Chapter 31

Su Hao walked to the edge of the field, casually picked a handful of wheat ears that were filling with grain, rubbed off the hard outer shells, and put the soft grains in his mouth, chewing slowly.

"What... What's going on here?"

It was the middle-aged man who had been talking to Su Hao in the hall that morning. He walked over with a sorrowful expression, standing more than three meters away from Su Hao, and asked in a trembling, hoarse voice, "Can you... please tell me, what is going on? Why is this happening? What happened?"

"Why aren't you infected? Why haven't we mutated?"

A tall woman pushed her way to the front and asked in a low, deep voice, "There shouldn't be such a thing... No, if it's airborne, why hasn't it spread to everyone? You, you must be lying. I work in immunology; you can't fool me—"

"Everyone's physical condition is different, and their adaptability to the virus varies."

Su Hao glanced at her and said calmly, "Genetics, gender, blood type, cells... all these can affect the virus. The subtle differences between those who adapt and those who don't are hard to explain in a few words. Since you work in this field, you should understand that vaccines can't be universally effective for everyone. Like penicillin, which can kill bacteria, but some people are allergic to it, leading to paralysis or even death."

The woman's eyes flickered with an unusual light, "Do you mean that anyone who survives is immune to the virus?"

Su Hao shook his head, "Airborne transmission and direct bites are very different. You can think of the amount of virus entering the body through the air as '1.' A zombie bite or scratch would be '10,' or even '20,' '30,' '100'... In short, those mutated creatures are very dangerous, and they feed on the living."

In the crowd, a hoarse voice muttered, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it. This isn't real... This is just a regular disaster; someone will come to save us. It can't be as bad as you say."

The last sentence acted like a hormone, instantly energizing the crowd. They began to chatter, some looking worried, others expressionless. Everyone had their own opinion and tried to convince others with evidence. Some agreed, some disagreed. Some cried out in despair, others looked agitated... The scene was chaotic, the noise growing louder, like the buzzing of flies.

Old Song and Tao Yuan jumped out of the truck's cab and walked over to Su Hao with Du Tianhao, silently watching the chaotic crowd.

"No! I absolutely won't believe this. It's a lie; he's deceiving us. The government and the state won't abandon this city; there must be rescue!"

"They don't seem to be lying, and there's no reason to deceive us. We've all seen the cars and bodies on the road. That's all real, not movie props. Remember the bathhouse? Those thugs said the world had changed, changed..."

"What should we do? Escape?"

"I want to go home, I want to go home—"

The middle-aged man still stood beside Su Hao. In just a few minutes, he seemed to have aged ten years. He hunched over, ignoring the discussions behind him, and looked at Su Hao with a lost, hopeful gaze, "My son is in Guangzhou. Do you think... do you think he's okay?"

The question caught Su Hao off guard. He gave him a meaningful look and slowly shook his head, "I don't know. Many people have died, and very few have survived."

The middle-aged man's expression turned bitter, his face filled with despair, "There really is no rescue team? Then why did you come to save us? Who are you?"

Old Song looked at him with pity, "We're just ordinary people like you."

"But you have guns."

"Soldiers and police are human too; they can be infected and turn into zombies."

"What about that small building? The food stored inside is enough for hundreds of people... What's going on?"

"There are many stores in the city where you can find these things. Since we're still alive, we need food and a place to stay."

All the explanations made sense, and the chaotic crowd gradually calmed down, their faces stiff like statues.

"God!"

No one knew who shouted first, but the words echoed in everyone's empty hearts like a thunderclap.

"No! I don't believe it! I don't believe it—"

A woman in her forties screamed and ran out of the crowd, heading towards the distant cliff. She waved her arms, her shrill cries piercing the ears. A few men who had just come to their senses tried to catch her but couldn't match her frantic speed. They could only watch as she ran to the edge of the cliff and plunged down like a martyr.

At the bottom of the cliff was a river with rapid currents. On the map, it was called the "Niu Lan River."

Unable to accept reality, she went mad in her breakdown.

People stared blankly at the direction where the woman had jumped, their eyes wide, mouths open, like puppets under a spell.

Suddenly, a tall, thin man snapped out of his daze, ran to Su Hao, grabbed his clothes, and shook him violently, his eyes wild with excitement, "No! It can't be like this. The infection area isn't that large; it can't have spread worldwide. The United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland... these countries have advanced medical technology. There must be a vaccine, right? Let's leave here, go to the airport, find a plane, and leave China. I... I... I have an American passport; I want to leave this damn place."

Su Hao and Tao Yuan exchanged a glance, their faces turning cold and mocking.

"Let's go now. It must be like this. Avian flu could only be cured by 'Tamiflu,' which couldn't be produced domestically. Foreign countries must have new drugs to eliminate the virus. You have guns; protect me. I have money; I won't let you do this for nothing. You, you, and you, fifty thousand each... No, one hundred thousand."

The man became more and more excited, babbling incoherently. Despite the jumbled words, his meaning was clear.

Du Tianhao flicked the cigarette butt from his fingers, blew out a thick smoke ring, looked up at the blue sky, and exhaled, "I only have twelve thousand in my bank account. I always thought I was poor, hahaha... sigh—this feels so damn good, so refreshing!"

As he spoke, he pulled out a red hundred-yuan note from his pocket and lit it with a lighter in front of the man.

This action was more convincing than any words.

The thin man stared at the black ashes rising from the flames, the excitement and agitation in his eyes gradually fading. He felt his breathing become incredibly difficult, as if a heavy, invisible stone was pressing on his chest, crushing his dignity and shattering his beliefs. It was like a devil tearing apart the familiar order of things.

"Thud—"

His knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, burying his head in the dirt, his hands clawing at the soil, laughing hysterically.

"Hahahaha—You're lying, you must be lying. Money, how can money be useless? I have millions in the bank, and you say money is useless? Burning money... hahahaha! Liars! All liars!"

Suddenly, he jumped up, rushed to Du Tianhao, pointed at his nose, and screamed at the highest pitch, "This is all a scam, a conspiracy. I don't believe a word you say—"

His eyes were bloodshot, his face red from the rush of blood to his head. He pointed at Du Tianhao, then at Su Hao, and then at the crowd, shouting hoarsely, "I have more money than all of you. My 'Bentley' is worth millions, and a single meal costs more than your monthly salary. I have gold, stocks, houses, and—"

Du Tianhao's face darkened, and he walked over, delivering a powerful punch to the thin man's cheek, cutting off his words. Then, he spat at the man curled on the ground, cursing, "Go to hell—"

The middle-aged man, who had been silent for a long time, walked up to Su Hao, his face full of sorrow, and asked, "What should we do?"

Su Hao looked at him, then at the others, noticing that everyone's eyes were on him. There was hesitation, hostility, and indifference, but more importantly, there was hope and confusion.

"The city is full of zombies and other terrifying mutated creatures. We need to establish a new camp here. There are many fields nearby that can be cultivated, and there is plenty of water. Believe me, we can live well and won't die."

Some people were still crying softly, their gazes still filled with distrust and caution. Clearly, a few words couldn't dispel their suspicions and stubbornness. However, between "believing" and "not believing," they had to choose the former.

Because choosing "not to believe" meant leaving, being abandoned.

It meant being swallowed by a strange, chaotic, and cruel world.

...

Four gray-green military tents were set up on the hillside. Through the half-covered waterproof curtains, one could see neatly arranged military beds, bedding, and various personal items.

About fifty meters to the south, a pile of sand, gravel, and bagged cement was covered with tarpaulins, and drainage ditches were dug around the perimeter. Tire tracks extended from the distance, connecting the field to the road. Occasionally, the wind blew, and loose dust flew everywhere.

Further away, there was an excavator and a concrete mixer. The triangular support poles were already in place, and cut steel was piled nearby. The heavy trucks loaded with bricks came from various construction sites in the city. The real estate market had been booming in recent years, with rapid construction everywhere. The city was more like a large, messy construction site. Various materials were abundant and plentiful.

Clearing the land, taking soil samples, designing the building, and digging the foundation were all planned by Su Hao and other core team members. They had also asked the newly joined members if anyone was familiar with construction, hoping to get help. However, everyone was unfamiliar and had never dealt with such things.

Out of necessity, they resorted to the most basic method—collecting books on construction from bookstores and studying them carefully. They didn't need to be experts; they just needed to understand the basic principles and the most fundamental construction processes.

Su Hao's requirements for the camp were not high—houses that could accommodate at least a hundred people, along with water storage tanks, warehouses, and garages.

Most importantly, there needed to be a high, thick, and sturdy wall surrounding all the buildings.

Small solar power generators from the city's stores had been installed. The devices were cheap, with a price tag of "36,800 RMB." The technology wasn't as advanced as they imagined, and Liao Qiu set them up outside the tents in just a few hours according to the instructions.

Nine days had passed since the establishment of the camp.

Thirty-one people remained from those rescued from the bathhouse, including twenty-two men and nine women.

Some of the others didn't believe Su Hao and left to find their own way.

Some couldn't accept the reality and went mad.

Some chose to commit suicide...

In the city, with the bank building as their base, three hunting teams went out daily. Their tasks were to kill zombies, obtain fungal hormones and silver bones, and collect food, clothing, tools, fuel, and all usable resources.

Outside the city, Su Hao and Tao Yuan stayed at the construction site, overseeing the progress of the camp. Every two days, a batch of supplies and materials was transported from the city. Many new team members could drive, even though they had never driven trucks before. The empty roads were the best test track, with no traffic rules or police to issue fines.

The foundation was dug deep and poorly. People had seen excavators but lacked practical experience. The bucket was either extended too far or stuck in the mud, and there were even two instances where the machine lost balance and tipped forward. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Referring to the books, Su Hao found that the foundation, over thirty meters deep, exceeded the normal depth. This depth was sufficient for even a skyscraper. Frustrated, they had to choose another location and start over.

He didn't want to waste time. The large pit could be converted into an underground warehouse or parking lot.

Of course, the team's current technical capabilities were insufficient to complete such a project. It should be left to future members.

Many people complained, and some angrily shouted that they didn't want to continue. It wasn't surprising—none of them had experience with such work, and it was purely manual labor: digging, driving piles, mixing concrete, and laying bricks. It was monotonous, boring, and physically demanding.

Not everyone complained; some continued to work silently.

...

The afternoon sun was even stronger than usual, with no breeze. Sweat seeped through the skin and was immediately evaporated by the heat, leaving a light white layer of salt.

Su Hao stood next to the newly dug foundation, using a bucket to pour the mixed cement into the base columns. These reinforced concrete columns were exceptionally thick, four times the standard size, and the amount of rebar used was also increased. They stood there, looking solid, stable, and impressive.

Everything was being done through trial and error. As long as the lower foundation was solid and the center of gravity stable, the upper structure wouldn't collapse. Although it consumed several times the normal amount of materials, it was worth it.

Su Hao wasn't the only one working; about a dozen others were doing similar tasks. To protect against the heat, Old Song had brought a variety of colored sun hats from the city. People liked and appreciated the gift, but no one chose the green hats.

The middle-aged man pushed a small cart over, pouring the cement from the cart into the column slot with the rebar in place. He wore a sleeveless shirt, his pants rolled up high, his body covered in mud, and his face dusty, looking even older than a few days ago.

Su Hao rubbed his mud-covered hands, walked into the nearby shaded rest area, picked up two bottles of water, and handed one to him. He said contentedly, "The foundation is almost done. In a few more days, once the cement dries, we can start building the upper structure."

Perhaps due to the heat, the middle-aged man looked somewhat listless. He nodded faintly, took the water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a big gulp, exhaling a long breath of hot air, and sighed, "I never thought I'd be doing this. In the past, it would have been a joke, and no one would have believed it."

"Oh?"

Su Hao put down his drink and looked at him curiously.

The middle-aged man said calmly, "I don't know much about construction, but I can see that your camp is designed for communal living, like a 'dormitory.' There are public toilets, a communal bathroom, and even a watchtower. The outer wall is much thicker and higher than normal. I don't know if others have noticed, but I'm clear—this isn't just a regular house; it's a prison."

Su Hao picked up a trowel, smoothed out the surface of the cement, and smiled calmly, "There are no electric fences, it's solid and safe, isn't it?"

"I have two houses."

The middle-aged man, perhaps tired, squatted down and shook his head with a sigh, "I thought I was close to retirement, looking forward to a few years of comfortable living, but now I have to share a room with others. Those houses could sell for millions, and now I have to rely on others to fill my stomach."