Early morning.
In the main room, everyone sat around, with a pile of crystals heaped on the tea table.
Crystals, which were very difficult for anyone else to obtain, were gradually becoming very common consumables here at Duong Quang Complex. If it weren't for the relatively low proportion of evolved zombies among the common zombie population, crystals would have long since flooded the place.
They were all holding bowls; in the bowls was congee. In front of each person was a small condiment dish, and each had a peeled, boiled chicken egg – very delicious when dipped in soy sauce.
Such a breakfast, in the apocalypse, should be considered above the average standard.
Lam Pham drank his congee, the aftertaste endless. "Van Van's situation is actually very important. After she was bitten, her body underwent changes, and she gained telekinetic abilities. This kind of ability might be unique to her. What I'm more concerned about is that she can be immune to zombie bites and not turn into a zombie. If we can contact Professor Ha, draw her blood for research, perhaps a serum can be developed."
The speed of mutation after being bitten by a zombie was indeed very fast.
But a man's hand speed is fastest, often able to create miracles.
If there really was a serum that could give bitten people a chance to survive, it would be a kind of progress. Even more so, he thought, if it could be injected into the body to form a defensive mechanism, then even if bitten by a zombie, it would be fine. In that case, for humans fighting ordinary zombies, as long as the first bite didn't hit the neck, with the help of weapons, there would still be a very high chance of killing the zombie.
Co Hang finished his congee in one gulp, "It's just that we don't know the location of Professor Ha's base now. Wanting to find them is undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack."
Beside him, Han Suong said, "If it really doesn't work out, Lao Mao and I can drive out to look around."
As the steel beast absorbed crystal energy and underwent powerful enhancements, they had become more aggressive. Even if they encountered evolved zombies, they were not afraid in the slightest.
"If you have the guts, try to flip our vehicle, drag us out of the car, and bite us to death, let's see!"
Previously, when wandering outside, they were still extremely cautious, cowering.
Now, it was just rampaging around, striking out with heavy fists.
Old Man Vuong smiled and said, "Don't be anxious. They will still come to Duong Quang Complex. There's no need to go out searching. And right now, it's too dangerous outside. Even if you have that vehicle, you can't guarantee one hundred percent safety."
Hearing Old Man Vuong say these words.
Co Hang and the others seemed to understand, all looking towards Lam Pham in unison. In an instant, they had a sudden realization: if Professor Ha and his group came to Duong Quang Complex, they would definitely look for Lam Pham, because Lam Pham was their only hope in the apocalypse, an existence that could fight against all kinds of zombies without relying on any external force.
"Why are you looking at me?" Lam Pham held his bowl, blinked. The discussion was going well, then suddenly everyone looked at him. To be honest, he felt a little bit shy.
Co Hang smiled and said, "Everyone thinks it's really good to have you in Duong Quang Complex."
"Don't. For me, having you all is my good fortune," Lam Pham said very sincerely. He liked the current atmosphere of life. Everyone lived in the residential complex, and when they had nothing to do, they would chat, talking about some fantasies for the future, or the future development path of the residential complex.
He deeply understood that he was just an ordinary citizen. He didn't understand as much as everyone else, just had some brute strength, coordinating with Officer Hoang to clean up zombies outside.
He was very satisfied with his current life: security guard salary of five thousand, part-time at the water plant, part-time intermediary, occasionally cleaning up shop facades. As long as he worked a bit harder, a monthly income of over ten thousand was easy.
Extremely satisfied. If he could have had such a salary in peacetime, he felt he could definitely live very well, definitely be willing to buy a cup of milk tea every day.
Everyone smiled, the scene exceptionally warm. For them, being able to meet Lam Pham was true happiness. Otherwise, if it were any other survivor with such abilities, they definitely wouldn't be like this.
It wasn't that they thought of people too darkly.
But rather, any human has a desire to control, greatly enjoying having everyone obey their commands. Furthermore, with women like Ha Nha or Nhan Ni Ni, whom one could previously only "hard charge" at through a screen, now right before their eyes and needing their protection, anyone would have some ideas.
Very quickly, the meal ended.
Sister Ly cleared the bowls and chopsticks to wash the dishes.
Lam Pham stood up and said, "The weather is very good now; I should go out to work."
Vuong Khai said expectantly, "Brother Lam, are we continuing to clean up shops? It's been a long time since we did any cleaning."
His wanting to sweep shops was a pretense; he just wanted to shorten the distance with Brother Lam. Looking at the recently appeared guys, A Hai was considered his number one rival. Last night, when he and Tu Trach Duong were idly drinking two bottles of beer they bought at the small supermarket, Tu Trach Duong unintentionally mentioned that Van Kiet seemed to be a deeply hidden number one admirer, not usually apparent.
The speaker may be unintentional, but the listener takes it to heart.
It immediately made him feel a strong sense of crisis.
He really hadn't expected the competitive pressure to be so terrifying. If Brother Lam were a heavenly beautiful woman, he could understand it. But now, he just wanted to say... "You guys are real chicken thieves."
Lam Pham said, "Tomorrow."
"Alright then."
...
At this moment.
Two armored vehicles drove on a desolate road.
"Professor Ha, we are about to reach our destination."
Hung Ung reported the situation. They were now going out on a mission, which was to clear out a research institute nearest to the base, where there were things they needed.
"Any action must prioritize safety. If you encounter zombies that cannot be resisted, retreat immediately." Through the communication device, Professor Ha's voice came.
"Received."
Currently, in the two armored vehicles, Hung Ung was wearing the Cang Long battle armor, Diep Hong was still wearing the powered exoskeleton equipment, and the remaining six members were armed with firearms and shields, preparing for coordinated team combat.
This was considered their Dragon Palace Base's first mission to clear an external research institute. If they could create a clean environment, they could then use the materials and equipment there to carry out large-scale development and research.
"Nervous?" Hung Ung's mask opened, his resolute face asking with a smile.
Diep Hong said, "If I were wearing the Cang Long battle armor, I wouldn't be afraid of anyone. Even if I encountered those zombies, I could also easily deal with them."
Hung Ung smiled and said, "Don't underestimate the difficulty of piloting the Cang Long battle armor. It's not something that can be handled casually. However, the exoskeleton equipment you're wearing now is sufficient for dealing with ordinary zombies. When you encounter evolved zombies, just leave them to me."
The soldiers waiting in the vehicle looked at Hung Ung wearing the Cang Long battle armor with expressions of envy.
It was just that they all understood.
Hung Ung was considered the number one individual soldier in their place. He could unleash the strongest power of the Cang Long battle armor. When there were enough materials and crystals, they too would possess such domineering equipment.
Afterwards, Hung Ung looked at the road outside. They had already crossed the boundary line and entered the research institute's area.
"Everyone, stay sharp. The battle is about to start."
Hung Ung took a deep breath. He was the main offensive force; the other teammates just needed to coordinate with him.
Being able to easily hunt strength-type zombies gave him absolute confidence in the Cang Long battle armor. Having confidence was very important; without confidence, nothing could be done steadily.
The vehicle slowly came to a stop.
"We've arrived."
The driver of the armored vehicle observed the surroundings.
Hung Ung said, "Everyone wait in the vehicle. I'll go down first to check the situation."
After speaking, he opened the car door, stepped onto the ground, closed the car door properly, and looked at the surrounding environment. It was extremely quiet, as if no sound could be heard.
The quieter the environment, often the more dangerous.
"Ao ao!"
Instantly, a zombie from afar saw Hung Ung appear and charged over, roaring.
Looking at the clothes this zombie was wearing, one knew it was patrol personnel from this place; it even had a firearm on its body. Facing this zombie, Hung Ung couldn't even be bothered to draw the straight dao from his back.
Boom!
He threw a punch, directly smashing the zombie's head.
"It seems the number of hidden zombies might not be small."
He had the armored vehicle sound its horn.
To attract the surrounding zombies.
Beep beep!
As the horn sounded.
Whether it was Hung Ung or the people waiting in the armored vehicle, they all vigilantly watched their surroundings.
A certain number of ordinary zombies, to Hung Ung, were like chives in a field, easily cut down. He could even cut them down in such a way that the opponent had no thought of resisting.
Gradually.
Movement was heard from the surroundings, accompanied by "Ao ao" sounds. Immediately after, ferocious and terrifying zombies, dripping viscous fluids, rushed towards them from all directions.
Hung Ung dared not be careless and drew the straight dao from his back.
"You bunch, let me show you the power of humanity!"
As a zombie rushed over.
Hung Ung's footwork was agile. With one slash, he cut off the zombie's head. His combat method was very simple: deliver a fatal blow to the zombie, unlike Lam Pham's straightforward and refreshing method of directly slicing zombies in half for a fatal blow.
Piloting the Cang Long battle armor and swinging the straight dao also consumed stamina. Although technological assistance made it much easier, saving as much strength as possible was always better.
As zombie after zombie was easily slain by Hung Ung.
The people waiting in the armored vehicle exclaimed in astonished admiration.
"So strong!"
"Indeed! Although the Cang Long battle armor is very formidable, Brother Ung's individual ability is truly too strong. To become as formidable as Brother Ung, one still needs to train hard."
"I'm increasingly anticipating the future. As long as there are enough battle armors, I think we can definitely eliminate all the zombies."
They watched with great envy.
They all wanted to wear the Cang Long battle armor and fiercely show off in front of the zombies.
Not long after.
The pitch-black battle armor was dyed red; that was the glorious red of slaying zombies.
Looking at the pile of zombie corpses before him, Hung Ung was very confident, feeling an indescribable exhilaration. This was a moment since the apocalypse broke out that they could fight back against the zombies. Back then, being forced by the zombies was, for a former King of Soldiers like him, truly extremely humiliating.
But now, this kind of humiliation had been completely swept away, vanishing without a trace.
What remained was the scene of the Battle Armor King of Soldiers, Hung Ung, wielding a straight dao and slaying zombies.
"The scene is secure. You can come out," Hung Ung finished speaking.
Fully armed soldiers emerged from the armored vehicle.
They formed a formation, still vigilantly watching their surroundings.
Hung Ung looked at Diep Hong and said, "Cool, right?"
Diep Hong rolled her eyes and said speechlessly, "Even with the exoskeleton equipment, I could do it."
"Haha." Hung Ung laughed, naturally not refuting Diep Hong. After all, she was right. The exoskeleton Diep Hong wore and the straight dao in her hand were both enhanced by crystals, naturally incomparable to ordinary equipment. Perhaps slaying strength-type zombies would be a bit difficult, but slaying ordinary zombies was absolutely no problem.
"Don't laugh, be a bit more serious. We now need to secure the research institute, and we don't know what the situation inside is like."
Diep Hong's expression was extremely serious.
This research institute before them was built into a mountainside and could withstand a series of conventional weapon bombardments. The entrance was an electronic door, requiring a password or identity verification to enter.
"Open the door."
Then a soldier walked to the electronic door and began to crack the password.
And they stood guard at the entrance in battle formation. Hung Ung stood slightly forward, to respond to any unexpected situations.
With a "drip-drip" sound.
The soldier cracking the password turned his head, nodded to everyone, then directly opened the door, then rolled his body and quickly returned to the team.
The electronic door opened.
Everyone held their breath, watching the situation inside with utmost concentration.
The first thing that appeared before their eyes was a dark passageway. Occasionally, sparks sputtered from the walls. Seeing this situation, everyone instantly understood; it seemed there was no hope whatsoever.
"Ao ao!"
Zombie "ao ao" sounds came from the gloomy passageway.
Immediately after.
A zombie rushed out of the passageway, charging towards the outside, and was directly slain by Hung Ung with one slash.
"A state of extremely few numbers. No need to open fire. Just leave it to me and Diep Hong. If the numbers are large, then open fire and shoot, specifically aiming for the head," Hung Ung instructed.
"Received."
"Received?" (Translator's note: The second "Received?" seems like a questioning echo or a slight typo in the original, as it's usually a confirmation.)
Hung Ung led the way at the front, turning on his flashlight. The dark passageway became slightly brighter. The metal walls retained various bloodstains; evidently, at the moment the apocalypse broke out, an unimaginable disaster had occurred here.
As they continued to advance.
Beside them was a restroom.
A dripping sound reached their ears.
It was the sound of a faucet dripping in the restroom.
Hung Ung raised his hand, signaling everyone to prepare for defense, while he walked towards the restroom, his fingers tapping the tiled wall, making a sound.
"Ao ao!"
There was the sound of a zombie.
Hung Ung walked to the place where the "ao ao" sound came from, and without thinking, opened the door. In an instant, a zombie lunged at him. If he weren't wearing the Cang Long battle armor, he really might have been tackled to the ground. But now, he directly threw a punch, exploding the zombie's head with one blow.
"Truly disgusting toys."
Since wearing the Cang Long battle armor, Hung Ung had started to become a bit flamboyant; his contempt for zombies had reached its limit.
"Restroom secure, continue action."
Hung Ung was extremely vigilant. He wasn't worried about his own situation; wearing the Cang Long battle armor, he could avoid zombie bites. However, his teammates behind him were all flesh and blood; he had to ensure his comrades' safety. They weren't wearing battle armor.
Facing unknown dangers, they were naturally also very scared.
But even if scared, they had to do it.
They couldn't possibly let that group of experts at the base pick up weapons and fight zombies head-on.
Their hands were for research, researching things that could save society, not for picking up iron lumps to fight zombies to the death.
This kind of life-and-death struggle was better left to rough people like them.
Walking, walking.
A situation appeared ahead.
A dense crowd of zombies waited in a dark corner, swaying,陷入 (sunk into) a brief moment of tranquility. When the flashlight beam shone on their faces, their ferocious and terrifying faces could be clearly seen.
"Ao ao!"
This group of zombies sensed the movement, let out low roars, and rushed towards them.
Hung Ung and Diep Hong slew the zombies.
Accompanied by the sound of gunfire.
Some zombies were missed and rushed towards the soldiers not wearing battle armor. Opening fire to kill them was also unavoidable.
But fortunately, the soundproofing effect here was very good, and there were many sealed doors. The sound didn't spread too far, so it didn't attract all the zombies in the entire research institute.
Not long after.
"Check the surrounding situation."
"Secure."
"Secure."
"Secure."
Clearing out zombies cannot be rushed.
At the same time, Hung Ung deeply understood how important possessing the Cang Long battle armor was. If there was no battle armor, relying on firearms in hand, casualties would definitely occur.
Continuing to advance.
"Passageway secure."
...
"Laboratory secure."
...
"Materials room secure."
Before the apocalypse arrived, there were quite a few personnel in the research institute. But after the apocalypse broke out, some turned into zombies, while others fought against them. So during their cleanup process, they saw many corpses.
These corpses were not bitten to death by zombies but were suicides.
They probably felt there was no hope of survival.
They could only commit suicide to leave this terrifying hell.
At this moment.
They walked into the dining area. The environment was very chaotic, very dirty. The ground was littered with garbage and bloodstains, tables overturned. It could be said that when the apocalypse broke out, this place was definitely a severe disaster zone.
"Ao ao!"
A fat zombie wearing a chef's uniform rushed out from a corner. Hung Ung, without thinking, as it approached, directly executed a shoulder throw. Pfft, his straight dao pierced through the opponent's head.
Suddenly.
There seemed to be movement behind that iron door ahead.
Hung Ung signaled everyone to pay attention, then step by step walked towards the iron door, raised his fist, and smashed the door latch. With a bang, he directly smashed the door latch, and the moment he pushed the door open, an angry roar came. A man wearing a white coat, his expression flustered, his eyes ferocious, swung an axe towards Hung Ung's head.
If it were any other survivor, at the moment the door was pushed open, they absolutely wouldn't be able to dodge and would have had their head split open by this one axe blow.
Hung Ung grabbed the axe head, quickly checking the opponent's situation.
"There's still a living survivor."
After speaking.
He hugged this living survivor, pressing him against his metal-textured body, gently patting his back, forcefully comforting him.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we're here to save you. The zombies have all been eliminated by us; you don't need to worry."
Hardcore comfort often has miraculous effects.
Touching the ice-cold steel battle armor.
This survivor's emotions gradually stabilized, no longer as crazed as just now.
Hung Ung took the opportunity to look at the situation inside. A lot of food was piled up, and also a lot of excrement. Evidently, the other party had stayed inside for a very long time, with nowhere to escape, and all necessities had to be taken care of inside.
Such a harsh environment, for any survivor, was very terrible.
To be able to persevere until now was truly very不容易 (not easy).
After confirming the other party's mood had stabilized.
Hung Ung said, "Hello, we are from the Long Cung Base action team, here on orders to clear the research institute. What is your name?"
"My name is Hang Dat, a researcher at the institute. That day was still fine; we were all eating breakfast. Suddenly, everyone went crazy, tackling and biting others. I was extremely scared and hid in the warehouse..."
Hearing the other party say these words.
Hung Ung signaled his companions to transmit the other party's information to Long Cung Base to verify if his identity was true or not. After confirming the other party's true identity, he patted Hang Dat's shoulder and said, "Understood, but please rest assured, with us here, you're fine now. Leave the rest to us."
Hang Dat looked at Hung Ung, and also at the soldiers holding firearms standing over there, and nodded heavily. His mental state was truly on the verge of collapse. If they hadn't come, perhaps he really would have gone mad.
It was just that when he heard they still wanted to continue exploring.
Hang Dat said in panic, "Haven't you encountered it, that armless zombie with things like wings growing on its back?"
"Armless zombie?" Hung Ung was startled. He quickly had them look around. Since they came in until now, they really hadn't encountered that type of zombie, not even seeing a single evolved zombie.
Hang Dat said, "Some time ago, I felt it was quiet outside, so I thought about whether to open the door. I found a weapon for self-defense. Just as I found the weapon and was preparing to continue hiding, I saw that armless zombie with things on its back that were actually wings. It's terrifyingly ferocious, the most terrifying zombie I've ever seen."
Hung Ung frowned. This type of evolved zombie the other party mentioned made him somewhat concerned. At least until now, he had never encountered it, nor even heard that there was such a type of zombie.
"Ao ao!"
But at this very moment.
A low sound came. Following the direction of the sound, a shadow appeared on that wall. The shadow was swaying, getting closer and closer, and could appear from the gloomy corner at any moment.
"It... It's here."
Hang Dat swallowed, his finger trembling as he pointed in that direction.
...
Hoang City, a street, a restaurant, fourth floor.
"I really know I was wrong, please don't!"
A male survivor was pushed to the window, his face pale, begging the two survivors before him, hoping they could be lenient and not treat him like this.
"You fucking stole food! Don't you know the food is managed by us? The stuff you secretly ate was enough for five people!" a strong man said fiercely in anger.
A survivor said weakly, "Stealing food is his fault, but a beating should be enough; there's no need to throw him down."
"I think so too."
The strong man narrowed his eyes, "What? You want to accompany him?"
Facing such a threat, the survivors who thought of helping to plead for him shrank their heads, standing there, somewhat at a loss.
Another man opened the window, winked at the strong man. In an instant, the two directly pushed this male survivor out the window.
Thud.
A miserable scream came.
The male survivor didn't die; he fell and broke his leg, his face contorted in pain as he screamed loudly.
In his moment of pain, he thought of his situation, looked up, and was surprised to find surrounding zombies closing in on him. He was so scared his face turned even whiter. For the zombie horde, it was evident they hadn't expected such a heaven-sent delicacy of flesh and blood; this whole group of irrational zombies was somewhat dumbfounded.
As the zombies rushed over, the man let out a heart-wrenching scream. Before so many zombies, whether he could even turn into a zombie was an unknown.
In the restaurant.
The strong survivor looked at the group of survivors standing there and said, "Did you see? This is the result of not following the rules. The things he secretly ate could have been our life-saving rations. You've also seen the situation outside now; we are surrounded by zombies. Wanting to leave is impossible, let alone finding supplies to survive. The amount of food eaten each day is distributed according to rules. It might not be enough to eat your fill, but you absolutely won't starve to death."
"If there is this kind of behavior again, the outcome will be the same as his."
A threat.
Considered killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.
The surrounding survivors looked at each other, sighing in their hearts.
They knew that arbitrarily deciding someone's life or death was wrong, but now it was the apocalypse, and outside was full of zombies. This was also something that couldn't be helped.
If it were still peacetime, who could have thought that secretly eating some food would get one killed?
It was just that what was happening before their eyes now, even if it felt too fantastical, what could be done? Everyone wanted to live. Towards such actions, they could only remain silent.
It wasn't that no one thought of going out to find supplies, but the zombies all around were truly too many, so many it was a bit scary. If they wanted to go, they didn't even know how to go. Even if there were vehicles downstairs, who would be willing to take the risk first?
The team managing the supplies here had this concern.
To say not to give this group of survivors food, that was definitely unrealistic. They all lived here, there was no way out, and they had no threatening weapons in their hands. If they were really pushed, they would definitely do all sorts of things.
Even riots were possible.
But at this very moment.
The "Ao ao" sounds outside suddenly intensified, as if all the zombies had completely rioted.
The survivors waiting upstairs were somewhat scared.
Such a agitated situation, it was like that thunderstorm some time ago, when the zombies outside seemed to have completely gone mad, scaring them into thinking the zombies had discovered their hiding place and were about to break in.
Now that such a thing had happened again, for them, the kind of mental pressure was very great.
A survivor went to the window, looked out through a crack. In an instant, his pupils suddenly contracted, his mouth agape, his expression horrified, as if he had seen a ghost, dumbstruck on the spot.
"How can this be?"
As he said these four words.
The surrounding survivors were like ants on a hot pan. What on earth was it? You should just say it! This kind of behavior makes people very uncomfortable, okay?
Just as they wanted to know, those two smart survivors had already quietly run upstairs, locked the fire escape door, absolutely not intending to go down.
Their departure didn't even attract the attention of the other survivors.
Someone else mustered the courage to go to the window, not daring to do anything about it, but at least wanting to die understandingly. Even if bitten to death by a zombie, they wanted to know what kind of zombie it was, and how it got in.
"Holy shit!"
Another sound of astonished admiration.
The survivors who hadn't looked stared at the person standing by the window, all of them extremely bewildered, truly not knowing what had happened.
Outside.
Lam Pham waved Frostmourne in his hand. Silvery brilliance transformed into dazzling streaks of light, tearing apart the zombies before him. For him, cleaning up these zombies was just an act of accelerating Hoang City's radiance.
He occasionally glanced towards the buildings along the street ahead. There were survivors there. Sensing the survivors' movements, for him, this was a matter worthy of joy.
He really hadn't expected that under the siege of so many zombies, there would still be survivors.
Perhaps this was the reason why humanity could continue to be passed down, no matter what kind of disaster.
Accelerating the cleanup speed.
Whether it was ordinary zombies or evolved zombies, before him, they were always treated the same; there would absolutely be no distinction between high and low, rich or poor.
Very quickly.
The street was full of zombie corpses.
And he stood downstairs from that restaurant, looking up, then towards the entrance, which was a tightly closed rolling shutter.
Clang.
The rolling shutter was opened by someone.
A group of survivors appeared before Lam Pham. This group of survivors was extremely agitated; some already had red-rimmed eyes, some had tears streaming down their faces.
For them, what this sword-wielding man before them was doing was not simply slaying zombies, but a kind of hope for survival.
Just like common people living under the control of invaders. Although they were also surviving, that survival was too wronged, too uncomfortable, until that single spark of fire blazed up, and a group of hopeful people appeared, driving away the invaders, similarly taking over this territory. But could the two be compared?
"Hello."
Lam Pham greeted with a smile. Seeing so many survivors, he was happy, thinking that if he could introduce them to Duong Quang Complex, from Ha Nha's rental housing fund, he could earn another considerable commission.
However, this was a mixed crowd; he didn't mention the rental matter, merely greeting them friendly.
Thump!
Thump!
One after another, they knelt before Lam Pham.
"Please take us with you."
They didn't ask who Lam Pham was, didn't ask where Lam Pham came from, didn't even know Lam Pham's name. But just seeing him slay zombies, they had already decided their future path.
When the hope for survival becomes smaller and smaller, more and more invisible, people will become more abject. What clearly could have been agreed upon with just a meal, in the end, even for a baked bun, let alone agreeing to something, they might even offer their entire selves to you.
Lam Pham looked at each one of them.
They were all tortured by the apocalypse to the point of almost becoming soulless husks, about to become numb to the point of despair, unresponsive to any external stimuli.
He could see in these people's eyes that their pursuit of hope was becoming increasingly distant, as if thinking that hope might truly no longer exist. Once, they definitely thought there was, but after experiencing all sorts of things, they had completely despaired.
One cannot blame this group of helpless people for not being full of hope for the future, but rather, this hope had not given them even a sliver of a path to pursue the future.
Looking at this group of expectant eyes.
Among them were suitable people.
Some were like that Quan Hao, their mentalities changed by the harsh environment. If they didn't make some changes within the team, they would die even faster. This kind of thing was an extremely complicated emotion. Could you say that not helping an old person, not daring to jump into the water to save someone, made them bad people? One cannot think so.
"Alright."
Lam Pham said with a smile.
These two simple words made his image instantly tower in the eyes of this group of survivors. Originally, in their vision, the world before them was dark, so dark one couldn't see one's own five fingers. But Lam Pham's back radiated a soft light, a brilliance that specifically dispelled the darkness.
He looked up at the upper floor. Several survivors stood at the window. From the very first glance, he had narrowed his eyes.
"Are they very bad?" Lam Pham asked softly.
The survivors all looked up in unison.
"Yes, especially bad! Just now, someone stole food, and they threw him from upstairs!"
"And also, they killed people! Some time ago, someone was killed!"
They all spoke at once.
Lam Pham slowly said, "The environment in the apocalypse is indeed harsh. Betrayal, escape, selfishness – these are often common existences in human nature. But willfully harming others' lives is a violation. It seems I need to find Officer Hoang."
If he encountered it, he wouldn't ignore it.
He headed upstairs.
Arriving before the fire escape door, he wanted to push it open, but it was locked from the inside. He wondered if he would have to compensate for damaging property now.
"How can I have such thoughts? I am now helping Officer Hoang catch murderers. If it's confirmed, even if property is damaged, Officer Hoang will compensate."
Having thought it through, he punched through the fire escape door, reached his hand in, intending to open it.
But behind the door.
A strong man raised a dao and fiercely chopped at Lam Pham's wrist. If it were anyone else, their wrist would definitely be severed. But in the strong man's eyes, the dao in his hand actually cracked, as if it had chopped onto a steel plate.
How could this be...
Pushing the door open.
Lam Pham said, "You attacked me with a dao. It seems you are indeed a vicious person. Shouldn't be a mistaken arrest."
Then he looked towards the several figures standing there.
They were all looking on, dumbfounded.
"Come with me to a place. There might be an officer there who wants to talk to you all."
His smile was extremely gentle, but in the eyes of this group, it appeared somewhat eerie.
...
Hoang City Police Station.
Several vehicles followed behind Lam Pham, while Lam Pham held a rope, dragging several survivors to the entrance.
"Let us go!"
"Damn you, are you sick or something? Bullying people just because you're formidable?"
"Brother, let's talk nicely. We are all capable people. As long as you let us go, we are willing to follow you. That group of people you have are useless; bringing them along is just a waste of rations. Trust us, it's definitely the right choice."
Lam Pham looked at them and said, "You all, stop talking. I've seen many like you. From the early stages of the apocalypse until now, you're not the first batch I've brought here. Every single one of them says the same things as you: some threaten me, some beg me. But if begging me worked, what would be the use of Officer Hoang?"
If Officer Hoang were right there at the scene, he would absolutely give Lam Pham a big thumbs up.
Brilliant!
"Officer Hoang, where are you?" Lam Pham called towards the inside.
"Ao ao!"
The roar of a zombie came.
Dong Dong, hearing the sound, swayed out.
"Zombie..."
The survivors tied up by Lam Pham, seeing the scene before them, were thoroughly terrified.
"Dong Dong, are you alone?"
Lam Pham asked.
He had thought Officer Hoang would be around somewhere. He didn't expect it to be just Dong Dong by himself. Evidently, Officer Hoang thought Dong Dong was still young and left him at the police station to keep watch.
"Ao ao..."
Dong Dong, seeing Lam Pham, seemed to actually recognize him and didn't charge. But when he saw those survivors, he had some ideas. That was, for zombies, flesh and blood full of allure. A child's restraint was probably not as great as Officer Hoang's.
"Dong Dong, you can't bite either. These are to be handed over to Officer Hoang. You have to watch them properly, understand?" Lam Pham finished speaking.
"Ao ao!"
Dong Dong roared, as if he understood.
In their view, Lam Pham was simply a lunatic, actually talking to a zombie by himself.
The survivors following Lam Pham, waiting in the car seats, watched the current situation, their eyes wide.
They thought, what on earth was this situation?
Why would a zombie see people and not bite them? Moreover, looking at the situation, it seemed he might be very familiar with the zombie.
To be honest, they were somewhat scared, but this kind of fear was still manageable. After all, they believed Lam Pham wouldn't harm them, so they all stabilized their inner panic and watched quietly.
Of course, among this group of survivors were some young people. Having come out from under oppression, they recovered particularly quickly. Moreover, looking at this road without zombies, their moods gradually livened up.
"So cool! He can actually communicate with zombies! Did you see? The zombie seems to listen to him; it didn't even charge over!"
"Yeah, simply cool beyond words! I feel like he's our hope, the leader in the apocalypse. Anyway, I want to follow him."
"Me too."
...
Just as they were thinking.
Zombies approached from the distance.
It scared them so much they didn't dare to breathe loudly.
"Officer Hoang."
Lam Pham waved at Officer Hoang approaching from the distance, then he looked at these fellows, "That one is Officer Hoang. He will be the one to judge you all later. Don't worry too much about being misjudged. Others might, but Officer Hoang absolutely will not."
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you sick or something?"
They were somewhat collapsing; how could they have met such a character under such fine circumstances?
"Ao ao!"
Officer Hoang, as if smelling the scent of evil, who was originally limping forward, suddenly accelerated his pace, his speed increasing, directly in front of Lam Pham, tackling these fellows to the ground. Under the terrified expressions of this group, Officer Hoang sniffed the scent on their bodies, opened his mouth, and pfft, fresh blood splattered everywhere.
Lam Pham watched calmly.
Beside him, Dong Dong stared intently, as if somewhat greedy for this scent of blood.
Very quickly, Officer Hoang stood up and looked at those vehicles.
Lam Pham said, "Officer Hoang, the people in there, I've looked at them all. They are all surviving in despair, their mentalities changed by the environment. I think they still have a good future."
Officer Hoang "ao ao-ed" at Lam Pham once, turned, and walked towards the police station. At the same time, as he passed Dong Dong, he also "ao ao-ed" once, the meaning very clear: "What are you looking at? Still not coming in with me?"
"Thank you, Officer Hoang."
Lam Pham knew Officer Hoang could understand.
He waved at Officer Hoang's departing back.
...
Duong Quang Complex, vicinity.
Quan Hao, leaning on the balcony with nothing to do, drinking Fat Otaku Happy Water, suddenly his eyes lit up. He saw Lam Pham returning, and also bringing some vehicles, clearly meaning there were survivors.
Without thinking, he hurriedly ran downstairs, pulled open the rolling shutter, and stood there to welcome them.
Aiya, truly, truly envious.
They must be people who can stay inside Duong Quang Complex.
He had always been developing in the direction of a good person. Actually, thinking about it, I, Quan Hao, am not a bad person either. In peacetime, if I saw an old granny begging, I would still give ten yuan.
Truly very kind-hearted, truly very sympathetic.
It was just that the apocalypse came, and that environment caused his mood to change, not as sincere as before.
If there could be another chance.
He would absolutely stick to his original heart, absolutely would not let his mentality be changed by the surrounding environment, and would definitely face the future full of sunshine.
"Big Brother..."
Quan Hao waved from afar, revealing a sincere smile. You can see how sincere my smile is, right?