Mr. Wang suddenly stood up and ran toward the classroom door. Zhang Xinyu quickly grabbed him.
"Mr. Wang, where are you going?"
"The cafeteria," Mr. Wang replied with frustration.
"Everyone's been starving for more than a day. No food, no water, and constant fear. If this goes on, they won't last much longer."
Zhu Jiu finally understood. Earlier, Mr. Wang had gone out alone to fetch supplies but was ambushed by a horde of infected.
If Zhu Jiu and his group hadn't shown up in time, Mr. Wang might not have made it back alive.
"Mr. Wang," Zhang Xinyu asked, puzzled, "didn't you say there were seven Evolvers? Why were you the one going to get food?"
"Four of them are students," Mr. Wang replied hesitantly. "I couldn't let them take the risk. The other two, well…"
Mr. Wang stammered and trailed off, but Zhu Jiu understood immediately.
The other two were likely too afraid to leave, so they sent Mr. Wang out on his own to fetch supplies.
Being a teacher didn't automatically mean someone was noble. Teachers like Mr. Wang, willing to risk their lives for their students, were a rare breed.
"Ah…" Zhu Jiu sighed inwardly before speaking up.
"Mr. Wang, going out alone is a death sentence. I have a suggestion you might want to hear."
"Our primary objective here is to reach the school's sterile lab. If you're willing to help us, I'll accompany you to the cafeteria to gather food."
Zhu Jiu had multiple reasons for making this offer.
First, the school was crawling with infected. While Zhu Jiu was strong, even he had his limits. A capable ally like Mr. Wang would be invaluable.
Second, navigating the sprawling school campus would be much easier with someone familiar with the layout. Zhang Xinyu was too weak, requiring constant protection, so Mr. Wang was the better choice.
Lastly, Zhu Jiu genuinely admired Mr. Wang's selflessness. A good teacher like him shouldn't be left to fend for himself.
Hearing Zhu Jiu's offer, Mr. Wang was overjoyed. He had witnessed Zhu Jiu's prowess—this man could kill a dozen infected with a single swing of his blade! Having Zhu Jiu as a companion made the trip far less daunting.
With their plan decided, the two set out immediately, leaving Ruan Qingyan, Fatty, and Zhang Xinyu to wait in the classroom. Zhu Jiu wasn't worried about their safety with Fatty guarding them.
The duo dashed out of the teaching building and headed straight for the cafeteria.
They encountered numerous infected along the way, but none posed a significant threat to Zhu Jiu.
At his current strength, he only needed to worry about being swarmed by hundreds of infected at once. Groups of ten or so were nothing more than walking point generators.
The cafeteria was only a few hundred meters away, but in that short distance, Zhu Jiu slaughtered dozens of infected, bringing his points total to a staggering 161.
"This school really is a goldmine for grinding points," Zhu Jiu thought to himself. Suddenly, he noticed a shadow flit across the cafeteria's interior.
His enhanced vision quickly discerned the figure.
It wasn't an infected—it was a human!
"There are survivors in the cafeteria?"
His brows furrowed. If there were humans, it meant there were no infected, as the two couldn't coexist.
Mr. Wang also noticed the movement and was ecstatic.
"This is wonderful! Apart from the people in our building, there are others still alive in the school!"
Having stayed in the teaching building since the outbreak, Mr. Wang had no idea there were other survivors. Seeing his fellow humans filled him with hope.
Zhu Jiu, however, remained cautious. His previous encounter with the werewolf Evolver had taught him not to trust so easily.
In the apocalypse, humans weren't always allies.
With that in mind, Zhu Jiu scooped up a handful of sand from the ground and slipped it into his pocket—just in case. The cafeteria was their territory, and who knew what might happen?
Mr. Wang noticed the action and looked puzzled but chose not to comment.
When they reached the cafeteria, they found the doors tightly locked.
"Friends, open up!" Mr. Wang called, knocking on the door.
"I'm a teacher from the school. Could you please open the door?"
Inside the cafeteria, there were more than ten people: two in chef uniforms, three in security uniforms, and several students.
The two chefs and three security guards were casually playing cards, while the students served tea and catered to their every whim, their expressions strangely subservient.
One student recognized Mr. Wang and lit up with joy, rushing toward the door.
But before he could reach it, one of the security guards—a burly man—stood up with startling speed, grabbed the student, and slapped him hard across the face.
"Stupid brat! Did I say you could move?"
The slap was brutal, leaving the student's face swollen and bloody.
The other students didn't react with shock or outrage. Instead, they looked even more eager to please, as if terrified of meeting the same fate.
"You!" Mr. Wang shouted, his face turning red with anger. He pointed at the burly man, his voice trembling.
Zhu Jiu, however, was far calmer. Without a word, he drew his heavy blade and cleaved through the door's lock, pushing it open.
The burly man spat out his cigarette and sneered.
"What? You wanna stand up for that kid?"
"You've got some nerve causing trouble on my turf. Looks like you two have a death wish."
Behind him, the other four men—all Evolvers—stood up, arms crossed, their expressions mocking.
They knew the burly man's strength all too well. Despite all five being Evolvers, the burly man alone was strong enough to take on the other four combined.
He was terrifyingly powerful.
"You…" Mr. Wang stammered, his voice trembling with fury. "You're supposed to be a school security guard! You're supposed to protect the students, not hurt them!"
The burly man snorted and spat on the ground.
"Spare me the moral high ground, teach. This is the apocalypse. The only thing that matters now is strength."
He sneered and added, "And just so you know, a few other teachers came here before, spouting the same crap about what I should and shouldn't do. Wanna know what happened to them?"
The man's grin turned sinister.
"I threw them outside. Let the infected deal with their self-righteousness."
"You… you monster!" Mr. Wang shook with rage. The idea of throwing fellow survivors to the infected was unthinkable.
"Enough." Zhu Jiu sighed, stepping forward and unsheathing his blade.
"So much pointless chatter."
"You're right about one thing, though," Zhu Jiu said, his gaze cold and unyielding. "In the apocalypse, strength is the only truth."
"Now, let me ask you—"
"How do you want to die?"