Chapter 22 – The Reason for the Injury
Yan Fei wanted to ask more, but seeing how unfazed Luo Xun looked, already absorbed in the paper, he suppressed his doubts.
Only after reading through it did Luo Xun exhale. “Want to take a look? It’s today’s handout. They’re building a base and wall now.”
Yan Fei accepted the flyer. The print was rough and hurried, but it showed a simple map outlining the planned walls. The perimeter enclosed the army camp, Hongjing Compound, and several other nearby compounds. It also included farmland to the south, flower fields to the west, and some functional buildings—this was the initial range for the wall project.
The notice called for all survivors to join the construction. Workers would be provided with two meals and water daily. For those not needing food, wages could be taken as points instead: one full meal equaled three points. Points could be exchanged at supply stations for water, food, medicine, and other necessities.
“The workdays are pretty long.” Yan Fei frowned.
“Of course. The zombies in the area aren’t even fully cleared yet. If more wander in, who can stand it? They’ve got to push overtime and get those walls up fast.” Luo Xun was unconcerned. For now, the points offered were generous. In a few years, once the safe zone was mostly built and fewer hands were needed, getting even half as many points a day would be considered good.
“You plan on going?” Yan Fei asked. He couldn’t move, so he didn’t know how much food they had at home. But it was Luo Xun keeping him fed…
“Mm. The sooner the walls go up, the sooner the zone will truly be safe. If all goes well, this place will become everyone’s home. No point fussing over a bit of labor now—especially when the points are this generous.” Well, truth be told, the points were the real motivation.
“Be careful going out these next few days.” Yan Fei saw no trace of resentment in Luo Xun’s eyes, so he held his tongue. Some things didn’t need to be said outright. It was clear Luo Xun wasn’t a petty man.
“Oh, right! I forgot to ask.” Luo Xun perked up at the word “safety.” “What did the people who hurt you look like?”
Yan Fei arched an eyebrow. “Why bring that up now?”
“I don’t know why you fell out with them, but given the situation back then…” If he hadn’t dragged himself inside, he might already be one of those things wandering below, cut down by soldiers during cleanup. And if not for his dog and that rabid barking on the recorder, those people might have barged right in, dragged Yan Fei out, killed him, and stolen everything. “I’d rather be cautious knowing people like that are around. Better to recognize them in advance.”
Yan Fei’s lips curved into a dangerously charming smile. “Fair enough. The one who struck me should be a man named Xu Bin, in his thirties, tall and burly. There were about eleven or twelve of them total, including four women—two college girls just over twenty, another not yet thirty, and one in her early forties.” He paused. “One of the college girls is named He Lanlan, very pure-looking. The woman under thirty has a great figure and is also… very slutty.”
Luo Xun was silent for a while. “So you guys fought because of women.”
Yan Fei shrugged and spread his hands. “Not my fault, they stuck themselves to me.” With abilities, a devilishly handsome face, and real strength—any one of those would be enough to draw the opposite sex like moths to a flame. On top of that, carrying a gun only made him look like someone with real power and resources.
Although Yan Fei thought those women were annoying, he could still understand their thinking. In chaotic times, with zombies everywhere and no one knowing how long they’d survive, suddenly spotting a strong, powerful man who also happened to be good-looking—of course they’d steal more than a few glances.
Normally, that would’ve been the end of it—at most a few looks, or a bold one might ask for a phone number or toss a wink. But in this kind of precarious, “live today, die tomorrow” situation, taking the initiative was only human.
The problem was, of the group that had come together back then, there were only four women—one of them already in her forties—while the rest were all men. So envy and jealousy were practically inevitable… even though he himself had zero interest in those women.
Luo Xun couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Do me a favor and wear a mask or something when you go out. I don’t want to get caught in the crossfire just by standing next to you!” Guys like him didn’t just attract women—they attracted men too.
“Relax, didn’t I put on a mask as soon as I realized what was happening?” Yan Fei defended himself helplessly. Unfortunately, he’d put it on a bit late, and the women traveling with them already knew what he looked like.
“Mask, hat, sunglasses… I’ll even lend you my helmet if needed.” Luo Xun was very considerate—already planning his companion’s outfit for the sake of some peace and quiet in the future.
Come to think of it, hadn’t he originally been planning to kick this guy out? Oh well, he’d already given up on that idea long ago—and even had his eyes on the man’s “property” to boot.
After tidying up the room, Luo Xun started planning the meals for the next few days. He had already prepared scorched rice and flatbread, both long-lasting foods. With the cold weather, they wouldn’t spoil anytime soon. In addition, he’d need to supplement with vegetables, meat, and eggs for nutrition. Luckily, he had plenty of eggs at home—he could fry or boil some to bring along.
Besides his own rations, though, he also had to prepare lunch and dinner for Yan Fei.
Thinking it over, Luo Xun decided to just move the microwave into the bedroom and put it by the bed. He added a small table next to Yan Fei’s bed so he could heat meals himself at noon. As for radiation or whatever… well, the man couldn’t get up anyway, and it was better than messing up his wound.
As long as Luo Xun simmered some soups or congee ahead of time, it would be enough for the patient.
With that decided, he pulled a pig’s trotter from the freezer and started stewing it with soybeans, scallions, and ginger.
While the soup simmered in the kitchen, Luo Xun returned to the living room to haul the microwave upstairs. Suddenly, he heard the sound of vehicles outside the north window. He rushed over to look—sure enough, several large trucks had driven into the neighborhood, followed by some private cars.
He frowned slightly. Just as expected—people flocking here after hearing the broadcast. Some looked like residents from the southwest district who had been living on the outskirts after the new safe zone was designated. Many of them were dragging luggage and bringing their families.
Since Hongjing Community’s population was relatively small, it was indeed the best place to resettle newcomers. Right now, there were still empty apartments available, but later arrivals would end up like Luo Xun had in his previous life—squeezed into the basements.
The two nearby old residential complexes hadn’t been fully cleared yet, so they couldn’t house people there. For now, everyone was being sent here and to a couple of the newer high-rises in the west.
Luo Xun sighed softly. He had foreseen this, though the real question was: once the zombie virus began spreading through water and food, how many of these people would still be alive?
“You’re bringing this up here for…” Yan Fei, reading a novel on the laptop, froze when he saw what Luo Xun carried into the bedroom—a microwave.
Before the internet went down, Luo Xun had downloaded a ton of novels to his computer. They’d probably never be available again, so it was wise to stock up while he had electricity and storage space. Aside from novels, the things he’d downloaded the most were recipes and guides on making condiments and semi-finished foods.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be going to work. Heat up your meals with this at noon and in the evening.”
“…” Yan Fei was speechless for a moment. This man was simply too meticulous, too thoughtful—anticipating every possible detail that he himself would never have considered.
“If someone comes knocking, no matter who it is, don’t open the door. I’ll have the little guy guard downstairs while I’m gone. I’ve got the keys. The military already recorded the residents, so they’re not going to show up during work hours for another check.”
As Luo Xun spoke, he set the microwave on the floor beside the bed.
“Just now, quite a few strangers moved into the community—probably people the army rescued these past two days. Who knows what kind of people are among them. If someone skips work and comes knocking, they might not be up to any good. If anyone tries to force their way in, don’t hold back. You’ve got powers—killing them won’t be a problem.”
Luo Xun said it with a straight face. Anyone who barged in even after hearing the dog bark inside, and knowing everyone was supposed to be at work, deserved whatever they got.
Yan Fei silently watched Luo Xun. If anyone threatened his life, of course he wouldn’t just sit there waiting to die—he would fight back. But Luo Xun’s words had been spoken far too calmly, nothing like how an ordinary person would react.
Still…
“Alright, no problem.” The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Whatever reason this man had for saying such things, or for being so composed about the idea of killing, he didn’t care. So far, this young man had shown him no malice at all—aside from wanting his abilities for help, he had no ulterior motives. “I’ll watch the house for you.”
The neighborhood bustled with noise all day—people moving in, people heading out to collect supplies, coming and going in a steady stream.
Maybe when there were fewer people the first day, some dared to linger in the community to rob others. But today, with so many people around, even those with bad intentions didn’t dare to openly loot.
The newcomers were assigned housing by the soldiers, divided according to families, groups, and so on. Back during the first day’s cleanup, the military had already replaced all the locks on empty homes for unified management.
Now, people were being moved in floor by floor. Households with elderly were placed on lower levels for convenience, while younger ones were sent higher up. Of course, some tried to talk their way into better floors, but unless they were volunteering to take the least desirable spots, most efforts were in vain.
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