Ah, So You Wanted to Rent a Room, Huh?

Early morning.

A beam of sunlight streamed in.

Lam Pham got up, stretched his back, cracked his neck, got dressed, and washed up.

He didn't dare use tap water from the treatment plant anymore. Judging by the current trend, water would definitely become a precious resource in the future. But to Lam Pham, even if it was precious—well, he wasn't lacking any for now.

Even if he were.

Would that mean he couldn't brush his teeth or wash his face?

If you're not good-looking, then at least stay clean—that way, you'll still come across as energetic and handsome.

Of course, Lam Pham wasn't bad-looking to begin with.

He made a quick breakfast. After eating, he went downstairs to work out.

This was part of his routine.

Even if the apocalypse had arrived, he wouldn't forget to keep exercising. Otherwise, hiding at home all day long—not to mention getting bitten by zombies—he'd just end up wasting away on his own.

The residential complex was deathly quiet.

Lam Pham had always lived alone and was used to solitude, so it didn't bother him much.

After half an hour of working out...

He jogged a lap around the compound, mainly surveying the area.

There was a vacant lot inside the residential complex, and it wasn't small. If he wanted to grow vegetables, this would be the place.

However, this was public property—not privately owned.

If he wanted to plant vegetables, he'd have to notify the property owners in the complex. Even in the apocalypse, and even if most of the owners might already be dead, the process still couldn't be skipped.

"This is going to be a massive project," Lam Pham muttered to himself, hyping himself up. Even if there were many property owners, he'd notify each and every one properly.

He didn't waste time thinking.

Once he had a plan, he acted on it right away.

He strapped Frostmourne on his back—not to threaten anyone, but in case zombies showed up. After all, zombies were dangerous, and he didn't want to get bitten.

Lam Pham strolled through the complex, raising his voice, "Hello! Is anyone home? If you can hear me, please respond!"

If someone came out, that would be ideal. He could ask them to help spread the word.

"Hey! Can anyone hear me?"

"I'm Lam Pham, the property owner in Unit 704, Building 22, Second Entrance. I want to plant some vegetables in the residential compound. Anyone there?"

He shouted for a long time, but no one responded.

Roar!

As he passed by one of the buildings, he heard the roar of zombies from inside.

The sound of things breaking.

Thud, thud, thud!

Footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Crash!

Several zombies came tumbling down the stairs, landing in a heap. Then, like puppets, they sprang to their feet, their pale eyes locking onto Lam Pham.

He raised his hand and greeted them, "Hello there."

Every great day starts with a friendly greeting, after all.

Bang!

All around him, windows shattered as zombies smashed through and leapt out from higher floors.

Splat, crack!

Some broke their legs, some dislocated arms. But for zombies—who didn't feel pain—it was child's play.

There were more of them than he expected. He hadn't realized there were so many hiding in the complex.

"I'm the property owner here. I'd like to discuss something with you. If you don't make a fuss, I won't have to defend myself."

But of course, zombies weren't exactly rational beings.

They roared and charged at him like maniacs.

At that moment, Lam Pham wasn't thinking about how to survive. What he thought was: After I kill them all, I'll have to haul the bodies away again. What a hassle...

"Sigh, really—if zombies could just communicate, we might be able to coexist peacefully. Maybe even become friends."

He had no choice but to draw his sword and kill them.

Frostmourne, a hyper-realistic replica of a divine weapon, was ridiculously powerful—a cheat code in physical form.

"Come on, then."

With a single swing, the leading zombie was sliced clean in two, like tofu. Zero resistance.

Moments later...

Zombie corpses littered the ground, evidence of a fierce battle that had just taken place.

[Zombie killed][Gained +1 point][Zombie killed][Gained +1 point]

The little support system was pretty entertaining. Every zombie he killed earned him points. Just like a video game.

"Still no one?"

He continued walking through the compound, hoping to find any remaining households.

Unfortunately...

There weren't any. Just more of those unpleasant zombies.

Any time he felt personally threatened, he wouldn't hesitate to defend himself—under the protection of "the law." That law being Frostmourne—the so-called evil sword.

But in Lam Pham's hands, even an evil sword could shine with righteous light.

"I might be the only property owner left here. Given the situation, reclaiming land should only require my own approval."

Lam Pham had always avoided conflict with his fellow townsfolk.

He always consulted others before doing anything.

He walked to the back of the complex where the vacant lot lay. No one had cultivated it in ages—it was overgrown with weeds and needed a lot of work.

"Alright, let's get to it. Time to put in the effort."

He found some tools and began clearing the weeds and tilling the soil.

This was a major project, but it would be of great benefit in the future.

Time passed.

The residential compound was silent.

Only Lam Pham could be seen bending over, toiling in the soil, placing weeds into neat piles.

Even if no one else was around, he wouldn't leave a mess.

The sounds of pulling weeds.

The sounds of digging.

The sweat of honest labor.

After a long while...

Lam Pham wiped his forehead—pretending to be drenched in sweat.

Even though there wasn't any sweat, going through the motion helped him feel more immersed in the moment.

"It's noon. Time for lunch. I'll continue in the afternoon."

Just as he was about to go home...

He suddenly remembered the mother and daughter duo—and reached behind him to touch the hyper-realistic divine weapon they had given him.

He left the complex...

And went to the wet market.

The smell was overwhelming—spoiled vegetables and rotting meat stank up the air.

If any normal person walked by, they'd cover their nose and gag, "Ugh, it reeks! I feel like throwing up."

He stopped at the turtle vendor's stall. After thinking for a moment, he decided to buy it.

Considering how skinny that mother and daughter were, a nourishing meal was important.

Back at the complex...

He went upstairs.

Knocked lightly on the door.

"It's me."

He announced himself. It was dangerous outside—having someone knock unexpectedly could scare people out of their wits.

Inside, Li Mai was huddled with her daughter. Thanks to Lam Pham's supplies, life had slightly improved. Still nowhere near what it was before, but at least they could eat.

She heard the knock.

It scared her—she clutched her daughter tightly.

In the apocalypse, even a gust of wind could trigger panic, especially for a mother and child with no one to rely on. The fact they were still alive was already a miracle.

Last night, she had secretly peeked out from the balcony and seen zombies staggering along the street. She had to cover her mouth in fear—not daring to make a sound.

Now, hearing that familiar voice...

She relaxed.

It was him...

She opened the door.

There he was—the young man who had helped them. Standing at the entrance with a warm smile.

Lam Pham handed over the turtle, "I bought this at the market for you. You two didn't look too good—you need something nourishing."

He wouldn't spend on himself. Wouldn't eat well. But since they gave him such a powerful weapon, he couldn't be stingy.

Li Mai looked at the turtle, then at Lam Pham.

She couldn't figure out what logic this man operated on.

Honestly...

She found him kind of weird.

But beneath his weirdness, there was a comforting sense of reliability.

"You don't need it?" Li Mai asked.

Behind her, her daughter peered curiously at this strange, friendly uncle.

Lam Pham smiled, "Nope. I'm super strong—too much nutrition and I'll start getting nosebleeds."

As he spoke, he flexed his muscles.

Just then...

Li Mai seemed to make a big decision.

"There's something I'd like your help with, if you don't mind," she said.

She knew asking for help came with a price. No one helped for free. This young man had been generous, but she didn't want to risk annoying him by asking for too much.

She wasn't afraid of dying.

But the thought of leaving her daughter alone haunted her. Every night, she dreamt of her child's father getting torn apart by zombies, then turning into one himself, shambling off into the unknown...

"What do you need help with?" Lam Pham asked.

If it was something simple, he'd gladly help. But if it was complicated, he'd judge based on his own ability. If he could help, he would. If not, he wouldn't push himself.

"I want to bring my daughter and live with you," Li Mai said.

Lam Pham chuckled, "Ahh, you mean you want to rent a place in my neighborhood? That's doable. It's mostly older folks there—lots of rentals. Not expensive either. Just a thousand or two a month."

"If you really need it, I can ask a real estate agent for you. I know a few in the area."

At that moment...

The room fell silent.

Li Mai stared blankly at Lam Pham, completely thrown off.

They were clearly not on the same wavelength.

Are we... are we even having the same conversation?