Even though Wang Xiong was an Awakened, it still took him and Zhang Lixin a few hours to clear the bodies of the zombies on the street.
After finishing the task, it was already late in the day. When he returned home, he found that Meng Jie had already brought the corpse of the giant zombie back to the house.
The foul rotten smell filled the entire house and made Wang Xiong frown. However, Meng Jie said to Wang Xiong excitedly, "This is excellent research material. Perhaps I can find the secret of the growth of an Awakened from this zombie."
Hearing the words "growth of an Awakened," Wang Xiong seemed to have been triggered and became interested.
Circling the giant zombie a few times, Wang Xiong disregarded the stench and just chuckled, saying, "Meng Jie, you're amazing!"
Meng Jie waved her hand, saying, "It's nothing impressive. This is what I do… It's just that we have too few experimental equipment here. I can't conduct many experiments."
But there was nothing they could do about it.
After a brief chat, Wang Xiong pulled Zhang Lixin along to find food and water—this time, they did not knock on Lu Ming's door.
The night passed uneventfully.
...
On Tuesday, the tenth day of the Apocalypse Calendar, Back-Training Day.
He got out of bed, washed up, cooked, ate, and peeped through the window.
Coincidentally, Lu Ming saw Wang Xiong and Zhang Lixin leaving the house.
Wang Xiong's sharp eyes saw Lu Ming and he greeted him with a smile. Lu Ming nodded in response.
—For the sake of ammunition.
After watching Wang Xiong and the other walk far away, Lu Ming closed the observation window and began his training for the day.
An hour and a half of fitness training.
Lu Ming's attributes became:
Strength: 13.9 (14.7) ↑.
Physique: 14.4 (15.2) ↑.
Agility: 15.5 (16.3) ↑.
Fitness Lv3 (100/300).
After a cup of protein shake and the feeling of sweat, Lu Ming nodded in satisfaction.
He suddenly thought of something and went to the observation window to look out.
Soon, Lu Ming closed the observation window in disappointment.
"It's a pity that Wang Xiong didn't lure the monsters today."
There was a significant difference in the skill proficiency gained from fighting zombies versus shooting at targets. After yesterday's battle, Lu Ming realized that it was not too dangerous to crouch on the second floor and fight zombies with the cooperation of someone.
Thinking that if Wang Xiong could still lure the monsters today, Lu Ming would reluctantly cooperate with him. However, he was a little disappointed.
Picking up the bow and arrow from the table, Lu Ming aimed and shot at the target—one shot after another. There was no other way; he had to keep practicing the skill, even if progress was slower.
...
"Brother Zhang, it's over there."
On a low building near the village entrance, Wang Xiong whispered to Zhang Lixin.
Zhang Lixin was definitely familiar with the environment ahead—his troops had suffered a crushing defeat here.
Returning to the old place, Zhang Lixin felt not only desolation but also a sense of helplessness.
Because the horde of zombies had not completely dispersed.
Without any sound to attract them, the zombies obediently gathered around the military vehicle, wandering around but not moving far. To obtain the military vehicle and weapons, the only way was to use Wang Xiong's method - to lure the monsters.
However, with that number, even if there were no giant zombies in the horde, Wang Xiong, although an Awakened, would probably be severely injured if he was not careful.
"Aye."
With a deep sigh, Zhang Lixin spoke up, "In that case, we can only proceed slowly… Never mind, let's not worry about this for now. We need to go out and find food, water, and trace the survivors."
"If possible, I think…"
As he spoke, Zhang Lixin hesitated.
He wanted to gather the survivors.
Firstly, there was strength in numbers, and sticking together in a disaster was certainly not wrong..
Secondly, protecting the people was the duty and responsibility of a soldier.
Thirdly, the neighborhood near Lu Ming's house was relatively safe.
Having two awakened individuals responsible for security is much better than leaving the survivors to fend for themselves.
The reason why he hesitated was that Zhang Lixin was afraid that Wang Xiong did not agree with him.
After all, the apocalypse had arrived, and everyone should focus on their own survival.
Awakened ones might have stronger abilities, but Zhang Lixin had no reason to demand that those with stronger abilities must shoulder more responsibilities.
Unexpectedly, Wang Xiong suddenly reached out and patted Zhang Lixin's shoulder.
"I also want to gather the survivors and protect the people."
Turning to look at Wang Xiong, Zhang Lixin noticed that a sense of righteousness seemed to radiate from his face.
Wang Xiong spoke softly, "I used to like superhero movies the most. My favorite line was, 'With great power comes great responsibility!'"
"The reason why I learned mixed martial arts is firstly because I have the talent for it, and secondly, I thought I could use it to promote justice in the future..."
Zhang Lixin smiled. "Before the apocalypse, we lived in a society governed by law. It was the responsibility of the police to punish evil and promote good."
Wang Xiong scratched his head with a silly smile, "Well, I was still young back then and didn't understand much…"
"In any case, I understand your thoughts, Brother Zhang. Besides, this is also my thought."
"The shelter you mentioned to Sister Dong is too far away… And the shelter is not able to protect everyone. In fact, after I met the Slingshot brothers yesterday… no, it should be after meeting Lu Ming, I had this thought."
"That is, to set up a reliable shelter centered around the street at Lu Ming's house."
"By doing so, I think it can help a lot of people."
As he spoke, Wang Xiong's eyes were filled with anticipation.
Zhang Lixin suddenly understood.
He had been deceived by Wang Xiong's formidable combat power…
Because fundamentally, Wang Xiong was just a 23-year-old young man who was righteous and heroic.
With this realization, Zhang Lixin spoke softly, "You are a natural-born hero."
Wang Xiong scratched his head shyly.
"Brother Zhang, you soldiers are the real heroes."
...
Both of them were quite reliable in their execution capabilities.
That afternoon, they brought back three survivors.
It was a family of three.
The father and mother were about 30 years old. The child was only eight years old.
Wang Xiong temporarily settled this family of three in a house nearby that had been cleaned, and then he went to Lu Ming's house.
He rang the doorbell, and soon, Lu Ming's voice sounded.
"What's the matter?"
"Brother Lu Ming, three more survivors have come to our block. I was thinking that we should have a meal together today and get to know each other…"
"I'm not going."
Whether a newcomer came or not had nothing to do with Lu Ming. Just don't come into my house.
Lu Ming was even less interested in gathering for a meal or anything like that..
He was about to hang up the call when he heard Wang Xiong's voice come through again.
"Okay, I understand your situation, brother. I just want to tell you more about what's going on outside."
"Let's not talk about the city, but there are quite a few survivors in our Good Hope Village. However, there are even more zombies."
"Tomorrow, I'll prepare…"
It was undeniable that Wang Xiong was a good person.
But at the same time, he was a chatterbox.
He stood outside Lu Ming's house and rambled on and on, unaware that Lu Ming had already left the electronic screen and gone to the kitchen to start cooking.
It wasn't until Wang Xiong's mouth was dry that he finally walked away in satisfaction.
He did not realize that Lu Ming had not heard a single word he said.