《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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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(£þ¥Ø£þo££)


    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¡ª20 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¡ªa 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.¦Çet 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¡ªthis 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¡æ.


    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¡ªa 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªthis 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¡ªafter 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¡ªthe 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§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªit''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¨¹e, 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¨¹e instantly broke down, yelling towards the front: "Dad! I''m Xiaol¨¹e, 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¨¹e, 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¨¹e 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¡ªthey 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.¦Çet 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¨¹, 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¨¹ 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¡ªthese 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¡ªit 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¡ªbad 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¨¹ 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¡ªjust 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¡ªthe 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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§× ¦Çov§×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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªit 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¡ªsome 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¡ªshe 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¡ªthey 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¡ªtwo 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¡ªif you don''t provoke others, why would they bother you?


    He told the teachers, and they said¡ªyou 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¡ªwe 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¡ªcold-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¡ªout 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.¦Çet 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¡ªtonight, 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¡ªLi 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¡ªthe 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¡ªsomeone 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¡ªsometimes 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.¦Çet 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¡ªpractice 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.¦Çet 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¡ªhow 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.¦Çet 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¡ªhe 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.¦Çet 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¡ªa 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¡ªMurphy''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¡ªno 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¡ª


    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¡ªthe 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 ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Downstairs, the loudspeaker¡ªwhether because of damage caused by the zombies or because it broke when Yang Tianlong threw something at it¡ªstopped 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¡ªit 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¡ªbesides 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¡ª


    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¡ªsaving 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¡ªyou 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¡ªgoing 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¡ªa 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ª


    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 ¦Çov§×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¡ªI''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¡ªany 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¡ªLi 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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§× ¦Çov§×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¡ªthough 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¡ªthey 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¡ªa man and a woman¡ªhe 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªthe 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ª


    How could a human body squeeze through a dog''s hole?


    I can only hope,


    For the day¡ª


    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¡ªthe 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¡ªum," 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªtoo 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 ¡ª 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 ¡ª 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§× ¦Çov§×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§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªsuddenly, 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¡ªsince Li Yu and the others had vehicles capable of carrying a lot¡ªthey 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¡ªnot 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªthank 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¡ªfive 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¡ªno 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¡ªpeople''s natures hadn''t deteriorated too much¡ªbut 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¡ªthe 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¡ªhis 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 ¦Çov§×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¡ªa 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 ¦Çov§×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¡ªbut 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¡ªafter 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the post-apocalyptic world, celebrations were simple¡ªadding 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¡ªif 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¡ªa world that preys on humans¡ªthus 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªit 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªbecause it was facing away from Li Yu, and from the back, he couldn''t see the front¡ª


    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¡ªit 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¡ªlong 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¡ªif he wasn''t lying¡ªthis 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¡ªa 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¡ªit 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¡ªwhether 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¡ªlike 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¡ªLi 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.¦Çet 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¡ªthe 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¡ªan 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.¦Çet 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 ¦Çov§×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¡ªthat''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¡ªtending 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªmelon 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¡ªlong 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¡ªso 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¡ªall 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¡ªan 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¡ªquite 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.


    ......¡­


    Here''s a book recommendation from a fellow author; it''s a very good read, and for those interested, you can check it out.


    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.¦Çet 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§× ¦Çov§×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¡ªsix 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¡ªthat''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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªthis 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.¦Çet 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¡ªhitting 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 ¡ª not as much as before ¡ª 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªsome holding pans, others shirtless, some washing their hair¡ªall 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¡ª 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 ¦Çov§×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.¦Çet 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¡ªhidden 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¡ªthe 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªthese 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¡ªit 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¡ªthese 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¡ªit 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¡ªafter 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¡ªthey 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¡ªit 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¡ªit''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¡ªminimum 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¡ªit''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¡ªin 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªrage, 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¡ªnumb, 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¡ªshe 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¡ªif 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¡ªmaybe 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.¦Çet 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¡ªthere 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªa total of eight people¡ªin 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.¦Çet 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 ¦Çov§×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¡ªDirector 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 ¦Çov§×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¡ªvery 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 ¡ª 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 ¡ª 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¡ªthe 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¡ªwhat 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¡ª 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¡ªthese 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¡ª 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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¡ªwhile spacious¡ªwas 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¡ª S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet 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¡ªa 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¡ªno 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¡ªsweep 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¡ªwhere zombies were encountered¡ªthey 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¡ªthey 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¡ªbesides, 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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 ¡ª natural disasters, Zombie Tide, various accidents, not enough food, prone to collapse.


    Too few people ¡ª 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¡ªalthough 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªif 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¡ªeverything 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¡ªthere 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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.¦Çet 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªthey 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¡ªif 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¡ãC. 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.¦Çet 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¡ªover 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.¦Çet 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¡ªthat 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.¦Çet 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 ¡ª 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¡ªan 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¡ªsimply 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.¦Çet 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 ¦Çov§×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¡ªat 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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 ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet 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¡ªthey 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¡ªshould 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.