Chapter 11: The Opportunity Has Arrived (Contracted—Request Following, Request All Votes)

“You’re a good girl, hey…”

Zhang Su casually handed Zheng Xinyu a “good person” card.

“Go to hell!”

Zheng Xinyu never expected she’d one day receive a “good person” card—furious, she puffed out her cheeks and glared at Zhang Su.

“Stop talking nonsense—let’s figure out how to kill the zombies outside the door.”

Zhang Su immediately regretted his earlier flippant remark and switched to a serious tone.

“You go do it yourself—I’m not going!”

Zheng Xinyu muttered irritably, turned away, and walked to the window to pull back the curtain for some air—but paused, retracted her hand, and finally crouched beneath the windowsill, head bowed low, lost in thought.

Zhang Su knew that at this moment, soothing or forcing her would yield little result.

He checked his wristwatch; after all that hustle, it was past twelve. He patted his stomach and said, “We’ve been up a while—are you not hungry?”

“Hungry…”

Zheng Xinyu didn’t lift her head, answering softly, her voice tinged with tears.

Zhang Su had experience handling this—he walked to Zheng Xinyu, gently patted the top of her head, and said, “I’ll make food.”

Watching Zhang Su’s retreating footsteps, Zheng Xinyu looked up, lips trembling, looking utterly forlorn.

Cooking a full meal was difficult for Zhang Su, but ready-to-heat meals and instant food were easy enough for anyone with hands.

“Sichuan-style cured pork with mushrooms or beef with mushrooms—which one do you want?”

Ten minutes later, Zhang Su returned to the living room, holding two self-heating hot pots, and gestured to Zheng Xinyu, who had sat back on the sofa.

Though resentment and anger still lingered, emotions couldn't fill a stomach—she had to eat.

“I want the Sichuan-style cured pork…”

The aromas of beef with mushrooms and Sichuan-style cured pork instantly filled the air.

The self-heating pot took nearly fifteen minutes to warm the food, but Zhang Su finished his in five minutes; the rest of the time he sat beside Zheng Xinyu, appealing to her emotions and reason, slowly persuading her to join him in killing the zombies…

“Blah blah blah, blah blah blah… Zhang Su, I had no idea you were this talkative—you’ve ruined my appetite!”

With that, Zheng Xinyu pushed the remaining two-fifths of her hot pot toward Zhang Su and said, “I can’t eat any more—if you don’t mind, don’t waste it.”

Zhang Su hadn’t expected Zheng Xinyu to follow through so quickly—he was genuinely moved. He picked up a bite, then placed the dish back in front of her and said, “Don’t eat too little. I’m serious—get ready. We’ll deal with the zombie outside the door together!”

“Bro, Big Brother Zhang, my dear brother—can you please stop pressuring me? Ask me for anything else—I’ll agree to anything, really, anything—but please don’t make me kill zombies…”

When she said “anything,” Zheng Xinyu slightly emphasized the word—it wasn’t a hint anymore; it was as clear as daylight.

Zhang Su grinned, thinking: Could post-mission rewards count as accomplice in killing? “Xinyu, this situation is beyond what we imagined. In Qincheng alone, not counting other counties, the Gangcheng District has over eight hundred thousand people. Even if those helicopters are truly rescue teams, how many can they save?”

“Think—this disaster has struck the entire world, not just one city or province, but the whole planet! You must face it—don’t resist. We’re ten thousand times luckier than those who died for no reason. Gather courage—face the hardship!”

After the meal, a bowl of chicken soup—nourishing and soothing to the stomach…

Zheng Xinyu shut her eyes in pain, the details of the zombie outside flashing in her mind—still resisting. When she opened them again, about to speak, she saw Zhang Su spooning a bite of fragrant food toward her.

“Ah, eat.” Munch!

Zheng Xinyu obediently finished the rest, set down the empty container, hesitated, then said, “Big Brother Zhang, you’re right—I’ve seen the cruel reality. But can I have a few more days? What if… what if the zombie outside just leaves?”

“Sigh.”

Zhang Su sighed, waved Zheng Xinyu over to the window.

He pulled the curtain open just a sliver; the two peered out. Zhang Su whispered beside her ear: “See the situation outside? Count how many zombies are wandering downstairs.”

Zheng Xinyu looked down, estimated roughly—at least twenty to thirty zombies wandered about. She could only see one section, but even that suggested the entire compound likely had over a hundred zombies roaming.

“Now you see how dire it is? Waiting passively for rescue isn’t wrong—but again, better to rely on yourself than on others!”

Years of navigating society and dealing with people had made Zhang Su’s rhetoric sharper than Zheng Xinyu’s as a livestreamer—whether coaxing or inspiring, he had a whole arsenal.

“Alright, then, Big Brother Zhang… huh? Big Brother Zhang, look at Building Four, Unit Two, top floor!”

Zheng Xinyu was about to agree when she suddenly saw someone waving toward their direction…

“Even this tiny gap was spotted? They’ve been watching us for a long time!”

Zhang Su muttered under his breath, then followed Zheng Xinyu’s gaze—there, a young man knelt on his windowsill, frantically waving his arms, clearly signaling them.

“Ignore him.”

Zhang Su spoke calmly, let go of the curtain, and it closed tightly, leaving no sliver of light.

Who had time to care about irrelevant people now?

Zheng Xinyu offered no objection—now not only was the internet down, but they couldn’t even leave their door. Though the distance between the two apartments seemed less than a hundred meters, cooperation was impossible—no effective communication at all!

“Um, Big Brother Zhang, we don’t even have weapons—how are we going to kill the zombies?”

Zheng Xinyu pointed toward the door, having mustered her resolve, determined to push forward.

Aaao!

As if sensing someone intended to kill them, the zombie in the corridor suddenly roared—primitive, bloodthirsty, violent, shaking their nerves.

Before Zhang Su could process what happened, loud banging erupted at the door—but not their door.

Without time to think, Zhang Su lunged to the door, peered through the peephole—clearly, the enraged zombie was now pounding on Apartment 802’s door, each strike harder than before!

“Ah, no, help! Save me, save, save, don’t kill me…”

A string of piercing cries came from the opposite door. After passing through layers of walls, the sound reached Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu faintly—no need to hear the exact words; they could guess it was a plea for help.

The content wasn’t key—the key was that someone was alive on the other side!

“Opportunity!”

Zhang Su didn’t care what was happening on the other side—he knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance!

(End of Chapter)