(1) Do you deserve our trust? (1)

Duong Quang Residential Area.

"Has such a large area been cleared already?"

Co Hang looked at the map Lam Pham took out. Those circled areas represented the cleared zones. He knew Lam Pham had always been going out to clear zombies.

He had never inquired about it.

Now, seeing the marked points on the map, he was truly shocked.

"That's right."

For Lam Pham, watching the cleared area expand every day, that feeling of satisfaction – don't even mention it, it was just incredibly comfortable, wasn't it?

Co Hang fell silent, then quietly looked at Lam Pham.

"You really intend to clear all the zombies in Hoang City."

"Of course, I said so before."

"It must be very tiring."

"Not at all, it's just like going to work. Clock in on time, clock out on time. As a former wage slave, I got used to it long ago."

Co Hang: ...

Alright, that reason was indeed plausible.

At this moment.

Lam Pham's ears twitched slightly; he heard the sound of the satellite phone.

"Brother Hang, I have something to do."

After speaking, he took the map and returned home.

The satellite phone placed there was ringing.

Connected.

"Hey, hello."

A friendly greeting; that's how phone calls go.

"Success!"

Professor Ha's excited voice came from the other end of the phone. This was a success for humanity in fighting the apocalypse. Although this success was still a long way from true victory, distances often shrink slowly.

"It's good that it's a success. I knew Professor Ha was capable," Lam Pham said joyfully from the bottom of his heart.

Professor Ha told Lam Pham about the research situation bit by bit. The professional jargon in it made Lam Pham feel extremely lost, like listening to a Book from Heaven.

However, Lam Pham still maintained his composure, pretending he could understand, and even that he understood the principles clearly.

Whether he understood or not wasn't important; being able to feel the joy this matter brought was very important.

Professor Ha thanked him from the bottom of his heart: "Thank you for your assistance. If it weren't for your help, with just our own abilities, we would just be headless flies, running around aimlessly."

"You're too kind. So, when can this antibody serum be produced?" Lam Pham asked.

Professor Ha said in a deep voice, "Production is somewhat difficult. Our base doesn't have a serum production line yet. I'm thinking of clearing out a pharmaceutical factory and setting up a production line."

"Professor Ha, have you considered doing it in Hoang City? I know a pharmaceutical factory, Dang Hoang Pharmaceutical Enterprise, which is very suitable. Moreover, it has an underground research base. Some time ago, I encountered people there who belonged to a foreign power. I sent them to the police station. That place is now unused and can be used to produce serum."

Lam Pham was still quite concerned about Dang Hoang Pharmaceutical Enterprise. That group of foreign hostile forces had actually hidden in Hoang City, continuously luring survivors and using those pitiful survivors as experimental subjects.

Fortunately, he discovered it early; otherwise, who knows how many people would have suffered?

"Dang Hoang Pharmaceutical Enterprise? An underground research base?" Professor Ha was extremely surprised, not expecting such a thing to be hidden in Hoang City. "Good, that's really great! This way, the serum can be mass-produced."

He agreed without a second thought.

Hoang City was safe.

With Lam Pham there, what danger could there be? Even if danger was encountered, it could be resolved immediately.

"Alright, then I'll be waiting for you in Hoang City," Lam Pham replied.

The call ended.

Lam Pham put away the satellite phone, his heart stirred. He felt Professor Ha was truly formidable. As long as they found the right path, he believed that trusting experts would absolutely not be wrong.

With an excited heart, he went downstairs.

He told Co Hang the news. Co Hang, upon learning the serum had been developed, was also visibly excited. For anyone, as long as they weren't with zombies, who wouldn't be excited, who wouldn't be stirred?

Pushing aside the clouds and mists to see the sun.

Co Hang clenched his fists tightly and said, "Tieu Pham, just as I said, when there's a breakthrough, then all problems will be easily solved. Without zombie intrusion, as long as humanity has a safe living environment, they can slowly live and thrive."

Hearing these words, Lam Pham merely smiled faintly. Some things weren't that simple. Brother Hang was a soldier; he should understand even better the special circumstances of zombies in the apocalypse. It wasn't just a simple virus causing it.

Indeed, who could maintain their composure in such an environment? Brother Hang's mentality was more stable than anyone else's, but similarly, he was somewhat breathless from the pressure of the apocalypse, thus hoping to end the apocalypse soon and live an ordinary life.

"Yes, I believe that day will come soon," Lam Pham said softly.

Co Hang also smiled. Perhaps since the outbreak of the apocalypse until now, this was one of the few, and best, pieces of good news he had heard.

At this moment.

Lam Pham was bustling about near the shops, greeting the surrounding survivors, nodding amicably. Over by the iron fence, Quan Hao sat there, registering several survivors. Lam Pham quietly walked over.

He then heard Duong Thanh giving an orientation to the newly arrived survivors.

"See? You still don't believe me. Am I that kind of Heavenly Fiend Lone Star? I felt you guys were suitable, so I secretly brought you here. Now those guys see me like they've seen a ghost, but they don't know you're already safe. From now on, you can live a happy and fulfilling life."

Duong Thanh had become famous among the survivors on the deck of the May Man Hao.

Most survivors knew there was a ruthless character named Duong Thanh; anyone who went out with him would die. There had been no exceptions from the beginning. Many people avoided him like the plague; even if they starved to death, they wouldn't go out with Duong Thanh.

This time, four survivors had returned with Duong Thanh, three men and one woman, looking extremely wretched, their faces weary, exuding a beggar-like aura.

Seeing the surrounding situation, their mouths instantly fell open, just like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, shocked by the atmosphere of life here. They hadn't expected there to be such a good hideout.

Duong Quang Residential Area...

They remembered a man with a sword had previously come to the May Man Hao and taken people to Duong Quang Residential Area.

At that time, some people were scared, worried about going to Duong Quang Residential Area, whether their safety could be guaranteed. They just wanted to live temporarily on the May Man Hao. Now that they had come to Duong Quang Residential Area, the various things around them brought a huge shock, and they felt a little regretful. If only they had come earlier, why suffer so much?

Quan Hao held a pen and paper, asking questions while registering them.

"What's your name?"

"Luc Huu."

"Profession?"

"Electrician."

"Mm, a very good profession. Our Duong Quang Residential Area lacks professional talent. Welcome to the Duong Quang Residential Area hideout. Later, go find Brother Khai, that's him over there. He will arrange things for you. Don't be too nervous, just live like normal."

Quan Hao was extremely proficient in this aspect.

Just as he looked up to point Vuong Khai, who was working in the distance, out to the other party, he saw Lam Pham standing there at a glance and immediately stood up, his face beaming.

"Big brother!"

"Busy?" Lam Pham smiled. He increasingly felt Quan Hao was quite good, very earnest in his work. It was a good start that everyone could find their own tasks here.

Quan Hao said, "Mm, Duong Thanh brought back some survivors. I'm registering them, then letting them find Brother Khai. Brother Khai will arrange work according to their professions."

Then, he hurriedly said to these survivors, "This is Brother Lam, my big brother, and also the protector of our Duong Quang Residential Area. It's all thanks to big brother's efforts that Duong Quang Residential Area can be spared from zombie attacks."

The survivors looked at Lam Pham somewhat reservedly. They had seen him and his formidability before.

"Hello, big brother."

They greeted him very nervously. This was someone else's territory, and they were just seeking survival, hoping for a safe living environment, so they all behaved very ordinarily.

"You don't need to be so nervous. Once you're here, just live like normal. I am also a member of Duong Quang Residential Area, the same as everyone. You can call me by my name or Tieu Pham."

He observed this group of survivors, seeing the restraint and nervousness in their eyes, just like arriving in a strange place, not daring to be presumptuous in any way.

So he hoped to use a gentle tone to soothe their spirits.

Let them understand that everyone here is equal; we are all people surviving in the apocalypse. There's no need to act like there's a hierarchical relationship.

Sure enough, as Lam Pham's tone softened, there was an effect. The newly arrived survivors relaxed a lot, and a rare smile appeared on their faces.

"Live well here. You won't go hungry here, you won't encounter danger. At night, you can sleep soundly, dreaming peacefully. Everyone works hard together, striving towards the future."

Lam Pham raised his hand to them, clenched his fist, expressing determination.

They hadn't expected this person, whom even Ha Khanh feared, to be so easy to talk to. Their initially panicked hearts were comforted, and they gradually became filled with hope for their future lives.

"Keep it up. See you later." Lam Pham left; he wanted to go to Dang Hoang Pharmaceutical Enterprise.

Watching Lam Pham's retreating figure, then seeing him lightly leap over the high iron fence, they were so shocked their mouths hung open, not recovering for a long time.

Quan Hao watched with adoration, then recovered and said with a smile, "See that? That's my big brother, a particularly good person. You really should thank Duong Thanh properly. He brought you here, so you don't have to worry anymore."

They looked at Duong Thanh, casting grateful glances.

Duong Thanh smiled. Doing these things gave him a sense of satisfaction. It was the ability to gain great satisfaction from people's eyes. Different people had different points of satisfaction, and his point of satisfaction was just like this.

...

Dang Hoang Pharmaceutical Enterprise.

Abandoned for a long time, weeds on the ground had broken through the bricks and already covered the ground. This situation was very normal. Without traces of human activity, this city would be covered by green vegetation in the future.

"Anyone here?"

He walked into the main entrance, calling out to the empty space ahead. He knew there wouldn't be any survivors here, but habit made him do so. He even thought it would be fine if zombies appeared.

After he called out.

The surroundings fell into silence again.

He walked into the pharmaceutical plant. The filthy environment, congealed blood, and decayed corpses constantly told people that extremely terrifying things had once happened here.

"Professor Ha and the others will send people here to mass-produce serum. The environment is very important. Hoang City is my hometown; the first impression it gives people is very important."

He wanted to clean up the environment of Dang Hoang Pharmaceutical Enterprise.

This was very heavy work.

But even so, it still didn't change his mind.

He rolled up his sleeves and started working.

Under the sunlight, that figure cleaned up the decayed corpses, moving countless corpses into dumpsters. This was all he could do. As for producing pharmaceuticals, don't even think about it; he was someone who understood nothing about it.

Hop Thanh City.

Inside a gloomy building.

"Keke...geh."

Zombie Vuong Tu Hien sat there, a group of zombies standing before him. After this period of development, he could already control two evolved zombies, namely a strength-type zombie and a speed-type zombie, as well as 50 ordinary zombies.

"Groan... groan..."

This group of controlled zombies growled where they stood.

Vuong Tu Hien looked at this group of zombies, then thought of the Bao Quan (Tyrant) that had once brought him humiliation. He suddenly stood up and let out a "Keke...geh" like roar towards this group of zombies.

In an instant, this zombie army followed behind him, leaving the gloomy building.

Bao Quan's (Tyrant's) lair.

Vuong Tu Hien looked down from above at the Bao Quan (Tyrant) staying within the zombie horde. The Bao Quan before him carried a weapon; its arm, abdomen, and leg were missing chunks of flesh here and there.

These were all his masterpieces from this period.

When it recovered, he would come to harass it. He had his own rationality and consciousness. A direct confrontation was definitely not feasible, so he usually hid, manipulating zombies to carry out zombie sea tactics against the Bao Quan.

At this moment.

The Bao Quan (Tyrant) stayed within the zombie horde, growling at the zombies beside it. The injuries on its body didn't make it feel pain. Without pain, it naturally didn't know how badly it was injured, unless a leg or arm was broken, affecting its movement, only then would it fully realize, "Oh, I'm injured."

Vuong Tu Hien manipulated the two evolved zombies and 50 ordinary zombies, mixing them into the zombie horde, stealthily approaching the Bao Quan.

He knew the terror of the Bao Quan.

That combat power was simply astonishing.

The Bao Quan (Tyrant), seeing its own kind approaching it, let out an angry roar, as if feeling provoked. It was the most domineering existence within the zombie horde, like an emperor enjoying the worship of ordinary zombies.

And now, zombies were approaching it, which made it seem to recall what had happened during this period.

Its own kind would dare to attack it.

"Groan... groan..."

The Bao Quan (Tyrant) roared, swinging its flesh scythe, slashing at the innocent zombies beside it. That group of ordinary zombies, not under Vuong Tu Hien's control, had no rationality whatsoever. When the Bao Quan went on a killing spree, they would only look blankly at the Bao Quan, as if thinking, "Why are you attacking us for no reason?"

"We are your most loyal zombie underlings."

Vuong Tu Hien watched quietly. The controlled zombies stopped their advance, no longer approaching the Bao Quan. In his eyes, the Bao Quan was truly terrifying, not only ferocious but also completely merciless towards its own kind.

The Bao Quan (Tyrant) looked at that group of zombies, growled a few times, and didn't continue slashing zombies.

Instead, it still stood there, like a heroic general, proudly among them, receiving the worship of the zombie horde.

Vuong Tu Hien continued to manipulate the zombies, making them disperse, interspersing them within the zombie horde, slowly closing in on the Bao Quan. After dispersing, individual actions were less likely to attract attention.

As they got closer.

Vuong Tu Hien instantly manipulated the strength-type zombie to attack the Bao Quan. The strength-type zombie's two hands restrained the Bao Quan, while other ordinary zombies roared even more, baring their bloody maws, and fiercely bit the Bao Quan's legs. Ordinary zombies were only that tall; if they were as tall as the Bao Quan, they would have bitten its neck long ago.

The sudden situation enraged the Bao Quan. It struggled violently, breaking free from the strength-type zombie's restraint, and fiercely flung the strength-type zombie to the ground.

Strength-type zombies excelled in strength, but compared to the Bao Quan, there was still a huge gap.

"Groan... groan..."

Not far away, the speed-type zombie sprinted on all fours, instantly leaped into the air, pounced onto the Bao Quan's body, bared its bloody maw, and bit down on the Bao Quan's neck. Thwack! The sound of flesh tearing.

Vuong Tu Hien stared intently at the scene, manipulating the zombies to continuously encroach upon the Bao Quan. Although ordinary zombies were constantly torn to shreds by the Bao Quan, the wounds on the Bao Quan's body increased. This was a good start.

If Vuong Tu Hien could speak.

He would definitely have his hands on his hips, looking proud, "See? This is the fate of being targeted by me, the Zombie Emperor Vuong Tu Hien! As long as I set my mind to it, there's no crystal I can't obtain!"

After a while.

The Bao Quan (Tyrant) crashed to the ground, its body damaged beyond recognition.

50 ordinary zombies were torn to shreds by the Bao Quan. The speed-type zombie was cut in half by the Bao Quan. The only one still alive was the strength-type zombie, but similarly, it was missing an arm, and its chest was pierced through with a bloody hole.

Manipulating the strength-type zombie, he broke open the Bao Quan's head, found the crystal, and left the zombie horde.

Vuong Tu Hien knew to develop in a low-key, humble manner, but he was no longer satisfied with ordinary evolved zombies. Instead, he targeted existences like the Bao Quan, which were stronger than ordinary evolved zombies.

As the strength-type zombie returned.