Whenever he closed his eyes, he could also recall the scene at that time, so he now exceptionally cherished everything he currently possessed.
"Don't be nervous, and don't be afraid. From the moment you arrived here, you were already safe. What happened before will not happen again. From now on, this place is yours, and also our safest shelter."
Vuong Khai comforted their perpetually frightened hearts.
"Mm, we know. May I ask who you are..." someone asked.
Vuong Khai smiled and said, "My name is Vuong Khai, a pitiful person once saved by Brother Lam, but always full of hope for the future, and thus brought to Duong Quang Complex by Brother Lam. One day in the future, this place will be home to even more survivors."
Perhaps it was because Vuong Khai spoke with great sincerity.
This group of survivors gradually filled with hope for the future. After all, having precariously survived in the apocalypse until now, everyone had gone from being full of hope to, later on, despair. Now that hope had reappeared, there was only one thought in their hearts: absolutely do not let this kind of hope turn into despair.
"Brother Khai, hello. My name is Quan Hao, just call me Little Quan," Quan Hao greeted Vuong Khai with a smiling face.
Vuong Khai patted Quan Hao's shoulder and said, "I've heard Brother Lam mention you. You're not bad."
"Hehe, not at all, not at all. It's all Brother Lam overpraising me. I was the first person to stay here and am very familiar with the situation. I will lead them to live well," Quan Hao said.
Vuong Khai said, "Little Quan, do you know why Brother Lam didn't let you into Duong Quang Complex at the very beginning?"
Addressing him as Little Quan, he said it very familiarly, without feeling there was any problem at all.
Quan Hao said, "I know. It was because my behavior wasn't very good."
"Mm, let me ask you a question. What kind of behavior do you think paying for things in the apocalypse is?"
Vuong Khai asked, feigning profoundness.
If it were him at the very beginning, and someone mentioned this, he would absolutely exclaim, "Isn't this damn behavior crazy? Who, in an apocalyptic situation, would still think about paying?"
Later, he deeply understood.
This wasn't a behavior that had to be done, but rather a way of finding oneself again.
Quan Hao pondered. According to normal lines of thought, it was definitely crazy behavior. But the things happening before his eyes right now truly couldn't be thought of according to normal situations.
Organizing his words.
"Brother Khai, I think this kind of behavior is very normal. The apocalypse is the apocalypse, but this place isn't the apocalypse, so using money to buy things is a very normal matter," Quan Hao finished speaking, then seemed to think of something else.
"Don't look at me staying there for free, eating for free. When the world recovers peace, I will definitely give people money."
Vuong Khai's eyes widened. Well done! This thinking was absolutely standard. He had already prepared the excuses Brother Lam used to use, to make the other party completely awaken.
Now, it was evidently not needed.
"Good."
Vuong Khai patted Quan Hao's shoulder, then looked towards Lam Pham and Co Hang busy in the distance. They were enclosing the street entrance with iron railings, which could effectively block the zombies' path.
With Duong Quang Complex as the center, a very large safe zone had already been cleared out.
It was very normal for one or two zombies to appear occasionally.
But if a group of zombies appeared, it could only be said that someone had definitely lured the zombies here.
...
Hop City.
A certain area.
Vuong Tu Hien looked at the situation in the distance. There was a speed-type zombie there. This speed-type zombie's appearance was slightly different from other speed-type kin.
Its body twisted, crotch facing forward, with a mouth several meters long, covered in sharp teeth, extending along its body.
"Ge Ge Wu."
Vuong Tu Hien's red eyes lit up, greedy for the crystal in the opponent's head. "Can't beat the Tyrant, but surely I can't lose to this type of zombie, right?"
And one look was enough to know this type of character was very easy to deal with.
The intelligent zombie Vuong Tu Hien, after being ravaged by the Tyrant, knew to find softer persimmons to pinch when looking for prey. Immediately challenging prey that far exceeded his own level was ultimately a suicidal act.
He looked at the hundred zombies gathered before him and let out a roar at them.
"Ge Ge Wu!"
As if speaking to this group of zombies, "See that evolved zombie over there? Your target is it. Launch an attack for me, crush its head, take out the crystal, and bring it before me."
"Ao ao!"
"Ao ao!"
This group of zombies growled lowly. Under Vuong Tu Hien's control, they limped towards that side. This was Vuong Tu Hien's tactic: approach without alerting, then, taking advantage of surprise, viciously bite and tear, just like ants gnawing an elephant, gnawing the opponent clean.
The intelligent Vuong Tu Hien did not think such a tactic was wrong.
He watched with anticipation. As that group of zombies gradually approached, a strange smile gradually appeared on his dull face.
The speed-type zombie did not sense anything wrong with the approaching zombies.
It stood in place, swaying its head.
The zombies controlled by Vuong Tu Hien slowly surrounded the speed-type zombie. Under his manipulation, the seemingly unthreatening normal zombies suddenly opened their mouths and bit at the speed-type zombie.
Pfft!
Pfft!
The speed-type zombie reacted instantly, it seemed, roaring angrily, its four limbs suddenly flailing, flinging away the approaching zombies. Its agile, sharp-toothed flesh-mouth waved, biting and tearing. In an instant, it had torn several normal zombies to shreds.
Swish!
The speed-type zombie started to run, its speed very fast. For this group of normal zombies to want to catch up was simply a dream.
Vuong Tu Hien growled, not expecting this type of zombie to still be so difficult to deal with. In an instant, he had lost several zombies. He continuously manipulated the zombies to encircle it.
At this moment.
Vuong Tu Hien discovered that the speed-type zombie's gaze seemed to be fixed on him. Sensing this situation, his expression instantly changed.
Could it be that I've been discovered?
Impossible.
When the speed-type zombie moved its four limbs and rushed towards him, Vuong Tu Hien instantly understood that what he thought might be correct.
Without thinking, he turned tail and ran.
Damn it, met a ghost! How could I be discovered?
"Manipulate those zombies to stop it for me!" But how could the speed of normal zombies match that of a speed-type zombie? They didn't even have the qualification to eat its dust.
Vuong Tu Hien looked back, his red eyes suddenly contracting. That figure was getting closer and closer. The speed-type zombie was like a mad dog, its four limbs becoming afterimages, the several-meter-long, unsatisfactory, sharp-toothed flesh-mouth from its crotch gaping. If caught, he would absolutely be eaten clean.
His speed was still greatly outmatched by the speed-type zombie.
The distance between them had infinitely shortened.
The consequences of being caught were unimaginable.
Turn a corner, continue to flee, absolutely cannot run in a straight line.
Suddenly.
He saw an overturned tanker truck ahead, with a hole smashed in its tank. The ground around it was covered in something that looked like excrement. Without thinking, while the speed-type zombie hadn't caught up yet.
Vuong Tu Hien leaped up and jumped directly into that tank.
Splash!
Viscous yellow liquid splashed out.
Vuong Tu Hien continuously crawled into the tanker. Even if covered by viscous liquid, he was not afraid in the slightest. As a zombie, he could already ignore these things.
A sound came from outside.
Vuong Tu Hien didn't dare to move, slowly squatting down, letting the viscous liquid cover his head. As his darting eyeballs were gradually submerged, the tanker truck shook. A dark shadow appeared above the hole.
Accompanied by "Ao ao" sounds.
Vuong Tu Hien's mood was very tense. He was the zombie king, the absolute ruler of the future zombie nation; how could he die here?
Just as he thought the speed-type zombie had left.
The tank was torn open. Sunlight shone into the tank. Plop, the speed-type zombie fell into the tank. The first time, it discovered Vuong Tu Hien hiding in the viscous matter, only a pair of eyes exposed.
"Ao ao!"
The speed-type zombie roared angrily at Vuong Tu Hien.
Nowhere to run, Vuong Tu Hien stood up. Viscous liquid slid down his body; a piece of sticky white paper was even stuck to his shoulder. He similarly let out a roar at the speed-type zombie.
"Ge Ge Wu!"
Even if forced into a desperate situation, Vuong Tu Hien still didn't admit fear but roared furiously, as if fighting spiritedly for his last shred of dignity.
The speed-type zombie growled lowly, its several-meter-long flesh-mouth gaping open, viciously snapping towards Vuong Tu Hien.
Vuong Tu Hien saw that flesh-mouth and felt a kind of despair, roaring.
"Ge Ge Wu!"
The meaning was very clear; it was the final scream before death: "Stop!"
A moment later.
He didn't feel the sensation of being gnawed.
Vuong Tu Hien opened his eyes and found the speed-type zombie seemed to be inert, as if dazed. At the same time, there was a certain connection between him and the speed-type zombie; it was a feeling of control.
Vuong Tu Hien was ecstatic in his heart.
He could actually control a speed-type zombie! With a thought from him, the speed-type zombie really acted according to his thoughts.
"Ge Ge Wu!"
Vuong Tu Hien threw his head back and wailed. If he could speak, it would surely be "Hahahaha..."
Climbing out from the tank.
Vuong Tu Hien looked at the speed-type zombie, already having killing intent. It was all this damned fellow's fault for pushing him into such a desperate situation. Seeing this speed-type zombie's face, he thought of the scene just now.
Boom!
Vuong Tu Hien punched and smashed the speed-type zombie's head, took out a white crystal, opened his mouth, and greedily gnawed it down, enjoying the feeling of power brought by the crystal. His whole body felt extremely comfortable.
He wasn't afraid of not encountering other speed-type zombies. In this city of zombies, evolved zombies like this were everywhere; he could encounter them casually.
What was there to fear?
As his abilities strengthened.
His dark ambition soared. Kill all humans, control all zombies, become the sole zombie king in the zombie nation.
Thinking of this.
Vuong Tu Hien, covered head to toe in filth, threw his head back and wailed, "Ge Ge Wu..."
Even if that lump of yellow soft matter stuck to the tip of his nose fell into his mouth, it still couldn't stop his wailing.
...
At night.
In the shop.
A group of people sat around. This was Quan Hao's small supermarket.
Melon seeds were displayed before everyone, beer was placed in front of them, and a few candles were lit in the middle, illuminating the dim environment.
"Brother Hao, my experience is just like that. Everyone is the same. The place we stayed before, everyone could only eat one meal a day, but they had three. Initially, there were female survivors, but they were all harmed to death by them."
The one speaking was a young survivor, sighing.
Quan Hao said, "Understandable. It was the same for us too. For somewhat attractive female survivors, it was truly very unfriendly. If you encountered a group that could unite, it was still okay. One just feared encountering that autocratic type, who did whatever they wanted, without considering the consequences in the slightest."
"Brother Hao, you've been here for a while. Is it really very safe here?"
"Of course it's safe. This is the safest place I feel. Now that you've come here, don't let your thoughts run wild. Be good people, be united, friendly. You haven't had contact with Brother Lam, but you can also sense that the other party is different, right?"
"Mm, definitely different. We saw him kill those zombies with our own eyes, just like chopping vegetables, so easy, so simple."
"That's natural. Brother Lam is a savior in my heart. What we need to do is not think about vying for power or forming small cliques. We just need to live well, do our own things, that's fine. What Brother Khai told us earlier, do you all understand?"
"Understand clearly, it's just this using money to buy things, isn't it a bit too... that? No matter how you say it, it's still the apocalypse now."
Quan Hao gently patted the other's head, "Stupid! Haven't you truly grasped the real meaning of this situation? Using money to buy things is true, but this is actually thinking that we can live like normal. Before, when you went out to buy things, didn't you spend money? If you didn't use money, people would have long ago called the police and arrested you."
"Haha, Brother Hao is right!"
The surrounding crowd all laughed.
Quan Hao said, "See? Aren't you all laughing? Think about it, since the apocalypse broke out until now, have you chatted and laughed like this? This is a change for us. Those who could be brought back by Brother Lam are, in essence, not bad people. It's just that this damned apocalypse forced us into such a state."
Hearing these words.
Everyone fell silent, looking at each other. That's right, such heartfelt laughter, since the apocalypse broke out until now, truly hadn't happened. Such laughter often only appeared frequently in peacetime.
During this period, all they had was terror, fear, worry, just afraid that zombies would suddenly appear, or that they would be inexplicably harmed to death by others.
Someone muttered.
"I used to help students with their studies every month, although not much, just a few hundred yuan, but at that time I really felt I wasn't a bad person."
"That's right! I... I feel like I was never so cold before. In the past, if I saw three or four strong men bullying others, I would dare to stand up bravely. Even if I was beaten up badly, I wasn't scared at all. But I don't know why, at that restaurant, seeing women being dragged away and defiled, I was terrified, didn't even dare to speak, could only act like a turtle with its head pulled in."
"Me too."
"I also have this feeling; I feel like I don't even know myself anymore."
Hearing everyone say these narratives.
Quan Hao said, "I can understand everyone's situation. During this period, I have thought, our changes, our fear, our coldness, that's because we were sinking in despair. In peacetime, we dared to do so, dared to stand up, that's because we had conviction, had hope, and even more so, had countless people supporting us from behind; we believed in justice.
And now, Duong Quang Complex is our final home. Lam Pham is even more so our support.
Tomorrow, let's work together, strive hard to earn money, make our lives better and better. Just living like normal is fine."
Following Quan Hao's professional comfort, the group lifted their heads, their eyes filled with light, gradually having expectations and yearning for future life. People are very easily encouraged; brief silence is often temporary.
When a group gathers together, all beliefs and confidence will be superimposed in everyone's hearts.
Quan Hao raised his beer, "Let us toast! For tomorrow, let's do it!"
Everyone raised their beers.
"Cheers!"
"Let's do it!"
A young man said excitedly, "Oli gei!"
"Oli gei gei..." (Translator's Note: "Oli gei" is a Chinese internet slang term expressing encouragement. The second phrase seems like a playful variation.)
The group looked at each other, all laughing heartily. Heartfelt laughter can often make people's moods cheerful.
A life full of hope begins from this moment.
The past is all gone, to be completely discarded.
...
Early morning.
Lam Pham left the residential complex, preparing to continue cleaning up zombies.
Walking outside.
He saw everyone was busy, some cleaning the ground, some working together to clean shops, and some opening abandoned vehicles, organizing discarded equipment to be used for other purposes.
Lam Pham watched, his mood extremely good. He saw vigorous, enterprising spirit here. Even if they didn't enter Duong Quang Complex, what did it matter? This was the survivors' second living place.
"Big Brother, good morning," Quan Hao greeted with a smile.
Lam Pham, a smile on his face, nodded at him.
"Brother Lam, good."
"Brother Lam, good."
The survivors greeted him one after another. Each survivor felt different from yesterday; their eyes held the light of hope for the future, their expressions more relaxed.
"Everyone, good morning."
Lam Pham greeted them.
Such a familiar feeling. No... this was an even better feeling than in peacetime. In the past, when he went to work in the morning, only the breakfast shop owner would greet him. But now, everyone greeted him.
Unconsciously, the scene before his eyes had undergone an earth-shattering change.
He stood on a bustling street.
Everyone with friendly smiles on their faces, greeting each other, busy together, welcoming the arrival of a new day.
The image dissipated, returning to reality.
He looked at the scene before him. Although the number of people was still very small, he believed that before long, this place would become even more lively. Then he turned, looked towards the iron railings blocking Duong Quang Complex. Perhaps this section of railing could soon be moved elsewhere.
This place will be connected, no distinction between inside and outside, everyone interacting with each other.
During leisure, playing chess, drinking some tea, shooting the breeze, even hearing the shouts of vendors selling goods, children happily running on the streets, chasing and playing.
Duong Quang Complex rooftop.
"Old Chief, this place is gradually taking shape. I think this is the life Little Pham is pursuing. Look at him standing there, the smile on his face is so brilliant, so happy." Co Hang stood beside Old Man Vuong, the light in his eyes shining even brighter under the sunlight.
Old Man Vuong watched, savoring, "Yes, very good, very good indeed."
Co Hang said, "Old Chief, our grain reserves here are indeed plentiful, but for strategic materials like this, the more the better. I think we should collect more supplies from outside. The population coming here will increase. Maybe not even one-thousandth or one-ten-thousandth of Hoang City's former population, but as long as there are people, then we humans have hope, have the capital to fight against the apocalypse."
Old Man Vuong looked at Co Hang, "Your thinking is off, isn't it? What's called 'collecting'? It's called 'buying'. If Little Pham were here, he'd definitely correct you."
"Haha." Co Hang laughed, "Yes, yes, Old Chief is right. It's my mistake. We should buy some supplies back."
Old Man Vuong smiled kindly.
He really hadn't expected that in the apocalypse, he could still see such a scene.
He knew a principle.
When truly united, nothing in this world can defeat or crush this nation.
Whether it's natural disasters, man-made calamities, or demons and monsters, none can do it.
Because when united, everyone is full of hope for the future, not afraid of sacrifice, not afraid of dedication, only wanting the future to be even better.