Heading to the Sunlight Residential Orbit

"Help me! Help me...!"

Tran Phi reached out, clutching the second floor railing from afar. He saw a few figures sneakily peeking over, watching him from the shadows. Drowning in despair, he could only hope that, as fellow survivors, they would lend a helping hand.

But...

The ground trembled.

A gigantic zombie approached him. Gazing upon its hideous form, Tran Phi felt a fear he could not put into words.

The giant zombie grabbed Tran Phi, yanked open its gaping, blood-stained maw, and bit into his neck. A chunk of flesh was ripped from his body as it savagely tore off his limbs. Blood splattered everywhere.

"Aaaargh!"

A bloodcurdling scream erupted.

As the monstrous zombie tore him apart, Tran Phi's heart-wrenching screams echoed throughout the street.

Some survivors in hiding trembled as they heard the chilling cries. The commotion outside was beyond terrifying.

Hiding on the second floor—

Tu Zhai Duong muttered, "What kind of monster is that? That's no ordinary zombie."

Lao Mao added, "Did you see how strange those zombies look? Maybe they've evolved."

The short-haired girl whispered, "Keep it down. Don't make any noise. If we're discovered, we won't be able to escape."

They had just watched Tran Phi get ripped apart by that monstrous zombie.

What frightened them even more was the creature's raw strength. With just a flick of its hand, it lifted an entire car blocking its path. Even if one was hiding inside, they'd be doomed.

Slowly...

As Tran Phi's flesh was scattered across the street, things quieted down.

The giant zombie roared viciously, as if claiming its territory.

Then it turned and left.

"This kind of zombie... it's like it has intelligence. It's different from the others. The surrounding zombies follow it. If that's really the case, it's terrible news for the rest of us," said Tu Zhai Duong, his cap trembling on his head.

Song Thien, the short-haired girl, frowned. "Maybe some condition caused the creation of this zombie. Its size and strength are off the charts. Normal vehicles can't stop it. If we run into it, we're finished. This apocalypse is far more dangerous than we imagined. If we ever see one of those again, we can only hide."

Lao Mao sighed, "This damn apocalypse... it's determined to push people to the brink. If zombies can truly evolve, and we don't have powerful weapons, then we're nothing but rats, hiding and running, constantly on edge. Worse still, we can't even trust other survivors. It's hell. Absolute hell."

Hearing Lao Mao's words, everyone fell silent.

He was right.

Surviving was hard. Zombies were terrifying—but other people could be even worse.

In this environment, meeting another survivor should have been a relief, a sign of hope. But now, human hearts could be more horrifying than the undead.

—

Nighttime.

Lam Pham lay on his bed, staring at the interface in front of him.

The assistant system had appeared.

It gave him power—he could earn points by killing zombies, and use those points to upgrade his stats.

It was kind of fun, a rare source of enjoyment in this post-apocalyptic world.

"Add points… more strength, more stamina, more speed…"

Lam Pham smiled as he tapped around the interface.

[Name]: Lam Pham[Strength]: 80 (Maxed)[Stamina]: 45 (Superhuman)[Speed]: 40 (Superhuman)[Points]: 0

As he added points, his body felt slightly different—like it had been sublimated, improved in every way.

Hmm… he probably could punch a buffalo to death with one hit now.

He tilted his head, glanced out into the dark night, hugged his little bear plushie, and drifted into a sweet dream.

In that dream, he saw Huang City restored to its former bustling glory.

Everyone was kind and respectful.

After bumping into each other, people would apologize politely.

"Sorry, didn't mean to bump into you."

When they saw an elderly person carrying something heavy—

"Let me help you."

They stopped petty thieves.

"Hey, stop! What are you doing?"

They donated what little they had to help sick children in need.

Even if they didn't have much, they'd still offer 20 yuan to help cover a hospital bill.

When a child fell into a river, people jumped in without hesitation.

When a child was dangling from a balcony, someone would risk their own life to catch them—even if it meant injury or worse—because that child was the future of their nation.

All of these images were filled with hope.

As long as there was hope, nothing was impossible to overcome.

And now...

Hope had only been covered by the darkness. It would return. One day, everything would shine again, banishing the shadows and embracing the light.

—

Morning.

A ray of golden sunlight quietly slipped into the room.

Lam Pham yawned and got up. He walked over to the water dispenser, poured himself a cup, and gulped it down. Drinking water in the morning helped cleanse the body—it was healthy.

Still holding the cup, he washed his face.

Yes, it was the apocalypse.

But brushing your teeth and washing your face should still be part of your routine. Tidying yourself up made you feel better—and look better too.

Boiled eggs and milk.

That was his breakfast for the day.

In the apocalypse, this kind of lifestyle was already quite a luxury.

He opened the door, went up to the sixth floor, and knocked on the doors of the elderly folks. They were usually early risers, and breakfast was simple but nutritious.

On the eighth floor, Ly Mai had already woken Phi Phi up, served her breakfast, and helped her pack her schoolbooks—today she was going to study with Granny Luong.

Still rubbing her eyes, Phi Phi grumbled.

She couldn't believe that even during the apocalypse, she had to wake up early and go to class. She never imagined things would turn out like this.

So scary.

To Lam Pham, though, this was what life was meant to be. People, interactions, responsibilities—these were what made it real.

Room 603.

Phi Phi walked in, politely greeted Granny Luong, then took out her books.

Seeing a child willing to learn again made Granny Luong's mood improve greatly. The end of the world didn't have to mean giving up.

"Granny, can we study English today?" Phi Phi asked—English was her best subject and she found it easy.

Granny Luong smiled kindly. "Child, English is useless now. Let's study physics, math, chemistry, history, and geography. That's real knowledge."

"Okay…" Phi Phi sighed. One-on-one lessons were intense—the teacher's attention was always locked onto her. There was no escape.

—

Downstairs, in the peaceful compound.

Lam Pham stretched his arms wide and breathed in the fresh morning air.

"Thirty minutes of exercise every morning keeps you strong. Let's train together."

Bit by bit…

He'd lived in this compound long enough to know the equipment well. After a good workout, he always felt refreshed.

The three elderly residents and Ly Mai saw him working out.

Without overthinking it, they joined in.

Living here made them feel safe—as if the apocalypse didn't exist outside.

If any other survivor saw this scene—

They'd be shocked.

Did these people even take the apocalypse seriously?

Show some respect for the end of the world!

But to the elderly, exercise was vital for maintaining health and happiness. It extended their lives and lifted their spirits.

Ly Mai, once tormented by fear, now finally had a chance to relax. As she touched the workout equipment, she felt almost like it wasn't real.

But it was.

It truly was.

She looked around, up at the sky—so peaceful, so normal. Everything felt just like before the apocalypse.

Tears welled in her eyes.

She wiped them away quickly, not wanting the others to see.

After the workout, Lam Pham led everyone through the compound. They reached a patch of land that needed cultivation.

"I'm planning to grow some vegetables here. I've already spoken to the property managers—they agreed to let us farm this land," Lam Pham said with a smile.

It was a simple sentence, but to others, it might've sounded... a bit strange.

Ly Mai also wanted to help.

She was deeply grateful to Lam Pham for giving her a life like this, so she stepped forward.

"My hometown is in the countryside. I've been learning to farm since I was young. I can take care of this," Ly Mai said.

"Sister Ly, can you manage this all by yourself?" Lam Pham asked, a little embarrassed. He could sense that she was trying to repay him, but it really wasn't necessary. Helping her was natural—it was the right thing to do.

Ly Mai smiled. "It's fine. I know what I'm doing. Growing vegetables may look easy, but there's a bit of a science to it."

Lam Pham nodded, understanding. Some things couldn't be forced. Otherwise, it might become a burden to others.

The tools were already there.

Ly Mai grabbed them and started weeding and tilling the soil—smooth and practiced movements. Lam Pham was impressed. Compared to his own clumsy attempts, she was clearly a pro.

"Sister Ly, thank you for the hard work," Lam Pham said.

She smiled. "It's the least I can do."

Though part of her still found Lam Pham's kindness a bit strange, the more she thought about it, the more natural and warm it felt. He was just... good.

Back when the apocalypse began, she thought the world had lost its morality, its hope.

But now, that hope was burning once more.

All thanks to Lam Pham.

"I may be an old woman, but I can still help out," said Tu Que Phan, joining the team. While Ly Mai tilled the soil, she collected and organized the weeds.

These elderly folks had lived through hard times. Even in their old age, they worked harder than many young people.

This life—this moment—filled Lam Pham with hope for the future.

He believed Huang City would one day rise again.

He wasn't alone anymore.

They were here too.

Life was like that—starting with one person, growing to many.

Boom!

Boom!

Suddenly, loud noises came from the compound's front gate.

Everyone tensed—except for Lam Pham. That kind of sound could only mean zombies.

"Don't be afraid. I'll go take a look."

Lam Pham comforted them, then turned and walked toward the gate.

Wang and Chu, two elderly men, followed behind.

They held mops as makeshift weapons.

If danger came—

They were ready to fight.

Even if it broke their backs—

They would still…