Expanding the Population

Balding Director Wang stood at the back of the crowd, watching everyone suddenly stop.

"What's wrong? Too many Zombies? If so, we can hold the doorway and take them out."

A young man at the front looked at the mountain of Zombie corpses piled on the stairs and swallowed.

"It's not about whether there are too many Zombies. It's just... kind of sudden."

"Hm?"

Old Wang listened carefully. There was no movement from Zombies, so he naturally squeezed his way to the front of the group.

Then he saw two Iron Men warmly greeting everyone and telling them to come down.

"Gasp! Aren't these the Iron Man brothers who were pointing fingers at Haima Security Shop that day? Why are there two of them today?"

Seeing that the two were human, everyone else was overjoyed.

They did not have to risk their lives fighting Zombies. That was wonderful!

"Great, we're saved!"

"Boohoo, I was so scared my legs went weak."

"Stop bullshitting! Were your legs just weak? You fucking pissed on my shoes!"

The group had gone from mustering their courage and facing death without fear to ecstatic joy. Their emotions swung wildly.

At that moment, the sun outside shone brightly, and they seemed to feel the warmth of the human world.

Yang Ao cleared his throat. "Ahem. Everyone, quiet down. Let me say a few words. All right?"

He looked at Shen Jin and saw that he had no objections. Yang Ao felt his back straighten even more.

"Are you from the authorities?"

"You look like some kind of local military force!"

"Are those new government-issued uniforms?"

Seeing humans, the crowd immediately began chattering and asking questions, laughing and joking.

Zhao Mingkai even wanted to pat the iron armor on their bodies.

Yang Ao's face darkened.

He suddenly leaped up.

His sword swept over Zhao Mingkai's head at the very front.

Strands of hair covered in dandruff drifted down.

The scene abruptly fell silent.

Zhao Mingkai: w(Д)w

"Listen to me first!"

Only then did everyone realize that these two were powerhouses who had mercilessly slaughtered dozens of Zombies.

And the one speaking was clearly the leader of the two.

There were more than twenty of them. Was that a lot? It was still fewer than those sixty-plus Zombies.

And what about combat power? At the very least, Zombies were fearless in the face of death.

Shen Jin gave Yang Ao a surprised look. That instant of imposing presence really had something to it. As expected of a rich second-generation kid who had seen the world.

Yang Ao watched the crowd immediately behave themselves and nodded in satisfaction.

"First, we are not affiliated with the authorities. Second, the two of us are Superhumans. I'm sure you've heard that term on the radio."

"Gasp! They're actually Superhumans!"

Everyone thought of Lu Qiang and the mysterious Comic Book Man. That level of combat power really could crush Zombies with ease!

"Today, we brothers came here to save you. Everyone will be transferred to a safe place. Follow my commands and come with me! Understood?"

Seeing Yang Ao covered in blood and looking fierce and menacing, everyone was scared.

They answered one after another in low voices, "Understood."

Yang Ao shouted, "Didn't eat or something? Louder!"

Everyone was starving, and they really had not eaten. But they did not dare refuse either. Zhao Mingkai touched the chilly bare patch on his head and swallowed all the snarky remarks in his stomach.

"Understood!"

Yang Ao gave a wickedly charming smile. "Very good."

Seeing that they had reached a consensus, Balding Old Wang walked over with a broad smile. "Sir... hero, may I ask where our safe place is? There are so many Zombies outside. How are all these people supposed to get there?"

"Just follow us. We'll keep you safe."

Only then did Old Wang feel somewhat relieved. It seemed the Superhumans had their own way of taking people out.

"One more thing. There's still someone upstairs. Should we leave him here, or...?"

"Male or female? How old?"

"Uh, a man in his forties." Old Wang was a little surprised, but he reported truthfully.

"Then don't—" Yang Ao was about to refuse when Shen Jin kicked him.

"Ahem... no. We can't leave anyone behind!"

What a joke. Shen Jin had to complete the mission, so naturally he needed to bring everyone along and make up the thirty people.

"But he locked himself in the dorm room."

"Call him down. Tell him someone has come to save him."

A few people went upstairs, unlocked the outside lock, and called out for a while. Old Liu refused to come out no matter what, insisting that they were tricking him into going out to die.

The two below grew impatient, so Yang Ao went upstairs and kicked the door open.

Hiss~ That hurt!

Yang Ao's mouth twitched slightly, but he kept his face taut and remained impassive.

The others looked at the deformed lock and were filled with awe.

"Damn, are all Superhumans this strong?"

Old Liu was dragged and hauled out by the crowd.

Old Liu had originally been crying, screaming, and breaking down, but when he saw the Zombie corpses scattered all over the second floor, he suddenly fell quiet.

"Now, follow me through the tunnel on the first floor."

Just as expected! There was a secret passage.

Balding Old Wang's judgment had been proven correct.

The others looked at the pitch-black tunnel and were initially hesitant.

But Zhao Mingkai, at the very front of the group, was kicked down by Yang Ao.

Thud~

Zhao Mingkai: (;′⌒`)

There was only dirt below, and it was not very high. Zhao Mingkai rolled once and got back to his feet.

Seeing this, everyone else cooperatively climbed down one after another.

As Balding Old Wang watched everyone descend one by one, he felt as if he had forgotten something.

By the time everyone else had left and Shen Jin and Yang Ao were staring at him—

He suddenly remembered!

The Mid-Autumn Festival Gift Boxes!

His face lit up with excitement. If he could help the two Superhumans find so much food, he would surely earn a major contribution!

There were more than three hundred boxes. Just getting one share for himself would be amazing!

Perhaps, with such a great contribution, he might even become part of the management in the new settlement.

"Two heroes, I have a secret to offer!"

"Speak."

"It's in the warehouse on the first floor. I bought more than three hundred Mid-Autumn Festival Gift Boxes before. They're full of mooncakes and—"

Shen Jin's expression turned strange. Before Old Wang could finish, he kicked him into the tunnel.

"Get in there!"

Old Wang's chubby body spun twice at the bottom before stopping. He looked utterly bewildered.

What was that for?

Did Superhumans not need to eat?

But we do!

Old Wang stroked his balding head, on the verge of tears.

Shen Jin and Yang Ao brought the group to the isolated three-hundred-square-meter courtyard.

Everyone crawled out and stared in amazement at the eight-meter-high walls surrounding them.

"I suspect I've transmigrated. Were we dragged here to build the Great Wall?"

"Such towering walls, and they're newly built too. Qin Shi Huang would be shouting, 'Damn, that's impressive!'"

Qi Tong, the young married woman, carried her luggage on her back and the chessboard in her hand. Looking around, there were no Zombies at all, and the place even retained the feel of a rural pastoral home.

She only had one word to say: "Comfortable. Safe!"

Everyone else felt the same.

"These walls make me feel so safe!"

It seemed everyone was quite satisfied with the new environment. The heart-pounding fear of Zombies was gone, and the air around them was fresh and natural.

Most importantly, they no longer had to cram into a few tiny dorm rooms every day without ever seeing daylight.

As everyone looked at Yang Ao, their gazes suddenly became animated.

The mixture of gratitude and fear in their eyes pleased Yang Ao immensely.

He discreetly glanced at Shen Jin and, seeing no further instructions, puffed out his chest and cleared his throat.

"Ahem! This will be your residence. Before you move in, I need to announce a few rules!"

This had been discussed beforehand by Shen Jin and Yang Ao. No one else spoke, and they all stared at the Superhuman—Yang Ao.

"First rule: everyone must abide by the Apocalypse Law issued by the authorities and follow moral constraints. No bullying or coercion of any kind will be tolerated. If discovered, you will be severely punished!"

Yang Ao swept his sword, carving a crack into the ground at his feet as dust flew up.

Zhao Mingkai felt his scalp go cold again.

"Second rule: live properly and obey our management and arrangements. If you want food, you can earn it through work."

"Third rule: do not leave without permission. Use the walkie-talkie if you need something. But! If anyone calls me over for some trivial bullshit, don't blame me for teaching you a lesson!"

"That's all for now. I'll add more if I think of anything later. Any objections?"

Everyone had learned their lesson this time and hurriedly replied, "No objections!"

Yang Ao tossed a walkie-talkie to Balding Old Wang.

"You'll keep this for now."

Old Wang caught it with a delighted expression, nodding and bowing. "Okay, okay, okay."

"Lastly, there are six rooms in total. Men and women will live separately. No fighting over them! As long as you don't damage the houses, do whatever you want in this courtyard."

After Yang Ao finished speaking, the two of them left.

An iron door connected the two places. After they passed through it, they locked it with a heavy iron chain.

(Today, my brother 'Wind of Shallow Skies' saw a book called "The Steadiest Way to Survive the Apocalypse Is Staying Home" and thought the author's writing was very interesting. In a moment of excitement, he tipped 1,500 book coins.

I immediately got anxious. "You really don't know how to live within your means. You spend money way too freely."

'Wind of Shallow Skies' chuckled. "Sorry, being so rich made you unhappy.")

Me: (°ー°〃)