Why Go Out and Fight When You Can Just Hunker Down?

After Shen Jin finished his steak in a leisurely manner, he noticed that Li Moxiao had already polished off half a basin of rice with nothing but soy sauce.

Seeing Shen Jin's surprised gaze, Li Moxiao's face flushed, yet she stubbornly retorted, "I haven't eaten in days. You aren't planning on fighting me for a bit of rice and soy sauce, are you? You wouldn't, would you?"

She then stuck out her little tongue and licked the stray grains of rice from the corner of her mouth.

Shen Jin pondered for a moment, then, as if performing a magic trick, pulled a packet of Wujiang Zhacai from his pocket.

"I was originally going to find some pickles for you, but it seems that won't be necessary now."

"Hey, don't—"

Then, under the shocked gaze of the little girl, he stuffed the pickles back into his pocket.

After teasing Li Moxiao, Shen Jin noticed she had already turned on the old radio in the basement.

It was exactly 12:00 PM.

After a burst of static, a crisp, professional broadcasting voice filled the room.

Shen Jin and Li Moxiao's attention shifted instantly. The expressions on their faces carried a hint of solemnity and hope.

"Greetings, dear listeners. Today, the official government channel brings you the daily news report. First, all those listening to this broadcast, please ensure you find a safe location and keep the volume as low as possible. According to current statistics, ordinary zombies possess hearing capabilities that exceed those of a normal human."

"Latest data: According to satellite tracking, our country's remaining population is now less than 20 percent. The rest of humanity has completely turned into zombies, though the rate of increase in the zombie population is slowing down."

"The First Academy of Sciences currently states that zombies are not static; they possess the potential for genetic mutation. We have already discovered various types, including defense-enhanced, strength-enhanced, and speed-and-hearing-enhanced zombies. The cause of these mutations is unknown, though it is suspected to be related to flesh-based food sources. We urge all citizens to protect yourselves, avoid conflict with zombies, and await rescue from the government."

"Regarding the 'Apocalypse Law,' we are now finalizing Article 101: In situations where survival is threatened, one possesses the right to unlimited self-defense against any individual. Regarding threats to official or civilian Gathering Places, one has the duty and right to intervene beforehand. All actions should be based on the stance of protecting humanity. For any anti-human actions, military personnel have the right to execute on the spot. We ask all citizens to unite on the front lines, unify our ideology, and resist the zombies together!"

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"Finally, the routine broadcast of the five common facts of the apocalypse: 1. Zombies are active during the day and highly aggressive; their abilities decrease at night, and they are quietest around 1:00 AM. 2. Do not be bitten or scratched by zombies, and do not use unsafe water or food sources. 3. Early symptoms of human infection with the zombie virus include dizziness, blurred vision, skin tissue ulceration, and bleeding from the facial orifices. 4. Currently, zombification is irreversible; do not harbor any wishful thinking regarding those already infected. 5. The weakness of a zombie is its brain tissue. Destroying the brain tissue will temporarily incapacitate a zombie; killing a zombie requires the complete destruction of the brain tissue. It is recommended to burn the remains."

"Today's noon broadcast ends here. Please remember the government's sole broadcast signal, 66.6. Tonight at 10:00 PM, we will bring you the latest expert interviews and wilderness survival tips."

"Finally, we hope all our compatriots will use every ounce of strength you have. Survive!"

"Static."

Shen Jin turned off the radio, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes.

Li Moxiao crossed her arms and whispered, "That host's voice sounds just like the man from the old Xinwen Lianbo, right?"

Shen Jin nodded with some emotion. "Yeah. Back then, it sounded so tedious, but now... I'd give anything to watch it one more time."

"Things will return to normal in the future."

Will they? It had been three months, and the rate at which the zombies were spreading was terrifying.

Currently, 80 percent of the humans on this land had turned into those man-eating zombies, with only 20 percent still struggling to survive.

But, there was still hope, wasn't there?

Shen Jin believed that with human intelligence, even if all thermal weapons failed, humanity would eventually overcome the zombies.

This was a mysterious confidence in the Earth's strongest intelligent species—humanity!

After listening to the broadcast, Shen Jin lost interest in teasing Li Moxiao; she was, at the very least, an old acquaintance whose background he knew.

"I just need to improve the security measures for the future. I should add three more contact-based alarms, two more pitfall traps, four more pop-up traps, and install a few 360-degree rotating cameras."

Huh? It seemed some strange thoughts had snuck in.

Li Moxiao had been running since morning, and by now, she had curled up on the sofa and fallen asleep.

Once the tension in a person dissipates, exhaustion rushes to the brain.

Shen Jin looked at Li Moxiao's delicate face and slender legs. Her top didn't fit well, and the loose collar revealed a vast expanse of empty space.

Shen Jin curled his lip. What was there to look at with a little girl like this? Getting down to business was more important.

He entered through a hidden door in the basement, gathered his mining tools, and prepared to start today's work.

Time returned to the first hour of the zombie virus outbreak.

Shen Jin, who had been staying at home watching the overwhelming news of the "Apocalypse Arriving," suddenly felt his vision blur and found himself in an open space filled with lush green grass.

In front of him were three obsidian pedestals, each holding an item:

A sword, a pickaxe, and a ball of fire.

"Please follow the choice of your heart."

A gentle, ethereal female voice came from all directions, completely waking the bewildered Shen Jin.

As a qualified netizen of the 21st century, he was naturally no stranger to anime and web novels.

A situation like this was definitely a stroke of good fortune!

"Follow the choice of my heart? The sword symbolizes slaughter, the pickaxe symbolizes gathering, and the fire symbolizes... barbecue???"

"Hmm, fire could represent food, civilization, heritage, magic, or supernatural abilities."

The symbolic meanings of fire were too numerous; Shen Jin couldn't guess it for a moment.

If he were to follow the choice deep in his heart...

"Hey, miss, can I ask, do you have a keyboard?"

"Get lost."

"Alrighty then~"

Since he couldn't add an item he was actually good at, he had to choose the one with the greatest potential!

The Earth falling into an apocalypse was a done deal. The choice appearing at this moment was crucial for the future!

Since he was a child, Shen Jin's grandfather had told him, "Always choose the path with the most information; simplicity is for the mediocre."

Therefore, Shen Jin walked forward with absolute determination and hugged the ball of fire. He ignored the pickaxe next to it.

"I haven't listened to my grandfather since I was a kid. Swords, fire—they're all too dangerous. They look like things you'd need to go out and fight with. That's the behavior of a brute!

Why go out and fight when you can just hunker down?

Life gives me plenty of time to find a hole to hide in. If I don't want to cause trouble, I'll just stay home.

As long as I don't go out, I am the perfect, undefeated god of war.

What's the point of hacking people? Won't they just come looking for you?

Hiding at home and being a comfortable couch potato—isn't that the life?

As for zombies and such, you have to trust in the power of the government!

An artillery company could wipe out the zombies in an entire city directly. That's not an exaggeration at all!"

His vision blurred again, and Shen Jin was back in his room, with something extra in his mind.

"My World Auxiliary System": The master possesses the ability to Blockify all items and can create infinite possibilities.

That's right, it was the "Minecraft" game Shen Jin often played.

He possessed most of the functions of the original version, though some recipes and crafting had been made much more realistic.

Using the system's Blockify Ability, Shen Jin began his long-term layout.

When it came to hunkering down, only Senior Brother Li could beat him by half a step.

And so, he had been hunkering down for three months.

Before starting today's mining in the tunnels, Shen Jin hesitated for a moment, then returned to the basement and sat down next to Li Moxiao.

His gaze followed the loose top into the empty space, his breathing gradually growing heavy.

Then, he saw it.

A red belt!!

"Σ(°Д°; Ah! My eyes! I'm blinded!"