Moments later, Zhu Jiu returned to the conference room, mounted on the wolf king.
Inside the school building, many students caught their first glimpse of the wolf king, their faces etched with awe and trepidation.
Its silvery fur and piercing golden eyes radiated a primal power, a terrifying magnificence that was impossible to ignore. But when they noticed Zhu Jiu perched atop the beast, their fear shifted to reverence and admiration.
Though envious, the students understood the vast gulf between Zhu Jiu's strength and their own.
"Only someone as powerful as Brother Zhu Jiu could tame such a formidable mount," many thought to themselves.
Unbothered by their reactions, Zhu Jiu rode the wolf king directly to the conference room.
The room, once barren, was now packed with supplies—blankets, coats, gasoline, charcoal, food, firewood. The windows had been carefully sealed with cotton to enhance insulation.
"Not bad, Zhang Xinyu," Zhu Jiu mused, observing his subordinate busily organizing and directing the others.
Zhang Xinyu had proven his worth.
The students, too, were diligently at work. No one slacked off, and each contributed their effort to the collective survival.
But something felt amiss. Zhu Jiu scanned the room and noticed that about ten students, led by Fatty, were absent.
"Where's Fatty's team?"
His brows furrowed. Zhu Jiu had explicitly instructed everyone to return before nightfall. Once darkness descended, dangers would multiply, and the dropping temperature would make any delay perilous.
Even so, Zhu Jiu trusted Fatty's resourcefulness. "He's too slippery to fall into serious trouble," he reassured himself.
Just then, Zhang Xinyu noticed Zhu Jiu and hurried over. His eyes darted to the wolf king, flickering with both awe and envy.
"Stop staring," Zhu Jiu chuckled. "One day, I'll take you up the mountain so you can tame a mount of your own."
Zhu Jiu gestured toward the supplies. "Good work here, but there's more to be done. Organize these resources and store them in the classrooms. Line up the desks, throw on some blankets, and turn this conference room into a dormitory. The adjacent classrooms will serve as storage.
"Set up a patrol schedule—four teams on rotation. Each team patrols for three hours at a time, twice a day. Make sure there's no breach, whether it's an infected or another human trying to sneak in."
Zhang Xinyu diligently jotted down every instruction in his notebook.
After issuing his orders, Zhu Jiu asked, "By the way, where's Fatty? I don't see him around."
Zhang Xinyu hesitated before replying, "Fatty came back twice earlier, brought a bunch of supplies, and then headed out again. Said there was some noise coming from Huachen District. He wanted to check it out, but I didn't press for details."
"Huachen District, huh?" Zhu Jiu nodded. The area was right across from the school. If something was amiss there, it could spill over to their territory. Fatty had made the right call by investigating.
"I'll go take a look," Zhu Jiu said, handing Zhang Xinyu a small glass vial containing a single pill.
The vial held a Dragon-Tiger Pill, one of the rewards from his system. Consuming it would significantly enhance physical strength and resilience, essentially a supercharged booster for the body.
For Zhu Jiu, who already boasted monstrous strength and vitality, the pill was marginally useful, so he saw it as an ideal reward for Zhang Xinyu's hard work.
"There are rewards and consequences for actions," Zhu Jiu thought. "This will motivate the group and strengthen our cohesion."
Without waiting for Zhang Xinyu's gratitude, Zhu Jiu mounted the wolf king and raced toward Huachen District.
The wolf king was as swift as it was powerful, dispatching infected creatures along the way with savage efficiency. Zhu Jiu didn't even need to lift a finger; he simply reaped the system's rewards.
By the time they reached Huachen District, his points had risen to 230—enough to max out two basic martial arts techniques.
But Zhu Jiu had his sights set higher.
He was saving up for a new technique from the system store: Lesser Yang Energy Art.
This inner energy technique promised unmatched ferocity, perfectly aligning with Zhu Jiu's bold fighting style. Beyond boosting physical strength, it specialized in countering infected creatures and mitigating cold exposure—ideal for surviving the current crisis.
However, its cost was steep: 200 points to unlock and 100 points per level to upgrade. Maxing it out would require a staggering 1,000 points.
"I'll start with the basics and grind for the rest later," Zhu Jiu resolved, immediately purchasing the technique.
System Notification:
200 points consumed. You have obtained the Ancient Martial Art—Lesser Yang Energy Art.
Zhu Jiu's status panel updated:
Host: Zhu Jiu (Healthy)Title: Initiate Martial ArtistMartial Arts:Wing Chun (Lv. 9)Eight Trigrams Blade (Lv. 9)Iron Shirt (Lv. 9)Lesser Yang Energy Art (Lv. 1, Upgrade Cost: 100 points)Points: 32Note: Second Wave Apocalypse underway. Prepare to survive.
Closing the system panel, Zhu Jiu focused on the newfound warmth spreading through his body. It felt like a blazing furnace was stoking his inner organs, refining his very core.
The contrast between Iron Shirt, which fortified his muscles, and Lesser Yang Energy Art, which strengthened his internal systems, was striking.
"Inner and outer mastery," Zhu Jiu mused. "This is the path to invincibility."
When he reopened his eyes, his pupils glinted faintly with a fiery hue—proof of his burgeoning mastery of Lesser Yang Energy Art.
He exhaled sharply, releasing a concentrated plume of vapor shaped like a sword.
Zhu Jiu's ears perked up suddenly.
Faint but unmistakable, the sounds of battle and a familiar voice carried through the air.
"Fatty!"
Without hesitation, Zhu Jiu urged the wolf king forward.
At that moment, the communicator strapped to his chest buzzed to life.