Shen Chen didn't get a chance to speak further. Zhao Ze tsked and said in a sarcastic tone, "Did you know your phone call nearly killed us? And now you want to blow us off with a 'thank you?' Hm?"
Guo Yuan, Zhao Zhen, and Pan Di recalled the horrifying experience they had just had, and their faces fell, too. Although the man and child were pitiful, in the end, the man's selfish actions had nearly made them lose their lives.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I really had no choice! Those zombies were right outside the door. Whenever my child cried, they pounded on the door endlessly… It's fine for me to die, but my child…" Zhang Hongtao shook his head bitterly. "He's only three! He should have a better life. He should be enjoying a happy childhood, not becoming zombie food…"
"God f*cking d*mn it. Your child shouldn't be zombie food, yet we should? Did you know I had to hang on a rope and act as zombie bait just to save you?!" Zhao Ze said viciously, every detail of the situation vivid in his memory. He hated the man to the point of insanity. He wanted to release all his fear and hatred. He didn't dare do it to Shen Chen, so he could only do it toward the man.
"Alright, are you done? You're so caught up in scolding him, yet what about yourself? Who was the one who said there were no more zombies on the fifth floor? The moment we walked out, several zombies gathered around us. If boss hadn't been so quick to react and jump down the elevator to save us, we would be dead by now! Why don't you scold yourself?" Guo Yuan couldn't stand it anymore. He slammed the table and stood up, glaring at Zhao Ze.
Zhao Ze became more and more arrogant. He yelled rudely, "I have bad vision. I couldn't see clearly. Besides, all of you had weapons. What's a handful of zombies to you?!"
"You must have said there were no zombies on purpose! You wanted to kill us, didn't you?" Zhao Zhen stood up too.
The situation instantly grew tense. The girls didn't know this had happened. They couldn't console the men, even if they wanted to. They could only watch the three men glare at each other in concern.
"What proof do you have? What proof do you have?" Zhao Ze humphed from his nose.
"You want f*cking proof?" Pan Di slammed the table. "When I let you down to bait the zombies, I shouldn't have pulled you back up!"
"Shut up!" Shen Chen reprimanded loudly. Everyone immediately shut up, but they were all red in the face and unwilling to yield.
Shen Chen's gaze stayed on Zhao Ze for a long time, until Zhao Ze couldn't help but get goosebumps. Only then did he turn around coolly and say slowly, "Alright, what happened today will end here. Everyone go eat and rest."
Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen looked at each other. They didn't speak. They sat down in silence. Zhang Xiaoya hastily got both of them some rice, but they ate discontentedly. Pan Di sighed and was about to say something, but Lin Qianqian tugged him, so he stayed silent, too. Only the sound of chopsticks hitting bowls came from the dining table.
Zhao Ze was a little anxious. He couldn't help speculating what Shen Chen's stare from earlier meant. 'Could this b*stard Shen Chen know something... No, if he knew I did purposely try to kill those two brats, he definitely wouldn't be so calm. He would certainly jump up and kill me... right, so he must not know... He must not know.'
At this thought, Zhao Ze's trembling hands gradually settled down. He was just about to reach for his rice when Shen Chen suddenly said, "Zhao Ze!"
The chopsticks in Zhao Ze's hands fell to the floor with a clack. He didn't know when he had started becoming afraid of Shen Chen, but it was without doubt because Shen Chen was not easy to handle. Zhao Ze composed himself, then managed to squeeze out a smile. "Boss, what's… what's up?"
Everyone had their hearts in their mouths, unsure what Shen Chen meant to do. Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen's faces were radiant. Boss was about to avenge them!
"You did well as a bait today!"
"Huh?"
These words made Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen's faces immediately turn pale. They blinked blankly, not willing to believe what they heard. 'How could this be? Why would Boss praise this guy? Zhao Ze was clearly trying to kill us. Why would Boss believe in this a**hole?'
A smile bloomed on Zhao Ze's face. He returned to his usual arrogance, shooting a mocking glance at Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen. He said with a sneer, "Hmph, now you know. Where were you when I was hanging on a rope acting as bait? And you wanted to fight me?"
Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen had unyielding expressions on their faces. Although Zhao Ze had done what a bait was supposed to do, that was only because Shen Chen had forced him. They didn't believe that Zhao Ze would have had the courage to do it himself without a malicious motive.
Zhao Ze calmly reached for the biggest piece of chicken on the table. He contently watched the boys stare at him with faces red from anger, then quickly placed the food into his own bowl. "Sigh, it can't be helped. Those who are more able need to eat more. People like you, who get chased around by zombies, should just stay at home and cook with the girls!"
Before he could finish, Shen Chen rubbed his palms and said with a smile, "That's right. Although you did a bad job scouting the enemies today, I have to admit, you were born to be bait. From now on, you will take on the job of baiting!"
Clank. The bowl full of food dropped from Zhao Ze's hands. He stared at Zhao Ze, who looked very calm, and suddenly felt an emotion like fear. His heart was in his mouth, and he said with a stutter, "The job… of… baiting?"
"Yes. What? You have an objection?"
Zhao Ze gulped. "Don't be ridiculous…" His face instantly became white as a sheet of paper. His features were all out of place. He felt like he had been dropped into a hole of ice. He was cold from head to toe. At that moment, he seriously wanted to yell, "Who the hell wants to be a bait? Being a bait means risking my life!"
But he felt that something was slightly off. He raised his head and looked at Shen Chen with horror. Shen Chen's face was as cold as frost. He stared at Zhao Ze and said, "Aren't you bad at spotting and detecting zombies? I can't see any value in you besides being bait."
Thump. Zhao Ze fell to the floor onto his butt. He was astonished and went limp, as if his spine were broken.
'He knows. He must know something. He's not exposing me, because he wants to torture me to death.' The more he thought about it, the more he became afraid, and the more twisted his emotions became.
Everyone watched Zhao Ze with an expression of disdain. Ye Xiaoyu couldn't help bursting into laughter, her gaze full of approval for Shen Chen.
Watching Zhao Ze's face turn from ecstasy and arrogance to a pallor, Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen felt like they had just drunk a cold soda in the middle of summer. They were elated. Boss wasn't trying to praise Zhao Ze. He was purposely setting a trap! 'Boss is indeed a boss. He didn't directly reprimand Zhao Ze, but punished him even more harshly.'
Zhao Ze hugged himself. Tiny goosebumps rose on his arms. He shook his head in terror, yelling loudly, "No… I don't want to be bait… Shen Chen, you can't f*cking treat me this way!"
Shen Chen watched Zhao Ze, who was trembling on the ground, with indifference. Then he slowly crouched down and said, "Next time, don't let me find out you have bad vision and can't see zombies clearly. Also, don't waste this bowl of food that fell on the ground. Eat it up!"
Shen Chen's expression was tranquil and ordinary, as if he were saying something extremely mundane, but his words made everyone sense his authority, especially Zhao Ze. He suddenly realized Shen Chen was definitely not the brat he had assumed him to be. Rather, he was a powerful figure.
The Shen Chen of the previous life would have just cut a villain like this without giving him any chances. However, Guo Yuan and Pan Di had just joined and had no concept of the cruelty of Doomsday. If he killed now, they would definitely detest it. If that happened, then he would fail in his goal of leading the brothers in this life. Thus, he had to endure it for now.
Shen Chen raised his head, saying to Zhang Xiaoya, "There was too much food eaten today. In the future, it will be enough to guarantee basic nutritional needs. These are chaotic times. Resources are in shortage. We must be conservative with our resources. Ye Xiaoyu, who studied medicine, will be responsible for balancing our diet."
Everyone immediately nodded, convinced. The three brothers from the dorm gazed at Shen Chen's powerful and authoritative face, thinking to themselves, 'Shen Chen is completely different from before. Is it possible that you can only see who the real leaders are in an apocalypse?'
Ye Xiaoyu's eyes were sparkling. A man like this, with such aura and such wit! That was the kind of man she fell for!
Everyone finished their food and returned to their rooms. Zhang Xiaoya and Ye Xiaoyu lived in the same room. The two of them were about to go back when Zhao Zhen suddenly grabbed Zhang Xiaoya's hand. "Xiaoya, can I talk to you for a bit?"
Zhang Xiaoya gazed at Zhao Zhen with a blush, then looked at Ye Xiaoyu. "Xiaoyu…"
Ye Xiaoyu smiled, then pushed the two of them into the room, faking an angry tone. "I'll only give you an hour… yeah… Two hours! I'm going to knock when the time's up!"
Zhao Zhen immediately broke out into a smile, bowing to Ye Xiaoyu. "Thank you. Thank you, Xiaoyu."
On the other side, Pan Di saw this and was stirred. He sighed and said to Lin Qianqian, "How about we do that too?"
Lin Qianqian pushed Pan Di in annoyance. "I'm on my period!" Then she went back to her room with Li Jing.
Guo Yuan walked up and patted Pan Di's shoulder. He spoke in a grave but sincere tone. "Di, that girl Lin Qianqian doesn't suit you very well."
Pan Di smiled bitterly, then scratched his head. "Fourth, I know she looks down on me, but I can't help liking her!"
Guo Yuan gazed at Pan Di speechlessly, then shook his head.
Shen Chen sat on his bed alone, staring at the twenty-four vials of evolution fluid. The twenty-four vials of evolution fluid had all finished settling. They gave off a cold aura. Based on the directions for consumption in his past life, each time someone drank a vial of evolution fluid, they had to wait twenty-four to thirty-six hours before they could drink another vial. Otherwise, if too much evolution fluid built up in their body, there was the possibility of cadaverization.
Shen Chen looked at his watch. More than thirty-six hours had passed since he had last drunk one. That meant it was safe for him to drink a second vial.