Chapter 124: Named: Good Luck

Thanks to the rural renovation plans of the past decade, all towns and villages under Qincheng were built remarkably well, especially the roads: every rural access road from the provincial highway had cement foundations, capable of bearing the weight of two RVs without issue.

Leading the convoy was Zhang Su in his Mercedes VS RV, slowly driving toward the village. As the view advanced, he finally caught sight of the village entrance through the trees, and his heart sank.

A chaotic barrier of wooden spikes, barbed wire, tires, farm tools, and overturned agricultural tractors stretched fifty to sixty meters north to south, completely blocking the path out of the village. Even the village name carved on the stone monument at the entrance was hidden, but the bloodstains on the stone revealed a brutal battle had taken place here.

Looking through the barrier into the village interior, limbs and broken corpses were scattered across the streets; zombies in thin clothing shuffled slowly, turning the place into a scene straight out of a hellish village.

"So tragic…"

Zhang Ya, who had remained silent throughout the journey, spoke softly, her face heavy with emotion.

Seeing one part reveals the whole: the condition of this one village reflected the fate of countless others.

"Rural homes offer far less defense than apartment buildings—they're all small courtyard bungalows. In some places with better morals, people won't even close their front doors. Zombies can just walk right in."

Zhang Su parked the vehicle beside the barrier. Nearby zombies, drawn by the sound, shuffled toward them—but were blocked by the barrier, mechanically waving their arms as if summoning death.

Swoosh. Thud!

Zhang Su grabbed his crossbow and shot one zombie lying atop the barrier. He didn't want some howling bastard providing sound effects while he worked.

"Come on, park the vehicles over here!"

A particularly grand fertilizer shop stood just outside the village entrance. Zhang Su directed everyone to park the vehicles against its storefront, ensuring that even if someone passed by on the provincial highway with binoculars, they wouldn't spot the cars.

More than a dozen people bustling about disturbed the village's zombies. By the time they finished parking, a dozen zombies had gathered on the other side of the barrier, snarling and clawing, eager to feast on fresh flesh.

"Wait!"

Zhang Su saw several people grabbing weapons to deal with the zombies and called them back.

Zheng Xinyu and the others turned to him in confusion—what was there to wait for?

"Wu Lue, Yu Qing, Pei Lan, Zhang Ya—you four handle the zombies."

Zhang Su nodded to them.

It was clear these four had been hanging back in the rear of the group, clearly the least enthusiastic.

At Zhang Su's order, Wu Lue and the others didn't dare delay. They each grabbed weapons and moved to the barrier. Since they were too far away, they had to struggle to clear piled debris or crawl through gaps in the obstacles to reach the zombies.

"Can I go too?"

Zhao Xue walked up beside Zhang Su and asked softly.

"You want to practice? Sure. Watch your safety."

Zhang Su had no doubt about Zhao Xue's determination. Training wasn't just about skill—it was about survival instinct and fighting spirit. He told the group: "I've said it before—we need to push them to train. If you don't take this perfect chance now, what happens when you're ambushed? You'll be dead before you know it."

Watching Wu Lue, Yu Qing, and Pei Lan fumble clumsily, he shook his head inwardly. These three needed serious training—but Zhang Ya was decent enough. Her hiking pole was well-practiced, and she stabbed zombies without hesitation.

Zhao Xue didn't need mentioning—since leaving Yileiwen, she'd already killed seven or eight zombies. No one in the group dared underestimate her anymore.

"Boss, Zhang Ya's skills are seriously good!"

Lu Yubo leaned close to Zhang Su, speaking in that knowing male tone—as if to say, This girl's hot, boss. You gonna add her to your harem?

"No matter how good her skills are, it doesn't matter!"

Zhang Su smirked, saying something Lu Yubo didn't understand.

Through observation on this journey, he'd already determined Zhang Ya had problems—but he'd held off acting. Since the enemy hadn't moved, he chose not to move either. He wanted to see what she'd ultimately pull off.

After five or six minutes, Wu Lue and the others finally cleared the zombies pressing against the barrier. Then they moved aside some debris, revealing the large stone engraved with the village name.

Shuikou Village…

An unremarkable name, now just one among countless villages lost to disaster.

Night fell gradually. The group turned the fertilizer shop into a temporary base, tidying up the messy interior and clearing a space. Except for Chen Hanzhou, who kept watch on the roof with binoculars, everyone gathered together, discussing names for the dog.

"Though Xiao Keji has only been awake for half a day, she's already proven herself. I think she deserves to be a full member of our team—and she needs a name!"

Zhang Su patted the Keji, who lay beside him eating a meat can.

The Keji responded enthusiastically to Zhang Su's words, nuzzling his leg before returning to her meal.

Everyone strongly supported Zhang Su's suggestion. In just half a day, they'd all witnessed the dog's extraordinary abilities—far more than just speed and agility.

"I'll go first. Look at that white fur around her neck—call her Xiao Huang!"

"Pffft!"

"Fuck you…"

Lu Yubo's suggestion was unanimously rejected—even the Keji, still munching, gave him a side-eye.

"She's got a fierce head and moves with tiger-like energy. Why not name her Yinhu? What do you think?" Yu Wen adjusted his glasses, joining the discussion with interest.

Again, many objected, saying the name felt too unnatural and awkward to call out.

"Come on, naming a dog's easy—just call her Goudan!" Zhao Dezhu waved his hand. Then he paused, remembering something: "Wait, no—she's a girl. Can't be Goudan. Call her… Dog, Dog… heh, never mind."

Everyone knew exactly what he meant and shot him a collective glare.

Urrr!

The Keji also growled lowly at Zhao Dezhu, clearly displeased.

"We found her at Phoenix International. How about we name her Phoenix? She was unconscious for over ten days before waking up—she's been reborn, right?"

Tan Huajun smiled.

"Phoenix?"

"That's not bad."

"A dog named Phoenix… really?"

Zheng Xinyu raised her hand: "Hey, I found her first. Let me name her!"

"Go ahead. Say your idea…"

Zhang Su smiled slightly at Zheng Xinyu's serious expression.

"You said I have good luck, right? I found her because of my luck. She'll inherit my good fortune—so her name is Haoyun. What do you think?"

Silence fell.

"Sis, that name… is kinda awkward."

Wu Lue muttered weakly.

"Hmm… Haoyun is a bit awkward. Let's make it her formal name, and her nickname Lucky—adds even more luck, okay?"

Yu Qing followed up on Zheng Xinyu's suggestion.

"Haoyun, Lucky, Lucky, Haoyun. I think it's great," Yu Wen declared, backing his daughter.

"Haoyun, come with me—I'm your master. Lucky, go, bite him!"

Zhang Su tested the name in context, his eyes lighting up as he told the Keji: "From now on, your name is Haoyun. Your nickname is Lucky. Haoyun is you. Lucky is you. Got it?"

Woof! Woof!

The Keji seemed delighted with the name. She even stopped eating, wagged her tail, and nodded at Zhang Su.

"Hey, I'm Haoyun's master! I came up with the name—why are you stealing credit?"

Zheng Xinyu pouted at Zhang Su, looking pitiful under the dim light.

"Fine, fine, you're her master too…" Zhang Su didn't care about such small things—he was generous: "Haoyun, she's your master too. Listen to her, okay?"

Woof woof!

The Keji playfully circled Zheng Xinyu, charming everyone.

Using the dog's naming as a springboard, everyone began sharing amusing stories—from before the collapse, to the darkly funny moments since. Laughter echoed, easing their tense nerves.

Rare moments of joy in the apocalypse—everyone treasured them deeply.

(End of Chapter)