Chapter 40: 40 Taking Sides
Leaving goods on the truck, even when it's parked right under Building Seven, is hardly a safe thing to do.
If Su Han and his group weren't moving them, it meant they had other plans, which wasn't hard to guess.
Su Han nodded and didn't hide his intentions, "It's very inconvenient and unsafe inside the residential buildings once the water and gas are cut off. Remember the Spider Monsters?"
"You're worried those Spider Monsters will come again?"
Su Han shook his head and said, "They've learned to reproduce. I've seen their nests and eggs in the supermarket."
"Tentacle-mouthed Spiders?!"
Cheng Zhenyong's body shook and he looked shocked, "They, they mutated from humans, right? How could they...?"
It was unimaginable that mutated monsters could reproduce so quickly.
He immediately grasped the gravity of the situation, if even Spider Monsters could breed, then was it possible for the numerous Four-armed Corpses to also reproduce?
Or were other, even more terrifying monsters that they'd never seen before silently multiplying in the depths of the mist, quietly taking over the human world?
He felt a chill rise up his spine, rushing to his head. If the number of mutated monsters could increase, it would be a terrifying prospect for any survivor.
"Who knows what's going on? This apocalypse is probably just beginning."
Su Han was somewhat more composed than Cheng Zhenyong and thought of the enormous red eyeball that almost covered the entire sky. If that were a creature, and everything stemmed from it, then the end was far from over.
"I'm going to take some people who want to leave and find a safe place. Do you and your brothers want to join us?"
Although Cheng Zhenyong was a bit too idealistic, he was capable. Whether it was the speed of an Angel Envoy's Advancement, or his personal organizational and combat abilities, he had not tarnished his reputation as a retired soldier.
What Su Han could not understand was why such a capable, retired soldier from the Armed Forces wouldn't have stayed on to become a non-commissioned officer.
Cheng Zhenyong was silent for a long while, "You're not planning on going to the police station, are you?"
This was his intuition, and his perspective on the post-apocalyptic world was gradually forming. If the current chaos was just the beginning, then the old order was certain to collapse.
And there would be those who were destined to rise amidst the chaos.
He had a strong intuition that Su Han was precisely one of those people, without a doubt.
Su Han nodded and replied, "I'm even more eager to become stronger. Actually, you can too. Advancing to First-level Intermediate so quickly, your Talent must be pretty good."
The improvement of strength was related to the Contract with the Angel Envoy, the strength of the creatures they commanded, and their own Talents.
This was something they had all figured out.
After all, they were all from the same security team and had contracted around the same time, but Zhang Fu needed a bit more time to become First-level Intermediate.
"But many people will die, those monsters are too dangerous," Cheng Zhenyong gave a bitter smile. This apocalypse was just like the Armed Forces, where to achieve anything, one had to fight with sweat and risk their lives, "I'm sorry, Su Han, I will take people to the police station. I have comrades there."
Cheng Zhenyong didn't want his few security guards to be in too much danger. The police station had firearms, which would significantly increase their safety.
Su Han didn't insist, "We'll leave in the next couple of days. If you want to go to the police station, it's best to get ready, there are a lot of monsters outside."
Cheng Zhenyong nodded heavily and agreed. He was well aware of this.
The distribution of supplies was a thrilling event for all the survivors in Building Seven because almost ten days after the apocalypse began, their supplies had been exhausted.
If it weren't for Cheng Zhenyong's prior clearing of the floors and dealing with some supplies, some people would've likely starved to death by now.
In this cleanup, the ten volunteers almost all represented a friend or relative, which also meant that those who hadn't gone out got a share too.
As for those who hadn't gone out, some found ways to exchange for food, such as their bodies.
Su Han hadn't encountered such situations, or maybe those people didn't dare to provoke him.
But such arrangements had indeed emerged tacitly, like security guard Xiao Zhao who quietly acquired a voluptuous girlfriend.
Everyone gathered together and Zhang Fu took charge of distributing the supplies. Those who participated in the operation all received a share, including dry food, canned goods, and some medicines and daily necessities.
The goods from the private cars had largely been allocated. As for those on the truck, Zhang Fu left them almost untouched, by default accepting that those were Su Han and his group's share.
Although it was obvious that this share accounted for more than sixty percent of all the resources, not a single participant objected.
They all understood one principle, following the rules means you get something, not following them means you get nothing.
"Everyone, quiet down, I have something to say,"
Cheng Zhenyong, seeing that the distribution of supplies was almost finished, stood in the center of the hall and said loudly.
At the sound of his voice, people looked puzzled, and someone asked, "Captain Cheng, what's the matter?"
"Su Han and I have discussed this: The apartment building has no water source and no gas, it's not a safe place, and we'll be moving in a couple of days."
As soon as these words came out, some people's expressions changed slightly, and they began to discuss animatedly—the fog outside might have thinned, but monsters were still present and very dangerous.
"Captain Cheng, can't we just stay here and wait for official rescue? The fog has thinned; it should be coming soon,"
An older woman asked in a low voice. She was of age, and relocating was not an easy task for her.
"Yes, Captain Cheng, with you here, those monsters won't be able to get in. I think we should wait."
There will always be people who don't want to take risks, preferring to be the frog in slowly warming water, but Su Han didn't have the time to play a drawn-out game with them.
"Are we obligated to protect everyone?"
His voice rose, still as calm as it had been that day, causing a jolt in the survivors' hearts as their gazes fell on Su Han.
Especially those who didn't dare to take risks, yet expected others to protect them.
"I will find a new safe zone to settle down. Those with special skills who want to follow me go to Yan Meiyu to register. You can consider it. I will leave in two days."
Su Han spoke succinctly, not revealing what place he had chosen as the safe point.
He needed people at his camp, but he was decidedly not begging for others to join him; that would only tire him with management and hold him back.
"What do we have to give in return?"
Looking toward the direction of the voice, Su Han saw that the first to speak up was not an ordinary person but Zhao Yimin, who had previously joined him on the supermarket exploration.
"Fighting, defense, labor... If you're an ordinary person, I will try my best to help you form a Contract. If you can't fight or it's inconvenient for you to work, let your Angel Envoy do it. My team won't feed freeloaders; the apocalypse has no use for trash. What I can offer is the supplies acquired by the team and safety,"
Su Han said seriously, "Within the scope of my ability, I will help you deal with those monsters."
The implication of his words was clear to everyone—if even he couldn't resist the monsters, then it was an unlucky situation indeed.
Zhao Yimin seemed quite satisfied with the answer. He raised his hand and said, "Count me in."
Having witnessed the formidable strength of Su Han's Four-armed Corpse at the supermarket, he felt that following Su Han would provide more assurance of safety.
"Report to Yan Meiyu,"
Su Han replied, then added, "Everyone can think it over. If you want to join me, register later."
After finishing his words, he left the hall, while Yan Meiyu and Gan Xinglei did not. They stayed to handle the registration.
As soon as Su Han left, the crowd's discussion became even more chaotic.
Both Su Han and Cheng Zhenyong were planning to move. Once they left, there wouldn't be many capable people left in Building Seven. Even if the floors had been cleared, without someone to lead a search for supplies, venturing out was like delivering food to monsters.
Thus, many had already made up their minds—it was time to pick a side.
"Captain Cheng, from what you just said, you're not moving together. So, where will your group be heading?"
Taken aback by the sudden question, Cheng Zhenyong paused before replying, "I'm going to the Armed Forces headquarters; it should be safe there."
Some people's eyes lit up. That's right, how could they forget about the Armed Forces headquarters? Could those monsters be more powerful than guns?
"Captain Cheng, I'll go with you!"
"Right, right, I'll go with you guys!"
In a moment, many people gathered around Cheng Zhenyong. Gan Xinglei glanced at his wife and whispered, "Everyone's going to Captain Cheng's side, what now?"