The deserted street was suddenly filled with panicked footsteps.
Thud, thud, thud.
A man was running in the front.
Behind him, several figures looked just as terrified.
"They're coming!"
"Run, run!"
They looked back from time to time, shouting in panic as if afraid those zombies following them couldn't hear.
No one knew how they had appeared.
It was just overnight.
The entire city was now crawling with these bloodthirsty, ferocious monsters.
The group ran desperately and soon entered an alley no more than two meters wide, which ended in darkness.
"Damn it!"
The man in the lead cried out in pain.
He was so focused on the pursuing zombies, he seemed to have bumped into someone by accident.
No, that can't be right!
Who would be on the street at a time like this?
The man broke into a cold sweat instantly. Could it be a zombie?
He didn't get a chance to see clearly.
Suddenly, a very impatient voice rang out beside his ear:
"A zombie?"
"Where? Where is it?"
"Behind you guys?"
The person was grabbing his shirt tightly.
The man nodded instinctively as he was suddenly pushed up against the wall.
By the time he came to his senses, the person had already run towards the direction he had come from and quickly vanished around the corner of the alley.
"Hey, there's a—"
Zombie.
The man instinctively wanted to pull him back.
But then he thought, wouldn't it be better to have someone else take the fall?
Knowing there were zombies and still heading that way, wasn't that just asking for death?
With that in mind, he turned and ran.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ye had just left the alley and saw the figure crouched over a body.
No way?
Just one zombie?
He was somewhat speechless.
These people were scared into running all over the place by just a single zombie?
He had thought there would be at least three or four, or even seven or eight zombies!
Forget it, forget it.
One is one, making do is not impossible.
Zhang Ye thought to himself as his gaze shifted to the zombie's legs, and his eyes lit up.
These smooth and beautifully defined lines.
Thick and strong.
Before its death, it must have been a sports student who loved to exercise!
On closer inspection, it seemed like the bloody red vest it wore concealed rippling muscles!
In a different outfit, it could easily pass for a construction foreman!
This is the one!
Zhang Ye didn't hesitate and charged forward.
Crackle—
The sound of electricity crackled in an instant.
A high voltage current surged through the body of the zombie, causing it to convulse violently.
Alright, that should do it!
Zhang Ye quickly pulled out a dull-looking snake skin bag from his pocket and stuffed the robust zombie into it with a few swift movements.
Electrocute, bagging, done in one go!
Job's finished!
[Capture successful.]
[Employee +1.]
[Task complete, employee capacity increased by +10.]
A pleasant notification sound echoed in his mind.
The wriggling figure inside the bag suddenly stopped and then went still as if it had died.
"Phew, it's finally done."
Zhang Ye, hearing the notification, finally relaxed.
He spat into his hand.
Then, with great force, heaved the bag, which weighed at least 140 or 150 pounds, onto his back.
"Holy moly!"
"It's so heavy?"
Zhang Ye's face turned red.
But hearing the footsteps nearby, he took a deep breath and started running back into the alley.
The several people from before had long since run away without a trace.
The trash cans had also been knocked over.
It was likely that someone had done this on purpose to block the zombies that were following behind.
Carrying a bag on his back, he wound through the alleyways for quite some time before finally popping out of an exit on another street and rushing into the shop next door.
Bang, the door closed tightly!
"Phew—"
"Finally got back."
Zhang Ye took a moment to rest, then immediately headed upstairs.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw a figure swiftly turning something.
The person's face was pale, and their limbs were thin and withered.
Clearly, it was a zombie.
It didn't seem to notice Zhang Ye's arrival at all, just kept on tirelessly cranking the handle it was holding.
"Zzz—"
Weak currents of electricity sparked.
Etched on the machine that the zombie was holding were a few small words:
The more stamina you have!
The more electricity you'll have over difficulties!
Zhang Ye didn't pay any attention to the hardworking, power-generating zombie and went straight for the cellphone on the table.
The battery level in the top right corner of the screen had reached twenty-eight percent.
"Not bad!"
"Looks like you haven't been slacking off!"
"Keep it up, put in the effort you did when you tried to eat me!"
He patted the zombie's bald head with satisfaction, then wiped the sticky fluid from his hands onto the other's clothes with an expression of disgust.
The zombie ignored Zhang Ye's actions and kept on cranking the handle of the hand-cranked generator, its blood-red eyes filled with frenzy.
"Uh... ah..."
A deep groan echoed at the door.
Only then did Zhang Ye remember the zombie he brought back had yet to be dealt with.
Without a word, he turned and dived into the pile of boxes in the corner of the room, quickly extracting a brand-new hand-cranked generator from the middle.
"Here, yours!"
Zhang Ye shoved the generator into the hands of the newly arrived zombie.
He then looked at its mangled face with all seriousness and instructed solemnly,
"Unless your arm breaks!"
"You must not stop generating power, understand?"
Before he finished speaking, the zombie in front of him let out a shout and hugged the generator to its chest, then rapidly started turning it.
The lightbulb connected at the end of the generator quickly lit up.
The dim room suddenly became much brighter.
Zhang Ye, contented with the bright light in front of him and the cellphone that had risen by point one percent in battery life, couldn't help but fantasize:
One zombie can charge a cellphone.
If he had about ten or twenty of them—
wouldn't it be possible to even play on the computer in the bedroom?
With that thought, something resembling an employee roster appeared before his eyes again.
The first two numbers were already lit up.
001, 002.
They were the two zombies in the room.
Below their numbers was a line of small words: Working.
"Hahaha!"
"Who would've thought I'd have a day as a boss!"
Zhang Ye couldn't help but laugh out loud, surprised that, as a worker, his day to turn the tables had come.
Although the only two workers were zombies.
But that doesn't matter!
Zombies are great!
The best thing about them is, uh, the best thing is—
They don't need to eat at all!
Zero consumption!
Zero emissions!
Zero pollution!
They can work non-stop for twenty-four hours a day!
As long as he could catch more zombies, Zhang Ye could make them all join the noble cause of hand-cranking generators!
What a lofty undertaking!
Swipe through phones.
Play on computers.
When there's nothing else to do, he could even take a hot shower.
He never imagined that life after the apocalypse could be so wonderful!
Zhang Ye watched the generators that the two zombies had turned until they began to smoke, feeling a surge of emotion that almost brought tears to his eyes.
Wait a second.
It seemed he only bought two hand-cranked generators.