and straightforward. Don''t let her down, alright?"


    Dapao quickly replied, "I won''t. I definitely won''t let Xiaomin down."


    Li Yu smiled and said no more.


    This rain killed a lot of zombies, but it also consumed a lot of gasoline.


    He Chao and the others who were temporarily staying in Weng City, although they hadn''t gone out, were in urgent need of food. So Li Yu decided to distribute his two kilograms of rice reserved for the month to them first.


    This act also earned the recognition of He Chao and the others.


    Rain.


    Stops as soon as it starts.


    By noon, the rain that had lasted for half a month came to a stop.


    A rainbow appeared in the sky.


    Li Yu looked at the rainbow and remembered a Bible he had flipped through a few days ago in the library.


    It talked about the Genesis, when the chosen people were stolen by God, and only Noah''s family created Noah''s Ark to escape the calamity.


    All other impure people were drowned by the deluge.


    This rainbow was a covenant between man and God.


    Li Yu sighed and laughed.


    He remembered a sect from his past life that he heard about often, the Doomsday Sect.


    Their philosophy always preached that people are born with sin, and this apocalypse is God''s punishment for humanity...


    Among them, there were some fanatics who did extremist things.


    But the sect was still very powerful. They did not fear zombies or death, and they continued to expand like a virus.


    In such a hopeless apocalyptic atmosphere, indeed many people would lose themselves.


    But Li Yu always believed that if a person has love in their heart, they would not lose their way.


    ...


    In Safe City, chaos reigned.


    A large truck was jammed at the entrance, but many corpses lay in the direction of the main gate.


    After being bitten by zombies, many people chose to end their own lives.


    With its position not being very elevated, about a third of the city was submerged, and the roads within were littered with puddles.


    The wall paint had fallen off, exposing corpses that were swollen from soaking, their surfaces infested with maggots.


    White, soft, tender, their appearance was somewhat nauseating.


    Yet, under a tree near this corpse,


    A little boy sat, his face smeared with dirt, his eyes devoid of any color.


    He eyed the maggots and swallowed hard, wanting to step forward but seemed hesitant, glancing around.


    Then, he quickly walked over...


    ...


    Old Wu had aged significantly, his face etched with weariness. Once meticulous in his appearance, he liked to neatly comb his full head of white hair back.


    But now, his hair was in disarray.


    "Xiao Zhang, has the rain stopped? Have the zombies left?" he asked.


    A security guard who had been protecting him replied, "Not all have left just yet, but there are very few left."


    Old Wu looked at the devastation of Safe City and sighed, "How many people do we have now?"


    Xiao Zhang, who had not closed his eyes for several days, advised Old Wu, "Wu Lao, why don''t you rest first? You haven''t slept for several days."


    Old Wu waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Just tell me, I need to know."


    With tears in his eyes, Xiao Zhang said, "We''re down to thirty-one brothers. Twenty-five brothers have died, almost half."


    Upon hearing this number, Old Wu''s fingers trembled slightly.


    Since the apocalypse, thousands had resisted hundreds of thousands of zombies. Many had died along the way, and after protecting key individuals, they were abandoned.


    They had to look for a place to survive on their own, and after much difficulty, they found Safe City and established it as a stronghold.


    But in one Zombie Tide after another, their numbers dwindled from over two hundred to what they were now.


    Every Zombie Tide was a trial.


    If only they had a safer place, if only they had enough ammunition,


    they wouldn''t have fallen to this sorry state.


    Old Wu raised his head, staring directly at the sun until he lowered it, feeling dizzy.


    His eyes were bloodshot, his hand raised but fell weakly.


    As he tried to stand up, he nearly stumbled, and Xiao Zhang hurried to assist him.


    Old Wu said weakly, "How are Hua Chuanlong and the others doing?" S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Zhang reported:


    "Hua Chuanlong''s losses weren''t severe. Out of over a hundred people, about twenty died. Ke Hanyu''s situation is similar.


    It''s just the civilians who suffered more casualties. To block the breach at the West Gate, almost three hundred died immediately. Now there are fewer than four hundred left."


    Old Wu closed his eyes and sighed, "The situation is dire. I dread to think what will become of Safe City next..."


    Xiao Zhang opened his mouth, as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.


    Seeing his expression, Old Wu said bluntly, "If you have something to say, just say it. It can''t get any worse than this."


    Xiao Zhang, concerned for Old Wu''s state, was still hesitant and unsure whether to speak up.


    Old Wu, growing impatient, urged, "If I''m telling you to speak, then speak. Why are you hesitating?"


    Xiao Zhang finally said, "Our food supply is running low. Adding up our reserves, it probably won''t last more than two weeks.


    And the civilians, many of them have already run out of food. Some people died of hunger while resisting the zombies yesterday.


    Hua Chuanlong''s and Ke Hanyu''s situations are not much different from ours.


    Some people are causing a stir about going out to look for food, while others suggest that we might as well seek out the granaries in Xin City, otherwise we''ll all starve to death."

 Chapter 382 - 373: Undercurrents Surge

    Upon hearing this, Old Wu had indeed considered this question before, but the current situation was more serious than he had imagined.


    After the rain, with the zombies just departed, the food crisis became an even more pressing issue to resolve.


    If the food crisis is not resolved, Safe City will likewise collapse and disband.


    Old Wu furrowed his brow and said, "Is there still no news from Captain Tao and the others?"


    Xiao Zhang shook his head and said:


    "There''s no news yet. Also, Hua Chuanlong has been clamoring to go to Xin City today, probably to look for his brother. He has also riled up some civilians saying they want to go over there to look.


    When those civilians heard it''s to find food, they all followed him saying they wanted to go. They''re likely already preparing vehicles to head over."


    Upon hearing this, Old Wu''s expression changed, and he said somewhat speechlessly, "Why am I only hearing about such an important matter now!"


    Xiao Zhang said, "If they want to go, let them go. It''s a good opportunity to draw away the remaining zombies outside Safe City."


    Old Wu pointed a finger at Xiao Zhang with his aged hand, sighed, and said, "Let''s go, take me to find them."


    At the main gate, there was currently a large crowd, but the on-duty personnel were adamantly not letting them out.


    Old Wu hurriedly approached, and the on-duty personnel, upon seeing Old Wu, quickly said:


    "Old Wu, Captain Hua and his group insist on leaving now, and they''re taking a bunch of people with them, saying they want to leave immediately.


    But, Old Wu, you said that the zombies haven''t completely dispersed yet, so no one should leave this place rashly.


    Moreover, if we open the door and zombies pour in, what then?


    ...."


    Old Wu pressed his hand down, signalling him to wait and say more later.


    Old Wu looked at the fiercely determined Hua Chuanlong and said:


    "The people we dispatched earlier haven''t returned yet, and we don''t know what they''ve encountered. Going over there blindly, if they ran into a powerful force, will you be able to solve the problem if you go over now?


    Having just defended against the Zombie Tide, to go out in such large numbers, there will definitely still be many zombies on the roads. With such a long-distance operation, what if you encounter a Zombie Tide?"


    Hua Chuanlong looked around and said leisurely:


    "Old Wu, do we have a choice now? Look at everyone, if we don''t go out and find food, we''re all going to starve.


    Danger?


    Where is it not dangerous?


    Besides, among all dangers, starving to death is the most dangerous!


    Don''t stand there without feeling the pain of bending over, Old Wu. You have food, but we don''t."


    At those words, the surrounding civilians looked at him with angry eyes.


    Old Wu was momentarily infuriated. He was still unclear about Hua Chuanlong''s intentions; it was clear that he was just trying to find his brother under the guise of looking for food. The food situation of Hua Chuanlong and his group was certainly not much different from theirs.


    But now that matters had come to this, by stopping them, he would be opposing the majority.


    Forget it, forget it, Old Wu felt somewhat helpless.


    He had originally thought that Captain Tao and his group might have been delayed on the return trip due to a sudden rainfall, seeking a temporary refuge from the Zombie Tide.


    Perhaps, if they wait a few days, Captain Tao and his group will return.


    But Hua Chuanlong couldn''t wait and wanted to leave now.


    If they want to go, then let them go.


    Since they wanted to go, he would let them. Right now, Hua Chuanlong and his group''s strength had actually grown stronger than theirs, so it was a good time to weaken them.


    Thus Old Wu said:


    "Alright, I won''t stop you anymore, I hope all goes well for you."


    Having said this, he immediately turned around, his lonely silhouette revealing a hint of desolation.


    As if he couldn''t manage them anymore.


    A faint smile appeared on the corner of Hua Chuanlong''s mouth; he had long been displeased with the old man.


    He thought to himself: Just wait, wait until I bring back the grain from the granary, then I will be the one in charge of Safe City.


    Then he turned to Ke Hanyu and said, "Old Ke, are you sure you don''t want to come with me?"


    Ke Hanyu shook his head and said, "I won''t be going, but I''ll send ten of my brothers to accompany you. Take care of them on the road, okay?"


    Hua Chuanlong had tried to persuade him several times already, but he had also refused several times.


    Forget it.


    Hua Chuanlong no longer harbored any hopes. Thus, he turned around and headed toward the vehicle.


    On this trip, there were many civilians following him, in addition to his own brothers, tallying around a dozen.


    Along with the civilians, there were nearly 300 people in total.


    With so many people, a substantial number of vehicles was definitely needed. In the post-apocalyptic world, driving had become an essential skill.


    Because of the sheer number of people, they simply decided to use about a dozen trucks from Safe City.


    Together with their coach buses, off-road vehicles, and various other modified vehicles, there was a fleet of about thirty vehicles.


    Thirty-odd vehicles made quite an imposing sight.


    Hua Chuanlong saw the duty officer still staring dumbfounded at them and barked, "What are you spacing out for? Open the gate quickly.


    Didn''t you hear what Old Wu just said? He had no objections, do you have any?"


    The duty officer was also quite stubborn and was just about to retort with head raised when his colleague beside him tugged at his sleeve.


    He said to Hua Chuanlong, "Fine, we''ll open it right now."


    After saying this, he and his teammate slowly pulled the gates open.


    Rumbling thunderously �C


    Hua Chuanlong himself drove a vehicle, speeding away.


    A few zombies at the gate, seeing it open, started to surge inside.


    They were directly sent flying by Hua Chuanlong''s modified armored RV.


    There were also a few scattered zombies ahead that hadn''t left.


    Seeing the gate open and the vehicles emerging, they swarmed forward.


    But all were crushed under the wheels of their fleet��thirty-odd vehicles.


    Their momentum was like a rolling tidal wave, heading towards Xin City.


    ....


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    The rain had stopped, and the zombies had also significantly decreased.


    Outside the perimeter wall lay a multitude of zombie corpses, beginning to reek under the soaking rain.


    Li Yu had Dapao and others open the gates to Weng City, allowing He Chao and the people inside to go out.


    However, this time, when they were let out, a few additional items were added to the list of goods for trade.


    Among them was the item that Li Hang had previously suggested: the Caterpillar 993G Loader. This massive loader consumed a lot of diesel fuel.


    But at the same time, it was incredibly useful.


    Although the base had a few excavators, they were all medium and small-sized, good for digging soil.


    Or, after a Zombie Tide, for moving the zombies'' bodies �C they could be used as well.


    But the efficiency wasn''t high.


    Like the Caterpillar 993G, it could shovel up to tens of tons of coal or sand in one scoop. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Its efficiency was astonishing.


    And if it were to be modified later, it could become a formidable weapon against the zombies.


    When Li Hang heard Li Yu and He Chao discussing this, he was extremely excited and approached Li Yu with a proposal that he too wanted to go out to find this machine.


    He even assured him with a promise, saying he knew where to find such a machine.


    Li Yu, upon hearing that Li Hang wanted to go out on his own, naturally did not allow it.


    However, after Li Hang got Dapao and Li Tie and a few others on his side, and with their persuasion, Li Yu reluctantly agreed.


    According to Li Hang, the Quarry was not far from their base.


    In addition, Li Tie, Dapao, Ding Jiu, and Lai Dongsheng were going with him.


    Previously, it was always Li Yu leading them out, but this time, both Li Tie and Dapao wanted to go out on their own.


    It would be good for them to test themselves.


    So Li Yu said to them, "You can go out, but make sure you go early and return early."


    Following that, Li Hang and the others set out after He Chao and his party had left.

 Chapter 383 - 374: March

    Fireworks in March visit Yangzhou.


    Time has arrived at the March of the 24th year.


    Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Cottony willow seeds whirl about by the lake.


    The lake water has already thawed.


    The temperature rose quickly; by the time March arrived, it had already reached the teens.


    Just by lifting your head, you could see spring. S~ea??h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old trees sprouted new buds, branches stretched out vigorously.


    Li Yu, propelling a black awning boat, meanders across the tranquil lake surface.


    Lake and mountains blend beautifully, the clear water reflecting the slowly revitalizing forests.


    With a bamboo pole in hand, Li Yu dips it into the water, pulling back forcefully.


    The calm water surface ripples, extending out in concentric circles.


    The air carries a light, clean scent, the refreshed smell after a mountain rain, and also the scent of spring.


    Amidst the beautiful scenery, Li Yu knits his brows tightly; beside him, Yutong notices his consistent frown and softly asks, "Brother Yu, is something bothering you?"


    Li Yu slowly sits down, not speaking until he settled on a bamboo stool: "I don''t know, I just feel uneasy; there''s this vague sense that something bad is about to happen.


    But I don''t know what it is, alas, I''ve been thinking about it for a while.


    Let''s keep rowing."


    Having finished speaking, Li Yu stops dwelling on it and pushes the boat toward the shore.


    ...


    Outside the Big Camphor Tree Base.


    Li Hang, Li Tie, and others drive out in two vehicles.


    Because the Quarry is not far from the base, only a few kilometers away in a straight line.


    They soon drive over and when they arrive, they find the Quarry in total disarray.


    Surrounding trees have fallen, and various lighter items have been blown about everywhere.


    The group searches around in the sand and gravel.


    Finally, with a sudden cry from Dapao, they all gather and find that a massive loader has been half buried in sand and stones, explaining why they had searched in vain earlier.


    This enormous loader had always been parked next to a pile of stones from the Quarry.


    It seems the recent heavy rains have buried it with a mountain of sand and stones behind it.


    But this couldn''t stump Li Hang and his group.


    On their vehicle, they always carried shovels and such, originally kept in reserve for shoveling snow during previous blizzards.


    Now, these tools proved useful again for shoveling sand and stones.


    Looking at the almost eight-meter-tall loader engulfed by sand and stones, Li Hang and the others can''t help but wryly smile.


    They had their work cut out for them.


    Everyone grabbed shovels and began digging, only needing to clear the sand and stones blocking the vehicle''s door, though this was still a sizable task.


    Without further ado, they started shifting the rubble.


    ...


    Hua Chuanlong and others, after departing from Safe City, sped along in their vehicle.


    On both sides of the road, some fresh green grass had sprung up, and the road they were traveling on had not been maintained or repaired since the apocalypse.


    There were some potholes and greenery on the road, causing inevitable rattling sounds as they drove.


    However, with the warmer weather, there was no longer stagnant water on the road, so there was no need to worry about the vehicles slipping.


    In the car, Hua Chuanlong was driving at breakneck speed.


    Next to him, his underling glanced at the rear-view mirror and couldn''t resist speaking up to remind him:


    "Boss, aren''t we going a bit too fast? The others have fallen way behind; should we wait for them?"


    Hua Chuanlong was somewhat impatient. With nearly 600 kilometers to cover, he wanted to reach the destination today. The longer the night, the more dreams that may arise.


    Get there as soon as possible and clarify the situation.


    He was still unclear about his brother''s current situation and was very worried.


    So Hua Chuanlong said:


    "At such a slow pace, tell the others to hurry up. If we haven''t reached Xin City by nightfall, we''ll have to spend the night in the wilderness. If that happens and the zombies come out, we''ll be in trouble."


    Having finished speaking, he ignored further discussion and pressed down on the gas pedal, maintaining the vehicle''s speed at nearly 100 kilometers per hour.


    The underling, after hearing what Hua Chuanlong had said, didn''t know how to respond and just sat in the boss''s car, feeling very nervous.


    The armored vehicle that Hua Chuanlong was driving had been reinforced at the front, left, right, and rear.


    Even at the very front, some protective iron plates had been welded on.


    As Hua Chuanlong drove, he plowed straight through anything in his path, and even if there were abandoned cars on the road, he would simply ram through them.


    Five minutes later, Hua Chuanlong looked back to see that only two cars were following him; the other vehicles were entirely out of sight.


    At this moment, they were precisely under a mountain overpass, and Hua Chuanlong thought for a moment before stopping the car.


    Then he opened the door. The two vehicles behind were his men too, but there were a few more cars with their brothers who had not caught up yet.


    After getting out of the car, Hua Chuanlong looked around.


    The sun shone brightly; on the road, there were only their three vehicles.


    Quiet.


    Not even a breath of wind.


    Hua Chuanlong pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, hesitated for a moment, shook one out, and while watching the road behind to see if the others were catching up,


    He took out a lighter to ignite the cigarette.


    With the white smoke curling up, the men from the two vehicles behind saw their boss get out of the car.


    They hurriedly ran over and asked, "Boss, why did we stop?"


    Hua Chuanlong pointed towards the road behind and said, "What else can we do? I don''t know what''s up with the ones behind; they''re so slow. Just having a cigarette while waiting for them."


    While speaking, he took out a cigarette from the pack and handed it to his underling: "Here, have a smoke and wait for them. Damn, they''re so slow."


    The people from the three cars all got out, stretched their arms and backs, taking the opportunity to relax a bit.


    But at this moment, suddenly three zombies crawled out of the cement pipes in the ditches on both sides of the road.


    The emergence of the three zombies immediately caught the attention of Hua Chuanlong and his men.


    The underling glanced at the zombies and saw no others following from behind. He then said to Hua Chuanlong, "Boss, let us handle them."


    At that moment, the three zombies also saw Hua Chuanlong and his crew and became enraged, charging at them.


    Hua Chuanlong waved his hand and said, "Go ahead."


    Just three zombies �C for them, it was a minor case.


    The underling, who had been standing next to Hua Chuanlong, led two men towards the few zombies.


    Just as the underling was about to shoot, Hua Chuanlong quickly said, "You fools, now that bullets are so scarce, are you going to use guns to kill just freaking three zombies?


    Didn''t you remember what I told you last time about conserving bullets? Use melee weapons to deal with them."


    Hearing the boss say this, the three underlings put their guns away and instead drew out spears and long knives to confront the three zombies.


    The zombies moved quickly, and within seconds, the two sides engaged in close-quarters combat.


    True to form of those who had survived up to this point, the three men coordinated well. As the zombies charged, they slightly raised their spears.


    Aimed at the zombies'' chests and stabbed, halting the zombies'' charge in an instant.


    With force in their arms, they yanked the spears out and then drove them firmly and accurately into the zombies'' heads.


    Their actions were clean and efficient.

 Chapter 384 - 375: What the Fuck?

    Three minutes after Hua Chuanlong and his group had dealt with a few zombies.


    The vehicles behind them slowly came forward.


    Before the vehicles behind could stabilize, Hua Chuanlong told his followers to ask them to speed up. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But they also reflected that the reason they were about ten minutes late was because they encountered zombies.


    However, Hua Chuanlong didn''t care about those excuses.


    He issued a firm order that he would not slow down anymore; if they couldn''t keep up, they might as well be left to feed the zombies.


    After saying that, Hua Chuanlong got into the car and started the engine.


    Continuing towards Xin City.


    During the journey, maintaining a speed of 90 kilometers per hour, even the modified armored RV''s front shield was deformed from smashing through zombies and abandoned vehicles.


    It looked like it was about to be scrapped.


    Along the way, they also encountered groups of zombies numbering in the hundreds, but Hua Chuanlong had no intention of stopping. Instead, he drove straight through.


    Breaking through the zombie siege.


    But the last two vehicles, with about twenty people on board, failed to keep up with the group.


    Eventually, they were surrounded by zombies and in the turmoil, were devoured.


    From then on, everyone dared not fall behind; even if something happened.


    A warning from the earlier situation.


    Forcing them to maintain vigilance, with their foot on the gas to the floor, following closely behind.


    With their path cleared ahead, the road became somewhat easier. Once left behind, encountering zombies could really be deadly.


    Racing like lightning, they headed towards Xin City.


    Silent all the way.


    ...


    At 4:38 pm, they arrived at Xin City.


    Quiet.


    Just as they had arrived at Xin City, not far away.


    Two people emerged from underneath a sealed building.


    ...


    These two people were Dayong and Yuan Chong, who had been hiding in a storage room to avoid zombies.


    Originally after being attacked by a group from the north, the two were forced into a building full of zombies.


    They helplessly watched the death of Xiao Kui, and later, thanks to the zombies, were forced into this storeroom.


    This storeroom was well-stocked with supplies.


    After sealing the door of the storeroom, they hadn''t gone out.


    Hiding inside until the supplies were nearly depleted, they then dared to venture out.


    Due to the excessive stimulation they previously endured, they became somewhat skittish.


    The two had not seen the sun for a long time while hiding in the storeroom, and their complexions were quite pale.


    They collected and organized the food from the shelves into two backpacks, each carrying a bag.


    Slowly, they pulled open the door of the storeroom.


    Click.


    The storeroom''s door made a slight noise; Yuan Chong said to Dayong behind him, "Dayong, it''s safe outside. Let''s go."


    Former love rivals, who had saved each other back then and having spent such a long time in this storeroom together, their relationship of mutual disdain turned into offering each other warmth.


    At this moment, their bond had transcended mere friendship.


    Dayong, holding a sharpened iron rod, slowly walked outside; the two cautiously stepped out.


    Tiptoeing.


    Until they reached the gateway, they looked up to feel the afternoon sunshine.


    Warm, and soothing.


    Feeling somewhat hot, the last time they were outside, there was still a lot of snow, but now as they came out, the surrounding snow had all disappeared.


    The abandoned vehicles nearby were still there, they looked at where Xiao Kui had died, but there wasn''t a single trace left on the ground.


    Zombies, like locusts, leave nothing behind wherever they pass.


    Even the bloody water had been washed away by the heavy rain.


    Not a single trace left behind.


    The two observed their surroundings, feeling as though the seas had changed and everything was unrecognizable.


    The last time they ventured out, it was winter, with a white blanket covering everything, but now, all had changed.


    Suddenly, within that building, a group of zombies appeared, hiding in the dark recesses to avoid the harsh sunlight.


    But now, a gust of wind carried the scent of humans to them.


    Crash��


    The movement of the zombies inside the building pushed the furniture around, creating noise.


    Roar Roar Roar��


    The roaring of the zombies alerted Dayong and the other man.


    Dayong turned back to see a large group of zombies emerging from the exact location they had just left, breaking out in a cold sweat. Thankfully, they had exited in time or else they would have been overtaken by these zombies...


    "Run!"


    The two carrying their packs, ran outside.


    The zombies chased closely behind them.


    The recent rainfall had flooded many cars, causing rust to form on the surfaces.


    Similarly, the ground was now muddy.


    Yuan Chong quickly said, "Run towards the outskirts of the city."


    Dayong, gasping for air, said, "Yes, let''s hurry. Aren''t we just the unluckiest, barely making it out only to be chased by these zombies."


    Yuan Chong tightened his grip on his backpack and looked back at Dayong, "Stop talking, just run."


    The two picked up the pace and quickly ran outside.


    Their location was already near the edge of the city, close to the national highway.


    ....


    At this moment, less than a kilometer away, Hua Chuanlong and his group had just arrived at this place.


    Hua Chuanlong stood on the national highway, observing the buildings on the city''s edge, deserted, not even a single zombie in sight.


    His subordinate said, "Boss, according to the map, we should be at Xin City now, but we don''t know the situation here.


    That Wang Xiansheng didn''t tell us the exact location of the group that took over the granary.


    What should we do next?"


    Hua Chuanlong removed his sunglasses and looked up at the sunlight, also somewhat confused.


    Still, he said, "If we don''t know the exact location, we can ask around. Can a living person really die from not peeing? I refuse to believe there''s not a single person in the whole Xin City."


    The subordinate glanced at the empty streets, thought for a moment, and said, "Boss, there''s no one here, and the sun is about to set, who do we ask?"


    Hua Chuanlong frowned, this...


    Thump Thump Thump Thump��


    A series of heavy footsteps approached.


    Hua Chuanlong smiled and said, "Isn''t someone coming now?"


    The group looked toward the direction of the sound, only to see two figures walking towards them against the setting sun.


    Due to the sun setting, Hua Chuanlong and his group didn''t notice the large crowd of zombies following behind in the shadows of the buildings.


    Hua Chuanlong watched as the two individuals, backpacks bulging, approached.


    The smile on his lips grew.


    Meanwhile, what Yuan Chong and his companion saw was a group of people under the setting sun, radiating a warm glow, standing as if waiting for them, akin to saviors.


    Both Yuan Chong and Hua Chuanlong shared a thought: No road is truly dead-end.


    However, as Yuan Chong and his friend ran closer, just meters away, they saw that Hua Chuanlong and his people looked formidable, reminding them of those they had encountered from the North.


    Inside their minds: Damn?! So many people!


    And with nearly three hundred people present, as Yuan Chong and his friend approached, the zombies behind also came into the sunlight, looking like a swarming beehive.


    Their thoughts: Damn?! These two fools! Did they stir up a zombie nest?!


    The previous joy and relief of both groups, at that moment, turned into two words:


    Damn?!

 Chapter 385 - 376: The Homing Bird Enters the Dusky Clouds

    No matter whether it was Yuan Chong and his companion or Hua Chuanlong and his group, they were all feeling incredibly conflicted inside.


    Hua Chuanlong saw Yuan Chong and the other person about to run to the side and narrowed his eyes slightly, shouting to his underlings:


    "Grab those two. The rest of you, get in the cars, let''s go!"


    Before he shouted, many had already gotten into the vehicles, ready to leave this place �� that many Zombies was not something to toy with.


    Yuan Chong saw several of those people approaching in their direction and ran even faster.


    He was certain in his heart that this bunch was definitely not made of good people either.


    The last time, the group that killed Xiao Kui had trapped them in that storeroom for so long that they had already developed a psychological shadow.


    Just having gotten on the vehicle, Hua Chuanlong saw they were about to run to the side, so he shouted at the convoy of civilian cars ahead: "Catch them and put them on the vehicle, quick!"


    From the vehicle, he could see the Zombies following those two growing ever closer.


    People in the vehicles behind had already started their engines and were driving off in another direction on the national highway.


    There were simply too many vehicles with Hua Chuanlong, over thirty vehicles, dominating the entire national highway, leaving Yuan Chong and his companion no chance to break through.


    If they turned back, they would only face the Zombies.


    So, they were quickly grabbed by a few people and manacled into the car.


    Hua Chuanlong, upon seeing that the two had been captured and placed on the vehicle,


    turned his gaze back, patting the underling at the driver''s seat and said, "Drive, quick!"


    Since those two Survivors from Xin City had already been captured and driven away by his people,


    he too needed to leave this place as soon as possible.


    Looking at the Zombies about to reach them, he also considered that these civilians behind might get surrounded by the Zombies.


    But, he didn''t care.


    This wasn''t the first time he had shown his disregard for them; throughout the journey today, for the sake of speed, he didn''t care about those following behind.


    He had long arranged for his own men to be at the front, and he simply ignored the civilians at the back.


    Life was as cheap as grass.


    His own location was in the middle of the convoy, and the vehicles at the front had already left.


    The roaring of the vehicles started, and the vehicles at the back followed closely behind and left.


    But with over thirty vehicles, evacuation required some time,


    especially under a Zombie Tide, everyone was anxious to leave the place as soon as possible.


    For a moment, there was some congestion on the road.


    Fortunately, on this rural national highway, aside from the ten-odd meters of highway, there were relatively wide spaces on both sides of the road.


    Thus, the traffic congestion wasn''t too severe.


    However, it was more miserable for the people in the vehicles at the rear, watching helplessly as the main force left, but they themselves were surrounded by Zombies.


    Boom boom boom~


    On one of the big trucks, the back was packed with people, each armed with a spear, stabbing downwards.


    They were like the legs of a centipede, each ''leg'' possessing attacking power.


    Spears protruded everywhere, resisting the pressing hoard of Zombies.


    The height of the truck was elevated, and with guardrails over 2 meters high, it was quite difficult for Zombies to immediately grab the people in the truck bed.


    It was only because the number of Zombies was increasing, some Zombies stepping on others to climb up.


    It looked exceedingly dangerous!


    But soon, those on the truck with spears managed to stab and bring them down.


    The Zombies, after being stabbed, fell straight down, collapsing within the Zombie Tide.


    For these vehicles, the people on board and the Zombies outside,


    engaged in a stalemate for the moment.


    Among these rear vehicles were the most loaded with people.


    A man on the truck, wearing a red scarf, said to the person in the passenger seat:


    "Xiao Mao, tell them to hold tight, I''ll try to see if we can break through."


    Xiao Mao eyed the windshield that was now webbed with cracks, knowing that once it broke, they were done for.


    Understanding that if they didn''t fight now, the Zombies outside would tear them to shreds, swallow them.


    So he yelled out, "Okay." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Immediately, he turned to the people sitting at the back of the truck, proclaiming:


    "Brothers, hold on tight, we''re about to break through. Hold firm."


    "Hold tight!!"


    As soon as the words were uttered, the man with the red scarf floored the gas pedal to the max.


    Boom!


    Some people at the back of the truck, having heard him, hastily secured themselves to the vehicle, but for those at the very back, the roaring and howling of the Zombies were so loud.


    They didn''t catch the message for a moment.


    Boom~


    With a surge of acceleration, the vehicle crushed the Zombies in front directly under its wheels.


    Crock... Crock...


    One after another, Zombies were swept beneath the vehicle.


    The windshield was now completely cracked.


    Suddenly.


    "Ah Huang!" a shout of alarm came from the back.


    At the position rear to the truck bed, the occupants hadn''t heard due to the sudden acceleration of the vehicle.


    The sudden burst of speed and the inertia made them almost fall from the truck.


    At the same time, behind them, Ah Huang, not holding onto anything, was fervently stabbing Zombies with his spear.


    Ah Huang, under the inertia, was left dangling his feet in the air.


    In a split second, Zombies below grabbed his spear and yanked.


    Ah Huang''s entire body was pulled by the Zombies towards the underside of the vehicle.


    The person next to him saw this and reached out to pull him back.


    But in the end, it was a hair''s breadth too late.


    Ah Huang was thrown underneath the vehicle: "Save me! Ahhh..."


    With a cry of alarm, Ah Huang was swallowed by the Zombie Tide.


    Just like a drop of water falling into the ocean.


    Without raising a single ripple.


    Those around watched as Ah Huang was engulfed by zombies, the very same Ah Huang who was still joking with them on the road at noon today, remembering how he said he wanted to eat until he burst once they got some food.


    And then he wished to depart from this world as a soul satisfied with a full belly.


    Now, he no longer had the chance.


    Ultimately, he left the world still hungry.


    Xu Yan, who was on good terms with him, watched Ah Huang being dragged down by the zombies, his heart filled with immense sorrow, but his hand instinctively gripped tightly onto the railing at the first opportunity.


    Their vehicle was comparatively fortunate; it had accelerated in time and left this area early.


    On the other two vehicles, faces reflected the life and death situation:


    "Ah, save us..."


    "My hand, my arm..."


    "He''s bitten, push him off."


    "He''s bitten?"


    "Get down, don''t force us."


    "No, no, I don''t want to die."


    "Push him off the vehicle, or we''re all going to die."


    "Mmm."


    "Ah, don''t push, don''t push me, it''s you who forced this, if we''re going to die, let''s die together."


    "You''re insane, don''t drag us into it, fuck..."


    "Ah."


    "Ah."


    "Ah."


    ....


    The other two vehicles, one had several people dragged down by zombies, and the other was directly overwhelmed by the zombies.


    The vehicle that was overwhelmed, the zombies somehow got underneath it, directly disabling the vehicle.


    And because there were just too many zombies around, the vehicle couldn''t move at all. After resisting for some time, it was eventually swallowed by the zombies.


    Boom boom boom boom~


    They finally escaped.


    Xu Yan watched the zombies growing more distant, watched the seemingly endless flow of zombies pouring out from the buildings.


    They had escaped.


    Escaped a brush with death.


    His gaze stretched far into the distance.


    The setting sun... was like blood.


    Below them, on the national highway behind, hordes of zombies. Screeching.


    Unknowingly, the sound faded away...


    Below, birds flew across the sky.


    In the vast expanse of the sunset, birds return to the evening clouds.


    Birds, ah... It''s getting dark; even the birds know to return home.


    But he, he no longer had a home.


    After the apocalypse broke out, he wandered aimlessly until Ah Huang took him out.


    They supported each other along the way, up to now.


    He remembered how little Ah Huang once said that when he struck it rich, he''d take him on a plane to travel the world.


    Under the sunset, the birds were bathed in the radiance of the glow.


    Xu Yan, watching, watching,


    Suddenly laughed.


    Laughing, laughing,


    Suddenly cried.


    Fuck!


    He roared furiously.


    A strong sense of hatred surged up in Xu Yan''s heart,


    But he didn''t know whom to blame.


    He had heard that warning just now, and had just been about to remind Ah Huang when the vehicle started.


    And then Ah Huang was thrown off.


    Blame the driver?


    If they hadn''t accelerated to leave just now, their fate would have been the same as the other vehicle, completely annihilated.


    Being alive, is truly exhausting.


    He never thought life could be so hard.


    Humans can suffer so much.


    For a bite of food, fighting to the death, still not enough to be nourished and warm.


    The noise by his ear began to emerge again.


    The noisy engine of the truck brought him back to reality.


    The sun sets in the west.


    The Southern region is full of hills, with the sun above the mountains.


    The crimson sun is magnificent.


    Xu Yan looked at the driving seat of the vehicle ahead, and then looked at the vehicles further away.


    His eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.

 Chapter 386 - 377: Heading to Tianhua Town

    The vehicles roared, gradually moving away from the zombie horde.


    Hua Chuanlong and the others immediately stopped the vehicles after escaping the zombies.


    Although it was getting late, there was something more important he needed to handle.


    Stopping the car.


    Hua Chuanlong got out of the car and walked towards the one that had caught those two men earlier.


    The people in the car greeted Hua Chuanlong as he approached:


    "Boss, those two are in the car. I''ll bring them down."


    Four people escorted Yuan Chong and Dayong out of the car.


    Yuan Chong looked around at the people with a terrified expression.


    Hua Chuanlong was about to question the two when he suddenly noticed the backpacks on their backs had disappeared.


    So he asked, "Where are their backpacks?"


    As soon as these words were spoken, several of his subordinates bowed their heads.


    One of them said, "Boss, we split them. This is for you..."


    While speaking, he took a cigarette from the hands of a few others and handed it over.


    Hua Chuanlong was about to explode with anger, thinking: Am I picking up your leftovers?


    But looking at the sky''s color, it was already quite late, and he didn''t have time to waste here. Also, seeing his brothers had been loyal followers all along,


    He swallowed his words and pointed at them scolding: "You bunch of little rabbits."


    Seeing that the boss didn''t blame them, they spoke as if offering treasures:


    "Boss, I just asked these two, and there''s no food storage here."


    Hua Chuanlong heard this and his eyes widened, thinking: What? Are they useless?


    And where did his brother and the others go?


    On their journey here, he hadn''t seen any trace of Captain Tao and his brother''s group.


    Where did they go?


    What exactly happened?


    Hua Chuanlong was confused.


    After thinking, he then asked, "Then, who is the biggest force around here?"


    Yuan Chong and Dayong exchanged glances, their eyes filled with complex meanings.


    They had always stayed in Xin City and had seen Li Yu from a distance. Recently, many people from Jiefang City had arrived.


    They had vaguely heard about Li Yu and his group; that group was fierce. Asking about them, what are they planning...


    Moreover, because of the snow before, they were trapped in the storage room hiding from zombies.


    They did not know about the existence of Hua Chuanxiong and his group.


    Seeing that the two remained silent, Hua Chuanlong continued:


    "Half a month ago, did you see a group of people come to Xin City? They, like us, were armed, one surnamed Hua,


    um, and another person surnamed Tao, have you heard of them?"


    Yuan Chong and Dayong both shook their heads.


    Hua Chuanlong''s patience was running thin, seeing the sky growing darker. So he pulled out a knife and said to the two, "My patience is limited, tell me, what are the nearby forces?"


    Yuan Chong, seeing Hua Chuanlong had drawn a knife, realized they couldn''t avoid it anymore.


    So he said,


    "Basically, there aren''t many major forces around here, but I know of the Big Camphor Tree Base. It''s said to be in Tianhua Town, but we are not sure about the exact location."


    Hearing this, Hua Chuanlong''s expression shook, then he asked, "How many people do they have? What are their capabilities?"


    Dayong continued, "We are not sure how many people there are exactly, we just heard they seem to have a base. We saw them from a distance last time, not many, just a dozen people, but they all have guns."


    Guns?!


    Hua Chuanlong''s expression turned frosty.


    His brother and Hua Chuanxiong, if they hadn''t encountered something on the road, then it''s very likely they ran into trouble here in Xin City.


    Given their capabilities, to make all of them disappear all of a sudden, the power must be strong.


    And this Big Camphor Tree Base, having guns, only they have that kind of power.


    Hua Chuanlong coldly said: "Take us there."


    Yuan Chong reluctantly responded:


    "We haven''t been there either; those people are too fierce, and we dare not get close. Like I said just now, it''s near Tianhua Town. We''ve told you everything we know.


    Please let us go. We''ve given you everything in our bags, just let us go."


    Hearing this, Hua Chuanlong sneered and said:


    "Weren''t we the ones who saved you just now? If it wasn''t for us bringing you up here, you would probably have been torn apart by the zombies.


    I''m a reasonable person; you lead us there, and I''ll let you go."


    Dayong was about to say something but was nudged on the shoulder by Yuan Chong.


    Seeing Hua Chuanlong''s stern face and the surrounding people looking menacing, he said reluctantly:


    "Alright, I''ll take you there. But you have to promise to let us go once we get there." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t worry," said Hua Chuanlong.


    Then, Hua Chuanlong had the two of them taken to his armored RV.


    He had them guide the way.


    As the sky grew darker, Hua Chuanlong was only thinking about quickly finding the place.


    He was well aware of the dangers at night, but it was better to head to Tianhua Town for rest than stay in the city.


    Xin City was not far from Tianhua Town. They started the engines and sped towards it at high speed.


    ....


    At Big Camphor Tree Base, Li Yu watched as the sky grew darker and darker, but he still hadn''t seen Li Hang and the others return, which worried him.


    "How come Xiao Hang and the others haven''t come back yet..." Li Hongyuan asked his eldest son.


    Li Yu turned up the searchlights on the fence, trying to see if they were coming back.


    But in the dim evening, with birds flocking to the forest, there was no sign of Li Hang and his group.


    Li Yu, seeing his father becoming anxious, reassured him:


    "Don''t worry, they all have guns, Li Tie and Dapao are with them. Let''s wait a bit more; if they don''t come back, I will take people to find them."


    Father Li nodded.


    It was very dangerous in the dark, but if they didn''t return soon, Li Yu would certainly risk finding them.


    "What in the world is going on, they said it wasn''t far, really," Li Yu sighed.


    ....


    Seven to eight kilometers from the base, at the Quarry.


    Li Hang and the others were covered in dirt, their faces smeared with grime.


    Li Tie said to Li Hang:


    "Xiao Hang, we should head back; otherwise, elder brother and the others will start to worry. It''s particularly dangerous at night, we really need to hurry."


    Li Hang said, "Okay, sigh, just a little more. We finally got the gravel cleaned up, and then this loader broke down..."


    Dapao glanced at the sky, the sun setting in the west, it looked like it would be dark soon, and he said, "Let''s get ready to leave, we can deal with this thing another day."


    Li Hang looked up and indeed, it was getting late.


    He said, "I''ve fixed it; let''s see if it starts."


    "Really?" Li Tie asked excitedly.


    "Really?"


    Everyone around was surprised.


    Li Hang said: "Let''s try it, it should work, but regardless, we need to leave."


    Li Tie climbed onto the large loader, turned the ignition.


    Dudu dudu dudu~


    It started, he stepped on the accelerator.


    The loader slowly moved forward.


    "It works, it works!"


    "Xiao Hang, you''re really something."


    "No, no, Uncle Lai, let''s get ready to go back, it''s getting late."


    Everyone quickly packed up, preparing to return.


    ...


    Elsewhere.


    Not far from them, a long convoy of over twenty vehicles was coming their way.....

 Chapter 387 - 378: Firefight!

    The sky was gradually darkening.


    Li Tie was driving the giant loader at a slow pace on the national highway.


    There was no helping it; the loader''s top speed could only reach 50 kilometers per hour.


    They were only seven or eight kilometers away from the base. According to their current speed, they could arrive in about ten minutes.


    The other two vehicles, driven by Li Hang and Dapao, also slowed down to wait for Li Tie''s truck.


    Though they were moving slowly, they had calculated they would reach the base before sunset.


    Suddenly.


    A roaring sound came from behind them.


    Rumble rumble��


    Inside the giant loader, the engine''s loud noise drowned out the sound coming from rear.


    Then, a long line of vehicles appeared behind them, with Hua Chuanlong at their forefront catching sight of the vehicles ahead.


    An excited look spread across his face as he shouted loudly, "Speed up, surround those vehicles ahead."


    In these times, it was harder to encounter a person than a zombie. Having stumbled upon several vehicles at once, they definitely knew where that force was located, and it was very likely they were people from that force.


    Vroom vroom vroom��


    The vehicles suddenly accelerated.


    Meanwhile, Dapao, who was driving the lead vehicle, glanced at the rearview mirror and saw a long line of vehicles behind.


    He quickly took out the walkie-talkie and said, "Xiao Hang, Tiezi, there''s a convoy behind us, a convoy, be alert, be alert!"


    Upon hearing Dapao speak, everyone hurriedly looked back.


    What they saw surprised them all.


    Behind them, atop a slope, came a long, end-to-end fleet of vehicles barreling toward them.


    "Tiezi, get out of your vehicle and hop on with us. Let''s hurry and run, it looks like they have a lot of people. Plus, we don''t know what they''re planning. Let''s retreat first," Li Hang said.


    As he spoke, he picked up the rifle seated next to him.


    Lai Dongsheng and Ding Jiu, who were sitting in the backseat, also grabbed their guns, opened the windows, and looked out behind them.


    Li Tie, driving the loader, which was very slow, saw the gradually approaching convoy and without a second thought turned off the loader''s engine and ran towards Li Hang''s vehicle.


    However, the vehicles behind were moving quickly, closing the gap to less than thirty meters in a blink of an eye.


    Bang��


    Hua Chuanlong saw someone getting out of the large loader and fired a shot in their direction.


    But the vehicle was shaking, and the person was running, so he missed.


    Li Tie, who was running at full speed, heard a gunshot. The bullet nearly hit him, striking the ground and sending sparks flying.


    Li Hang and the others, who were stopped waiting for him, heard a gunshot from behind.


    They thought to themselves that this was bad, these people not only outnumbered them but also had guns!


    How could five of them possibly defeat them?


    Moreover, these people, not even knowing the situation, dared to shoot, which meant they were up to no good!


    Looking at Li Tie, who was still running towards them, Li Hang''s heart hardened, and he started to reverse the car to pick Li Tie up.


    Upon hearing the gunshots, Ding Jiu and Lai Dongsheng opened the car doors, using them as shields, and fired at the vehicles behind to cover for Li Tie, who was still running towards them.


    Bang bang bang��


    A bullet grazed past Hua Chuanlong''s ear, leaving a bloody mark.


    Hua Chuanlong, somewhat frightened, touched his earlobe, smeared with blood, and ducked his head down, bellowing, "Tell the brothers to hurry, I want them alive, goddammit.


    Lao Han, you, yes you, drive faster, let the brothers behind us surround them. Damn, these dead men walking."


    Old Han in the driver''s seat saw two bullet holes on the car window, his legs trembling. He had narrowly escaped death himself.


    Glancing at his boss with his head down, he complained in his heart: Damn it, making me take the risk while he hides.


    But he dared not disobey the boss''s order and pressed down on the accelerator.


    The vehicle roared forward.


    The brothers in the vehicle aimed and fired at the several vehicles ahead.


    Bang bang bang��


    Gunshots rang out incessantly.


    Bang��


    A bullet struck Li Tie directly in the leg; just as he was about to reach the vehicle, he tumbled to the ground.


    Ding Jiu, being the closest to Li Tie and less than two meters away, hurried over to help him.


    "Don''t come over," Li Tie yelled.


    Bang bang��


    As Ding Jiu stepped out from behind the car door,


    Bullets poured over densely towards their direction.


    Seeing this, Dapao in the other vehicle quickly yelled, "Cover him!"


    As he spoke, he kept firing towards Hua Chuanlong''s direction.


    The convoy behind, including Hua Chuanlong, was closing in rapidly.


    They even drove to their front, blocking the entire national highway completely.


    The highway was probably about ten meters wide, with Li Hang and the others on the right-hand side.


    They stopped on the right side, constantly returning fire.


    Ding Jiu, who had just left the car, braved the bullets and had just grabbed Li Tie''s arm.


    A bullet came his way, striking Ding Jiu directly in the shoulder.


    Ding Jiu''s eyes instantly reddened; he clenched his teeth and dragged Li Tie by the arm.


    Li Tie planted his feet firmly, stood up with his other leg, and both of them headed for the car.


    The bullets from behind kept flying, albeit less frequently.


    This gave them the chance to leave.


    Huff huff huff��


    Ding Jiu and Li Tie finally reached the back of the car, panting heavily.


    Ding Jiu''s shoulder was soaked with blood, his face pale, sweating profusely.


    Li Tie, who was on his side, also had a small leg soaked with fresh blood. He was now leaning against the right side of the vehicle, firing back with his handgun.


    Bang Bang Bang~


    In the midst of the gunshots, several people on the opposite side were hit and fell to the ground.


    But Li Tie and the others found it strange that although not everyone on the opposite side had guns, there were still dozens of people armed.


    Their rate of fire wasn''t high, almost as if they were reluctant to use up their bullets.


    Li Hang looked around and saw that they were surrounded by their people both in front and behind.


    A dense crowd of at least a few hundred people.


    Firing without a word, damn lunatics.


    The vehicles from behind kept coming, more and more of them, blocking them tightly both in front and behind.


    The people on the opposite side seemed to have a firm grasp of the situation.


    No longer firing.


    Just surrounding them.


    Li Hang and his men also stopped shooting to avoid provoking them.


    Li Tie felt somewhat desperate; it didn''t look as though they would make it back to the base.


    Next to him, Ding Jiu, out of breath, said, "Li Tie, look to our right. Let''s go to that house, otherwise, we''ll end up as live targets."


    Li Tie suddenly looked to the right.


    Right, even though they couldn''t make it back to base now, they could hide in the house beside this national road.


    Beside the national roads, there often were some houses, built right next to them.


    This three-story white house, with farmland at the back. It''s just a pity there weren''t many trees around, or they could have run away directly.


    But if they were to run towards the farmland now, with nothing to cover, they might get shot before they could escape.


    This white house? Perhaps they could take shelter inside and resist.


    Li Tie quickly said, "Hang, let''s take shelter inside this house. Just for a while."


    Li Hang nodded and looked a few meters away at Brother Pao in another vehicle, saying, "Brother Pao, let''s go inside this house."


    Then he spoke to Lai Dongsheng, "Uncle Lai, help Brother Tie in later."


    He then turned to Ding Jiu, "Uncle Ding, can you still move?"


    Ding Jiu took a couple of breaths and said, "No problem."


    Li Hang nodded and said, "Okay, I''ll throw a hand grenade and then you run. Brother Pao and I will cover you."


    "Cough cough, okay."


    Hua Chuanlong, who was hiding behind a car, yelled at them through a megaphone, "Stop resisting. I just want to ask you one thing, have you ever heard of this person: Hua Chuanxiong?"


    Li Hang, who was just about to pull out a hand grenade, was startled by these words, and so were Ding Jiu and the others nearby.


    Damn it, they really were tough, coming from Safe City.


    Li Hang was a rather impulsive man, naturally courageous. He pulled the pin, and the grenade paused in his hand.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    "Throw it!" Li Tie was getting anxious watching from the side.


    Those two seconds felt incredibly tense for Ding Jiu and Li Tie nearby. Damn, too brave.


    A hand grenade only has 3.5 seconds before it explodes, and it takes about a second to fly through the air after being thrown.


    As soon as the words were heard, Li Hang threw the hand grenade in the direction where Hua Chuanlong had been speaking.


    There, having just spoken and waiting without hearing a response, Hua Chuanlong was getting impatient.


    Just about to speak again, suddenly a warning shout was heard.


    Boom~


    The right side of the car exploded.


    Glass shattered everywhere, and the two people in front of him were pierced all over by flying glass shards, bleeding profusely.


    Hua Chuanlong had a narrow escape, thankful that he had ducked behind.


    But the next second, he became furious with embarrassment.


    Damn it, refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit.


    With an angry shout: "Kill them. Damn it, just leave one alive."


    Simultaneously with the explosion. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The noise drew the attention of the people in the vehicles behind.


    Lai Dongsheng, supporting Li Tie, hurriedly ran towards the white house nearby, with Ding Jiu, his shoulder covered, close behind.


    And Li Hang and Dapao exchanged glances, understanding each other''s thoughts.


    Each pulled out another hand grenade and after waiting a second, they threw them behind.


    Boom. Boom. Two loud blasts.


    Then, holding submachine guns, they retreated while fighting back.


    The equipment that Li Hang and his group possessed was indeed much better than their opponents''.


    Not only were they wearing bullet-proof vests, but they also had at least 6 magazines each. They didn''t bring any helmets since they weren''t far from the base, and they didn''t carry many bullets either.


    Like when they''d previously gone to Harmony Garden, each person was equipped with 12 magazines, each fully loaded with 30 bullets.


    Nearly 360 bullets in total.


    While Hua Chuanlong and his group had scrounged around Safe City to find about thirty-odd guns.


    But they had never gotten a resupply of ammunition and were now low on bullets, which is why they had been cautious in their consumption just now.


    But this also gave Li Hang and his people a glimmer of hope.


    At this moment.


    Two grenades exploded to the left and right.


    Li Hang and Dapao promptly stood up.


    Running back, Ding Jiu and others had almost reached inside the white house.


    Li Hang and Dapao joining up, they fired wildly, their vigor somehow overwhelming these people.


    The two kept fighting and retreating.


    Suddenly, a bullet whizzed by and struck Li Hang in the chest.


    Li Hang grunted, the force of the bullet knocking him to the ground.

 Chapter 388 - 379: Can You Still Leave Alive?

    Dapao turned around to see Li Hang fallen on the ground, one hand holding a gun, and quickly helped him up with the other hand.


    Li Hang coughed twice, feeling a dull pain in his chest.


    The two of them hurriedly ran towards the house behind them.


    This white three-story building had its doors already open; they had been looted here when the apocalypse first broke out.


    Bang bang~


    Bullets whizzed past them.


    A ten-meter distance, for the few seconds they just ran, was undoubtedly a matter of life and death.


    As soon as they entered the house, Dapao said to Li Hang:


    "Li Hang, are you alright?"


    Li Hang ripped open his outer clothing.


    Ding dong~


    A bullet fell onto the house''s polished floor, creating a crisp sound.


    A dent was visible on the black bullet-proof vest, where the bullet that fell to the ground probably came from.


    "I''m fine, luckily I wore a bullet-proof vest, but my chest hurts a bit, probably a fractured rib, cough cough cough," Li Hang said with a pained expression.


    Dapao looked around and saw Li Tie wrapping his lower leg privately.


    And Ding Jiu pressing down on his shoulder blade, his complexion somewhat pale, blood seeping out.


    Lai Dongsheng was holding a submachine gun, standing at the doorway on guard.


    Now, the only ones uninjured were him and Lai Dongsheng. He looked at Li Hang next to him and asked, "Can you still fight?"


    Li Hang immediately responded, "No problem, of course I can."


    With a groan, Li Tie finally tied a knot on the cloth around his lower leg, then panting heavily, said, "Let''s go upstairs, they might come over later, we need to use this building."


    At those words, Li Hang immediately helped Ding Jiu up and headed upstairs.


    Lai Dongsheng closed the now deformed iron gate, then moved a table and chairs to block the entrance.


    ...


    The group reached the second floor.


    The detached building had a front door near the national road, but there was also a back door, and behind the back door was a small courtyard.


    After going upstairs, Dapao looked at Ding Jiu and others, and said, "Uncle Lai, you take the back door, watch if anyone comes, and I''ll take the front door.


    Xiao Hang, check if you can contact the base with the walkie-talkie, see if the distance can connect."


    Li Hang nodded, then took out the walkie-talkie from his backpack, but the movement probably touched his rib, causing him to gasp from pain.


    After Li Hang took out the walkie-talkie, seeing Ding Jiu who had almost closed his eyes, he said to Li Tie, "Bro Tiezi, go help Uncle Ding with the bandaging. I''m not good at it..."


    After hearing this, Li Tie hurriedly glanced at Ding Jiu. In the rush earlier, he didn''t notice Ding Jiu''s shoulder was still bleeding.


    Li Tie hopped on one foot towards Ding Jiu, looking at the messy wound on his shoulder blade.


    Feeling troublesome, he said to everyone, "Old Ding, his wound is too deep, we need to stop the bleeding fast, or he won''t last long."


    Saying that, he violently tore off a piece of cloth, balled it up, and pressed it against the wound. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah..." Ding Jiu opened his eyes, his face pale.


    Li Hang turned on the walkie-talkie, hearing Ding Jiu''s cries of pain, and immediately walked over to him.


    Li Hang said nervously to Ding Jiu, "Uncle Ding, you must hold on, I''m contacting the base right now."


    After turning on the walkie-talkie, whether due to distance or some other reason, he couldn''t get through. Li Hang looked at the pale-faced Ding Jiu, his eyes suddenly reddening.


    He and Ding Jiu''s daughter, Qingqing, were classmates, and after the apocalypse, they got together. Now seeing his future father-in-law in such a state, he felt extremely distressed.


    Li Tie, thinking how it was due to saving him that Ding Jiu got injured, felt immensely guilty.


    "Uncle Ding, please endure a bit," Li Tie said, then tore off another long strip of cloth, lifting Ding Jiu''s arm and proceeding with bandaging.


    This was only a temporary measure to stop the bleeding. Although it worked, it was just a temporary solution.


    If he didn''t receive treatment within an hour, Uncle Ding might very likely succumb to shock.


    Li Hang kept calling on the walkie-talkie, but still without any response, seeing Uncle Ding about to close his eyes again.


    Almost bursting into tears, he thought of Qingqing, unable to imagine how distraught she would be if she learned of her father''s death.


    So he said, "Uncle Ding, Qingqing is still waiting for you to come back."


    Uncle Ding suddenly opened his eyes, then looking at Li Hang said, "You''re a good kid, cough cough cough, I''ll leave Qingqing in your care from now on. With you here, I''m reassured."


    After saying that, his hand slowly dropped, about to pass out again.


    Watching this, the tears in Li Hang''s eyes almost fell; he seemed to think of something, his eyes shifting as if he had an idea, then he hastily said:


    "Uncle Ding, there''s something I haven''t had the chance to tell you, Qingqing is pregnant."


    "What???" Ding Jiu suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes widened like a donkey''s.


    Ding Jiu furiously said, "You little rascal! Good job! I''m really going to beat you to death."


    Years of nurturing his precious daughter, and to think this fool ruined it; his chest felt tight all of a sudden.


    His hands were about to strike Li Hang''s face, but seeing Li Hang''s concerned gaze, his emotions shifted and he lowered his hands.


    He hadn''t expected Li Hang to actually manage this.


    Beside them, Li Tie was also dumbfounded, wondering if this was really acceptable.


    Ding Jiu thought to himself, if his daughter Qingqing was going to have a child, wouldn''t he soon be a grandpa?


    The child was born without a Grandpa.


    Besides, he also wanted to see his own granddaughter.


    Moreover, Li Hang must not get into trouble, otherwise, his daughter and granddaughter would be without a husband and father.


    Ding Jiu pointed at Li Hang and said, "You little rascal, just you wait."


    Struggling to get up from the ground, he had to hold on, he had to get back.


    At this moment, Dapao, who was on guard on the other side, said, "They are coming!"


    Li Hang quickly got up, bending over as he walked towards that balcony.


    They saw a large group of people forming a semi-circle and slowly walking in their direction.


    At the forefront, there were about thirty people holding firearms.


    They just surrounded them without firing.


    Dapao, standing behind a wall, peeked out slightly and said to everyone, "We need to hold on, I noticed they hardly fired their guns just now, it feels like they don''t have many bullets.


    As long as we hold on, it''s already getting dark, the base will definitely send someone to look for us."


    Li Tie also said, "I also noticed earlier that they fired their guns very slowly, probably because they''re low on ammo. Xiao Hang, did you bring the night vision goggles?"


    Upon hearing this, Li Hang quickly searched the backpack he brought while running here, thankfully he had brought the backpack.


    After searching, Li Hang happily pulled out three night vision goggles from inside.


    He then handed them over to Dapao and the others.


    .....


    Below this small building, Hua Chuanlong had people search their vehicle, only finding some food and a few shovels among other trivial items.


    "Big brother, what do we do now, it''s getting dark. Just now some of the brothers behind mentioned encountering several zombies, though they were all chopped down, but now it''s late, and it''s dangerous at night."


    Upon hearing this, Hua Chuanlong''s gaze sharpened and he said, "Are you suggesting we let them go?


    They have guns! They must be from some sort of force, they must be around here, we must capture them, otherwise all my effort would have been wasted!


    Get out, and have everyone turn on the car headlights, aimed at that building."


    After hearing what big brother said, the younger brother opened his mouth, but still didn''t say anything, knowing the boss well enough that if he talked further, he would probably be in serious trouble.


    Some people around him who had come along, without firearms and holding spears, were starting to panic.


    Now, not a single grain of food had been spotted; they had run so far, many had died along the way, and it was getting late, probably dark in a few minutes.


    Being in the dark outside was no joke, if a horde of zombies came, they would all be doomed.


    In fact, some zombies were already on their way here.


    Just a moment ago, due to the sound of gunfire, it attracted around a dozen zombies nearby, but they were all disposed of.


    At this point, both hungry and thirsty, with darkness approaching, it meant danger.


    So, they started causing trouble:


    "Hua boss, we''ve followed you this far, it''s so late now, and we haven''t seen a thing."


    "Yes, exactly, on the way here we were only focusing on escaping, many of us couldn''t even keep up."


    "It''s getting dark, it''s dangerous, we should find a place to hide."


    "Yes, although they are few in number, they all have guns, and you also have guns, are we just cannon fodder then?"


    "Let''s disperse, ...."


    ....


    These kinds of voices constantly appeared beside Hua Chuanlong, one after another, growing more numerous. He was originally thinking of making an example by killing one of them.


    But seeing the situation, that was not feasible anymore.


    So, he turned to his subordinate and said, "How much food do we still have? I remember, we brought all our food here."


    The subordinate appeared confused, not knowing why the boss asked this.


    The restlessness among the civilians grew louder, Hua Chuanlong glanced at the subordinate, impatiently saying, "Speak."


    The subordinate timidly replied, "Yes, we brought it all here, it''s in the two vehicles at the back."


    Hua Chuanlong thought for a moment and said, "Bring one of the vehicles here, distribute the food to them, so they calm down."


    After hearing that, the subordinate hurriedly said, "But, these supplies aren''t even enough for our own people for a week, if we distribute them now, what will we eat?"


    Hua Chuanlong glared and said, "When we find that base, will we still lack food? We still need these people to help us, once we find that force and seize their food, will we be short of it? Hurry up."


    After hearing that, the subordinate didn''t say anything more. Since the boss had decided, with his temperament, he would certainly not listen to other ideas now, and he didn''t have a better solution either.


    Hua Chuanlong walked towards the group of civilians and said, "Brothers, I''m distributing our food. This is all I have.


    Let''s quickly deal with the people in that building, and then find out about that force, seize their food.


    Then everyone can eat to their heart''s content."


    The surroundings instantly quieted down.


    This was followed by cheers.


    "Hua boss Weiwu."


    "Hua boss is awesome."


    "Alright, give us something to eat, and we''ll follow you."


    ...


    In the crowd, Xu Yan glaringly stared at Hua Chuanlong, with a dagger in his hand, glistening slightly in the reflection of the car lights.


    However, he suddenly saw two of Hua Chuanlong''s men standing next to him and reluctantly put the dagger away.