Ye Fan observed Wang Hu once more and noticed a backpack on the soldier's back. Unlike the commander's backpack, it contained essentials such as a sleeping bag, a water bottle, a small pack of compressed biscuits, and a bottle of canned meat.
"Is this all you eat?" Ye Fan inquired.
"Reporting to the commander, each soldier receives one meal of rations every day to sustain life. If you wish to keep the soldiers healthy, the commander needs to provide more food," Wang Hu explained.
Ye Fan realized that with increased status came greater responsibility. Collecting supplies in these trying times was essential for sustaining an expanding army.
Since he couldn't return empty-handed from the sixth floor, Ye Fan started gathering supplies. Money was no longer crucial; he needed gold, silver, and food.
After searching the room, he found two bottles of white wine, rice, flour, fresh vegetables, beef, mutton, seafood hot pot base ingredients, and seafood meatballs. It seemed the previous occupants were preparing for a hot pot meal.
Ye Fan gathered the food into a bucket of water, taking up almost a third of the space. He also discovered several boxes of Tianzi brand cigarettes and collected them.
With Private Wang Hu to protect him, Ye Fan contemplated clearing out all the residents in the building. Finding gold and silver was the primary goal.
"Wang Hu, can you break open the security door?" Ye Fan inquired.
"If shooting is allowed, it will take ten seconds. If not, tools are required," Wang Hu responded.
"What tools are needed? Lock-picking tools?"
"Sir, ordinary soldiers are not proficient in unlocking skills and can only violently break down doors using tools such as hammers or fire axes."
Ye Fan hesitated about using a firearm due to the nearby zombies in the residential area. He considered using a fire axe but lacked the necessary tools.
Ye Fan's building was part of a community comprising six old-fashioned residential buildings. The property office was located at the gatekeeper of the fourth building.
Although the property office was not far away, there were over 20 zombies in the yard, making Ye Fan apprehensive.
"Can we deal with these zombies without shooting?" Ye Fan inquired.
"Sir, I have a bayonet. You are responsible for covering me, and I will try by relying on the corridor door," Wang Hu suggested.
"Okay, let's go," Ye Fan agreed.
As they descended the stairs and approached the unit's door, Ye Fan knocked on each door along the corridor. Some rooms echoed with zombie roars, but locked doors prevented their escape. Ye Fan marked the silent houses.
Reaching the first floor, Wang Hu opened a door, attracting the attention of a male zombie. The zombie roared and pounced, but Wang Hu swiftly stabbed it with his bayonet, killing it with precision. Another male zombie approached, met the same fate, and was swiftly dispatched.
The noise attracted more zombies, and Wang Hu wisely closed the door and retreated to the second floor.
Observing Wang Hu's prowess, Ye Fan marveled at the simplicity with which the powerful soldier handled the zombies.
Wang Hu explained, "Sir, zombies are slow, and apart from their terror and the virus threat, they're not formidable. Overcoming fear and facing them calmly makes killing them easy."
Wang Hu continued, "Sir, as our commander, you will undoubtedly be much stronger than us."
Ye Fan, not wanting to appear timid, replied confidently, "Of course, I have no problem. In school, my classmates respectfully called me the cold-faced killer."
Wang Hu admired, "It sounds very strong... If you dare to call yourself that, you should have the strength of a special operations team member."
Ye Fan nodded and turned away, concealing a slight blush. The name "Cold-faced Killer" indeed existed, but it was a humorous nickname: "Big Bowl of Cold Noodle Killer," a title earned for devouring five bowls at once.
Instructing Wang Hu to kill two female zombies for their jewelry, Ye Fan marveled at the soldier's efficiency. Nana promptly informed him of the money acquired from the precious metals, bringing the total to 79.
With the rapid increase in funds due to mobilizing troops, Ye Fan contemplated producing a second soldier. The combination of two soldiers would make acquiring a fire axe a straightforward task.