Clearing the Area

At the gate of the residential complex.

The iron gate was locked, keeping the zombies out.

Since he was the only one living in the complex now, Lin Pham didn't usually want to lock the gate. There were not only zombies outside but also survivors. What if someone came back and couldn't get in?

A zombie slapped against the iron gate, its body sluggishly crashing into it with dull thuds.

Lin Pham looked through the gate. Judging by the rotten, disfigured face, he tried to recognize who it had been in life, but it was difficult—almost impossible.

"Are you lost?" Lin Pham asked softly from behind the gate. Then he pointed elsewhere, "Maybe you should try looking over there. This is the Duong Quang residential complex. I don't know you. You're probably not from our neighborhood."

The zombie stood there, dazed and clumsy in its movements. It wasn't trying to hide its presence—it almost seemed like it was trying to communicate. But the moment Lin Pham appeared and spoke, it grew agitated.

It shrieked violently. Its face twisted into a grotesque snarl, arms reaching between the bars of the gate, clawing at the air. The sight of a living human stirred an overwhelming hunger.

BANG! BANG!

The zombie slammed against the gate with increasing force, each impact louder and more desperate.

"Sigh."

Lin Pham let out a deep sigh. Why was it that once people turned into zombies, they lost all friendliness? Why did he always have to defend himself in the end?

This one hadn't hurt him—yet.

Maybe it just wanted to play.

After thinking it over, Lin Pham picked up Frostmourne and opened the iron gate. He wanted to give it a chance. Perhaps even zombies had their own logic for survival. No one had the right to strip others of their freedom to live—unless they harmed others. Then they were in the wrong.

As the gate opened, the zombie lunged at him.

Squelch!

One swift swing of the sword—its head fell to the ground.

[Zombie killed]

[Points earned +1]

He remembered the garbage bins inside the complex hadn't been cleared, and there were still zombie corpses lying around. The environment was terrible. He hadn't cared before.

But now, there were elderly people and children. Especially for children, constantly seeing bloody scenes would surely have a negative psychological impact.

In the past, the government had issued protective policies—prohibiting graphic violence and bloodshed in media. But the results were poor. Many games, videos, and websites still flooded with gore and shocking imagery.

He couldn't control the internet. But he could manage his surroundings.

"Elders, there are still zombie corpses in the complex. Leaving them too long isn't good. I'm going to move them to the landfill nearby. It's not far. While I'm gone, lock the doors tightly. I'll be back soon," Lin Pham instructed before getting to work.

The two old men wanted to help, but he refused. It was physical labor, and they should rest instead.

Soon, the front of the complex was piled with trash bins. Some of the corpses had been dead for days and gave off a horrendous stench. The smell was overwhelming.

But he thought of the sanitation workers who dealt with this every day. If they could endure it, surely he could, too—just once.

"Elders, lock the door well. There are a lot of bad people out there now. Don't open it carelessly."

With that, he pushed the trash bins toward the dump.

"Brother Wang, when Pham isn't around, do you think he always acts like this?" Chu Ai Quan asked. He was just curious, not trying to imply anything.

"Like this? Of course. Don't overthink it. That kid is polite, kind, respects elders, loves children. He even told us not to wander around. He grows his own vegetables to reduce living costs. What more do you want?" Wang Zhongguo replied, eyeing his younger companion disapprovingly.

"But it just feels off, somehow."

"You've read too many books. If I had a granddaughter, I'd introduce her to him immediately."

Chu Ai Quan said nothing more. Maybe he really had read too much and confused himself.

"You're right, brother."

Old Wang looked at the iron gate. "This gate's not great. It draws too much attention from zombies. I'm going to find something to reinforce it."

"Check the security room for the camera system. If it's broken, fix it. If not, link it to my room. I used to enjoy monitoring the enemy in my younger days. We're being protected by that young man—we should do our part, too. Can't just eat, sleep, and be lazy like it's peacetime."

"Understood."

On the street.

Lin Pham pushed the trash bins, linking them one by one into a long line. It wasn't long before he reached the landfill. It hadn't been cleaned in ages, and the stench was suffocating.

Holding his breath, he dumped the contents into the pit. Then he washed the bins thoroughly with a nearby hose. Dirty water gushed out, thick and murky—disgusting to look at.

He had grand ideals. He wanted to clean up not just the complex but also the nearby shops. Everything was filthy and chaotic. Now that he didn't have a job, why not?

He could help tidy up the stores for a 50-yuan service fee each. Not a bad deal.

Of course, that depended on whether the shop owners agreed.

If they did...

He would ask.

For now, with everything cleaned, he smiled. Hardworking people feel happy looking at the results of their labor.

Pushing the now spotless bins, he glanced around. No sanitation workers in sight. The ground was littered with trash.

On his way back—

Suddenly, a soda can landed in front of him with a crisp clatter.

From above came mocking laughter.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Lin Pham looked up. It was the old Khau supermarket—a large, two-story store, but people called it a "supermarket" because it was so well-stocked.

On the rooftop were four young men, looking around 18 or 19. They looked healthy, energetic—not at all worn down by the apocalypse.

"I'm dumping trash from the residential area. The bins were full. Why?" Lin Pham asked politely.

Seeing other survivors lifted his mood.

"Damn, did you hear that? This guy's actually taking out the trash! What a weirdo. In the apocalypse, he's made a whole new profession!" laughed one of them—a guy with dyed yellow hair.

Since the apocalypse began, the four of them had taken over the Khau supermarket.

They had food, drinks, everything. Even entertainment—watching survivors run from zombies had become a pastime.

"Taking out the trash is normal, isn't it?" Lin Pham replied. "Do you guys need help? Just let me know."

Yellow Hair smoked, sneering silently. Another bald guy grinned, "Are you stupid or something? We've got food, shelter, and comfy beds, and you're asking if we need help? You must be brain-damaged."

"You believe I can't shout once and get the zombies to chase you?"

They had everything—except fun. Four guys cooped up together, day after day—it was boring. If only there were girls...

Unfortunately, they hadn't seen even one.

And the one time they did, she got eaten before they could make a move.

"Oh well…"

Lin Pham waved them off and turned to leave. If there was nothing to talk about, no need to linger.

Seeing him walk away, the four exchanged glances. They were so bored—they wanted to see someone get chased by zombies. They knew how fast and strong zombies could be.

But they were on the rooftop. No way a zombie could climb up.

Just as Lin Pham was about to turn the corner—

SCREEEEECH!

Mocking cries echoed behind him.

The four survivors cupped their hands around their mouths, shouting like megaphones, trying to lure zombies in—just to watch Lin Pham run in panic.

Hearing them, Lin Pham shook his head.

How sad.

That survivors would do such things.

Sure enough, the noise attracted zombies.

But even as Lin Pham's figure faded into the distance, not a single zombie appeared.

"Damn! Don't tell me there are no zombies around?"

"No way… There should be tons of them."

"Where the hell are they?"

"Wait—look! One's coming!"

Yellow Hair pointed. A single zombie appeared at the gate. He felt disappointed—why so late?

It looked confused by the noise, glancing around. But once it saw fresh humans on the rooftop, it let out a shriek and rushed the gate.

"Haha! What a dumb zombie! Is that it?"

"You'll be smashing that gate till next year and still won't get in."

Bored out of their minds, the four picked up a flowerpot and aimed it at the zombie's head—ready to smash it in for laughs.

CLANG!

It hit the zombie, but the effect was minimal. Just some mild entertainment.

But the act drove the zombie mad.

Then—

From where it came, more than a dozen zombies suddenly burst into view, charging wildly at the gate, pounding with fury.

"Damn! That's a lot of them!"

"No worries. More or less, same ending."

The four young men weren't scared. They leaned back, drinking beer, watching below. If it got boring, they'd take a nap. Without anyone else around, the zombies would eventually wander off.

To them—

An apocalypse was better than peace.

Peace had its perks.

But in the apocalypse, you could do whatever you wanted—and that was what they loved.

"Wait… what's with that zombie? Why is it so tall? And muscular? That's no regular zombie. Shit, it's coming our way. Don't tell me it's gonna break through our gate?"

"No way. Relax."

"That's right, it's just a few zombies. Just because it's a bit bulky doesn't mean it can do whatever it wants. I don't buy it."

Roar!

The gigantic zombie let out a deafening roar and charged forward with unstoppable momentum, sending the smaller zombies flying in all directions. Boom! The sound echoed like an earthquake as the rolling gate collapsed instantly.

Little Yellow Hair: . . .

Little Baldie: . . .

Little Blue Hair: . . .

Little Green Hair: . . .