Chapter 51 - 49: Seeing Through Zhong Xiaoshan

"I do!"

"Of course..."

Yu Nuo and Tian Fan hurriedly nodded, all the hopes that had risen in their hearts shattered, and in an instant, they understood that their hope of escaping alive hinged on the special officer named Qin in front of them.

"Since you want to get out, you need to strengthen your body, firm your faith, and from now on, do everything according to my instructions, understood?"

"Understood!"

Tian Fan and Yu Nuo appeared much calmer; having someone to take charge was considered a good thing for them.

"Alright, I’ve devised a plan. First, quickly recall what resources you still have at home that can be utilized..."

Qin Ya’s first task was to lead Tian Fan and Yu Nuo to collect supplies; otherwise, with Captain Liu’s family’s grain reserves, they could barely sustain four people for two or three days.

"I, I have, Brother Qin, there’s plenty of food and drink at my house, just downstairs."

"Officer Qin, there’s not much food at my place, but I have a few packs of water, all newly bought."

"Great, we’ll gather the resources together shortly!"

Qin Ya acted swiftly, and decided to start the operation under the cover of night.

...

"Are you cold sitting by the window wearing so little? Don’t catch a cold at a time like this!"

Zheng Xinyu walked up to Zhang Su with concern and placed her hand on his strong, muscular arm.

"You’ve developed calluses in just a few days, you’re really working hard."

Feeling the calluses on his skin, Zhang Su turned to smile at Zheng Xinyu. If he kept pitying himself and thought of being a showpiece at a time like this, the final outcome would indeed be tragic.

Zheng Xinyu squeezed her hand, shrugged her shoulders, and smiled, "I have no choice but to work hard, zombies don’t cherish the fair and beautiful. I definitely don’t want to be a delivery person!"

The thing Zheng Xinyu practiced the most these days was swinging the baseball bat. She practiced during training sessions and even swung it a few times in her spare moments. The weighted bat was not only her weapon but also her training equipment.

"That’s a great attitude, keep it up!"

Zhang Su was quite pleased, pinching Zheng Xinyu’s face. In the current environment, the only way to have a better chance of survival is to put up a collective fight—he didn’t need showpieces.

Zheng Xinyu nodded heavily, feeling a clear sense of growth and change. Compared to the first time she saw zombies when she was extremely terrified, she can now face them calmly. She believes that as long as there isn’t a sudden surprise attack, she can handle a head-on confrontation with a zombie.

Initially, she considered completely hiding under Zhang Su’s protection, but putting herself in his shoes, she realized that given Zhang Su’s character, he clearly knew which was more important, life or carnal pleasure.

"Hey, wasn’t there a flash of light over there just now?"

Leaning on Zhang Su’s shoulder and letting her mind wander, suddenly she pointed ahead and asked.

"That’s correct." Zhang Su pointed at Unit 1 of Building 4, saying, "That special officer rescued two people from the rooftop and they’re searching for supplies now."

Due to the distance and the walls, he couldn’t hear what was happening on the other side, but he could occasionally make a rough judgment based on the information that reached his ears.

"Ah... The two on the opposite building were rescued? Special officers undergo professional training for a long time; it’s certainly different. They adapt to the environment and start gathering supplies so quickly." Zheng Xinyu nodded in approval.

Zhang Su smiled with a raised corner of his mouth, "Special officers are definitely impressive, but we’re not bad either. As long as we’re willing, gathering the supplies from this unit isn’t that difficult—have confidence!"

"Brother Su, how long do you think we’ll be able to stay here?"

Zhong Xiaoshan also came over, having heard that people on the opposite side are gathering supplies, she asked with intention.

Zhang Su glanced downstairs; the figures of zombies had appeared between the two buildings again. After the music stopped playing in the afternoon, the horde scattered, and slowly zombies wandered over.

"The ratio of food to water is problematic. Considering the training effect, the food can only last up to ten days, but with ample water, we can stay for half a month."

"Is it that tense?"

Zheng Xinyu asked worriedly.

Zhang Su nodded: "We’re now training every day, food and water consume quickly. If you think you’ll just sleep and wait to die, you could survive for a month and a half with no problem. But what happens in the end? You’d just die..."

With increased training intensity, the food intake for Zhang Su and the two others had significantly increased, exceeding their normal consumption levels. Compared with a low-consumption state, what they’re eating now in a day could last them three to four days if they were being frugal.

"Right, if there was hope for rescue, we could endure, but now it’s clearly..." Zhong Xiaoshan shook her head dejectedly, "Clearly hopeless."

"If you have any comments on my plan, feel free to voice them. I’m also worried about potential oversights. We’re working together, and our only goal is to survive!"

Zhang Su patted both of their arms at the same time.

Zheng Xinyu raised her hand repeatedly, saying, "Brother Su, I think... since we have so much water, can’t we put aside a little for personal hygiene? Hehe."

Upon hearing Zheng Xinyu’s suggestion, Zhong Xiaoshan quickly agreed, "Yeah, Brother Su, we haven’t, well, haven’t showered for several days, you know, it’s easy to develop bacterial infections in those areas for women..."

"Ahem! That is indeed a problem. Well then, I’ll specially approve each of you half a liter bottle of water today—is that enough?"

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Zhang Su considered the gender differences. For men, hygiene was manageable but for women, it’s a bit more troublesome, but it couldn’t be ignored. Any real issues that arise would be difficult to deal with in these times.

"Yes, that’s enough!"

"Enough, hehe, thank you Brother Su!"

The two women were overjoyed upon receiving approval. Zheng Xinyu even gave Zhang Su a kiss on the cheek before pulling Zhong Xiaoshan away with her.

Zhang Su touched his slightly moist cheek and sighed with a smile: "Even amidst hardships, we must find joy, otherwise what’s the point of surviving..."

Surviving is essential, but life can’t just be about merely surviving. When you’re alive, try to make yourself happier; you can endure hardships, but don’t seek them out willingly. Living in constant fear of the future will rob you of the precious present.

After quietly watching the opposite side for a moment, Zhang Su stopped paying attention to the actions of the special officer and the others, tidied up a bit, and lay on the bed.

In the pitch-black night, time slowly passed. After an unknown period of time, a cool breeze suddenly snuck under the blanket, followed by a soft warmth pressing against him.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Su’s brow twitched; today’s sensation clearly differed from before. Surprised, he turned and said, "Why is it you!?"

His question carried a tone of astonishment.

Zhong Xiaoshan’s heart pounded loudly, her face became invisibly flushed in the dark, and she meekly said, "Brother Su, I—I came to warm the bed for you, please don’t despise me..."

The soft voice carried a pleading tone.

Zhang Su understood Zhong Xiaoshan’s motive for doing this; a sudden disaster and the struggle for survival make solitary survival chances slim. In order to survive, she had no choice but to bind herself to him, and the ways to establish a firm relationship were limited.

"Is it because you think warming the bed means I’ll do all in my power to protect your life?"

Zhang Su rested on his arm, using the faint light to look at the woman close to him.

Since accepting Zhong Xiaoshan into the team, he had thought about possessing this woman with a good temperament and figure; his protection wouldn’t come cheap. He just hadn’t expected she would offer herself before he could speak out.

Zhong Xiaoshan’s body stiffened at Zhang Su’s question. She awkwardly smiled and said, "I—I just hope Brother Su doesn’t abandon me within his capabilities... I will do my best, I won’t be a burden!"

To survive, a fragile woman can become strong.

Looking at the labels above Zhong Xiaoshan’s head, such as [decisive], [exacting revenge], [mistress], Zhang Su secretly shook his head, thinking: Being a mistress is truly your destiny...

The timing might not be right, but in a tight-knit environment, without breaking the last layer of window paper between men and women, things will always be awkwardly tense.

Zhong Xiaoshan thought he was hesitating when he didn’t respond, she murmured, "I... I talked it over with Sister Xinyu, she said it’s fine as long as you’re willing."

??

Zhang Su blurted, "When did you both discuss these things?"

He was quite surprised; he clearly hadn’t heard them talk about it, making him suspect Zhong Xiaoshan was lying!