Chapter 171: Sorrow and Joy

"Alright, it's all over now."

Zhang Su slung the rifle back onto his shoulder and let out a long, deep breath—the knot buried deep in his heart for so long had finally been resolved.

"Let's all carry the bodies down the mountain. I'll go check on Zu Meng and his sister!"

"Oh right, didn't Zu Meng and Zu Tong take part in this?"

Zheng Xinyu asked curiously.

"Last night, when I peeked through the window, Zu Meng and Zu Tong were extremely unwilling to let Liang Xiaocheng clash with us—they were later controlled by Liang Xiaocheng…"

Zhang Su shrugged and looked toward the Qingfeng Xiaozhu.

Lu Yubo said: "Damn, didn't know Old Meng was actually loyal."

"Yeah, people like this are rare these days, big brother—why don't we recruit them to join us?" Zhao Dechu suggested.

Zhang Su lowered his arm in frustration, a pang of sorrow stirring in his chest.

Zhang Su was listening to Liu Tianji's plan when suddenly an unusual sound reached his ears.

Thud!

Zhang Su kicked open Door 204—just as expected, two zombies were tied to chairs, necks stretched out, gnashing their sharp white teeth at the two of them—it was Zu Meng and Zu Tong, the siblings.

Last night, they had every chance to ambush Liang Xiaocheng's group and wipe them out effortlessly—but if they acted at night, only he could see clearly; everyone else's vision would be blocked, and accidents were inevitable. A well-laid trap with a defensive counterattack was far more reliable!

The low moans of the zombies echoed from the second floor of Qingfeng Xiaozhu.

"This… I… they actually killed Old Meng!?" Liu Tianji leaned against the door, face filled with disbelief.

"I'll free them and see what they think—if they're willing to stay, that's fine. The base needs manpower."

"This area's really quite large—building it up will take some effort…"

"Huh?"

With that, Zhang Su walked toward Qingfeng Xiaozhu.

Liang Xiaocheng had only said he'd control the Zu siblings for one night and release them after the job was done—no one had thought it would end up like this.

Walking along the wide cement road, Zhang Su glanced left and right—they had clearly become the de facto masters of this resort area, and it was time to seriously consider development.

"The main problem is lack of heavy machinery, but we've got plenty of hands—we can manage!"

Awooo.

Liu Tianji spoke cheerfully: "We need to build a wall along the road up the mountain… and over there, I always feel someone could climb up from below—even without a wall, we need traps. The downhill path is easier. Hmm, the highest point, Baiyun Yayuan, could serve as a lookout post…"

To make a plan, he needed to fully understand the situation of Tianma Island Resort.

From a moral standpoint, Zu Meng and Zu Tong weren't enemies—they could've become allies. From a practical standpoint, as two people familiar with Tianma Island, they could've provided invaluable help for base construction. But now it was all too late.

"Shit!"

"Bro, I'm coming with you!" Liu Tianji, his slightly chubby body panting, hurried after Zhang Su.

"Damn… I never thought this would happen, damn it!"

Zhang Su turned toward the source of the sound, his expression instantly turning cold. He drew his pistol and sprinted toward Qingfeng Xiaozhu in three long strides.

"Zhang Ya was right—Liang Xiaocheng is a madman. Shit, I always told others I was the bad guy—but compared to Liang Xiaocheng, I'm a living Buddha!"

Zhang Su holstered his gun, pulled out his dagger, and walked forward slowly. With a complex heart, he finally put Zu Meng and Zu Tong to rest.

When the others learned of the Zu siblings' deaths, their hearts grew heavy—rare were such warm-hearted people in the apocalypse.

"Bro, did we kill Old Meng and Sister Tong?"

Zheng Xinyu frowned, her face filled with turmoil.

"You mean, if we hadn't come, the Zu siblings wouldn't have died? I think as long as he didn't side with Liang Xiaocheng, his death was inevitable…"

Zhang Su rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Tragedies happened every day—this time, it had come to their own doorstep.

All morning, the group disposed of Liang Xiaocheng's ten corpses, then dug two graves for the Zu siblings—final dignity in this apocalypse, to rest in peace.

After finishing, Zhang Su's group thoroughly inspected every single resort building on Tianma Island, confirming no one was hiding inside, and only then did they finally relax.

"Everyone, the dangers outside haven't been eliminated—Tianma Island is our safe home. I won't say much—just this one thing: stay united, no infighting. Let's build our shared home. Can you do it?"

At the parking platform by the resort entrance, Zhang Su stood on a step and addressed his companions.

"No problem—we follow Brother Su!"

Lu Yubo responded enthusiastically.

"We can do it, Brother Su, don't worry!"

"We can do it!"

One by one, everyone echoed in agreement.

The team had twenty members. The longest-standing were Zhao Xue and Wu Lue, who had known Zhang Su for years and held an inexplicable trust in him. Even the newest members—Jia Shiqin, Qi Xiaoshuai, Lu Leiyang, and Mo Qianlan, Tan Hua's daughter—had, within just a few days, fully recognized Zhang Su's leadership.

Everyone accepted Zhang Su's competence—even when he was cruel or ruthless, it was for the team's protection. Without exception, he had become the group's true leader.

"Good!"

Rarely able to speak loudly, Zhang Su's voice rang clear: "If anyone has a problem you can't resolve, come to me—I'll mediate. We've come together in the apocalypse—it's not easy. As long as we stay united, we'll survive!"

"Survive!"

Everyone responded in unison to this most basic, heartfelt plea.

"This area, just for lodging, could fit not just twenty people—two thousand could squeeze in… but we can't live scattered everywhere. Too wide a living range means too much dispersion—that's risky!"

Zhang Su pointed to a nearby building: "Based on the resort layout, we'll take rooms from Wangshan, Zhiyuan, and Xiao Xingyun. The rest will be used for storage—or if survivors join us later and we expand, we can move into wider areas."

Zhang Su had always handled planning—everyone had grown used to following his orders, trusting him without question, and no one objected.

Like a gaming team, someone must lead. Once members get used to following orders, they only need to execute—not decide.

Seeing everyone had no issues, Zhang Su continued: "I'll reassign sentry duty. Today, keep the old schedule—but no training today. Pick a room you like, tidy up, inventory supplies, and relax. We'll talk about everything tomorrow!"

"Yay!"

"Brother Su, you're the best…"

"Haha, can I go down the mountain for a stroll?"

"Bullshit. Your movement is restricted to above the parking lot and below the ravine."

Zhang Su immediately stopped the delivery guy Qi Xiaoshuai from going down the mountain.

"Run! Race for rooms!"

Someone shouted, and the group finally snapped to attention, rushing en masse toward the three resorts Zhang Su had chosen.

"Xinyu, grab the biggest room on the second floor of Xiao Xingyun!"

Zhang Su bellowed from the steps.

"Leave it to me! Get out of the way—I'll run you over…"

Zheng Xinyu dashed toward Xiao Xingyun, panting—her corgi, Haoyun, was even faster, zipping past everyone in a flash!

The resorts were designed with a homely atmosphere—low-cost decor, but heartfelt.

Each guest room had been carefully arranged by the owners, radiating warmth—even if not everyone's preferred style, they all felt like home.

The three resorts had over twenty rooms—plenty for everyone. Each person found their own room; some naturally paired up.

Clean, tidy rooms. Fresh, neatly made beds. Air conditioning and TVs. Too bad the TV had no signal, and the AC couldn't run due to insufficient solar panel power—but none of that dimmed their satisfaction.

Smiles returned to their faces for the first time in a long while. They sorted through clothes and shoes in their rooms. Some even brewed tea, savoring a slow sip—feeling as if they'd returned to life before the disaster.

It felt less like fleeing to Tianma Island for survival, and more like a team-building retreat.

Though there was no training in the afternoon, many tasks remained after tidying up.

They planned storage zones, sorted and stored all supplies from the vehicles. Zhong Xiaoshan was officially appointed as supply officer, tasked with detailed inventory and daily consumption tracking.

The effeminate Lu Leiyang became Zhong Xiaoshan's assistant, handling heavy labor—something he gladly accepted.

"Including all supplies left behind in the resorts, and assuming high consumption, our food will last sixty-five days—not counting chickens, ducks, or fish, since the reservoir ensures water supply. But watch out for freezing damage to the tap water system!"

At five-thirty in the afternoon, all non-sentry personnel gathered in the backyard of Xiao Xingyun. Zhong Xiaoshan held her notebook and briefed everyone on the base's current status.

"Only enough food for two months? That can't be right—there's so much!"

Zhang Su was the first to question it. Just the grain taken from Xida Ying Village and Lianhe Village exceeded fifteen hundred jin—carrying it in the afternoon had been exhausting, not to mention prior stockpiles. He'd assumed it would last half a year, enough to get through the coming winter.

Zhong Xiaoshan shrugged: "Cold weather, plus daily training, doubles our food consumption. There are two greenhouse vegetable sheds—Little Chen measured them—they total about half an acre. If maintained well, they'll extend our supply."

"Looks like self-sufficiency on Tianma Island will be tough—this winter, we can't even clear land for planting," Yu Wen frowned, thinking of sustainable solutions.

"Should we reduce training intensity?" Zheng Xinyu ventured.

"No!" Zhang Su cut her off firmly. "A stable environment gives us time to learn how to survive in the apocalypse. If we slack off, next time danger comes, we might be doomed."

"Don't worry about food. There's land in the resort area that can be slowly converted into greenhouses. Nearby villages must have places like Shuikou Village—clear zombies gradually, bring back a truckload of grain, and it'll last a month or two."

The group agreed Zhang Su was right. Food had a shelf life—hoarding too much wasn't wise. Only a sustainable cycle could last. But training couldn't be neglected—once people grew comfortable, they'd grow numb to danger!

(End of Chapter)