Chapter 328 - 165: A Helping Hand

Chapter 328: Chapter 165: A Helping Hand

The SUV slowly drove through the gates of the Linhai Town settlement. Xu Mo, hands on the steering wheel, scanned his surroundings.

Inside the walls was a narrow road paved with gravel that looked like it had been recently graded. The road was lined with densely packed houses. Some had their doors and windows intact, while others were dilapidated. Most, however, showed signs of life—clutter piled up by doorways, plastic sheets covering windows, and the occasional piece of laundry hung out to dry.

People peeked out from their windows, staring curiously at Xu Mo’s SUV. More of them followed behind the vehicle, gathering to watch from a distance.

Xu Mo could feel the complex emotions in their gazes: curiosity, reverence, gratitude, and a trace of unidentifiable fear. They had probably all witnessed the scene just moments ago when he had single-handedly slaughtered his way through the zombie horde outside the walls.

In this precarious, post-apocalyptic world, a man who could kill over a hundred zombies by himself was no different from a legendary hero in their eyes.

The SUV drove down a street, and a small plaza came into view up ahead.

A few old trucks, tractors, and assorted junk were parked in the center of the plaza. Zhou Jianguo hurried ahead of the vehicle, turning back and waving for Xu Mo to follow him.

Xu Mo followed his lead, parking the SUV in an empty spot at the edge of the plaza.

The moment the car stopped, Zhou Jianguo hurried over, a wide smile on his face. He started to extend his hand but seemed to think better of it, instead wringing his own hands and saying reverently:

"Welcome, welcome! You’re the savior of our Linhai Town!"

A few people followed behind Zhou Jianguo, all of them key fighters from the battle on the wall. There was the burly man with the machete, the lanky young man, and a few others whose names he didn’t know. Their eyes held a mixture of gratitude and undisguised reverence as they looked at Xu Mo.

Xu Mo understood how they felt. In the battle just now, he had single-handedly carved a path through the horde, dispatching over a hundred zombies in a matter of moments—including the Level 1 mutated zombies that had given them so much trouble. Such combat prowess far surpassed that of their entire settlement combined.

If he hadn’t intervened, Linhai Town would have likely suffered devastating losses today. The walls would have almost certainly been breached, and once the zombies poured into the town, the elderly, the weak, women, and children hiding in their homes would have been in grave danger.

Even if they had managed to hold the line, the casualties would have been immense. So it was only natural for them to be so solicitous. After a brief exchange of names and pleasantries, Zhou Jianguo led Xu Mo to a place where he could rest.

"Mr. Xu, this way, please." Zhou Jianguo stepped aside to lead the way. "Our accommodations are humble, but we can offer you some tea. You must be tired from your journey. Come, rest for a bit."

Xu Mo nodded and followed him toward a two-story building nearby that looked like a pre-apocalypse office.

Zhou Jianguo offered Xu Mo a chair and sat down opposite him, then instructed the lanky young man to pour them some tea.

"Mr. Xu," Zhou Jianguo began, "we really owe you for today. If you hadn’t stepped in, we would have been in for a world of hurt. On behalf of the three hundred and twelve souls in Linhai Town, thank you!"

He said, starting to rise from his chair to bow.

Xu Mo waved a hand, gesturing for him to stay seated.

"There’s no need for that. I was just passing by."

"But we must thank you!" Zhou Jianguo insisted. "You don’t understand. Those zombies have had us surrounded for two days. We’re low on bullets and low on men; we really couldn’t have held out. If it weren’t for you, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

Xu Mo said nothing.

The lanky young man brought over a cup of tea, placing it carefully in front of Xu Mo. The enamel cup was chipped and dented but had been washed clean. The tea was pale, and Xu Mo couldn’t tell what kind of leaves it was brewed from. Still, in this post-apocalyptic world, a hot cup of tea was a rare form of hospitality.

Xu Mo lifted the cup and took a sip. It was warm, with a hint of bitterness.

Setting the cup down, he looked at Zhou Jianguo.

"Leader Zhou, I have a question."

Zhou Jianguo nodded quickly. "Please, ask away."

"This place," Xu Mo paused, "it isn’t marked on any maps. But these buildings don’t look new. What’s the story with this town?"

Zhou Jianguo froze for a moment, then sighed.

"Since you’re asking, Mr. Xu, I’ll tell you the truth." He wrung his hands. "This town... it was originally abandoned."

"Abandoned?" Xu Mo asked, surprised.

"That’s right." Zhou Jianguo nodded. "This town was abandoned long before the outbreak. Everyone had moved away. We..."

He paused, seeming to organize his thoughts.

"We’re the ones who originally moved out of this town. After the outbreak, the places we’d moved to were completely overrun with zombies. We couldn’t stay any longer, so we thought of this place. We figured an abandoned town wouldn’t have any zombies, so we moved back in."

Xu Mo nodded. ’So that’s how it is.’

’An abandoned town, no zombies, with ready-made houses and walls... It really is an ideal shelter.’ No wonder it wasn’t on the map—a place like this wouldn’t be in any official records, and even if it had been, they would be long out of date.

"So how long have you been here?" Xu Mo asked.

"Almost a year now," Zhou Jianguo said. "When we first started, there were five or six hundred of us—the elderly, women, children, and those of us who were able-bodied. We all worked together, cleaned up the town, reinforced the walls, and cleared land for farming. Life was hard, but we managed to find some stability."

As he spoke, his expression darkened.

"But then..." He let out a heavy sigh.

Xu Mo said nothing, just watched him quietly.