Chapter 183 - 172: Horror Bank

Chapter 183: Chapter 172: Horror Bank

"Who are you people? Where did you come from?"

In the Golden Sand Villa District, a silver-haired elder asked.

There were about twenty-some people in the villa district, a mix of men, women, the elderly, and children.

Yu Dong’s side, in contrast, had 42 people. They were all combat personnel, strong and well-built, clad in combat suits and helmets, and fully equipped with weapons.

Half of them held Death God Repeating Crossbows, while most of the other half carried manganese steel longspears, along with some auxiliary weapons like riot forks and Explosive-Proof Shields.

And that wasn’t even counting the four guns they kept concealed.

Compared to the other group with their homemade weapons, it was like a medieval army encountering Stone Age hominins...

So, aside from the silver-haired elder, the rest of the people were trembling slightly, their gazes toward Yu Dong’s group filled with vigilance and fear.

Yu Dong glanced over. No one was interrupting the old man.

"Sir, are you the leader here? How should I address you?"

"My name is Song Jinchuan. I try to be fair in my dealings, so everyone tends to trust me..."

"Ah, I see. Could you tell us about your situation? What happened after the apocalypse started? There’s no need to be afraid. We’re not bad people. These are Officer Wang and Officer Xiao from the Huangyang Port Police Station."

Yu Dong found that, at this stage, the title of ’police officer’ was still very effective.

Hearing this, the people on the other side visibly relaxed and lowered their weapons.

Since police officers were leading the way, they didn’t have to worry about being robbed.

"So you’re with the police... No wonder you can travel around outside. We all live nearby. Because the villas here are all single-family homes with their own yards, it’s quite self-contained. On top of that, the zombie infection rate wasn’t too high, and when some people from the surrounding area fled here, the homeowners in our community took them in. Gradually, we ended up like this. We just finished putting up this protective barbed wire fence yesterday..."

"The infection rate wasn’t high?" Wang Dingbei asked doubtfully.

"That’s right. We took a count in our villa community... Only about half the people were infected. Friends who came from outside said the streets out there were suddenly flooded with zombies, with at least a 90% infection rate. It’s terrifying."

Zhao Youcai heard this and couldn’t help but laugh. "Right, right, so the rich have a lower infection rate than the poor, is that it? Turns out we were invaded by a capitalist virus!"

Yu Dong couldn’t stifle a laugh.

’They must have just been lucky...’

Just then, Wang Dingbei shouted, "Open the gate. You have to at least let us in for a look, right?"

The old man, Song Jinchuan, quickly called out, "Two of you, move the cheval de frise."

"Uncle Song, don’t... We don’t even know them."

A stocky man frowned and blocked the others, not wanting to let Yu Dong’s group in.

Song Jinchuan gave a wry smile. "It’s fine. The officer wants to take a look, how can we refuse? Let’s not have any bad blood. We don’t have anything to hide, and I trust that the officers aren’t the kind of people who would covet our meager supplies."

"Heh... An old pro is still an old pro. You youngsters should take some notes."

After they opened the barricade, Wang Dingbei and Yu Dong led their people inside, striding in confidently.

After taking a lap inside, Wang Dingbei went from house to house, discovering a considerable stockpile of food and various supplies, a simple weapon-making workshop, and even some homemade charcoal...

Seeing Wang Dingbei so insistent on coming in and being so thorough, Yu Dong asked in a low voice, "Wang, is something up?"

"Haven’t found anything."

"Then why are you searching everywhere so intently? I thought you’d found a problem..."

"Do you know the fastest way for a cop to size up a potential criminal?"

"Their eyes? Their killing intent? Body language?"

"Check their ID, take a look in their trunk."

"Nice!"

After finishing his inspection, Wang Dingbei led his people back to the entrance.

"Hm, your environment here is pretty good. Security is... acceptable for now. You’re also consciously gathering living supplies. You’ve done a good job leading your people, sir."

"Hehehe... ’He who does not look ahead will find trouble at his door.’ I’m just doing the best I can. We certainly can’t compare to you officers... Any word from the higher-ups on when peace might be restored?" Song Jinchuan stroked his neat beard.

"It’s hard to say. Things are chaotic up top as well. For now, we should just focus on taking care of ourselves."

On this issue, Wang Dingbei didn’t make any empty promises, merely stating the facts.

In this regard, he was completely different from Qiao Yunliang.

After this brief contact and inspection, Wang Dingbei determined that these weren’t bad people, but a group of good people trying their best to survive. This discovery was quite encouraging for Yu Dong.

It proved that these people were of high caliber, with experience fighting zombies and a strong sense of initiative.

"Everyone, you can go and pack your things. Come back with us to the cruise ship base at Huangyang Port. We’ve established an official settlement there and are currently rescuing survivors along Binhai Avenue. We welcome you to join us."

Yu Dong extended a hand, formally inviting the twenty-some people.

Song Jinchuan’s hand lifted slightly, then fell back down.

"I haven’t had the chance to ask, and you are, young man?"

"I’m Officer Wang’s partner and one of the three leaders of the cruise ship base, Yu Dong."

"A hero in the making. However... Brother Yu, and Officer Wang, this old man has an indelicate request... Could we possibly just stay here and wait for rescue?"

"What do you mean, sir? You think we’re not good people?"

"Of course not. This old man has lived for over sixty years; I can still tell good people from bad... It’s mainly that, from what I’m hearing, you have a lot of people over there, from all different backgrounds. ’Wherever there are people, there are politics.’ Allocations... rights... duties and responsibilities... The rules pile up. I’m afraid that people like us won’t be able to adapt and will end up causing you trouble instead."

As soon as he said this, Yu Dong’s estimation of Song Jinchuan rose even higher.

His words were mature and prudent; he had seen their potential problems at a glance.

"You have a good eye, sir. More people definitely means more trouble, but... where there’s trouble, there’s a solution. We can’t just stop growing because we’re afraid of trouble, can we? I think you have a sharp mind, sir. Perhaps after you join, you could consider taking on a role in our administration."

"Hmm... How about I ask everyone right now? If more than half are willing to go, we’ll all pack up and leave. If most of them don’t want to leave, then we’ll stay here and let those who want to go, go with you. How does that sound?"

Yu Dong and Wang Dingbei exchanged a look.

"Alright."

Song Jinchuan called out, "Does anyone want to go with the officers to live on the cruise ship at Huangyang Port? It’s bustling with people over there, and you’ll have police protection."

Not a single person raised their hand.

"Interesting... This is really interesting." Yu Dong looked at Song Jinchuan as if he were looking at a treasure.

"Sir, this team you’re leading... is quite impressive. Are you sure you won’t reconsider coming with us?"

"I’m quite sure..."

"But a type of climbing zombie has already appeared. They can scale your walls to the villa rooftops and then pounce down to eat you. This place isn’t safe."

"Thank you for the warning, Brother Yu. We’ll start making protective netting right away to defend against that kind of zombie!"

The silver-haired elder, Song Jinchuan, faced Yu Dong, Wang Dingbei, and their group alone, showing no fear. His words were resolute and powerful, neither servile nor overbearing, and his logic and emotional intelligence were both on point.

Seeing this, Yu Dong knew... they wouldn’t be able to persuade this group.

Wang Dingbei also shook his head.

"A stubborn old codger with a few tricks up his sleeve. Since it’s come to this, then you’d better get your defenses in order. I don’t want to see a field of corpses the next time I come here..."

"We’re leaving."

Wang Dingbei and Yu Dong led their people away.

Song Jinchuan watched their retreating figures and let out a sigh of relief.

’What a group of ruthless badasses... If only there were more ruthless people with this kind of combat power and conviction.’

"Uncle Song, since you think so highly of them, why didn’t you let us go over?"

"They have conviction, but are we without ability? Rather than become their subordinates, it’s better to become an important stronghold on Binhai Avenue. If my deductions are correct... this road will become the only safe thoroughfare in Yanhai City. We’ll have plenty more opportunities to interact with Yu Dong and Officer Wang. Only by maintaining our autonomy can we have our own voice. In a place with an absolute ruler... the people at the bottom don’t necessarily have it easy."

Song Jinchuan’s wisdom and strategy had long since won the others’ trust. They had only been able to take over the entire villa district because of his command.

That was why they all followed him, and at this moment, no one doubted his judgment.

On the seventh day of the apocalypse, Yu Dong’s group pushed a long way down Binhai Avenue, but they didn’t kill many zombies.

The bathhouse and the Golden Sand Villa District were both too clean.

"Damn it! These three little supermarkets have been completely cleaned out! That old man really didn’t leave a single thing for me!"

Unable to find anything, Huang Shuqiang was so furious his hands and feet turned cold.

"Heh... No wonder he was so confident. He’s been busy hoarding grain..." Wang Dingbei scoffed.

In his eyes, people like this who didn’t join the collective and instead sought their own petty advantages were all just troublemakers.

’It’s just a shame I couldn’t catch him doing anything wrong...’

In truth, the main reason Wang Dingbei had been so quick to leave was... the twenty-some people who had simultaneously refused to raise their hands. It proved that even his identity as a police officer couldn’t supplant Song’s prestige. Those people would rather follow Song than go with him.

You could say they were already a tight-knit faction.

If a group like that was forced onto the ship at gunpoint, they would be the biggest ticking time bomb.

Better to not have them at all.

As the sky gradually darkened, everyone boarded the semi-truck and returned to the cruise ship base.

That evening, the members of the combat team were eating and drinking, having a grand old time.

After finishing a bottle, the blond punk wasn’t satisfied. "Can you get me another bottle? Let me get an advance on tomorrow’s. This one bottle of draft beer just doesn’t cut it..."

"Yeah, yeah, killing zombies is exhausting."

"We just took such a big bar yesterday and seized half a truckload of booze. We risked our lives for that stuff. What’s the harm in drinking a little more?"

As soon as this was said, many other members of the combat team chimed in.

"Right, right, we secured so many supplies, but none of it is being distributed..."

"Just give us a little more. It’s not like we don’t have any."

"We can just go out and get more tomorrow. Why be so stingy? It’s not like supplies are scarce and impossible to find."

The combat team members grew more demanding.

Yu Dong realized the atmosphere was turning sour and immediately said in a stern voice:

"No rabble-rousing! The combat team’s points are all being recorded. Once the points are distributed, you can buy whatever you want. All supplies will be available for trade."

Fortunately, the troublemakers weren’t organized enough to make a real scene. Yu Dong’s shout was enough to quiet them down, and they went back to eating.

The blond punk and his two buddies were a little annoyed, but they didn’t say anything more. After all, the rules were the same for everyone, so at least it was fair.

After the meal, the three of them gathered on the deck to smoke.

CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!

Zhao Youcai arrived with four bottles of beer and set them down in front of the three men.

"Care for a drink?"

...

On the eighth day of the apocalypse, the combat team gained another five members.

The group passed through the Golden Sand Villa District and arrived at a large park, a beach, and a bank.

Yanhai Bank Headquarters.

The towering building stood right before them.

The only difference was that in his past life, Yu Dong had approached from the east. This time, he was coming from the west.

"Once we pass the bank and go one more street to the east, we’ll be at Xiangti Bay Community!" Zhao Wenjie said excitedly.

Yu Dong pursed his lips. "Did you forget how you died? And you’re still smiling!"

Zhao Wenjie: "..."

"We’re at your death-respawn point. Let’s go, to the bank. The three people inside aren’t dead yet, and the climbing zombies haven’t gotten in to kill them. We’ll take the bank, and fast."

Yu Dong led his men and easily breached the bank’s doors.

And then... upon hearing the commotion, the zombies filling the entire bank let out furious roars.

ROAR!!!

Countless zombies came surging down from the upper floors!

The whole bank shook as if there were an earthquake.

"Holy shit! Why are there so many zombies?!"

"Retreat!!!"